> ~iQw^%tk^^ \ \Y -OF- A M: LIBRARY OF THE. U N 1 VERS ITY OF I LLI NOIS 1 F»l 073 hISl. SURVW ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS Volume ILLUSTRATED WITH ENGRAVED AND ETCHED PORTRAITS CHICAGO THE CENTURY PUBLISHING AND ENGRAVING COMPANY Copvi ID ] .1 u inc. I OMPAM ■ llli A.. I) jpUAA PREFACE. No State of the American Union can boast a prouder history than that <>t Illinois. After the original thirteen colonies which foughl the battles of Independence, it is not too much to say that the Stat.- of Illinois stands first in the interest attaching t,. her history, while she has tremendously surpassed the majority of them in the importance of the position she holds in tin- greal republic, and in the magnitude of the work which her sons have accomplished. The pioneers who at the commencement of tlie present century laid the foundations of this State, were the descendants of the men who established the American Republic and framed its constitution. They broughl with them to the great West the heritage of free institutions which their Revolu- tionary father- had secured. Thej brought with them, above all. the hardy and robust physical constitution-, the sterling characters and the virtuous habits by which thfiir forefathers had made the desert in New England to "blossom as the rose." and which enabled them to push forward the boundaries of civilization: to endure the severe hardships of pioneer lite: to I. rave the perils of warfare with the savage Indian: and finally to rear on the Western prairie a sovereign State, which has grown to he the third in the Union in population, and i- rapidly reaching the third place in agricultural and manufacturing wealth. The lives of tli,- men who have built up this great State, and shaped it- history, _are well worthy of permanent record. The State of Illinois, and especially the fCity of Chicago, owe their origin and their present greatness to a .-la— of men who in ienergy, enterprise, ability and success in their various walk- of life are simpl] the wonder of the n place in a work '>t' this kind. The selection of subject* has been determined bj the personal Worthiness of each individual, and the lesson lo be learned from his career. In making this selection, the mosl absolute independence of judgment ha- been exercised. The guiding principle which has been conscientiously followed throughout has been in present a complete anil comprehensive survey "1' the lives of the repre- sentative nun of the Siaii. whose deeds have formed, in the main, her history. This work i- in'! a mere record of individual success, for we an- not unmindful "I' the great truth thai success does nol ol itself make a lid- exemplar} : but stricl regard has been paid to the bearing and influence which each man's career has had upon the fortunes of the State or of the citj which lie has helped to build up; and no biography will be found in these pages which i- inn t" some extent a contribution in tlir history of tin- State itself in it- growth in material prosperity, or to it- advancement in tin- higher art- of civilization. While we have exercised an indc pendent judgmenl in the selection of tin- subjects of these biographical sketches, we feel i tidenl that tin- public will sustain us in that judgment, ami in the selections we have made. In order to make the work thoroughlj reliable for reference purposes, neither time nor pain- have been spared in verifying ever} qucsti I' fad relating in tin- careers of the nun whose lives air here written. Readers familiar with tin- historj of the State »ill readily discover thai the present volume does not contain sketches of all tin- leading men of tin- commonwealth. There air many distinguished citizens, some who have passed away, ami others -till living, whose biographies will nut be found in this volume. It was tin- original intention of the publishers in • pletc tin- work in a single volume, in which thej hoped tn include sketches of all thai are deserving of In rablc mention for the pari they have played in the historj of the State; bul thej earlj found it impracticable tn incorporate all the desirable material al their disposal without producing an unsightly an. I iinuiehlly I k. Ii ha- therefore been determined tn issue the "Encyclopaedia of Biograph) of fllinois" in two volumes, the iir-t of which we now take great pleasure in presenting i r readers. In dividing the work into two volumes, care has been taken that the biographies in each -hall he <>( equal interest ami importance; ami the same rule **( selection ami discrimination will he applied in the preparation of the second that we trusl will he recognized in the first. While we believe that the work will hear the eln-e-t inspection a- tn ii- literarj character, we take considerable pride in calling attention tn the very line steel portraits ami etchings with which it i- illustrated. No work of the same class has ever Keen published in this country containing engraved portraits of such excellence ami artistic finish a- will he f i.l in the vol e we novi place before the public; at lea-t. if any such exists, it ha- nol come within our observation. Chicago, April, 1892. CONTENTS. Acki RMAN, William K. Adams, < Ieorge E. . Allen, J. Adams Allen, Charles L. A 1.1 i rton, Samuel W. Anthony, Elliott . Armour, Philip I). Arnold. Isaac X. . Avery, Thomas M. Ayer. Benjamin 1". Baker, William T. I!ai nil, URI Beckwith. Corydon . Bisbee, Lewis H. . Hi vckstone, Timothy B. r. ,i i.. ( Ihadncey B. Blair, William Blodgett, Henry W. BoGI I . I rEORGl M. I !i ii 1 1 in. Nathaniel S. 1!i iDLEY, William H. 1 1 : . i isrti;, Edward L. I , n. John Bb i in, Thom IS B. . Burley, Arthur . William H. Byford, Henry T. Cable, Ransom E. . CHAPPELL, I'll LRLES 1 [. Cl \kk. John M. i i ib, Emory ( !i ibb, Silas B. Coonlf.v. John C. Coi NS1 I.MAN. CH \RLI.s Cowles, Alfred Cri rar, John p\\ in. David Davis, I [eorge K. . Davis, Nathan S. Deere, Cb isles H. Dextf.r, Wirt . Doane, John W. Dole, Charles S. 276 265 174 315 236 375 320 36 206 58 300 283 381 373 28 80 98 386 293 •Jin 382 "J7-"> 329 103 •Jul ITs :{."»7 ."iT 343 108 21 I 203 338 jh L56 17 9 258 352 37J 140 246 JJ7 DUNLAP, ( rEORGl E Edwards, Rich ird Evans, Henry H. . EWI.N'.. Adlai T. Fairbank. Nathaniel K Parwf.ll. John V.. Sr. Peehan. Patrick A. Field. Marshall Gage, Lvma.n J. Gammon. Elijah II. Gassette, Norman T ( rILLETT, JOHN D. Gilman, John E. . Goodrich, < !r int Goudy, Willi \m ( '. John S. . Grannis, W. C D. . Gray, Franklin D. ( rRESB \.M. W m mi. Q ( iROSS, SaMUI I E. GuNN, W Harvey, Turling ro» W Hay. Milton II I I'r \nm.in II. Henderson, Charles M, i i in. Charles Hi brick, John J. . Hibbard. William ( ;. Higgins, Van H. Higinbotham, Harlow N. Hitchcock, ( !b vrles HOWLAND, GeORG] Hoyne, Thomas Hi;. l>. II LRVE1 B. Hi n binson, Charles [sham, Edward S. . . I !dward T. Jf.yvi.tt. John X. Johnson, Hosmer A. Jones, J. Russell Jones, Samuel J. . Kales, Francis H. Kent. Sidney A. 363 216 319 138 199 349 14 4s 291 310 78 369 284 304 JUS 280 ji 6 248 212 182 171 153 143 230 297 313 102 S9 338 187 361 61 is: i 309 145 301 Us 134 91 355 380 324 con n \ rs ' I I I V M I >. I KlMBAI I . Wll I I 1M W M, KlMBARK, Sink. \ I ' KlNG, HKNR\ \V. KlRKMAN, M kRSB »L1 M. Km. ki rbcm ht i:. .'."-mi \ < ' ■. I'.i>» in ('. I | IRLES B. I . -..will. I'll Mil RS W. Li « i~. John 11. Loi w. Si i rm s '1'. Loom is, John M. . I . i. 9 l.\ M *\. 1>\\ 111 B. . M vn . '.! . 1 IrOROB M v-i.n. Rosw 1 1 i. B. \1 v-,>v Willi VM K. Mi dii u Joseph l.i mi r I,. Clifton H. Wll 1 1AM 11. Morrison, Isaj 1 M. v B. - 11 HICK, Wll 1 . ■ il. ES, \ son, S M. S A'ni.ixM P. JOHN J. P. . kRD J, - JOHN E. . W. K . •V. S r. Wll 1.1 VM 1" 133 l'l 1 1 M \N. < lEOROl M. . 322 Qt'lKBY, [VORV 272 Ki hi, Norn \n l>. 336 III. i. .1 nil - 11. 335 R Hi., ii . 169 Kin i\. Ki>\\ m;i> P. i.;i UN W. . L10 . I 1 N . - SCHNEIDER, t rEORGE 112 So , James W. . 290 .1.M1N M. 237 M xri in W r r. 1 19 Edwin H. 347 Shorj v. Daniel L. . .S.-.7 Short mi . John (1. . 267 Mark 105 Sm mi . Edward A. L97 Smith. Charles 3lDNXT . .. Franklin 1". ■JT7 SPRAGCE, Axbert A. . •J.-.4 Stager, Anson - Stukni v. Emx \ri> S. . 163 Stone, Melville E. ."►4 Strawn, Jacob . - Stkeetkr. John W. . 239 William E. •J71 St John. Evkrittk . 74 Tokkkn. i. Joseph T. . 278 i . Lambert :c> John B. - . VoLVNTlNt C. 41 Walter, Joel C. - kth, John . 118 William-. Norm xn 130 Willing. Henri -T. John P. 361 . Frederics H. . .".1 ■ Frederii k S •r.i IBK.RT Richard . 90 L32 243 340 - J-Jl •J."-: :>i 194 - 69 .».>o -".'7 108 342 :;i 97 L80 364 67 244 263 100 •J7o -•> 124 316 225 ::7i 165 39 53 253 MS 114 159 163 109 l-Jl ! 28 :'.44 UWVEfis J^TzUsl d—j&zu. ^/ ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGEAPHY OF ILLINOIS. DAVID DAVIS. JUDGE DAVID DAVIS was bora on the 9th da) of March. 1815, in Cecil county, Maryland. His family was of Welsh origin; but had been settled in that county for more than a century, and had acquired in every particular the distinct ive features of American nationality. He was unfortunate in the loss of his father at an early age; but the kindness of an ancle in man) ways atoned in some measure for his early privation. His father left sufficient estate, not only to educate him in elassieal acquirements, but enough to ena- ble him to live beyond the apprehension of want. during the years of unproductive life, in the earl) career of manhood. This patrimony was, through the dishonesty ami negligence of hisguardian, lost to him. Having attended the local schools of Maryland, at the age of thirteen he was entered a student at Kenyon College, Ohio, from which he graduated at the age of seventeen. Although he had no special talent for public speaking, his taste and inclination directed his attention to the bar as the business of life. As has been said, he had sufficient means to enable him to acquire an education and profession. He was not borne down by the privations of poverty, nor was he enervated by the expectation of hereditary riches. The lilies had fallen to him in the golden mean. between want and wealth. After leaving college he went to Lenox. Massachusetts, and read law in the office of Judge Henry W. Bishi >p, then one of the leading lawyers of .Massachusetts. After re- maining in the law office of Judge Bishop about two years, he attended the New Haven law school for one year. With a good classical education, a course of reading in tin- office "t Judge Bishop, and a term at New Haven, he was fully prepared to enter upon the responsible and arduous duties of a practising lawyer. His residence in Ohio, and other information, impressed on his mind the magnitude of the resources of the Mississippi Valley, especially tin- Northwest; and on being admitted to the bar he emigrated, in the year IS.",."), to Illinois. It has been said: "At the time he sought his home in the West as a verj young man. he traversed the breadth of nearly five Stales, then in comparative infancy, that he might grow with the growth and strengthen with the strength of that commonwealth, which has so honored him by its confidence, and whose history his name has enriched in the example of a great character." He first located at Peldn, but alter a short time, in 1836, he removed to Bloomington, which for a period of fifty years was his home. In ls.'ls he was married to Miss Sarah W.Walker, daughter of Judge Wm. P. Walker, of Lenox, Mass. She was well worthy to be the wife of Judge Davis, and shared with him the privations of his early struggles and the prosperity of his later triumphs, with all the grace ami dignity that is born of the beauty of goodness. The Judge, on coming to the years of responsible life, followed the hereditary tendency of his family in politics and became an ardent Whig. He had a great admiration for Mr. Clay, which amounted to an enthusiasm. In 1840 he was the Whig candidate in the Bloomington district for State Senator; bu1 the majority being largely against his party, he was defeated l.\ Gov. John Moore, t hen and for many years after one of the most popular demo- crats of the state. While the Judge was active io B KU'IIV OP ILLINOIS. in politics, he did not permit Ins part] to inter- fere with his practice. He was most diligenl in and devoted to his profession. Shortly after his coming to the bar, he was offered the position <-s hii om bis pracl icej hut he declined, having no doubl the inspiration nf tliiit hope, which, in the end "I his career, placed liim among the most distinguished jurists of the United States. Daniel Webster had the Bame experience with a clerkship in the coin i eer as a lawyer, and disposed or it in the same way much to the disgust and disappointment of his father. In 1844 Judge I in \ is was elected to the Lower Blouse of the [Hit i I . islature, and distinguished himself by the clear- ness and accuracy of liis views of the law, and his great capacity or labor in the i imittee room. He declined a renomination, Although pro aounced in his political opinions, he was not a poli til-inn: he delighted in the practice or the law, and the acquirement or that information which would enable him to discharge the higher functions of judge. During the time of ins practice, the bar or central Illinois was very able, and afterwards became most distinguished. Among the promi- nent were Mr. Lincoln. Judge Logan, Judge Douglas, Col. Baker one of the most brilliant orators or his day Judge Trumbull, Major Stuart, .Mr. lirov . ad Col. Hardin. It would be un- true, and therefore unjust, to the memory of Judge l>a\ is to rank him with some or those names as a practising lawyer. He always disclaimed the com parison, and an honest chronicler should disclaim it Tor him. The profession of the law had to him a wiiler range than the ambition of the barrister. Nature had made him a judge bj the same mys- terious economy that it had made other advo eatis. and while lie was not to wear the glory of ■ 'i. he was to be graced by the beauty i>r the ermine. While at the bar, he had a judicial a la a yer marks the high mission ami duty "T the truly professional in the • I J Ol BOCietj . In 1S|7 ] 1( . waS elected to the constitutional convention which framed the constitution of 1848, and he bore a verj important peciall) in work providing for and estale fishing the judicial department. During his pub lie lire as a legislator, he has I i aspicuous in his efforts to remodel and improve the judicial machinery of both the state and c incuts. I ■ system or federal appellate jurisdiction is modeled on the plan proposed by him when a member or the Senate of the United Slates, and which passed that body with marked unanimity. At the time or the adoption of the constitution of lsps. he had been at the bar about twelve Mais, and during that time had mosl dill gently given his attention to the practice, ami had impressed upon the mind of the bar and the pen pi' ol central Illinois the ract that he was most eminently qualified for the bench. Ai the first election ol' judges, without opposition he was elected in a circuit composed of fourteen counties, embracing McLean and Sangamon. At the time he became identified with the bar or Illinois, in 1836, Mr. Lincoln was struggling in the commence uient ol' that career which not only made him conspicuous in the ranks of the profession, but i narked him as one of the greatest men of history. Between him and Judge Davis, from their first acquaintance to the close of Mr. Lincoln's lire, a most cordial intimacy existed. In the exercise < >f thai unerring judgment which enabled the Judge lo pass upon the qualities of men. he discerned in Mr. Lincoln intellectual and moral attributes of the highest ord.-r. After In- became judge, Mr. Lincoln continued to travel the circuit, attending court in all the counties of the circuit, and con tributing by his learning and ability to the admin istrati t justice, and to the social enjoyment of life by a humor unsurpassed in the richness of its merriment. In 1848 the soil of the circuit had not been broken by the survey of a railroad, and his duties as judge required him to hold two sessions of th" court iii each year, in lour teen of thi COUntiesof the state. The clearness and quick ness of his intellect, his preparatory education, both literary and professional, and his practice, had fully capacitated him to discharge with promptness the various and laborious duties of his position. In some of the qualities of a judge he has had I nil a few superiors m I he long line of judicial ability with which our history as a pi ople has I n graced. The important duty of a judge is not nil performed in the statement and applica- tion of the just principles "f the law: these can he gathered, in a majority of cases, from vast storehouses of jurisprudence, to which, in England and America, the nenl judges and lawyers have contributed: but to ascertain the truth, to eliminate error, and to adjust the rights of parties, on the Tads as they really exist, is the exercise of a faculty that cannot he directed 1 ,\ adjudged cases. The preservation of estates, and the pro tection ol' infants against the incompetency or dishonesty of guardians, and the rapacity of un scrupulous speculators, marked one of his peculiar BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. r I traits as a circuit judge. His faithfulness in be- half of the trust estate of wants may have been strengthened by his own experience, the estate inherited from his father having been squandered by an unscrupulous and irresponsible guardian. He had great faith in the ultimate value of Illinois land, and it required a very urgent neces- sity to justify the sale of an infant's real estate. His administration of the law in the circuit court was most eminently satisfactory to the people and the bar. But few appeals were taken from his decisions, and his dispatch of the public business was a marvel of efficiency and industry. He was a natural born judge, and, while he was not tyrannical, he forcibly exercised power to accom- plish the ends of justice. After his election as judge in 1848, he ceased any active agency in politics, but continued his adhesion to the Whig party until its disruption after the disastrous campaign of 1852. Although anti-slavery in his thought and feeling, he disliked the radical tendency of the Abolitionists. In the campaign of 1858 he took a great interest, being opposed to the repeal of the 1 Missouri Compromise, and a I rated friend of Mr. Lincoln. Mr. Lincoln and Judge Douglas had been the great champions of the Whig and Democratic parties, and, aside from Judge Davis' personal attachment to Mr. Lincoln, he was interested in him as the great leader of the opposition to the Democratic party. Mr. Lincoln, though defeated for Senator, laid the foundation in 1858 for his election to the Presidency. Upon his great success in the joint debates of 1858, Judge Davis, in common with the rest of Mr. Lincoln's personal friends in Illinois, enlarged the boundaries of his ambition, and from that time he was an avowed candidate for the Presidency. In that candidacy Judge Davis took a lively interest and bore a most distinguished part. He thought that the 1 aspirations of his most intimate friend for the highest office in the land justified his par- ticipation in politics. The national convention of the Republicans met in Chicago on the 16th day of May, I860, and to that convention he was one of th delegates at large. He was so much devoted to the interest of Mr. Lincoln that he could not absent himself from the convention, and besides, it was Mr. Lincoln's personal desire that he should attend. This was the first great convention held bj the Republican party, and had before it as candidates the most distinguished statesmen of that party and of its delegates, the ablest mem- bers and the must accomplished politicians, .ludge Davis, from the commencement to the dose, was recognized as the leader of Mr. Lin- coln's forces, and without his agency in that con- vention it maybe doubted whether he would have received the nomination. In his adhesion to Mr. Lincoln he was not actuated by his personal friendship, but by an abiding faith in the ability and integrity of the man. While he had no appre- hension that the election of a Republican as President would involve the country in a war, he thought that the grave responsibility that would fall upon the choice of that party would require ability of the highest order and patriotism of the most heroic mold. He took a great interest in the campaign which followed the nomination, but did not participate m it as an active politician He continued to hold the circuit court uninterrupt- edly until the autumn of ISO:!. During the first year of the war the Department of the Missouri, through the inefficient administration of the quartermaster, became a chaos of confusion, with millions of money contracted and claimed, with honest demands delayed and dishonest claims pressed for payment. The President, to relieve the embarrassment of the situation, appointed a commission consisting of Judge Davis. (Jen. Holt and Mr. Campbell, of St. Louis, to investigate and pass judgment upon the rights of the parties. It was an immense work of investigation, and re- quired the highest grade of talent to bring order and justice out of the confusion. The three men as a combination had the best quality of ability for the task— Judge Davis and Gen. Holt being eminent lawyers, and Mr. Campbell being one of the most experienced merchants of St. Louis. The findings and reports of that commission have been quoted by the highest courts of the land, and the result accomplished by it is an enduring compliment to the integrity and capacity of the men who composed it. Duringthefourteen which Judge Davis presided in the Circuit Court of Illinois, the popular estimate which the bar and the people had made of his ability to perform the duties was justified beyond the most sanguine expectations of his friends, so that when a vacancy occurred in the Supreme Court of the United States in the circuit including the State of Illinois, he was recognized by the bar as the per- son to be appointed to that responsible position. The President had an acquaintance with all the prominent lawyers of the circuit, and had the most intimate knowledge of the ability of Judge Davis, and into his hands, by the Constitution, was committed the power and duty of selecting from those lawyers a lit justice for the most im- BIOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS. portal quality "f V. a pub •.■I it _;ird for the lit ion of the country pron : °t the just: of f nit bench of Illi- - - to the higher jurisdiction of the National Judi- ciary. He had not . of judicial thought required in the prepa- ration of wi "thoroughly studied the law in all features of it? administration. At the tii: le ;i member of the Supreme Court it was ■ •.■mi .f the ablest judges of it? • . . The promotion was well calculate embarrass him with grave apprehensions of his — . f'.r while he was brave ami f>-arl<-?s when boldness was a virtue, he had a modest apprecia- tion of hi? own ability. His opinions when delib- ugh firm, while in the process of development were susceptible t" everj mate and logical influence. At the time hi came a member of the Supreme Court many questions of importance were pending questions I property, not of individual reputation. but great questions of international and public law. stions of civil liberty— not in the interpretation ; .11 1 in the construction of the coi tion of the United States H - inently rvative in the tendency of his mind and judgment; and while he did not coincide with many of tin- the. "utional construc- tion in favor of a strong g ieved in the sovereignty of th»- Federal power, in the execution of such laws as it might •hiii the purview of the consti- tution, II ■ ieved in that theory of the consti- tution which recognized the Union, not as a mere inent formed upon tl . anil -If and the citizen. In the discharge of his new dutj .Ju^ his brethren of tin- bench with his superior judicial qualifications, and he wrote but few opinions until the American bar was satisfied that the President made no mistake in his selection of ajudg "1 of the war was remarkably prolific in forcing upon the of all departmi legal inquiry. The financial policy of eminent, I tl liberty, military -- of fifty millions of people, both of peace and war. were the subject matter of jurisdiction from the most important case? of the I»-ri'«l was great public interest and provoked much jnipular The matter at isE |ue«tion of individual liberty, and the power of ' ernment in time of war. made it ,,ne of tl historical cases, ranking in importance with Marbury vs. Madison, and the Dartmout: I iigan. and an examination of it will justify the resolution of the 1 '-junty bar "That we do n appreciate, as fine specimens of judicial sr his opinions which embrace a discussion of the genius and mold of the American government, rthy of a place among the great judicial interpretations of the American Constitution." The leading thoughts of the decision are: "The Constitution of the United States is a law for rulers and people equally in war and in peace, and covers with the shield of its protection all classes of men. and at and under all circumstai ernment within the Constitution, has all the .-anted to it. which are necessary to pre- serve it- ias been happily proved by rthrow it." It will be seen by an examination of the rej taining his opinions, that he fearlessly followed the dictates of an honest judg what might be the prejudii of the hour, and whether his reason was i • if the line of popular clamor, he followed •f his com the war many Supreme Court involving the constitutionality of tender acts. In the case of Hepburn vs. 1 I a majority of the Court held that "There is in the constituti gislative i»iwcr to make any description of credit currem tender in payment of debt." I of this decision was to invalidate by judicial judgment oneof tin- most important ai I rnment. in the prosecution of the war. and to disturb the s of the country, by making nothing but coin applicable to the payment of debts contracted before tl grese provid- BIOGRAPHY OP ILLLN"Or>. T 3 ins for the issue of Treasury i _ Davis wit _ - yne and Miller dissented. In a short time, after the pro- mulgation of this decision, other cases reached ■■me Court, involving the same question, and in what is known as th- _ the Court reversed the - if Hepburn vs. i by holding "The acts _ !ss known as the L s Lets -"itutional when their passage and are also applicabl The last decision was mad- g 'vith the in; gress had the power to pass the [eg vand of is has marked with beautiful accuracy the perf' _ - .: know noth; _ the parties: everything "hing for justice: nothing for himself: nothing for his patrons: nothing f< " - - side is I : .. .wer and the legislature and the people — the soar honors. I \ - his daily bread — and on the '•-an individual, nameless and odious, his oor small, attending "Give." says Mr. Choate, "to the community such a juilge and I care little who makes the rest of tl tution. or what party administers it. It high though it _ Davis attained. Although he had not participated in politi - I860, in January, 1872. the Labor Reform party nominated him for the Presidency. Owi dissatisfaction in the Republican party the liberal movement was inaugurate! in the early part of l*~i which culminated in a convention in May: D his name was submitted as a candidate. Illinois was divided S nator Trumbull, which de- stroyed the chances of both. "1 in the majority, but r ion held in Illinois. - 'li vision m. The result of the convention was the nomination of Mr. Greeley and the memorable campaign of 1S72. In the elc 1876, in Illinois neitherof the great parties a majority of the legislature, and the balance of Independent party. which nominated Judge Davis as its candidate for the Unit- 3 - ral Logan was the nominee for the Republican party and various persons were supported by the Democracy. After test lasting - January until f March, the Democracy united with the Independents and elected the Judge a senator from the 1th of ' 1877 The honor was un- solicited on his part, and no effort was made by him to influeni I the legis *ure. He did not exchang Senate be- cause he preferred the dignity and duty of the latter: but because the Legislature tendered him the place, and under all the circumstances he did not r ■ cline. His c-areer as mmenced in 1848 twenty-nine at, his brethren of the bench left upon the records of the court an enduring memorial of his many virtues as shown • >n the 5th of March. 1-77. he his brethren of the court: "My official connection with the Suprem States - - . 1 all the years of my active life at th nch, it is not without serious misg ter upon .ere of put . felt at liberty to decline a seat in the Senate, with which I have been hoi General Assembly of th - the relations which I en us for so many years. ! to beat my testimony to the eminent learning, ability and integrity which have characterized your judicial labors. From the organization of the Governs Supreme Court has i able and upright judges. In my jr. [g - now as worthy of the confides merican people as it ever has been at any period of its Since I was it President Lincoln, six of een numbered with the dead. I take great satisfaction in the , that my relations with them, and all my uniformly kind and cordial. In offering you my parting salutations. I ssured of the respect and sine, ith which I remain your friend and servant.'" To which the court by letter replied: -We have received with sine- _ ax letter announcing that your officia with us _ fifteen years in which you have been a member of this court, questions of the iaracter have come before it for adjudi- cation, and you have borne your full share of the labor and responsibility which their decision in- ference- room, your wise judgment and your just a] tion of facts; in the reception-room, your kin d 1 1 i;iot;i;.\nn OP ILLINOIS. and courteous greetings. With the li"i"' that your life in the future maj I"- as useful as it luis been in the past, and that the ties of personal friendship « hich now bind j i" you may never !»• broken, we Bub your friends." While he had but little legislative experience when he became a member of the Senate, he at i position among rs of that distinguished body, Berving on the judiciary committee with Edmunds, Conkling, Thurman, Garland, Carpenter and other great lawyers of the American Senate. 1" November, 1879, less than two years after his election, Mrs. Davis, who had been in delicate health for some time, died at her old home in Massachusetts, leaving after her the memory of many ;icis of kii alleviatin , both in Wash- ington and the city in which she li half a century. Judge Davie served as acting tor nearly two years, and with but little experience in the technical knowledge of parliamentary law he decided every question that came before the Senate without submission, and never was reversed by the action of the Senate. In the Senate, as in everj other situation, manded the respect and confidence of his associates, and retired from that body at the end of his term comfort of private life. As a member of the Judiciary Committee, he performed faithful service in shaping the legislatioi gress during the entire term of Ins office. In March, 1883, upon the expiration of his term as Senator, he was married to Miss Adeline Burr, of Payetteville, N. ('.. a lady of man] accomplish- : ' " EOl social position which ; as the wife of Judge Davis. After liis retirement from the Senate he devoted his attention to private busi- ness, which, on account of his extensive property, ixacting. As he approached the . 'Iltv the vigor of his CO] the vivacity of his spirits became much impaired : i if disease, and on the 26th L886, after an illness of several months. 1 the mysterious change of death. At the time of his decease, i red from public life, men of all creeds and of all parties anxiously hoped [or his restoration to health and public man he filled no ordinary space in the affections of the people, and in the appre ciation of personal friendship throughout the length and breadth of a land made better and happier by the g Inesa and greatness of his character. He left surviving as children. Mr. ; D perpetuate the worth of a life rich in the goodness of duty performed. Nature and education hail stamped upon him every lineament of gentility. wealthy, fortune making was not a passion of his life. He loved thrift, independ ence and possession; hut mere wealth had no allurements for him. He served thi State as a judge at a nominal salary, to the great sacrilice of '-. and his whole life was public service, to the detriment of his private fortune. Mis lite was a success, not i ved. He approached the i fortune and fame, and placed In every round on which he stood as the re his own labor and merit. If he had opportunity, he created it: if he had sue.- . .1 it: if he had victory, he won it. He produced the con if his own advancement, lie filled three d ten years with g Iness and crowned them with greatness. He commanded thi of his fellow-citizens of all sections and of all parties, and. in the languai Kelley, ••11" is so well know n t ■ - i lie country by his career as an indi | adi at Senator and a learned and con scientious justi E the Supreme Court of the United stale-." MARSHALL FIKLD. It often happens thai the most valuable guides w hich example furnishes in the rush of Ni Centurj life arc available only in circles limited bj personal association. It is true, furthermore, that the qualities mostworthyof emulation are usually combined, in a successful man. with a shrinking from personal fame or notoriety, which discourages even friendly attempts to uncover the 1 success in an honorable career. This is one of the marked characti Marshall Field. The career ol nogreal leader in commer cial affairs furnishes an example of the wise application of sound principles and safe consers itriking as does that of Mr. Field. 'The story of his success is short and simple. It c..i: tains no exciting chapters, hut in its very dullness lies one of the most valuable secrets of the almost boundless prosperity which it records. But the career of a man who, starting with no capital save brains and energy, accumulates many mil- i builds up the greatest mercantile house in the world, is pregnant with interest, no matter UNIVERSITY of BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 15 tow lacking it may be in dramatic action. Its most encouraging feature, indeed, is the fact that it contains nothing extraordinary, that there is nothing in it which any man with the same natural equipment may not hope to accomplish. The secret of Mr. Field's success lies partly in his business methods and partly in his environments. The ordinary biographical features of his career may almost be described in a paragraph. Marshall Field was born in 1835, at Conway, in western 'msetts. His father was a farmer, and the son's early experience was similar to that of thousands of other boys born on Xew England farms. He received a fair education in the dis- trict schools, and afterwards in the local academj at Conway, but as his tastes tended towards a mercantile calling, he made no particular effort tosi cure a collegiate education. He went to Pitts- field. Mass., when se> old, and began his business career as a clerk in a general country- store. In four years he had not only mastered the details of the business so far as it was to be learned in that town, but his ambition felt the contraction of his surroundings, and he looked about for a broader field. Chicago was at that time a city of 50,000 or 60,000 people, and was just beginning to attract attention in the business world. There was no guarantee that it v to be a great city; in fact; St. Louis greatly ex- celled it not only in material prosperity, but in future prospects. But there was an energy ami pluck discernible even then in Chicago, which, to shrewd men. betokened success, and in : Field became one of the residents of the young city. He was at that time just twenty-one years old. ami full of desire for advancement. His hist employment was as clerk in the wholesale dry g iods 1 Cooley, Wadswocth A: Co., soon there- after known as Cooley, Farwell A- Co. His only equipment was rugged health, untiring energy. sound business principles and great ability. Young linn of this character were no more plenti- ful in those days than they are now. and Mr. Field's employers were not long in finding worth. He served as a clerk only Eour yi ars, bi ing taken into the firm as a partner in 1800. This house was even then one of the largest in the West, and the young man who had entered it in a humble capacity in 1856 was honored a few years later by having the firm name changed to Farwell. Field & Co. In 1865 the firm dissolved partner- ship, Mr. Field and Mr.L. Z. Leiter associating themselves with Potter Palmer forming the firm of Field. Palmer & Leiter. which contin- ued until 1S67. In that year Potter Palmer withdrew, and the firm became Field. Leiter A' Co.. which remained until 1881, when Mr. Leiter retired, and the firm became Marshall Field A: Co.. which is the present title. The suc- his great mercantile establishment has been phenomenal; its evolution from modest pro- portions to a rivalr. with any similar house in the world is alike the wonder and pridi of business men everywhere. The only serious setback the firm ever received was in the great fire of 1871, when its entire business at State and Washington Streets, to which location they had moved in 1868, was destroyed, entailing a loss of 13,500,000. Of this, 82,500,000 was eventually n covered from the insurance companies, but it was only after a great delay and much annoyance. With a dead loss of 111 to face, however, the characteristic energy of the firm did not flag. While the fire- men were still at work on tin ruins, temporary quarters were taken at State and Twentieth Streets, and rebuilding on the old site was begun. The business was divided in 1872, the wholesale part being located at Madison and Market Streets, while the retail department was opened in the handsome new building at State and Washington where it is still conducted. The rapid growth of the business made the wholesale quar- ters too small in less than twelve years, and in 1885 the foundations were laid for the mammoth structure which occupies the entire block bounded by Adams, Franklin and Quincy Streets and Fifth Avenue. It was completed in 1887, and is considered the most complete building of its kind in the world. The business thai is trans- acted under its roof is enormous. The trade of the firm reaches to the Pacific Coast on the west and the Gulf of Mexico on the south, and aggre- gates 835,000,000 a year. Twenty years ago the members of the firm thought themselves prosper- ous on a yearly trade of $8,000,000. This amazing growth is. to a huge extent, due to Mr. Field's business methods. He has a specific course, from which he never deviates. It is said of him that lie never gives a note, never borrows money, does business on a cash basis, buys entirely f< and sells on shorter time than any of his coin petitors, and holds all his customers to a strict 1. nt of their contracts. In the latter rule lie is unyielding -many claim relentless— but tin- effect is salutary, and has left its beneficial impress on the trade of the entire West. The customers of Marshall Field & Co. are numbered by thousands. All of them know that prompt i6 BIOGRAPITi OP ILLINOIS. payment of their thirty or aixt) da) bills will be insisted upon, and the result ie i akethemin i ni ;ii.,, Hi running bad accounts and to keep their collections up close, The Bystera tends to prevent the embarrassment and failure of Bmall merchants, and also gives to Marshall Field & Co. the best class or trade. Further than this, it enables the Brm to bi II its goods on a closer margin "f profit, for no bad debts arc made, an, I consequently , no pai > can affect it. Many merchants of less resource than Mr. Field would find it impossible to do businesson this basis, but In- has made a success of it. and in this is its bi -t endorsement. Beyond all this, there is another safeguard in the ran that Mr. Field never Bpecu tocks or securities. He is among the largest individual holders in the West, ol i and steel and iron works stock, but be ire outright and changes in their market value do not affect him. He follows the same principle in his real estate transactions, and is now the owner of over .sio.hiiii.ikhi worth of real estate, on which he never puts a mortgage. One rare trait Mr. Field has, which has enabled him to take the fullest advantage of his business opportunities. Hi has an almost instinctive power to correctly estimate individual capacity. He is quick and Bure in recognizing business talent among his employees. His selections of men always prove them to be especially adapted to the duties assigned them. It follows that in order to exercise his rare judgment of men to the best advantage, Mr. Field must be closel) associa ted with his great arm) of employers, lie has no less than 3,500 persons upon his pa) roll. No empli iyer in < ihicago commands more loyal service or inspires a stronger personal regard, in many eases amounting to genuine affection, than exists among the employees of Marshall Field. There cash hoy in his meat store who cannot gain Mr. Field' at tention at any time. He is on all occasions, as considerate of the feel ates, as of t hose of bis equals. While his great corps of employees is thoroughl) disciplined, they are t real,, I as men and women of refinement. In fact, Mr. Field is regarded b) them as an ideal employer, and there are few, far too few. men in a similar situation, who can com mand such voluntary tribute from those most likel) to know their i, on I lie stranger who meets Mr. Pit hi tor the first lime, is instantly at his ease, confident that he is in the prese oi e man w b him honest atti nti whose word of promise needs no bond to insure its fulfillment. It is these characteristics that have won ami held for him the honor anil esteem of i hoiisancls of people. I u it h in business and social life, and backed b) his energ) and abilit) made it possible for him to win fame and fortune in the marts of trade. No man possesses or deserves in higher degree the honor and esteem or his friends than does Marshall Field. No active figure in this busy nineteenth century ci\ ili/.ation. offers a truer type of maul <1 and intelligent successful en deavor. I M Mr. Field's social life, little need be said. His tastes are extremel) modest. He lives in quiet luxury, without trace of ostentation or display. He goes little into societ) and has D i ,.,., been in public life. Mr. Field has givi d large sums for worthy charitable purposes, but always in a quiet way. He will not allow his name to he used in a promiscuous manner, but when his careful investigat ■ havi satisfied him that the object ism lonc.no man excels him in efforts for its pri tion. When the building tor the new Baptist University became an assured fact through the generous benevolence of Mr. Rockefeller, and the members of the Baptist Church, Mr. Field made the trustees the magnifi- cent donation of a tract of valuable land in one of the best sections of the city. The gift was espe- ciall) liberal, as Mr. Field is not a member of the Baptist Church, but belongs to the Presbyterian .leu ination. There is no man who takes a warmer interest in the good name of Chicago, or who strives more earnest 1\ to secure tor the city, a clean and competent government, and yet be is in no sense a politician. While he is a leader in ever) movement for real reform in political methods, he is never seen at political gatherings, and In- will not even allow his name to be used in connection with them. But, despite this, his heart) support is always enlisted and many men who get credit for bright ideas and liberal dona tionsin behalf of municipal reform, an- indebted for their fame to Marshall Field. The visitor calling at Mr. Field's unpretentious office, finds seated at the desk, a man of rather span- figure ami medium height. When he looks up. the face iskimlly anil the clear gray eyes under bushy brows, while keenly observant, invite confidence. Thegray hair is almost white, and the heav) moustache has also lost its color. He is a man or impressive presence; dignified, but not severe; all ii. but with a trace of Badness about him; . i, ut w it 1 1 a read) Bympath) : considerate to the last degree of another's sensibilities. He gets at the meat of every subject brought before /LAyLsks^s BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. i" him with two or three incisive questions, studying the while the visitor's face, if he be a stranger, and in a few minutes he is ready for whatever decision from him the matter may e;ill tor. Then a promise from him in a matter, however trivial, is eis sure of fulfillment, as though guaranteed with all manner of formality. The story of Mr. Field's life proves, that in America, it is not nee- essarj thai a man should be born rich, or gel wealth through speculation or trickery- that there is a sure road to success to all who possess ability, and ambition. JOHN CRERAR. JOHN CRERAR, late senior of Crerar, Adams 4 Co., and well-known philanthropist, was born in the city of New York in 1827. He came of Scotch parentage, and was brought up under a rigid religious discipline. His nature was strongly tempered by his early training, and his whole life showed how deeply rooted were the precepts he then imbibed. They made him a man of princi- ple, and principle was the governing power of John Crerar's life. He never had a doubt as to right or wrong, and he acted the former most religiously. His religion contained no bigotry of seet. no cant. If his training in childhood was severe, it had no effect in hardening his disposi tion, for he had no faith in a religion that was not entirely cheerful. He was ready on the instant to defend any attack made upon it. and he felt an unutterable intolerance of infidelity of any sort. He has been heard to exclaim in a tone of impatient disgust at hearing someone ask if he really believed that Jonah was swallowed by a whale: "Oh, bosh; what has that to do with reli- gion'/"' He believed in organized effort, and that church societies could accomplish more than in- dividual effort. He was a meat reader of the Bible, and knew the eighth chapter of Romans by heart: indeed, it was the text found in tin- chap ter upon which he based his religious life. With such training, with such a character, there is little wonder that John Crerar became noted as a philanthropist. As stated, his parents were Scotch. His father's name was. like Ins own. John, and las mother was Agin s Smeallie. They were still y..ung when they came to this country. where they were married. The) attended the Scotch Presbyterian Church. Fourteenth Street near Sixth Avenue. New Fork City, of which Rev. Dr. McElroy was the pastor. Mr. Crerar died when his sun John was an infant, and some years later Mrs. Crerar married a Scotchman named George Boyd. Mr. Boyd was connected with the Ameri- can branch of the English Bteel house of William Jei — i a Sons. Limited. Young John received his education in New York City, attending the common schools and for a time some of the private institutions of learning. He sin. wed great apti- tude as a scholar, and greatly enjoyed literary work of all kinds. He was particularly noted for his compositions. When eighteen years old he be- gan his mercantile career by entering the establish ment of which his step father. George Boyd, was at the head. William Jessop .V Sons. This firm had another branch house in Boston, and there, after several years service in the NV« York oung Crerar was Bent. He only remained about a year, how ever, when he returned to his native city and was employed in the iron import- ing house of C. B. Raymond & Co. Subsequently he accepted a position with Morris K. Jesup & Co.. with which house and its successors he was connected during the remainder of his life. It was not long before his position was changed from employee to partner, his business sagacit) being readily recognized by the firm. The firm had a branch house in Chicago, under the man ageinent of J. McGregor Adams. Mr. Crerar went to Chicago in 1862, and shortly after, the Chicago branch was bought out by Messrs. Crerar and Adams, and the firm of Crerar, Adams A- Co. was established. Both gentlemen were thorough business men. and the new firm grew and prospered, becoming one of the heaviest mercantile concerns in Chicago. Mr. Crerar be- came connected with other interests in the city hi- had new ly adopted. He had a large interest in the Adams A- Westlake Company, and was one of the original incorporators of Pullman's Palace ( !ar • Jompany, and was a director of that company, as he was also of the Chicago & Alton Railroad Company, and the Illinois Trust ami Savings Bank. He was at one time president of the Chi cago & Joliet Railroad. He had a wide connection with the public, religious and charitable institu- tions of the city. Upon going to Chicago he identified himself with the Second Presbyterian Church, of which for many years he was a trustee, and at one time, when that society was in need of help, gave it $10,000. He was a director in the Presbyterian Hospital, vice-president of the Chi cago Orphan Asylum, a director in the Chicago 1 8 BIOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS. Relief and Aid Society and ;t number of other charities. As n director in the Chicago Relief and \i have changed, ami he never alluded to any plan- as home but Chicago, and he often Baid In could not be happy in any other place as a permanent residence. He had a great admira- tion tor Chicago business men, and hi spoken of them as having the cleanest and I est business methods of any set of men he ever knew or heard of. John Crerar was bo puj e in his own mind that he could hardl) Bee that evil to any extent existed in others. Speaking once I" an i ii I i mate friend he said: "No shadowr) or uncertain lines lie between respectability and the disreputable; there is a wide gulf between th.in, ami mi man ran step outside the line of strict respectability and still be rec d in good society." Mr. Crerar lived at the Grand Pacific Hotel tor the ten years previous to hit He w as exceptionally regular in his habits, always retiring and arising at th.' Bame hour Summer and Winti r. In the spring "l' 1889, however, his health began to fail, ami hi- was intending t ake ther trip abroad, but upon th.- advice of his physician he gave up the idea. In August, ac- | I l.\ I >r. Frank Billings, he wenl to Atlantic City. On September '.'th h.' Buffi red a partial stroke of paralysis .hi his right side. I >ur ing the following week, upon the advice of Dr. Billings and the consulting physicians, he was removed by friends to Chicago and taken to the residence of Norman Williams. There were strong hopes thai his hard) constitution would enable him to recover, hut .liseas. had taken too Btrong a hold upon him and al 11:45, on the rning or Oct ibei 19th, he quietlj i ' of John Crerar was a sad loss to many of Chicago's BIOGRAPHY ILLINOIS. 19 charitable institutions, for he was a free giver and made no distinction between creeds. He gave where the need was. and Jew and Gentile were both welcome to his purse. It is said that an ex- amination of his check book shows a most remark- able liberality of which no one knew aught but himself and the recipients. His partner, J. Mc- Gregor Adams, in speaking of him at the time of death, said: "I have been a partner and friend of Mr. Crerar for thirty-five years, and his loss is like that of a brother, rather than thai of amere busi- ness associate. He was a big-souled, generous man, liberal in all things and one whose friend ship was a thing to be prized and to be proud of. He was a philanthopist of the noblest type and did a wonderful amount of good in a quiet way." The funeral took plaee from the resideni f Mr. Williams. All day the remains lay in tie- casket with wreaths of flowers and roses surrounding it. The services were of the simplest character. When thefriends hail gathered in the drawing-room, Rev.Dr. S. J. McPherson, pastor of the Second Presbyterian Church, offered an affecting prayer. At its conclusion the pall 1" arers, composed of the heads of the departments in the firm of Crerar, Adams & Co., and the Adams A- Westlake Co., conveyed tie- casket to the hearse and it was taken to the church on the corner of Michigan Avenue and Twentieth street. The av< nues leading to the church were crowded with carriages, and all the seats in the church were occupied. On the right of the entrance sat two hundred pupils of the Chicago Manual Training School, to which institution Mr. Crerar had been a generous hem factor, and on tl ther side were delegations from the Commercial, Chicago and other clubs. Around the pulpit was a mass of flowers, among them being many handsome pieces, the gifts of friends of the deceased. Drs. Patterson and Mc- Pherson conducted the services which were short and simple. At the close tic casket was taken to the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway depot, and. accompanied by friends, home to New- York, it having been Mr. Crerar's request tl he buried beside his mother in < Greenwood Ceme tery. At New York services were held in the Scotch Presbyterian Church. Fourteenth street, being conducted by Rev. Dr. John Hall and Ic\ Dr. Saml. M. Hamilton. The church was tilled with tin' New York and Chicago friends of Mr. Crerar. Prom the New York Mercantile Library the flag was displayed at half mast. Though dur- ing his lifetime Mr. Crerar gave away thousands of dollars, it was not in large sums. His gift to the Second Presbyterian Church, of $10,000, was perhaps the largest at any one time, hut the will by which he gave away millions was a most re- markable document, ilis estate was vahied at something near §4,000,000. He desired that a colossal statue, to cost $100,000, lie erected to the memory of Abraham Lincoln, of whom he was a great admirer. Speaking of this bequest before the members of the Chicago Literary Club, to which association Mr. Crerar left $10,000, Judge B. 1>. Magruder said: "With a modesty that be- speaks the great in ss of In- soul he orders a simple headstone to be placed at his own grave, hut that a colossal statue be raised to the man who abol- ished slavery in the United States. The million- itent to lie low, but he insists that the great Emancipator shall rise high. In his view. liberty for the 1 li grander achievement than the accumulation of wealth. This contrast between the headstone and the stat tie indicates as plainly as though it had been expressi d in words Mr. Crerar's estimate of true heroism. Doe 3 was his conception of greatness." The will gave munificent legacies to] is relatives, many of whom he had never seen; his partners and many friends also received large bequests; numerous institutions of a charitable or of a religious char- acter were most generously remembered ■ Qg the gifts weie $100,000 p. the Second Presbyterian Church of Chicago; $100,000 to the Mission Schools of that church; $25,000 to the Scotch Presbyterian Church of New York; $50,000 to the Chicago I irph.-in Asylum; $50,000 to the Chicago Nursery and Half Orphan Asylum: $25,000 to the Chicago Historical Society: $25,000 to the Chicago Presbyterian Hospital; $25,000 to St. Luke's Free Hospital, Chicago; $25,000 to the Chicago Bible Society; $50,000 to th American Sunday School Union; $50,000 to the Chicago Relief and Aid Society; $10,000 to the St. Andrews Society of New York; $10,000 to the St. Andrews Society of Chicago; $50,000 to the Illinois Training School for Nursi s; • »,00 I to the Chicago Manual Train- tag Scl I; $50,000 to the Presbyterian League of .--,0.0111 to the Old People's Home of ; SoO.ikhi to the Chicago Home of the Friendless, ami $50,000 to the Young Men's Christian Association. The crowning gilt of all was $2,000,000 or more, being the residue of the estate, for a public library for the city of Chicago. For the first board of directors of this Library, he named Norman Williams, who was also to be the president, Huntington W.Jackson, Marshall Field, E. W. Blatchford, T. B. Blackstone, Robt. T. 20 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. Lincoln, Henry W. Bishop, Edward G. Mason, Albert K.v|,. Edson Keith, Si n J, McPherson, John M. Clark and G 'go A. Armour. In mak ing this bequest, Mr. Crerar said. " I desire that i pei iodicals !"■ selected with a \ lew to create and Bustain a healthy moral and christian sentiment. ... I want its atmosphere thai of christian refinement, and its aim and object the building up of character." Mr. Crerar was ;i true philanthropist, and his friends, remembering the millions he gave away while he asked merely tor a simple headstone to mark where he lay, think that it might bear the same inscription as does the doorway to St. Paul's Church in London, to Sir Christopher Wren; "Si monumentum re quiris circumspice." GEORGE M. PULLMAN. GEORGE M. PULLMAN, of Chicago, a .lis tinguished \ rican manufacturer and philan- thropist, widely known in both hemispheres as the inventor of the Pullman Palace Car, presidenl of Pullman's Palace Car Company, and founder of the industrial town of Pullman, was born in the village of Brocton, ( !hautauqua ( lounty, X. Y.. March :!. 1831. Mis father, James Lewis I'm II man. a native of Rhode Island, was a man of great originality and f< > 11 t' character, of keen intel ligence, devout spirit and unbending integrity. His mother, Emily Caroline Pullman, daughter of James Minton, of Auburn, X. V.. has been affec tionately described as "one whose gracious house hold ways ran best be summed up in one word, i hi i liness.'" I If t he ten children of James ily Pullman, eight reached adult life, viz., the Rev. Royal II. Pullman, now pastor of the First Universalis! Church of Baltimore, and late Republican candidate tor I that city; Albert B. Pullman, of Chicago, connected tor many years with Pullman's Palace Car Company, retired; George M. Pullman, the subject ,.r this sketch; the Rev. Dr. James M. Pullman, pastor of the leading Universalis! church of America, at Lynn. Mass.; Charles L. Pullman, now contracting agent for Pullman's Palace Car y; Prank W. Pullman, late assistant United States district attorney in New York, who died in 1879; Helen A., who is the wife ol George West. a woolen merchant <>f New York; and E ta C., the wife of Dr. William P. Fluhrer, a leading surgeon of New Yovk City, visiting Burgeon to Bellevue Hospital, and prominently connected with other important medical institutions. Brought up in a household in which the cardinal virtues were the rule of conduct, and in which industry, Bteady habits and honorable aspirations were inculcated and encouraged by the teachings and example of intelligent and religious parents, the third son. ( leorge M. Pullman, the subjec! or this Bketch, early developed great stability of character, and as a hoy was noted for his willingness to learn, his persistence in carrying oul whatever he under took, and for a degree of manly self-reliance which gave every promise ,,r a successful future, lie attended the local schools regularly, and made the besi use of their advantages; in this manner easily acquiring a sound knowledge of the usual branches of an English education. At the age of fourteen he was sufficiently equipped t t the ordinary requirements of clerical work, and with out difficulty he obtained a minor position in one of the stores near his home, his services being compensated by the opportunities there afforded tor learning the business, ami by an annual Stipend of 540, a salary not uncommon in those days. After he had spent one year in store work, he took a step which was to exercise, indirectly, a most important influence upon his subsequent career. His brother, I,'. 11. Pullman, his senior in years, was then in the cabinet making business at Albion, N. Y. There was a place in his modest establishment for a likely lad who might wish to master the trade, and I I 'ge was invited to fill it. It being in a rdance with his views to add a useful handicraft to his know ledge of business, he embraced the opportunity with zeal. Several years before he was of age he became the partner of his brother, and together they were conduct ing a fairly prosperous business, when the death of their father, which occurred on November 1. 1853, caused a complete change in their plans. Upon George, who was unmarried, now fell the care and support of his mother and four of the \ ger members of the family. His income from the cabinet making business was not equal to this draft upon it. and lie decided to seek some other avenue for his skill and energy. The Brie Canal, begun in 1 si 7 and finished according to tl riginal plans in 1825, had b( me inadequate to the demands made upon it. and at this tune was being enlarged by the state, which had ad vertised for bids for contracts to raise buildings along the line of the improved waterway. The opportunity was not lost by young Pullman, who BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 2 I secured one of the contracts and proceeded to put into practical execution the knowledge of the principles "f mechanics and engineering which he had acquired partly from his father and parti} through his experience at AJbion. He bent all hie energies to his new task, and accomplished it so quickly and so well as to gain at once a stand ing among the contractors similarly ei His flrsl success brought him a great many con- tracts of tli is kind, and his prosperity was X.i one visiting Chicago at the present day and viewing the magnificenl avenue-, streets and boulevards now the just pride of its citizi form any idea of the condition of its thorough fares a generation ago. Beginning humbly in 1830 as a hamlet on a lake coast of sand hills. morasses ami swamps.it grew with surprising rapidity from the first; but between 1850 and 1860, having risen to the position of twentieth city in tin- Union in point of iiopulation.it pressed forward for commercial rank with such e that everything not directly concerned therewith. local improvements included, was utterly n Nevertheless, the n Is of commerce and the de- mands of the traveling public caused tile erection of many Hue structures, so that in the matter of buildings, simply, the city was not so very far lie hind man} of the older cities of the country. Bui the streets, more especially in the "down town " or business sections, were graded so low that more than half the time they wore submi mud. and their condition became a municipal scam la 1 and a national by-word. After contemplat- ing remedial measures for a number of years, the city government finally decided upon raising the grade of all the East Side streets, and. a large appropriation having been made, work w; in ls.">;i. A.S it progressed it gave rise to the most perplexing complications and to no end of build- ing alteration projects, and the city was threat- ened with a long era of confusion and serious interruption to its local trade. The street im provements raised the grade of the thoroughfares about six feet, on an average, ami the owners of houses set about remodeling them interiorly so as to get the street floor up to tlie new level. By this method the original cellar of the structure was often sacrificed; the old ground floor became the cellar, and every structure lost a story in height. The situation naturally attracted Mr. Pullman's attention, he being then, at twenty -eight years of age. one of the best known engim building movers in th mntry. With a capital of 16,000, he moved to Chicago in 1859, while the city was in the throes of improvement. He was one of the three engineers who secured contracts for raising the greater number of the buildings in the section of the- city most largely affected bj the elevation of grade. Skillful through previous experience in this kind of engineering work, he was quick to appreciate the value of the jack screw and other ingenious devices then brought forward for expediting and rendering safe the remarkable tasks undertaken; and employing them to an extent which a less observing and self-reliant. operator would have deemed imprac- ticable, he achieved distinguished success A feature of tile work most surprising under the circumstances was the apparent ease and with which it v, a m, with rare exceptions the occupants of the buildings remaining in them and continuing their business as usual, of the structures raised were imposing piles of masonry. Among the subsequent enterprises of Mr. Pullman, the manufacture of the palace cars which appropriately bear his name, is that which has given him his widest fame. A recent writer upon this theme prefixes his remarks with the following eloquent words: "The nineteenth century is marked bj a a] revolt against limitations of Space and Time which former generations had deemed in- surmountable. Steam travel, by sea and land. has made the globe smaller, life longer and man- kind more homogei us. Tic' range, intensity and practically, the duration of human life are vastly augmented by the present facilities for in- tercommunication. We can buy space, time and personal contact with our distant fellow-citizens of earth at any railway ticket office. And. thanks largely to tic- work' of one man. we can buy at the same time rest, comfort.* luxury and immunity from tlie strain of travel. We can sleep, as the albatross was fabled to do. on the wing. The nights no longer interrupt our business; they yield us both rest and activity, and space is anni- hilated for us while we dream. We maj cross the continent without getting out from under one man's roof. We buy an apartment in a Hying house and maintain the accustomed habits of our life on far off plains and mountains. We take with us our dormitory, lavatory and i our drawing room and our library; and become literal cosmopolites, at home in every place. The man who has constrained reluctant nature to yield us these exceptional privileges, who has organized the complex forces which make this modern magic possible, and who has, besides, created a wholly unique industrial city which apparently lacks no external element for the comfort, happini higher development of its inhabitants, is a legiti- mate subject of public interest. The Pullman car is known to all traveler?-. The 'City' of Pullman is an object of great and increasing interest to both financiers and philanthropists, who begin 22 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. dimly to suspect thai the true principles or busi aess are those which broaden to include ever} form of human welfari enlighl ened sdr interest maj l"- the highest form selfishness." While many of the greatest improvements iiinl inventions undoubtedlj owe their origin to accidental circumstance, it is equall) true that othi re are due to the happy elaboration ol ;i simple idea. The plodder having given prac tica! embodiment to the original thought rests satisfied with the measure of success attained and the resultant gains. But genius penetrates to the underlying principle; and unfolding its latent possibilities, frequently astonishes the world by their extent and variety. The history of ;ill ;irts affords numerous illustrations of this, and there fore it would not be surprising if. ;is has been thought by some, Mr. Pullman caught liis idea of improving railway accommodation from having noticed the fact that a number of the passengers in in which he made a long journey, pur from a vendor who passed through the cars a simple mechanical contrivance called a "head-rest" which, when affixed to the back of the car seat, gave ;i much needed support to the head and contributed greatly to the user's comfort. It was as ir he realized ;tt a glance thai the travel- ing public was sadly in need of something more than was provided for it, and was willing to paj whoever supplied the want. But be thai as it may, it is certain that he was in the field with the most advanced plans for the purpose as early us the spring of 1859. A foreign writer, evidently correctly informed as to the farts in the matter. Bays: , ••In those days the appliances for securing tin- comfort of the railway traveller on long jour- were in their infancy, ami the first rude attempts were being made to devise a slei coach. Mr. Pullman on one occasion went into a sleeping coach upon a night train ami laid down upon the berth, but ■ 1 i< 1 not sleep, lie was stretched out upon the vibrating couch for about two hours with eyes wide Open, ami in that time had struck upon a new idea. When he arose and left the train he had di termined t" develop from his brief experience of that inchoate sleeping berth a plan t hat I to expand into t he com pl. test and most comfortable coach for the trav- eller, either awake Ol home upon wheels." At this period what little hail been done in this direction appears t" have been a reluctant Concession on the part of the railway companies t.. a small Imt enlightened ami most reasonable demand for a greater measure "f comfort especially during night travel, than that offered bj the common car-seat; ami consisted in fitting up a limited number "f ears of the ordinary Bize with plain berths equipped in the most meagre manner ami utterly devoid "f any approximation to home comforts or luxury. To an intensely practical, quick witted man like Mr. Pullman, familiar through experience with cabinet making and interior furnishing, very little in the way of suggestion was necessary t" bring forth rich fruit in the way "f elaborate plans. Ila\ ing in view the extent of territory to he traverse'* it is therefore highly probable that on his first extended trip he foresaw that the sleeping ear. in order to serve its highest uses, must he capable of being adapted i" tie purposes of a day ear as well, anil that in its double function it must furnish to those taking long journeys the comforts required in the average home. At all events, shortly after he settled in Chicago, he seems to have turned his attention to planning ami building a railway coach containing sleeping accommodations, which should commend itself to evry railway company in the country; his theory being that tin- more luxurious the ac commodation8 afforded, the more effectively the construction would appeal to the traveling public. To think was to act, and although he found hut very little encouragement at the start, he obtained permission from the Chicago & Alton Railroad Company to carry on his experiments in one of their repair sheds, situated m-ar the Chicago station. His initial experiments were made upon two old cars of the company, which he fitted up as "sleepers" with such ingenuity and taste as to create a decided impression in their favor. Tiny made several trips and were everywhere well re- ceived, giving their inventor Btrong hopes "f eventuallj seeing his anticipations fully realized. Just at this time the discovery of gold in Colorado was attracting public attention throughout the country, and large numbers of people were Hock ing to that territory. Confident that his engineer ing skill could he of use in the mining region, Mr. Pullman went thither and remained three years, returning to Chicago in L862 or L863 somewhat richer than when he went away and full of a de termination to push bJ3 sleeping car project to a point of success. He put his whole time and capital into the enterprise and with the aid of skilful assistants got OUl his model car. at a cost to him of one year's labor and eighteen thousand dollars, which it should he noted, was more than four times the amount that had previously been expended on any Bleeping car. In the" construe- BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 23 tion of this car he gave full expression to his most advanced ideas at that time, confidently believing that the public would appreciate his efforts. The body of the car was. if the fines) wi irkmanship and the first fresco painter in the land was employed to lavish the utmost resources of his decorative art in enhancing its beauty. Rich upholsteries and softest carpets were supplied in profusion, and everything that would be likely to give the car a borne like aspect was generously provided. But although perfect in its construction and appoint- ment, "ii account of its size it could not be moved upon any railroad without an adjustment of the bridges and station platforms. Its inventor and builder was not ignorant of this fact, yet he felt that the American railway companies won find it for their interest to make it possible to run this car -which he called the "Pioneer" and similar cars, over their lines. "A great national event." writes one, familiar with the history of the enterprise at this stage of its development, "fur- nished the first opportunity of demonstrating the superiority of tin.' model car. which was destined to associate Mr. Pullman's name inseparably with the progress of railway equipment. The death of Abraham Lincoln made it available. The railway company desired it to make part of the train that would bring the body .if the President to Springfield its last resting place. 'But you must raise your bridges that it may pass.' said Mr. Pullman. 'We will do it.' was the answer, and the bridges were adjusted, and one railroad was thus secured for the 'wonder car." It went forth on its honorable errand, and attracted universal admiration: the press de- scribed it: the illustrators pictured it; and when its precious freightage was deposited, the Palace car had made for itself a place. Not Ling after- ward General Grant came to his old Galena In Hue. He was in the first flush of his great fame. and the nation desired to bear him on his way as kings are carried. The ear was again wanted. And sn another road was opened for it, and again over the wires went the story of the Palace Car, with its wondrous appliances and its splendors of luxury and taste." It was soon apparent that the traveling public desired the luxurious ace moda tii his provided by Mr. Pullman in his splendid cars, and in a very little while the venture that rmt a few had disparaged as a most foolish and extravagant one was found to be both wise and profitable. By degrees railway companies in all parts of the country found that their interests demanded that these cars should be added to their trains; and mad after mad was adjusted to accommodate them. In a comparatively short time, from being '-teemed and patronized as a luxury, they came to be regarded as an actual necessity, and the rapidity with which they were called for caused the erection of several special factoriesfor their construction at widely separated points, and in the end gave birth to thi corporation known as Pullman's Palace Car Com- pany, which, to-day. with its vast capital, its ex tensive works, its veritable army of employees, and its almost endless complexities of administra- tion, constitutes one of the largest and also one of the best managed and mosl bucc — ful com- panies the world has ever known. ■•The Pulli : I simply as a station- ary miniature palace, would be a wonder of archi tectural ami artistic beauty. But it is a thine,, fa i mechanical devices: a vehicle and house: a kitchen, dining room, parlor, office, sleeping room and boudoir all in one: strong enough to be moved with the velocitj of steam, adapted to summer's heats and winter's frosts, complete in all the homely comforts of common life, and sup plied with all the luxuries of which im, ■. can dream; perfect in every detail of workman ship — the artisan's triumph, the artist's master- piece. The vestibule train has come from the single car by a process of natural evolution. By skillful inventions, any number of cars may be linked together, so that a person can pass through an entire train with ease and safety. The peril ous danger of 'telescoping' is prevented, and a continuous train is made, which can follow the angles and curvatures of every line with all the supple turnings of a serpent's lithe and flexible form. To have made this alone would have ranked Mr. Pullman as an inventor of world-wide celebrity. Hut the creation of the Pullman Com- pany shows that he is far more than a mere in- ventor that In- lias the rare executive quality which belongs to the masters of industrial and commercial life." In 1880 the business of Pullman's Palace Car Company had reached such an extraordinary development that it became necessary to erect new and extensive works. Mr. Pullman now- found the opportunity he had long sought, to test, in a practical way. a theory which he had long entertained.- viz.. that a mild, semi-paternal care for the moral and physical well-being of hi- employees could be properly and profitably combined with the regular prosecution of the company's manufacturing business. The first question to be decided was as to tin- location of the new shops. A large tract of land was re- quired, and to secure the necessary space in any portion of Chicago would have called for the ex- penditure of a very great sum of money. Mi ire than -'4 BIOGRAPHY OF ILIJMils. one thousand workmen were to be employed, and if the shops were located in the city these men, with their Families, would be < polled to live in crowded and unhealthj in miserable ; and the) and their chi Irei would be Bubjecl to all the temptations and Bnares of a city. Looking at the matter from the i I of view of the working man as well as the capital i i. Mr. Pullman fell thai it would be better tor mcerned if the new works could be estab lished in the country. In the various towns to which bis attention was 'Iran n there we olj ,, and shabby houses available for mechanics, drinking saloons flourished in all. ami the asso ciations, as a rule, were undesirable. To establish the enterprise in one of these would, perhaps, answer the purpose of the company, bul the in terests of the employees would have to be losl , ,f. Belie: ing thai their interests were his own, Mr. Pullman decided nol to expose them to : 1 1 1 _\ .\ 1 1- or corrupting influences over « hich the) had m> control, and therefore determined to build a tow n to order a stupendous undertaking, how looked at, bul one w hich had a charm tor Mr. Pullman from itsverj novelty.bul principally because it afforded him a long desired opportunity to test the influence of beautiful and wholesome surroundings upon his workmen. Asa provision existed in the charter of the company which pre rented it from owning as much land as was re quired for Mr. Pullman's project, a separate cor poration known as the Pullman Land Association was organized, Mr. Pullman being the presidenl and the owner of most of the stock. Three il sand acres were purchased on the prairies. twelve miles Bouth of the city limits at thai time, ig and near Lake Calumet, a navigable body of water having an area of six square miles, ami connected with Lake Michigan, about five miles to the east by Calumet River, also navigable. The land was prepared by a costly system of scientific drainage, more than half a million do! lars being thus expended. Ordinarj sewi Li il cities are well developed, after the soil has been infiltrated \\ ith impurities. Bul at Pullman the virgin sc.il of the prairie was pre pared before the foundation stoi ( a Bingle house had been laid. The town was laid out with broad 1 levards, the road-beds of which were constructed with scientific thoroughness. Lawns ami flower beds of artistic design were laid out. and tie re li I » ith elms i other trees. The Bite of t he tow n rise uall) from Lake Calumet, into which the surface i| the place goes. The housi sewerage Hows into ;i large reservoir | tor the purpose, whence il is distributed b) mean of powerful pumps to various parts of the model la mi. lying three miles withoul the town's limits, when- it is used as a fertilizing agent. The en gi 'shaving prepared tin- town, the architects followed with their plans all on the most com prehensive and liberal scale. I hops of i he com] j 5 n cted near the Illinois ( Jen tr;il Railroad, which runs through the town, and over which workmen for this and subsequent building operations were brought from and re- i id to Chicago daily. These shops are built ol pressed brick and stone, with roofs of slate, ami cover an area of nearlj thirt) acres. The) ari ol graceful architecture, and with their im- posing facades and towers might easily be mis taken foi the buildings of a modem university. iceful walls of st with curving lines, give appropriate settings to these great struct ures. (i reel) law us are in front of them and he I ween eaeh series: extending backwards are wide passageways or streets, through which the fin- ished cars are moved to the main tracks. South of the works, and separated from them by a wide boulevard, along which stand some of the hand somest houses in the town, lies the residential quarter. It is regularly laid out. with wide streets and compact and solidly built houses, all of brick and stone, with handsome ktw ns. shade trees and flower beds. These house, seventeen hundred in number, and vary in rent according to size, location and conveniences, [n r.,,,,1 { the main building of the company's works is a beautiful park with a miniature lake, man) handsome flower beds, fountains, shrubbery, etc. The depot, an attractive structure of stone, is of Gothic design. South of it is the Arcade, a spaeious and elegant building which contains all the -tores of the tow ii and the post olliee. library. theater, hank. etc. All the stores and offices taco a wide, tile-laid, interior court, with galleries on ml floor reach d b) easy stairs. '1'his building cost $300,000. At night its interior re sembles a great bazaar or lair, other notable Structures in the place are a line hotel, a market house of ample proportions, s< vera! beautiful churches, and school houses with all modern appliances, a commodious livery stable ami the building occupied by the tire department. Tin' t,,u ii is lighted b) gas :n lt i to b i extent b) electricity; and the electric street railroad has recently been introduced, [n the center of the town BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 2 5 is a huge octagonal tower, not less imposing than the Baptistery of Florence, which it much re- Bembles. This is the center of the matchless water ami sewerage system of the town, which has been investigated and approved by engineers from all parts of the world. Stretching across the town from the railroad station to Lake Calumet is a wide boulevard, shaded by rows of elm trees — One Hundred and Eleventh street in continuation of the numerical order of the streets of the city of Chicago and this divides the work-shops from the residential portion. Five noble avenues stretch southward from it. each appropriately named after an inventor closely identified with tin- varied industries of the place — Stephenson, Watt. Fulton. Morse and Pullman — and upon these tin- cottages of those employed in the town an- built. On the 2nd of April. 1881, the Pullman shops were started, the great Corliss engine. which figured so conspicuously at the Centennial Exhibition, furnishing the motive power. In Europe there are a few industrial cities which have come by chance rather than design, as slow accretions around a little nucleus. But this town was created as a building is made. The inhabitants to-day ilS92) number about twelve thousand, and over seven millions of dollars have been invested in bringing tin- place to its presenl high state of perfection. Belated industries have already found a place there, and the town, no longer an experiment, contains a population which is intellectually, socially and morally much above that of other manufacturing centers in any country in the world. It is worthy of note that the wages paid to its army of employees, exclusive of the higher pay of the general management, averages six hundred dollars yearly— a sum largely in excess of that received by an equal number of workers in any city in the world. Mr. Pullman is unwearied in his efforts to promote and advance the welfare of the people of Pullman. Instances of his zeal in their behalf might be multiplied. One, of early occurrence, was his noble gift of five thousand volumes to the public library. However viewed, it represents "philan- thropy made practical; humanity founded on business principles; and is a vindication of Mr. Pullman's theory that there is an economical value iii beauty, and of his belief that the work- ing-man is capable of appreciating and wisely using the highest ministries of excellence and art." It has been aptly remarked that "the 'city' will be Mr. Pullman's monument: not a city cap tured in war. despoiled of its ancient name, and christened by that of itsconqueror,butone created by his genius, sheltering contented industry, sup- ported by the labor he has furnished, and enjoy- ing privileges which his brain has planned, his enterprise furnished and his philanthropy taught its residents how to use and administer." The government of Pullman has always been a most unobtrusive factor. Being regarded simply as a vast estate, the town is conducted on business principles and no other government seems to be required. No arrest has ever been made within its limits. There are no policemen or constables; no justice's court; no judiciary: no public func- tionaries of any kind. It may lie said without fear of contradiction, that the elimination of the liquor interest has greatly simplified tin- problem of management and has conduced wonderfully to the prosperity and contentment of the people. Ever since it was founded "thetownof Pullman" has been an object, first of curiosity then of wonder, not only to the residents of Chicago but also to almost every intelligent visitor to that city. So many travelers from foreign countries have visited it that it is now known in every civilized land and is seldom referred to. at home or abroad, except in terms of lavish praise. By the Consolidation Act of 1889. which enlarged the area of Chicago from forty three and a half to one hundred and seventy-four and a half square miles, and increased its population from eight hundred and eighty thousand to one million, one hundred and four thousand, making it the largest city in the world in point of size i London 140 sq.m.) andtl in the United States in point of population, Pull- man was included within its boundaries, the annexation materially increasing the importance of the larger city as a manufacturing center. The Pullman Land Company owns extensive tracts of land in the suburbs of "the town of Pullman," which it has judiciously reserved as a soil of pro- tective zone. Several manufacturing plants have been established at Pullman, and tin- founding of others is contemplated. The Allen Paper Car Wheel company was one of the first to establish works at Pullman, and its employees constitute no small fraction of the population. It is said that Mr. Pullman designs establishing industries there which will furnish employment to respecta ble, --elf supporting women and girls, who will be likely to appreciate the beauty and purity of the surroundings. In a most interesting article on "Tin- City of Pullman." written by Charles Dudley Warner, and published in Harper's Maga- zine for .Tun.-. 1888, that accomplished author says: 26 BIOCiRAPm i'l' ILLINOIS. "When I contrast the dirt) tenements with a !•• vice and idleness, in some parts of < Ihicago, with the homos of Pull- man, 1 am glad thai this experiment ha bei n made, li ma} be worth some sacrifice t" teach people that it" is better tor them, morally and pecuniarily, to live cleanly and under educational influences thai increase their self-respect. No doubt it is beet thai i pie Bhould own their homes, and thai they should assume all the re Bponsibilities of citizenship. But lei us wail the full evolution i>f the Pullman idea. The town could imt have- been buill as an object lesson in anj other way than it was I milt. The hope is that laboring people will voluntarily do hereafter w hal they have here been induced to accept." Professor David Swing once remarked thai •■tin- moral quality or liasis of Pullman is not abstract philosophy or socialism . . . hut it is common Bense of the highest and besl order. In dustrj and economy, sobriety and comfort, are iis foundation stones. Sere exists for each family a visible means of support." This same distin guished divine, in further speaking of what he most happily termed "this new alliance between capital and labor," said of "the city of Pullman:" "A sense of harmony predominates. Each detail in is proper place and proper proportion. The buildings tor labor are not joined to the fireside. 1 1, mil. and simp, and church, and opera house, and library, and railway station, are where each should be, and. instead of making a discord, they verify to the full the definition of him who said that 'architecture is frozen music' Here the st i ires are asnumi rous as the population demands; the churches pay some regard to the number of souls which need transportation from sin to goodness; the theater is adapted to the number of those who need hours of laughter and sentiment; the library lits the community as neatly as the glove the hand of the lady; even thai strange invention of man in his estate nf sin and misery the sal 1 issulijeete.lt.. the eternal fitness of things, and, inasmuch as a community, however large, needs no saloon at all. that is the number laid out bj the thoughtful architect and buill by the founder. It receives its due proportion of time and money. Bui the material symmetry of this new city is only the outward emblem of a moral unity among the inhabitants. It has been long known thai unity is nol an endless repetition nf all qualities, not a perfect sameness, but it is a resemblance in some great particulars. I'nity is a common bond of interest and feeling, a bond greal enough to hold men together, but nol Btrong enough to cramp human nature in any of its honorable depart a Of late years thi Pullman Palace Cars have come into very general use in foreign countries, where the excellence of their construction and tl tion . .r their appointments have elicited the warm praise, not only of the public generally, bul also of royalty. This successful breaking down of foreign opposition t" a leading American product ranks with the greatest victories that have been achit ved bj the enterprising inventors and manufacturers ol this country. The Pullman Palace < !ar < iompan} employs a capital of forty millions of dollars, and Its assets e\ Cecil forty the millions. According to the last annual report, dated October 15, 1891, the number of cars owned or controlled in the service was 2,239, and the total mileage ot rail ered bj tracts for the operation "I the cars nf this company was about 124,557 miles. The value of the manufactured product of the company for the year covered bj this report was nearly twelve millions of dollars, and of other in dustries. including rentals, about a million and a half more; showing it to be the largest railroad manufacturing interest in the world. Thirteen thousand eight hundred and eight] five perSOl were carried on the paj roll, about half ..f whom are employed in the various works. The amount of wages paid for the fiscal year was {3,331,527.41, making an average for each person employed or $610.73. The number of passengers carried dur ing the year covered by the report was about five and a half millions, and the aggregate of distance traversed by the cars made the astounding total of nearly one hundred and eighty-seven millions of miles. The increase on the preceding year's business was a little over eighteen per cent., both in the number of passengers carried and miles run. At the head and front of this gigantic corporation stands Mr. Pullman, its vivifying, guiding and controlling power. Numberless lieutenants arc required to aid in carrying out the plans of the chief, and these he selects with what has been termed "the Napoleonic instinct." rarely making a mistake in the man. One of the most remark able improvements ever made in railroad cars. and one which has done more, probably, than all others combined to insure the safety of railroad travelers, is that known as the •• vestilmled train." the outcome of years of thought and ex p. lament on the part of Mr. Pullman and his assistants. But .Mr. Pullman's activities have not I. een restricted t.. the -reat enterprises named. He has been concerned in several others of leading importance, one being the ESagleton I ... i, \\"..rks. of New York, ranking with the largesl of its class ill the country, in which he was for several years an active director and the chief stockholder. It was in Mr. Pullman's offices in New York, in 1ST I or 1875, that the company was formed which buill the Manhattan Elevated Railroad in the city of New York. Dr. Gilbert, BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. the inventor of this mode of municipal rapid transit, was then at the British metropolis, seek- ing to interest capitalists; and, living at the same hotel as Mr. Pullman, brought the scheme to his attention. S i afterwards a company was formed, consisting of Mr. Jose F. de Navarro, Commodore Garrison and Mr. Pullman, each of whom subscribed to one-third of the stuck. Although backed by brains, energy and ney, and having in view the meeting of an imperative local demand for rapid transit, the company had great difficulty in making headway against the opposition it encountered. All the street rail- mads of the city of New York were banded against it. and by legal process it was enjoined from carry- ing on its work. In this they were aided and abetted by Commodore Vanderbilt, who was always strenuously opposed to Mr. Pullman, and would not allow a Pullman car to enter New York City. Undaunted by this opposition, which was tierce and unrelenting, the company carried its case to the highest legal tribunals, and, after innumerable delays, was upheld in the Court of Appeals by a majority of one. According to tin- terms < .f its charter, it was necessary to have the road finished and in operation at a certain date. When the court decided in its favor, the company had but one hundred days in which to perform the work. By less experienced and determined men the task would have been deemed an impos- sibility, hut these knew no such word as fail. Fortunately for their success the winter was an open one. Calling to their aid all the available bridge builders of the country, they prosecuted their task without the loss of an hour, and in ex- actly ninety-six days from the time they were relieved from the injunction they ran a train over the completed road. In a public-spirited manner Mr. Pullman built, in 1884, the imposing nine- story office and apartment building at the corner of Adams Street and Michigan Avenue, in Chi- cago, which is one of the chief architectural ornaments of the city. This structure cost up- wards of a million dollars. Tin- Adams Street entrance to the building is especially striking. being an enormous arch supported by huge granite pillars. This arch is the full width of the open court within, on both sides of which marble stairways give access to the second floor. In this building the palatial offices of Pullman's Palace Car Company occupy two and a half floors, and the United States Army offices a floor and a half. The remainder of the building is devoted to general business offices. Mr. Pullman's pri vate residence in Chicago, situated on Prairie Avenue, and remarkable for its massive elegance and costliness, ranks with the foremost in the land, and in its beautiful furnishings, its treas . ures of art and literature, indicates the refine- ment and taste of its occupants. It is the center of a generous though unostentatious hospitality. With a tender regard for his aged mother, who is still living, he built a palatial summer residence fur her on an island in the St. Lawrence, which heboughtfor the purpose. It is called " Castle Rest." is beautiful in its architecture, being made of the native rocks and finished in the native woods, and contains nearly fifty rooms. In the financial circles of Chicago Mr. Pullman is a power of the first magnitude, and his influence is of major importance in every money center in the country. He has been described us "a man of forceful yet silent energy, moving to his desired ends with prudent yet persistent power, having in large degree the ability to foresee results, and the tenacity of purpose which makes one fearless in the pursuit of great ends." He is probably the only man in the world who can point with un- reserved satisfaction to so comprehensive a suc- cess as "the citj of Pullman"— an enterprise which it is no flattery to say has done more for the elevation of labor than the most pretentious industrial philanthropies ever set in motion. It can be said of him with truth that tin- animating spirit of his whole life has been to do the work at hand in the best manner to accomplish the high- est ends. Then- has been no resort to deceit or imitation, no attempt to impose upon the public. Honest endeavor, consistent purpose, laudable achievement, have been the key notes of his suc- eess. Permanent, not ephemeral, results have been aimed at from first to last, and the splendid success achieved has not been derived from the wreckage of corporations or individuals, nor from nefarious inflations, but from a dealing in actual values, which has been the honor able role of his life, and the mainspring of every deed and effort. From first to last his ques- tion has been not "How much money is there in it?" but "How can it be made more perfect— more- suitable to the requirements?" This policy having ils root in the ambition of an honorable man to excel in his department of effort rather than in an overweening hope of gain, has brought him riches and honor, and he stands before the world as one of tin- few makers of a colossal fortune against whose justice, integrity and high motives no truthful man can suggest an imputation. Mr. 28 BIOGRAPH1 OP ILLINOIS. Pullman is above the ordinary height, erect in figure, and compact in build. Base and firmi a in in- movements. His bead is large, bis brow broad and thoughtful; bis eye, bazel in color, calm and self-reliant rather than keen, and his countenance thorough 1) under con trol. Everything in liis movement, demeanor and speech, indicates one who is absolutely master of ever} power, mental and physical. In the s. >ci;il circle be shows himself to be the ii.issfss.n-nr i bose kindly and gentle feelings, « bich i licil and retain friendship and affection. Among liis relatives and intimate associates be is a most charming conver sationalist, "rich with reminiscence and '-ntir taining with anecdote and quainl experience." Eehasnoneof the arrogance which too often goes with large wealth and worldly success, is considerate to every claim made upon him, public or private, holds friendship in nigh esteem and cherishes a tender regard for his family and the -of his earlier life. His business friends testify to the tact thai be is destitute of the most offensive of all traits in the rich. Belf-made man. namely, pride of possessions; but no stranger could look at his thoughtful face without realizing thai within lies consciousness of power and an extraordinary ability to dare and do. Mr. Pullman is endowed in a high degree with what ma) be called the sense of utility, but though intensel) practical in his mental processes lie has ill.' happy faculty of blending the artistic wiili the practical in everything that liis sugges tive inin. I has evolved and his enterprise shape. He is thoroughly American and as such has never entertained the belief common with many philanthropists, that liis fellow-citizens of sound bodily and mental health need as- sistance in any form that savors of charity in the usual sense in which thai term is employed. Hut while taking this elevated view of bis country- men, be claims that the average citizen should be placed amid favorable surroundings an. I should be enabled t.> prosecute his bread winning under favorable conditions, if be is expected to rise to the full stature of manhood and do the best that it is possible for him to do. His aim has hern to furnish these surroundings ami to supply these conditions in the case of all wh.. an- in his cm ployment, and it may be doubted if in the w bole world there is another instance of tins being .lone in su.-h an effective, noble ami whole-souled manner. As a fitting close to this biographical sketch, tin- remark of 01 f the foremost railroad men in the countrj may be quoted. Speaking of what Mr. Pullman has achieved by his inventivi genius, be sai.l: "An ex perience of nearly forty years has taught lie' that the quiet, safe, luxurious accommodations of railway travel originated by Mr. Pullman, have added fifty /<•/ •■".'. to the revenue of the passen ger departments of the railroads; social intimacies have I" 'en foster.'. I. political an. I business ties formed, great financial enterprises created bj these comforts, while for labor, new industries have I "'en made and the sum of human happiness for the rich ami i r has been immeasurably in . -rease.!." It is interesting !•• note that Mr. Pullman has been a thorough believer in. ami warm friend of. the Nicaragua canal project tr its inception. 11.- has recentlj become a large stock holder in that enterprise, and his influence added to that of the practical men now at its head, will do much to ensure its ultimate success. In March, 1867, Mr. Pullman was married to Mi66 llattie A. Sanger, the young and accomplished daughter of James Y. Saucer, a prominent and highly respected citizen of Chicago, one of the earliest settlers in that city ami during his active business life largely interested in notable public works, including the Illinois ami Michigan Canal, the Ohio A Mississippi Kail Road, and others of crcat importance at that .lay. Pour children have been born of this marriage, Florence Sanger Pullman, Harriet Saucer Pullman, George M Pullman, Jr., and Walter Sanger Pullman, all now living. The young ladies have hut recently fin ishe.l their education. The boys, who are twins, arc still tit school. Mrs. Pullman and her daugh ters take an active interest in religious ami phi) anthropic work, ami their many acts of benevolence ami charity, performed without the least ostenta tion ami entirely regardless of sectarian or national lines, have made them loved an. I honored in many circles. TIMOTHY B. BLACKSTONE. TIMOTHY BEACH BLACKSTONE, presi dent of the Chicago A Alton system of West ern railroads, and probably the oldest railway chief executive in America, in point of continuous service, was born at Branford, Conn., March 28, 1829. He is a typical specimen of that earlier wave of stur.U ami intelligent manhood which. Btartingfrom the land of the Pilgrims and Puri tans, gradually rolled towards the prairies, carry- ■ IUAH01S. BIOGRAPHY OK ILLINOIS. 20 ing with it the moral, intellectual and physical stamina derived from the hardy emigrants who, in the seventeenth century, dared the perils of the sea and the hardships and privations of life in a new and unexplored country, in order to secure the inestimable privilege of worshiping God according to the dictatrs.it' their own con science. Reference to authentic local records shows that the old New England family of Black- stone was founded by William Blackstone, or Blaxton. as the name was spelled in those days of unsettled orthography, who was a resilient of Boston as far back as 1623, at which date he owned and tilled a small farm partly lying within tin- boundaries of what is now known as "Boston Common." This William Blaxton, who is fre- quently designated in family records and local annals as "William the Pilgrim." was horn in England in 1595. He appears to have arrived in New England about KVJ'J. and there is ample war- rant for believing that he was no other than William Blaxton, of Durham. Eng., who. in that year, disappeared from England after having sold certain lands there belonging to him. which had passed from father to son in the family for at least eleven generations, the said lands being traced back to the possession of another William Blaxton. who died in England in 1349. William Blaxton. "the Pilgrim." was married at Boston in 1659 to Mrs. Sarah Stevenson, widow of John Stevenson, and that the ceremony was an event of more than ordinary importance seems to be shown by the fact that Governor John Endicott, of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, officiated ;it its solemnization. William Blaxton died in 167") at a place near Providence. R. I., now called Lonsdale, whither he had removed from Boston after his marriage. His grave there was unmarked for two centuries, save by several plain white stones. but is now the site of an appropriate monument elected to his memory by some of his descendants still living. His only son. who was born in 1GG0, removed from Rhode Island to Connecticut about the year 1700, and purchased a tract of land at Branford in that colony, upon which lie resided until his death, many years later. His descend ants still own and occupy portions of this tract, and upon a part of it. the individual possession of his father, James Blackstone. who was a farmer. the subject of this sketch was born. James Blackstone married Sarah Beach, daughter of Asa Beach, of Branford. Timothy was their child. The early years of his life were devoid of noteworthy incident. As a boy. his time was about evenly divided between working on the farm and attending school, but. as he was a lad of quick intelligence, fond of reading, and likely to make good use of book learning, his parents counselled him to persevere in his studies; and sent him in his youth to one of the best known academies in the state. Ill health interfered with the carrying out of his plans, so far as finishing an academic or collegiate course was concerned. Acting under medical advice, he left the academy, and soon afterwards, in 1848. found invigorating outdoor employment as an assistant in the corps of engineers then occupied in the survey and location of the New York & New Haven Railroad, under the late Col. Roswell B. Mason, an able civil engineer, who subsequently became one of the most widely known in the profession in the whole Northwest region. In this new. and at times somewhat arduous, employment the youth exhibited remarkable energy and perseverance. Although at first lacking the physical vigor for the task, he diligently performed the duties allotted to him. and soon found that he had entered a most congenial field of labor, and was rapidly re- covering health and strength. After a year's service as a rodman. during which, as his health improved, he applied himself earnestly to the study of civil engineering, he left this corps to assume the duties of assistant engineer of the Stockbridge & Pittstield Railway, a short line, constructed in 1849. and now a part of the Housa- tonic Railroad. His labors here, covering but a few months, were successfully completed, and added so much to his professional reputation that work flowed in upon him from all quarters, and for the next two years he was constantly em- ployed at various places in the Eastern States. In 1851. accepting a position offered him by Col. R. B. Mason, who had but recently assumed the duties of chief engineer of the Illinois Cen- tral Railroad, lie removed to the West, and was placed in charge of that portion of the projected line lying between Bloomington and Dixon. He established his headquarters at La Salle. 111., be- came a citizen of that place and maintained a residence there for a number of years. Upon completing the necessary surveys, he assumed supervision of tin nstruction of this section. and pushed the work rapidly to completion. In 1856, two years after the Juliet & Chicago Bail road Company had secured a charter empowering it to construct a railroad between Chicago and Joliet via Lockport, Mr. Blackstone. who had induced his friends in the East to invest in this l;IiH,|; \|MI\ ul ILLINOIS. ■ as appointed chief i ngineer ol the company, and as Buch personally supervised both the location and construction of the entire line. Uthough maintaining its separate existence as a corporation, the Joliel & Chicago Railroad Com panj entered into a combination which made its line, when ipleted, a division of tne new ays tern of railroads known at thai time as the St, Louis, Alton a Chicago Line, which \v;ts rum posed of the old Alton A Sangamon Railroad, ex tending from Alton n> Springfield, and completed in 1853; the Chicago A Mississippi Railroad, ex t .-n.linLr from Springfield to Joliet, and completed in 1856; and of the Joliet A Chicago Railroad, ipleted in L857. The many evidences of ex ecutive ability shown 1>\ Mr. Blackstone while laying nut and constructing the last named road convinced its stockholders thai the managemenl ..f its affairs might safely 1m- placed in Iris hands, L86] he was chosen president of tin- road. Thai the estimate of Ins ability implied by this choice was a Bound one is attested b) Mr. Black stone's remarkable surrrss in conducting the affairs of the road during tin- three years he re mained ;ti its head. While other divisions of the si. Louis. Alton A Chicago were passing through bankruptcy and being managed by receivers, the Joliel a Chicago Line enjoyed ;i fair degree of prosperity. The necessity for a reorganization of the St. L.mis. Alton A Chicago became apparent asearlyas 1861, and by legislative enactmenl a e nission was created for this purpose, which, in due time, purchased the bankrupt portions of the line, and finally perfected a new organization for their operation, which was Btyled the Chicago a \l'.. n Railwaj Company. In 1864 thiscorpora tion leased the Joliet A Chicago Railroad, and Mr. Blackstone became a member of the director) ..r the new company. He had sat but a few times in the board when he was elected its president, his colleagues by this act testifj ing their implicit confidence in his judgment ami efficiency as an executive officer. At the ti he became vested with the management or the Chicago a Alton RailwayCompany.il controlled and operated as owner ami lessee aboul 250 miles of road. < >ne of the earliest ami most important ste|>s taken by the company, aftei he assumed the duties of president, was the leasing of the newly constructed line between Alton ami St. Louis, bj means of which railway connection between Chicago ami St. Louis was completed. In L867 the compan; ab sorbed the St. Louis, Jacksonville A Chicago Kail road as a part of it^ system and subsequently, as occasion or opportunity Beemed to justify further extension, other lines of railroad have been added. A late report 1 1891 ishowsthat the Chicago 4 Alton system includes fully eight hundred and fifty miles ,,r railroad, si\ hundred of which have hen added during the period Mr. Blacks! has been in executive control. This report shows also that the financial affairs of the corporation are in a flourishing condition, having been carefully and skilfully managed during this same period now almost twenty-eight years. Asa matter of fact the several extensions, numerous improvements, ami necessary repairs have all been carefully planned, wisely considered ami economically carried out; and by the judicious policy of man agemenl pursued from first to last bj Presidenl Blackstone, ample provision for future require ments has hern made whenever possible and practicable. A gratif) ing evidenceof the wisdom of his line of policy is afforded by the fact, that while earl) in the -sixties" tin- several roads making up the original company were bankrupt, the same roads in Hi is. together with t he add it ions. after but touryeareof Mr. Blackstone's manage ment, were all being conducted profitably. In tie year just mentioned the net earnings of the.com pany were about two million dollars. Consider inf.' the earlier circumstances this sneeess was remarkable. It is an additional proof of Mr. Blackstone's exceptional talent for management, that this sneeess has been maintained nninter ruptedly down to the present day, each year, as a rule, showing an increase over the preceding one in the business of the company, and likewise a satisfactory return to the stockholders in the way of protits. In one of the series of articles entitled ••The Railroad Men of America," recently pub lished, the author, in commenting upon Mr. Blackstone's eminent position in the railroad world, made the foil. .wine forcible assertion: "While several of the men who now at the head ..I -real railroad systems in the United States have, like Mr. Blackstone, climbed to their presenl positions from the lowest round of the ladder, he has. perhaps, no contemporary who has, tors a time, had so nmeh to do with shaping the policies and controlling the destinies of a Bingle corporation, or who has retained so long, the im plieit confidence an. I good will of so large a bodj of share holders, in any similar enterprise." In a country where the mutations of fortune are so greal and unexpected ami in a section particularly Bubjecl to them, permanency in a position of such and responsibility is remarkable to of \LUH0r - - BIOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS. 31 say the least. In this instance it has been secured by merit alone, which has successfully stood every test and has emerged brighter from each. It is ncit too much to assert, that Mr. Blackstone's business qualities would have earned him success in any undertaking, and prominence in any com- munity. Like many another who has risen to eminence, accidental circumstances seem to have guided his early steps. Yet, by adopting the principle of doing with all his might whatever his hand found to do, he progressed steadily upwards; and at length, with a mind trained by study, ob- servation and experience for greater things, he arrived at a higher goal than even his youthful ambition dreamed of, and one more replete with responsibility than many distinguished political positions. A quality possessed by many of the world's most successful men he has had in a marked degree, viz., that of quickly judging of the merits of his associates and assistants. His subor- dinates are all carefully selected as being the very best, each in his respective department. Merit is always recognized and in proper time receives its due reward. The most humble employee of the company does not work half so hard as its honored President, who regards himself as its chief servant as well as its chief executive officer, and labors assiduously and conscientiously to further its in- terests and to give a good account of his steward- ship. In his personal characteristics Mr. Black stone is a type of republican simplicity. The large working force under him — a veritable army in size and discipline — recognizes the inherent force of his character, admits his masterful grasp of railroading in whole and in detail, and, to a man, yields respectful obedience. On his part the President returns the compliment. Duty well performed is a sure passport to his esteem. The humblest workman has only to request an inter- view to obtain it, and is sure of courteous treat- ment. Directness is another quality of Mr. Black stone. His duties make heavy demand upon his time and he has none to waste; therefore in con- versations of a business character he comes at ■once to the point and expects as much from those who seek interviews with him. Although given to brevity in this regard his treatment of visitors is invariably cordial, and it has been noted that "they usually retire from his office with the im- pression firmly fixed in their minds that it is much easier to do business with a railroad president than with the average station agent." In his early manhood, while a resident of La Salle, Mr. Blackstone was looked upon as one of the most active and enterprising young men in the town. His interest in public affairs was of that intelli- gent, sensible kind that prompts to conscientious citizenship and loyal effort for the general welfare. In 1854. when he had resided among them only two or three years, the citizens of La Salle elected him Mayor of the town, and he served his term with such advantage to the inhabitants of the place, that he retired from office with the good- will and thanks of all. Had he shown any incli- nation for further political honors they would have come to him without doubt, but his life work led him in another direction and he declined to abandon it. In the city of Chicago, where he has resided so many years, he ranks among the lead- ing citizens and is held in high esteem for those qualities which in all countries and in every age have been deemed the essentials of true manhood. His life affords a telling example of the value of persistent and well directed effort in achieving moral and material success, and is full of encour- agement to the youth of the land who are strug- gling upwards from small and obscure beginnings. In 1868 Mr. Blackstone found a wife among the fair daughters of his native State. This estimable lady, whose maiden name was Isabella Famsworth Norton, is a native of Norwich and the daughter of Henry B. Norton, one of the most reputable merchants of that place. MARK SKINNER. HON. MARK SKINNER, one of Chicago's most noted jurists, was born in Manchester, Vt., September 13, 1813. From his parentage, from his early training and associations, it was not at all remarkable that he became famous as a lawyer and earned the enviable reputation he did as a popular citizen, a philanthropist, and a noble, earnest Christian gentleman, whose death was a sad loss to the community wherein he had lived for years, and where the influence of his grand life, the result of his labors for the good of those around him. will live forever. Judge Mark Skinner's father was Richard Skinner, one of the most prominent men in early New England his- tory. He was born at Litchfield, Conn., in 1778, and became celebrated as a lawyer. He moved into Vermont in 1802, and located at Manchester. He was elected to Congress in 1814. Forfive years he was chief justice, and from 1820 to 1824 was BIOGRAPEO OP lU.IXois. Governor of the State. He died Ma) 23, L833. Judge Skinner's Hut. Francos Pierrepont Skinner, was also ol a noted New England family. She was born in New Haven, Conn., in 1782, and could trace her ancestrj back to Sir Hugh do Pierrepont, ot Picardy, Prance. A near relation was John Pierre] t, the first of the name in this country, who settled near Boston in 1640. Mrs. Richard Skinner was a woman of rare character She was a devoted mother, an earnest Christian, and to her influence was due the manly Christian character of her sun. Mark, while his natural legal ability was largely inherited from his father, a family of several children, Mark was the .mly son who reached maturity. His education was thorough, beginning at a school in Benning ton, Vt.. and continued at one in Troy, N. Y. He prepared tor college at the Pittefield Academy, Mass., and graduated in Is:::; from Middleburg College, Vt.. an institution which, after ^ ale and Harvard, is the equal of any of the New England colleges. Nat ii rails inclined to the law, he entered upon the stud] of that profession, and spent two years with Judge Ezek Cowan, at Saratoga Springs. His Btudies were continued under Nicholas Hill, of Albany, and a third year was Bpenl at the New Haven Law School. Upon the completion of his legal studies. Mr. Skinner was urged by Mr. Hill to join him in a partnership. Mr. Skinner had, however, recentl) been hearing ol' ( Ihicago from a friend who had been West, and the possibilities of that city for a young man of energy were too enticing to he resisted. He had partly formed the resolution to unite with Mr. Hill, hut he changed his plans, and in .Inly. L836, In- found himseir in the growing young metropolis of the West, where he was almost immediate]] admitted to the bar, and in the autumn had lie U ui i the practice ot his profession in connection with George Anson Olliver Beaumont. Prom that time on. his career was one of continual advance iMiiii in his profession, anil in is:;;* in he was city attorney. He was Master in Chancery for many years for Cook County, and under T> ler's admin istration was appointed Tinted Staler district attorney, to succeed Mr, Butterfield, the district then embracing the entire state. Upon the elec tion or .lames K. Polk as President. Mr. Skinner's ppointment was opposed b) Isaac N.Arnold. who also became a candidate for this office. The contest between tin- two applicants became so animated and protracted that it tinally resulted iua npromise, and the appointment of a third part] to the position. The struggle so impressed Mr. Skinner with tin- descents a man must make to obtain Federal patronage that he then resolved that this struggli toi Federal office should be his Mr. Skinner w as. however, elected in 1846 to the Illinois Legislature, and his arduous, broad and enduring work accomplished in that bod) has since been of priceless value to the State. He was made chairman of the finance committee, and he drew up and secured the pas sageot the hill refunding the State debt. The six different forms of state bonds were n-di d into one convenient and manageable I or m. which most effectually cut off an) possibilities of fraud in issuing new bonds. It was during this session also that the State convention was called which formed the second State constitution, and the me rable fight, based upon the phraseologj of the old constitution, occurred, regarding the repre sentation at the convention from the northern and southern districts. Tin- championship of the northern side devolved upon Mr. Skinner, and his energy and g 1 management carried the day. Mr. Skinner was also instrumental in cans ing the passage of a measure to recoi -nee a partial payment of the interest on the Slate debt, a matter that had been for some years in default and which there was a disposition to repudiate. In |s;,i Mr. skinner was elected Judge of the Cook County Court of Common Pleas, now the Superior Court of Cook County. A writer famil- iar with the affairs of those early days says of Judge Skinner: - He declined a reflection in is.".:: on account ,,1' ill health. The labors "f the bench at that time were almost insupportable, especially w Inn one's strength was limited. Judge Skinner was the sole judge of the court, and practically did the imsiness appertaining to the higher courts of the county at that time, the Circuit Court holding hut two short terms annually and the Recorder's Court not yet in existence. All the commercial ami nine tenths ..f the civil busi- ness in the county was transacted in this court, and imposed an enormous burden of care and responsibility." In 1854 he was a member of the Anti Nebraska party, which was opposed to the course taken b) Stephen A. Douglas, and was one of the committee appointed to agitate the subject of its support. This led to the fusion of senti ids that revolutionized the polities of tins entire part of the State This party was com posed of anti slavery people, both Democrats and Whigs. In four years it absorbed theWhigand Pre. Soil parties and tatall) weakened the Dem OCratic party. During these years .Indue Skinner BIOGRAPHV OF ILLINOIS. 33 had been associated with the brightest legal minds that had been attracted to Chicago, and among them all he was a peer. The same reasons which led him to refuse a re election to the bench operated to prevent him from resuming his legal practice. Besides this, he had become the finan- cial agent of certain Eastern capitalists in the investment of funds in Chicago real estate. His knowledge of the law as applied to realty, and his accurate business habits, fitted him for the suc- cessful management of this business, and no one in Chicago, perhaps, so largely represented non- resident capitalists, or handled larger amounts of the borrowed money so extensively used in build- ing up tlie city. His long and honorable connec- tion with the Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Company was especially prominent, and in a memorial presented to the board of directors of the company on th icasion of Judge Skinner's death, the president, Colonel Ji b L.Greene, took occasion to pay the following kindly tribute to the memory of his warm personal friend as well as business associate: " The directors of the company having learned of the death of the Hon. Mark Skinner, wh more than thirty years its financial correspondent, and their own trusted confidential adviser at Chi- cago, entered upon their records this minute desir- ing therebj to recall and to mark their sense of the peculiar importance and value of his services to il in that relation, involving the investment of over 527,1 k k i.i n k i. the acquisitii in 1 >y una v. lidal >le t< irecl >s- ure, and the subsequent sale of large amounts of real estate, and the personal oversight and handling of those great interests during all the dangerous and trying vicissitudes which fell upon r try at large, and upon his own city in particular, during thai most eventful period; tin- singular intelligence, foresight, sound judgment, delicacy, courage, fidelity and single heartedness with which he treated everj question, faced every emergency and discharged every duty; his un- tiring watchfulness of every interest involved; his equally wise and kindly zeal forthe welfare of the company's debtors in tine' of financial dis- tress; thai unfailing courtesy which made a long association with him a pleasure as well as high privilege; and their deep sense of loss and their sympathy with his bereaved family." Judge Skinner drew up the will i if the late Walter L us Newberry, and was the principal executor and trustee. It may never be known how much Chicago is indebted to Judge Skinner for tin- be- quesl of ill'' Newberry Library, but from his having been for years Mr. Newberry's intimate friend and confidential adviser, it is safe to pre- sume he had much influence witli him in that direction. Judge Skinner could not have I n called a politician. The held was open to him. as was that of authorship and journalism, for which he was so ablj fitted. In his earlier yeara in Chicago In' was a I temocrat, but at a later date lie became warmly allied with the anti-slavery senti- iin-iit of tie- country, and through that was led to unite with the Republican party. He was one who pledged himself to support tic An ti Nebraska party. Judge Skinner was wont to consider his services in connection witli the United States Sanitary Commissions as the most valuable of his life. Th.' need of such a commission was quickly realized when the war had reallj begun, and tin: judge gave his time, energy and money to aid the commission in every way possible, lb- was made its president, and continued his patriotic work until 1864, when a severe and i- attack i if typhoid fever compelled him to resign that position, although not abating his interest in this noble work and the blessings of thousands is the reward for his self -denying labor. i tesl gift of all was the lib- of his only re- maining son. Richard, who fell after a brief and honorable service in the trenches before Peters- burg, June 22, 1864. During all Judge Skinner's residence in Chicago he was the reliable friend of the common school. He naturally took a deep interest in educational matters, and for this in- terest his name shall be perpetuated, as the city, in recognition of it. erected at the southwest corner of Aberdeen and West Jackson Stn-ets the Skinner School. Judge Skinner was instru- mental in organizing the Young Men's Asso- ciation, afterward changed to the Chicago Library Association, and the nucleus of the library was furnished on April 24, 1841, by Walter L. Newbi rry. Judge Skinner was one of the charter trustees of the County Hospital, and was one of the early presidents of the Chicago Home for the Friendless. He was one of tin incorpo- rators of the Chicago Relief and Aid Society, and was himself indefatigable in his labor in connec- tion with that society following the great fire. He was one of the founders of the Chicago Reform School, and was made tin- tirst president of the board of directors, a position for which he was eminently qualified and which he held for many years. lb' was activelj identified witli the rail- mad interests of Chicago, more particularly witli li Id Galena and the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroads, in each of which he was a director. He was also a director in the Chicago Marine and Fire Insurance Company, the State Insurance Company, the Chicago (las Light and Coke Company and a trustee of the Illinois $4 BIOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS. Charitable Eye and Bat Infirmary. He was an elder, first in the Sei •! Presbyterian Church, and afterwards in the Fourth Presbyterian Church of Chicago. In fact, it may be saiil that mi man ol his time was at heart more deeplj in terested in everything pertaining to the material prosperity or the moral and religious advance- ment of Chicago than was Judge Skinner. The records "f the Chicago Historical Society show that Judge Skinner had an intimate connection with tl ganization of that institution. Prom its first organization to the day of his death Judge Skinner was not only officially connected with this Bociety, but tor its advancement he con tributed largely of both his time and means. His love of books naturally led him to take great in- terest in such work. His own library was his favorite retreat from the ran- and worrj ol Ins business life. He was particularly fond <>r his home, and the year L841 was made mei 'able to lii in in his truest life by his marriage, on Maj 21, t < > Elizabeth Magill Williams. He retained a great devotion to his native State, and became one of the founders "f the New England Societj of Chicago. Hi- love of bis native place is shown by the fact that during his whole life he was accustomed to return each year to Manchester. Vt., for recreation and rest, and his last illness found him in his beloved town. His illness was !■ milt an>l painful, but he never complained. His strong Christian character upheld him through all the Buffering. He died on September 16, 1887. Judge Skinner was as much beloved in his old home as in ( !hicago, where he had spent his active years. His funeral was a large one; there were hundreds of sad hearts in that Vermont town on that beautiful September day, who followed all that was rtal of Mark Skinner to the resting place he had himself chosen beside his parents. 'There were many sad hearts in Chicago, where he had li\e,l ami was loved; a g 1 man. a meat. had been taken from their midst. JOSEPH MEDILL. Under date of "Washington, D. C, March 24, 189] " a ( Ihicago gentleman who has been promi- nent in tin- Diplomatic Servi f the United state-, an. I whose brilliant record as a represents live "f his country abroad is onlj equalled by his high standing in tin- politics al life of Chicago, writes as follows concerning the subject or this sketch: "Hon. Joseph Medillisone of the headed men. one or the most public spirited citizens, ami ■ of theablest writers ami thinkers in this country. He is an ezceedingl) full man. ami there is scarcely any subject occu ■ ■ ral attention in this country or Europe on which be cannot speak and write instructively. I the .lay and follows w ith keenness the polit i.-- . Britain as well as those of the United states. As a newspaper man it is conceded by all ol ins eon freres that he is a success. The-' Chicago Tribune' .-paper is one of the most important journals in this country, ami its influence is wide spread. Joseph Medill, more t han any ot her man. is its architect. He is a man of the highest per sonal character, ami his private life might he well emulated bj anyone who desires to win the esteem or his fellows." 'The writer or these lines, while a personal friend of .Mr. Medill's, holds opposing political views, and the controversies between them on these lines have at times been very spirited. His opinion may. therefore, while thoroughly intelligent, be taken as entirely with out pn iudic : favor. Joseph .Medill is remotelj of Huguenot descent. Hi- ancestors were es polled from France for adhering to their religion at the time of the revocation of the Edict of Mantes. Medille is still a French n; i, and it was a Joseph Medille who first demonstrated to tic French Government the feasibility or the Mont ( 'en is tunnel. But Mr. Medill is immediately of Scotch-Irish descent, and he inherits all the t raits ol' character which have made this admixture of the human race so justly celebrated. He was horn April t'.. ls-j:;. near the city of St. John, New Brunswick. His parents were William ami Mar arc! Medill. His father was a farmer on the St. Johns River, and there the family remained until 1832, \\ hen the> moved to Massillon, stark County, Ohio, taking the hoy. who was then hut nine years old, with them. Work on a rami and in- struction in the public school at his new home occupied Joseph Medill's time until he was six- teen years old. It is said that he showed his thirst tor knowledge at this early age by walking nine miles every Saturday to get instruction in Latin, logic and nat ural philosophy from a clergy- man in Canton. Ohio. He studied li\.- or -i\ months under tin- clergyman. Later In- com pleted hi a at the village academy \l illon, : raduat ing in 1843 Tl year Mr. Medill marked the attainment of his majority by voting for Henrj Clay, ami this im CLX6^ "H^d^ejL «*» BIOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS. 35 portant duty done, he began the study of law with the Hon. Hiram Griswold. Alter admission to the bar in November, 1846, Mr. Medill, in connec- tinn with George W. Melllvaine, afterward Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of that State, began to practice law al X<-\\ Philadelphia. Mr. MedilFs inclinations, however, were for the life of a journ- alist: and in 1849, having dissolved his partner ship with Mr. Melllvaine, he began the publica- tion of the Coshocton (Ohio) "Republican". In 1851 Mr. Medill sold this paper and started the ■■ I >ailj Forest City." at Cleveland, giving < leneral Scott a- strong support in the Presidential Cam paign of that year. The overwhelming defeat of the Wing candidate, who ran on a too conserva- tive platform, convinced Mr. Medill, who was a radical, that it was time to organize- ;i new part} to occupy more advanced grounds, in which the doctrines of free soil and anti-slavery should be the prominent feature. From this conception grew the National Republican party, despite the opposition of many wise old Whig politicians and statesmen, who, while favoring the general idea, thought the movement far ahead of time. The following year Mr. Medill formed a business alliance with John C. Vaughan, an emancipation- ist from South Carolina, who was publishing the "True Democrat" a free soil organ in Cleveland. The two papers were combined in 1853 under the name of the "Cleveland Leader," and the consoli- dated venture was highly successful. The move ment for a new national party which Mr. .Medill started in Ohio in 18.">:i found fruition in April. 1S."i4. when in company with eleven other gentle- men interested in the matter, who were radical Whigs, anti-slavery Democrats and Free Soilers, he assisted in organizing the nucleus of the Republican party in Cleveland. The new party radicals cast nearly 60,000 votes for Governor at the electi f 1853 in Ohio: the conservative Whig candidate was distanced and that ended tin- Whig party in the Buckeye State. Important events in the country's history crowded this closely, and the growth of the party was power fully assisted by the perfidious repeal of the Missouri Compromise, the passage of the Kansas- Nebraska Bill, and the disgraceful Dred Scott Decision, which tended to disrupt the old parties. Chicago about this time was beginning to attract attention as a commercial and a political center, and in January. 1855, Mr. Medill sold out the ■■ Leader." and in company with his old partner, Mr. Vaughan, and Dr. Ray of Galena, Illinois. bought "The Chicago Tribune." a paper which up to that time had had a precarious existence. Mr. Medill assumed the editorial and business man- agement, and made the venture a successful one, from the very start. His entrance into official political life in Illinois was in 1869, when lie was unanimously elected a member of the Constitu tional Convention, a body which created the reformed constitution, and in which he took a conspicuous part. Mr. Medill framed the provis- ions which secured representations to minorities in lie- legislature and in corporations, and was a leader in the general work of revision. In 1871, Mr. Medill was appointed by President Grant, a member of the Civil Service Commission, and in November of the same year la- was elected Mayor of Chicago by a three-fourths majority. When In- assumed charge of the office the city was in ruins from the great tire, and disorder anil desti- tution prevailed. It was Mr. Medill's Bpecial Work during the ensuing two years, to restore Ordei and put municipal affairs in a normal condition- a task which In- performed in a highly satisfactory ma liner. Tin- intense application to duty required of him in this laudable weak, undermined Mr. M.-dill's health, and resigning his office in Septem- ber, 1873, he went to Europe for a year's recrea- tion. The time passed abroad was almost entirely spent in a study of men and events, and in writing a series of letters thereon for the "Tribune," which has made Mr. Medill an authority on- all public affairs in the Old World, and especially in Great Britain. Upon his return to Chicago in November, 1874, Mr. Medill bought a controlling interest in the -Tribune" and took active charge of the editorial department. Under his influence the paper rapidly regained the high position it had lost during tin- three years of his absence from its helm; and since then has become the recognized journalistic representative of the Re- publican party in the West. Mr. Medill's influ- ence exercised through the "Tribune" did much to secure recognition for Abraham Lincoln at a time when the politicians and people of the country were disposed to doubt tin- ability of the untried champion of Universal Liberty, and all through tin- Civil War, the "Tribune." by Mr. Medill's direction, was an earnest supporter of the Union cause. By its influence material aid was given to the President and to the armies in the held at the time when most needed, and in this way, and by encouraging a public opinion in tin- same direc- tion, Mr. Medill took an active part in fighting the battles of his country. At his suggestion the soldiers in the field were given an opportunity to BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. vote, and it \v;is the result of this election in 1864 u Inch sustained Mr. Lincoln in his conduct of the n;n and made success possible. The scheme which was entirely an original one, was conceived by Mr. Medill, when on his summer vacation in Minnesota in 1862, and its adoption bj thevarious stall- authorities was due to the energetic manner in w hich he announced and championed it in the "Tribune." As a journalist, Mr. Medill's career lias been characterized by strong convictions courageously expressed, by a comprehensive knowledge of public affairs, and a clear recogni- tion of public sentiment; by keen sympathy with all I', inns of progress in the various departments of the world's work; by originality and independence of thought, by remarkable powers of suggestions, and by an industrj and capacity for work which has never flagged through a period embracing ni-arlv a half-century of editorial labor. ISAAC N. ARNOLD. EON. ISAAC NEWTON ARNOLD was born at Hartwick, near Cooperstown, Otsego County, New York, on the 30th of November, 1813. His father, George Washington Arnold, a physician of good standing, was descended from a family who were among the earliest settlers of New Eng- land, sunn- of its members having been associated with Roger Williams and others in founding the colony of Rhode Island- that glorious little repub- lic where for the first time in the history ..I' the world the principle that tin- civil power has no right to interfere with religious opinions was re- cognized, and which can boast of possessing in its organic law the first legal declaration of liberty i.f conscience ever adopted either in the Old World in- in the New. The picturesque scenery of Otsego county, its beautiful lakes and extensive forests, formed an environment in the midst of which theboy drankin pure and high inspirations, and earl; learned to love the beautiful, both in nature and in human character. His circum- stances and surroundings in youth wen- alike favorable to the development of a strong and noble manh 1. While yet a boy he was thrown upon his own resources, and obliged to earn by his own industry the means of supporting himself and acquiring the education which was to h't him for tin- walk in life which he had chosen. Like so many who have risen to eminence in the United States, he was in every sense of the word the architect of his own fortune, winning through a life of diligence and usefulness the crown of for- tune and honor. After passing through the primary stages of his education at the country schools and the village academy, he employed his time from seventeen to twenty years of age in teaching half the year and attending school the other half, and then, having resolved to devote himself to the prof ession of the law. entered the offices of Richard Cooper and Judge Morehouse, of Cooperstown, for the purpose of study. He was admitted to the bar in 1835, practised for a short lime as a partner of Judge Morehouse, and in L836 removed to ChicagOj when he at once be gan that career which was' to rank him before its close as one of the most distinguished jurists of this country. He was enrolled at the bar of the Supreme Court of Illinois. December 9th, 18-11. In the State of his adoption he soon had an oppor- tunity to show his professional ability. Illinois was a young state and men were chosen as mem- hers of its ( leneral Assembly in those early days whose sense of public faith and honor was not of the highest. Such a legislature had just passed an act of repudiation of public debts, in which it was provided, among other things, that unless the propertj of a judgment debtor should realize two thirds of its appraised value, it .should not be sold under execution. Mr. Arnold was known to be the determined opponent of the policy so dis- honoring to the State. His services were secured by a New York judgment creditor to enforce his claim against a debtor, and he vigorously attacked the constitutionality of this act of the Illinois legislature. The case was carried to the Supreme Court of the United States, where it came on for hearing in January, 1843. Mr. Arnold submitted an able and convincing w ritten argument in sup- port of his position, which was sustained by Chief Justice Taney in one of the most elaborate opin- ions e\cr delivered in that Court. Mr. Arnold was elected in l>4-_! and again in lSli to the lower house of the Illinois (ieneral Assembly. Men of distinction and ability were members of that body, but aiuone- them Mr. Arnold soon took a promi- nent place by the force, not only of his legal ability, but of his recognized worth and high character. Retiring from public life in 1846, at the close of his second legislative session, he di- vot, id himself assiduously for the next ten years to the practice of his profession. He had now established his reputation as one of the leading members of the Chicago bar. Always painstaking %CLCcL JC ^Un^^u) BIOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS. 37 in the preparation of his cases, and thoroughly well informed by diligent and unintermitting study, he was a powerful advocate both before the court and before a jury. Indeed, it is said of him that in that persuasive style of address which tells most effectively upon the average juror, he had no superior. As one of his associates at the bar has put it, "He was a learned lawyer — a jurist in the just sense of the term —and for more than thirtj y.ars stood at the head of the Chic In politics Mr. Arnold had been a Democrat, and in lsJl was a presidential elector on the Polk tieket. The repeal of the Missouri Compromise in 1854, however, was as abhorrent to his fi of public honor as the repudiation act of the Illinois legislature had been. It aroused in him a sentiment of just indignation, and he at once j. lined the ranks of those who became thereafter known as the anti-Nebraska Democrats, who eventually on the out-break of the rebellion were merged into the Republican party. In L856, al the urgent solicitation of the anti -.\ Democrats and Republicans of Cook county, he again consented to become a candidate for tie- House of Representatives in the State Legislature. This was at the time that Bissell was elected Governor and the Democrats contested his right to take the seat on the ground that be once accepted a challenge to fight a duel. Mr. Arnold championed the Governor's cause, and Ids speech in his defense settled the question and placed its author in the view of the whole state as one of its ablest public men. The election of I860, which resulted in the election of Abraham Lincoln to the Presidency of the United States, also gave Mr. Arnold a place in the National Congress, he being representative from the Chicago district. Mr. Lincoln had long known Mr. Arnold, and each entertained for the other a warm personal friendship. There was probably no member of that memorable extra session which assembled July 4, 1861, to whom the President looked with greater confidence than to Mr. Arnold. In this, his tii>t session of Congress, Mr. Arnold was selected to pronounce the eulogy on the death of Stephen A. Douglas, a fact which of itself indicates the filiation in which his abilities were held throughout the country. The rebellion of the Southern States, for the suppression of which the extra session of the Thirty-seventh Congress was called, occupied almost the exclusive attention of that body when it met in regular session on the 2nd of December, 1861. In its proceedings Mr. Arnold took an active part, and publicly ranged himself among the antagonists of slavery by his vote to abolish the hated institution in the District of Columbia. He also introduced a bill, and succeeded, notwithstanding the most deter- mined opposition, in having it made a law, to prohibit slavery in every place subject to the national jurisdiction. Throughout his Congres- sional career he dealt unceasing blows against the institution of slavery, acting steadily upon his own declaration: "Whenever we can give slavery a constitutional blow, let us do it." On the 2nd of May. L862, he delivered what has been regarded by some as the ablest and most notable speech which he made in Congress, in support of the bill to confiscate rebel property. As an exposition of constitutional law. this speech attracted the atten- tion of the legal members of the House. On the loth of February, Did. lie introduced a resolution declaring that the constitution should lie so amended as to abolish slavery in the United States. The resolution was adopted, and this was the first step ever taken in Congress in favor of the abolition and prevention of slavery in this country. Mr. Arnold advocated it in a vigorous and eloquent speech hi the course of which he said: "In view ol" the long catalogue of wrongs that slavery lias inflicted upon the country. I de- mand to-day in the Congress of the United States the death of slavery. We can have no permanent peace while slavery lives. It now reels and staggers in the last death struggle. Lei us strike the monster this last decisive blow. Pass this joint resolution, and the Thirty-eighth Congress will live in history as that which consummated the great work of freeing a continent from the curse of human bondage. The great spectacle of this vote which knocks off the fetters of a whole race will make this scene immortal." Further on he said: "I mean to tight this cause of the war - this cause of the expenditure of all the blood and treasure from which my country is now suffer- ing — this institution which has filled our whole land with sorrow, desolation and anguish — I mean to tight it until neither on the statute books nor in the constitution shall there be left a single sentence or word which can be construed to sustain the stupendous wrong. Let us now. in the name of Liberty, of justice, and of God, con- summate this grand resolution. Let us now make our country the home of the free." Taking his place in Congress at the outbreak of the civil war, Mr. Arnold quitted it just before its close. at the adjournment of the Thirty-Eighth Congress on the 3rd of March. 1865. He had won for him- BIOGRAPm OF ILLINOIS. Belf such honorable fame, had bo loyally and effl cientl) supported the administration, and rendered such valuable service t" his country in its hour of need, thai his determination to return to private life was received with universal regret. Be had sometime before commenced the preparation of a work entitled, "History of Abraham Lincoln and throw of Slaver) in the United States," to which he devoted all his leisure, and as his in Wm hington afforded him more read) access to documents which it was necessary for aim to '■•insult tor its completion, he accepted the appointment from President Johnson, of Auditor of the Treasury for the Post Office department, which he resigned in 1si;t. Returning to Chicago he completed this work, which holds a high place among the man) which bave been written on the Bame eventful period of our history. Mr. Arnold bad a great love for historical research, and was the author of a number of interesting and valuable al Bketch.es. He took an active interest in the formation of the Chicago Historical Society. On the H'tli day of December, L876, he waselected president, and held the position uninterruptedly until the day of his death a period of about seven and one halt' wars. In L868 be delivered an address on the occasion of the opening of its new ball, in which he briefl) recited the birth and growth of the society up to that time. Among its treasures was the original manuscript of Presi ilint Lincoln's proclamation of emancipation, which was given b) its illustrious author to Mr. Arnold, and by him deposited with the Historical Society, [t was destroyed by the great fire of 1871. In 1872 Mr. Arnold resumed his practice al the Chicago bar, but was compelled by failing health to relinquish it two or three years later. The closing years of his I i IV were spent in scholarly retirement. He bad long been convince. 1 that the verdict of history, as popularly written, did great injustice to the name of Benedict Arnold and that the traditional prejudice against that unfortunate led upon a one-sided \ iew of the facts. Writers of note have endeavored with more or less success to obtain a reversal of the tradi tionan estimate of great historic personages; even Richard 111. Henrj VIII, and Lucretia Borgia have had their defenders in recent times. But in the case of these individuals there was no vivid popular sentimen! to offend bj such exerci- tations; it required the courage of a strong and earnest man to plead for one whom the majority Of the Americans have I. ramie. 1 as a traitor. to allow bi in an) virtues or to admit an) palliation for his crime. Mr. Arnold bail the courage of Lis convictions, and embodied them in a 1 1< which he published in 1880, under the title ..I -[ale of Benedict Arnold His Patriotism and bis Treason." In this work he state. 1 that his object was "to make known the patriotic services Benedict Arnold, the sufferings, heroism and the wrongs which drove bim to a desperate action, and induced one of the most heroic men of an le I. lie a g e t„ perpetrate an unpardonable crime." 'The I k is certainly a valuable historical mono Lira ph. and whatever impression it may have made on popular opinion, it must be admitted that Mr. Arnold states his case with great candor and ability. The wmk on Lincoln and the extinction of slavery was never quite satisfactory to him. and about two years before his death he bi to write the "Life of Abraham Lincoln," his latest work, and tl ne upon which his reputation as a biographer and historian will mainly rest. In this, as in all his literary work. Mr. Arnold well merited the eulogy of an admiring friend, who said that "to whatever he undertook. Mr. Arnold brought the qualities of a ripe intelligence, great vigor, and a sound judgment." Altera lone; life honorably spent in professional duty and public scrvicc.it is pleasant to contemplate the calm evening of Mr. Arnold's days, in his charming home, among his family and hooks, occupying his leisure in those pursuits which were dear to him, and in the societ) of sympathetic friends, who were the sharers of his cordial hospitality. On the streets he was a notable figure; the delicate I. at iires of his tine intellectual face, and his erect ami graceful bearing, are still well remembered. Quiet and courteous in his manners, he was a man who everywhere attracted attention. Firm in his religious faith, his manly. Christian character shone through all his acts and .1. -alines with the world, and was exemplified in i ntry which he w rot. his Tilth birthday, not many months be fore he .lied: "Three score and ten! Death must be at no great distance. I wish to live only bo long as I may be to some extent useful, and no1 when I shall be a burden. Ma) m; remaining days be useful and innocent." He was a commu nicant of the Protestant Episcopal Church, and for many years a vestryman of St. James' Church in Chicago. Mr. Arnold was a great lover of children and devotedly tender in his own home; lovable and fascinating as a friend, there were many outside of that home who mourned his death as a personal loss. Mr. Arnold was twice married. His first wife was Catherine I-'.. Dor (fan v&> ^ /u BIOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS. 39 ranee, of Pittsfield, Mass.. who died October 20th, 1830, leaving one son. Edward Mason, who died in 1844. He again married, August 4th, 1841, Harriet Augusta Dorrance, a sister of his former wife. Nine children were born of this marriage. Mr. Arnold died at his residence in Chicago, April 24th, 1884. His death was mourned not onlj bj the city in which he lived, but throughout the nation. The tributes that wen- paid to him were numerous and eloquent, and no citizen of Chicago was ever honored by such a gathering of distin- guished people to evince their sorrow at his pass ing away as assembled to honor Mr. Arnold's memory. It is scarcely possible to have a more graphic and faithful picture of a life than was drawn by Hon. E. B. Washburne in his feeling tribute to Mr. Arnold before the Historical Society: "During all the active years of a long and well spent lif<'. Mr. Arnold has Keen a citizen ■ if Chicago, contributing by his indefatigable in dustry, his patriotism, his public spirit, his rare abilities, his great acquirements, his spotless moral character, his high social qualifications and instincts as a thorough gentleman, to give lustre to the city of his residence, and to the generation to which le- belonged; a successful lawyer that stood in the front ranks of his profession: a cautious, far seeing and wise legislator, distin- guishing himself in the halls of legislation, national as well as state; a successful public speaker ami a writer of great power and wide spread popular- ity, he has left to the generations that succeed him the legacy of a noble example and a noble name." LAMBERT TREE. HON. LAMBERT TREE was horn at Washing ton. D. C. on the 29th of November, 1832. He comes of colonial and revolutionary stock, both on the father's and mother's side, his great grand- fathers having been officers of the American army in the Revolutionary War, one of them being killed at the battle of Trenton while in command of an artillery company. He received a classical education, and read law for two years in the office of James Mandeville Carlisle, who was at that time the leader of the Washington bar. Having completed his law studies at the University of Virginia, he was admitted to the bar at Washing ton citj in October. Is.Vj. A few months later, he settled in Chicago, ami pursued the practice ol law vigorously in the rising city of the West. Almost from the first. Judge Tree held an honor- able place in the ranks of his profession, which was due not only to the thoroughness of his scholarship, and the fulness of his legal knowl- edge, but also to the tact and address which he exhibited in his intercourse with business men who sought his counsel. A gentleman in every sense of the word, his sterling probity of character and courteous manners soon gained for him the respect of all who met him in society and business affairs. The high estimate which was formed if him by his brethren of the bar was shown by his election in 1804. to the honorable position of Presi- dent of the Chicago Law Institute. In 1870 he was elected one of the Circuit Judges of Cook County, to till the unexpired term of tin- late William K. M'Allister, who had been elevated to the bench of the Supreme Court of Illinois. His personal popularity as a citizen, and the respect in which he was held by men of all political parties, were so great that at the next election of judges for the full term, he was re-elected with- out opposition. At the commencement of Judge Tree's official career, Chicago was full of rumors of the existence of the most shocking corrupt ion in the Common Council of the city. One of his first official acts was to deliver a vigorous charge to the grand jury of the county, instructing that body to investigate these rumors carefully, and if trustworthy evidence was laid before them that any of the members of the Council had been guilty of conduct in their official capacity which rendered them amenable to criminal prosecution, to indict them so that they might lie brought to tie- bar of the court, to be dealt with according to law. The result was numerous indictments and the convic- tion and punishment of a score or more of alder- men for the offense of accepting bribes. The trials produced the greatest excitement in the community, and for a time had a wholesome effect on those who thereafter had charge and control of municipal affairs. Much to the regret of the Chicago people at large. Judge Tree resigned his place .,n the circuit bench in 1875. while still having four years of his second term to serve. But he felt that after many years of extremely active and arduous work he required rest: and after quitting the bench he passed several years in European travel. In 1878 he returned home. and occupied himself with law, literature, and the management of his private affairs. During that y iar, and while still in Europe, he was nominated 40 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. tor Congress in the Fourth [Uinois District by the Democrats, but declined. His party, however, retained his name upon the ticket, and an immense vote was casl tor him, though aol sufflcienl to elect him, as the district had always been one of the Republican strongholds of the State. In 1882 he was again unanimously Dominated in the same district by his party, against Hon. Georgi B Adams, and again failed o( an election. In 1884 Judge Tree was chosen a delegate at large from I oisto the Democratic National Convention, which met in Chicago and nominated Cleve land. At the session of L884 L885 of the Illinois General Assembly, there was a spirited con trst for the election of a United States Senator from this State, the Republican candidate being General John A. Logan, who had just been disap pointed by the defeat of his party at the presiden tial election, and "f his own aspirations t" the position of Vice-President. The contest was one of the most memorable that has ever taken place in Illinois, and attracted general attention throughout the country. Col. William K. Morrison had pretensions to till the senatorial chair as the Democratic candidate, but after a long, protracted struggle in which his inability to wrest the seat from General Logan was demonstrated, he with- drew. The Den rats, thereupon, unanimously nominated Judge Tree as their candidate, and the contest was waged with renewed vigor for a time. Eventually, General Logan was elected, Judge Ti ee failing of Buccess by - >te. I" July, 1885, President Cleveland appointed him United Minister to Belgium. In the course of his official duty hi Belgium, Judge Tree represented the gov ernment of the United States, in several interna tional conferences, which were held at Brussels, and participated in the formation and execution of several treaties of much public importance; amongst others, one providing tor the exchange of parliamentary and other public documents l>e tween the principal nations of Europe and the United States; and another tor the establishment of tin international bureau for the translation and publication of customs' tariffs of the nations of the world. He also represented tie of the United States in the International Congress for the reform of commercial ami maritime law. which was held at Brussels in L888, and which was a notable assemblage of representatives of all the civilized nations of the world. During his resi dence in Brussels, Judge Tree look occasion to prove his deep interest in the prosperity of the citj "I" < IhicagO, of which he had for so mans wars been an honored citizen, by a hands public tribute which will always be a mom -nt of his Bcence and public spirit, no less than of his i] the city of his adoption. Hecoi issioned the Count de Lalaing, an eminent Belgian sculp tor, to e\,-ciite for him in bronze, a statue of Robert Cavelier de LaSalle, the great explorer or the Illinois territory, and presented it to Lii In Park, which it now adorns. It is pronounced by competent judges to 1 » of the most spirited raceful specimens of the plastic art on this continent. In September, L888, Judge Tree was promoted to the post of Minister to Russia, which he resigned on the 3rd of Jlf arch, 1889, and returned home with the intention i>r giving his attention chiefly to the management of his private affairs. Further honors, however, awaited him in his native land, and it is a signal proof of the high respect in which In- is held by men of all shades of political opinion, that the latest honor bestowed upon him came from the hands of a Republican administration, [n 1890 the city or Washington was the theater of a great assemblage "I repre sentativesof all the South American republics, as well as of Mexico and the United States, which was called together by invitation or our Govern- ment through Hon. James G. Blaine, Secretary of State, ami was known as the "Pan American ('on ference." One of the objects or the conference was the furtherance or commercial reciprocity between the United States and the Southern republics, and among other suggestions thrown out during its discussions was a project, tor the establishment of an international coin or coins, which should have circulation for all purposes throughout South and Central America, Hayti, the Sandwich Islands. Mexico and the United Slates, to be taken at the custom houses and pub lie treasuries of the respective countries ami re ceived in payment of public and private debts, on equal terms with the money of the nation where offered. The Tan American conference finally requested our Government to call a mone tary conference to consider the subject, and in pursuance or its recommendations, Congress in July, 1890, passed an act instructing tin- President to invite the assemblage Of an International Monetary Commission at Washington in January, L891, and to appoint three members thereto, by and wiili the advice and consent of the Senati to represent the United States, only two of whom should belong to the same political party. Under this law, President Harrison did Judge Tree the honor to tender to him the membership which had ff.f.Cf&cj^ BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 41 been reserved by the law to the Democratic party. The other two American commissioners appointed were Ex-United States Senator, Xathaniel P. Hill of Colorado, and the Hon. Wm. A. Russell of Massachusetts, former member of Congress, and an eminent citizen of his state. The commission met in January at Washington in accordance with the law and continued its deliberations from time to time until the following May. The records of the commission show that Judge Tree took a leading part in all of the debates, which involved the whole field of the Silver question as well as other interesting and important questions of an economic and financial character. He was ch< isen by his colleagues to formulate and present to the commission, the propositions of the American commissioners, which in dning. he supported by a speech of marked ability. These propositions and the speech of Judge Tree were made the basis of all future discussions in the commission, and the propositions were finally adopted as the ex- pression of the views of the commission, and as recommendations to be made to the governments represented therein. Judge Tree though not a member, took a warm interest in the work of the International conference held at Brussels in 1889, for the purpose of framing a treaty for the suppres- sion of the African slave trade, still prevailing as is well known, to a frightful extent, and it is believed he had much influence in rescuing from defeat the treaty which the conference framed. Numerous contributions from his pen explained its provisions and urged its adoption on the ground of common humanity and justice. To tl. of our country, be it said, the Senate of the United States finally ratified it. without which it could not have gone into operation. Judge Tree, in the course of his active life, has found time to do his share towards the advancement of the material interests of Chicago, by the erection of a number of the handsome buildings which adorn its streets, and by participation in the management of some of its most noted financial and industrial institu- tions, while his interest in public affairs is una- bated. Since the commencement of operations for the World's Fair of 1893. he has taken a lively interest in the progress of that enterprise and has been active in securing, through correspondence with his friends in Belgium, a proper representa- tion of the products of that country in arts and manufactures at the great Exposition. Belgium has honored Judge Tree by conferring upon him the appointment of Councillor of Honor of its commission. EICHARD J. OGLESBY. GEN. RICHARD JAMES OGLESBY. so dis- tinguished in Illinois, and the whole country as a soldier and statesman, was horn in Oldham County. Kentucky, on the 25th of July, 1824. He is of Scottish extraction, and bears in many traits of his character, the impress of the sterling virtues of that race. His parents Jacob Oglesby and Isa- bella Watson were of the sturdy stock of pioneers, who though not rich, had the comforts of life; and were not tie- victims of that want often incident to a new country. The resources of his father's farm enabled the family to live in comparative ease and comfort, until 183.3. when by a visitation of lie cholera, father and mother, with a brother and sister, fell victims to that dreadful scourge. At the time of the death of his parents he was nine years old. and one of a family of six children, two sons and four daughters, left without a home, ami dependent upon the kindness of relatives and friends for protection and care. Richard was taken by his uncle, Mr. Willis Oglesby. who in 1836 moved to Decatur. Illinois; but at the age of fourteen his uncle sent him to live with his two sisters. Mrs. Prather ami Mrs. Peddi- cord, in Decatur. Illinois; and in that village, town, and city, with its growth and development. he steadihj advai d from the obscurity of child- hood, to a distinction of manhood, worthy of the ambition of the greatest and best. A man with such marked characteristics as Governor Oglesby, must have shown the cardinal traits of his being, in the tender years of his life. Great men are an evolution; they do not Hash upon the world as a meteor; but develop and grow like other substantial creations. The crash of 1837 left every business interest in ruin, commercial disaster and bankruptcy every where, especially in Illinois, which was then struggling from the bar- barism of wild woods, and unbroken prairies, to cultivated field and work-shops. Farming was the only resource for the needy and industrious: and into that vocation he entered with zeal and alacrity. He hail the virtue of industry, and nothing was too hard or laborious for his hands to do. Three years of his life were spent in the promiscuous business of farming, and at the end of that time he concluded to return to his "native heath " and learn the trade of carpenter. For that purpose he staid in Kentucky more than a year, and re- turned for the third time to the home of his choice. Before going to Kentucky for the pur- pose of learning a trade, he had attended school BIOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS. it' Decatui I availed himself o( the limited means then within reach of obtaining an educa tion in a new country. Although Governor Oglesby blessed with the Facilities of acquiring classical and exact learning, he haseducated him- self in tin higl ei and better functions "f mental equipment. He has disciplined his mind in the power "f investigation and i tinued and trained thought; and, after all, those are the ends of edu mental discipline. Knowledge is not nn e8sarily education. Some men of the widest range of information are the most helpless in the strug gle of thought. At the age of nineteen I i eluded that Illinois was the place I" farm, and not i" build houses, bo he in company with Mi Lemuel Allen rented a farm, and among other crops raised a lot of hemp, which proved the ever lasting ruin of the firm of Oglesby >V Allen. In the preparation of their hemp for market it was necessary that 1 1 1 > ■ \ should rol the stalk, and to that end they built a dam across a small branch thai flowed through the village, for the purpose of makings pond. The pond subserved the pur- pose of preparing the hemp, but the overflow killed several horses in the neighborhood, for which the firm had to pay. This was the last effort of the I iovernor at farming until at the end < »r his long public life he retired to his farm near Elkhart. The campaign of 1840 was the first political contest which seriously attracted his >n, having heard Lincoln and Douglas in joint debate in that year. Being of a Whig family he naturally coincided with Mr. Lincoln. At the tin t their first acquaintance, the disparity in in their years prevented a verj intimate associa- tion; Imt as Mr. Oglesbj matured t" manhood, the influence of that difference disappeared, until he and Mr. Lincoln became, in public and private life, as cordial and confidential as p.>s sible. At the time of Mr. Lincoln's death the Governor was at the city of Washington, and was among the lirst who stood at the bed side of the distinguished martyr. He who as boy, listened with rapt attention t" his argu quarti i ol a cent urj befi ti e, n< >\\ held his hand as he unsuccessfully struggled with that enemy whose inevitable victory terminated the must illustrious careei ol thi century. It Mr. Lii In had ai ness after I he fatal shot.it isprobable that his famil} and Gover nor ' Iglesb} were I he tat t « ho faded from his vision. Prom Govi rnor Oglesby's boyhood he was remarkable in powers of conversat ion and public Bpeaking, and .is a result of that facult} hi tii m anil taste were very earl} directed to the bai as the vocation of his life. In pursuance of a plan matured Bometime previous, in l s i I he con need the stud} of the law with Mr. Silas W. Robbing, of Springfield, Sir Robbins had a fine Btanding at the bar, and was regarded as one of the best at the capital. U though Mr. Oglesby's intellect had not been directed b) the disciplii f hard study in the Bchools, he had a Btudious and thoughtful mind, which being influenced bj his desire for success, enabled him to acquire the usual range of information, before his admission to practice. Upon his admission he located in Moultrie Count} where he practised with success until the break ing out of the Mexican war in isir,. He was i ag the lirst in volunteer in the defense of his country. Governor Oglesby, although not educated as such, is a soldier of rare qualifications. He combines the ardent loveof country, which in him is an absolute enthusiasm, with calm cool courage, and a wise and discreet judgment. Yet with- all these, like General Grant, he hates war. It has no allurements for him, beyond the sue cessful maintenance of the honor of his country. He is brave but not fearless, and in replj to an oflcer of the late war, who said to him: "General, there is always a supre moment of jo} in a fight ami that is when it is at its full height." " Nn." answered Oglesby, "that is not the supreme moment of joy with me; it is whin the battle is over and \\f have whipped them. 1 was never in a batt le that I was not at some time badh ened, but I was impelled by the necessity of a victory and my sense of honor t" overcome and i ubdue in.v fear." \t the time he volunteered he was twent} one years old, and was elected lirst lieutenant of Company ('. Fourth Illinois, com manded l>\ Col. E. D.Baker. Lieutenant Oglesby was a great favorite of Col. Baker, as he was of ever} one who appreciated the highest and best qualities of true manhood. The regiment marched more than seven hundred miles through the in terior ol Mexico, participating in the battles of Vera Cruz and Cerro Gordo. In the latter battle he commanded the Company, Captain Pugh having been assigned to the command of i 1 "- left wing of the regiment. Col. Baker was one of the most brilliant, ambitious and brave men of the American Army, and appreciated the position "f danger, as the pnst "f bonor in a great battle. In ordei to be just i" his feeling of friendship for Lieutenant Oglesby he assigned his Compan} to the position of dangi r, and was particular in com- municating to the object "I his affections the fart BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 43 that he had been favored with the position, where the battle would be the "hottest" and where he would have the opportunity of shedding additional glory on the profession of arms. The brave lieu- tenant thanked the chivalric colonel, thinking no doubt, ";i few more such friends, and my chances for being one of the survivors of the war would l>e the forlorn hope of destiny." In this battle General Shields was wounded, and was guarded after the battle by Company C, as a mark of dis- tinction to it. for the gallant services it had ren- dered. On his return he settled at Decatur, and Commenced what he supposed would be an unin- terrupted career of professional labor; but be was again induced to quit the practice, by the glowing accounts of gold mining in California. In the summer of 1849 a company of nine was formed in Macon County (of which Oglesby formed a part), for the purpose of gold mining. They went by the overland route from St. Joseph. Missouri, to Sacramento ( 'ity in ninety-five days. The Gover- nor performed the important function of driving a six-mule team the entire distance, nineteen hundred miles. During his stay in California he worked hard and diligently, and at the end of two years returned home with a considerable sum of money. He again sought the peaceful ways of a country lawyer. On coming to the bar he com menced the cultivation of public speaking, of which he had the natural elements in the highest degree. In the campaings of 1848 and 1852 he ex- cited the admiration of the Whig party by his ability as a stump orator, and no young man of his age in the State had such a promise. The spirit of travel and adventure which led him in defence of his country across the sterile plains of Mexico and later through the gorges of the Rock} Mountains in quest of gold, had simply slumbered during the years ..f his practice from 1851 to L856. He had long dreamed and talked of a trip to Europe, Asia and Africa. He was particularly fascinated with the idea of for< ign travel from a conversation which he had with Senator Douglas in the fall of 1855, who had just returned from an extended trip through Europe and a part of Asia. He was thirty-two years old, with a reasonable competency for expenses, with an insatiable taste and desire for new scenes and adventures, so in April, 185G, he left this country for a journey to Europe. Egypt. Arabia. Palestine and other points in the East. Mr. Oglesby went in tin- spirit of a true traveller, determined to study, examine and explore all matters and places of interest coming within reach of his route. He first devoted his attention to England. Ireland and Scotland; and being of a political turn of mind he paid particu- lar attention to the Parliament of England, mark- ing with acute observation the distinguished men then members of either House. He went to Paris. Berlin, St. Petersburg. Moscow. Warsaw Dresden, Vienna and Trieste. From the last place he sailed to Alexandria to indulge in the mystery of an ancient but wonderful civilization. Late in January. 1857, Mr. Oglesbj arrived in Cairo. After a short stay. he. in company with another, chartered a boat to make a trip up the Nile to Thebes. The ancient temples and tombs of upper Egypt, still, as for centuries, the marvel of the World, the great pyramids on the west bank of the Nile near Cairo, one of tin- "seven wonders of the world," were all in succession visited, studied and examined with the greatest possible interest. Two weeks after their return to Cairo. Mr. ( Iglesbj joined a caravan to cross the desert, consisting of ten travellers, two dragomen, eleven Bedouins and thirty two camels. The 30th of March. 1S.".T. they left Cairo for the Holy Land. The journey across Hie Desert of Arabia, was full of eventful and startling adventures, camel riding, tracing the scenes of Scriptural History on the vast sandy plains, and along the shores of the Dead Sea. the halt at the foot of and the ascent of Mount Sinai where during the night Mr. Oglesby read the Ten Commandments, and with a companion re- peated them on the top of the mountain as the sun was rising over the mountains of Arabia and the wilderness where the children of Israel wandered for forty years. His journal describes the scene as the light burst upon the barren plains and rock-riven peaks of the terrible des- ert as one of surpassing splendor. During his stay in Jerusalem Mr. Oglesby visited all places ami villages of scriptural interest near the city, and studied with care and reverence the history of these holy places. He traveled through Pal estine and Syria from Jerusalem to Damascus. From Damascus they set out for Beyrout, halting on tin- way between Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon to see the wonderful temple of Baalbek. Arriv- ing in Beyrout three days later, Mr. Oglesby set sail for Constantinople. After live days spent in Constantinople he sailed lor Athens. Two weeks were spent in this classic city when he took- ship on his last voyage on the Mediterranean for Naples: from there he visited Rome, Florence, Milan. Venice and other Italian cities. In the prosecu- tion of his travels as indicated by the foregoing route, he was most diligent in study and observa- 44 llloiiKAl'in OF ILLINOIS. lion; and when he returned I" this country he was one of the best informed travelers of the places he saw, of any of the Americans who had then visited the Bast. The Governor has eminent qualifications ;is a traveler, observation of the iikisi thorough and exhaustive kind, and great ability to describe and interesting^ portray the scenes and incidents of a tour. After his return h in December, 1857, al the requesl of local committees, he delivered several lectures on bis observation abroad which were highly entertain ing and instructive. The winter of 1858 was the formative period of the elements, which marked with such peculiar significance, the campaign of 1858, in which Mr. Lincoln and Senator Douglas discussed with such marked ability, the political issues centering in, and dependent upon, the question of slavery. Thai i Bid had been in tensified and embittered beyond the fears of con servatives, and the hopes of the Radicals, bj the repeal of the Missouri Compromise, which public opinion had been taughl to regard as one of the safeguards of domestic peace, Although 1 1"\ ernor Oglesby was anti-slaverj in sentiment he was conservatively so, being a " Henry Clay Whig." \i the time he went abroad in April, 1856, the Republican party as a distinct political party had not been formally organized in Illinois. Ii was tin policy lit' the Republican partj to strengthen itself in those Idealities where in the previous election it had been weak. In the Congressional district running from Logan and Macon counties on the northwest to Clark on the southeast the De cracj waslargelj in the majority, and this district the Republicans sought to carry by i nating Governor Oglesbj against Mr. James C. Robinson, who was then, as he always was. one ol the most popular men of the Slate. The district was made strongl} Democratic ami the infusion of a large pro-slaverj element from the Whig party increased the ascendency of Democratic sentiment, The ( lovernor was at that time thirl \ four years old, with the culture of some years practice at the bar, an active participation in two national canvasses and the thought and reflection incident to nearlj two years of study and travel abroad. In his boyhood he had Bhown indications that in his latent and undeveloped resources, there slumbered the abilit) of achieving greal success in the field '>f popular oratory. Hii speeches in campaigns in which he had participa ted captivated the attention of the crowd and ex cited their admiration tor the man if no! tor the principles which he advocated, Those elements combining made hii ost formidable as a political antagonist; and although he largelj diminished the majority, he was by the result of the election, permitted i" pursue the even tenor of his waj in the practice of the law. Mr. Lii In share, 1 the same fate as his friend Oglesby, and they both hail in wait until I860 tor a personal triumph. The canvass which Governor Oglesbj made against Mr. Robinson, both in iis results and in the effective mode in which the < lovernor prose- cuted it, made him o t the most popular Re publicans of the state, bo that in I860 he was placed in nomination bj the Republicans tor the State Senate in a district composed "f eight counties. This, too, was a De cratie district, and it was the forlorn hope which the Republican candidate was expected to carry. This campaign in its results showed that the Governor ( ibined in an eminent degree the elements of a popular leader, as. not only was he elected bul he received more votes in the district than Mr. Lincoln. This was the lirst political office ever held by him; and the breaking out of the war brought its incum bency to a sudden termination. The legislature to which he was elected convened on the 7th nf January, ami terminated on the 'Jlst of Fell ruary. After the bombardment of Port Sumter the legislature was called in extra session by < lov ernor fates, and met on the -1st of April, 1861, After a brief session of B few days the legislation incident to the war was completed and the < ieneral Assembly adjourned. Under the call of the President, made on the 15th of April. Illinois was required to furnish six regiments. The troops were rendezvoused at Springfield and were formed in regiments during the brief session of the legislature, < >n the last day of the session. the Eighth Regiment held an election and unani- mously chose him for colonel. The fact was im- mediately communicated to him as he sat in the Slatehouse. Without a moment's hesitation he repaired to Camp fates, and, amid the wildest shouts of exultation and joy on the part of the soldiers, he rode in front of thai thousand men. bowing his acknowledgments of gratitude for the compliment of his election. His emotions were not without conflict and struggle. He had no laste for war beyond the requirements of patriotic duty, but to that duly with all the determination of his soul he exchanged his seal in the Senate for tlo- camp of the soldier. In the fall of 1861, he was placed in command of Cairo and Birds- Point, then the most southern positions occupied by the Federal Army. Governor Oglesby was in BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 45 command at Cairo when General Grant was ordered to Cairo to take command at that point. General Grant, and Colonel Oglesby had never seen each other, and their meeting at Cairo, as told by them both, was laughable in the extreme. They Boon became great friends, which lasted with increased fondness until the death of the General. Governor Oglesby served about a year as colonel, and led the right of General Grant's army in his advance upon Fort Donelson, upon the field of battle for three days in attacking that Rebel stronghold, which finally yielded with its fourteen thousand prisoners, after a severe strug- gle, on the 11th of February, 1862. This was the first substantial Union victory up to that time In 1862 Colonel Oglesby was appointed Brigadier- General by President Lincoln, for gallantry at the battle of Fort Donelson, taking rank as such Erom April 1st. 1862. In the autumn of lsc-j, the great battle of Corinth was fought on the .'lid and 1th of October. General Oglesby commanded a brigade in that fight, and on the afternoon (if tin- first day fell upon the Held, as was then thought, mortally wounded, the bull having passed under the left arm through the lungs and lodged near the spine. He passed six months of intense suf- fering and danger before he was able to leave his home, and still carries in his body the enemy's ball which brought him so near the gates of death. His recovery is one of the mysteries of those in- scrutable laws which govern the issues of life and death. At the time he was wounded every sur- geon who saw him, except his own, Dr. Troubridge, said he would die; that it was impossible for him to survive such a wound: so it seemed for a long time, and during that time, there never was Buch physical agony endured by mortal man. His strong stalwart form wasted to a skeleton, ami for nearly six months his days and nights were a ceaseless siege of suffering. But all at one there came a change for the better; and those who be held him, as they supposed, for the last time, saw him in a comparatively short space of time de- livering at the capital one of the most thrilling war speeches of the era. In consideration of his meritorious services, in 1863 he was promoted to the rank of Major-General of Volunteers by appointment of President Lincoln, to rank as such from the 29th of November, 1862. Though still suffering from his wound, he returned to active duty in April, but was compelled because of his physical condition to tender his resignation in July. lsC:;, which was not accepted; but he was granted a leave of absence and returned home. Alter a short time he was detailed as President of a General Court-Martial. which sat in Wash- ington from December. 1863, to May, 1864, trying some of the most important cases then pending in the military service. In the early spring of 1861, the question of who should be the Republican candidate for Governor became the absorbing topic of conversation, thought and publication. Some of the papers had made favorable mention of his name, but no decisive indication could be discerned, as tin-re were several candidates of reputation, standing, and ability. As the time of the convention approached, the signs became much more favorable, and when on the 25th of May, the convention met he was nominated on the first ballot by an overwhelming majority. The Democrats nominated his old competitor, Mr. Robinson, and it became the contest of 1858 over again, so far as the men were concerned, but not as to the issues and results. Ho made a most vigorous and effective campaign, speaking in every county in the state. Although the state had gone I >ei iratic in ]K6'J. he was elected by a majority of i e than thirty thousand. He succeeded Governor Yates in January 1865. to perform the responsible duties of Governor at the most critical period in the history of the state and nation. Governor Oglesby is spoken of by the journals of that time as -a liberal hearted administrate ir of the high ami sacred trust imposed upon him as the official head of a great commonwealth, show- ing himself eminently faithful, competent and able, combining in an admirable degree the quali- ties of a very man among men. The Chicago Tribune of January 18th, 1865, says of his inaug- ural: 'The address is a manly, straightforward document, devoid of pretense, replete with com- mon sense and admirably written. It clearly pro- claims that the same nerve, the same intelligence and patriotism which marked General Oglesby's conduct at Ft. Donelson and Corinth, will dis- tinguish his administration as ( lovernor.' " ( rovernor Oglesby performed the duties of Gov- ernor from January, 1865, to January, 1869, with the most admirable skill and ability. He has rare qualities of executive function, coolness, courage, and an underlying foundation of common ~(iis.- and devotion to what he believes to be right and just, that never fails or falters in its directing power. At the end of his term, those who elected him, with those who voted against him, united in I ! e general eulogium that he had given the state a wise, just and honest administration of its exe- cutive branch of the government. He was made President of the National Lincoln Mo: lenl Association, organized May 11th. 1865, which r 6 BIOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS. labored assiduousl) until it obtained the means to the martyred President, an enduring memorial worth) to mark his last restin and to hold the ashes of the illustrious dead. This Btatelj monument was so tar completed thai it was formall) dedicated, and the beautiful statue ot Lincoln unveiled October L5th, L874, the Gover 'delivering the dedicatory address. The Springfield Journal said: "There seems a propriety that Lincoln's ardent friend and admirer, the eloquenl and sympathetic Oglesby, should deliver the oration and that the President and Cabinet should lend dignity by their presence to an occasion which will soon be come historic." A.t the end of his first term he retired to private life, but the disturbed condi tion of politics incident to the "Liberal move incut" required that the Republican part) should put at the head of its column, a man W ho would pot onl) command the respect and confidence o) the 1 pie but excite the enthusiasm of the masses; so in 1872 he was nominated for Govei nor the so 1 time. He again made a thorough canvass of the state, an. 1 was again elected b) rt) thousand majority. At the ensuing meeting of the legislature he was the unanimous choice of the Republican members, and was elected to the Senate of the Tinted States for a full term of six years. He served in the Senate until the 1th of March. L879, and in that position, as in all others in which he has been called upon to dis charge the duty and perform the trust of office, he was faithful and earnest. He was on several important Committees of the Senate, and partici pated in the general business of < kmgress, voting on all and discussing such measures as required his immediate attention. His retirement to private liTc was not of long duration. In 1884 an election for Governor was to he held in Illinois, and lor the third time the public eye was set in the direction or Governor < >glesb) . To be a can didate three times was something phenomenal in the politics of a state where the term lasted four years; and somi mplaint was made against :i "third term ;" hut tl instituency in the rural precincts which had listened with admiration to his matchless orator] on the stump came to his ue, and for the third time he was unanimously nominated tor Governor. For the third time he took the stump as a candidate for Go> traveling again into near!) all. if not ever) count) of the State, discussing the questions of the cam paign in a style that . manded the attention of every audience, whether in tic cosmopolitan cit) ol Chicag a g tin- rural auditors ol Southern Illinois. He wa B d( lovemor, and i utered upon his third term in January, 1885. Th nditii I' things had changed Bince his i, ,i.N. i terms of Governor. The city of Chicago bad grown from a cit) of three hundred thou t.. a lit \ of nearl) a million, ami as: nsequence of that extraordinary growth it had gathi some of the worst elements of Bociety. The civilized world hassought it with its variegated shades of political thought, from the man who Bingswith the "list., of his native land. "God gave the Queen," to the man w ho shout- in the wildncss of the mob, " Down with the police This is the exotic thought of Chicago; and be i,.,, en those two extremes there is every tendenc) of political opinion, some of which is not distinctly American. For years under a lax and reckless administration of the city government, the anar chical tendenc) of a portion of the population had not onl) not been restrained. Imt it had taken encouragement, until under the guise of freedom Of speech and the liberty of the Press, insuhordi nation to the law. and the constituted authorities. wereopenly proclaimed and advocated in public meetings, [n May, 1886, a collision between the police and one of those disorderly crowds occurred in which several of the police were killed. 1 lor that killing eight of the leaders of the mob were indicted. In the summer ..l L886, alter a trial lastine- months, they were convicted and sentenced t,, he hanged in November, L886. During the excitement incident to the killing, trial and cxe cution, a very dangerous condition of Bociet) existed in Chicago, which under the executive supervision of the I iovemor was most judiciously managed by the municipal authorities of the city. After the conviction the whole responsibility devolved upon the Executive. The situation demanded the highest type of sagacious judgment to temper the administration of justice with the spirit of mercy. The Governor was beset with innumerable petitions, nearly all on the side of Executive clemency. The cases of the defend ants, although the same in technical and legal guilt, differed in some particulars in moral turpi tu.le. The matterfrom itsinception hadattracted lie intention of the civilized world, and after the conviction the interest had became more intense. The anxiety of the public as to what would be done b) the Governor increased as the time approached. The sentiment which regarded the Con\ iction as just, and the execution as necessary to a vindication of the power and authorit) of the BIOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS. i: state, to deal with lawlessness was apprehensive that the sentence would be mitigated to impris- onment for life: while those who were actuated bj sentiments of mercy were afraid it would be executed on all the prisoners. The situation was ' ial and responsibility and never before in the history of an American state was there such a ease. The Governor heard with greal patience both sides of the question in connection with a full and complete i-xaminati.m of all the ti stimonj which had been heard, extending through many weeks of the protracted trial. After a mature investigation ami study of the case, he remitted .nee of t\\<>. to imprisonment for life, and permitted the law to take its course with the five others. This decision was regarded | )V the best element of society, not only in Illinois but throughout the country, as wise and just. His third term of service as Governor closed in Jan- uary. 1889, Governor Pifer ha\ ing been elected his ir. He now determined to quit public life forever, and to that end removed to a beautiful farm near Elkhart. Logan County. In the elec- tion of 1888 he was again mosl efficient ot thi stump, making speeches during the entire cam- paign in the principal cities and. towns of the state. At the election which was held in Illinois in the fall of 1S!H>. a legislature was elected whose duty it w-as to elect a United States Senator for the term commencing on the 4th of March. L891. Neither of the great political parties had a majority, and thi' result was a protracted strug- gle extending to near the close of the session. Governor Oglesbj n iwd the Republican nomi- nation and was supported most cordially by every member of the party as long as there was any hope of his election. It was a distinguished com pliment to a long life of honest, patient and effi- cient discharge of public duty. Upon his retire- ment at the end of his third term as Governor he had no desire or purpose to again enter public life; and the fact that he was nominated and sup- ported by the Republicans of the Legislature without his solicitation makes the compliment the more gratifying. Although he has Bpei I much of his time in official duty, the hearthstone and home of private life is to him the cherished spot of human existence. Be w-as married in 1859, to .Miss Anna E.. daughter of Joseph White, "I Decatur. After his marriage his wife shared with enthusiasm in all the ambitions and purposes of his life; and was to him during the affliction incident to his terrible wound an inspiration of hope and life. On receiving the news of his con- dition in the battle of Corinth, she started to the scene of suffering, and by the assistance of I >• ict ir Troubridge she succeeded in bringing him to Decatur, when everybody except her and the doctor thought every moment would be his last. Mrs. Oglesby was of feeble constitution, and in Ma; 1868, while the Governor was serving his first term, she died, leaving tw-o children, Rob- ert Oglesby. of Decatur, and Olive, now Mrs. Snyder, of Kansas City. In 1873, after his elec- tion to the Senate, he was married to Mrs. Keyes. eldest daughter of the late Mr. John I). Gillett, of Elkhart. Mr. Gillett had accumulated a large fortune, and at the time of his death, his farm in magnitude, fertility and improvement was the finest and best in the state. The cattle in its hundred fields were celebrated for their fine quality in the markets of Chicago. New York, and ! Upon the death of her father Mrs. Oglesby inherited a portion of this estate, and in connection with the lands owned by the Gover- nor, they now have "Oglehurst" which is one of the most valuable and delightful possessions of central Illinois. She is a lady of rare quali- fications, and is well worthy to be the wife of her distinguished husband. They have an in- g family of children, one daughter. Miss Emma Louise, and three sons, Richard. John and Jasper. The foregoing sketch presents the leading incidents in the career of a man who is better known to the people of Illinois than perhaps any public man who has appeared in its history. Mr. Lincoln, though his fame is as broad as the domain of civilization, it may be doubted whether the citizens of Illinois as a mass knew as much of him as of Governor Oglesby. Commencing in 1852, he has been one of the active men in polities for forty years. He lias been honored bj public and official confidence beyond the measure of any public man in the State. In 1846 he was a lieutenant in the army; in 1860 he was a senator in the legislature; in 1861 he was appointed colonel; in 1862 he was made a brigadier general; in 180:1 he was made a major general: in 1804 he was elected governor. Inl872 he was again elected governor; in 1ST:; he was elected United States senator; in 1881 he was for the third time elected governor; and in 1891 re. ceived the unanimous nomination of his party as its candidate for the United State Senate. In all of these positions he has been faithful and effi- cient, bringing to the discharge of his duty the highest and best qualities of his nature. He is now and always has been most popular with the 48 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. I pie; and, like Mr. Lincoln, loves to appeal to their broad sense of justice and right. He despises the intrigues of party manipulation. He was the trusted and faithful friend of Mr. Lincoln, General Grant and Judge Davis. They had in him the most implicit confidence for all the obligations of pence and war; and while he is a strong partisan, his political opponents give him the credit (if having in the highest decree, the two cardinal virtues of a public servant — honest \ and capability. He is among the last of a race of public men, who have given glory to the state and grandeur to the nation. With him closes an era in polities, which for importance in the history of nations, in the development of liberty, in the achievements of men, has no parallel in the annals of time. The dedication of Mr. Lincoln's monu- ment bj Governor Oglesby was well worthy of the living and the dead. No man had a higher appreciation of the virtues of the distinguished dead than the orator of the occasion. They had been personal and political friends for more than a third of a century, in peace and in war. They had shared the mutual confidence of the highest inspirations of duty and patriotism, and it was fittingly reserved to Governor Oglesby, as he stood in the shadow of a monument that marks the grave of one of the foremost men of the world, to say. "The living assign him his proper place in the affections of all men. Posterity, profoundly moved by the simplicity of his private life, elevated and enlightened by the purity and splendor of his administration and public services, cannot fail to lix his place amongst those who shall rank highest in their veneration. He has gone to the firma- ment of Washington and a new light shines down upon his beloved countrymen from the American Constellation." The orator himself has builded a monument of duty performed and of greatness achieved. The people of Illinois are to be congratulated upon a character of such splendor of development, such elevation and purity of purpose, and such devo- tion to the highest ami best interests of the state, as are exhibited in the private and public life of Richard James Oglesby. LYMAN J. GAGE. LYMAN JUDSON GAGE, one of the best known and most distinguished bankers and finan- ciers in the United States, was born at I )e Kuyter. Madison County. New York, June 28, 1836. His parents. Eli A. and Mary Judson Gage, were both of English descent, their immediate ancestors having been among the early settlers of New England. They also were natives of the State of New York. When Lyman was ten years old, the family removed to Koine, New York, where he entered the Rome Academy, which was established about that time. Leaving school four years later, he entered actively upon a life of industry and enter prise which has been characterized by an indomi- table will, a high standard of integrity and a tire less perseverence, which could scarcely fail to result in the splendid success which he has achieved. His first employment was as clerk in the Rome postoflice. When he was fifteen years old he was detailed by the postmaster as mail route agent on the Rome & Watertown railroad, ami served in that capacity until the Postmaster General appointed regular agents for the route, [n 1854, when eighteen years of age, he entered the service of the Oneida Central Bank, at Rome, as junior clerk, at a salary of one hundred dollars a year, and faithfully discharged all the duties of tin' position, from counting the cash to sweeping out the bank. His employers being unable to meet his request for an advance of his modest salary at the end of a year and a half's service, Mr. Gage determined to seek a wider field of use- fulness. He saw that the great new West was then offering much better opportunities for a young man of energy and abilities than were readily obtainable in the conservative East, and in the fall of 1855 he set out for Chicago— a city that has been made great and magnificent by the lives and influence of just such men. He arrived hen the 3rd of October, 1855; and soon found employment in Nathan Cobb's lumber yard and planing mill at the corner of Canal and Adams streets. His duties here were of a varied char- acter, ranging from book-keeping to driving a team and loading lumber. In this employment he remained nearly three years. In 1858, a time ..I great business depression, a change in the man agement of this establishment resulted in his leaving its service. Owing to the general stagna tion of business he was unable to find such employment as his abilities warranted him in seeking; but he had no inclination to spend a single day in idleness, and with the same cheerful ness with which he had accepted his first engage- ment on his arrival in Chicago, he became a night watchman in the same establishment. This period of probation did not last long. Such abilit ies, industry, and application as characterized the young man had not failed to attract attention, BIOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS. 49 mill the way was soon opened for their full exer- cise. He had only held the humble post of nighl watchman at Cobb's for about six weeks, when the opportunity offered for him to start upon the splendid career which has made him famous in the world of finance. He was then offered and accepted the position of book-keeper in the Mer- chants' Savings, Loan and Trust Company, at a salary of five hundred dollars a year. Entering upon the discharge of the duties of this position in August. 1858, tie had only to wait until the he- ginning of the following year for advancement. . being at that time made paying teller at a salary of twelve hundred dollars. In the spring of 1860, he was appointed assistani cashier with a salary of two thousand dollars, and a year later he be- came the cashier .if the bank, which office In- held until August. 1868, when In- was offered a similar position in the First National Bank of Chicago. He accepted this offer, and has been identified with this great financial institution ever since. During the period of his connection with the Merchants' Savings, Loan and Trust Company, Mr. Gage proved himself a master of all the intri- cate problems of finance, and laid the foundation of that brilliant career which lias culminated in placing him at the head of one of the greatest and best known banks in the world. His abilities were at once recognized, and his promotion was rapid; but since he transferred his services to the larger interests of the First National Bank, his onward and upward progress has been, so to speak, by leaps and bounds, and he is now universal!] acknowledged to hold a position of preeminence among the foremost financiers of this country. The old charter of the First National Bank ex- pired in 1882, when the institution was reorganized. Mr. ( iage being chosen as vice president and gen- eral manager. His high standing as a banker and financier was fully recognized by the American Bankers' Association, which was organized at Philadelphia on the 4th of October. 187(1. its mem- bership being composed of the leading bankers and financiers of the country. In 1882 this asso- ciation elected Mr. ( fage its President, and so ably did he fill the office that he was re-elected twice in succession. Chicago being the greatest grain, lumber and live stock market and packing point in the world, it has naturally been very potential in promoting the interests of the bankers' asso- ciation, and the selection of Mr. (iage as its head for three successive terms was a graceful tribute at once to the influence of the city and to the Worth . .f the man. ( In the 24th of January. 1891, Mr. Gage became president of the First National Bank, which position he still holds. Under his superintendence and control, the First National has become the leading bank of the Northwest so far as the volume of its transactions, and the magnitude and importance of many of them, are concerned. After the panic of 187:!. there was a general tottering of small banking institutions, and the wave of disaster engulfed one National Bank, in Chicago, after another, causing the greatest consternation among mercantile men. Throughout this trying period the First National stood firm and unshaken, and was able to extend assistance to its weaker neighbors. The high standing and influence which it justly holds in 1 1 mmunity and in banking circles, not only in this country but in Europe, are evidence of the strict integrity and prudence winch have charac- terized Mr. Gage's management of its affairs. From the earliest inception of the World's Pair movement in Chicago, the name of Lyman J. ( rage has been associated w ith it. anil his guiding spirit has directed every step that has been taken in furtherance of this great enterprise. During the early agitation of the subject. Mr. I iage was prominent, especially in the organization of the committee to whom was entrusted the formula- tion of plans for bringing the Fair to Chicago. When the opposition to Chicago, led by Sena tor Hiscock of New York, took the form in the Semite committee of a want of confidence that Chicago would carry out her pledge to pro- vide ten millions of dollars towards the expense of preparations for the Fair, it was the written assurance of Mr. Gage and three other leading financial men of this city that finally overcame all objections, and led to the bill being approved by the Senate- the three others being J. J. P. Odell. president of the Union National Bank. J. W. Doane, president of the Merchants' Loan and Trust Company, and Wirt Dexter. When the local corporation known as the World's Colum- bian Exposition was organized, in which work he played a most important part, and the choice of an executive became necessary, he was the only man who appeared to be acceptable to the directory without a dissenting voice, and he was unani- mously elected to the presidency of the Chicago board of directors on the 30th of April, 1890. He accepted the In r with reluctance, because he had beer: for some time the acting president of the First National Bank, and his duties in con- nection with the bank, till the details of whose vast business passed directly under his care. BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. absorbed b uch ol his time thai h. doubted hie ability to give i" the business <<< the Fair the degree of attention which he considered indispen sable. He was therefore unwilling to jeopardize the interests of the Pair by assuming the position of its executive head; bul having accepted, he took the enterprise in hand with all his charac energy and sagacity. All through the storm} days of the firsl year of the history o) the undertaking, his wisdom and courage was tin' sus- taining force thai carried through the great work. It is no disparagement to others who were associa ted with him to say thai to him more than to any other man is due whatever of success has deved bj the Exposition up to t be pn enl time. When the question of the site of thi Pair was under discussion, and factional feeling reached a point which bid fair to breed dissension each division of the city having its advocates among the members of the local board Mr. Gage si I at his post bravely and calmly, and held in check the turbulenl spirits thai mighl have wrecked all to accomplish a certain purpose. Daj by day he lias thoughl and labored tor the Exposition, always wise, always prudenl and progressive. On the 24th of January, 1891, he resigned the presidencj of the board of directors, having been elected president of the Firsl National Lank, of which he had been tor a considerable time the actual head owing to the absence of the president, Mr. s. .M. Nickerson. His retirement from the posl of chief executive of the Pair was universally re- gretted, but Mr. Gage still con in I to act as one of the directors. He fell thai he had no alterna live but to resign, as the interests of the bank required his whole attention. The retiring presi dentol the bank, Mr. Nickerson, publicly explained the situation at the time. "Thai Mr. Gage should take the presidency of the bank," he said "is a Btep thai has been contemplated for som< timi pas! During my frequent absences he has been acting president, and I have only waited to resign in favor of Mr. Gag til tuch time as he would ■ d from other duties, and be a hie to give to the hank's affairs the undivided attention they demand. For twenty three years he has been associated with the hank, and his advancement is in the line of a policy long before decided on." The entire press of the city joined in a chorus of praise of Mr. Gage, and deprecation of his ret ire inent. "The news will be received with regret," said one. •• not only bj t ho community but also by the National (' ission and all concerned in i undertaking. During his occupancy of this import q, he has shown a knowledge of its details, a sound and quiet judgment, a capacit) to harmonize conflicting elemi broad and comprehensive view of affairs, and an executive ability which it will be difflcuU to find in any one who may be named as his successor." Mi. Gage refused tO aeeept the eoiu pensa t ion voted to him by the directors, Since that time he has continuously given \aluahle servi member of the 1 d. and it was w bile on his way to attend a banquet at Delmonico's, in New 5fork, given b.\ the National (' aissioners for that State, to bring togetl i epresentatives of all the industries of the country in the interest of the Fair, that Mr. Gage was stricken down with an illness necessitating a verj critical operation. which it was at one time thought would have a fatal termination. Throughout the, ntire countrj there was general rejoicing at the assurance ,,r M i's recovery. Mr. Gage is a dignified, thoughtful man. possessed of a marvellous inher entreserve force, which is a characteristic apparent to all who know, or come in contact with him. At the same time his courteous and affable de meanor make him one of the most accessible of our public men. and few enjoy so wide a populai itj among all ranks and classes of the community. He extends to the humblest citizen who seeks his advice the same patient attention that he would givi to 1 !"■ weall biest. He is alive to all 1 public questions of the day. and has especially made his influence felt upon those questions which divide different classes of the community. i always taken a great interest in the labor problem, and has been a prime mover in a series of "economic conferences" w hich were lately held in this city. 'The purpose of these conferences was to discuss economic questions freelj and without reserve, from the standpoint of the labor ing man as well as the capitalist, and tin' discus sions took a wide range embracing the tariff as looked at by tin- ultra-protectionist on th le hand and the free I rader on ti ther, w ith all the phases ol the revenue reform that lie between these opposite poles the single tax thei Henry George and various social diseases siiL' gesting equally various legislative remedies. The conferences were participated in bj thoughtful and earnest minded citizens of varying shades of political belief. The primary object was to bring the representatives of labor and capital togethei face to f t to speak freely and frankly bole minds upon the subjects under dis mission. It was a greal and beneficial movement (7 ■ BIOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS. 5' to unite for the moment on a common platform rich and ] ■, the men of clubs and the represen- tatives of trades' unions, to talk over matters of vital importance to all. Mr. Gage took an active part in the movement, and though not one of the s trial organizers of it, war. lie leadings] int wink the conferences lasted. It was a movement that fell in with his own desire to bring about equal dealing between all classes; he immediately gave it the benefit of his help, and became chairman of the i secutive committee. His personal influence was sufficient to secure thi peration of other men like-minded with himself, and among those who took part in the discussions were such men as Franklin MacVeagh, Henry I >. Lloyd and Mr. representing one end of the social ladder, and Thomas Morgan and George Schilling as spokesmen for the other. Mr. Gage delivered al least two addresses before i ! ences, one of them on the subject of banking. In many of the discussions Mr. < Sage's voice was heard, always on the side of the fullest concession to the fair claims of the laboring classes, always with some helpful suggestion towards bettering their condi tion. Having risen to his present position through his own untiring industry, he has a clear concep- tion of the rights, feelings, and needs of all classes. and some of his utterances upon the issui by the laboring classes have been so fair and em- inently sound that his views have commanded genera] respect. Mr. Gage has always be member of the Republican Party. He is a lover of freedom and of equal rights for all citizens, irre- spective of race or color, or of social condition. He believes, however, more in men than in party: that is to say. he is a man of independent thought, and is altogether too broad to he lettered by caucusesor •■machines." His patriotism takes the form of republicanism, because his sympathies with the oppressed find in that party their most fitting exponent; hut he would not countenance injustice or wrong because it happened to he tic outcome of republican legislation. He is known every where as the friend of fair dealing, and he has the ability and force of character to make his opinions felt and respected. He is a logical and forcible speaker, and his range of subjects is wide, he being equally at home whether treating of tin' relations of labor ami capital, or discussing tin- arts. He is not aggressive, as that term is com monly understood; but his mind once made up, he will defend his views with vigor and earnest- ness, ami generally succeeds in impressing them upon others. Such a man naturally takesa prom- inent place in the social lit'.- of the city. Mr. Gage is a member of two of the leading social clubs of >> and tie- Union. He has i president of the Commercial Club of Chicago, the membership of which is limited to sixty, representing the most important branches of business and the most enterprising industries of the city. He is also a director and the treasurer of the Art Institute of Chicago. Though In- has been a busy man all his life. Mr. Gage has found time to devote to the pleasures of literature, lie is a hard student, and an omnivorous reader. His private library is one of the choicest in the city. " He does not." says one of his friends, -waste his time, monej and energj collecting rare editions of worthless • ks. in extra-illustrating, or in any similar way. He spends his days in bush his nights with the classics. I suppose there is not another man in Chicago who can c with him in the extent, variety, and accuracy of his knowledge." Those who have noted the style of Mr. Gage's public utterances must have been struck with the fact that he has formed it upon good literary models. Mr. Gage has been twice married, first in l s el to Miss Sarah Etheridge, daughter of Dr. Francis B. Etheridge, of Little Falls, New York. She , lied in 1874. In 188 T ai was married to his present wife. Cornelia Gage, of Denver, Colorado. EUGENE S. PIKE. Forty-five years ago Eugene S. Pike was a penniless orphan hoy. working, even at the tender ii a farm in Lake County, Ohio. for his hoard and the privilege of attending scl I, "between chores" in the winter time. To-day, at fiftj six, Mr. Pike is one of the best known and most successful financiers of Chicago; a man who by his works has proven that there is a bountiful measure of success within reach of those who strive for it diligently. His early history is linked with that of James A. Garfield, and while the in- clinations of Garfield led him into the arenas of war and politics, those of young Pike drew him to the more quiet, but nonetheless exacting, field of finance. Mr. Pike is a native of Ohio, having been born in Lake County, that state, October 9th, is;;.",. From both his father and mother lie in- herited the true patriotism and the deep-seated regard for fidelity and right which arc character- istic of the old New England families. His father was a native of Berkshire County, Mass.. and his 5- BIOGRAPHY OP ttJJNOlS. mother (Jerusha Hartwell), was also born same Btate. Mount Holyoke Seminary . known I" this day as one of the most famous seats i ing in Massachusetts, was Founded through t he exertions of Jerusha Eartwell and her cousin, Mar} Lyon. All the women of this fa rail) were models of Christian virtue, and uoted for their high education and refine nt, and none ol them ing mi ither of the subject of tch. Prom his eai liesi Eugi ae was trained in the ways of honor and integrity, and w hen his fal her died, leai ing I he I 03 and hit mother in straightened circumstances, l"' was, although but eight years old, a sturdy, self reliant lad, For three years 1 'e he had the advantage of his mother's guidance, and then she too was called away, leaving the child to make his way in the world alone. It was then that the example of his Christian mother's teachings had full effect, and, nothing da % Pike started to earn his own living as a farmer's boy. For years he struggled on, going to the district scl I in winter and saving sacredly the few dollars he was able in the Bummer months. Through all this the bo j had one object in view and that was to acquire a college education. It was with a pardon able presumption that he decided one day to risk the experiment of a course at the Western Reserve College at Hiram. Ohio. It was here that young i ies A. Garfield who was then making his way in much the same manner, in the Western College, both studying hard by night and working even harder bj da} at an} manual labor which would assist them in earning the monej to pay their board and tuition. He remained here to Antinrh ( lollege where he concluded his collegiate studies. Unlike most young men, and especially those who have been educated at college, Mr. Pike was successful in business from his first venture. He began as a salesman of nurser} Btock and gradually extended his trade until he became an importer oi fruil trees, grape vines, roses, etc., from France, These he found sale tor in the Southern states until the beginning of hostilities in L861 made further busi- m 1 m] rai I » able M 1 , Pike was always ambitious to bei te a banker, and the breaking up of his trade by war's stem alarms, gave him the desired opportunity. Q g to Painesville. Ohio, he engaged in the banking and brokerage business, and his operations soon at tracted attention. His ability as a financier was ed and he was im ited to a leading place in many important enterprises, and Boon made fur himsell an enviable reputation for one so young in business life. He made mone) rapidly, and finally, seeking a more extended field in which 1 earn, t,i ( ihicago iii 1867. He was not long in imbibing the spirit and energy of the letropolis, which his past career had so well fitted him t" cope with. Mr. Pikes his name as well known ami respected iii the Garden City as it had been in the Ohio village. 1 lis faith in the si mm In ess of Chicago 11 all. \ datei fr the da} of his arrival in the city, and it is not urpi ising that he quick]} began the 1 of land in the business district of the South Side. As his means would allow. Mr. Pike erected solid blocks on these lots, and in this way has added ver) materially to the growth and improvi ment of that part of the city, all of his propert} being of high-class and very productive. His experience in this line soon brought Mr. Pike to be recognized as an expert in the building and rebuilding of office structures, and even now the most noted architects are frequently glad to get in counsel and advice in this direction. Mr. Pike's business Ventures outside of real estate have been few, but almost uniforml} successful. During his residence in Ohio he took a print in terest in horticulture and engaged in it extensively and with profit. At another time he wa concerned in mining in Colorado, and in this added materially to his growing fortunes. In 1876 Mr. Pike became a jeweler tor diversion buying a me' hair interest in the well known I se of N. Mats & Co., at the corner of State and Monrde streets. He took no active part in the management oi the firm's affairs, however, ami in 1879, sold his interest in the business; Mr. Pike is now, and has been for several years, a director of the First National Bank. Tin m mittee of organization of the World's Fair insisted upon having the advice and counsel of Mr. Pike in the Exposition Directory, and he is among its most influential members, [n L891 the Manchester Fire Assurance Company of England, the largest con cem of its kind ill the world, was glad to obtain the consent of Mr. Pike to serve as f the three trustees for the United States. Unlike many men of wealth. Mr. Pike is a man of great g 1 fellowship and full of a benevolence t" his fellow man which takes practical form. In his social relations he is the most delightful of com panions. As an old friend and business associate descril.es him: "Mr. Pike is always the same genial, jovial good fellow, overflowing with a genuine, wholesome, happy disposition." \t the 3 J, BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. ?.-> same time he is a man of force and keen tact; quick to solve intricate business problems and to judge their merits; and of ten mastering the whole field, while others arc still feeling in the dark for the gateway. There is combined with all this, an old-fashioned virtue in Mr. Pike's character which makes him unusually steadfast in his adherence to his friends, and ever ready to d<> them a kindly service. Asa memberof the Second Presbyterian Church of Chicago, Mr. Pike is a recognized leader in religious circles, and is much inter- ested in Church. Sunday School and charitable work-. His home is a beautifully domestic and aappj one. Mr. Pike's wife was Miss Marj Rock- well of Painesville, Ohio, a relative of Ralph Waldo Emerson, the famous poet and philosopher. Of this union, which took place in 1865, three sons have been born, all of whom are now young men of unusual promise. The eldest is Eugene R. Pike, a graduate of Yale in the class of 1890. The -i ad son, Charles Burrall Pike, is at Harvard in the class of 1892. The youngeBt, William W. Pike, is now at Belmont, Mass., preparing himself for admission to Vale. None of these young men will have to drudge their way through college as their father did. hut they are all able to do so should the occasion require it. They inherit from their father the qualities of independence and manhood, which have made him a leader in the business circles in which only true merit can be successful; from their mother they are endowed with gifts of rare accomplishment which make them charming companions. Mr. Pike is a man of few recreations, and the only out-door sport in which he takes real enjoyment is with the rod and gun. His greatest pleasure is derived from frequent shooting trips, with Ids sons as his com- panions; and there are no keener sportsmen in the West than this active man of fifty six. and Ids three stalwart boys. JOHN BICE TURNER. JOHN BICE TURNER, for many years one ol the most able, public-spirited and trustworthy of Chicago's early citizens, stands as a corner-stone of the great Chicago & North Western railway system. William B. Ogdenand himselfareto day recognized as having been the most powerful agents in the establishment of the Galena & Chicago Union Railroad Company, which may be called the foundation of its giant successor. It is full of interest as well as instruction to trace the life of such a man along the rugged pathway by which he reached his ultimate success. His record as a railroad pioneer commences as early as L835, in the state of New York. Having not yet recovered from the business reverses sustained a few years previously, in April. 1835, being then a young man of thirty six. he set to work, under contract, to build seven miles of the Ransom it Saratoga Railroad. This being accomplished, he was placed in charge of the entire mad. and had the honor of putting in service the "Champlain," a locomotive of rive tons weight, and the second of its kind to appear in the northern states. Most of the "trains" were drawn by horses, of which the company purchased thirty, and Mr. Turner built a barn every ten miles along the load, for their accommodation. In November. 1835, ground was broken by himself and his part- ner, as contractors, for the construction of the Delaware division of the New York A Erie Rail road Company. The financial crash of April. 1837, however, carried that corporation with it and caused the temporary ruin of the young contractor and his partners. Subsequently, the company resumed operations, and the $16,000, which it was feared had been permanently lost. was recovered. His next venture was in partner- ship with his brother-in-law, John Vernam, in the building of the Genesee Valley Canal. When, in 1840, the state suspended work upon it, Mr. Tur- ner himself received another set back. The enter- prise was resumed, however, and finished, also a section of the Troy A Schenectady road, by the spring of 1S4.'!. This placed Mr. Turner in more comfortable circumstances, and he resolved to locate in the west. In company witli his wife, he made a journey of observation as far west as the Mississippi river. Determining to settle in Chi- cago, he returned to Troy for his two younger children, leaving his oldest boy in Williamstown Col lee,.. He arrived in the Garden City on Octo- ber 15, 1843. boarding, with his family, at the old Tremont House. Early in the spring. Mr. Turner purchased one thousand acres of prairie land lying south of Blue Island, and put upon it an immense Hock of sheep which he had brought from Ohio. He was now in such comfortable cir- cumstances that he was enable, I to devote his active mind to larger profits connected with the improvement of the new country which he had made his home. A railroad from Chicago to the Pox River was the all-absorbing topic among the active and broad-minded men of the state and the 54 BIOGRAPHl OF IMJNois. city. The Galena & Chicago Union Railroad Companj had been inaugurated seven previously, and a small s«-.t ii>u of the road con structed, when the funds gave oul and work was suspended. In 1847, ten years after the building of this crude excuse tor a railroad, Mcssi and Turner resuscitated the enterprise, and on the "'ih "f April, lsiv. the former was 'Uriel I Mr. Turner acting directot ol t he road. Soon afterward, Richard P. Morgan made a Burvej of the line, and the two enthusiastic and able officials traveled through the country solicit ing subscriptions. Winn Mr. Turner wa president "f the compi Deci mber, 1850, the been extended rrom Chicago to beyond Elgin, and by September, 1852, it had reached Freeport, where it connected with the Illinois Central. Under his administration, the Dixon Air line ted to Fulton, and during iluit period the line across the state of Iowa was partially finished. He resigned thePresi 1858, after having 1 n, with th cception, per William B. Ogden, the most efficient laborer in laying the foundation of oni greatest railway systems in the world. I 1853, he had organized, also, the Beloit & Madison Rail road Company, and continued in active connection with the Galena & Chicago Union Companj ami ssor up to the time of his death. When . ( Jhicago I rnion and the Chicago '■ located at Chicago. The conditions were accepted, and this Seminary which, in addition tn tlm original endowment, received from Mr. McCormick numerous other magnificent donations is to-day a proud monument tn his liberality and nobility nf heart. On the educational ami religious line nf his work was also his purchase nf "Tin' Enterior," a newspaper that was started in Chicago t.. repre s. ni tin- Presbyterian Church. It was struggling in financial difficulty, when at the solicitation ol its friends and the friends of tlm cause it repre- sented, Mr. McCormick purchased it: placed it upon a sound financial basis, and was the means nl making it a religious journal nf vast influence. In L871thegreat Chicago tin' laid in aslms tlm McCormick reaper plant, but its energetic owner proceeded tn rebuild at once, ami upon a still larger scale. In lsTs he went to Paris tor tlm third time t" receive tor his reaping and self bind ing machine a i Irand Prize of tlm Exposition; ami the rank of Officer of the Legion of Honor was also conferred upon him. In recognition nf his "having done more I'm- the cause nf agriculture than any other living man," he was at this time elected a corresponding member of tlm French Academy of Sciences. It was a gri ful recogni- tion of the value of his greal invention, ami was in harmony with the opinion ami expression nl *^^. BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 57 twi i 1 if A merica's most famous statesmen. In 1859 the late Hon. Reverdy Johnson declared in an argument before the Commissioner of Patents thai the "McC irmick reaper had already contrib- uted an annual income to the whole country of fifty-five millions of dollars, at least, which must increase through all time." About this time the late Eon. William Seward affirmed that "owing to Mr. McCormick's invention the line of civilization moves westward thirty miles each year." Mr. McCormick during his busy and successful life came to be universally recognized as a benefactor to his race and a powerful force in the develop iiienl of the resources of his native land. Not only had his genius developed magnificent farms mi the wild plains and prairies, and lightened the burdens of the husbandman, as well as reducing the cost of production; but his extensive manufac- turing enterprise furnished employment and com- fort to a great army of workmen. It is worthy of notice, too, as showing the ability of this great man to manage a great business, and his strict regard for justice in his intercourse with his fellow men. that in the midst of all the labor agitation and conflicts of the hist few years, there has been little trouble among the workmen at the McCormick works, and never would have been any at all. if the majority of the men could have controlled matters, and the pernicious influence of outside idlers and professional labor agitators could have been quieted. Mr. McCormick's men had a genuine affection for him. They knew him. as all the world knew him, to be just in his ileal ings, liberal in his rewards, and humane in his treatment of those who were under his authority. His unswerving fidelity to the right and the truth was so conspicuously the underlying principle of all his acts, that no one connected with him, in his sober judgment, could possibly distrust him or fail to love him. In the latter years of his lite Mr. McCormick suffered great physical infirmity, but his splendid mind never faltered, and he remained the active head of the great company which bears his name, to the last, directing its operations and continuing familiar with all its important details. In 1858 Mr. McCormick married Miss Nettie Fowler, daughter of Melyar Fowler, Esq., of Jeffer son County, New York. This union was blessed with a family of four sons ami three daughters; two of whom, a son and a daughter, died in infancy. Mr. McCormick died. May 13th, 1884, full of years, and mourned as few men are. The eloquent, sin cere words of eulogy that were spoken over his casket by able and distinguished clergymen, who were fa mi liar with his life and his achievement; the evidences of sorrow in the hearts of the multitude that gathered to pay their last tribute to his memory; the obituaries in the public press, and the resolutions of different organizations were such as only a brilliantly successful life, in the best sense of the term, could have suggested or warranted. RANSOM R. CABLE. RANSOM R. CABLE, President of the Chi- cago. Rock Island and Pacific Railway, was born in Athens County, Ohio, on the 23d day of Sep tember, 1834, the son of Hiram and Marj Cable. This was an early day in the history of the state. its admission under the constitution only ante- dating that period by a few years. The parents of Mr. Cable may, therefore, be fairly said to have been pioneers, and his youth cast in pioneer times, with all their trials and vicissitudes and all their demands for originality and self reliance. His education in the schools was such as the naturally incomplete common schools of the time afforded. This was supplemented by those acquirements which came to him through tin.' influence of a keen desire for more liberal attain- ments, aided by industry and a retentive mem- ory. The necessities of the comparatively fron- tier civilization, however, proved the most prac- tical and potent factor in the formation of his character. As in the case of a majority of the successful men of the century, it has been the struggle, under adverse conditions, for improved and enlarged opportunities and environments, that has given him that competency, efficiency and self confidence, which have marked him among the prominent men of his time. Trained in this practical school therefore.it was not strange that, reliant and confident, he was found, at the early age of seventeen, engaged on his own account in the lumber business, superintending the work in the f..rest. and actively participating in the gen- eral management. Experience of this character added to his capabilities, and, engaged as it was in a still relatively new country, led to the seeking for greater opportunities of the farther west. At the age of twenty three he sought the then new and undeveloped State of Illinois, recently at that time admitted into the Union. It was a region rich in resources, affording boundless chances for the vigorous and courageous character that had 5§ i:io(:i;ai'iiv of Illinois. been formed in the state of his birth; a region with everything to I"- developed, mines to I"' opened, farms to be improved, railroads to be built, wealth to be created; an arena fitted for a man of nerve and force, and one, too, which was ai once abl) comprehended ami occupied, with a slight interrupti if ma' or two years spent in thr neighboring State of Iowa. Mr. Cable's life since lsr.7 has been spent in Illinois, ami actively identified with the natural growth and develop incut "I' the state. Its mineral resources first en- gaged his attention, ami the coal mines in the vicinity of Bock Island for several years evidenced his mastery of their management. Through his connection with them he became engaged in rail- road affairs, being successively superintendent. vice-president and president of the Bock Island and Peoria Railroad, and general manager of the Rockford. Rock Island A- St. Louis Co., in which positions he acquired a familiarity with the de- tails of railroad management, and displayed that fitness for dealing with railroad affairs which brought him to the notice of managers and own- ers controlling large and important railway inter- ests. The result was that in 1876 he entered the directory of the Chicago. Rock Island and Pacific Railway, becoming successively one of tin' vice- presidents, assistant to the president, general manager and president. winch latter position he has held since 1880. His previous experience, added to a retentive memory, broad comprehension of the possibilities of tin' property, and a courage born of years of self-reliance, render him efficient in this responsible position. Under his administration the property lias been extended until in a little more than ten years the mileage has been doubled. In the hot rivalry for business he has come in con- tact with leaders of the largest systems of the East, and in such contests he has nol failed to suc- cessfully sustain the rights of the "Rock Island." and as a .result has earned and received the re- spect and confidence of his opponents. The road now embraces a mileage of about thirty-five hun- dred miles, including in its territory the desirable parts of eight states and territories. With the welfare of the property as the controlling guide to his actions he is ai the same time, while demand- ing perfect fealty to that interest from all con- nected with it. at once considerate of the rights of those associated with him in the management and operation of the property, and his observant eye seldom fails to discover merit or demerit. Nbtthe least of his strength is found in his familiarity with the property; with all contracts and agree- ments relating to it. and with the fair needs and demands of the country to which it is tributary. The improvements in the service do not escape his a Mention, and the property is kept abreast of the times in these directions. The successful admin istration of a railway that covers so much ter- ritory and embraces so many miles, marks the man who does it as one born to command, a prop of men. with a mind that grasps comprehensive^ the entire problem and admits him to tile ranks of leaders in business. Mr. Cable resides in the city of Chicago. He has been twice married, his first wife having been the mother of four children who survive her. She was the daughter of lien jamin Stickney, a retired banker of St. Louis. Mo. The present Mrs. Cable was Miss Jane S. Buford, da lighter of Jas.M.Buford. banker, of Rock Island, 111. BENJAMIN F. AYER. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN AVER, an eminent lawyer of Chicago, general counsel for the Illinois Central Railroad Company, was born in Kingston, Rockingham County, New Hampshire, April '2'2, 1825. He is a scion in tin- eighth generation of the old and respected Aver family of New Eng land, whose founder, John Aver, came from Nor- folk County, England, in 1(>:>7, and settled at Haverhill. Massachusetts, in Kilo, whence his de- scendants have spread to many partsof the coun- try. The parents of the subject of this sketch were Robert Ayer, born at Haverhill August 14, 1791, and Louisa (Sanborn) Ayer, the hitter the daugter of Benjamin Sanborn, of Kingston. New Hampshire, a descendent of John Sanborn, grand- son of the Rev. Stephen Batchelder, who came from Derbyshire, England, in 1632, and. on the settlement of Hampton. New Hampshire, in 1638, became the first minister of the church in that town. Among Mr. Batchelder's descendants were Lewis Cass and Daniel Webster. Mr. Ayer's parents were in good circumstances, and their children were carefully educated. After due preparation at the Albany Academy, Albany, New York, then under the charge of Dr. T. Romeyn Beck, Benjamin P. Ayer entered Dartmouth Col- lege, where he was graduated in 1846. Choosing thi' law as a profession, he prepared himself' for it practice by a course of study extending over .a period of three years, including attendance upon Uf l/i. L BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS, 59 the regular courses of lectures at the Dane Law Scl I the law department of Harvard College. In July, 1849, he took up his residence a1 Man- chester, New Hampshire, and being July admitted to the bar, opened a law office there, and was soon immersed in professional work. Mr. Ayer brought to the practice of his profession a thorough educa- tion, natural mental endowments of a superior order and a peculiar aptitude for the niceties of the law. He applied himself with rare industry In his duties, and made such an excellent impres sion that his practice grew with great rapidity, and his reputation as a lawyer of ability and thoroughness corresponding!} increased. In Is.",;; his fellow citizens elected him to represenl them in the State Legislature. In 1854 he was ap- pointed prosecuting attorney for Hillsborough County, and held the office until his removal to Chicago in 1857. Mr. Ayer was admitted to prac- tice in the courts .if Illinois May 15. 1S.">7. and within a year from that date was occupying a prominent place at the Chicago liar. In L861 he was appointed counsel to the corporation of tin' city of Chicago, and remained in that office until 1865. I )ne of his principal acts as 1 he city's chief legal adviser was the drafting of the revised citj charter of 1st'.:;. Soon alter the close of his term a corporation counsel he became a member of tin- law firm of Beckwith, Ayer A Kales, which in 1st:; took the style of Ay. r A Kales, the senior partner retiring from the firm. While not restricting his practice in any single department, Mr. Ayer Er an early period in his professional career made a close study of corporation and railroad law. His successes in this held gave him a wide reputation and secured him many clients among tin- large companies having interests centered at. and in the vicinity of , Chicago, la 1876 he was induced i" give up a flourishing general practiceand accept the appointment of general solicitor of the Illinois Central Railroad (' pany, i E the principal railroad corporations of America, of which, in the following year, he was elected a director, (in January 1, 1890, he became general counsel of the company, ami still holds that highly responsible position. For upwards of thirty years Mr. Ayer has 1 n a distinguished figure at the Chicago bar, and during all that period has ranked as one ■ if its ablesl and most successful members. His reputation as a lawyer has been won at a bar famous for the learning, skill and distinguished successes of many of its members, ami in open competition with some of the most brilliant and accomplished advocates of the present generation. This reputation is not based on those superficial attributes which frequently bring notoriety and fortune totla.se possessing them, but on the most solid legal acquirements. In the opinion of many competent critics. Mr. Ayer is probably without a superior in the special field to which he hasof late- years given his chief attention. So clear are his perceptions and so accurate his judgments that his conclusions are seldom overthrown. His men- tal processes are so unerring in their results that they have been described as " mathematical." While conducting general practice, his services were engaged on one side or the other in many of the tno i important litigations then coming before the Illinois courts. Since his official connection with the Illinois Central began, his labors have been principally in the service of that corporation, and as its legal representative he has done masterlj work in protecting and advancing its interests. One of his chief railroad cases is the famous. one involving the title to the Lake Front and re- claimed ground occupied by the Illinois Central Railroad Company in Chicago, and which is now in the Supreme Court of the United States. Another is that involving the right of the Balti- more A- Ohio Railroad to retain station grounds in the yards of the Illinois Central; and still another determining the right of the Chicago, Burlington & Northern Railroad to condemn eighteen miles "of Illinois Central right of way between Galena and East Dubuque. The two last have lately been decided by the Supn ( lourf of Illinois in favor of the Illinois Central. In common with the nnisi successful lawyers of this or any age, Mr. Ayer has the talent for industrious applica- tion. It was largely by this talent that he suc- ceeded in mastering his profession while still a young man; and to it also he may fairly attribute some of his most brilliant victories. His powers of analysis are unusually keen, and rarely fail to reveal to him much that would escape another less gifted in this direction. In speaking he never aims at display. His mind is thi in Highly practical. He has great force and clearness of statement, and the faculty of eliminating and presenting the decisive issues of a case with extraordinary precision and perspicuity. His method of putting things is so strong and forcible that his rea- soning seldom fails to carry conviction. No man makes fewer mistakes, and no man's opin- ions on legal questions are more carefully con- sidered or to be more safely relied upon. A Chi- cago lawyer who has known Mr. Ayer intimately for many years, and win. enjoys a reputation 6o BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. s .ml to none, recently said: "Benjamin P. Ayer i in tin- tirst rankol lawyers in Chicago fur more than 1 1 1 i i- 1 \ years. Nothing b allowed i" divert him trom his profession. He never relies on others to do his work, Ever) question is investigated until the subject is ex hausted. While nol controlled b) precedents, he personally examines every case where the subject has been involved, in order t" extract the princi- ples applicable to the matter in hand. I remarkable quality is the ability to make a con nected and logical statementof his case to the court. This is done in language v< hich cannot I"- misunder stood, and when presented orally it is with a clear voice and appropriate emphasis, giving the greatest pleasure to the listener. The manner is one of honesty and candor, which leaves no c to doubt as to his own convictions. He Has always had the credit of sincerity with the court, stating facts in a conservative waj and suppressing noth ing, regardless of the effect "ii his case. He has always endeavored to aid the court in arriving at correct conclusions, both as to fact and law, be- lieving that the highest duty <>f a lawyer i~- t" see that justice is dune, in short, he commands the confidence ami respect of judges and lawyers, and as a citizen is without reproach." Another emi nent lawyer of Chicago, equally qualified to esti- mate Mr. Ayer's ability, says: "It is often said if Mr. Ayer hail remained in active practice and had not become counsel tor the Illinois Central U.K. Co., he would now I pe chief Justice of the United States. However this might have been, it may be asserted without disparagement t" the incum- bent ppf that high office, that to Mr. Ayer, fitness for that position is universally accorded. \ long course of study, an active and varied practice of over twenty five years before juries and courts. had developi 'I a o I naturally strong and clear. An equable temperament superadded made him the ideal of a judge. In the presentation i>f a case, Mr. Ayer Bhows great logical force. He never fails to prepare himself thorough!} and is always a power. Mr. Ayer is a wide, rs reader, and, because well informed, a converse tionalist of great interest. It is fair t« > say that few in 1 1 i • ■ Northwest an' his equals, and no one is his superior." Notwithstanding his acknowledged ability, his distinguished Buccess and elevated position, hi' is a man of rare professional and per spinal modesty, bearing his honors without pride or ost en tat inn. ami continuing to work as though hi- \ ei j existence dependei ! i pplication. His disposition is the reverse of demonstrative and In- is inclined to reticence; but in friendly intercourse In- is invariabl] courteous ami kindly. and verj companionable to those with whom he is upon intimate terms. 1 1 is politeness is unfailing, ami it is Bald of him that he has never been known to treal an) person with asperity or harsh m SB. lie has the tastes of a scholar as well as the talents of a lawyer, and steadily cultivates his intellect in fields extending far beyond profes- sional needs, finding in stinh and readings large part of tin- relaxation he permits himself from his duties, Hi- interest in public affairs is that of one who does not lightl) regard the duties of citizenship, but rather seeks to perform them fully, always with an eye single to the public welfare ami with a clear appreciation of the value of example. Ami the same may ln- said of his regard for the minor duties imposed u|p.pii ever) gentleman b) the demands of cul tivateil society. Never seeking professional or social preferment, he has. nevertheless, gr: accepted it together with the responsibilities it has brought when circumstances have indicated the propriety of this action. He is a prominent member of the American Bar Association and also of thi Chicago Bar Association, and has ii lie. 1 the vice presidency of the former lor Illinois, and in 1875 was [president of the latter. In l^Ts he received from Dartmouth College the honorary p|p igri e of LL. I I. He was one of the foil the "Sons of New Hampshire," organized in L889, and was I'm two years president of that flourishing society. Since 1879 hi' has been the president of the Western Railroad Association. He is likewise amember of tin' Chicago Historical Society, the ■ Law Institute, the Chicago Literary Club, the Chicago Club and tie- Kenwood Club. It may he said of him that his reputation as a lawyer has only been rivalled by his standing asa gentleman, for in every relation of life he has been a perfect exponent ppf enlightened citizenship and refined manhood. He is of medium height, with a well poised and well shaped head, clear cut features. expressive blue eyes, and a general appearance ..f refinement ami intellectuality. No lawyer in Chicago is more high!) respected among the mem- bers of the bar, and none stand higher in public estee ml general popularity. Mr. Vyer was married in 1868 to Miss Janet A., daughter of the Hon James C. Hopkins, .pf Madison, Wisconsin. I. i|p United States District Judge for tilt- western district or that state. They have four child- ren Walter, Mai*) Louisa. Janet ami Margaret Helen. BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 6l THOMAS HOYNE. Probably no Chieagoan's name ever spoken re- calls to those who know the man such mingled feelings of pride and sorrow as that of Thomas Hoyne. Pride for his sterling character and services, and sorrow for his tragic and untimely death. Going to that city while yet a young man, jusl bi -inning to feel the powers that were latent within him, and at a time when the city had hardly an indication of her future greatness, he developed with it, growing strong as it strength ened, expanding in usefulness as it expanded in area and influence. Thomas Hoyne became a man to whom the best elements of the municipality were wont to look for aid and counsel in many crises of the city's affairs. It is but natural that his fellow citizens should kindle with pride at tin- mention of his name, and that the deepest sorrow and regret should be mingled with that feeling at the sudden and violent death which took him from their midst when still in tin' full vigor of hie health and usefulness. Thomas Hoyne was a great man. a grand man, but one whose naturally unselfish disposition led him to eschew the honors those who loved and admired him would have been delighted to confer, and whose life, that true life of us' fulness and beneficence, could only be fully known and truthfully told after death. !!•■ never sought glory for himself, but he did seek, and with all the energy of his sturdy nature; and with all the ability of his remarkably bril- liant mind; with all the devotion of his great en thusiastic soul, for the best and truest interests of the city he had adopted as his home, and for the welfare and good of her citizens. Thomas Hoyne was a native American, though his parents were both Irish and had emigrated to this country two years prior to his birth, which occurred on Feb- ruary 11. 1317. in the city of New York. He re- ceived the groundwork of his education at St. Peter's School, continuing there until his father's death in lS'JD. His mother died the following year. Thus left an orphan at tin- age of thirteen, the oldest of a family of seven children. Thomas Hoyne was compelled to face the world and earn his own living. In 1830 he was apprenticed to a fancy goods manufacturer, and remained there for five years. Through all this tine- he tilt that he was capable of something higher in life, and a natural taste for books led him to devote every spare moment to mental improvement. He w r ent at this in a thoroughly systematic manner, and marked out a course of study in those branches wherein he felt himself to be least proficient. He had as yet decided upon nothing as to the profes sion or occupation of his future, but he knew that whatever it might be. an education was sure to be a necessary factor in his success. Fully realizing this fact, In- I" nt himself to his task with the same zeal that characterized him in all his under- takings. He was fortunate at this time to form the acquaintance of a family which subsequently exercised a great influence over him. and was in a measure, the cause of his choosing the law for his profession. This family was that of the late Rev. Archibald Maclay, u hose friendship and sympathy in this time .if need he never forgot, and to the last, loved to refer with expressions of gratitude. From a letter written in June, 1882, to Robert Maclay. of New York, on the occasion of the death of the Hon. William B. Maclay. Mr. Hoyne indi- cates in plain language how tender was his re- membrance of those early ties and how valuable to him had been the associations. The letter be gan: ••Among the many early, and most of them dis- tinguished, associates of my early life. I know of in. .me to whom I was personally more indebted for that friendship which assisted mj fortunes at their greatest need than to your highly distin- guished uncle, the late Hon. William B. Maclay. He first encouraged my dearest youthful aspira- tions to study the law as a profession. He aided me also in the acquirement of an education which I lacked, and he always tendered me a cordial, kind and generous support." A little further on Mr. Hoyne said in the same letter: ■•A happy train of circumstances (not ni to relate, threw me into tin- societj of your uncle William and his brother Moses, still living, ami your father, the late Robert Maclay; and I found a home under their father's roof. Your grand- father. Rev. Dr. Archibald Maclay. was known and revered throughout the United States, before Chicago had a municipal beginning or name, as one of the most eminent Baptist divines as well as learned expositors of the Bible, lb- lived on East Broadway in 1835, when I was in tin- family for two years and up to the time I left New York to try my fortunes in Chicago. During these two years I enjoyed the friendship and intimacy of the large and intelligent family that, as you know, at that time comprised the Maclay household. Among them I was enabled to cultivate, through their intercourse, the means that obtained for me some knowledge of the classics and the rudiments of a sound English education. Ami upon that knowl- edge I afterwards qualified myself in Chicago t" enter the legal profession in ls;;:t." One of Mr. Hoyne's early aids to education was a literary association, which he was led to join by his thirst for knowledge, and which included m 62 BIOGRAPHY OP ILLIVtls. i iung men and boys who were afterwards known as Judge Vlanierre, Bor: - Judge Charles IV. B.Maclaj andMoses B.Maclay. Ii was as a member of that association that Thomas Boyne began to develop his pow< orator, and it was there he laid the foundation that gave him his future reputation as a powerful speaker and opened up before him the \ honorable career. Be boldlj decided to prepare for the bar. To this end he attended night school, studied Latin. Greek and the s, and faithfully applied himself to the task of di i a fitness for the profession he had in view. Thus • 1 i < I young Boyne occupy himself during the years of his apprenticeship. 'This ended in 1 s; ;r». and he obtained a situation in a jobbing house with a salary sufficient i" enable him to pursue his - 16, Mr. I foyne formally began his career by entering tin- office of the late Xrw York. Be remained there until near the end oi 1837, when he deter- mined !<> go to tin- - far West." 1 1 thither and his arrival, together with his thoughts and impressions, can be much better given in his nun words. In an address delivered before the Chicago Bar Association, in February, 1881, en titled-"The Lawyer as a Pioneer," Mr. Boyne said: •■ I left New York while a student at law on the Uth daj of August, 1837, and 1 reached Chicago Llth daj of Septi inber. t >m i ith » as consumed on the way without making point except at I tetroit, u here I took pa Ibhn H. Kinzie, which landed me after two weeks' tempestuous passage at one of the two only i li docks were on the North Side, adjoining the present sit< Bush Streel bridge. Bere was then the great tavern or hotel known as the Lai i Bouse, just erected. There was also to be seen the tower of St. .Tames' Episcopal Church, then the only brick At thai daj all the fashionable Btores, the leading society | pie and the handsomest dwelling houses were on the North si.le. 1 1 ; upon being the main siile ami future city. Bui I did longonthal si.le. Chicago River was ct Dearborn Street by the onlj bridge with a draw, raised bj chains and a crank; and to that bridge I hurried upot mber afternoon. My objective point was the Chicago court house or clerk's office, where I was to find the earliest friend and companii f mj b< Manierre, who was then deputy "f the Circuit Courl clerk, Colonel Bamilton. We had parted it nn each other two years be i dock in New York. As 1 sped on my way on toot, with satchel in ha ml. along the high, rank grass of Btreets newly opened, I was fain to ts laid « ithout lewalb or 1 »1 upon that antique bt I \ ard the junction of ams, up t" what is now Wesl Water street, and for the tirst timi ighty land the tar-off West of my imagination. It had gilded my dreams of the future, ami bounded every possibility of my life. I stoi "I upon i ' j : 1 1 .-nil i. i u. bridge and a • prison and a palace ' here was a bridge with a past and future upon each hand, 1 reached the corner of Randolph and Clark Streets, the' ..pen field or Courl Bouse Square, which appeared like an out I raet of this .lay in some i rb. And het i if the court bous ■ clerk's office, clear pine and \\ bite li ical out- line. It was as near a Bketch of the Parthenon at Athens, as a boy's sketch in rould re- semble an original. The m faced on Clark Street. Its broad stairways and double : up into a long room fifty teel wide. Bere was my old friend I teorge Manierre, deputy clerk, al..ne among the papers and records of the clerk's office, of which sole custodian. us meeting." Thomas Boyne's first employment it I was in this same Circuil Court clerk's office with his friend Judge Manierre, at a salary of ten dollars per week. This to him was the nucleus of a fortune, and here he found time to pur- study of the law and also to observe its practical workings. Thai he improved these Lis subsequent career unmistakably proves. Be employe. 1 himself in various ways. all of which tended toward his mental im- provement. II. bi tame a leading member in a literary society which was organized, and in 1838 he taught in the tirst public school organized in the city. Pour months of teaching i vinced him thai hewasnol intended bynature for a teacher, and he resume. 1 his legal sin. lies in the offi I ih. Bon. J. Young Scammon, with whom he formed a friendship thai continued un- broken till the end of his life. Though not lies- tine.l for a teacher, Mr. Boyne's nam. Btands out in prominent as well as permanent identification ational interests of Chicago, the •■ Tl ias Boyne " public scl 1 on Illinois st reet having been named in his h ir. In l^::i> he was admitted to the bar and began the practice of his Mr. Hoy ne found his chief Social pleasures in the home ol Dr. John T. Temple, to whom he had brought a letter from the Rev. Archibald Maclay. Be was warmly received and PIOCKAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 63 became a constant visitor ;it the Temple home. Dr. Temple was a highly educated gentleman, and in the circle of such a home Mr. Hoyne found an influence both pleasant and beneficial. The ac- quaintance ripened into a permanent relation with the Doctor's family, by his marriage on Sep tember 17, 1840, with Leonora, tin- eldest daugh- ter. Mr. Hoyne was ever wont to refer to this re- the foundation of what was happiesl in . and as the chief factor in the success to which he attained. It was but natural that such an active mind as that of Mr. Hoyne should be- come interested in the city's politics, and in 1S40 he was elected city clerk on the Democratic ticket, the salary at that time being only four hundred dollars per year. While in this office Mr. Hoyne wrote the memorial which was presented to Con gress, asking for increased appropriations for the improvement of the Chicago harbor, a document full of interest, giving in brief a picture of the com- mercial importance of the city and the business which prevailed here in the first few years that followed the municipal organization. As city clerk, also, Mr. Hoyne drafted the tirst Thanksgiving Proclamation of the State of Illi- nois. That paper was first suggested bj Alderman Julius Wadsworth, who proposed that if Mr. Hoyne would draft a resolution and then draw a proclamation in due form, so that it should go out signed by the mayor and clerk as authoritative. fixing a special day at the usual time in the city as a day of thanksgiving, requesting churches to observe it and the people of the city to close their places of business, the p.'ople could havi day. the turkey would be eaten and 4,1 Ml people be happy. The matter cane- before the Common Council on Monday evening. Nov. 22, lsil. There were present his honor, the mayor, and Alder- men Page. Miltimore, Foster. Howe. McCord, Snell and Pollansbee. Upon motion of Miltimore it was resolved "that the mayor issue his procla niation. appointing the 25th day of the present month as a day of public thanksgiving for the city of Chicago." The following is a copy of the proclamation as issued and signed: ••Whereas, in accordance with the petition of several good citizens, it hath been unanimously resolved by the Common Council of the City of Chicago that the Mayor appoint Thursday, the 25th day of November inst.. as a day of public thanksgiving and prayer. ••And whereas it hath pleased Almighty Cod to crown the outgoing year with the abundance of His Providence, and to have continued to the people of our city, as well as of our state and na- tion, those dispensations of Hisgoi idness, whereby the anticipations of seedtime and the golden promises of an unusually prosperous harvest have been realize. 1 and gathered in; and as the Pilgrim Fathers in the wilderness set apart days of fasting and prayer in honor of the Divine goodness in supplying them with the means of subsistence, but more particularly for the freedom they en- joyed in the exercise of everj social and religious privilege, so the hearts of their descendants must feel a deeper gratitude that the blessings secured by the toil of their ancestors have descended to them, and that every returning year brings with mal assurances that the fabric founded in their wisdom and example, is now adequate to perpetuate similar blessings to their children. "Now. therefore, in view of our many blessings. and in pursuance of the resolution aforesaid, I do hereby appoint and set apart Thursday, the 25th inst.. as a day of public thanksgiving and praise to Almighty ( ; d. "Given under m\ hand and the seal of the City, [l. s.J this 23d day of November, Anno I),. mini. on.- thousand eighl hundred and forty-one. "Francis C. Sherman, "Attest: Mayor. ■• Thomas Hoyne, Clerk." About this time Galena was having something of a boom, owing to her mining interests being ex- tensively developed. Thedistress Mr. Hoyne por- trayed in his Memoriat'to Cot ■ 1 to have 1 his own spirits, for he suddenly deter- mined to abandon Chicago and see what the pros- pect was in Galena, then bearing promise of being the great city of the West. A two years' trial, however, was enough, and Mr. Hoyne returned to (hi ago, never again swerving in his allegiance to the first city of his adoption. For some years after his return Mr. Hoyne's life appears to have been rather uneventful. During 1847-48-49 he was probate justice of the peace, and as his duties did not interfere, he continued the practice of law. In 1853 he was appointed by President 1'. the office of United States District Attorney for Illinois, and in 1859 was made United States Mar- shal for the Northern District of Illinois, in place of a defaulting incumbent. The last appointment was without his knowledge or consent, and he would not have accepted it but for the earnest solicitation of Judge Drummond. As Marshal he superintended the census of 1860, in the North- em district of the State. The law business in the early days of Chicago was necessarily of a very general character: there were no specialties, and in the profession took what he could get in either patent, criminal or admiral!) cases. Mr. Hoyne enjoyed his full share of the practice. His forcible style of speaking and the animation of his whole figure always carried with them the 64 i;io<;i;.\rm OF ilunois. earnestness, and was ever potent well as with an au li ion of the city increased, however, the criminal >k on phases Mr. 1 l nol like, and he graduall) dropped i! all the field to others. Be began to see in the prac tice many things not agreeable witl as a lawyi latent with his sense of right. But his power as an advocate 1 1"- I'aniiU of the deceased." A 1 1. hi by Alderman Sanders, thai theresolu tions be adopted and thai the council attend the funeral in a body, was unanimously passed. The Board of County Commissioners also met the same day and took appropriate action, similar to thai of the council, A meeting of the Chicago Bar was held in Judge Drummond's court room. After some remarks by the Judge, he stated that at a previous meeting a committee had been appointed t'i draw up a memorial to the memory of Thomas Hoyne, and thai the Son. J. Y. Scammon had been requested bj the a immittee to prepare and pre miii the memorial. Tin' meeting was organized by making the venerable John I). Caton, es chief justice of the Supreme ('"int. chairman, and A. M. Pence secretary. In taking the chair Judge Caton made a touching address. Mr. Sci non then read tin- memorial, The paper reviewed tin' life and character of Thomas Hoyne, and was as exhaustive as Bucb an instn ml could well l" 1 . Every line bore testi uj ofthe regard in which the deceased was held bj hi- legal brethren, and while it was complimentary in the bjghe i sense every word Innl the stamp of truth. The memorial was follow i-ii by a number of i" eches all couched in language of reverence and regret. Hon. Isaac N. Arnold Bpoke first; he was followed bj the llmi. .1. I;. Doolittle. A motion in adopt the minute was unanimously carried, ami on motion "i Mi. Arnold it was voted thai the pr lings of tin- meeting !"■ publii hed, and thai individual members of the bar l«' appointed t" move the various en nils of the city ami tin- Supreme Court, that thej spread upon their records a copy of He' minute; and also that a copj be sent to the family ofthe deceased. At a meeting of the [roquois Cluli. on Tuesday evening, August 7th, appropri an proceedings were hail in reference to the death of Mr. Hoyne. The president, Erskine M. Phelps, addressed the meeting, after which a memorial was offered ami adopted. 'The Chicago Histor ieal Soeiely. at its next meeting after the death of Air. Hoyne, appointed a commitee to prepare a me rial. I Hi t owing to the ill health of the chairman, John Wentworth, the report was not In 'aril until the October meeting, when a memorial was offered and adopted. The resolutions of the Public Library were equally appropriate, as were those of tin' Union College of Law. the Chicago University, the Calumet Club, Astro mimical Society and Hahnemann Medical College. Prof. Swing took occasion, in the "Weekly Maga zine," to speak of his acquaintance with .Mr. Hoyne. and his estimate of his character. The article is one to lie proud of as show ing the regard of one good and learned man for another. Mrs. Hoyne was in receipt of numerous letters from prominent men. acquaintances and friends of Mr. Hoyne. from all parts of the country. Thej were all kind and tender, revealing tin' affection felt for Mr. Hoyne, and expressing the most sincere sym pathy. Perhaps one of the most touching incidents connected with this sad affair was the memorial ser vice held in Dr. Lorimer's church in the follow ing September. At the time of Mr. Hoyne's death, it being midsummer, many of his friends wen- away from home. This service was for that reason post poned until September, at which timeagreal eon gregation assembled in the Immanuel Baptist Church. Dr. Lorimer conducted the introductory services and later addressed the audience in some able and exceedingly complimentarj remarks upon the character of the deceased. Rev. Dr. Bur- roughs delivered the memorial sermon, which was touching in the extreme. e\er\ word breathing the love, admiration and reverence which the speaker till for the departed. A i m written by Eugene J. Hall at the time of the dreadful calamity, is a lining close to the biographical Bketch of Thomas Hoyne. The last verse expresses t lie sent imeiit of it all: " Here sleeps, in undisturbed repose, Here with ii"' dust in silence blends \ ni.ni whoso manhood made lie foes Hie strongest and most steadfast friends." 4L, ^fo^-< BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 6 7 GEORGE W. SMITH. GEN. GEORGE W. SMITH is equally notable as a successful lawyer and the commanding officer during the war of the Eighty-eighth Illinois Infantry Volunteers, a regiment which was in continuous, active Bervice and was conspic- uous for its efficiencj and heroism. Gen. Smith was born in Brooklyn, N. V„ January 8, 18.'!T. His parents were George W. and Katherine (Wilder) Smith. His father was a well-to-do manufacturer and one of the founders of the electro-plating busi- ness in the United States. At the timeof his death he was a stockholder and officer in the Britannia Company, of Meriden, Conn. Gen. Smith's grand- father on the paternal Bide was Washington Smith, one of eight children of the then sur veyor general for the British Government in the province of New Hampshire. Washington Smith inherited from his father a tine farm near Laconia, N. H.. ami was a prominent man in that country, being at one time a member of the State Legis- lature, and holding other positions of importance. The ancestors of Gen. Smith on his mother's side (the Wilders) were an old historic family in Bos tun. the members of which did good service for Mir cause of independence during the revolution- ary war. When a liny Gen. Smith attended a pri- vate si -In ml near Albany, N. V.. and afterward wenl to the Albany Academy. When he was seventeen years old he concluded, on account of his father's temporary embarrassment, to abandon his prepara- tion for college, which was then well advanced. and do something toward earning his own living. It was not absolutely necessary that he should do this, but Mr. Smith thought it best, and wenl tn Arkansas, where he began teaching scl 1 After a year's experience he established a private school of his own, which was attended by fifty pupils, and which he conducted with very grati- fying success. In the spring of 185(3 he returned to Albany and took up the study of law at the Albany Law School. At the same time he entered the office of John H. Reynolds and received the benefit of a valuable office training. He proved to be a competent man. and when he graduated from the law school in January. IS5K, Mr. Rey- nolds had advanced him to the position of chief clerk. In October of the same year, being then in his twenty second year. Mr. Smith came to Chicago and opened a law office at No. lo South Clark Street. He has been in constant practice in tin- courts of Illinois ever since, except for three years (1862-1865), when he was in the army, and for two years llsCT and 1868) when he served as state treasurer. The Eighty- eighth regiment of Illinois infantry was recruited under the auspices of the Chicago Board of Trade, and was mustered into service. 900 strong, on August 27, 1862. Francis T. Sherman was the colonel in command, and George W. Smith was captain of Company A. The regiment left Chicago on September 1. 1862, and did its first service in protecting Cincinnati from a raid threatened by the Confederate fores under (ien. Kirby Smith. On the 1st of October it moved in pursuit of Gen. Bragg, and on the 8th fought its first battle at Perryville. The conduct of officers and men was so gallant that the command was publicly com- plimented by Brig.-Gen. Greusel. The regiment, which was then in Gen. Sheridan's division of the Army of the Cumberland, bore its share of the heavy skirmishing in front of Murfreesboro', and suffered severely in the subsequent engagement. At the battle of Stone River Capt. Smith was severely wounded, and was taken prisoner. He was held under guard in a house near by the battle- field for four days, when a negro assisted him to escape, and he made his way into the Union lines. Being unfit for duty, he was given a furlough, and returned to Chicago, where he remained until his wounds healed, when he rejoined his regi- ment. He participated in the campaign against Bragg at Chattanooga. Longstreet, taking ad vantage of the withdrawal of Wood's division from the center of the Union forces at Gordon's Mills, made a rapid attack on the 20th of Septem ber, 1863, and cut thearmyin two. Capt. Smith's regiment suffered terribly in this action, losing about one-third its number. Capt. Smith, who was then the senior line officer, was again com- plimented for his bravery on this occasion. On the 25th of November. 1SG:S, the Eighty-eighth was one of the regiments that led the attack on Mission Ridge, drove the Rebels from their works and planted the stars and stripes on the top of the ridge. In this engagement Capt. Smith was again severely wounded. Inhisofiicial report Lieut. -Col. Chandler said: "Capt. George W. Smith, of Company A, acting Held officer, was conspicuous for his bravery." In December, 1863, the Eighty -eighth marched to the relief of Burn- side, at Knoxville. and assisted in driving Long- street back into Virginia. On May 'A, 1864, the regiment drove Joe Johnston's forces out of Buz- zard's Roost, and the 14th took part in the battle of Ftesaca. Lieut.-Colonel Chandler was killed in the storming of Kenesaw Mountain, on June 27, 68 i;io<;i;.\i'iiv OF Illinois. L864,and the command of the Eightj eighth tell to W. Siniih with the rank of Lieut, his promotion coming as a reward for braver} in the field. Lieut. -Col. Smith and bis regiment were active in the investment of Atlanta. They afterward did important skirmish duty in preventing Sood and Forrest from cutting "IT General Schofield in his efforts to reinforce Gen era! Tl as at Nashv ille, and later took a leading part in the battle of Franklin, which, by many historians, is called the most bl ly and desperate conflict ol the war. In this fight Lieut. Col. Smith was again in the front rank and led the charge. An eye-witness of the Bcene writes: "In all my life I never saw, in all my readings I never read (it. i e knightly scene than Colonel Smith at the head of the charging column, cap in hand. dashing hither and thither in the while heal of the fray, nerving the brave, shaming the coward an m nscious hero, every inch <>f him." After this battle Lieut.-Colonel Smith was I. revetted colonel and again received the thanks of the com manding general for his courage and intrepid ex ample. In December, 1864, his regiment took part in the pursuit of Hood's army from Nash ville, Tenn, to Lexington, Ala., in the face of ap parent u insurmountable obstacles. For over one hundred miles the ehase was kept up on mads that were almost unfathomable in mud, and which were blocked and obstructed in every con conceivable manner by the enemy's rearguard. In the spring of 1865 Colonel Smith was brevetted Brigadier General and with the ssth participated in an expedition to Lull's Gap, Tenn., which was successful. On June '.i. L865, it was mustered nut of service at .Nashville and returned to Chicago on June 12. Of the '.HHI mm whose names were originally on the mils, only 209 came back the rest having been discharged for disability ", wounds "i- having died in battle, in hospital, or in rebel prison. With the exception of fifteen or twenty men who were added t" it early in its history, the regimenl was never recruited. In its three years of Bervice it did s ■ <>f the hardest fighting of any regimenl in the Union army, and ird made by its officers and n at Perryville, Stone Liver. Chicamauga, Mission Ridge, Resaca, Adairsville, Kenesaw, Peach Tree Creek. New Hope Church, Pi inklin and Nashville is imperisha ble. Throughout his military career) ieneral Smith displayed a high order of courage, resolution and ildierly qualities. Similar traits have won access in the practice of the law, which he resume. I after leaving the army in 1865. He ehai acter is well summed up by an eminent lawyer ..I Chicago, who has known him long and intimately, in the lull.. w i ne words: "Gen. Smith's ambition h.e been to he a Bound and successful lawyi i H< is a man of studious habits ami is universally respected for tin- breadth as well as accuracy of his knowledge. His learning is profound ami copious, and he has that quickness of apprehen sion which enables him to apply his knowledge to the practical solution of intricate problems in every depart inent of professional life with extraordinary precision and clearness. The powers of his mind are admirably balanced anil have been severely disciplined. Cautious by temperament and always avoiding rash and vehement assertions, he is dis tinguished not only for the spirit of candor and fairness evinced in tin' management of he casei and the argument of legal questions, but for the sobriety and solidity of his judgment. Few men can argue a point of law with more learning or astuteness, or t rv a case vv ith more tact and ability. .No man in professional life is held in higher est] inalioii for purity of character or generous social qualities." To this an ex chief justi I tie Sn preme Court of the State of Illinois adds: "Gen. Smith is in the best sense an officer of the courts, and In- adorns t he position by a life and practice consistent with the most exacting demands of his profession. When trying a case in any court his tatementS as to the facts and issues involved arc always received With the mOSt ill I Illicit col I tide lice. In his capacity of counselor ami advocate he as- sists the courts in the administration of right and justice. Il is difficult I" col ive that there can be any higher privilegefor a lawyer to attain." General Smith practices largely in the Supreme Court of Illinois, and ranks w ith the ablest of the many bright and learned men who try cases be fore that tribunal. He has been interested in a number of \ cry important suits, and his industry, skill and ability in their preparation have often belli complimented from the bench as aiding in a careful and just decision. General Smith sue cessfully represented the • lovernor w hen i he West Park Commissioners contested the right of the Governor to re ve its members; he was one of the counsel for the city of Chicago in the cele brated back-tax cases involving the re levy of taxes of L873 71; and conducted the litigation for the bondholders ..f the Chicago division in the Wabash Railway suit. In 1874 he appeared for the Chicago r the higher function of judge, and from his admission to the profession the taste of his ambition inclined to the bench. He had but little trouble in securing his Bhare of business, and was not subject to that anxious solicitude which often intervenes between coming to the bar and «-■ -in i ii lt to a practice. In 1849 he was elected school commissioner, and served in that office until 1852, superintending the educational inter- i-sts of the county and distributing the monej of the school fund. In the winter of 1852 he was elected to the responsible position of Judge of the county court, which at that time not only hail within its jurisdiction probate matters, bul all the public business of the county. In addition to his official duties and general practice he was the attorn, \ of Bloomington, recently organized as a city. From boyhood the Judge was a great admirer of Claj and Webster, and as a result of dilection when he rami' to the years of manh 1 he was a whig, and continued an ardent supporter of that party until its dissolution in 1852. Upon the formation of the Republican party he became a republican when that party was struggling for an existence as a political or- ganization. In 1856 he was nominated on the Republican ticket for the State Senate, and made a most vigorous and able canvass in defence of republican principles in a district largely demo- cratic in sentiment; and although defeated, he reduced the majority to a point highly compli mentary to himself. In this campaign Mr. Lin- coln and he often addressed the Bame audiences and between them there was the most cordial personal and political relations. En the first years of the Judge's practice his clearness of thought, accurate knowledge of the law, services as county judge and his dignity of character directed the of the people and the bar to him as hav ing tin- qualifications for higher judicial duty; so that in the year 1862, when Judge Davis became a member of the Supreme Court of the United States, Judge Scott was selected as his successor bj a unanimity of si-ntimint of both the bar and the people. Be did not, in the administration of his office as Judge of the Circuit < lourt, disappoint ctations of his most sanguine friends, and at the end of the unexpired term of .1 m 1i_m- Davis he was re elected without opposition. Be held the Circuit Court in the Bth district, during the most troublous times of the civil war. ami was called upon in the discharge of his duty, to re- press the violence of both sides, which he did with a fearlessness and courage worthy of the beet age of the judiciary. In the year 1870 a constitutional convention was held, and on the 2nd day of July, 1870, the constitution formed by that body was adopted, which made it necessary to elect addi- tional members of the Supre Court. The die trict of which McLean county formed a part was entitled to one of the new judges and embraced within its limits the central portion 'of the state, commencing at Tazewell on the northwest and running to Edgar on the southeast. Embracing as it iliil Sangamon and other large and populous counties of the state, it necessarily had some of the leading members of the profession. When it was known that there would be an increase in the membership of the Supreme Court, the public mind was directed to Judge Scott, as well worthy of the exalted position. This was especially so among the lawyers of the district; and in June, 1870, a convention of the bar was held and although some of the leading jurists of the district and Btate were candidates, Judge Scott was chosen by the convention, and in July, 1870 he was elected a Judge of the Supreme Court for the term of nine years. At the time he became a member of that court, many questions of importance to the prosperity of the state and people were pending in the Supreme and Circuit Courts, incident to the extraordinary development of the railroad interest in the north west. And Chicago, with its complex, complicated and diversified character, its extraordinary and Budden growth, and its many schemes or specula- tion and trade, made the Supreme Court of Illinois one of the most important courts of the United stairs. Outside the state of New York, it may be safel] assumed, that for importance of litigation, and questions of difficult solution, no other in the Union presented a field more fruitful in legal con trillion than the State of Illinois. At the time Judge Scott became a member of the court he was in the prime and vigor of his life; and had acquired at the bar and on the bench, a capacity for legal information which fitted him todeal intel- ligent!] and ably, with all the questions which came before tin' court. Hi' has been identified BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 71 with the judicial history of the state for a period of Dearly forty years, as a lawyer. County, Circuil ami Supreme Judge. His name first appears in the 3rd volume of Gilman*s Reports as a practis- ing attorney, and his opinions extend from the 54th to the 126th volume of K >p irts as a Judge of the Supreme Court. At the end of his first term as a Justice of the Supreme Court, he was elected in June, 1879, by a very large majority over one of the most accomplished lawyers of the state. His second term expired in June 188S, when he declined a re- election, having served for a period of eighteen years with marked ability, and to the entire satis- faction of the people, and the bar of the whole state. During those eighteen years he served asChief Jus- tice three terms, and is the first native born citizen of Illin >is who had held that responsible and dig nified position. During the eighteen yearswhich hi' held the office of a Justice of the Supreme Court, the litigation was larger, more complicated and important, than in the fifty-two years which intervened from the admission of the state to the year 1870. The legal controversies of the citizens had changed from the simple questions of law, which were the subjects .if judicial discussion and determination in the early history of the state, to questions more abstruse and difficult, depending upon more enlarged, involved and complex con ditions of fact. The law suit of 1870 and the law suit of 1820 in the Supreme Court of the State were very different as legal controversies. In later years immense records had to be examined and digested, in order to present the whole case, and fully develop the real issue to lie determined. In the power to master a voluminous record, and to eliminate the immaterial matter of a legal pro- ceeding, Judge Scott has great ability, as shown in his numerous opinions upon almost every con- ceivable subject of human contention. A supreme court of the state is much more diversified irj its jurisdiction than the Supreme Court of the United States, for the reason that it is the court of final jurisdiction for almost every wrong which can be committed, and for every right which can be protected. Subject to the lim- ited jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of the United States, it is the court of final re- sort which settles, by the authority of law. tin- many contentions and disputes incident to men as they form human society. During his term of service, the labors of the court extended through seventy-three volumes of reports, so that it may be safely assumed, that his contribution to the body of judicial law of Illinois, is as large and im- portant as any member of the Supreme Court at any period in the history of the state. His services in the Supreme Court covereda period which may be called formative as to some of the more material interests of the state, and from which im- portant litigation originated. The park systems of Chicago, the railroad and warehouse commis- sion, the modified special assessments methods. and the many questions of corporation law grow- ing out of. and dependent upon, the adoption of the new constitution. The protection of the life and liberty of the citizen is the most important and delicate trust committed to the jurisdiction of a court; and one of the leading opinions of the court on that subject, was written by Judge Scott in the case of Ker vs. The People of the State of Illinois, reported in tin' 110th volume. The ques- tion presented by the record was one new and novel, and called for the highest and best resources of judicial reasoning in the determination of legal question made by the facts. The defendant, Ker, committed the crime of embezzlement and larceny in Chicago, as the cashier of a bank, and fled to Peru, at the time that country was in military possession of the Chileans, and it was practicably impossible to proceed under the treaty for his return. Owing to the condition of the country. the defendant was taken by force, placed on board a United States ship-of-war, and brought back to the United States. When he was arraigned in the Criminal Court of Chicago, he pleaded in defense the illegality of his arrest and extradition. The court below sustained a demurrer to the [ilea, and the case, upon the correctness of that decision. was appealed to the Supreme Court. The court in a very able opinion delivered by Judge Scott sustained the decision of the criminal court, and from that decision an appeal was taken to the Supreme Court of the United States. The State Court said: "A fugitive from justice has no asylum in a foreign country when he is guilty of an offense for which he is liable or subject to extradition by treaty between this and the foreign government. If he is illegally and forcibly removed from such foreign country, that country alone has the cause of complaint, and he cannot complain for it." In the decision of the Supreme Court of the United States it is said: "The treaties of extradition, to which the United States are parties, do not guarantee a fugitive from justice from one of the countries an asylum in the other. They do not give such person any greater, or more sacred right of asylum than he had before."' It will be seen that the line of argument pursued BIOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS. bj Judge Sr..ti in the Supreme Court of Illinois was, in Bubstance, followed by the Supreme ( ' i ,.r the United States, and by a series of uniform judicial determinations, the law upon an imporl ant question of individual liberty and international right, was settled as far as ii can be settled by the decisions of the highest courts of i nation. In the case "f Lenfers vs. Henkle (73 111. R.) the Supreme Court of Illinois was called upon to de cide a question « hich, up to i he time of the decis ion, bad never been passed upon by any courl either in England or the United States. The con troversy relates to the dower interest of a widow in the mineral en- mining lands of the husband. Judge Scotl delivered the opini f the courl on the question involved in a remarkably clear, orig inal. and well-reasoned argument, Bhowing his ability to deal with questions upon the broad ground of original thought, unaided by express authority. During lus term of service in the Supre Court he wrote man) opinions u] the subject of municipal taxation and the law of real estate property, growing out of the great value of land in Chicago; but the compass of this arti- cle will not permit special reference to them. They will si a ml as limitation to, and qualifications upon, municipal authority and the law of realty throughout the entire history of that state which has to deal with the most remarkable municipal corporation that lias ever appeared in the history of time. The Judge has great respect for the dignity cf judicial place and power, and no man ever presided in a court with more respect for his environments than did Judge Scott. As a result of that m him, the proceedings were always orderly upon the part of every one, bar, audience and the ..Minis from the highest to the lowest. His opin- ions are fine specimens of judicial thought, always clear, logical, and as brief as the character of the case would permit. He never enlarged beyond the necessities of the legal thought in order to indulge in the drapery of literature. His mind during the entire period of his course at the bar and on the bench had been directed in the line of his profes and his duty, and as a result, he has not given much time to speculation and money making. But by the judicious investments of the reward of his toil, he is now in independent and prosper ..us cii I taring his term of sen ice as county judgeinthe year l s ">:i he was married to Miss Charlotte A. Perry, daughter of Rev. David J. Perry, of Bloomington. His marriage was si happy. Mrs. Scott is a lady of culture and refine ni.'iit. ami enjoys with grace and w iihmit ostenta ti.. n the assured place given her by the public service and life of her husband. They have had two children who died in their infancy, but have an adopted daughter to whom they are devoted in the most fervent attachment. The Judge is the owner of many fine farms in the vicinity of Bloomington, and to the care "f these he devotes siderable attention, renting them t.i good tenants at not i e thai hall' the ordinary rent of other farms of like improvements and sit uation. He takes great delight in the success and welfare of his truants, and as an inducement t<> them for their toil he gives them the lowest renl he can afford. He is of fine literary taste, and as a result "f that inclination he has one >.f the choicest libraries in central Illinois, abounding in books of standard quality and highest excellence of authorship. His tastes are simple, but refined and delicate, and whatever he has isof the best quality. Since his retirement from the bench his time has I n devoted to looking after his private interests and in the enjoyment of his home and library. Conspicuous among the many good traits i.f his character, is his fearless devotion I" what ever he thinks comes within the pale of public or private duty. He has moral courage lit for any emergency, and although he has always been a pronounced Republican, he is without partisan prejudice, and in his candidacy he has been sup ported with enthusiasm by many leaders of the opposition, He is now, as he has been for many years, a devoted member cf the Presbyterian Church and a constant attendant upon its minis trations. His judicial term, extending through twenty six years of uninterrupted service, is all honor to the Stale, and his character as a man is well worthy the admiration of the whole people. ANSON STAGER. GENERAL ANSON STAGES was born in (in tari iinty. New York, April 20, L825. His pa rents were Henry W and Ahnira (Anson) Stager. His grandfather emigrated from Holland to this country about the beginning of the present cen tury, and was a soldier in the war of 1812. He subsequently settled in New York, where he died in the year L834. His father was a manufacturer Of edge tools at Rochester, in the same state. Which business he carried on till the time of his death, which occurred in 1843. His mother was ,,'.. . ... BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 73 of English extraction. She was a most amiable and highly accomplished lady, and lived revered and esteemed by a large circle of friends to the ripe old age of eighty two years. She died in 1871. Like a large majority of those who entered early into the telegraph service, Mr. Stager was "of the fourth estate," having at sixteen years of age en gaged in printing under the instruction of Henry O'Reilly, himself afterward a pioneer in the build- ing and ( iperating of telegraphs. In October, 181(>. Mi. Stager commenced work as an operator in Philadelphia. He shortly after removed to Lan- caster, Pennsylvania, and upon the extensi f the line across the Alleghanies was the first oper- ator who worked in Pittsburgh, In the spring of lsis he was made chief operator of the "National Lines'* at Cincinnati, in which position he served so acceptably that in 1852 he received the appoint- ment of superintendent of the lines of the Missis si]i]ii Valley Printing Telegraph Company. In July of the same year, through the absorption of the New York State Printing Telegraph Com pany's lines by the Mississippi Valley Printing Telegraph Company, his supervision was extended over that state. Mr. Stager was prominent in or- ganizing the various lines and interests leased by and consolidated with the Western Union Tele graph Company, and upon the organization of that company he assumed the position of its gen era! superintendent. The extensive and elaborate system of railroad telegraphs at present in use on all the railroads in the West and Northwest is his work. The intimate connection existing between the telegraph ami the railroads of the country, combining two great and distinct interests that of the telegraph company in the revenue earning business of the railroad lines, and that of the rail- road companies in the transmission of their own messages, the moving of trains, comparison and adjustment of accounts between stations, and all t tie detail of correspondence that attaches to rail- roading is one affording ample opportunity for (dashing and confusion. By the admirable sim- plicity, complete adaptability and perfection of detail of Mr. Stager's system of contracts and plan of operating railroad lines, these interests work together in entire harmony. Telegraphic facili- ties are always at the disposal of the railroads in emergency, and have again and again given most vital aid. while a reciprocal promptness to assist the telegraph is invariably shown by the railroads when occasion arises. The days of the growth of the Western Union Telegraph Company, from its little nucleus of a single wire from Buffalo to Louisville. Ky.. to its full and perfect stature. were anything but days of idleness to its officers, and Mr. Stager was a busy man all those years. Riding by stage-coach, steamboat and rail (and there were no sleeping cars in those times), by- night, consulting, directing, making contracts and executing the work they called for by day. In- oc- cupied the time until I860— to what practical ef- fect the growth and success of the Western Union Telegraph Company in the territory over which his supervision extended lust testify. When Sumter was tired on the Governors of Ohio, Illi- nois and Indiana took possession of the telegraph lines in those States for military purposes, put- ting them at once in charge of Mr. Stager as rep- resenting themselves in their official capacities. This trust was not transferred during the war. Mr. Stager accompanied General McCiellan in his West Virginia campaign, during which he estab- lished the- rirst system of Held telegraphs used during the rebellion. When General McCiellan was transferred to Washington Mr. Stager was called by him to that department to organize the military telegraph. This he accomplished, re- maining in charge thereof until November, 1861, at which time he was commissioned captain and assistant quartermaster, and by order of the Sec- retary of War appointed chief of United States military telegraphs throughout the United States. He was subsequently commissioned colonel and aide-de-camp, and assigned to duty in the war de- partment, and was also placed in charge of the cypher correspondence of the Secretary of War. The cryptography used in this correspondence through the entire war, which baffled the most persistent efforts of tin- rebel telegraphers and officers to translate it. was in all its details his. though he laid no claim to its germ. Colonel Stager remained in the service until September. 1865, and was breveted brigadier general for val- uable and meritorious services. Following the close of the war the consolidation of the South western and American Telegraph companies with the Western Union Telegraph Company necessi- tati-d a reorganization of the latter. At this time the general superintendency of the consolidated company was ottered to. and urged upon. General Stager. For reasons of his own. preferring to re- main in the West, he declined the appointment. A result of this was the creation of the present three grand divisions -the Central. Eastern and Southern— General Stager accepting the general superintendency of the central, which left him in charge of the same territory as before the reor 74 BIOGRAPHY OP ILLIXois. ganization, with his headquarters established at Cleveland. Four years later the business of the telegraph company had bo largelj increased in the ppi valley thai Cleveland was found t" be i a central point, and during the summer ol 1869 headquarters were transferred to Chicago. Here General Stager found an ample field in the development of an admirable system to meet the constantly increasing wants of a marvelously ac live business community. The men who were i d gaged in building up the NorthweBl had already discerned the importance of telegraphic facilities to their work, luit it was onlj after I leneral Stager had i 'e thoroughly organized the work that thej tullj comprehended what a tree use of those facilities could do tor them. They learned that the business thai patronized the telegraph mosl prospered mosl rapidly. General Stager's execu tive ability received the must marked recognition in this city. He was widely consulted and his judgment was held in high esteem. It was under- stood thai if he took a share in any enterprise it was safe tor others to do so, and was.pretty sure to succeed. He was president of theWestern Elec- tric Manufacturing Company of Chicago. He was also president of the American Electric Society and \ it -«- president of the Babcock Manufacturing Co. General Stager introduced the telephone business in Chicago and vicinity. He was also the origin ator of the Western Elect ric Company, and organ ized the Western Edison Light Company. He was also connected with the Vanderbill railroad interests centering in Chicago, and at the time of his death, which occurred at his new residence corner of Michigan Avenue and 18th street, March 26, 1885, he was presidenl "f the Western Electric Company, the Chicago Telephone Company, the Central (Jnion Telephone Company, the Western Edison Light Company, and vice presidenl of the Michigan Telephone Company. He was also director in the Chicago £ Northwestern Railroad Company, New York. Chicago & St. Louis (Nickel Plate), the Michigan Central Railroad, and the Cantilevei Bridget lompanyand the North Western National Bank. Of clear, quick and accurate judg mc-nt. full of vital force and energy, self reliant and persistent, General Stager stood in the front rank of his profession, a man of distinguished administrative and executive ability. Not less quick in action than in conception and decision, his errors were more liable to be those of commis sion than omission, though few of either sort stand against him. In controversy he greatl} preferred the initiative. ha\ ing an abiding faith in the proverbial first blow as the best hair of the battle. What he was in business he was in Bocial life. He was faithful in friendship, and his genial disposition and high spirits made him an especial favorite both in the club and the drawing t n. t ieneral Stager was a vest ryman of Trinity Parish Protestant Episcopal ( ihurch of ( Ibicago, and was a liberal contributor, not only to the institutions of in- own denomination, but to religious and benevolent enterprises generally. He was not a politician in the accepted Bense of that term, but always voted the Republican ticket. He was married November 11. 1*17. to Miss Rebecca Sprague, daughter of the late William Sprague, Esq., of Buffalo, X. V. Of five children Lorn or this union, three are still living, viz.: Mrs. I". S. Gorton, of Chicago; Mrs. K. W.Hicox,of Cleve land. Ohio, and the Lady Arthur Butler, oi London, England. Mrs. Stager died October, 1883. SAMUEL M. NICKERSON. S \ \1 UEL M. NICKJERSON was horn in Chat- ham. Mass., June 14th, 1830. Hecomesofa lone lived race. His father. Ensign Nickerson, was horn in L 790, and lived to be eight} nine years old, while his mother, who was Rebecca Mayo, was horn 17'.^, and died in Is74 at the age of eighty- two. In 1872 this old couple celebrated, at North Chatham, Mass.. the sixtieth anniversary of their wedding. Ensign Nickerson was a poor man and. though he realize. I the advantages of a thorough education, was unable to give his son Samuel all he could wish in the way of facilities for acquir- ing one. He did the best he could, however, and when his hoy was seven years of age he removed to Boston, that the advantages of a public school, at least, might be attained. Samuel took full advantage of his opportunities, both at the public school in Boston, and later at an academy in Xew Hampshire. Of the latter the late John Went worth wrote in a pamphlet, a few years before his death, as follows: "1 have recently ascertained that Samuel M. Xiekerson of this city, one of the wealthiest men in the Northwest, and president of the First National Bank of Chicago, and its largest stockholder, was a student at Xew Hamp ton. N. H., and a member of the Social Fraternity in ls|7. He took his start in t he world with no other capital than a Xew Hampshire education. Having obtained what schooling his father was t*&4 3LkJL 7/ i Ac az^€e>-< BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 75 able to give him, Samuel began to think of what he should do in the great world before him. He had a brother in Florida who was the proprietor of a country store, and receiving an offer to go there as a clerk he accepted it, his father purchas- ing him a passage from Boston to his new home in the South. He did some hard thinking during the voyage and some of the resolves made at that time have been his watch-words in maturer years. One thing was very plain to him; he would be obliged to make his own way, to fight his own battles, and he determined to do his duty and to do right at any cost. The very day of his arrival at Appalachicola, the town where his brother lived, he began his work behind the counter. He had not been there long before he realized that a position as clerk in a small country town was not in any manner an approximation to the air castles his brain had conjured up, but being steadfast of purpose he remained until he felt certain he could improve his condition by mak- ing a change. In three years' time he had saved some money, and he concluded to go into business for himself. His own capital was not by any means sufficient, but he had by courteous treat- ment made friends with some New York parties, and they, liking his zeal and having faith in his abilities, volunteered to back him in his wished- for enterprise. Dame Fortune could not spare him all her smiles, and in 1857 she turned away her face. His store took fire and his stock of goods was destroyed. Although he had been careful and had never indulged in speculations, the fire left him unable to meet certain obligations which he had incurred in good faith when trade was prosper- ous. After due deliberation Mr. Nickerson de- cided that he could never hope to retrieve his losses in Florida. The conduct of his business had given him a knowledge of the great commer- cial centers, and he finally selected Chicago as the scene of his next endeavors. He went there in the spring of 1858 and with the assistance of some friends he engaged in the distilling business in a small way. His success met his highest expecta tions and his first act when, in 1861, he found him- self upon a firm footing, was to liquidate all his Florida obligations, principal and interest. It was the voluntary act of an honest man, for his cred- itors had, in 1859, cancelled all his obligations upon payment of fifty per cent, of his indebtedness. He continued in the distilling business until 1863, when he retired and invested his money in the Chicago City Railway Company and in the First National Bank of Chicago. In 1865 he was made president of the Railway Company, and on the the organization of the First National Bank in 1863, he became the vice-president of that con- cern. He served in this capacity until 1867 when he was elected president. This position he re- tained until June, 1891; when he resigned. The following correspondence which passed between Mr. Nickerson and the Board of Directors fully explains his reasons for this step, and testifies to the confidence and high regard in which he was held by the Board of Directors throughout the quarter of a century's service as executive head of that great financial institution: " Chicago, Jan. 22, 1891. " To the Directors of the First National Bank op Chicago: " Dear Sirs: — Before proceeding to the election of officers for the ensuing year, I wish to state that, should you decide to clcrt me president, it must be with the understanding and notice that I shall resign the office whenever Mr. L. J. Gage shall be relived from his duties as President of the World's Fair, and can devote all of his time to the affairs of this bank; and when that time ar- rives I shall take pleasure in co-operating with you in electing him to take my place, if you then decide to do so. It would be my desire to con- tinue as a director of this bank, and co-operate with you in working for its interests and success. It is not my intention to engage in any other busi- ness. "I have arrived at a time in life when I feel it to be my duty to delegate to younger heads and hands the responsibilities and duties that are in- volved in the position I have held in this bank for the past twenty four years as president, and four years previously as vice-president, which covers the entire time since its organization in 1863. The success which has attended this bank is known to you all. For this I have to thank the directors and other officers, who by their advice and labors have made this success possible. "Thanking you fur your many evidences of con- fidence and good- will, and Imping that the future success of this bank may, under your direction, be equal to or better than the past, I await your decision as indicated above. ■■ Yours very respectfully, " 1 Signed) Sam'l M. Nickerson." " Chicago, Jan. 22, 1891. " Resolved, That the communication of Mr. Nickerson, just presented, be spread upon the records. "While we deeply regret the suggestion that he may feel compelled to resign the office before the expiration of the current year, we feel that it is for the interest of the bank that he should con- tinue his wise and judicious guardianship as its chief executive so long as circumstances will per- mit. "We recognize the fact, however, that twenty- five years of constant direction over affairs so 7" BIOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS. large and important as are here implied, entitle aim, when he shall finalh demand it, to the en nt of that real and leisure to which we all look forward as the jus! reward ol long con tinued and faithful work." ••Chi, x,,«,. June 30th, L891 "To the Directors op th] First National I!\m* iicago: ■■( ientlemen: Referring to mj communication of Januar} 22d last.in which I stated thai if then of tins bank it would be « ith the understanding and notice thai 1 should nave the privilege of resigning at anytime during the ensuing year. Thai time lias now arrived and I herebj tendet mj resignation, and ask its accept ance t',, take effect on an, I after .Inly 8th, next. •• Yours \ erj respectfully, "(Signed) Sah'l M. Nickerson." "Chicago, June 30, 1891. "Resolved, Thai thethanksof the stockholders ,,f this hank air justly due I,' Mr. Samuel M . Nick erson for the efficienl and faithful manner in which tor so many years he has discharged the duties ,,t president of this institution. -In accepting his resignation this day tender* d, this Board desires to place on record its high a], preciation of his administration. We congratu late ourselves, however, thai in his retirement from the office "i president, tin- hank will still re tain in him as a director, the wis,- counsel which his lon^ experience lias s,, well qualified him t,, give." 'I'lir First National Bank of Chicago was the eighth national hank organized in the United States. The growth of this institution has been rather plan nal in the history of financial or- ganizations. 'I'll'' paid in capital i- {3,000,000, surplus $2,000,000, deposit 825,000,000, and it cer tainly stands at the head of all banking institu tions in the West. Its Battering success is due hi the wise counsels that have always prevailed in its management. Edmund Aiken was its firsl president ami original founder,Mr. Nickerson he ing vice-president under his administration. At present the clearings of this hank are about one I,, nilli the am, amt ol' all the Chicago hanks put I her. Th,' stork is distributed among ninet} n. They are all well-known ami careful business men. The ai I th,' president ami the officers has been t,, ,1,, a careful business, increas ing w ith i he di mandi of t he city . No especial branch of business nor any particular interest has any claims on this institution. Its patrons arc from all classes ami the policy has been to cater t,, all regular legitimate interests, [ndeed, th,- Firsl National Hank is essentially the hank ,,f hie I,. i in, ii. Thi i bat i- ,,i its tram e : i ii above all tear of financial or depressions in trade, When the panic of 1873 su.pt over the country this hank was pre pared for it. It is altogether likely that the far- sighted officers had seen the cloud gathering in the distance long before its presence was fell in .New York. At any rate, they wen- ready to meet it. When the proposition was made bj other banks of Chicago to suspend payment for afew .lays. Mr. Lyman J.Gage, then cashier i.Mr. Nick erson being at the time ahsent in Europe), for anil on behalf of the directors, opposed it. The doors were not Closed tot a -iiil'Ic day, nor was any ,le mand, however large, refused. The record made during those trying times is one to be proud of. In 1867 Mr. Nickerson organized the Stock Yards National Bank ami was president of it until 1ST.'!. S.ns a contemporary writer of Mr. Nick: "The man who stamls at the head of. aral owns a large interest in such an institution as the First National Bank of Chicago might he pardoned if he should act the autocrat . hut Mr. Nickerson is as far removed from one as can !„• imagined. He is extremely democratic in his dealings with his fellow men. There is no red tape to he encoiin tered in the desire to see Mr. Nickerson in his office; no herald of the coming ever presents him self for a card with which to give notice that an audience is desired. If a gentleman desires to see Mr. Nickerson at the hank he is mere!} obliged t,, walk into his office, for the door is always open and latch string out. not only during, hut after business hours. If Mr. Nickerson is not engaged he ei\,s his immediate attention to the visitor; if he is. the \ isitor is graciously requested to take a seat, lie listens with attention, and if the busi- ness is of a nature to warrant it. he enters into the heart of it at once and lets his caller depart, feeling that he is welcome to come again, lie has never shown the least desire to court publicity, n,,r is there about him any shadow or sign of mock modesty. Be gives With a free hand to all deserving charities and is not ashamed to put his name to a list of subscriptions for fear it may he said that he is courting notice." If any one has a righl to possess a hobby it Would seem to he such a man as Samuel M. Nickerson. He has one, and it is art. Perhaps this is due in some measure to the influence of his estimable w ife. He was mar rid in December, l*.>s. to Miss Matilda P.Crosby, daughter of Isaac Crosby, of Brewster; Mass. Mrs. Nickerson is a great lover of art. 1 ! of the most accomplished ladies in the West. She has traveled extensivelj and has many ,l,\oted I, i, nds at home and abroad. Mr. and Mrs. Nick X^spw, BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 11 erson have a beautiful home on the North Side. It is a mansion in its richness and elegance; bul a home in the taste with which it is arranged and appointed. Mr. Nickerson is an enthusiast in arl matters. He is a leading director in the Art In - stitute and lias always been a hearty supporter of every local art movement. Genuine lovereof pictures can always obtain admission to his pri- vate gallery, which contains one of the finest pri- vate art collections in the West, the fruits of many trips abroad and unlimited expenditure. The prominent artists of Europe ami America are rep resented upon its walls. His pictures have been loaned freely for public exhibition and the gallery is thrown open from time to time to the art 6chool. The Hue picture of the "Interior of St. Mark's" by David Neal, was presented by Mr. Nickerson to the Art Institute. This well-known work was saved from the tire of 1871, together with its companion picture. "Westminster Abbey." bj the accident of being loaned for exhibition in New Haven. Conn., at the time. It afterwards passed into the hands of Mr. Nickerson and hung in his gallery until it was presented to the Art Institute. Something like sixty pictures adorn the walls of Mr. Nickerson's gallery, many of them almost priceless. There maybe seen the works of Roe seau. Corot. Diaz. Dupre, Rosa Bouheur, Detaille. Gustave Dore, I taubigny, Van Ma ike. Bouguereau, .1. F. Millet, Vibert, Promentine, Bierstadt, Meyer von Bremer, Ziem, Inness, Gabriel Max, Gerome and many others. When balls are given by Mrs. Nickerson this beautiful gallery is thrown open and used as a ball room and it makes a grand, magnificent one indeed, when- the guests, amid such a bewildering cluster of genius, are at a loss which picture to devote themselves to, feeling that each single one is worthy the study of a night. Mr. and Mrs. Nickerson have but one child, a son. Roland C, who is married to Miss Addie Daniels, the daughter of William V. Daniels of Chicago. GEORGE L. DUNLAP. Tlier.- arc few men who have attained greater success or become more prominent in their chosen calling than Mr. George L. Dunlap, now a leader in Chicago business circles and for many years an active railway operator. Mr. Dunlap was I "in, at Brunswick, Maine, in 1828, and is the son of John and Mary (Robinson) Dunlap. Hiseducation was acquired in the district schools of his native state and was supplemented with an academic course in mathematics and engineering at the Gorham Academy. Thus equipped, Mr. Dunlap began active tield work as a civil engineer, a calling for which he evinced a great liking, lb- was engaged in the engineering corps of the Boston & Maine Railway when twenty years of age. and continued in the employ of the company until 1851, when he became identified with the X,-v, ¥ork<& Eric Rail- way. Pour years of service with this corporation were concluded by Mr. Dunlap's removal to the west, early in 1853, and his acceptance of tin- position of assistant engineer of the Chicago, St. Paul £ Fond du Lac. which was re-organized in 1858 as the Chicago a. Northwestern Railway. About four years later he was tnadi superintendent of the road, a position which he til led with signal ability tor fourteen yi ars, resign- ing in 1S7-J to bring into being the then projected Montreal & Quebec Railway. The seventeen years from 1855 to IsT'J cover an eventful and important period in Mr. Dunlap's life, and the work he ac- complished during that time has been of great and lasting benefit to the people ami the business interests ol the west. An enthusiast in his calling and in the prime of a vigorous manhood, Mr. Dunlap gave to his work such intelligent and en- ergetic direction as not only enabled him to accomplish great results, but gained for him a name as a successful engineer and railway mana- ger. Judge Blodgett, who at that time was the general counsel of the Chicago & Northwestern Railway Company and had intimate relations with Mr. Dunlap. says: "He was probably the peel in ability, energy and intelligence of any railway operator in the country. His relations with the employees of the companj under him were very happy, and enabled him to accomplish much which would have been impossible to a man less popular. All of Mr. Dunlap's subordinates felt that lie had an honest interest in their welfare and, having served in minor positions himself, he had a knowledge of" their duties and rights which were never lost sight of." At the time Mr. Dunlap be- came associated with the Chicago A- Northwestern Railway, the company, as Judge Blodgett admits, was very much embarrassed, but under his man- agement it secured a large and profitable business and before he left it had attained prominence as one of the most prosperous roads in the west. It was during Mr. Dunlap's administration that a consolidation with the Chicago a- Galena Railway was affected, and many vital improvements were 78 BIOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS. made. One of the lines running to the west wan extended to Council Bluffs and tor some years was the onlj eastern connection of the Union Pacific. Under bis supervision the Chicago & Nortl aded its line trom Janesville, Wisconsin, t.i the rich iron producing region in the Northern Peninsula of Michigan, and thus secured a territory which has ever since furnished the road a very remunerative business. Mr. Dunlap also con- structed the St. Paul and Minneapolis I which were the tore-runners of the extensive system which now covers the states of Minnesota and the Dakotas. On leaving the company in isT'J. Mr. Dunlap wenl to London in the interest of the Montreal & Quebec Railway, and having i i he plans of construct ion, ret urned to Canada and gave personal direction ti> the build ingot the road. In lsT'.i. Mr. Dunlap again en gaged in railroading in Illinois, where he com pleted the construction of the Wabash System. The next year b instructed the road between I o and Strawn, and then retired trom the active work of engineering and railroading. Earl} in L881, be began business on his own account, bj erecting the Wabash grain elevator, on the south branch ot the Chicago river, near 33rd street. This is one of the largest elevators in Chicago, li has a storage capacity of 1,500,000 bushels of grain, and cost $400,000. He sold this property in 1887 to a corporation. Mr. Dunlap is the possessor of a handsome fortune as a result of thirty years of arduous labor, lie has practically retired [rum active business, and during the summer months spends most "I' his time mi his tine I arm near Lake ( teneva in Walworth County, Wisconsin, which is his summer home, and in the interchange of social courtesies in the city. -Mr. Dunlap is a member of Blanej Lodge, No. 271, LPJ \..M. ..i Chicago, has the degree of Master .Mason, and takes an active interest in the work of the Order. He has never entered tin' political arena, but IS a pronounced democrat, and by his membership in (uois Cliih, and in other ways, contributes to the bis party. .Mr. Dunlap was married in L853, to .\li~s Ellen M. Pond, sme, de ceased. Bj this union he has two daughters Mrs. A. L. Hopkins of New York, and Mrs. Dr. P. Boston in Is7'j he married Miss Emma Blanche Rice, daughter ot Hon. John I;. Rice or Chicago. .Mr. Dunlap is a man of fine address ami thorough culture, ami occupies a high iii the soeial circles of Chicago, a-- well as iii the commercial and railway busim West. JOHN D. (ill. 1. KIT. There is sneh ii ii ii orin i i j in the lives of the great bodj ot men. but little profit could result trom the study of most of them. Occasionally an extraor- dinary character is developed, either physically, allj or intellectually, and so impresses itself upon the people within the reach of its influence, that it deserves to be Doted and studied. The Bub- ji ctof this brief sketch was such a character. He combined in a remarkable degree physical, m and intellectual superiority. As it seems to I" necessary to give the birth and something of tin' lineage of all who deserve a written biography, it is proper to state John Dean Gillett descended IV a French Huguenot family, which emigrated I,, this country in L631, and settled at Leba aon, in the colony of Connecticut. His grand- father Benoni and his father Eliphaz Gillett were the immediate descendents of thii i [uguenot tarn ily. His father. Eliphaz Gillett, was horn iii 1791, and died at the age of thirty-one in 1822. His grandmother, Pheba Dean, died at the i ninety two. His mother. Amarilla Sanford. lived totheage of seventy -five, a woman of great strength of character. It is proper to stale that both of his grandfathers were soldiers in the Revolution- ary war and drew pensions for their faithful and patriotic services in that war. John Dean Gillett, the subject of this sketch, was horn April 28th, 1819. His lather died when he was three years old. His mother overlooked his education and laid the foundation of his moral character up- on a lirm hasis. lie attended tie' Lancast rean School in New Haven, where he mastered the , li ments of a good English education. At the age of seventeen he went in a ship to Georgia to visit an uncle. He supplied himself with various small articles of trade, an. I during the two years he lived in Georgia he gave his attention to merchan- dizing in a limited way. acting part of the lime as clerk in his uncle's store. He put himself at once on the side ot law and order and volunteered to join the sheriff of the county in the pursuit and arrest of one of the most noted criminals of those early days, "Murrell the forger," who had bee the tenor of the community. In the Bpring of ls:;s he returned to Connecticut, and for three months attended Pearl's Academy, in New Haven. In the autumn of hs:;s lie left his native state and turned his face to the far west. In tort) two days he made the journey Iron, New Haven to Illinois. going down the Ohio river from Pittsburg tot t henee up the Mississippi to St. Louis, and thence BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 79 by stage to Springfield, Illinois. A walk of twenty miles brought him to Bald Knob, where another uncle, John D. Gillett, resided on a largo farm in Logan county. Next morning he went to work for his uncle at $8 a month. It was hard work, felling large oak trees, splitting them into rails, hauling the rails oul of the woods to be laid in long lines i >f fences around new fields to be broken up with large, heavy prairie plows, and cultivated in corn; the corn all to be cut, shocked and hauled out in the dead of winter to be fed to stock. Two years of such labor enabled young Gillett to lay up money enough to enter at $1.25 an acre forty acres of rich prairie land. He was now twenty- one years old, and then and there began that career which he uniformly followed through life. In two years more he increased his entries of lands to 160 acres, built a comfortable bouse on it, and by 184:2 was the owner of 240 acres. In 1810, one day. while crossing the Sangamon river on his way from Springfield to his home, he met Miss Lemira Parke, a handsome young lady of far more than usual attainments. This interest- ing and attractive young lady at once arrested his attention. She, too, lived in Logan county. He very soon thereafter paid court to her, and on the 31st day of March, 1842, they were married, and next day moved into his new house and began in earnest the race of life. His wife was the daugh- ter of Elisha Parke, a prominent citizen of Logan county, a contractor and builder of excellent rep utation, both in New York and Canada as well as in Illinois, but at the time of the marriage of his daughter to Mr. Gillett, was living on a fine farm in Logan county. Soon the neighbors and the traveling public began to make calls upon the young married couple in their very comfortable home at Willow Point, on the highway from Springfield to Bald Knob and Mt. Pulaski, the county seatof Logan county one mile from where is now the village of Cornland, a station on the Illinois Central Railroad. At that time Illinois was still noted for the vast amount of public and unoccupied lands to be entered at $1.25 an acre. Cornland is the center of a vast territory of the richest agricultural lands in the world. Young Gillett was quick to perceive this great fact, and at once made up his mind to cultivate everj possi ble acre he could acquire. Corn was worth from six to eight cents a bushel. This would not pay, but corn fed to cattle and hogs would pay — at least pay better. So at once the young farmer turned his attention to cattle, hogs and horses. In 1850 Mr. Gillett had the largest farm, the greatest number of cattle, hogs and horses of any farmer in Logan county. He was intensely fond of stock, but gave his attention chiefly to cattle raising. He gave employment to large numbers of men and tenants who now performed most of the manual labor in raising crops and feeding and herding the stock. Mr. Gillett was a diligent, pains- taking and practical student of every feature of farming and stock raising. He studied carefully every point in a cow ami steer, and omitted no opportunity to purchase all the cattle his neigh- bors had to sell. He took many risks, but his tine discriminating eye and unerring judgment ena- bled him almost always to make sate, and gen- erally very remunerative, investments. He soon formed the purpose of creating a line of graded stock for the Chicago trade which would excel anything in the market. He bought the best bulls and cows in the available markets, but never indulged in what he considered the non- sense of high-priced animals. His keen and prac- ticed eye could at once decide between a tine and a less fine or inferior animal. He had developed into a man of immense physical strength. In his younger days he personally took care of his stock, was always on the alert, looking after their wants. Day or night, rain or snow, his watchful eye was ever over them. The least unusual move- ment would arouse him from his bed; he would go out into the herd and stay with it until all were quieted. Many a time has he been seen to rush into the midst of an alarmed herd of cattle, run up to tin- foremost, and. seizing the leader by the horns and nostrils, halt and turn him back into the field, and compel all the rest to follow. He soon discovered the merit of blue grass, and turned hundreds of acres of corn land to the growth of this fattening grass. Very soon he adopted the policy of feeding corn all winter, and corn and blue grass all summer. Immense troughs were kept filled with corn the year round. It was not long until Mr. Gillett became the recognized head of all that class of Illinois farmers who feed cattle in this manner for the Chicago market. He kept up farming operations on the largest scale, and omitted no opportunity to enlarge the Held of his operations. Tin- writer has seen Mr. Gillett go into his fields and in twenty minutes call around him by that wonderful and peculiar voice to which he alone could give utterance. 500 head of as fine cattle as any eye ever looked upon, ranging in weight from 1,800 to 2,400 pounds each. In the latter years of his life he shipped many hue cattle to the English market. He established and main- 8o BIOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS. tsined for twenty live years a line of graded Btock ncit equaled in the United States. Be took n remiums a1 the Chicago fat Btock show, and yel it is the truth t « . state he never kepi in Btablee or under shelter cattle for exhibition at any fair, lie Frequently had cm his (arm twelve tci fifteen hundred e, .us. and of all kinds, including fat cattle, 4,000 head. It is not permissible in a brief sketch c.r this character to give in cletail the many inti ta which united tec make up the life of this remarkable man. Land was still cheap in Illinois, and the best [and, too, for rais ing corn and st...-U to !"• found in the world. I '.\ en dollar that he could earn from hie business, or that he could honestly lay his hands cm. was invested in land. His faith in the rich lands c.f central Illinois had no bounds. Lov. prices, panics, dullness in trade, none of th dinary re- : business, had the slightest effect U] his predominant belief that investments in Illinois land- w c .ul.l ultimately pay. Sometimes he would sell lands he had entered, at an advanced price, for purpose of entering still larger tracts. The writer of this sketch once heard him say that he sold t" an anxious purchasers half section • >r land and then entered within two miles .if the tract sold a whole section at $1.25 month. In 1852 he. in company with Robert Latham, his friend and neighbor, entered over 6,000 acresof land. Mr. Gillett was a plain, un- pretentious A rican boj of French descent and New England birth. Ee took hold of life with a firm hand and noble heart, determined to moveon to the end within the sc. .pe and range of the social inline lues an mi ml him. Throw n continually into the society of men of worth and action, he reso lutely conformed t" th.- highesl standard the busi ness relation requires. This deportment was always consistent u ith the highest plane .if i a I requirement; wonderfully discreet, of str dignified will, so Btrong indeed that no s who ever knew him ever thought of trying l.> check or it: self reliant, so thoroughly so that he never was known to ask anj an opinion u| my subject; he lie via- consulted any cine upon business matters, never offered his own opinions to others, but always modestly refrained from in with th.- affairs c,f other people. If his opinion was sought by a friend it was frankly given. Equipped with a strong mind and form- idalile will, he was well qualified tor anj station in lire; In- wai capable of tin- largest ent beolutel] w ithout fear, despised a mean act, and always shunned the society cif coarse in.n. He was frequentl) urged to become a can didate for political honors, but always dec-lined, lie was an ardent Republican, an earnest patriot an. I was tin- persona) friend "f Abraham I. Be went to Washington t" see- Mr. Lincoln in augu rated President of the United States in 1861. Mr. Gillett was a modest, even a diffident, man, He uniformly bore himself as a gentleman; he was never heard to give expression t'. a vulgar phrase- or sentiment. .Mentally he greVi t" I"- very strong, without becoming a great student of books; was quick c.f apprehension; the tii.-ate business affair was comprehend, moment. Be was not a l.''""I conversationalist, Imt was brief and clear as a writer. Be would compress upon a sheet c.f paper transactions covering thousands of dollars. In his later years he became president of a national Lank in Lin coin, III.. I nit as a general rule he adhered through life to farming and stock raising. At the- time of his death, August 27, 1888, he owned and cultivation 16,500 acres oi land. 1,000 acres of i1 in blue grass, and vast herds . .f tine cattle and horses. Mr. Gillett was highlj domestic in his feelings and habits, fond of and devoted t.. his family. He aimed to provide liberally for his wife and children, and he did s... His widow, now seventy years of age, survives him, and still pre set ves t he sprightliness and \ ivacity of youl h as remarkable as a woman as her husband was a- a man. Seven daughters and a son Burvive him. and now own and occupy the lands their father wisely selected tor t hem. CHAUNCEY B. BLAIR. CHAUNCE1 BUCKLEY BLAIR, hit.- presi dent of th.- Merchants National Lank of Chicago, and for many years past one of the financial powers of that city, was born in Blanford, Mass., June 18, 1810. His parents. Samuel and Hannah I'rai \ i It lair were Loth natives of that tow n. He- was tin- third child of a family of seven children [n the year 1814 the family moved into Cortland County, New York, when- Chauncej remained until he was eleven years old. He then returned to his native- town to live with an uncle, a farmer, and there- In- remained employed on tin- farm un- til I..- had attained his majority, when he went Lack to Cortland County, where his family still resided. He remained there until 1835, when he BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 8l determined to try his fortunes in the West. Up to thai time Chauncey had received no business education. His life thus far had been spenl in thoroughly agricultural districts and his work only such as pertained thereto. If his pursuits had not tended to give him a first class education, they, at least, had built up for him a rugged and healthy constitution, which enabled him I" enjoj excellent health through the long and arduous career upon which he subsequently entered. His early life also was free from the evil associa- tions and consequent vices which so frequently beset vnung men. His character was, therefore, built upon the strong and enduring foundation of strict honesty and industry; and these were prominent factors in the Long, useful and honora- ble career of Chauncey B. Blair. The splendid success of this gentleman as a financier was rather remarkable when it is noted that he had reached his twenty seventh year before he became engaged in even a mercantile business, to say nothing of banking, in which pursuit he afterwards displayed such marked ability. Coming West I menced a series of land speculations iii Mil bigan, Indiana and Illinois, and his naturally keen Eon sight and sound judgment enabled him t' i I ><'<■< >me uniformly successful in his ventures. He became wonderfully expert in locating and selecting wild land, aided only by the imperfect maps furnished at the land offices at that early day. He spent months at a time traveling on horseback through those states, locating tracts which he afterwards sold to settlers at a gooil profit. It was these suc- cessful land speculations that gave Mr. Blair his first start in life, and it was a matter of serious regret to him that, in lS.'iT. bj an act of President Jackson, an end was put to a business that had become exceedingly profitable. He had, however, accumulated sufficient capital to go into another line ol' enterprise. In the fall of 1837 he, with his brother, Lyman, opened a store at Michigan City, Ind.. under the firm name of C. B. & L. Blair. This concern became very widely known through out the northwestern states. They dealt ex- tensively in grain, and as the prosecution <•( this business demanded it. they erected large ware- houses for storage. In the buying and selling of cereals the firm's operations covered a large terri- tory, for which Michigan City was the only ship- ping poinl to eastern markets. Their operations became very large and proportionately profitable, but were at laststopped by the railroads which wen- finally built to Chicago. The firm very ma terially aided in the development of the internal resources of the section in which they were ope- rating by many public improvements. C. B.ifc L. Blair constructed the first pier bridge on the east- ern side of Lake Michigan, and they built miles upon miles of plank roads into the interior of Michigan and Indiana. At that time these were the only avenues of commerce, and they continued to be such until the hand of progress swept them awaj to give place to the greater facilities afforded by the iron track and the locomotive. While still at Michigan City. Mr. Blair obtained his first experience in banking. By the provisions of hiseharter to the Union Plank Road Co. he or- ganized a bank and became its president. This financial concern operated on a par with tin- other interests with which Mr. Blair was then connected. Its organization was made necessary by these very . and its influence was felt throughout a wide expanse of territory. The notes of this bank became extensively circulated through the West and the South. Mr. Blair also became largely inter- ested in the old State Hank of Indiana, of which the Hon. Hugh McCullough was the president. This concern, together with its branches, was an extensive institution, and when later it was re- chartered under the name of the Bank of the State i >f Indiana, Mr. Blair purchased a controlling interest in the Laporte branch and was elected president. Mr. Blair conducted tin- affairs of these Indiana concerns with much success for a num- ber of years, and these operations developed in him the desire for greater opportunities than were possible iii the agricultural districts to which his lianking business had been thus far confined. While canvassing the matter of a better location. Chicago was suggested to him by his friend. Hugh McCullough. Mr. Blair, with his inherent mod- esty, replied that his capital was too small and his banking experience too limited to cope with the large banking houses of that city. He was finally persuaded by Mr. McCullough tomake the change and went to Chicago in 1861 and there opened a private banking house. But the war of the Re- bellion had begun, and many and great changes were about to be inaugurated in the financial systems of tin- country. This event caused the introduction of national banks. The famous greenback became the money 1 . 1 value, it caused a reduction of wages, a reduction oi pi ic< and finally broughl on the financial panic wepl ill" country in 1873. These national banks were the medium of circula ii..ii of this greenback money. In i Blair organized the Merchants' National Bank o( Chicago. He was the principal stockholder and became its president, a position which he held up to the time of his death. I te d its affairs w ith the most absolute and unqualified Buccess. He carried it through trial by fire, and st 1 at the helm through the terrible storm of financial panic. Mr. Blair's was the mind that at every cted its affairs and outlined its [.. .li<-\ ; his hum highly prospet ous career and maintained it in ils rank among the most reliable moneyed institutions ..f the North west. So rapidly did the business increase that, though only organized in 1865, its deposits reached 00 in 1876 and 1877. During the natural financial crisis which followed the lire in 1871, ■. i nt of nineteen banks remained standing, Mr. Blair strongly dissented from the proposition ol mosl ol the bank presidents I" si is pen. I. and he announced his intention I" keep his doors widi "pen and pay dollar for dollar. His firmness in this trying time averted whal might have become a disastrous panic and have caused greal suffering. Matters were naturally in a greatly di turbed state, ami the banks could nol tell who were depositors and who were not. Thou sands of attempts were made to impose upon them by taking advantage ol' the confusion. Although the hanks would not. and in fact could not paj ..ut large sums, by the firm stand taken by Mr. Blair and by the example ho set, small sums for in. diate use were paid to depositors. This ac tion afforded great relief; it saved the | pie from much Buffering; it saved the credit of the banks n in business circles which, already disorganized and in dire confusion, might have 1. .en driven to total rout. As it wa look th.- place of despair an. I confidence checked the rapidly increasing feeling ol' distrust; order cai t "f chai ■- and i lusinei - I >egan i mce ■■ t.. move in regular channels. Bui iliis trial was trivial wl d with that which struck the I o hanks in Septembi i. 1 B73. Vboul i he middle of that month the linn ..I i ..f New York, went down, carrying with il thou- sands of smaller houses. Two days wenl by and a feelini began to prevail thai the trouble would not be so great, nor the effecti bo far-reaching as ai lirst supposed. Confidence was rapidly being restored when tie news Mashed over the wires that the bouse of Henry Clews a Co. of New STork, had also sue. -u i n I.e. I. Again w .re financial circles shaken t.. th.ii foundations and a general panic seemed inevitable. Chicago banks looked on and Calmly noted the strife in her sister cities. \ I. .'. ol her banking institutions trembled; the Union National tottered and fell. The presidents held meetings and propositions were made I., suspend by some of the more fearful. Bui the stronger institutions scouted the idea. One of the daily papers, however, precipitated the crisis all were anxious to avert. It came ..ut in the issue of Sep- tembei 26, with the broad statement that the hanks had decided to suspend. The confusion which ensued that day will never lie forgotten by 1 1 lose who Bl I w here h effects cui hi he noted and were able to appreciate them. A meeting was called thai evening and there were present all ..f t he hank presidents, or their representatives. There was a strong element in favor of temporary suspension, ('haiineey II. Blair stood alone in the determination to stand firm and meet all obliga tions. He w as a little late in arriving af the meet iiiLT. lull on his cut ranee some words caught his ear which brOUghl him to the Hour. He made a stirring speech and was the strongest fa. -tor in preventing Hie others from deciding upon the weaker course. He said: "The hanks of Chicago an- in good Condition and I caii see no reason yet for either temporary or permanent suspension. V.8 loi me, 1 shall not close my hank as long as I have a dollar left to pay ..ut. I believe we can gel out of (he present difficulties and that the hanks will come out all right. New York has not bee I ml led to shut her hank doors entirely, and I do nol believe there is any necessity nor any wisdom in shutting ours a! all. 1 am sorry to see a disposi ti ii the part ..f some hanks to force others to this measure It is all wrong to keep money locked up in th. vaults." Mr. Blair said much more to the same purpose, and the meeting ad jou rn eil without any definite action being taken. The presidents met again the following evening and decided that DO Suspension should take place. Subsequent events proved the wisdom of this ac- tion. Money began to How int.. the city in amounts reaching fro,,, si. i ii k i.i ii in to - daily. Confidence quickly became restored and the run on the banks was topped and business soon d its normal condition. The principle on dc^, tZ/l/yu*-^ BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. which Mr. Blair managed his bank, as shown by the reports to the comptroller of the currency for the past twenty years, lias been remarked upon by many of the best bankers of the country. The cash reserves held by the bank have probably been larger than those of anyother bank in the country in proportion to its liabilities, with pos- sibly o ixception -the Chemical National Bank of New York. There has never been a day during its existence that the bank could not meet its obligations to its depositors promptly, and it has thus been enabled to pass through everj period of panic and money string. safety. Although the bank always paid regular dividends, the policy of Mr. Blair was to create a large surplus fund, which for several years pasl has been three times the amount of the capita] stock. In an account of the complications in the political affairs of the city in the spring of 1876, in Andreas' History of Chicago, it is stated: "The heavy taxes and threats of repudiation on the part of citizens, and the consequent critical financial state of the city, were among the leading causes that la-ought about the political revolution. The fiscal year was changed; the expensive office, of tax commissioner was abolished; the tax levies were placed in the hands of the county collector for collection; and efforts were- made to meet matured interest and unpaid protest obligations, as well as to create a surplus fund which would do away with the necessity of issuing tax war- rants. Many wealthy merchants and several of the banks, notably the American Exchange Bank of New York, and C. B. Blair, president of the Merchants' National Bank, came to the assistance of the city. Mr. Blair at this time may safely be accredited with saving the credit of the city of Chicago." Mr. Blair was far too much engrossed in his business duties to give much tine- to the social world; he was all his life a thorough busi ness man. All through his business career, being prompt in keeping engagements, he expected the same ci insideration from others. He gave a read) hearing to all who desired to see him. ami dis- posed of the matters that came before him quietly and quickly. Not a few of those who wet ciated with him can testify to his kindness of heart in all the relations of life. They have proven his steadfast friendship, and found in him not only a safe adviser, but one whose counsel did not always end in words alone. He was ever a liberal-handed citizen, and many a worthy charity holds him in kindest remembrance. He was married in ISil to Caroline O. De Groff, of Michigan City. Ind.. who died in 1S07. A family of six children was born to them, live sons and one daughter. Two of the former. George < I. and William S., have died, but the others all survive and reside in Chicago. The sons living are Chauncey J.. Henry A. and Watson P. The daughter, Harriet, is the widow of the late John J. Borland, of Chicago. Mr. Blair died in Chi- cago, January 30, 1891. As a fitting tribute to his memory, the Chicago Clearing House, at a special meeting called for that purpose, passed the following resolutions: •■Realizing that in the death of Chauncey B. Blair this community has lost a valued citizen and tile banking fraternity a most honored rep- resentative. 1 his association desires to record its tribute to his virtues. The record of his life is unsullied. His business career was conducted along the line of strict integrity, justice and equity. Perceiving the value of a true principle, he adhered to it inflexibly. We recognize in his connection with banking in Chicago an influence of immense value in the past, one which will not soon be lost in the future. Ordinarily conserva- tive in his methods, in times of financial peril he showed high courage and fortitude. We shall cherish him in our memory, and will try to emulate his example. To his Eamily we extend our sym- pathy in the loss of so kind a father and friend. In respect to his memory, and as some token of our appreciation, we will attend his funeral in a body." EDWIN C. LARNED. EDWIN CHANNINli LAKNED, a distin- guished citizen of Chicago, widely known as a lawyer, orator and philanthropist, was born at Providence, Rla.de Island, on July 14th, 1820, and died al ids son's home, at Lake Forest. Illinois, on September 18th, 1SS4. In the so-called New Eng- land States, the original home in America of the Lamed family, a number of its members have risen to distinction. Among those of note may be mentioned Colonel Simon Larned of Connecticut, who in his youth served as an officer in the Revo- lutionary War. was afterwards a member of Con- gress and later an officer in the war of 1812; the Rev. Sylvester Larned, his son, noted during the first half of the present century as an orator and philanthropist: the Rev. Win. Augustus Larned, an educator and author of considerable fame in the last generation; and Colonel Benjamin F. Larned, Paymaster-General of the L'. S. Army, who died in 1862. The grandfather of tin- subject Si BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS ..f this sketch was William Lamed, w bo served in the war of the Revolution, and his father was John S. Larned, a respected and influential mer chant of Providence. The latter no Martin. Tbislady was highly educated and was the author of several published I ks. I Larned was reared amid refined sui roundings and © id \\ itli him through life the delicacy of sen timenl inherited from his gentle and scholarly mother, with whom, consequent upon the earl) death of his father, his youthful relations were more than ordinarily close. His education, begin ning at his mother's knee was continued in the hrsi private schools al Provid , and was finished • i; .. I Ivereity, where he was graduated in ism. Referring to the early years of Mr, Larned, i teorge William Curtis, his boy ish companion and life-long friend, once wrote: "Prom the first his taste for study and his intellectual interest* very evident, and the early necessity of earning his living did not relax his devotion to l»m Us nor interrupt hi i ing to college. Hisi ful and equable temper turned all his tasks into play, and some of the pleasantest hours that I recall are those which 1 spent with him upon Ins rounds of duty. His mother encouraged and de veloped Ids literary tastes and stimulated his gen erous ambition, and the atmosphere of his b was always that of plain living and high thinking, sweet, healthful and serene." For a year after graduation Mr. Larned was Professor of Mathe maties at Kemper College, Missouri, but feeling that he had a vocation in the law he gave up teaching and began legal study under tin Hon. Albert C. Greene, a leading lawyer of Pro\ idi who was afterwards Attorney t leneral tor Rhode Island, and at one time a United States Senator. From his entry upon professional duties Mr. I. aiued displayed a high order of mental ability as well as great sUill in the law. Be first d guished himself by preparing the evidence and briefs in the celebrated Lexington case, 6 How. U. S. 344, in which Richard W. Greene and Daniel Webster were of counsel. Che former was very much impressed l>> young Larned's work in this case and invited him to bet le his partner. Mr. Lamed practiced at the Providence bar. associated with Mr. R W. Greene who was alter wai d Ft fclo of B li Island until Sep tember, 1*17. when he removed to t ihicago. " 1 [e was at that time," writes a distinguished content porary, " very tall and slender, but enjoyed g I health; had a voi i great volume and power, and ex tdingly rich and mellow in tone; and was possessed of an exuberant imagination and great command of languagi Hi arrived in Chicago at a fortunate period in its hiBtory. [ncorporated in 1837, the city began its municipal lire under the financial depression of that year, but during the ming decade it bad struggled on with un- faltering hope, and at the period referred to was beginning to emerge from the cl I. There was a decided improvement in business generally, and the great tide of emigration, which has si nee tilled up the western prairies with homes and tai ms, w as at full flood. The rapid growth of the city worked wonders in every trade and profession, and the young lawyer instead of having to wait months. possibly years, for practice to come to him. had all he could attend to from the outset. His first ease at the bar demonstrated that he was splendidly equipped for his chosen work. His business increased at a rapid rate and soon, by its volume and importance, gave him a leading rank in his profession, which he maintained with ease until his death. Mr. Larned was by nature and education an avowed opponenl of slavery and his first celebrity was acquired by a vigorous attack upon it in a speech on the Fugitive Slave Law passe, 1 iii is:.n delivered at the old market house on State street. Chicago, ill L851. It was made in answer to one by Stephen A. Douglas, and may be called Mr. Larned's maiden effort as a public speaker. The -Little Giant " was profoundly im- pressed by his speech, and openly declared that it was the i, est he had beard on the ami slavery side of the question. The excellence of this speech was I, nt the precursor of that excellence which char actcri/.ed all his subsequent efforts. A prominent lawyer once said of Mr. Lamed that he never heard him in a case when he did not seem to him to make the best speech which the subject ad miticd. Be exercised the same care in the pub lication of all his public utterances and his fame as an orator soon became national. One of his most remarkable efforts was his speech in the famous fugitive slave cases tried before Judge Drummond, in Chicago, in March, L860. The Fugitive Slave Law was not being enforced to the satisfaction of the pro-slavery element and the entire South and the conservative men of all parties in the North were clamoring for convic- tions under it. Southern slaveholders and Southern newspapers were # a unit in declaring that Northern juries would not sustain the law which Chief Justice Taney ami a majority of the Supreme Court of the United States had decided wasconstitutional; and in consequence a bitter feel BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 85 ing on the subject prevailed throughout the entire South and was shared by a sympathetic minority in the North. On the other hand the Abolitionists and their sympathizers, already forming a numerous party, opposed the execution of the law on high moral grounds; and in Illinois they were backed up by the opinion of the venerable Justice Mc- Lean, the presiding justice of the United States Circuit Court, to the effect that the law was un- constitutional. When the cases referred to came to trial the United States marshal for the district was a Democrat, and the members of the jury, with two exceptions, were of similar political faith. The first case tried resulted in a conviction. although the defendant had the advantage of such eminent counsel as Isaac N. Arnold. Stephen A. Goodwin and Joseph Knox, all of w 1 . ing that momentous issues were at stake, and that the eyes of the country were upon them, made remarkable speeches. The second case was that of Joseph Stout, indicted for rescuing a fugitive slave named Jim from the United Stat'-s deputy marshal, at Ottawa. 111.. October 'Jo. 1859. Mr. Lamed, who had taken no active part in the preceding case, now took the lead. Major Daniel Goodwin, Jr.. an eminent lawyer of I whose experiences at the liar, both I. West, have been most comprehensive, and who heard Mr. Larned's speech on this memorable occasion, says of it: "No epitome or description of. or extracts from. Ids argument could do any justice to the fervor of his appeal or the thrilling effect of his eloquence, held in control ever by his loving respect for Judge Drummond and his absolute command on all occasions of his own temper ami his own reason. It was an elabora- tion of his old speech at the Market House, where he had first exhibited his remarkable powers with the same kind of eloquence which first notified > natives of Faneuil Hall that the times demanded and had created a Wendell Phillips, who there thundered forth the rights of man as James Otis, and Joseph Warren, and John Adams had done in 1775." Mr. Lamed at this time was less than forty years of age. His whole heart was in his subject, and his moral and emotional nature was stirred to its profoundest depths. He was conscious that he was doing battle for a great principle, and no soldier on the field of carnage ever employed the weapons at his command with more vit;or and skill. In length the argument re- ferred to did not exceed 20,000 words, yet it seemed to cover every phase of the question at issue, and it was as brilliant in its eloquence and as touching in its pathos as it was unanswerable in its logic. The time of its delivery and the effect it produced throughout the country made it historical. It is justly considered Mr. Larned's masterpiece, and deserves embodiment, so far as appropriate, in any sketch of his life. The few extracts from it here introduced are given not only as specimens of Mr. Larned's style, but also as revelations of the inner nature of the man himself, as well as of the sentiments of that unselfish, heroic and .ing band of men and women styled Abolitionists, through whose noble and philan- thropic labors and agitation, the foul blot of slavery was eventually removed from the national escutcheon. Mr. Lamed began in a gently sar- castic v.in by excusing the attorney for the United States li. e.. Judge Arlington, "whose massive intellect, exuberant fanc\ and fascinating oratory were used at their best " on this occasion) for attacking the declaration of independence and seeking to strengthen his position by citations from Washington. Jefferson, Webster, Clay and others, on the ground that the illustrious counsel for the prosecution could not find it a pleasant duty to ask a jury to convict a man as a criminal for "an act which has no guilt save that which is found on the pages of the statute) k." He then said: "Only in the letter of the statute, only by the force of the enactments of a law made by men. and binding upon courts and juries, and not by the force of any considerations of what is just and right under the higher, everlasting laws which are written by God in the conscience and moral nature of man. can he find any sanction for a ver- dict against the defendant at the bar. Gentle- men, in the nineteenth century of the Christian era. in the republic .if the United States, in the tie,- state of Illinois, a man of unblemished char- acter, a man known and beloved in a city which his intelligent industry has aided to build up, and his high moral qualities have contributed to adorn, sits at the felons' bar of this court, and is on trial as a criminal. And tin- offense, the crime, alleged against him. and for which he is thus arraigned, is that he has aided a fellow man in his efforts to obtain his liberty. It is charged to be a crime in that republic whose foundations were laid in those great principles of liberty, equality and the rights of man. of which the declaration of American independence is the fullest and noblest national expression, to aid a fellow man in seeking to secure for himself that blessed boon of liberty to which every human being is by virtue of his manhood entitled. Re- garded outside of and independent of the statute book, viewed by the light of those principles of conscience, that higher law of universal right and justice, which, however it may be scoffed at and despised, every true man reverences as far above 86 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. all more human enactments, the act which is charged againsl the defendant would be approved as a virti a crime. f'< ir surely I .1 helping hand to tin- oppressed, 1" aid ndless and despised outcasts of human society, to e.iw the word of sympathy and the hand of kindness to the forsaken, forlorn, friendless slave on his way to liberty, would be an act of humanity and of Christian charity which would bespeak a generous and coble nature, and com elf i" tli>' besl and holiest instincts of the human heart." □g Judge Arrington's claim that the slave had qo right to liis liberty, and thai the acts of those who aided him to secure il were no better than highway robbery, he said: " Gentlemen, did the idea occur to you v learned gentleman was discoursing up.ni those compromises and compacts, in behalf of which he sought to awaken your patriotism and love of the Union, that the slave is no party to your constru- cts, 1 hat he lias aey er given his assent to your ordinances or your legislation? " Did it occur to you, when the learned coun sellor was discoursing upon the Bacredness and antiquity of the great right of property, and in yoking your sense of justice and right against the violation "i this right, that t Inn- was a right older and more sacred than the right of a master to a slave the right of tkeslavt to himself t " 1'lir righl of a master to a slave is "the right of power. It is the right of the strong over tie weak. It is might, Dot right. " P i ii I I oi a iii.iii to himself is by a deed of m the great God who created him. and of which no human power or authority can rightfully deprive him. ••It is written by the hand of the Almighty on the brow Of every human being whom he has formed int.. his own image, into whom he has breathed an imi and who, by \ irl ue of beci ime a man. ■•There is no right of propertj as ancient as this, for it dates back to the first moment of crca tion. There is none so sacred, for it is conferred by Him who is the Maker of all things, and to whom all belong. ****** " I know, gentlemen of the jury, that it is the fashion of the day. and especially with tl represent the Government of the United States, to sneer at liberty, to ridicule those great rights of man w Inch have been won from tyranny by the struggles of brave and i mm men through the cen the past, and especially to cast the most contemptuous obloquy upon thus.' who contend earnestly for the freedom, humanity and just men whose skin is darker than their own. ■• Hut I have learned from tic study oi the lesson thai : p to lie loss J a pi I lies is to cease |,, prize them, and that the Bret effort of those w ho desire to steal away a people's rights js to infuse into the popular mind an indifference to all questions ol right and tree dom; to I. rine over it that cold and hari ness which regards DOthing as important which does not a licet the special personal • ifort and ■ i the individual; to i I husiasts i ici all men n ho hai i faith in principle, in duly. 111 religion all men who believe i hat humanity, the rights of man are -real realities and not unmeaning words. Ian. -.nil. M il ■ , I care not for the ridicule or the reproach of mill like these. Call me by what name they please. fanatic, enthusiast, or that other word which seems to them to comprehend the sum total of human depravity, Abolitionist, [will, whenever ami wherever the occasion offers, stand up and vindicate the great rights of humanity, tl of a man to himself, the 'inalienable right' or every man created in the image of God, with Which lie was -endowed bj Ids Creator,' and which is as indestructible as that nature itself to ■ life. liberty and the pursuit of happiness.'" Denying the aspersion that the people of the North were unwilling to carry out in good faith the compact of the Constitution, he pointed out the reasons why the law in question was so objection able to them. sa\ ing : " It is because they regard the provisions of this law as most dangerous to the rights of freemen. 1 1 i because this law violates ail those great safe guards for the security of personal liberty, which thej regard as no less sacred and important than the Constitution itself, it is because this law permits a subordinate, inferior class oi trates. w hose only right to act at all is la thi' shallow pretence that they do not act as judges, to give a judgment which decides final)} and tor ever thi- great question of man's liberty, It is because t hat highest of all human rights, the right of a man to himself, is allowed to be taken away and a man made a slave upon ex part i evidence, given in a summary way without even the sanc- tion of a curt or judicial officer. It is because the right of trial \>\ jury that greatest of all the securities of lite, lil lerty and property of the citizens is denied under this law." With a knowledge of the temper of the North, amounting to prevision, he indicated the dangers which must necessarily follow the enforcement ol' this law, sa\ ing: "Gentlemen of the jury, it is suit 1 that the exe CU tion of this oppressive and odious law in the North will tend to the preservation of the Union, and your love of country is sought to be enlisted in a ill of a conviction of t he defendant at the bar. '• I deny the assertion. 1 say thai DOthing tends more to weaken the bonds of the Union at the North than such prosecutions as these. Make men feel by the execution of this tueiti act on the soil of the free states. Ii.m all the great securities of personal libertj are daily violated in behalf of slavery; pursue with tine and imprison incut men of stainless character and unsullied life .1 ml or a kind w ord to a ( r fugitive on his wax to lil. city, and you will till the hearts of freemen at the North with reclines of bitterness ami discontent. Better, far better, were BIOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS, 87 it feu- the- Union, tor the peace of the country, for the tinuance of those fraternal feelinge and relations which should bind together the citizens of these states, if this fugitive slave law of 1850 had lain, like the law of 17'J.'!. dormant upon the statute hook. The law of 1793 was the only law on this subject for more than titty years. It is well known that that law was practically a nullity. and that so few attempts to enforce it were made that it was. to all intents ami purposes, the same as it there wen' no law in existence; ami that was the period of the utmost peape and harmony throughout the whole country. ****** ••There are other provisions of the Constitution of the United States as binding as that on which this law is based, and which are also in themselves just, which are every day violated; andyel the gi v eminent does not take any action in respect to such violations, and thedignityof the Government seems not to Ik- at all disturbed by them. "The property of citizens on the free soil of one of the Territories of the United States has I a destroyed by tin- most wanton violence] men have been assaulted and murdered for no crime, and in the open light of day; om- of the great navigable rivers of the Nation has been blockaded bj armed men; free citizens are daily being exposed to in- sult and outrage in other states for exercising the rightof free speech and of a free press, guaran- teed to them by tli.' Constitution. All these things are matters of public history which are knnii n to all. "Did you ever hear of any prosecutions of these men by the Government? Was the law en- forced against these violators of the rights of per- son and property '.' •■ Why must this law. which punishes what is not a crime except by the statute which makes it so, be selected and all the power of the Govern- ment he given to its enforcement, while tin- guar- antees of the Constitution against unreasonable seizures and searches and its securities for the great rights of personal liberty, the freedom of speech and of the press, are trampled upon with- out notice and without punishment?" Such was the effect of tin- logical and thrilling speech upon the jury that though they were' kept out for parts of three days and two whole nights they would not return a verdict of guilty. The speech was published in the Chicago Press and Tribune on the 19th of March, and was read by thousands of people all over the great Northwest less than two months ln-fore the assembling at Chicago "1 the convention which nominated Lin- coln for the Presidency, and adopted a platform which declared that slavery was local and not national -the creation of local law alone — and should not be extended into any free territory of the United States. In the Lincoln campaign Mr. Larned took a most active part; and during the terrible years of the civil war "he was one of the powers which upheld our great fabric of consti- tutional liberty and saved the nation." In con- nection with such distinguished associates as Judge Thomas Drummond, Judge John M. Wil- son. Judge Manierre. Isaac X. Arnold, Thomas Hoyne, George Schneider and others, he labored with untiring zeal upon the famous Union De- fense Committee, which was in constant commu- nication with Lincoln. Seward, Cameron, Trum- bull. Arnold, Washburne, Fremont and other leading actors in the struggle, guiding and direct ing popular opinion, formulating proper legisla- tion for the new order of things, raising and equipping troops, creating defenses for the North- ern frontiers, selecting proper embassadors to undeceive the people of Europe taught to believe that the Southern Confederacy was lighting only for liberty, and in furnishing supplies and nurses for the sick and wounded Union soldiers, lie was in Washington in May. 1861, when Ellsworth was shot, and was one of those who reverently es- corted the remains of the gallant young officer to their last resting place. He was singularly indif- ferenl to public honors, and though repeatedly urged by li i.- friends to permit his name to be brought forward for the congressional nomination in his district, where his election was a foregone conclusion had he consented to run, he could never be persuaded to agree to do so. It was not through indifference on his part, but from a be- lief that there was ample work close at hand to engage his fullest attention. In March. 1861, Mr. Larned was appointed by President Lincoln United States district attorney for the northern district of Illinois. He was reluctant to accept theoffice, but was persuaded to do so in the warmest manner by the bar and the press as well as by the personal solicitations of his closest friends. He served four years, and President Lincoln, failing to induce him to continue in office, a pted Ins resignation with expressions of deep regret. While the war lasted he never relaxed his efforts in behalf of the Union. His earnest labors, performed both day and night, finally impaired his health and he went with his son to Europe in 1863, for a brief period of rest; but even while absent he maintained his connection with events at home by letter- to the public press and to the clubs with which he was in affiliation. After resigning his official position he resumed private practice for several years. When his son, Walter C. Larned, had been two years at Harvard College he went to Cambridge. Mass.. and was residing there when the great fire of 1871 laid Chicago in ashes. He was a heavy loser by this catastrophe but he seemed to think 88 l.loiiKAI'in OP [LLINOIS. little of liis personal loss, his large h<;iri being filled to overflowing with the profoundest pity tor ■ masses t" w bom the conflagration meanl absolute ruin. Hurrying to Chicago he devoted Mis entire time tor Beveral months to the aoble and enduring work of the Relief and Aid Societj proving one of its ablest and most useful mem bere. Indeed, Mr. Larned drew »i |> the bill in- corporating this society, and served as a i of Bame until within a few years "f his death. He was. wit! i II'- one oi the first mo^ ers tor the establishment of the Chicago Public Library, and likewise tor the introduction ol the present water supply and the Bewage sj In 1>7'J 7:; Mr. Larned again visit) I Eu rope h iili his family. He wrote man} letters from abroad tor the press, and even after his return to America, although admonished bj ill health to abandon active labors, he continued t<> write and produced a " Life of Swedenborg " (still in manu- script), and wrote many articles for thenewspa pers and magazines. Mr. Larned possessed a keen sense of the duties of citizenship, and not only did he labor well in discharging th he lived with a delicate regard tor the effect of his example upon others. Alluding to his rela- tions with the Citizens' Association of Chicago, when in 1--7I and L875 it was set to do, with its un- tried Btrength, a great political work, Mr. Franklin MacVeagh, one of his associates in thai body, said: "No co laborer of his in the work will ever r< >r, and for some years a judge of the Superior Court of that city, was born in Genesee county, N. Y., on February 20, 1821. His father, David Higgins, a native of East Haddam, Conn., was a farmer, who in 1S14. seeking a new Held of activity, emigrated to Cayuga county, N. Y„ later removing to Genesee county, but returning to Cayuga county, where he died in 1S"27. His mother, whose maiden name was Eunice Sackett, was the daughter of William Sackett, and was herself a native of Vermont. She was a sister of the 1 !• 'ii. William A. Sackett, formerly a member of Congress from Seneca county, N. Y.. and now a resident of Saratoga. She died in 1847. The subject of this sketch was the fifth of eighl sons. His early education was obtained in the village schools of Auburn and Seneca falls, and was as thorough as the locality permitted. At the age of twelve he made his how in the business world as a clerk in the store of his eldest brother, at Seneca Palls, N. Y. Without giving up his personal at- tempts at self -improvement, he continued in this ca- pacity until the close of hissixteenth yearwhen he yielded to the irresistible fascination which drew thousands of ambitious youths from the more densely settled districts of the East to the newly- opening Northwest, in which the eye of prophecy already discerned the promise of empire. His brother, A. D. Higgins, had been established in Chicago since 1835, and was the proprietor of a small but flourishing general store in that place, then a thriving village of between four and the thousand inhabitants. Here "Van." upon his ar- rival in the summer of 1837, was duly installed as assistant. By persistent study and reading he qualified himself for teaching, and during the winter of 1837-38 he had charge of a district school in Vermillion county. 111. The ensuing year was similarly divided, with profit to all con cerneil. In the sprint; of 1839 young Higgins went to St. Louis, then a rapidly growing city of about 15,000 inhabitants, where his brother was publishing a daily newspaper called the Missouri Argus. After a year of general reportorial work on this journal he engaged in commercial pur- suits, and for a time conducted in St. Louis a successful business on his own account. Not- withstanding that the prospects were unusually good in this venture, he deliberately sold out his establishment to secure the necessary freedom to devote his w hi ile time and attention to the stlld\ of law. for which from his early boyhood he had entertained a more than sentimental fancy. When he took this step he had just completed his twenty first year. Removing to Iroquois county in the spring of 1842, he devoted a few months to assidu- ous legal study, at the expiration of which he was admitted to the bar of that county and to practice in all the other counties of the state. In 1845, after a twelvemonth of active practice in Middleport, he removed to ( ialena, 111., and in the following year formed a partnership there with O. C. Pratt. Esq., afterwards a judge of the Supreme Court of Oregon, and later a judge of one of the District ( 'oiirts of San Francisco. Cal. This partnership was continued until 1849. While residing in Galena, Mr. Higgins held, during two years, the offi if city attorney. His prospects at the bar were extremely promising at this place, but he was cast in a mental mold that fitted him for a larger and more varied Held of effort. Chicago held out the greatest inducements to him, and in 1852 he returned to the city — the population of which already exceeded 30,000 and established himself in the practice of his profession, Within a year after his arrival he had formed a partner ship with the Hon. Corvdon Beckwith and 15. P. strotlier. umler the style of Higgins, Beckwith & Strother. Many cases, including a number of the very tirst importance, were entrusted to this firm, which in a short time became one of the most prominent and successful in the city. From his earliest entrance upon professional duties Mr. Higgins had taken an earnest interest in politics, but for some years lie did not feel at liberty to neglect his practice to seek the honors or emolu ments of office. About the time of the disintegra- tion "f the ol.l parties lie had attained such a degree of prominence at the bar that his fellow- citizens naturally looked upon him as a leader. In common with the mass of the intelligent citi zens of the Northwest, he was opposed to tlic re- peal of the Missouri Compromise and to the ex- tension of slavery into free territory; and when the Republican party was formed, in 1856, he became one of its most active members. In 1S5S he was nominated by his fellow-citizens of that party (or the Illinois Legislature, and was elected. In this body he distinguished himself by his manly and patriotic course on all public questions, and made his mark as a clear headed, broad minded and impartial legislator. At tin- close of his term he was honored by the nomination [or a judgeship of the Superior Court of Chicago, and at the .ice BIOGRAPm' OF ILLINOIS. tion which fallowed was chosen to thai office bj a which gave convincing evidence of the popular belief in liis fitness far this high judicial position. During the long and trying period of the civil war Judge Biggins was conspicuous far his zealous support of the Federal government. Never far a moment during this bitter struggle iliil he Falter in his allegiance or relax his efforts in behalf of the Union cause. "A staunch friend of Mr. Lincoln before his nomination," sins a writer who speaks from intimate personal know I edge, "after his election In- stood by him. ex hibiting in his support tin- same patient common idapt means to in. Is which characterized our great President.*' Mis tabors i mosl practical nal lire, and n ere "i ex treme value all through tin- struggle, but espe cially during tin- earlier days when excitement and want of judgment hampered, ami in sonic I, a great 'leal that was done bj other equall) patriotic, but i headed Union men. Judge Biggins was one of thciirst in Chicago to appreciate the value of I nion men. and he labored unceasingly to eflfect it. Largel) to his patriotic zeal was iluc the formation of the Union Defense Committee of the citj ol Chicago, an organization coniplished wonders in aiding t he Federal government, and which lives in history side bj side with the Union League, the Sanitary C mission, and the other leading civilian bodiei which contributed so greatly to secure the strength and success of the Union arms. As a ol the executive committee of the lirst named ' Biggins mad practical suggestions w Inch were at mice adopted. In the greal work of recruiting, equipping and transporting troops; in that of furnishing supplies anil medicine; in that of aiding uncled and c farting the bereaved, he a i never be forgotti d 03 his fellow citizens of Chicago. Through the untiring services of himself ami his colleagues the city was enabled to till its quota of troops substan tially without a draft; and indeed the State ol Illinois was likewise under heavy obligations to them in the same direction. To their lasting I may be said that their labors were inva od noli partisan spirit. In the autumn of 1865 Judge Biggins re ugned In- seat upon the bench and resumed the practice of law, forming a partnership with tin Bon. Leonard Swett and Colonel Davii style ol Biggins, Swett a Quigg. In lsT-J. Judgi 1 1 i gii ha> ing been 1 li cted to the presidencj of the Babcocb Manufactt pany, dissolved his connection with thi his new duties. These he discharged without intermission until .Ian nary 1st, 1876, when he retired from icipation in I pam's a Hairs to accept the financial agenc} of the Charter Oak Life Insurance Company for the Western states. Since L880 Judge lliu-ins has been president ol the Nat al Life Insurance Company of the United States of America, the only life insurance company in existence char tcreil hy Congress. He has held the controlling in ten 'st in the Rose Hill Cemeterj Co. since 1 -^Ti". Be is the president of i he Fidelity Safe Deposit Com pany of t Jhicago. I h- is a member i if t In I Bar Association, the American Bar Association and of the American Acadi mj ol Politit I Social Science, lie hail I. ecu a member of I Lodge of A. 0. P. Masons of Chicago since about 1855; a Knight Templar Tor about thirty years ami has attained a thirtj second degree in the Ancient Order of Scottish Kite Masoi might he expected with oneol his genial nature lie has found time for social duties and pleasures. He is the president of the Byde Park Suburban Club and a member of the Union League, the Wash ingtoi Park Club and the K.-uw 1 Club. Be has I n a member of the Chicago Historical So cietj since its organization, having been one of the charter members. Judge Biggins has become widel] known asan inventor, and has secured sev eral important patents on original inventions ami improvements. He is a line theoretical, as well as practical, mechanician ami his judgment upon the merits of any new mechanical discover} is equal to that of thi' besl pracl teal mechi • in the West. Hi- love of mechanical pursuits absorbs no small portion of his busj life. No estimate of the charac 1 1 i of Judge 1 1 il- in- won lil be either complete or just unle-s it considered him in his three fold ca pacity of citizen, lawyer and business man. •• First ol all. as a citizen," to quote the Hon. Kmor\ A. Storrs, "he is a man of great public spirit, ami i iii feeling and character a typical Western man. Prom the beginning Judge Biggins ha with a \ isioii clearer than most men, ii"t "lily the probabilities but the possibilities of thi West; ami what a quarter of a century or more ago he so clearly saw . ami what he -.. col prophesied, he has diligentlj worked to realize'' .1 In nature with what has been happily termed "a legal mind," his mentalit} is such that the law alone seems to afford it the fullest intel- BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 91 lectual scope. A diligent student from the be- ginning of his career, he has acquired an unusually profound knowledge of statutory law, which a well-disciplined memory places absolutelj at his command. In the practice of law he was noted for the great can- given to the preparation of his cases. Prom his first appearance at the Chicago bar down to the close of his active practice, he maintained the reputation of being the equal of the best of his colleagues in his mastery of the law as well as statutorj enactments. There was an ease and method in his pleadings which gave them wonderful effectiveness and stamped him as a master of his profession. When he was elevated to the bench he found Ids painstaking, methodical habits of the highest value. His memory, likewise, proved of giant service. The more complicated cases wen- easily unraveled. decisions were quickly arrived at. and the busi- aess of the court was disposed of with dignity and yet with remarkable rapidity— all due to , -har- ness of perception, habits of logical analysis and familiarity with precedent, aided and completed bj that judicial demeanor in which learning, impar tiality and humane consideration of extenuating circumstances are happily blended with a thorough comprehension of the principles of law and a scientious regard for the obligations of office. His judgment was seldom at fault, his decisions rarely reversed. Not the least valuable knowledge he brought to his judicial position was his thorough acquaintance with business, particularly in the department of finance. His attitude toward the younger members of the bar who practiced before him. especially to those who were painstaking in the preparation of their cases, was gently pater- nal and always encouraging. In consequence, leu of the judiciary had warmer friends among the younger generation of lawyers of the city. Set la- had no favorites ami justice in his court was absolute. All. whatever their age or acquire- ments, respected him. When he put off the ermine to triumph in the world of business and finance he still retained many of the judicial char- acteristics. His personal appearance contributed largely to this, for he was of a tall, commanding fig ure. and bore in his countenance and air a certain natural dignity which rested easily upon him. The thinness an.l decision of character for which lie is noted an- risible in his features, yet softened by culture and great amiability of manner. In the conduct of business he derived decided assist- ance from his intimate knowledge of law in the same way that his extended knowledge of busi- ness had served him when he was acting in a judicial capacity. In either case it was the ready application of knowledge that proved of service. and it is this ability on his part to at all times command tic- resources of mind and experience that makes him the virile factor he has proved in every position and undertaking with which he has been connected. It is in no w ise extravagant praise to assert that .Judge Higgins is one of tin- most honored of those who have labored to build up and strengthen the city of Chicago, nor to claim that the giant strides which the ■• wonder citj of the West " has taken within the last de- cade or two have been rendered possible by the :l ( such men as he and his optimistic asso- ciates of the antebellum period. The sagacity andenergyof its merchants, the success of its enterprises, the broad lines upon which all its 1 1 mercial and financial undertakings are projected and carried out, had their origin in these courag eous, far seeing and liberal-minded men. And it is pleasant to record that the community in which Judge Higgins resides is in no way backward in recognizing these facts and in giving honor u here honor is due. The private life of Judge Higgins potless. F lof the pleasures of home and of tin- retirement there possible, which per- mitted him to gratify to the fullest his cultured tastes, he has been an exemplary husband. His .to whom he was married in 1847, was Mrs. E.S.Alexander, of Jacksonville, Illinois. This lady died in 1882. In 1883 he married his present Wife, formerly -Miss Lena Isabel Morse, of San Rafael, Cal., daughter of A. CM. use. Esq., of that city. J. RUSSELL JONES. JOSEPH RUSSELL JONES was bornatCon- neaut. Ashtabula comity. Ohio, on the 17th of February. 18^3. His father. Joel Jones, was bom at Hebron. Connecticut, May 14th. lT'.rJ. and after marrying Miss Maria Dart, the daughter of Joseph Dart, of Middle Haddam, Connecticut, removed with his young family to Conneaut, Ohio, in 1S19. Joel Jones was the sixth son of Captain Samuel Jones of Hebron. Connecticut, who was an officer in the French and Indian war. and also in the Revolutionary war. The latter held two commis- sions under George II. of England. He returned from the wars and settled in Hebron, where he [SI0GRAPH1 OP ILLINOIS. married Mine Lydia Tarbox, by whom he had siv sons and tour daughters. Nine of the ten lived i" reach maturity. Samuel, the eldesl bod, was a lawyer, and practiced his profession tor man) years at Stockbridge, Mass. He was a man <>f fine cultivation. In 1842 he published ;i treatise on the "Right of Suffrage," which is. probably, the .mis work of the kind ever published by an Ameri can author. Prom another brother descended the late Hon. Joel Jones, the first president College, the late Samuel Jones, M. D., ol Phila delphia, and Mathew Hal( Jones, of Eat sylvania. Prom a third brother descended Hon. A us. hi .1 president of the Republic of Dexas. The family are now in possession "I a letter written bj Captain Samuel Jones to his wife ;it Fori Edward, dated Augusl L8th L758 Om hundred and ten years previous to the date pf this letter, his ancestor, Captain John. Jones, sal al Westminster as i of the judges of King I 1. Colonel John Jones married Henrietta Cathe- rine, the sit. mil sister of t (liver Cromwel and was put to death October 17th, L660, on the restoration of Charles II. His son, Hon. William Jones, survived him, and one year bel father's death, married Miss Hannah Baton, then of the parish of St. Andrews, Holden, Epenton. He subsequently came to America with his father in-law, the Hon. Theophilus Baton, flrsl < lovernor of the colon] ol New Haven, Connecticut, where pied the office of Deputy Governor for Borne years, and died October 17th. 17(h;. Both himself and wife are buried in New Haven, under the same stone with Governor Baton. Prom the g it will be seen that the subject of this sketch is connected by direct descent with the best blood of the puritan fathers, and came hon- estly bj the virtues which have characterized and adorned his private and official life. His father died whin he was but an infant, leai mother with a large family, and but Blender means for their maintenance. At the age of thirteen, i tnes was placed in a store at Conneaut, his mother and other members of the family at time remov ing to R ickton, \\ innebago county, Illinois. This, his first clerkship, gave t.i his employers great satisfaction. He remained with them for two years, when he decided to follow ins family, ami Beek his fortune in the west. When the leading members of the Presbyterian church were apprised of his determination to de part from them, they endeavored to prevail upon him to remain, offering to provide for his educa lion for the ministry . He, however, declined their generous offer, but not without sincere and grate- fnl acknowledgements of their great kindness ted towards him, and taking pai board the schooner J. G. King, he made his tirst landing at Chicago, on the 19th of August, L838. proceeded to Rockton, when- he remained with his family for the next two years. rendering such Bervice to his mother as his tender years and slight frame would permit. In l s i". he went to Galena, then the largest and most floui ishing city in the northwest, determined to better his condition, but as his entire available capital aly on.- dollar, his tirst app >i] io 1 1 the scene of his future successes was not en couraging. Hi accept at a very small salary, a clerkship, which he Billed tor about Bix months, after which he entered the employment ..f one of the leading merchants of Galena. Young J s f. hi n.l in this assoeiat ion appreciative friend- ship, agreeable surroundings, hearty encourage I ample seope for his business talents and ambition. Contact with enterprising spirits ..r that region soon developed in him those qualities which ha' bighly distinguished him as a man of sterling worth ami remarkable ability. His employer, percsiving his supen r qinliii-. ;.i tions, his read) adaptability to the requirements of his position, his imperturbable g 1 natt on, foresight and sagacity, advanced him rapidly, and finally to a partnership in the business, which was continued successfully and profitabl) until L856, when the co partnership wasdi In 1846, while still engaged in the mercantile busi Mr* lie was appointed secretarj and treasurer ..I' the Galena and Minnesota Packet Company. This highly important position he held for fifteen years, giving entire satisfaction to the company. In I860, he was nominated by the Republican party, and elected member of the twenty Becond General Assembly from the Galena district, com 1 1 mties of -l" l>a\ iess and ( !arroll. lie soon became one of the most active and influ ential members of the Legislature, and was prom inently identified « ith many measures public interest, so that his conduct as a n tative received the high approval, not only of his own district, but of the whole state. In 1861, Mr. Jones was appointed bj President Lincoln to the office of United States Marshal for the Northern district ..r Illinois. This appointment required him t.. change his residence to Chicago, ami him in contact with other and larger in terests than those which had previouslj claimed In- attention- In 1863 he organized Thi • r.TOCKAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 03 W.'st Division Railway Company, was elected its president and by his systematic and skillful management, shod brought it to a high condition of prosperity. In the midst of his exacting duties, he f..und time to take part in various other com- mercial and manufacturing enterprises, all of which added to his ample fortune, and brought him into notice as one of the most success- ful and influential men of Chicago. Withal he discharged his duties as marshal so efficients and with such satisfaction to the Government, that upon th mmencement of Mr. Lincoln's s nd term he was re-appointed and held the office till General Grant called him to fill a higher and much more conspicuous position. Mr. Jones was one of Mr. Lincoln's most trusted friends and enjoyed his fullest confidence. He was summoned by the latter upon several occasions to Washing- t m for consultation upon matters of public inter- est, and at least once to confer upon a subji great personal concern to the President. Shortly after the crushing victory of the Union forces, commanded by General Grant, over the Confed- erate army at Chattanooga, a movement was set on foot by a number of influential men in New York to give the successful < ieneral an independ- ent nomination for the presidency. Mr. Lincoln was too astute and watchful a politician to re- main long in ignorance- of this hostile movement, and as a matter ,.r course, soon discovered thi plans of his enemies. Perceiving at once that the Nation's victorious chieftain would prove a dan- gerous competitor, if he really were ambitious, In- regarded it as of the first importance to satisfy himself on that point. Recalling the intimacy which had grown up between (Ieneral Grant ami Mr. Jones, he telegraphed for the latter to come to Washington. Mr. Jones lost no time in obey in.; tie- President's summons. On reaching Wash ington he reported his arrival to the President. stating that he would call whenever it would be most convenient for the President to receive him. and was requested to call at 8 o'clock thai evening, which he did and was conducted to the President's private office, and closing the doors. Mr. Lincoln said: "Jones. I've sent for you to tell me whether or not Grant wants to lie President." Mr. Jones replied promptly, in accordance with what he knew to lie the fact: " Certainly not; he would not take the office if it were offered to him. So far from being a candidate himself. I know him to !„■ earnestly in favor of your re-election." Mr. Lin- coln's countenanced relaxed, and the habitual shade of sadness faded from his face, as he leaned forward, and putting his hand upon Mr. Jones' shoulder, said: "My friend, you don't know how gratifying that is to nit adding reflectively " "v. man can ever tell how deep that Presidential grub gnaws until he has had it himself." Immediately after (ieneral Grant's election, four years later, he nominated Mr. Jones to the Senate as min- ister h. Belgium, in grateful appreciation of his patriotic support of the government's policy during the civil war. and in recognition of his services as a member of the National Repub- lican executive committee during the political contest which had just terminated, and of his high qualities as a gentleman and citizen. He proceeded quietly to his post, accompanied by his family, took possession of the- legation on the "Jlst of July. 1869. was continue, 1 in due time and addressed himself at once unosten- tatiously but industriously to tlie mastery of the situation. One of his first duties was to make an elaborate report upon the cereal productions of Belgium, by order of the State department, and the manner in which he did this left nothing to lie desired. Shortly afterwards he was called upon to interpose his g I offices in behalf of an American citizen who had been condemned to imprisonment. He did so quietly, and without display, and succeeded speedilj in effecting the release of his countryman. Wine the difficulty arose with Great Britain in reference to the con. struction of the Treaty of Washington, no minis ter was more active than he in disseminating cor- rect information, and in giving public opinion a turn favorable to our interests. In the final ex tinguishment of the Scheldt dues he served the government with marked capability and intelli- gence. He also materially assisted in bringing about an understanding between Belgium and the United States, which enabled them to agree upon the terms of an extradition treaty: and has more recently furnished for the use of the Senate committee on transportation an admirable report upon the Belgium railways and canals. In lsfs -Mr. Jones married Miss Scott, the daughter of the late Judge Andrew Scott, of Arkansas. She is a most excellent and accomplished lady, and has. with her interesting children, given the American Legation at Brussels an enviable reputation for elegance and hospitality. It is 1 xaggeration to say that Mr. Jones and his family have won the respect and affection of everybody who have felt the influence of their home, or come within tie- reach of their kindly offices. In the s mer of L875 Mr. Jones resigned and returned to Chi- 94 BIOGRAPHY OF llJJMUS cagoand »;issn. >n thereafter tendered the position tar) " r the [nterior, which he declined, and was appointed Collector of the Port "f Chi I 1 be practically retired from active I > 1 1 ^ i 1 1 ■ MARTIN RYERSON. MARTIN RYERSON was hom In Bergen county, near Paterson, N. J., on January 6, 1818. Be was the son of Tunis and Jane Ryerson, de scendants of a good old Dutch family which came from Amsterdam. Holland, in the seventeenth century. The boyhood of Martin Ryerson dif- fered but little from that of other country l of the same time. Be was a farmer's son. and the farmers of those days believed lirmly thai it was their dut) to keep the boys at work. The year 1834 found Martin :i boy of sixteen, fired with ambi tion by stories of the great chances for advance menl in tin-West, and especially in Michigan,which ul thai time was a very attractive section. He re solved to leave home, and made his way by the Erie Canal and the hikes to Detroit, where he was engaged by Richard Godfrey, an Indian trader, and went with him to ( irand Rapids, then ;i Bmall village. The nexl year (1835) Martin entered the emplo} i>l Louis Campau, another Indian trader, and aftern year's service went to Muskegon, where Cor three years he worked with .Joseph Trottier in the same business. While \\ ith these traders Mr. Ryerson made man} trips among the Indians, and became verj familiar with their language and enst s. Bis experience with the Al was a most happy one, and he [uired a deep admiration for their character, to whicb he testi lied later in life by the election of a bronze group in Lincoln Park, Chicago, to the memory if the Ottawa Nation. This group was deled b) the celebrated sculptor J. J. Boyle, and is one of the of llie many works of art in that noble park. In 1839 Mr. Ryerson, who was then just t\\ent\ Oni I With 'I'. Xe\\ ell. a merchant and saw mill proprietor at Mtis kegon, with whom he remained t\\" At the expiration of that ti he purchased Mr. Newell's interest in his general store and contracted with him to run his saw mill. This arrangement proved mutually profitable, and in 1845 \|, Ryerson purchased the mill and conducted it in i panj with a Mr. Green, under the nam.- .,r Green .v Ryerson, the firm aftern aid he, oi Knicki rbocker. [n 1845 Mr. Knickerbocker sold hi.- interest to Robert W. Morris, and again the firm name underwent a change, the title this time being i Moms. In ls.",i Mr. Ryerson came to and established the firm of Williams. Ryerson & Co., his partners being John M. Wil liams and Robert \V. Morris. They opened a lumber yard at the corner of Canal and Fulton Streets, and soon did a large business. In 1854 Watts T. Miller became associated with Messrs. Ryerson and Morris, Mr. Williams retiring, and the tirm name was then changed to Ryerson, Miller A Co. In 1-."'.! Mr. Miller iclin d. and the ■hi. i Ryerson & Morris, used at Muskegon, was adopted b) the Chicago tirm. About tin- same time Mr. Rj erson and bis partner opened a second ruber yard on Beach street, between Dekoven and Hunker Streets, and soon secured a profitable trade there. Mi'. Morris retire, I iii L865, and Mr. Ryerson reorganized las business in Michigan, which had become of immense propor tions. Benrj B.Getty, Ezra Stevens and Charles T. Hills were admitted to partnership with him. the firm becoming Ryerson, Hills a Co. In 1867 the Chicago house was changed to Martin Ryer- son S i'. i. After the death of Ezra Stevens, ill 1869, the business was continued by the three remaining partners without change of name until 1880, when Mr. Ryerson's son. Martin A. Ryer son. was taken in as a partner. The business started by Mr. Ryerson in a small way in Muske gon in 1841 became one of the largest of the kind in the West. Without means, except such as he had saved from his small wages, Mr. Ryerson w hen only twenty three years old em harked in a trade which, In connection with his g I deeds, has si made his name famous. Unci asing enei gj and honesty of purpose were his chief characteristics as a husiness man. It was his well founded pride that in no part of his business or his social life was his word ever called in question. Be dealt fairly with all. whether ordinary customers or personal friends, and secured the good will of everybody with whom he came in i tact. Mr. Ryerson was very fond of travel, and, being a man of keen perception and most careful observation, he derived in his later years both profit and en joyment from many extended trips. He made frequent journeys in this countrj and in Europe, and the information thus acquired, hacked bj his natural refinement and almost marvelous in tuition, gave to him a polish which people un acquainted with his early history could not l/f&6 >^C^- (/Ay^z^ BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. believe was thus gained. Mr. Ryerson was very prominently identified with the noble work of charity. During his lifetime be was always a generous giver to every worthy cause, ami he left munificent bequi sts for the maintenance of n well known local institutions, which, but for Mr. Ryerson's benevolent forethought, would now be greatly limited in their usefulness. Creed he knew not; religious professions and church attach- ments he was singularly reticent about, ami yet in the fullest sense, if the vo.nl he was a Christian. He loved mankind, and did what he could to lessen its hardships, without the rude inquisitions which so often make of charity a burden hard to accept. What he did was from the promptii a enerous heart and without regard to what particular corner of Heaven the recipient might have hopes of. He thus in various ways dis- tributed during his lifetime a large sum of money for the benefit of his fellow-men, and when his estate was divided, property valued at over 5225,000 was, by his direction, set apart for the use of light charitable institutions in this city under the name of "The Martin Byer son Charity Trust." This property, a grand mon ument to his generosity, is held in perpetual trust for the benefit of four Roman Catholic and four Protestant hospitals, asylums and homes, the in- come being divided equally among them. These beneficiaries are: The Chicago Relief and Aid Society. The Chicago Nursery and Half Orphan Asylum, The Old People's Home. The Chicago Hospital for Women and Children, The Alexian Brothers Hospital. St. Elizabeth's Hospital. St. Vincent's Infant Asylum and Mercy Hospital. Mr. Ryerson never identified himself with any church, nor did he confine his charities to any sect. Every appeal for aid, no matter fr.nu what source, met with a ready response and even in his early years, while he was yet a pioneer in Michi- gan, the calls upon him were heavy and frequent. Mr. Ryerson did not even attend the usual church services, but he always believed in, and appreciated the value of , church work. His religious convic- tions were not defined or drawn in accordance with dogmatic theories, but he was not bj any means a scoffer. In Eact, Mr. Ryerson rarelj spoke on the subjei t. and when le- did it was not to ad- vance any peculiar faith or opinion ..I' his own, but rather to express satisfaction that there was a wise and beneficent control of the universe. It was not man's mission, he held, to live this life s.-ltishly and to the exclusion of doing g I to others. The outward forms and expressions of faith found but little favor with him, and yet he was always tolerant and appreciative of the rights and beliefs of his fellow-men. These traits of character were inborn and natural to the man, for Mr. Ryerson had none of the opportunitie mon to most young men. of forming his opinions under the educational care of skilled tutors. Whatevei he knev> was by intuition, and devel- oped solely by such scanty training asa boyunder sixteen could get at the ordinary district schools in the country. Judged by the commonly accepted standards. Mr. Ryerson's life and achievements were remarkable. Mr. Myers. .11 was married in 1851 to Louisa M. Duvernay. Alter her death in is;,:,, he was married to Mary A. ( !ampau, daughter of Antoine Campau of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Mr. Ryers lied at Boston, Mass.. September 6th, 1887. He was at the time on his way home ft the seashore, where he had been spending the summer. He left a family of three a widow, a daughter, Mr--. Mary Butts (since deceased 1, and a son, Martin A. Ryerson. In addition to his never failing benevolence to individuals ami toorganized charities. Mr. Ryerson was interested in many public enterprises and works of improvement for the; Ivancement of the city. He was an ardent believer in Chicago and made many large real . t . 1 I . ■ I ! '. si JESSE (). NORTON. HON. JESSE OLDS NORTON was born in B ton, Vt., December 25, 1812. He was the son of Col. Martin Norton and Betsey (Story) Norton, and was the youngest of eleven children. He was educated in the schools of his native town, and after finishing his preparatory course in the Bennington Academy, he entered Williams i lollege, from « Inch he graduated with honor. He began life with no advantages in the way of wealth, but with an upright character, a good mind, and industrious and sober habits, he made rapid progresi in a career that proved to 1 x ceptionally useful and brilliant. For a time after Laving college he taught a classical school at Wheeling, Va. From there he went to Potosi, Mo., where he again engaged as a classical teacher, and \\ here he began the study of law, in the practice of which he afterwards achieved such marked success. In 1839 he came to Illinois. settling at Joliet. and a year later was admitted BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS to the bar in this state. His ability and genial manner enabled him to achieve great popularity among the i ■<•< >pl«-. who showed their appreciation of his worth by electing him city attorney. In 1846 he was elected count} judge of Will county, and at the expiration of his term of office was re- elected. In 1848 he was chosen a member of the state constitutional convention. In 1850 he was elected! mberofthe Legislature, and in 1852 was elected upon the Whig ticket to the United States Congress. While serving in this capacity the question of repealing the Missouri C pro mise was brought before Congress, and Mr. Norton opposed the repeal with all his great power and eloquence. The people of his districl endorsed his position upon this measure, which had the i [fed to lead the anti-slavery Whigs and the free soil Democrats to desert their respective parties and unite with the newly-organized Republican party; and as the result of Mr. Norton's opposi- tion to the repeal of the .Missouri Compromise and the rapidly maturing power nf the new politi cal party, he was re elected to ( longress in 1854 on the Republican ticket. At the end of this term, as a representative in Congress, he was elected to the office of circuil judge, discharging the duties of the position with the same ftdelitj and courtesy that distinguished his whole public and private life. At the beginning of the War of the Rebel- lion his loyalty to his country was a tower of strength, and he left nothing undone that he posi- tively could do. throughout the nation's ordeal, to sustain the government and its army in preserv- ing the Republic. In 1863, in the midst of the mo:. i trying period of the struggle, he was again eleeted to Congress, and served his country faithfully in that office until March 5, 1865, just before the close of the war. In all the public positions that he occupied, and in his private life, he showed that he was a man who was possessed of a rare combination of gifts. He was a man wdiose convictions were positive and clearly de- fined, and in everj position where duty placed him he maintained his convictions with a courage and a fairness that never failed to command the respect not only of the public, but also of his an- tagonists. As a legislator he was energetic, straight- forward and eloquent. Asa. indue beforewhom was tried some of mosl noted cases in the history of American jurisprudei he was clear-cut in his statement of the law, patient with lawyers and their clients, and an unwavering friend and defender of justice. In his family and in his asso eialions with friends his conduct was always marked by that kindness and consideration which are the result of a noble nature and a well trained and well balanced intellect. A friend has said of him that " he had that broad and generous nature that made him a friend to every man he met. and that pleasing address that won its way every where." This friend gave this further extraordi- nary testimony as to his gentility: "I never knew bul one other man with that happy combination of characteristics in an equal degree." His posi- tion upon the question of reconstruction was logical, but the temper of the people was not such as enabled the majority to recognize that fact. He held that the union of the states was not broken by the rebellion, and that it could not be broken; that the constitution was always supreme and trusting equally upon Congress and each state. Hence that as no state could take itself out of the Union, Congress had no right to expel a state from the Union by practically making it a territory. At this distance from the scene of national turmoil and excitement, when the pas- sions have cooled anil reason has resumed its sn;ii. few would care to deny the soundness of this logic. In 1866 President Johnson appointed Mr. Norton United States district attorney for the northern districl of Illinois, and he discharged the duties of that office until April. L869, with signal ability, with honor to himself, and with justice to all. Upon his retirement from the office of district attorney he entered into part nership with Judge Doolittle, and this than pur- sued the practice of law until the great tire of 1871, when their office and library were consumed. Afterwards he was engaged in the practice of his profession part of the time as counsel for the city until confined to his house by the illness which resulted in his death. He died in Chicago, August 3, 1875. Mr. Norton was married at Potosi, Mo., to Miss P. A. Sheldon. December 25, 1837. Mrs. Norton and four children survived Mr. Norton. Few men were more greatly honored by a community than was Mr. Norton. His work had been of such interest and benefit to the peo pie whom he served in an official capacity, and his private life had been so pure and honorable that his eulogy was pronounced not only by eloquent lips of noted orators and jurists, but by the com munitj at large. The bar of which he had been so long a brilliant member assembled to do honor to his memory; the college of which he was a graduate spoke tenderly and eloquently of his virtues, and the press united to pay tribute to an honest man. '£ZcaJ BIOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS. 97 EDWARD A. SMALL. EDWARD A. S.MALLa distinguished lawyer who died in Chicago, January 13, 1882, was born in Rumford, Oxford county, Maine, January 29, l^u:>. He was the descendant of an English fain ily which settled in Kittery, Maine, in 16 I I six intervening generations were all natives of that state ami with one exception followed the oc- cupation of farming. The subject of this sketch was the onlj member of the Small family who is known tu have engaged in the practice of law. He was. by tin- death of his father, left while yet a mere lad to the sole rare of his mother, and bj her kindly aid he was earlj fitted for college, which he entered at the age of sixteen. One year of study completed bis collegiate education, and at sei enteen he became a clerk in a country store. This occupation Mr. Small foil., wed for the next ten years, and on his removal to Galena, 111. in September, L852, he confined himself to mercan- tile lit''. Five years' experience in trade in tin- West, however, convinced him that there was a Letter field of labor in the legal profession, and he began to study law with such diligence and appli- cation that after one year's reading he was ad mitted to practice. In 1858 Mr. Small became associated as junior partner with Hon. W. Weig ley. at Galena, and continued with him for three years. During this time Mr. Small was an indus- trious, hard-working practitioner, but without promise of the brilliancy which he so s i after- wards attained. In 1861, by the expiration of his co-partnership with Mr. Weigley, he was left free to pursue Lis own ci mrse, and In- at once assumed a leading position in tin.' arraj of shrewd and able lawyers who were, even at that early day. practic- ing in the Illinois courts. For the ne*.t eight years Mr. Small's success was exc | 1869, having risen to the foremost rank in his pro- fession, he removed to Chicago. His reputation had preceded him to that city and it w: short time before he had a large and very profit- able clientage. Mr. Small's industry and his fidel- ity to the interests of his clients were matters of current comment, and it was these valuable qual- ities, coupled with a thorough knowledge of the theorj and practice of his prof,-.- ion. and a keen, analytical mind, which enabled him to secure and hold a very extensive practice. His success was achieved against obstacles which would have dis- heartened and di tea ted ;nn man less resolute, and the same indomitable pluck which brought him to the front was never lacking when important interests were at stake. It has often 1 d o marked that his capacity for hard work was won- derful, considering his slight physique a cat,- constitution, and in tin- o pin ion of his friends and physicians it was this incessant app to duty which hastened hi-- -Lath. On more than on,- occasion Mr. Small was offered high political position, but his aversion to publicity, his disin clination to surrender active practice of a profes sion to which he was s,< warmlj attached, a. ml an unwillingness to be torn away from home sur- roundings which In- idolized, always led him to refuse the proffered honor. Mr. Small's practice was entirely in the civil courts. He never under took but one criminal case of importance, and that was the defense of Christopher Rafferty,and this la- only went into after a long study of the evidence and with an earnest conviction that his client was entitled to an acquittal. Rafferty, who was an employe of Mr. Small's patrons, had killed Policeman Patrick O'Meara. There were three trials and three convictions for murder with a sentence of death each time. To serve the defend- ant Mr. Small labored incessant!) for years, and only abandoned the case when, after successive defeats in the courts, an appeal to th,- Governor for clemency was refused.. It was on,- of the hard est contested criminal cases Illinois. and for this reason mainly, assumed an historical interest. Mr. Small was counsel and attorney for many large corporations in Chicago, including tie American Express, Adams Express, Merchants Despatch and the Wesl Division Railway Com- panies. Besides his ability as a lawyer Mr. Small I a high order of literary merit, and while he wrote but little for publication, many of his private letters are still treasured by the recipients as beautiful specimens,,!' wed painting, as well as cherished :ntos of tie- dead. There was always a warm friendship between Mr. Small and General Grant, and a letter written to him by the latter once played an important part in saving the life of Mr. Small's son. Mr. Small and his son had gone abroad and were journeying toC tinople on an Austrian steamer, when the - >n H a taken down with typhus fever. The captain had ordered him put ashore and was deaf to Mr. Small's entreaties and declarations that such a move was certain to result in the boy's death, un- til a mutual friend, Sir Talbott Baker, bethought himself of General Grant's letter to Mr. Small. Borrowing it from the latter the nobleman - it to the captain of the steamer, who at once d clared that so intimate a friend of the great g* 9 8 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. era! could command the ship and do as he pleased. The young man recovered and Mr. Small was al- ways linn in the belief thai it was the name and influence of General Grant which assisted hi,,, to health. Mr. Small himself was suffering with a chronic stomach trouble when he under took this trip in the hope of obtaining relief. With his son as a companion he traveled through Europe, and then down into Syria. Palestine and Egypt. On the return voyage he was seized with a nervous prostration from which he never recov- ered. His decline was gradual, but plain to all who saw him, and shortly after his arrival home resulted in his death. A widow and live children survive him. In social intercourse Mr. Small was a man of charming personality. Well informed cm all topics and eloquent in the use of language, his conversation was delightfully interesting and his home was always the center of an intelligent and kindly gathering. WILLIAM BLAIE. WILLIAM BLAIR, one of the oldest and most successful merchants of Chicago, is the son of Samuel and Hannah (Frary) Blair, and was born at Homer, Cortland county, N. Y„ May 20,1818. His parents were natives of Blandford, Mass., and his ancestry on his father's side dates back live generations in New England. Robert Blair, the lirst representative of the family in this country, was of Scotch origin, hut his ancestors had early moved from Scotland to Ireland, locating in the proi inceof Lister. Robert Blaircameto America in 171 S. and settled at Worcester, Mass. William Blair's mother was the youngest daughter of Jonathan Frary. whose ancestors came from Eng- land. On removing to New York state, Mr. Blair's father located at Homer, but a few years later settled on a farm in the adjoining town of Cortland. The desire to engage in trade devel- oped in the son on leaving school, and he soon after began his business career with Oren North, a stove and hardware dealer in Cortland. This was in 1832, and lour years later, when Mr. North decided to open a branch store in Joliet, 111., with i C eventual!) I transferring his entire there, should the venture he successful, he sent William Blair, then bul eighteen yearsold, to establish the branch house. Up to that time Mr. Blair had never been outside of Cortland County, bul his employer was not mistaken in his ability to manage the Inc. mess intrusted to him. Mr. Blair opened the branch at Joliet, and prospered there until the collapse of the land boom in 1837, when Mr. North, apprehensive that inflation schemes had irretrievably ruined the western country, resolved to remain at Cortland. It is to the credit of Mr. Blair that, young as he was. and full of desire for advancement, the glittering promise of an easy fortune to 1"' made in the then prevalent real estate speculations was put aside. When the crash came in 1837 Mr. Blair was pre pared to take advantage of it, and when Mr. North announced his intention of closing the Joliet store he bought the stock. The panic had unsettled the country, and it was difficult even for old and well known merchants to obtain credit, especially when they were doing business so far west as Joliet. Mr. Blair persevered in the lace of many discouragements, and established credit connections with Eastern houses, which enabled him to do a successful trade for five years in a town which was thought to be ruined. Chi cago, in the meantime, was beginning to attract attention, and in August, 1812, Mr. Blair trans ferred his stock to that city and opened a modest store at the corner of Dearborn and South Water Streets. Two years later, his brother. Chauncey B. Blair, then living in Michigan City. Ind.. be- came a member of the firm, and added materially to the capital. With this increase of funds, William, who continued to direct the business. gradually enlarged the wholesale department, and soon made it very profitable. The selling of iron was made a special feature, and a large warehouse at No. 75 Lake Street was opened. In L846 William Blair bought out the interest of his non-resident brother, Chauncey, and took in as a partner William E. Stimson, his brother in law, an active young man who shared the labors and cares of the business with him. Ill health, however, soon caused Mr. Stimson to withdraw, and the firm of Blair & Stimson was dissolved. Mr. Blair then continued tile business alone, and prospered in every move. In 1817 larger quarters were obtained at 103 Lake Street, and in 1818 these were found insufficient, and a lot was bought at 176 Lake Street, on which Mr. Blair erected a large building. C. B. Nelson, for some years a I k keeper in the house, was admitted to part- nership in 1853, the firm becoming William Blair & Co. This was the lirst exclusively wholesale hardware house in Chicago. In the same year Mr. Blair formed with E. C. Hall, a former clerk in his house, the firm of E. G. Hall & Co. which CCClcx. £C< l^l^C.J^ BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 99 did a large wholesale trade in iron on South Water Street until 1860, when Mr. Blair with- drew. In 1856 the firm of William Blair A Co. was again enlarged by the admission, as a partner, of O. \V. Belden, another faithful employee. Mr. Blair was one of the first men in the trade to realize that a change was to come in the methods of selling, in the West, the product of the hard- ware and cutlery factories, bj its concentration in the hands of jobbing firms in the larger cities in the interior. Acting upon this belief, he made Imsiness contracts with leading English firms which resulted very profitably. In 1865 more room for the growing tirm was needed, and a handsome building was erected at 1711 1S1 Ran dolph street, which was destroyed by tin greal fire of 1871. Before the ruins of their old head quarters had ceased smoking, the tirm was doing business at 30 32 South Canal street, and the unusual demand for builders" hardware inci- dent to the rebuilding of the city, was met by this tirm with a promptness which elicited hearty appreciation. ( In < Ictober 1st. 1872, less than one year after he was driven out of the stores on Kan dolph street bj the the. Mr. Blair had rebuilt a five-story structure at 17l> 174 ITU Lake street, and shortly after, also rebuilt the stores at 179-181 Randolph street, on a more extended scale. In January. 1871, James M. Horton was madeamem- ber of the linn, and two years later Augustus O. Hall was also admitted. At this time the firm name of William Blair A- Co.. represented the most profitable hardware trade in the west, and it was continued until January, lsss. when Mr. Blair, after forty six years of active business life in Chicago, withdrew, leaving as his successors the tirm of Horton. Gilmore, McWilliams A: Co. The following extracts from the Iron Alst, 1854. to Miss Sarah M. Seymour, daughter of John Seymour, Esq., of Lyme, Ohio, a lady whose beauty of character and grace of accomplishment have made the Blair family circle one of the most pleasant and hospita- ble in the eity. Two sons have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Blair. The eldest, William Seymour Blair, died in December, 1861, when a boy of six years. The surviving son. Edward Tyler Blair, graduated at Vale in 1879, and the following year was admitted to the linn of William Blair & Co., with which he remained until it was dissolved in 1888. He is married and w i til his family resides in Mr. Blair is a great traveler. His tirst trip to Europe was made in 1865, when, with his wife and son he traveled through England. France. and Italy, passing the winter in the latter country ■ oid visiting many places of interest on the ( lonti nent. In October, 1889, Mr. Blair made an ex tended inspection . . t the Paris Exposition, and then journeyed through the south of Prance and into Italy. From there he went to Egypt, Pales- d Turkey. On his way home he he old cathedral towns of England and the Highland regions of Scotland. Mr. Blair is a ■ i ver, and his journeys abroad have given him a large fund ol information which he imparts to his friends ill the n„. st delightful con- versations. Dui i uci r,il busi eer he has aevi r forgotten Ins tirst and onlj employer, Mr. North, to whose example of uprightness and integritj of dealing in all busi- ness transactions he was. even as a boy, attracted. He always regarded Mr. North as a pattern of excellence worth) of imitation, and admits that the wholesome training received at the little store in Cortland, in 1832, gave the bent which influ- enced him throughout his business life. FRANKLIN F. SPENCER. FRANKLIN FAYETTE SPENCER, one of the pioneers and merchant princes of Chicago, was bom at Perrysburg, N. Y., October 13, 1817, and died at his home on Michigan Avenue, Chicago, November 1. 1890. Shortly after the birth of Franklin, his father, l'hineas Spencer, who was a merchant in good standing, removed toGowanda, Cattaraugus county, N. Y., where he established quite a large business as a general store-keeper. He was a man of consequence in the town; and he gave his son a good education at the local acad- emy. When Franklin hail completed the course In' entered the employment of his father as chief clerk ami cashier. He was exceedingly apt at business, and in a barter was generally success- ful. His energy as a youth was remarkable, and between his thirteenth and twenty-first years Ins experiences in his attempts to augment his fortune were not only varied but exciting. In 1838 he drifted to the West in the tide of hardy and adventurous spirits who. tiring of the limited opportunities afforded in the Atlantic States, sought home and fortune in this apparently boundless land of promise. When he arrived in Chicago it was a strug- gling village of less than 1,000 inhabitants, Init the prospects were good, and it was his in- tention then to remain and " grow up with the country." It is said that one of his tirst stops after arriving in Illinois was to pre erupt a claim on the IJock River, where, for a short time, at all events, he led the somewhat wild and adventurous life natural at that place and time. The death of his father in ls:t;i caused him to return at once to the home of his youth, where he assumed the management of his father's store, ami immedi- ately undertook the settlement of the paternal estate the latter a matter which was not concluded until about 1845. He then returned to the West, and for a period of ten years followed business as a general trader, trav- 0&/k BIOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS. IOI eling extensively in the states of Illinois, Indiana and Missouri, and traversing the entire length of the Mississippi Valley in his mercantile under- takings. His pluck and energy led him into all sorts of adventurous trading enterprises. Among those with whom he had large dealings were the Mormons, then ;i comparatively small seel occu pying lands in Illinois, and under the leadership of Joseph Smith, between whom and Mr. Spencer there sprang up quite a warm friendship. Having paid every debt left unsettled by his father at his death, and having beside accumulated a small capital, he settled in Chicago in 1855 as the west- ern representative of Jewett & Root, a prosperous firm of Btove manufacturers in Buffalo, X. Y.. the junior partner of which was his brother-in-law, having married his sister. Delia. Mr. Spencer opened a branch house in Chicago on South Water street, but a lire caused the removal of tin- business to a store mi River street. where it was continued until 1865. His suc- cess in this agency was almost phenomenal. His personal acquaintances extended fr.au the Lakes to the Gulf, and gave him a splendid tield in which to operate, and he lost no time in attempting to make it exclusively his own. His energy was untiring, and as a consequence it was doI long lief.. re he controlled almost the whole western market in stoves. Persons now living who recollect his earlier successes in selling stoves say that no .me else at that day seemed t.. he able to do any business whatever in that line of wares. In 1865, in connection with Mr. W. G. Hibbard, he bought out the firm of Tuttle, Hibbard & Co., wholesale hardware dealers, occupying premises at the corner of State and Lake streets, Chicago, and founded the house of Hibbard A- Spencer, which was in a must prosperous condition when the great tire ..f lsTl laid the city in ashes. Notwith- standing the heroic efforts of Mr. Spencer and his partners, who labored steadfastly all tin.. ugh that memorable night i< >ctober 9), only an insig- nificant part of the stock was Baved; but this, to- gether w ith the books and papers of the firm, was removed to the Lake Front and stored under a slight shed, where, fortunately, it escaped further disaster. Probablj no more remarkable exhibi- tion of energy and success is recorded in American annals than the rebuilding of Chicago. The buoyancy of spirit and marvel.. us recuperative powers exhibited by the people ..f Chicago, under the heavy weight of their affliction, excited the admiration of the world, and will ever reflect the highest credit upon the American name. The action of Mr. Spencer and his partners affords a good illustration of these qualities, and of the re- markable courage which seems to be one of the most prominent characteristics of the true Ameri- can man of business. Undaunted by the appalling- disaster and declining to he affected by the doubt and uncertainty that threatened for a time to paralyze all effort, the firm laid in an immense stock of goods — its credit being practically un- limited and without the waste of a single day proceeded to rebuild its business and rehabilitate its fortunes. By the year 1882 the l;usiuess had reached such magnitude that the firm was in- corporate. 1 as a stock company under the title of Hibbard. Spencer, Bartlett & ('.... and 1.. day this company ranks as one of the largest in its line in the world, having probably but one. or at most two. rivals. Of this e.,m). any Mr. Spencer was the vice president until the day of his death. He entered upon man's estate with a legacy of debt, to pay which in full he cheerfully sacrificed several of the earlier years of his experience, and he closed his long, active and highly honorable career a millionaire. His business life furnishes a notable example of what maybe accomplished, even under adverse circumstances, by energy and resolution, when guided by honorable principles and aided by agreeable personal character istics. He was in truth a great business man. as well as a successful one. but the saying "business is business." in the ordinary sense of tin- phrase-that it is alien to conscience, char- ity, considerateness, sympathj and affection, — was foreign to his tongue and to his nature. His conduct in all mercantile transactions was marked by scrupulously fair dealing, frankness and kindness, and b} an abiding faith in the bet- ter side of human nature. He was so constituted by nature that he took a hopeful view of things as well as of men. and as he was loath to believe anj man likely to turn out a scoundrel, so too, he was sanguine regarding the outcome of his business enterprises. It has been said of him that till through life his heart, his hand ami his pocket hook were open to the needy and deserving. Per- sonally a man of tireless energy, he had a high re- spect for this quality in others, and regardless of an applicant's financial standing would cheer- fully help him if he found him possessed of the vim and energy he so much admired. In person. he was a large man. but it was no uncommon thing to hear him spoken of by those who knew him well as having a heart as large as his body. Common report has it that his charities were he 102 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. stowed with an open hand but always without ostentation. The limits of a biographical sketch .Ui not permit of the recital of any of his individ- ual acts of kindness. Suffice it to say thai thej were almost as m u-ous as the days of his lite. He was never above manifesting the kindliest in terest in the poorest person, and to many total Btrangers he was a generous and unexpected benefactor. Among his employees he was called "the heart of the house," and they came to him for counsel, consolation or aid, as to an eldei brother, confident of his assistance, — moral and material. One of his traits was the love of animals. Dumb beasts had in him a warm Friend. On cue occasion, immediately after the great fire, when the Lake Park was covered with merchandise and the streets were well nigh im- passable, he saw a teamster furiously lashing a team of stalled horses. His sympathy for the struggling animals was instantlj aroused, and although he was then over fifty-five years of aye he resented the abuse to which they were being unnecessarily subjected, by picking up a piece of scantling and knocking the bully oil' his wagon. lie followed up this proceeding by threatening to thrash the life out of him if he renewed his abuse of the horses. He was very fond of horses him- self, and one of his greatest pleasures was in tak- ing long drives, accompanied by his wife, who was Ins inseparable companion and in whose society he found his chief delight. If he had a well-marked passion it was for flowers. He had them about him always, whatever the season, and he gave them to others prodigally. He lived in what might be called luxurious style, but there was not an atom of selfishness in his composition. Nothing was too good for his family— and he shared with them -but. on the other hand, noth- ing that he had was too good for a poor person in want, or for a suffering friend or neighbor. His generosity was prompt and unstinted — always timely and always more than equal to the need. Popular and widely known, he could have aspired to political office without fear of defeat, but his tastes did not run that way. In- deed, he would never accept official position in any of the many charitable and benevolent institu lions to which he so frequently and liberally contributed. His religious affiliations were with the First Presbyterian Church of Chicago, which hi' attended regularly and to which hewasagener- ■ ins benefactor. Mr. Spencer was married on March 20th, 1843, io Miss Rachel Gifford Macomber, daughter of Zebedee A. Macomber. of Dartmouth, Mass. Mrs. Spencer died on March 18th, 1887. Of their live children, two sons and three daugh- ters, but two of the latter survive, viz.: Mrs. Augustus X. Eddy and Mrs. Arthur .1. Caton, both esteemed residents of Chicago. Mr. Spen- cer's illness was brief and his death quiet and painless. Identified so long with the interests of Chicago, and participating so continuously in its business and philanthropic affairs, he was known in all parts of the city, and to men in all walks of life. All the principal papers of the city pub- lished long obituary notices, giving many par- ticulars regarding his interesting career, which have been freely drawn upon in the preparation of this sketch. A writer in one of the great dailies. in commenting editorially upon his demise, said: "In the death of Mr. Franklin F. Spencer, of the great hardware house of Hibbard, Spencer, Bartlett i Co.. which occurred yesterday. Chicago has lost one of its very best citizens. Mr. Spen- cer was too modest to make any display of his good deeds, but there are scores of men in Chi cago who were, in one way or another, liberal sharers of his large success, andit is no exaggera- tion to say that thousands have been the recip- ientsof his charity, many of them without knowing \\ hence their help came. Another eminently suc- cessful Chicago business man recently remarked. ■ I have about concluded that we are in this world for the work there is in us.' To this estimate of life the example of such a man as Mr. Spencer adds — and for the good we can do to others. His death must have come as a personal affliction to ill who enj. veil the pm liege : f his friendship WILLIAM G. HIBBARD. WTLLIAM GOLD HIBBARD. the senior member and president of the great hardware house of Hibbard. Spencer. Bartlett it Co., is one of tie' best known men in this line of business in the country. Mr. Hibbard was born at Dryden, Tompkins county. X. Y.. in 18l>r>. Bis parents were Joel Barber Hibbard and Eliza (Gold) Hib- bard. His early life was uneventful, and on reaching a school age. in 1839, he was sent to the academy at Cortland. X*. Y. where he remained some years. In 184!) Mr. Hibbard. then a young man of ambition, removed to Chicago and en- gaged as a clerk with the hardware firm of Blair .V Stimson. Six years later, in 1855, having saved some money, he embarked in business for himself, in partnership with Nelson and Fred Tut tie and George M. Gray, the firm being known as Tuttle. Hibbard A: Co. A serious tire in 1857 destroyed the a ■ BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. IO" building occupied by the Sim, and, seizing their op- portunity, the young merchants Becured newquar- tersal 32 Lake street and enlarged their trade. For eight years they prospered, and in 1865 the first change in their ten years of business life was made by the retirement of Messrs. Tuttle ami Gray, whose interests were bought by Mr. Hibbard and P. P. Spencer. The new firm was called Hibbard & Spencer. It was changed afterwards to Hibbard, Spencer & Co., by the admission of A.. C. Bart- lett, who had been in the service of the old firm of Tuttle, Hibbard & Co. sine, L864. The in- creasing business of the firm necessitated a re moral in 1863 to Si 86 Michigan avenue, and there, as in the former locations, they were eminently successful. Three years of profitable business in the new store was followed on Mon- day, October 9, 1871, by the entire destruction of the large establishment, by the great lire winch on that 'lay devastated Chicago. To most mer- chants the disaster seemed irreparable, and even with some of the most enterprising it was weeks before an effort to recover their trade was made. I lie m< ii who composed the firm of Hibbard, i .v Co., however, were no laggards. On ili' morning of Tuesday. October 10, 1871, before breakfast, and less than twenty-four hours after theii store was destroyed, they had secured tem- porary quarters al Mr. Hibbard's residence, 1701 Prairie avenue, carted there such oi their stock as was saved from the flames, and made a sale from it. This is said to have been the quickest renewal of business after the lire. As soon as the ruins on the Lake Front were cleared away the firm began the erection of a one story wooden structure on the park between Washington and Randolph streets. Il was completed and occu- pied lo lie in as a -tore within twenty days after the first nail was driven. In the meantime ar- nts bad bee ade by Mr. Hibbard for the rebuilding of the old store at •'!'_! Lake street, anil by the middle of the June following the fire, the firm was doing Imsiness in a handsome store at the old location. Since then the increasing business of the firm has made frequenl additions to their offlci and warehouse necessary, until now nearly the entire block is occupied by them. In In 'J. under the advice of Mr. Hibbard. the busi- ness was turned over to a stock company known as Hibbard. Spencer, Bartlett A Co.. of which he is the president. One object of this change was to reward some of the firm's old and faithful employees, who were presented with shares in the company. .Mr. Hibbard has always favored co- operation, especially between the employer and employee, and it is his pride that his confidence in the men to whom he entrusted an interest in his extensive business, was well placed. The re- sults could not have been more satisfactory, and the incorporated company is doing a business that is the wonder and the admiration of the t rade. .Mr. Hibbard is a generous num. a free but intelligent giver to all deserving objects, lb- assists many people, bul always in a way which tends rather to put them in condition to help themselves than to weight them down with an oppressive charity. He uses Ins influence and his opportunities, as well as his means, lor the ad- '' emenl of bis fellow-man in distress. Mr. Hibbard also takes a practical interest in the good works of organized charity, and is active in the direction of many public institutions, prin- cipal among which is the Foundlings' Home of Chicago, of which he has been for many years the president. Mr. Hibbard has been a member of Grace Episcopal Church thirty-three years, and d it for a lone time as a vestryman. His religion is of the quiet, unobtrusive, practical kind, exhibited in deeds rather than mere forms or words. In his business he is a most thorough and competent master of trade, knowing everj detail of the vast industry which has been built up under his supervision, and possessing a prac- tical knowledge which few men attain. Mr. Hib- bard was married in 1855 to .Miss Lydia Beekman Van Schaack, a daughter of II. C. Van Schaack, a prominent lawyer in Onondaga county.X. V. The union lias been a most happy one. and with the as- sistance of his worthy wile. .Mr. Hibbard's home has been made not only a bright social center, but the headquarters of a kindly and effective charity. Four sons and four daughters have gladdened the hearts of this faithful pair, six of whom are still living, and. with the nine grandchildren, often grace the paternal board. Mr. Mil. I. aid is now living tit 1701 Prairie avenue, in a home built by him in 1868. THOMAS B. BRYAN. THOMAS BARBOUR BRYAN was bor Alexandria. Va.. Dee. 22, 1S-J8. His paternal grandfather. Win. Bryan, of Rockingham county, was a major in the war of 1SFJ. and served man* years in tin- Virginia Senate. His maternal un- cles, .lames and Philip Barbour, were distin 104 BIO IRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. I, the first as Governor of Virginia, Minis- ter i" England, Secretary of War and United States Senator; the other as Speaker of the Na- tional House of Representatives and as a Justice of the United States Supreme Court. In boy 1 1 Thomas Bryan showed the possession of unusual oratorical gifts. While still in his teens his ad dresses to the soldiers departing Eor the Mexican War attracted attention, and are still remembered by older men. He was sent to Harvard, where he was graduated in law. While there he wrote a grammar Eor German students in the study of English. He has since made many speeches in the German language. At the age of twentj one he settled in Cincinnati, where he was taken into partnership by Judge Hart, one of the leaders of the bar in that city. In lS'i-2 Mr. Bryan removed to Chicago, where he entered into the practice of law with Judge Taft. new of Michigan, ami sub sequently connected himself with John Borden, forming the firm of Bryan & Borden. He early acquired large real estate interests; built Bryan Hall, the leading place Eor holding concerts and other public entertainments at that time; founded Graceland Cemetery and pr< imoted i ither imp< irtant enterprises i if the young metropolis. Mr. Bryan's father had. as far back as the thirties, made the lirst speeches delivered in the Senate of Virginia advocating the liberation of slaves. Hence the sun came naturally by the Union sympathies which he manifested from the beginning of the war. He was chosen by both political parties to deliver the address of welcome to Stephen A. Douglas in the great wigwam, when, just the "Little Giant's" death. Chicago accorded him an ovation in recognition of the magnanimous and patriotic manner in which he bore Ins defeat. During the whole civil war Mr. Bryan devoted a large portion of his time and fortune to the Union cause. He was a member of the Union Defence Committee, and was active in fitting out regi- and caring for the wounded and disabled. i he former the "Bryan Blues" of the 105th Infantry were named after him. In recognition of his services in this direction the Loyal Legion chose him as one of the three or four honorary members of tin- Illinois Commandery. At the close of the war lie was President of the great Sanitarj Fair in Chicago, which cleared $300,000 for disabled soldiers. He purchased for $3,000 I tn original copy of the Emancipation Proclamation and donated it to tin- Soldiers' Home, to be copied in lithograph and sol, I t..r tin- benefit of that in- stitution, of which he Inn- continued for manj years as President. Unfortunatelj that precious document, with which President Lincoln had parted in order that it might lie sold at the Sanitary Fair to help swell the proceeds from that charita- ble undertaking, was deposited by the Soldiers' Home at the Chicago Historical Society, ami then- destroyed iii the great tin-. After the war Mr. Bryan traveled with his family for some years in Europe. On his return he settled in Washing ton. where he subsequently became one of the commissioners governing the District of Colum liia. The great fire of 1^71 so complicated his af- fairs that he returned to Chicago, where he has always kept his summer home in the beautiful suburb Elmhurst. Prior to 1871 he had erected the first safety deposit vaults in the city, in which many millions of money and securities were saved in the conflagration which left those vaults standing intact. When he resumed the practice of law he associated with him Mr. Azel F. Hatch as a partner. When the agitation for holding the World's Fair in Chicago began Mr. Bryan drafted the resolutions that wen- adopted at the first meeting in the Council chamber. During the following summer and winter he devoted nearly all his time, without compensation, as Chairman of tin- Committee on National Agitation, in advo- cating the holding of the Fair in Chicago. He made many addresses during that period in the Eastern anil Western States. In the debate he- fore the Senate committee he answered Mr. De- pew in a speech which attracted much attention. Before tin- Eollowing session of the Illinois Gen- eral Assembly he did hard work in advocating the 65.000.000 act. For two years he has served as Vice President of the World's Columbian Exposi- tion Directory. He was sent abroad in the latter part of 1891 as a special commissioner of the Co- lumbian Exposition to promote its interests throughout Europe. Mr. Bryan's favorite recrea- tion has always been in his books. His distin- guishing traits are generosity, quickness and thoroughness of execution, uniting activity and great executive ability and a rare command of language. In appearance he is of medium height, with blue eyes and light complexion. -V sojourn of several years in Colorado had a beneficent ef- fect on his health, which had been impaired by the strain of war and tire times, but which was Completely restored bj the bracing atmosphere of the Rocky Mountains. .Mr. Bryan married in 1851 Miss Byrd Page, of Virginia, she was then noted for her grace and accomplishments, u hieh alter ward made her a leader in Washington society, BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS 105 They have two grown children living, a son and a daughter. The former, CharleB Page Bryan, al- though graduated in law and admitted to the bar, has made journalism and literature his voca- tion. He was President of the Editorial Associa- tion of Colorado and member of the Legislature of thai State Now he is a Representative in the General Assembly of Illinois and a meml Governor's military staff. Mr. Bryan's daughter is a favorite pupil of Mr. Healy, the eminent por- trait painter. She is also an accomplished harp- ist. GEORGE MANIERRE. Mention of the name of George Manierre, recalls to memory a kind and courtlj gentle- man, an earnest and lovable friend and a most impartial and upright judge. His death, which occurred May 21st. 1863, was an occasion of deep and universal sorrow, not only in Chicago, but throughout Illinois. The sad event was the more observed in this city because it was I he came as a young man; it was here that hegrew up and achieved distinction at the bar and on the bench; it was here that he was the best known and appreciated. It is tie- lot of but few men to gain ripe, honors at so young an age as did Manierre. He was only forty six years old when death summoned him, in the prime of a vigorous manhood, and yet he was a vet-ran in journalism. in politics, in the law and in the 1 miration of his fellowmen. < ieorge Manierre was the descendant of a Huguenot family, his great- grandfather having emigrated from Normandy in 16S0, during the religious persecutions of that time, and settled in New London. Conn. There the family remained and grew, from generation to generation, until is] 7 when ( ieorge Manierre was born. His boyh 1 was uneventful until ls:;i when a shadow was cast over it by the death of his father. The widow, left with a family of four children to rear, moved to New York Citj and began 1 he study of law with Judge John Briukerhoff. In 183o Mr. Manierre, then eighteen years old, full of desire to fame in his chosen profession, came to Chicago, ;•■ village at that time of about one thousand inhab- itants, and entered the office of Grant & Peyton. On the dissolution of this firm Mr. Manierre fin- ished his law studies under the mentorship of John Young Scammnn. and in 1839 was admitted to the bar. During these years of study the young man was dependent upon his own resources for support. He secured employment as a clerk in the village offices and from the meager salary thus earned paid his way. The discomforts and obsta- cles he encountered were met with a will which knew no defeat; an indomitable determination to succeed carried him through at times when men of less Ion-.- and energy would have been crushed. As a boy Mr. Manierre had attracted the atten- tion and admiration of Judge Brinkerhoff and the • unsel of the latter was always before him as a guiding beacon. Of a fine-strung, honest and unswerving disposition himself. Mr. Manierre was deeply impressed with the duties, the dignities and responsibilities of the lawyer as expounded by his first preceptor, and through his eight years of stud\ the fond wish for success was ever coupled with tin 1 determination that it should add to the brightness of the halo with which the noble leaders at the bar were crowned. Mr. Man- ierre's worth wat tognized by his fellow- citizens and Hey felt honored in conferring upon him places of trust. That these were small at first was due to the fact that Chicago was then a small town. Mr. Manierre's hist public office was ty-clerksbip of the circuit court, under Pierpont. His next appointment, as a mas- ter in chancery, came from the same source. i.d his time until 1840 when he formed a partnership with George W. Meeker and reached the culmination of his plans by, beginning the practice of the law. As might be expected of one so finely constituted and so thor- oughly equipped, Mr. Manierre became a very suc- cessful lawyer. He was a careful and wise coun- selor, who had the law thoroughly at his command and consequently always commanded tie of judges, lawyers and juries. His statements, either of fact or law, in the trial of cases, were rarely questioned, for it was well understood that he would not advance an argument until he had well satisfied himself as to its merit. Mr. .Man ierre was twice chosen city attorney on the undis guised plea that his services were needed in the revision of the municipal ordinances which had become badly tangled. He found them in chaos and left a code which few lawyers have been able to find fault with. In 1855 Mr. Manierre was elected judge of the circuit court for the Chicago district, then comprising the counties of Cookand Lake, and was re-elected without opposition in 1861. He had four years of the second ten,, to io6 BIOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS. serve when he died. It was as a judge thai Mr. Manierre achieved the greatest distinction. Well satisfied as mosf [ pie were with his merits and abilities as a lawyer, they were captivated by the clearness of his judicial opinions and the perfect impartiality of his rulings. No client or lawyer ever claimed that they failed of a patient, atten tive In -a ring. He wanted to know all the details of the cases before him and was not content until he had mastered them. Asa result his findings were usually impregnable and many of them have been taken by the makers of textbooks as author- ity. One of the most important and notable cases ever heard by a judge in this country was the trial of William Hopp in the winter of 1862-63 for the murder of his wife. It occupied many weeks of Judge Manierre's time and the close confinement in the illy-ventilated court room undoubtedly laid the foundation for the attack of typhoid fever which caused his death. Hopp's lawyers made what was at that time the novel and ingenious plea of insanity and argued it with gnat skill. On the evidence produced by the state, Judge Manierre charged the jury to the effect that tin- accused was insane only while intoxicated; that insanity produced by intoxication does not destroy responsibility when voluntarily induced: that the killing of a person by another either when drunk. or wlen excited by jealousy or hatred, without provocation, is murder. Hopp was convicted and the motion for a new trial received as patient and careful a hearing as the original case. Judge Man- ierre denied the motion in a carefully prepared opinion, re-asserting his first proposition as to the responsibility of drunkards, and making it even stronger by the further declaration that the in- sanity produced by intoxication is not an excuse for crime, but rather an aggravation of the offense. In delivering the death sentence Judge Manierre said that he had hoped and prayed that the de Eense would make their evidence strong enough to warrant an acquittal but they had not done so. The decision, as was Judge Manierre's custom, contrary to the prevailing practice, was written out. He had so studied and attacked in his own mind every proposition laid down, that tlie find- ing was error-proof and was at once taken by the law book i ipilers as a final and binding interpre- tation of the law on insanity, notwithstanding the fact that the Supreme Court remanded the case on a question of the extent of doubt which jurors should have in order to warrant an acquittal. Judge Manierre took advanced grounds as to the degree to which insanity excuses crime, and received the thanks of the medical and legal professions in all parts of tin- United States for his masterly exposi- tion of the subject. That the trial of the Hopp case was a terrible strain on the Judge is evi- denced by the fact that his last words had refer ence to it. those near his bedside being just able to hear the dying jurist murmur " defendant." Another important decision by Judge Manierre was delivered in 1862, when William Semple, who had been arrested for desertion from the Sixty- rif tli Illinois Volunteers, contested the President's right to proclaim martial law in Chicago, and ap- plied for a writ of habeas corpus. If Semple's motion had been granted grave complications would have arisen, but Judge Manierre denied it in an opinion which satisfied the prisoner and his counsel that the act of the President in proclaim- ing martial law was legal and proper. Judge Manierre was never a politician in the common acceptation of the term, but he was always prom inent and active in politics. He could will lay claim to being a statesman, for he was one of the founders of the Republican party. At the his- torical convention held in Aurora, on September 19, 1851, George Manierre. as chairman of the committee on resolutions — the other members of which were Messrs. T. C. Moore, of Batavia, and Beardsley, of Rock Island — presented the party platform and recommended the adoption of the name -republican." The suggestion was in- dorsed with an enthusiasm which startled such a strong Democrat as Hon. John Wentworth into the belief that he was on the wrong side of the contest, and, after a short period of probation, this distinguished man became a worker in the new Republican party. Previous to this conven- tion at Aurora there had been no regular gather- ing of the men opposed to slavery and other evils of that day. The important questions of " Free- soil," "Anti-Nebraska" and kindred matters had been spasmodically discussed, but the first organ- ized opposition was made when the Republican party was formed at Aurora, with the aid of Judge Manierre. The sympathy of this man was always with the oppressed; his voice was never silent when the rights of his fellow-man. white or black, were at stake. So far back as 1S18 he had identified himself with the anti-slavery move- ment, and was one of the callers of the Free-soil convention at Ottawa. 111., at which Van Buren ami Adams were endorsed. In IS.'ii Mr. Manierre appeared before United States Commissioner Meeker in defense of a colored man who had been arrested under the fugitive slave law. and secured BIOGRAPHY OF ILLTXoIK. IO/ bis release. Prom the beginning of the struggle until President Lincoln was elected on an anti- slaverj platform in 1860, Judge Manierre never faltered in his laudable task; he never : or debated as to the part he should take in the work; it made no difference to him whether he was private or leader in the battles for reform, but it did to the rest of the community, and by their choice he was generally a leader. It was this public spirit that led Mr. Manierre. in 1843, to accept the office of alderman from I Ward that he might the better work out some needed changes in the public school ordi- nances. This accomplished, he was in 1844 elected school commissioner, ami served for eighl years, bringing the school fund, which had ! impaired by the panic of 1837, into a satisfactorj condition and gradually remodeling the entire system until a satisfactory conditi - While the changes made bj .Mr. Manierre may not have been at the time fully appreciated, their usefulness became the more apparent with each succeeding year, and there is to-day no name more revered by the friends of the Chicago public school system than that of George Manierre. His labors in getting the legislation into the i shape, in securing lie' income necessary to support not only the schools of his time but to provide for their future growth, was Herculean. He had no assistance beyond that of friends enlisted bj his own great earnestness, ami no organization of citizens to give him moral support. But heron quered, and tin- Manierre School in the North Division is a simple and just tribute to his great labor of love for the youth of Chicago and the cause of education. There were few movements for the advancement of the public welfare be- tween 1836 and 1863 in which Judge Manierre was not conspicuous. At the beginning of the civil war in 1861 he was one of the chief and energetic organizers of the Union Defense Com- mittee, which rendered invaluable services in Chicago to aid the campaigns of Fremont and others in Missouri. It was mainly his counsel that prevailed in including within its member- ship Democrats as well as Republicans, so that a union of all parties might be secured in the state in strengthening the administration of President Lincoln. He was one of the members of the first board of regents of the Chicago Uni- versity, which was organized in 1859, and he held the office at the time of his death. He was also a member of the Young Men's Association, of the Chicago Historical Society, and of the Chicago Law Institute. In his earl} years Judge Manierre mtributor to the New York Mirror, then edited by George P. Morris, and accredited as the literary organ of tie- country. From 1832 to 1835 the poetical and prose contributions of this un- known young man were given ready place with those from Washington Irving. William Cullen Bryant, Edgar Allen Poe, and other writers of tame, who thought in those days that recognition \firror was a compliment. In ls-tn John Wentworth, who wanted to finish a course at Harvard University, was glad to call -Mr. Manierre to the editorship of the Chicago Democrat, which was then the most influential and brilliant, the ..iless ami caustic paper in the West. Wentworth was a rugged, forceful writer, who often, in his impetuosity overdid himself, and the readers of the Democrat were not slow to note ge in the editorial columns when Manierre. with his calm arguments, couched in polished but ■I; charge. Always a deep and thoughtful scholar, well posted not only in the political history of his own country, but in polite literature. Mr. Manierre was very successful as an editorial writer, and there were few r men who cared to invite him to a discussion. A prom- inent Eeature in Judge Manierre's character was his utter fearlessness < it public opinion. He did what he thought was right, and acted always with the purpose of helping either th mmunity or individuals. His character was without a blemish, and few men have had more sincere mourners when summoned to th,' grave. The funeral oration delivered by Rev. P. W. Patterson contains many gems of oratory which well illustrate the virtues and disposition of the departed judge, ither things he Baid: " Without a vice or -i\e habit, he was a thoroughly just man. who had a profound regard for the rights of every member of human society. His sympathy with the suffering and unfortunate was sincere ami deep, but it never overmastered his sense of justice and his reverence for the majesty of the law. . . . His fervent patriotism and love of liberty will be remembered and honored when the noise of present strifes and the din of war shall have died upon all our ears, and when the names of demagogues and mere partisans shall be recalled only to bi' scorned." .fudge Manierre was mar- ried in 1841 to Miss Ann Hamilton Reid, daugh- ter of William Reid, barrister of Glasgow, Scot- land. The widow and four son- t Seorge, William P.. Edward and Benjamin Manierre — survive him. ioS KIOGEAPHV OK ILLINOIS. DANIEL L. SHORE Y. DANIEL LEWIS SHOREY, a leading mem ber of the Chicago bar, was born at Jonesbor ough, Washington county, Maine, January :!lst. L824. The family is prominent in New England history, and was especially active in the days of the Revolution. John Shorey, the grandfal lier of the subject of this sketch, was at the age of nine- teen a private in the American army, and fought at the battle of Bunker Hill. He served afterward in General Washington's bodj guard, and did active military duty until the close of the war. Joseph Shorey, the father of Daniel, was one of the first settlers in Maine, and conducted a large farm there while what is now the Pine Tree State was yet a pari of Massachusetts. He was a man of 1 i i » eral education, being well read in English litera- ture, and had great influence in the politics and social life of his district. The mother of Mr. Daniel L. Shorey was formerly Miss Sylvia Hall, a oative ■>!' Washington county, Maine, and a de scendant on her mother's side from the Morton I l\ of .Massachusetts. After an uneventful hoy h I Daniel was sent to Phillips' Academy, at An dover, Mass.. where he was prepared for Dart- mouth College. He graduated with high honors from the latter institution in 1851, and went to Washington. I). ( '.. where for two years he taught the classics in Kittcnhouse Academy. During this time he began to read law. and. becoming much interested in the profession, took a regular course at the Dane Law School, at Cambridge. Mass. In 1854 he was admitted to the bar in Boston, and after one year of practice in that city removed to Davenport, Iowa, where he remained for ten years. His success was marked from the start. and he soon secured a profitable clientage. I lin- ing his residence in Davenport Mr. Shorey had as a partner General J. B. Leake, who was for sev eral years United States District Attorney at Chi- cago. Prom ISO".! to 1865 Mr. Shorey was attorney for the city of Davenport and president of the school board. In I860 he removed to Chicago and began the practice of his profession in the civil courts of Cook county. He retired from act- ive practice in August, L890, ami took a trip abroad, spending eight months in European travel. There are few men at the Chicago bar who have won in, ire distinction in the profession than Mr. Shorey. His early training was iinusu ally broad and complete, ami he soon a. thorough knowledge of all the details of practice as well as of the theories of his calling. Great natural ability, strengthened by a liberal educa- tion, close application accentuated by a natural lik- ing for the profession, combined to make for him a most prosperous and agreeable practice. Mr. Shorey has always been prominent and active in public library matters, and drafted the excellent law enacted by the Illinois Genera) Assembly in IsT'J. governing the organization and manage- ment of such enterprises. The merit of this act is such that it lias since served as a model for similar statutes in other States. In the organiza- tion of the Chicago Public Library Mr. Shorey took a leading part, and for eight years served as a member of the board of Directors. He was president of the library for four years, and re- signed when he became an alderman in 1880. To Mr. Shorey. are the library interests of the Northwest greatl) indebted for constant and intelligent direction and fostering patronage. Identified as he has been with these educa- tional interests. Mr. Shorey verj naturally has taken high rank in literary circles. He has been a member of the Chicago Literary Club since its organization in 1874, and was the fourth president of the club for the term in 1877 78. He prepared and read many papers while an act ive member of the club between the years 1875 and 1888. the subjects of some of the more inter esting and valuable being: "Recent English Leg- islation." "Civil Service Reform," "The Restora- tion of Specie Basis," "The Government of Large Cities." "Socialism in the United States," "Tur- gor," and "Political Economy Since Mill." In 1888 he read a very able paper on "The Russian Nihil- ists" before the Saracean Club. Mr. Shorey is a thorough French scholar, and reads that language with facility. He is also conversant with Greek and Latin, and is well versed in the classics. One of his favorite subjects is political economy, and he has not only devoted a great deal of time to the study of this science, but has collected many rare and valuable books on the subject. Origin- ally a Whig, Mr. Shorey joined the Republican party on the dissolution of the old political organ- ization, and has ever since been an earnest worker for good government and clean politics. His name has been many times suggested for high ju- dicial and other honorable positions, but at his argent, personal request his official career has been limited to a continuous six years' service in the l'ii\ Council of Chicago. He represented the Third Ward in that body until his removal to Hyde Park, where he now resides. As a member of the First Unitarian Church of Chicago. Mr. ■'■■ BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. I09 Shorey holds a prominent place in the lay coun- cils of that religious denomination. He was for eighteen years presideni of the Western Unita- rian Conference, and with the exception of one short interval his service in that capacity has been continuous. His address at tl pening of the conference held in Chicago May 12 14,1891, was a remarkably comprehensive and broadly lib- eral exposition of the faith. The Christian Reg- ister Bays: "Though Mr. Shorey's address was the public expression of one individual, we believe it represents the opinions and feelings of the greal majority of the conference over which he pre- sided." One paragraph in the address is illustra- tive of the catholic spirit by which Mr. Shorey was, and is. animated. He said: "Our churches, like cithers, have their roots in the past, and their nurture in the holy influences of all time. We are burn in a universe of infinite beauty and order, over which the spirit of good- ness reigns supreme and forever. Wide is the field of duty. The whole earth is our home, and the entire human race is one family. It is well to be reminded how large are the relations to the past that any individual or any church sustains. We are apt at times to place our lineage in narrow lines. The Jew forgetswhal he owes to the Chris- tian, the Christian what 1 wes to the Jew, the Catholic what he owes to the Protestant, the Protestant what he owes to the Catholic-. The people of one clime are often nourished on the productions of another. Broader and deeper than any of our local or race words is the name ' humanity." and deeper and vaster than humanity is all that is signified in the name of •God.'"' Mr. Shorey is profoundly interested in the suc- cess of the new University of Chicago. He has been a member of the board of Directors from the beginning, and hopes to live to see it take rank as the leading university of the Northwest. Mr. Shorey was married in L856 to Maria Antoin- ette Merriam. of Bedfonl.-Mass. The\ have two children a son and a daughter. The fc irmer 1 Paul Shorey) graduated from Harvard University, at the head of the class of 187S, with the highest honors in history, tin- classic's and philosophy. For the past six years he has been Professor of Greek at Bryn Mawr College, near Philadelphia. The daughter (Martha Hall Shorey) has been studying in Europe, but is now with her parents in Chicago. JOHN P. WILSON. JOHN P. WILSON, a distinguished lawyer of Chicago, general counsel lea- the World's Colum- bian Exposition, and widely recognized in his profession as one of the ablest living authorities on corporation and real estate law. was born in the township of Garden Plains, Whiteside county, 111.. July :!. 1844. He is the son of Thomas Wil- son, a Scotchman who came to America from his native land in 1833 and settled in Illinois, where he engaged in farming, continuing in this pursuit until 1880, when he removed to Evanston, where he continued to reside until his death in 1883. The wife of Thomas Wilson and mother of John P. was Margaret (Laughlin) Wilson, a native of Pennsylvania, but of Scotch ancestry. By mak- ing the best of the limited opportunities at his command in his native place, and supplementing the instruction thus received by close personal application to his books at night and such other 1 1 s as opportunity afforded, young Wilson managed to tit himself for higher studies, and by the time he was seventeen years of age had entered Knox College, at Galesburg, 111., determined to secure a classical education. In 1865, a few days before attaining his majority, he was graduated with the degree of bachelor of ails at Knox Col- lege. After graduation lie taught at Galesburg in connection with the college and in the district school at Garden Plains during the years 1865 and 1866, and studied law mornings and even- ings. Frugal of his time-, he devoted all his spare moments during these years to the study of law, looking in at courl occasionally and turning over in his mind the pros and cons of such cases as came under his observation. In the spiring of ISiiT. having passed the required examination be- fore the proper board of examiners, he was ad- mitted to the Illinois bar, and coming to the city of Chicago entered the law office of Borden, Spafford .V .Mi I >aid. and upon the dissolution of said firm spent two years in the office of John Borden. Esq. In 1870 the law thin of Spafford, McDaid A Wilson was organized. After passing through many changes of partnership, he is now the senior member of the law firm of Wilson Moore & Mcllvaine, one of the strongest in Chi- cago. Mr. Wilson's practice has been of a gen eral character. He has devoted himself with such earnestness to the study of his profession that there are few, if any, of its intricacies which he has not mastered. In the departments of corpora- tion and real estate law he is especially skilful, and his widest fame rests upon those special- ties which have of recent years become the most important, and probably the most lucra- tive of any class of practice in Chicago. Among his clients for years have been a number of the most distinguished citizens and many of BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. the largest corporations of Illinois and neighbor- ing states. The law creating the Sanitary Dis- trict of Chicago was drawn by him, and he was also -i lected to defend its constitutionality, which had been doubted, but which was sustained bj the Supreme Court of Illinois. In his list of cli- ents Mr. Wilson numbers several leading financial institutions, prominent among them being the Merchants' National Bank of Chicago, of which he has been the attorney for several years. In 1890 Mr. Wilson was elected general counselfor the World's Columbian Exposition, and the con- stitutional amendment and legislation in relation thereto, passed at the special session of the Legis- lature held in 1890, were prepared under his supervision. Mr. Wilson is one of those men whose sole ambition is to excel in their vocation. To this end he has labored with all the energy at his command, and has allowed nothing- to tempt him to abandon this, his supreme purpose. As a lawyer simply he stands before the public, but as such he occupies one of the very highest niches in the profession. He has the true Scotch grit in his mental composition, and sticks to stud} and work with a pertinacity winch has en- abled him to accomplish wonders in the way of acquiring legal knowledge. His intellect is superlatively clear, his perceptions keen, and his powers of concentration ami application extra- ordinary. He has the faculty of analysis beyond most men. and detects and avoids snares and complications of a legal character with surprising facility. Speaking of Mr. Wilson, one of the most distinguished lawyers of Chicago said to the writer: "he is essentially a natural lawyer." Content with the honors and emoluments of his profession and the gratification of his scholarly tastes, he seeks no public office; and, while giving freel) and gratuitously such aid as may 1»- re- quired of him in beneficent and charitable public movements, he does so with no other motive than a sense of duty. His nature is of that modest. retiring kind thai does good by stealth. There is no vanity whatever in his composition, unless it be lo do his appointed work well: and to that en. I I oncentrates his every power. A man of irreproachable habits and pure character, as well as honorable professional ambitions, he enjoys the friendship and confidence of the most eminent of his fellow citizens. Mr. Wilson was married on April 25, 1871, to Miss Margaret C. Mcllvaine, of o, 111., daughter of J. D. Mcllvaine. They have live children. Margaret ('.. Martha. John P., Jr., Anna M., and Agnes. JOSHUA C. KNICKERBOCKER. JOSHUA C. KNICKERBOCKER was born in Gallatin, Columbia county. New York, September 26th, 1837. His ancestors lor several generations had been natives of Columbia and Duchess coun- ties. The family originally was of that sterling Holland stock which is noted for its strength of character and conscientious devotion to duty. and whose blood has coursed in the veins of many of the grandest men whom this republic has pro- duced. In 1844 the family removed to Alden, Mi- Henry county. Illinois, where the father was en- gaged in farming and where he died in 1874. The subject of our sketch was educated in the common schools of Alden. and previous to his coming to Chicago, taught school for a time. He removed to Chicago in 18110, studied law and was admitted to practice in 1862. In 18(14 he was elected super- visor and served in that office for three years. I' L865 to ls()7 he represented the First Ward in the city council, and in 1SGS he was elected to the Legislature. In both legislative bodies he was a fearless, uncompromising advocate of just measures and won the confidence of the public, who honored him alike for his ability and his in- tegrity. After his return from the legislature he continued in the practice of law. In 18G7 he and his brother. John J. Knickerbocker, entered into a copartnership, which continued to exist until Joshua C. was elected Judge of the Probate Court of Cook County. In 1875 he was appointed a member of the State Board of Education, and was re-appointed in 1877. The same year he was nom- inated for, and elected to, the office of Probate Judge, a place that he held by subsequent re- elections until his death, which occurred in Chi- cago, January 5th, 1890. The life of Judge Knickerbocker was exceptionally successful in all directions. As an official, administering for years the affairs of really the most important court in the state, his fidelity to all interests that came before him for protection, was universally recog- nized, and his industry and application in the dis- charge of his numerous and delicate duties were remarkable. He assumed that the Probate Court was in a sense responsible for the proper manage- ment of the estates of deceased persons, and he held lawyers, administrators, executors, guardians and w hoever had anything to do with such estates. to a rigid accountability. His sense of justice and knowledge of the law were clear and accurate. It sometimes seemed as if he wen- gifted with a per- ception that enabled him to read the hearts of ^mmJauL . . BiOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. people and divine their innermost thoughts; and in consequence those in charge of estates, who intended to do wrung-, but who were so guarded in their expressions and actions thai even their lawyers suspected nothing, would learn thai Judge Knickerbocker saw through thi A gentleman who was not a practising lawyer was e asked to manage the affairs of an estate of which the widow of the deceased was nan, the will as the executrix, before the Probate Court. Judge Knickerbocker told him thai he could do as well as a lawyer in the matter, and he proceeded into the business. At hist. however,he reached a point Ley,, nil which he seemed utterly unable to go. He presented the papers which at that time were proper to present. bu1 the courl would not receive them. There were new objec- tions made by the Judge every time the papers were presented. At last, in despair the gentleman waited upon Judge Knickerbocker privately, and asked him if he would kindly explain to him what the trouble in the case was. The judge replied: " There is a legacy of three hundred dollars pro- vided by the will of the testator, for his bi an old and needy man. The widow has never had the slightest intention of paying that le When she has paid that three hundred dollars, and the receipt is brought to me. you will have no more trouble in this court." Themoney was paid and the business went through the court without hindrance. It was such watchfulness of the details of the vast volume of business that came before his court, that made him of such prii value as an official in the community. The busi- ness connected with the estates w-hieh were being settled under his supervision, was supervised as a careful, honest, straightforward business man would supervise his own private business, and as any one would like to have his own estate admin- istered. Thousands of men and women in this city owe a much greater obligation to Judge Knickerbocker than perhaps they have ever real- ized. His court was their protector and the pre server of their propert} when they were helpless to protect themselves and their inheritance. He was always conservative in allowing the charges of lawyers, administrators ami guardians, and in per- mitting expenditures on behalf of an estate. He has been known to cut a lawyer's bill from five hundred to fifty dollars, and from live thousand dollars to one thousand. Hi- was accustomed to say that all the property in Chicago passed through the Probate Court once in every thirty years, and that if the' lawyers were permitted to charge any- thing they liked, they would owd the whole of it, in time. Nor would he permit reek-less guardians towaste the estates of their wards by yielding to their extravagant demands. He has been knowD to deny requests for an allowance of one hundred and two hundred dollars a month for spending money.and allow but fifteen or twenty dollars. He was utterly fearless in the discharge of his sacred duties as Probate Judge. He was no re- specter of persons. K made not the slightest difference whether a delinquent administrator executor or guardian was a humble man, without influence, or one of high position, he was dealt with as one who was delinquent and who must make amends or suffer punishment. Naturally kind-hearted and sympathetic he was as immov- able as a rock under the pressure of entreaty or the charms of flattery, when duty demanded that he should be harsh. Had he not been a man of extraordinary ability and probity, he could not have held an elective office for a long series oi years with the practically unanimous wish and support of the | pie. There is nothing n as sacred in politics. Politicians seek the offices with their remuneration, and however capable and faithful the occupant of an office may be. he will be ousted that someone else may occupy it. if that is possible. When no attempt is made to do this, it is complete evidence of the deserved popu- larity and efficiency of theofficial. Amidst all the turmoil of politics, amidst all the treachery of po- litical conventions and all the slanders perpetrated upon character in political campaigns, Judge Joshua C. Knickerbocker was left undisturbed and unassailed. A writer in one of the Chicago dailies, commenting upon his career as judge, said: "From the moment he entered upon the duties of the office in which he continued to his death, the public became aware that the wheel f political chance had brought into its service the most admirable qualities for the administering of public affairs. It found in him a well governed nature in whose perfect equanimity of temper and fearlessness of word and action it could place im- plicit trust. ' As shines a good <\r,-i\ in a naughty world,' so shines an upright life spent and con eluded in tile public service. The honor that has followed Judge Knickerbocker to tin- grave and the tributes paid to his memory by every class of citizens, should inform all who aspire to public service that there is a value in simple virtue that begets respect and confidence living, and insures al sorrow ami public honors dead. The meiiioi \ of a good man is M'-ssed." In his private I I 2 BIOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS. life Judge Knickerbocker was a charming, liberal- minded, generous-hearted gentleman. His nature was so genial that he made friends of all with whom he came in contact, and his presence was always like a warming, cheering sunbeam among his fellow-men. He believed that life was to be enjoyed, though to the conscientious man it broughl burdens and responsibilities. Hence he delighted in social intercourse and in amusements , He was a prominent member of the Calumet and Union League Clubs, and also of the Tolleston and Ne-pe-Nauk Shooting CTubs, and he entered into the enjoyment which they provided with greal /est. He was always a greai reader and student, and kept abreasi with the literature of the day and with the advance of thought. He was thus a man of well-rounded character ami splendidly trained mind, and made a most re- markable companion and friend. In anobituarj in one of the journals of the city the writer said: "Judge Knickerbocker was a man in whose nature the sun never set. His genial disposition was dif- fusive, and he was the soul of every company he en- tered. His face was a smile. A vein of quaint, quiet humor ran through his daily life and even bright- ened the dull routine of the judicial office." It is not often that such a well balanced man develops. Csually ability in one direction is indicative , if weakness in some other. One conspicuous, pop- ular characteristic in a man's character is apt to overshadow his other virtues. But of all men Judge Knickerbocker was one whose character and gifts were so symmetrical, that he may 1"' held up as a remarkably perfect example for young men to follow. He began life with no special advantages, except his ability and a ster- ling honesty of purpose. He achieved success be- cause he was entirely worthy to achieve it. He was popular socially, because he was agreeable 1 and found happiness in contributing to the happiness of others. Few men have died in this community who were so sincerely and universally mourned as was Judge Knickerbocker. Thous- ands who knew him only by reputation read the announcement of his death as if somehow it was the announcement of a personal loss and grief; and those who enjoyed a personal acquaintance with the dead jurist mourned his loss because of his splendid qualities of mind and heart, whose up lifting influence they had often felt. The press, of Chicago and of Illinois, but in other sections of the countrj -poke of the dead jurist with deep feeling and brilliant praise. Among the people in whose official service he had been for so many years, and among whom he had lived, the loss seemed to be irreparable. It was a beautiful picture that those who painted his life hung be- fore a sorrow -stricken community. It was a mag- nificent subject, and the genius and eloquence of admirers painted it true to life. His inheritance of The sterling characteristics of his Holland an- cestry, who came from the land that sheltered libertj and the liberty of conscience, was told by inspired orators; his lib' was traced from its humble beginning, along the path in which there wen- many places that only an indomitable will and an unswerving integrity could have enabled him bo pass triumphantly, up to the conspicuous position of honor and influence which he gained; and all through the eloquent eulogies that were pronounced, the memory of his honesty sparkled like a peerless gem in a beautiful setting. Said the Rev. Dr. Thomas: " He did not pick his way along the narrow line that separates honesty from dishonesty and right from wrong. His calm, clear judgment was never clouded by considera- tions of expediency. He stood aloof on the high plane of right." Magnificent as was this tribute to the worth of the man, the following from the same lips, is even grander and more eloquent: ■• We are glad that Chicago has honored this man and that for thirty years he has held public and responsible positions. To his honor is recorded veracity and unimpeachable honesty. He never had an aspersion cast upon him by any political party or by the press. He stands in a kind of moral grandeur in these things. Of the millions upon millions of dollars he has administered, no1 one dollar has been misapplied by this noble jurist." CHARLES B. LAWRENCE. By the death of Hon. Charles B. Lawrence, which occurred on April 9th, 1883, the bar of Illi- nois lost an able and influential member, and the cit\ of Chicago one of the most beloved and prom inent citizens. Appreciation of his merit, both as a lawyer and a man. was shown in his election to the Circuit and Supreme Courts, and his subse- quent selection as Chief Justice of the latter hon- orable body, a position in which he served with eminent distinction. Judge Lawrence was born in Vergennes, Vermont, on December 17th, 1820. and was the descendant of an old New England family. His father. Hon. Villee Lawrence was Ms-u-£ -n BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. "3 prominent in the politics of the Green Mountain State, and held many positions of honor and trust. Judge Lawrence received the rudiments of an ed- ucation in the district schools of his native town, and then went to Middlebury College, where he remained for two years perfecting himself for a regular college course. This he took at Union College in New York State, and graduated in 1841, just before attaining his majority. For two yeare thereafter he taught school in Alabama. In 1st:! he went to Cincinnati, Ohio, and began the study of law in the offic f Judge Alphonso Taft, one of the most distinguished jurists of the State. Some months of close reading under the direction of Judge Taft were followed by Mr. Lawrence's removal to St. Louis, where he completed bis law studies in I hi' office of Hon. Benry S. < oyer, after- wards a United States Senator from Missouri. Mr. Lawrence was admitted to the bar in St. Louis in 1814, and began the practice of his pro- fession in partnership with Mr. M. L. Gray, of that city. The following year this business con nection was dissolved and Mr. Lawrence went to Quincy, 111., where, in company with Mr. David L. Hough, he soon acquired a large practice and considerable faun- as a skilled advocate and coun- selor, and as a man of scholarly accomplishments. One of the most eminent lawyers in western Illinois at that time was Judge Archibald William-, and in 1847 Mr. Lawrence became associated with him in a professional capacity. In 1856, owing to ill health, Mr. Lawrence was compelled to retire temporarily from practice. lb- had never been a strong man physically, and closi application to his profession had impaired his health to such an extent that a foreign tour was thought advisable. In company with his wife (nee Miss Margaret Marston. to whom he was married in 1851 at Quincy), Mr. Lawrence went abroad and remained two years. He was considerably improved in health when he returned to Quincy, but was still unable to resume the practice of bis profession; so he boughl a farm in Warren county, Illinois, when- for abou! a year he made farming his occupation, more in the hope of regaining his health than from any decided liking for an agricultural life. In 1859 Mr. Lawrence was solicited to bi me a candi- date for the Circuit Judgeship of the district em- bracing Warren, Knox. Mercer and Henderson counties, and. feeling once more strong and vigor- ous, lie accepted the nomination, and was elected without opposition. Well pleased as his friends had bein with his course as a lawyer, and under- standing, as they thought, his wonderful ability and complete mastery of his calling, they were nevertheless surprised with Judge Lawrence's sue cess on the bench. Of a strongly judicial mind, and thoroughly fitted by natural inclination and study for the position, he quickly took rank as one of the ablest Judges of the Circuit Court, and before his term expired was elected as Justice of the Supreme Court of Illinois. He was installed in 1864, and served out his term of nine years, retir- ing in ls73. Three years previous to his retirement Judge Lawrence was made Chief Justice, and held that highly honorable and arduous position until he retired from the bench. At the close of his judicial career Judge Lawrence removed to Chicago, and at once assumed a leading position at the ('00k count)' bar. and was entrusted with tic control of many cases of great importance. His prominence was such that in 1879, statesmen, tlie press and the public of the West urged upon President Hayes that he be named for the va- cancy on the Supreme Bench of the United States, afterwards filled by the selection of Hon. Stanlej Matthews. While grateful to his friends lor this evidence of their appreciation, Judge Lawrence made no personal effort to obtain lie appointment; neither would he, although repeat edly urged, become a candidate for a United States senatorship from Illinois. In politics Judge Lawrence was a firm and consistent Re- publican, having been a member of that part} from its organization. Previous to that he was lor a few years a Democrat, but abandoned that political faith to further by speech and pen tile anli slavery movement. Strong as he was in his political affiliations. Judge Lawrence never identi- fied himself with politics while on the bench, nor would he allow his decisions to be in any way af- fected by partisan bias. There is a notable proof of this in his ruling in the famous case of the United States vs. Madison Y. Johnson, who had been arrested for treason, with the knowledge and consent, it was understood, of President Lin- coln himself. The latter had no warmer friend. personally or politically, than Judge Lawrence. and the case came up at a time when the people were excited and sure to condemn any construc- tion of the law which rlid not endorse the action of tlie authorities. Judge Lawrence, however, while aware that Johnson's arrest was due en tirely to pure and patriotic motives, did not be- lieve that it was legal, and discharged him on lnihi(i,i corpus proceedings. In this decision Judge Lawrence laid down the rule that the Pres- ident of the United States has no power in time of 1 1 1 3I0GRAPHY OP ILLINOIS. peace to summarily arrest a citizen of Illinois without sworn charge or warrant, and held that even the doctrine that a state of war itself sus pends at once the constitutional guarantees for liberty and property, is inconsistent with every principle of civil liberty and tree government. The opinion of Judge Lawrence was that the people should leave the interpretation and administra- tion of the law to the judges, and that if they were not satisfied with the result they could change both the law and its ministers. To be effective the courts must have the respect and confidence of the people; without these, respect for the law would soon disappear, and society would become a prey of fraud and crime. The death of Judge Lawrence occurred in a peculiarly sad manner. He was journeying with his wife and a small party of friends early in April. 1883, to Florida for recreation. On the 9th of the month the party stopped over night at Decatur, near the scenes of the judge's early labors as a school teacher. While talking with some friends at the hotel he was seized with an apoplectic stroke and died within a few minutes. His re- mains were interred at Mount Hope Cemetery. Galesburg, 111., where his rive children are buried. A high tribute was paid to Judge Lawrence at the annual meeting of the Illinois State Bar Asso- ciation in 1884. when Judge Anthony Thornton, in delivering an eloquent eulogy on the character of his deceased friend, said: "He possessed the four things which benefit a judge — to hear courteously, to answer wisely, to consider soberly, and to give judgment without partiality." A warm personal friend of Judge Lawrence, to wl i the editor of this sketch was referred for information as to his personal traits, writes: " hesitates to employ the ordinary language of eulogy in speaking of Judge Lawrence, both be- cause its value has been so lessened by its care- less use and because it seems hardly to shadow forth his type of mind and character. To say that he was public-spirited, a warm friend, a kind neighbor, a trusted adviser, does not fully indicate just the relation which he bore to the society about him in these respects. Sympathy is at times of more value than money, and its value again in a large measure lies in the manner in which it is offered. His time was never so engrossed by his in but that he devoted some of it to tile encouragement of others; he was ever ready to use it and his purse in aiding those who suffered, and he brought with such encouragement and aid a ■ nl leuess of manner, a readiness to listen and to help, which was as the pouring of balm into a fresh wound. This gentleness he carried with him into his professional life, but it was in no way alloyed with a want of firmness. He had no compromise with wrong, and neither was he afraid to express an opinion hostile to what might be the notion, at the moment, of the com- munity about him. It is too common in these days for the public, indignant at the escape of an offender through the forms of law. to forget the value of rules as a protection; to demand that they be violated to meet a supposed emergency; to censure the lawyer or judge who faithfully holds to his oath and so to them, though the skies fall. This sort of unhealthy excitement Judge Lawrence always withstood, and he made qo secret of his opinion; he gave it to the press, no matter how unpopular it might be, as readily as to his neighbors, and with readiness to both. Whether at the bar or before the court in hour, no assault lessened his quiet dignity or provoked from him a personal response: and to his argu- ments his wide reading added a felicity of illus- tration and expression charming to a degree. He drew on the classics of our own. and of the so- called dead languages with familiarity, brighten- ing his argument with the charm of his learn- ing, and he did it so simply and naturally as to leave no room for doubt that the form which the illustration took was the thought of the moment, the almost spontaneous action of a well stored mind working freely and easily in answer to every demand made upon it. Not strong in health, his body frail, he did his work well, and much he did both as lawyer and judge. The suddenness of his death was startling, yet it was the easy and gentle ending of a most gentle life, one in which weakness and strength were in rare combination: his powers were ripe, yet not decayed: his physi- cal strength was frail, but his years had no touch of senility. His vigorous, keen, subtle mind had never yielded to his weakness of body, and who shall say that it was not well?" JOHN WENTWORTH. The life of the Hon. John Wentworth is in a great part the history of Chicago. One is almost identical with the other, for they grew up together; the fame of one was the fame of both, and each has aided the other in becoming widely known. Chicago was but a stripling when on an October BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 1 '5 morningin L 836, John Wentworth tall and sturdy, but with an independent Bpirit, and a self-con- sciousness of power to do battle with the world, walked within its gates. The stripling of a city de- veloped into a giant, the marvel of the age; Mr. Wentworth grew to be a power in the land; honored and trusted by the people, he was given high posi- tions, and only ceased lining when, at nearly four score years, he had run his race, had done his work, and aature, wearied by the long strain of continu- ous labor obliged him to lay down his burden and rest. "Long John" Wentworth is a name which will never be forgotten in Chicago even though time shall crumble the granite monument erected in honor of his memory and which marks his last earthly resting-place in Rosehill Cemetery. The familiar name of "Long John" fitted him on ac- count of his commanding stature. He stood six feet six inches in his stocking feet and was as straight as an arrow. His features denoted that bluntness and decision of character for which lie was famous. In public ami private lite he was of unswerving honesty ami a lover of law and justice. He was remarkable for his intellectuality and indomitable energy, and in his convictions was independent and courageous. As a public speaker he had few- equals; as a story teller he was inimitable. John Wentworth was born in Sandwich, Carroll Co., N. H., on March 5th. 1815. He was the son of the Hon. Paul and Lydia (Cogswell) Wentworth, both of whose families were noted in the early days of the country. His paternal grandfather was the Hon. John Wentworth Jr.. member of the Conti- nental Congress from New Hampshire, ami whose name is signed to the original "Articles of Con- federation." His maternal grandfather was Colo- nel Ames Cogswell who served through the entire Revolutionary war. entering at the sametimethat General Washington took command of the army under the old tree at Cambridge, Mass. Six of Colonel Cogswell's brothers also served with him throughout the war. and they assisted at the formation of the Society of Cincinnati when the troops disbanded at the close of hostilities. The families were both descended from the oldest settlers in New England, and there was no blood in John Wentworth's veins of any emigrant since 1700, all his ancestors since that time having lived and died in New England, and most of them in New Hampshire. John Wentworth remained at his paternal home in Sandwich, until he was twenty -one years of age. On Monday. October 3rd, 1836, he started out into the world with the gen- eral idea of seeking his fortune in the West. He traveled by post coach to Concord. X. II.. ami thence across the Green Mountains to Troy. N. V., thence to Schenectady and from there, for the first time on steam cars, to Utica. X. Y. There he wen! for the first time aboard a canal boat, on which he sailed to Tonawanda, and again taking a stage reached Niagara Falls. At this point he took a steamer for Buffalo and from there on the steamboat -Columbus." Captain A. Walker, Master, to Detroit, Mich., where he landed Octo- ber 13th, having been ten days on his journey. Detroit was at that time one of the principal cities of the West, ami Mr. Wentworth remained there for some time. He made long pedestrian exclu- sions into the country, going to Ann Arbor. Ypsi- lanti and other places. He was desirious of securing employment and put an advertisement in the Detroit Free Press for a position as school- teacher, but. receiving no replies he became con- vinced that he had not yet reached the spot where the gleams of his lucky star fell the brightest, and resolved to push his way further west. He re- turned to Detroit, and, putting his trunk aboard the brig "Manhattan," under command of Captain John Stuart, for transportation to Chicago, he took the stage for Michigan City. Indiana, and arrived there on the afternoon of October 22nd. The next day he set out for Chicago on foot. He stayed that night at Calumet, now known as South Chicago, and finally arrived at the goal where he was destined to achieve such fame ami fortune as falls to the lot of but few men. He made I he enl r\ to his future hone- on the morning of October 25th, 1836. It was a pleasant termination to so long a journey that one of the first persons he should meet was an old friend and one time school- mate in New Hampshire. Mathew S. Maloney, then of the leading mercantile house of Wild, Maloney & Co., but formerly of Northfield, N. H. Mr. Maloney advised the traveler to go to the United States Hotel, previously called the Sau- ganash, and kept by the late John Murphy, who afterwards became one of Chicago's "city fathers" and a prominent politician. Mr. Wentworth ac- cepted the advice, and that day partook of one of Mrs. Murphy's dinners. From that day up to the time of his death he made it a custom on the anni- versary of his arrival in Chicago, to dine with Mrs. Murphy. Mr. Wentworth determined to study law and made all the necessary arrange incuts to do so. under Henry Moore, a leading lawyer of the city at that time. That gentleman, however, was soon obliged, on account of ill health, to return to the East, where he died many ri6 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. Mr. Wentworth was induced, in November, L836,totake editorial charge of the Chi cago Democrat, and s i after bought the paper, and during the succeeding twenty five years while he was its editor and proprietor, he made it the leading newspaper of the northwest. In the winterof 1836-37 Mr. Wentworth attended the meetings held in the Saloon Building, to consider whether the Legislature -then in session at Vandalia- -should be applied to for a city charter. Mr. Wentworth also took an active part in the election of William B. Ogden, Chicago's first Mayor. He was made secretary of the first politi- cal meeting ever called in theoldFirst Ward. No man in any community has ever received more rapid advancement than did John Wentworth in Chicago. In 1837 he was appointed by the council the first corporation printer of Chicago; early in 1838 he was appointed school inspector, and during nearly all his active career he had some connection with the Chicago scl 1 board. He was one of the earliest, and continued to be, one of the most persistent, advocates of the com mon school system iii the West. In 1839 he was made one of Gov. Carlin's aides de camp. In 1840 he began making speeches to public assem- blages, outside the city, and in February of that year prepared an exhaustive article upon the relation of the banks to the Government and their reciprocal duties, which attracted much attention. During all this time, and in the midst of all these duties that claimed his time and attention, he still managed to pursue his legal studies, and in the sprint; of 1841, he determined to go east and attend the law lectures at Cambridge Mass., intending to remain thereat least a year. Hearing, however, that he was likely to be nominated for Congress, lie returned home late in the Autumn of 1841: but he had made such progress that shortly after his return he was admitted to the bar. It was not until the spring of 1843, however, that his great Congressional career began. In Mayor that year lie was made the unanimous nominee for Congress at the Democratic convention held in Joliet: but because of the failure of the legisla- ture to district the state the election did uot take plaee until August, 18415, which should have been held in 1842. Mr. Wentworth was elected I iy a large majority. He was at the time only twenty-eight years old, and the youngest member in the Con- nal body. The area of his district under the census of 1840, now includes nineteen counties. This was the beginning of a lone series of re-nom- inations and re-elections and the young represent- ative oi the Fourth District of Illinois to the Twenty eighth Congress became a notable per sonage. In 1*41 he was returned, recen ing a ma- jority of more than 3,000. Again, in L846, lie was elected by a majority of over 6,000, and iii L848, while in Washington attending to his Congres- sional duties he was again elected by a majoritj of over 3,500 which was rather remarkabli n sidering his absence from the field of action, and in view of the hue anil cry set up by other aspi rants for rotation in office. When James K. Polk was nominated for the presidency at the conven- tion held in Baltimore in 1844. Mr. Wentworth was sent as a delegate and was also one at the convention which nominated General Lewis Cass. of Michigan. He was chairman of the committee that called the celebrated National River and Har- bor convention which assembled at Chicago in is 17. and Mr. Wentworth also drafted the address to the people of the United States urging them p. send delegates to this convention. Mr. Went- worth had served four terms in Congress and when solicited to accept nomination for a fifth, in 1850, peremptorily declined: hut in 1852 such pressure was brought to hear that he finally con- sented and was elected from a new district, the Second, embracing the counties of Cook. White- side Du Page Kane. Lee and Rock Island. This district was made under the census ot 1850. His election at this time was to the Thirty-third Con- gress, and when his term expired he absolutely refused to accede to the urgent solicitations of his constituents to run again. He had served one term under the administration of President Tyler; he was presentat the inauguration of Pres- ident Polk and served throughout his term: he was present at the inauguration of President Taylor and that of President Pilmore and served two years under their admistrations. Out of Congress two years, he was elected again and was present at the inauguration of President Pierce and served one term under his administration. Mr. Wentworth was present when John Quincy Adams fell dead in the House of Representatives and was one oi tin- committee ap- pointed by Speaker Robert C. Winthrop to take his remains to his home in Massachusetts. Mr. Wentworth once more took his seat in Congress. during the thirty-ninth session to which he was elected from a district composed of Cook County alone, and was upon the ways and means com- mittee under the administration of President Andrew Johnson, and during this session he was an earnest advocate of the immediate resump- BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. ■7 tion of specie payment, often declaring that every day's delay therein would prove more calamitous to the country. He attended the inauguration of President Lincoln and at his death was one of the committee to receive his remains at Chicago, li was fortunate for young and growing Chicago that she should have, during those years, such a man us Mr. Wentworth to look after her interests in Congress. During his long term of service there the city needed just such an aggressive represent- ative, for there was much legislation requisite and he worked diligently for the improvements that have been so conducive to her present greatness. He urged and accomplished the improvement of the harbor, the establishment of light-houses and ports of entry, the erection of marine hospitals and many other things to which it was ai i to bring national aid. He was absolutely until- ing in his zeal for his constituents; he championed the cause of many in :ases under the pre eruption acts and, without any thought of re- ceiving compensation, was the agent for number- less claimants for hack pay, bounty, etc.. accruing to those who served in the Mexican war. He strenuously championed pre-emption, graduation and homestead laws; he was the first western congressman to introduce a bill advocating the bonded warehouse system, and he was mainly in- strumental in passing the land-grant bill for tile Illinois Central Railroad through the House of Representatives. He was one of the original stockholders of the Chicago & Galena Railroad anil continued one of its most active supporters, and was chairman of the executive committee of the board of the company when the road Has con- solidated with tlie Northwestern. The time had arrived when it was necessary lor Mr. Wentworth to serve his city at home. Those whom he had benefitted — the citizens of the city he had helped build up— felt the need of his wise and judicious counsel, his marked ability and untiring eni rgy. In a convention composed of delegates from all political parties existing at that time, he was. in 18o7. unanimously nominated as a candidate for mayor of Chicago, and in March of that year he was elected bj over 1,100 majority. "Liberty" and " economy " were the watchwords that had gov- erned John Wentworth in all the years of his public service, and lie brought these doctrines into full play during his term of municipal administration. He introduced the first steam fire engine into the city, which was named "Long John" in his honor. His first official act was to appoint a board of engin- eers, who established the present grade of the city. -Mr. Wentworth was again elected mayor in 1860. This was the year the Prince of Wales visited Chicago and tin- mayor superintended all the ar- rangements which were so satisfactory that after the return of the Prince, the Duke of Newcastle wrote Mr. Wentworth a personal letter compli- menting him upon the city he governed and the manner in which he governed it, and thanked him heartily for the kindness and courtesy extended the visitors, stating that nowhere else had they proved so satisfactory. The Duke sent Mr. Went- worth a large portrait of the Prince and also sent him two Southdown sheep from the Queen's herd for his farm. During this term he introduced two additional steam fire engines which were named respectively "Liberty " and " Economy " after the two words which Mr. Wentworth had made the keystone of his public life. This was his last term as mayor, though he was repeatedly solicited to again accept the office. In 1SG1 he was elected a member of the Constitutional Convention to revise the constitution of the State of Illinois, and in the same year was chosen a member of the Board of Education for three years. He was active in se- curing the first brick public school house in the city. This was called the" Dearborn School "and was sit- uated on the north side of Madison street just east of Dearborn. This was always Mr. Wentworth's fa- vorite school, and during the fire he was on a special committee to take charge of it. Mr. Wentworth did some excellent work on the Board of Educa- tion. As stated, he was a persistent advocate of the common school system, and during the time of failing banks, which were largely in default to the school fund, his energy, both on the board and in his newspaper, saved a large portion of the funds; and had his advice been taken, had he been sustained by a majority of the board, not a dollar would have been lost. In 1863 Mr. Went- worth became a police commissioner, to till a va- cancy, and rendered important service to Colonel Sweet, who was in charge of Camp Douglas at the time the rebel raid was to have I n made on the fort, the prisoners released, and the city of Chi- cago fired and pillaged. The Mayor gave Mr. Wentworth authority to take entire charge of the police, in case of an emergency, during the night that Colonel Sweet made the arrest of the conspirators and saved the city. Mr. Wentworth showed the admiral ilc tact with which he was en- dowed at the time the notorious Vallandigham addressed the people in Chicago. His remarks were calculated to arouse the anger of his patri- otic hearers, and an outbreak would have resulted i i s BIOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS. had not Mr. Wentworth, then Police Commis- sioner, restrained them. When he attempted to answer Mr. Vallandigham he was in danger of be- ing stopped by the rebel sympathizers, and Mr. Wentworth called their attention bo the fact that their leader had been listened to without molesta- tion while talking in a manner to excite anger, but the loyal citizens had been restrained by the police acting under his orders, ami he asked that the same courtesy ami attention I"- given him. Mr. Wentworth proceeded without any disturb- ance, ami turned the sentiment of the meeting with one of his best speeches. In June, 1880, Mr. Wentworth was a vice president of the Repub- lican National Convention, held in Chicago, being a delegate from the first district, but was de- clared ineligible. This, however, did not prevent his working for the nomination of U. S. Grant, and when his name was withdrawn supported James A. Garfield. In 1854 Mr. Wentworth inter- ested himself in agriculture, and was for many years a member of the Illinois State Board of Ag- riculture. His farm of about three thousand acres at Summit. 111., within twelve miles of Chi- cago, was devoted to the raising of improved live stock up to the time of his death. Mr. Wen! worth was married Nov. 13, 1811, at Troy, N. Y., by the Rev. Nathan S. S. Beman, I). D., to Rox- ana Marie, onlj child of the Hon. Riley and Rox ana (Atwater) Loomis, of Troy. who. alter many years of delicate health, died Feb. ... 1870. They had live children, all of whom died young except Miss Koxana Atwater Wentworth. who is now living. Dartmouth College, Mr. Wentworth's Alma Mater, conferred upon him in 1867 the de- gree of LL. D., and on July 2, 1873, he was elected president of the Alumni of the New Hampton Academical Institution, and in 1882 and 1883 was elected president of the Alumni Association of Dartmouth College for those years. He kept a journal of all the great events that had transpired while he was in public office, but this valuable record was lost, as was also his complete file of the daily and weekly Chicago Democrat and other manuscripts and papers, in the Chicago fire. Mr. Wentworth grieved over the loss of these papers, and to him it appeared irreparable. Mr. Went- worth was an active member of the Chicago His- torical Society. He contributed many valuable articles to Fergus' Historical Series — "Early Chi- cago" — of which he tacitly became the acknowl- edged depositary, and was conceded to be an un- doubted authority. His great work, however, is "The Wentworth Genealogy, English and Amer- ican." This work is in three volumes, and was a life labor with Mr. Wentworth. Early in life he began collecting statistics concerning the Went worth family, and labored unceasingly at it for many years. So indefatigable was he that rela- tives say they frequently left him at work at niglii and have found him still engaged in writing. upon their arising in the morning. Early in the fall of 1888 Mr. Wentworth's health began to fail. ( )n the ltth of October he was obliged to take to his bed. The doctors could not make up their minds that the trouble was due to any particular cause except old age and a general breaking down of the constitution. He lay in a comatose state until 7:15 on the morning of Tuesday, Octo- ber 16th, when he passed away, his death being entirely painless. Mr. Wentworth's home had for years been at the Sherman House, and it was there he breathed his last. There were present at his bedside when he died his only daughter, Rox- ana, his nephew Moses J. Wentworth, his two brothers Joseph and Samuel, and his sister Mrs. Mary F. Porter. The arrangements for the fu- neral were made on an elaborate scale. The re- mains were placed in a handsome casket and lay in state at the Sherman House, where hundreds of the deceased's friends called to pay their last respects. The Common Council held a special meeting, which was feelingly addressed by Mayor Roche, and appropriate resolutions were passed by the Council. The funeral took place from the Second Presbyterian Church on Thursday morn- ing at 11 o'clock, the Rev. Dr. R. W. Patterson of- ficiating and the Rev. S. J. McPherson and Prof. Swing assisting. The funeral of John Went- worth was one of the largest ever held in Chi- cago. The remains were taken by special train to Rosehill. eight police officers in full uniform bear- ing the casket to the hearse. A granite shaft fifty five feet high marks the spot in Rosehill Cemetery where John Wentworth's remains are laid. POTTER PALMER. POTTER PALMER, an eminent American business man, a resident and prominent citizen of Chicago for nearly forty years, and known throughout the United States for his distinguished and successful labors in connection with the mar- vellous rebuilding and subsequent progress of the great metropolis of the Northwest, is a native of -e>l^ BIOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS, II 9 Albany county, Now York. The family from which he springs is of English origin and his an- cestors were among the Brsl settlers of the New England colonies. His grandparents lived, dur- ing thpir earlier lives, at New Bedford, Massa chusetts, but toward the beginning of the present century changed their habitation to New SToris State, settling on a farm on the western bank of the Hudson, in Albany county. The grandparents and parents of Mr. Palmer were members of the Societj of Friends. His father was a prosperous farmer in Albany county. The subject of this sketch was the fourth of a family of seven chil- dren, lb' received a good English education, and when eighteen years of age entered upon a busi- ness career for which he had already shown an aptitude as a junior clerk in a country slue and bank at Durham, Greene county. X. V. At the close of three years' service he had so demon- strated his capacity for mercantile affairs that he was placed in charge of this establishment. A few years later he went to Oneida county, where he engaged in business on his own account. After building up quite a trade at this place he removed to Lockport, Niagara county, where, also, his success was marked. At this period many of the more energetic young men of the East were turning their attention to the opportunities for fortune in what was then commonly known as the "far west." Mr. Palmer was among those who seemed to comprehend, as if by instinct, the pos- sibilities of success in this great region. The rapid growth in population and importance of the young city of Chicago seems to have struck him with peculiar force. When he first started out in his business career the place was little more than a village, yet, in about a decade it had leaped into prominence as the twentieth city of the Union. There was a vigor in the trade of the young city which was encouraging to those who contemplated it from a distance, and the more Mr. Palmer thought about removing there the more elearlj he perceived the wisdom of doing so. Ih had already moved from the extreme eastern, to the extreme western part of New York, and in making the further progress westward he was 1ml follow ■ ing •• the star of Empire" and his own "manifest, destiny." Arriving in Chicago Mr. Palmer in- vested his whole fortune in the dry goods busi- ness, opening a large store on Lake street. I lien the principal retail thoroughfare of the city. Thoroughly familiar with the business, well ac- quainted with the .■astern markets, and an adept also in selecting, buying and displaying all kinds of fabrics, gifted, in addition, with great natural shrewdness ami untiring energy, he soon made his store one of the principalcenters.il' attraction and in a very short time the leading retail emporium of the West. The wholesale department, added soon after the start, grew to great magnitude; and when, after thirteen years of continuous labor, Mr. Palmer resigned the entire establishment to his partners and successors, the business was one of the three or [our largest conducted in the whole country and had no rivals except in the city of New York. In evidence of its magnitude and of the capabilities of its founder it may here be said that during the period mentioned the volume of business had grown from seventy thousand dol- lars to seven millions of dollars a year. The pres tige and success imparted to the establishment by Mr. Palmer still remain with it undiminished. and it is to-day the leading one in its department of trade west of the Alleghenies. During the Civil War Mr. Palmer was a rock of strength to the Federal government in the Northwest. His po- litical proclivities were Democratic from his ear- liest voting days, but when the disunion senti- ment manifested itself in his party he reprobated it with all his might and loyally adhered to the government. Never for a moment .lid he falter in his allegiance to the Union cause: and when others were losing heart and predicting ultimate disaster he proved that he had the courage "I his convictions by investing his capital in his business ingal] in his power to encourage trade and stimulate public confidence. He bought and carried immense stocks of goods, actuated by his honestly patriotic desire to uphold trade: yet in doing so his judgment did not allow him to be ob livious to the advantages which must ultimately accrue to himself Erom this course. Money was plentiful, notwithstanding that gold was at a high premium; and g Is could frequently be bought at great bargains owing to the sad lack of confi- dence in many quarters as to the stability of the government and ils ultimate success in the pro- longed and bitter struggle in which it was en- gaged. The out I' this patriotic and wise, as well as shrewd, courseon tin- pail of Mr. Palmer was a notable augmentation of his fortune, which from the first had been drawn upon liberally in support of the national authorities, to whom, es I ially during the later years of the war. large sums of money were advanced unhesitatingly. Mr. Palmer abdicated his position as merchant prince in 1865, retiring from trade with a large fortune. He was but forty years of age at this 1 20 BIOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS. time, ;nnl his life had been too active to permit of his remaining ;it resl while still in the very prime of his manhood. The outlet he adopted for his activities was found in operations in real estate some of which seemed of the boldesl character, yel all of which were based on the prevision of a well-trained and accurate judgment. In the year mentioned, the city of Chicago, although in the front rank as a mercantile center, was woefully in the rear so far as its streets and buildings were con- cerned. It was as if the people were too busy with the actual operations of trade to give any attention to architecture or the improvement of their public thoroughfares. State street, the most important retail thoroughfare, was then quite nar- row, and, with the exception of about two blocks of it- length, unadorned by structures i if anj preten rtever. Mr. Palmer was quick to see that the improvement of this street would he a de- cided I h -in lit tn the city, and that the undertaking would briiiL;' profit to whoever carried it through. He resolved to he that person, and, moving with both boldness and caution, he became in less than six months the owner of about three-quarters of a mile of frontage on the thoroughfare men- tioned. Old buildings, so located as to make the street narrow where the) stood, wen fir i bought and then moved back a hundred feet or more as i \. On vacant lots adjoining them, which also had been acquired, new buildings were erected on the new line. By meansof the influenceof his own example, and by such other legal means as were required in dealing with a number of busy, selfish and often obstinate i pie, he succeeded, after four years' indefatigible labor, in giving a practical embodiment to his engrail idea. The effected can only be described by the word - magical." What had been a dirty, irreg- ular and utterly uninviting thoroughfare was med into a broad avenue, a mile or more in length,' and not only vastly better adapted for the home of the retail trade of the city, but suggestive of many latent possibilities. Mr. Palmer himself ei ected a dozen fine buildings, in- cluding the first " Palmer House." OlU- Of those buildings, erected for mercantile purposes, had a marble front, and was constructed at a cost of $100,000. The greal lire of October 9, 1ST1, which swept over Chicago with a fury and devastation almosl unexampled in the history of conflagra- tions, destroyed in a si ugh ■ night that upo Mr. Palmer had I upended years of energy and hundreds of thousands of dollars. There was no person in the citj who suffered so heavily as Mr. Palmer: indeed, the lire may be said to have been to him an almost crushing calamity. Thirty five of his buildings were completely wiped out, and a rent roll of nearly $200,000 a year was annihilated. His total loss "I' annual income fell hut little short of a quarter of a million dollars, and the in- co 'emaining was inadequate by S15,000 to meet his annual taxes. Only a will of iron could have recovered from the depression occasioned by such a calamity; only a courage cast in a heroic mold could have risen superior to it and re-entered the ranks with a determination to retrieve Eallen for tune. It is related of Mr. Palmer that when the extent of his losses was fully understood by him he was so oast down, for the time being, that he felt like giving up every business ambition, taking the remnants of his fortune and in quiet passing the remainder of his existence. The same account furth i slates that in this hour of depression and indecision his young and beautiful wife to whom he had been wedded hut a single year consoled and cheered him with a degree of tact and wisdom in beyond her years. As proud of her city as she was loyal to its interests, she pointed out to her husband that the situation was one calling for more than consideration of self, and that under the dreadful circumstances a duty devolved upon him; thai his ambition could have no nobler aim than tin- resurrection from its ashes the city which he had already dour so much to build up and im- prove. Calmed and reassured by these courageous words, his mind resumed its normal workings, and in loss than an hour he had resolved upon a course of action which, entered upon within a day, was followed undeviatingly, despite ever) "l> stacle. Joining his panic-stricken fellow-citizens, he led. rather than' followed, in the task of re- habilitating the city. Upon the ruins of his buildings an army of workmen were soon em- ployed. The huge piles of debris united as if by magic, and upon the cleared span' nev. structures speedily arose, grander and more perfect than th.ise which had been destroyed, and all con- si n i. -i i'.l with a view to prevent in future a repeti tion of the disaster through which the city had just passed. A magnificent credit, which years of honorable dealing had founded as upon a rock-, and which, apparently, that disaster was notable p. ail'i ii. was the basis . .1' Mr. Palmer's operations in those days. Hundreds of tons of building materials were promptly laid down wherever he ■qui ted. 'I'll.- Palmer House, always an object of pride to him. was rebuilt on a scale previously unattempted, and was made absolutely fire-proof, ■ BI( IGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS. 121 tost being spared to insure this result; and, thai its construction might progress uninter- ruptedly, work upon it was continued by night as well as by day, this being rendered possible by tlir us.- of artificial light, then employed for the first time in the history of building. Hisexample was a constant inspiration to bis loss confident fellow-sufferers, and in connection with that of a handful of other courageous business men grad- ually evolved order out of chaos, and in time caused what had been regarded as a never-to-be forgotten calamity to be looked upon as a blessing in disguise. Viewed in the light of experience, it is now acknowledged that a hundred years of desultory and uneven effort could not have ac complished for the city what has been effected by icerted and public-spirited action through a score of years. The calamity of the tire served as a bond to unite, for a common purpose, hundred who previously had been actuated solely bj a de sire to advance their individual interests. Thus a civic pride was engendered which has given to the world a municipal development unparalleled in the annals of history. To enumerate in detail the many projects set on foot and carried to eessful completion by Mr. Palmer cannot beat tempted in a mere biographical sketch, but no account of Ins life, however brief, can omit refer- ence to his splendid achievements in developing the famous "Lake Shore Drive" in Chicago. When this magnificent boulevard was first laid out, in 1ST:!, his unerring judgment foresaw that it held the most brilliant possibilities as the lead ing fashionable avenue of the city. Without hesitation he made extensive purchases of vacant land bordering upon it. and choosing a command- ing site built for himself a private residence which is very generall) regarded as one of the lines! in America. With the same splendid courage which had always characterized his opera i ions, he built other handsome residences along this driveway, no two exactly similar in architecture. Such an example was not lost upon the public-spirited Chicagoans, and the result as witnessed to-day is one of the most notable of Mr. Palmer's triumphs. It is but simple justice to Mr. Palmer to record the fact that no man in Chi- cago is more alive to the duties which wealth im- poses. His colossal fortune, numbering many millions, has been won open-handed and by legit- imate business methods, and it has been liberally employed in every channel where advantage eon id llou I,, the city and its people. In all the various projects -philanthropic, benevolent, educational. charitable, and patriotic- which have engaged the at ten | ion or called for the support of the peo- ple of Chicago, Potter Palmer lias been one of the foremost. As a patron of art. science and litera- ture, and as the faithful supporter of religion and morality, his reputation is national. In July. L870, .Mr. Palmer married Miss Bertha Honore. daughter of Henry H. Honore. of Chicago. This lail)-. whose birth, breeding and education fitted her to adorn any station in life, is possessed of superior intellectual powers and of a genuine kindness of heart which interests her in every noble and philanthropic work. With ample means at her disposal, she is unwearied in doing good, and her gentle bene'ficence extends through a wide and constantly widening held of effort. She is tile associate and counselor of her distill guished husband in many of his most ambitious projects. In no public enterprise is she more deeply interested than in the World's Colum-. bian Exposition. Her universal popularity was shown by her being chosen president of its board of lady managers in 1890. Her labor in behalf of this great undertaking is one of love and public spirit, with no hope of reward save that derived from a sense of duty well performed, and the gratitude of the citizens of the city in which she has always taken such deep pride. .Mr. and Mrs. Palmer have two sons. Honore and Potter, young lads .if great p lise, who are now busied with the work of completing their education. FREDERICK II. WINSTON. FREDERICK HAMPDEN WINSTON, ex United States Minister to Persia, and a distill guished lawyer of Chicago, was horn at Sand Hill. Liberty county. Georgia, Nov. 20, 1830. His father. Kev. Dennis M. Winston, was a Presbyte rian minister, and a graduate of both Hamilton and Princeton colleges. He was a native of New York City, and was a brotherof the late Frederick S. Winston, a prominent citizen and merchant of that metropolis. Impaired health induced the Rev. Mr. Winston, when a young man, to seek a southern climate, and he sell led in Georgia, and there married Miss Mary Mcintosh, daughter of General Mcintosh of that state. In 1835 the family removed to Woodford county. Kentucky. The purpose of .this removal reflects tin- highest honor upon the Rev. M , . Winston, for it embodied 12 2 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. en his pari .-in unselfish devotion to principle. Mrs. Winston had inherited from her father a large n her of slaves. Mr. Winston was anxious to give these people their freedom, and he removed to Kentucky with that object in view, though in accomplishing his purpose, he reduced himself and family l" comparative poverty. Two years after removing to Kentucky, Mrs. Winston died and in 1S4'2. followed the death of her husband. The boy of twelve was thus left without parental care or guidance. He was a strong, sturdy youth, with a bountiful inheritance of strong Scotch character ami determination. Until he was eighteen years of age he attended the private schools of Kentucky, but at that age he began to realize that he must enter actively into the strug gle of life. With this object in view he returned to his native state, intending to engage in the manufacture of cotton. He secured a position in a cotton factory, and for iwo yearsapplied himself in acquiring a knowledge of that industry. Dur- ing that time he became so well informed in regard to the business, that hi', witli others, organized a new company which commissioned him to go to New York to superintend the construction of the machinery for the new factory. Two years were spent in this work, at the end of which time he returned to Georgia ready t<> begin the career of a manufacturer. His want of capital necessary to secure such interest in the enterprise as he desired compelled him to take another course. He re- solved to become a lawyer. His later life and splendid professional success have demonstrated the wisdom of that resolution. He at once dis- posed .if his interest in the manufacturing enter- prise and began the study of law in the office of the Hon. William C. Dawson, then United States Senator from Georgia. In 1S50, having I n a student under .Mr. Dawson for six months, he entered the Law School of Harvard College and graduated therefrom two years later. Upon leav- ing Harvard, he went to New York and entered I he office of the Hon. William M. Evarts, where for six months he continued his studies under the direction of that great lawyer, and was then ad- mitted t.. the New York liar. In 1853 he went to Chicago where he has resided ever since, and where lie has achieved both fame and fortune. i arrival there he at once entered upon the practice of his profession. In the course of six months he formed a partnership with the late Norman B. .In .1.1. under the name of ,1m Id \- Win- ston, and this partnership continued until Presi- dent Lincoln appointed Mr. Ju.l.l Minister to Berlin, in 1861. Mr. Winston then entered int.. partnership with Mr. Prink, and later witli Henry W. Blodgett, and this relation continued until Mr. Blodgett was appointed by President Grant, in 1870, to the bench of the United States District Court. At the time Mr. Judd went as Minister to Berlin, the firm were counsel for a number of large railway corporations, and this important and responsible practice was retained by Mr. Winston. Formany years he was the general solicitor or general counsel for the Lake Shore A Michigan Southern, the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific, ami the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne A- Chicago railroads, serving the latter for fully twenty years. During all this period he was the chief counsel in all the important litigation in which these railroad com panies were engaged, and became one of the most noted corporation lawyers in the West, lie had. at the same time, an extensive and lucrative general practice in the State and United States Courts. In 1885 he retired from active practice. During the years of his devotion to his profession, he was always prominent in the councils of the democratic party, steadfastly refusing, however, all olfers of political office, though frequently urged to accept nominations for congressional and oilier high official positions. For many years he has been a conspicuous member of Democratic national conventions. He was a delegate at large from Illinois to the convention that nominated lh .ratio Seymour for President in 1868, and again represented Illinois as delegate-at large in the convention that nominated Samuel .1. Tilden in 187G; and in 1884 he was district delegate I" the convention that nominated Grover Cleveland. During Mr. Cleveland's administration Mr. Wins ton was close to the President, and in 1885 he was selected by President Cleveland for the position of Minister to Persia. Mr. Winston accepted this office not so much for the honor it conferred as to satisfy a desire to travel and to visit the Orient. He discharged the duties of this position until 1886, when he resigned, and after extended travels through Russia, Scandinavia and other countries he returned home. As already stated, he retired from the practice of his profession when he ac eepted the office of Minister to Persia, his son, Frederick S. Winston, becoming his successor. Upon his return from Persia, therefore, he was free to devote his attention to his OWD private property interests, and these were quite sufficient to Claim all of his time and energies. He has been thus chiefly employed ever since. When the new Union Stock Yards Company was organized un BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. I 2 der the laws of New Jersey be became its presi- dent. For twelve years, bj appointment from three Republican governors, he was president of the Board of Lincoln Park Commissioners. He was one of the organizers of the Lincoln National Hank, and served on its directory for many years. Mr. Winston is a magnificent specimen of physical manhood, showing in his figure and features the splendid influence of the Scutch blood that is in him. He is six feet in height, straight as an ar- row, and his strong- limbs, ruddy complexion and robust proportions would readily convey the im- pression of a man ten years his junior. Men tally and physically he would be ooticeable in the company of the best specimens of man kind. In ordinary intercourse his manner is affable, combining the qualities of the scholar, the gentleman and the experienced man of affairs. His home is one in which the arts and graces are cultivated, ami within it he finds relaxation in higher literature and in the exercise' of a delight ful hospitality. Mr. Winston is a member of the Iroquois Club, the Union Club on the North Side, the Chicago Club and the Germania Maen- nerchor. August 20, 1855, he was married to Miss Maria G., daughter of General Ambrose Dudley, of Frankfort, Kentucky. Mrs. Winston died in L885. Six children were born to Mr. ami Mrs. Winston, all of whom arc- living. The eldest. Frederick S.. is now one of the most prominent of the younger members of tin- Chicago bar, and has held the otlii f Corporation Counsel of Chicago. Two other sons. Dudley W. and Bertram, are brokers in Chicago. The family has inherited the physical and mental powers possessed by the father to a large degree, and promise to keep the name of Winston in the very enviable position to which Frederick II. Winston has raised it. WILLIAM D. KERFOOT. The name of William 1 >. Kerfoot is synonymous with the fame of ( 'hi, -a go's real estate I rade. Ib- is not only one of the oldest, but one of tin- best known and most conservative men in the busi- ness. There are many who ascribe to him tin- honor of being the pioneer of the reputable deal- ers who have made of the business an honorable and dignified profession. For thirty years Mr. Kerfoot has been active in the handling of Chi- cago properties, and his word is taken without question as that of an authority in all matters of values and wisdom of investment. Mr. Kerfool was horn April 16th, is.'lT. in tin- city of Lancas ter, Pennsylvania, the home of many f,- >us men. like Thaddeus Stevens, Simon Cameron, James 1 inch a nan and John W. Forney, all of whom have left their impress upon the nation. The father of William D. Kerfoot was Dr. George li. Kerfoot. a man fully as distinguished in tin- medical profes- sion as are the others mentioned in politics anil literature. From ls:iil to 1851 Dr. Kerfoot was at (In- head of his profession, known and honored throughout Pennsylvania as an authority in sci- ence, letters and therapeutics. After :m unevent- ful boyhood Mr. Kerfoot, in 1S.VJ, beci a student ;,t St. James' College in Maryland, when- he remained for two years. In 1854 he came to Chicago and entered the real estate office of James 11. Wees. He afterward entered the service of Thomas B. Bryan as a clerk. In this capacity his duties wen- varied, ami he re- ceived a business training which, though short, was of much value to him. Being quirk of per- ception ami possessed of natural business talents. Mr. Kerfoot perceived almost on his arrival the possibilities that awaited an energetic young man in the real estate business in a growing city like Chicago, and being ambitious he soon eslab lished himself as a financial agent and real estate broker at 89 Washington street, dose to his pres- ent location. With courage and self-reliance be- yond most men of his years he rapidly acquired the confidence of a large clientage, and was doing a very profitable business when the lire of 1871 swept away everything he had in the shape of pa- pers, books and other vitally necessary docu ments. The tire was conquered on Monday, and on the following Wednesday Mr. Kerfool was oc cupying a rude frame office he had erected on tie- site of his former place of business. While many were bemoaning their destitution Mr. Kerfoot was hard at work securing the city maps, plats, etc., necessary in his business.:! nd when the rush of East- ern investors, who were seeking bargains by buying up the property of those ruined by the tire came, he was in good shape to take care of it. Daj and night his office was besieged by capitalists, and his transactions soon amounted to millions of dollars. In the rebuilding of the city Mr. Kerfoot was a most important factor, his word being taken almost without question by new investors on the wisdom of rebuilding, etc. One of the largest property owners and best known lawyers in Chi- cago Bays of him: "Ihave no hesitation in say 124 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. ing that in my opinion William I). Kerfoot stands at tin- head of the real estate business in Chicago. He is a man of verj large experience and informs tion. Having come to Chicago when a young iLni. and being peculiarly fitted for this business, be has easily kept pace with the rapid develop- ment of the city. In fa.-r. lie has been one of the most important factors in its growth and develop- ment. Ilr is a man of large acquaintance, and has the confidence of the people, not only in Chi- cago, but in the great financial centers of the East, and also in London, as is shown by the cli- entage he has built up there. Millions of dollars have been invested in Chicago on Mr. Kerfoot's recommendation by people who have never seen the properties, and in every instance they have been well pleased. His judgment as to values, in- come, etc., is something remarkable in its accu- racy. It is the practice of courts and other mem bers of the Real Estate Board to accept him as an authority on realty values and the soundness of titles." One of Chicago's leading hankers re- cently said of him: "I have known Mr. Kerfool nearly thirty years, and regard him as one of the must successful business men in the city. He is a mau of the highest mural character, and is pos- sessed of a keen intellect and unusual business capacity. Though a very busy man. he is always ready to devote his time to public affairs. He is now chairman of one of the most important com- mittees in the World's Fair directory. As presi- dent of such business enterprises as the Chicago Opera House building his ability and tact have brought success. No one can make the acquaint- ance of W. 1>. Kerfoot without being convinced that he meets a broad-minded. Christian gentle man." To the above Hon. Thos. Ii. Bryan, his former employer, adds: "I have no hesitation in pronouncing W. D. Kerfool one of the verj besl real estate agents it has ever been my good fortune to know. He is possessed in an eminent degree oi just those qualifications of sterling probity, con- scientious conservatism of judgment, zeal tem- pered with moderation, methodical and tireless energy that specially adapt him to his chosen profession." l*p to 1*77 Mr. Kerfoot conducted his business alone, but since then he has had as a partner Mr. George Birkhoff, Jr. Mr. Kerfoot while President of the Chicago Real Es- tate Hoard, through this influential organization, as well as by his individual application, labored hard to advance the interests of Chicago and the people who have invested their money there. The lirst modern high office building erected in Chi eago was the Chicago Opera House block, a ten story structure. It was put up in 1884, and at that time was considered something extraordi nary in the line of high buildings. The plan was conceived by Mr. Kerfoot. and the company which leased the land and constructed the block was or- ganized by him. Since then many of the largest realty owners have adopted the plan as the one which affords a sure income in high land values. Mr. Kerfoot is a director in the Title Guarantee A- Trust Company of Chicago, and takes an active interest in its affairs. He is also prominent in World's Fair circles, being chairman of the agri- cultural committee, a member of the executive Ci ittee. a member of the ways and means committee, and member of the dedicator} com mittce. In 1865 Mr. Kerfoot was married to Miss Susan B. Mooklar, daughter of William B. Mook- lar. of Mason county. Kentucky. To them have been born four sons and hair daughters, of whom but one son and three daughters survive. Few men in Chicago have a happier home circle, or a more devoted and lovable family, than Mr. Ker- foot. His pleasing personality, and the high charms of those in his home circle, have drawn around him a congenial society, in which are numbered the best of Chicago's citizens. His motto in business life has been to build his for- tunes on the commercial prosperity of his fellows, and in following this line Mr. Kerfoot has not only made a fortune tor himself, but has enhanced the value of the holdings of hundreds of others, and won their confidence and respect. He is a man of strong personal magnetism, convincing in argument, but withal modest and reticent to a very marked degree. EDWARD S. STICKNEY. Art and literature lost an earnest devotee, so cietj a cultivated and upright member, and the business world an honored and successful man when Edward Swan Stiekney died on March 20, 1880. Mr. Stiekney was born in Newburyport, Mass., October 7. 1824, and was the son of Enoch and Sarah W. (Knapp) Stiekney. The family. ..n both sides, is one of the oldest in Massachusetts, several generations having been born in New bun port, where his mother now lives, at the ripe age of ninety live, still occupying the house ill which she was born, and in which her sou first saw the BIOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS. I2 5 light. As a boy Lis inclinations tended towards literature, but bis father dying when he was a lad of fourteen, lu' was forced to assume the care of the family and to enter upon a business career to secure the means for their support. Mr. Stickney came to Chicago in 1855, from Concord, X. II.. where he had held positions of trust in the office of the Boston, Concord & Montreal Railroad and the old Mechanics' Bank. He became at once identified with the musical and literary ele- ment n!' his new home, which was then in its in- fancy. He was one of the founders and managers of the early Philharmonic Society, to which Chi- cago is largely indebted for its present high musical standing. He also attached himself to St. James' Episcopal Church, where for twenty- five years he was a constant attendant and a yen erous helper in its charities. In 1856 he entered the establishment of John S. Wright, manufac- turer of agricultural implements, where his worth was soon recognized and his services appreciated. He remained with this tinn for some years. In 1859 and 1860, when the disturbances in the cur- rency became so great that it was found neces- sary to establish in Chicago a special clearing house for the paper money then flooding the country. Mr. Stickney was made its manager. During this period of excitement he discharge. 1 the well-nigh impossible duty of making daily settlements for the banks and business men in this irregular currency with signal ability, and to the general satisfaction at the community. After- wards he entered the banking house of Drexel & Co.. his clearing experiences having developed in hi special aptitude for banking. He remained with this house until 18l!S, when the Stock Yards National Bank was established, of which he was made cashier, remaining so until 1ST:'., when he was chosen its president, which position he held at the time of his death. This bank, which started on a modest scale, was almost entirely under the management of Mr. Stickney. and through his wise and careful guidance it grew tobeone of the largest banking houses ill Chi- cago. Mr. Stickney's character was well rounded and complete. Although a business man in every sense of the word, he was neither austere nor selfish. He always had a lively interest in. and helping hand for, young men just beginning the battle of life, never forgetting his own early struggles. He was of a deeply religious nature, unobtrusive ami yet strong in his personality, of the highest integrity and untarnished honor. He was genial, courteous ami chivalrous, and a fast friend to those who en- joyed his confidence. While in all his business enterprises Mr. Stickney was eminently success- ful, and was regarded by all who knew him as ex- ceptionally safe and conservative, the calling of a banker was to him only a means to an end — the gratification of his natural tastes and inclinations. He never allowed the duties of Ins calling to dwarf his finer sensibilities or to thwart his gen- erous ambitions. He was as well known in social circles for his wide and elegant culture as among business men for integrity and capability. At the time of his death Mr. Stickney owned a tine and large collection of rare books, engravings and itch ings, to which he was making constant additions. Many of these have since been presented to the Chicago Art Institute, which was one of the many institutions in which he was deeply inter- ested. His knowledge of worth in ail. especially in engravings, was remarkable. His interest in these matters was genuine. His good taste was inborn and his clear judgment beyond question. His special preference was for the elegant ami elaborate portraits produced in France nearly 200 years ago. and his collection of prints engraved by Edehnck, Masson and Nanteuil was exceedingly fine. These were kept in portfolios to be handy for inspection, and for the further reason that with the tastes of a true poet he had covered the walls of his house with beautiful paintings and filled every available space with rare pottery, bronzes and other precious works. Of such a man. in his home life.it is almost useless to speak. In 1869 he married Miss Elizabeth Hammond, daughter of the late A. W. Hammond, of Massa- chusetts, who survives him. On the news of his death being received at the Stock Yards, the members of the Live Stock Exchange passe,! earnest resolutions of respect to his memory, and the directors of the bank voiced their sorrow in a similar way. The Commercial Club mourned him in the following sympathetic words, adopted at a special meeting held at the Palmer House, March 'Jit, 1880: "Whereas, It lias pleased an all-wise Providence to take from our midst and from the varied scenes of his earthly usefulness our esteemed associate. Edward S. Stickney; and "Whereas, The high estimation in which he was held by all of his associates, and their sorrow at his death, demand a record in the minutes of this dub; therefore "Resolved, That in the death of Edward S. Stickney the Commercial Club has lost a wise counselor, a genial associate, and a warm hearted friend. 126 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. "Resolved, That in his death the city has lost ;in estimable citizen, high-toned, honorable and conservative, intelligent, active, and generous in his liberal and cheerful support oi its religious, bi nevolent and literary institutions." The Chicago Historical Society, on April 21, L880, at the first meeting after the death of Mr. Stickney, adopted the following: ■• Resolved, Thai in the death of the late Ed ward S. Stickney the Chicago Historical Society has lost a valuable member; the cause of fine arts a Eostering patron; music, a zealous supporter; literature, a worthj and polished sympathizer; the city of Chicago, a valuable citizen, and society at large an ornament. ■• Resolvi d, That this declaration of our estimate of the deceased be entered upon our records, and that a copy of it be suit by our secretarj to the widow of our late friend, with the expression of the cordial sympathy of our association with her in her bereavement." A well-known citizen of Chicago, who was in- timately acquainted with Mr. Stickney from boj hood, describes his character with the skillful touch of a painter in the following words: "Mr. Stickney had a refined and cultivated mind. Early in life he developed an earnest de- sire for the study of the choicest classics in Eng- lish literature. He had a great avidity for first editions and rare editions. In his earlier man- 1 d he denied himself many well-earned luxuries for the sake of securing costlj copies of the great writers of the Elizabethan period and other literary treasures and rarities, and he not onlj owned these works, but read them with assiduous care and untiring interest and pleasure. His love tor the hest authors and for the greatest masters of the English language, and his companionship with friends of kindred taste, bore fruit in a life of high intellectual enjoyment. He was always a colli ctor of fine editions of standard authors, and never wearied in the search for choice additions to his remarkable library. His I Iness for music, and for the. great productions of the mas- ters, was a marked and charming trait of his character; and for the kindred arts of the painter, the etcher and the engraver lie had an intelligent and glowing admiration. He collected the best productions of these arts, and made his home de- lightful with tlie atmosphere of hooks and pic- music and all the gentle arts. He was devoted to his home and the domestic circle. He was loyal to his friends with a chivalric loyalty, and no one knew him well without becoming a i admiring friend." Another friend, recently deceased, in Salem, Mass., who had known and loved him for many years, thus w rites: -The news of .Mr. Stickney 's death broughl of many friends in tin I eig I borhood, whose regard for him had been kepi fresh by his many visits hither. A native of New burj port, he has been for more than aquarter of a century identified with the hanking interests oi Chicago, where, by his capacity, prudence and devoted industry, he had obtained a foremost place among those to whom the management of her immense daily financial affairs is in- trusted. " But he was not only an example of a success fur, honorable business man. he was an ardent. although discriminating lover and patron of the arts. In the early days of Chicago's musical life he was oneof the very small hand of those friends of g I music, whose untiring efforts bore the rich fruit which not all. alas, have lived to enjoy. "A great lover of g 3 reading and tine books, of paintings and notable engravings, he had so en- riched his comfortable home with the excellent examples collected in those frequent journeys to the elder cities of the country which made him so well known in their art circles, that it was a profit and a delight to visit it. "Unostentatious and quiet, but willing to lend his efforts and collections for the public service. he is a loss to the community; cheerful and hos pitable, a great loss to his friends: an affectionate and faithful son and brother, a devoted husband, a relation marked by unusual congeniality of tastes and feelings the sorrow of his loss is unut- terable. His friends can simply otter a slight trib- ute to his worth." And still another one of his closest and earliest friends, now' residing in London, says of him: "The recollection of all that is best and happi- est in my early Chicago life is inseparable from Mr. Stickney. and now in the nearness that such a separation brings with it. all the old days come hack with a feeling that 1 can scarcely trust to words. He was the center of that group of con- genial men who set out together when the\ and Chicago were young. They were men. all more or less gifted ami promising, and we were given to thinking and saying in after days that the tone of that little society was good. Looking back now. we know that he had himself, unconsciously, con tributed to maintaing the gentleness and refine- ment of the little circle, which now is broken and scattered. But those who remain always speak of him with honor and affection. That which im- pressed them most and had the most lasting influ- ence upon those near him, was his singular purity. Other virtues of his are as familiar to those who knew him well as are the refined gentleness and genial sweetness of his bearing, but this, natur- ally, is known only t-0 those who wen' his com pan ions when young men. He had a robust, manly nature, with the sensitive, inarticulate modesty of a girl. When he was present, the talk and the story were always kept within their proper license. He shrank from an indelicate allusion with visi- ble pain, as from a blow. In this he stood above all the men whom I have ever known. Surely he has by inheritance that greatest of all promises. as he only, amongst us all. was truly pure in heart." BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 127 LUTHER LAFLIX .MILLS. LUTHER LAFLIX MILLS was born at North Ulams, Mass 1 the 3rd of September, 1848, and is the son of Walter N. and Caroline (Smith) Mills. In 1849 his father removed to Chicago, and est:]!) lished the pioneer wholesale drygoods house of the city. Luther was educated in the public scl le and at the Michigan State University, and in 1868 began the study of law in the office of Homer X. Hibbard. Three years later he entered uj the practice of his profession, and in 1- with himself the late George C. Ingham and Mr. Webber, under the firm name "f Mills. Ingham & Webber. In 1876 he was elected States Attorney of Cook county by 4000 majority, and in 1880 was re-i lectedfora further term of four years. On the 15th of November, 1876, he married Ella J. Boies of Saugerties, X. Y.. a refined, accomplished and amiable lady. This union has been Messed with rive interesting children Matthew. Electa, Mari, Caroline and Agnes. Mr. Mil acquired a reputation as an orator which presaged his subsequent brilliant career at the bar, and marked him for the distinction which -. fined upon him almost at the outset, by his elec- tion as public prosecutor. In that capacity he conducted ssful issue several important trials, which rank among the causes celebre of the state. We can only mention the trial of John Lamb for the murder of officer Race, of Peter Stevens for the murder ofhis wife, and of Theresa Sturlata for the murder of Charles Stiles, in each of which, thoug mnsel, he secured a verdict which satisfied the demand of the people for substantial justice: the second trial of Alexander Sullivan for the murder of Mr. Hanford, principal of the North Division high scIhi.iI: and the prosecution of several n of the county board for what has sii ;ome hi !»■ known as "boodling." These are selected at salient cases, but throughout Mr. Mills' eight years' incumbency of the State's Attorney's office, he had to deal with numerous cases oi murder. and others in which the gravity of the offence demanded a heavy sentence, and in all of them fully met the expectations of the people, and ex ;, 1 : his office to a higher standard of dignity, which has since been worthily maintained. Dur- ing these eight years Mr. Mills had steadily grown to the foremost rank among the many distinguished lawyers who then adorned the Chicago bar. He had confronted the most conspicuous of these in the forensic arena, ami proved himsell their peer in learning and ability. So thoroughly was this fact recognized and appreciated by his sui Hon. Julius S. Grinned, that in several important cases which arose during that gentleman's admin- istration. Judge Grinnell called to his aid the practical experience, legal acumen, and eloquence of Mr. Mills, with results which added to the credit of his own office, while materially enhancing Mr. Mills' reputation. One of these was the trial of James Dacey, for the murder of Alderman Gaynor. of venue to McHenry county, and Mr. Mills was commissioned bj states' Attor- ney Grinnell to assist in the prosecution there. Though opposed by so eminent a counsel as Judge T. D. Murphy (afterwards one of the judges of the First District Appellate Court 1. Mr. Mills secured a conviction and the extreme penalty: but while in jail Dace-, feigned insanity, and a trial of that special issue was afterwards ordered by the Supreme Court. Mr. Mills again appearing for the state. Dacey was adjudged sane, and ultimately hanged. The fame of Mr. Mills as an orator and advocate, had in the meantime extended far be- yond the territory of which Chicago is the metropolis, and assumed national dimensions. When the democracy of Ohio determined in 1888 to purge themselves of association with the gang who had for years been guilty of the a election frauds, and to aid in bringing to justice the tally sheet forgers in the contest for the gov ernorship of that state. Mr. Mills was paid the high compliment of being cl fcher with Hon. Allen G. Thurman to assist in the prosecu- tion of that celebrated case, at Columbus. His arance in a case of special magnitude for was one far over-shadowing, in import- ance and public interest, any in our recent history. The sensational murder of Dr. Cronin and the conviction of his murderers in 1889, was the absorbing topic of press and people for months on both sides of the Atlantic. Mr. Mills was called upon to assist in the prosecution, and was employed for more than seven months in the preparation of evidence and management of the trial. After resuming, in 1884, the general prac- tice of his profession. Mr. Mills so. .11 had opportu- nity to display the versatility of his mind and the breadth of his legal knowledge in a number of remarkable civil cases. He was counsel for the proprietors of the Daily .Yens, and defended them in an action brought by a man named Wilshire, whose wife had obtained a divorce from him on the charge of criminal intimacy with a girl in his employ named Minnie Papin. The paper gave an [28 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. extended report of Wilshire"s misdoings, and he sued Eoi exemplary damages. The News filed a plea oi justification, that the charge was true. In Q ia ar g, ml tor the defence, Mr. Mills excoriated the plaintiff, and secured a verdict in favor of his clients. Miss Papin also brought suit against the paper on the 11 facts, but in tier case the jury disagreed, probably in consideration of her sex. Another notorious case was the suit of Mrs. Leslie Carter againsl tier husband for separate mainte- nance, in which Mr. Mills was engaged for the defence, and which after a long protracted trial resulted in the verdict for the defendant. His celebrity as a criminal lawyer brought him many retainers for the defenee in desperate eases, both in this county and other parts of the country. One of these was the Mounce murder trial at Mon- ticello, Piatt county, Illinois., in 1888, which attracted a great deal of attention and provoked strong feeling throughout central Illinois. Both the prisoner and the deceased were prominent citizens of that part of the state. Mr. Mills was retained along with Judge Tipton and Mr. Lodge for the defence. The case was bitterly contested, and resulted in a conviction and sentence of fourteen years. In this brief summary only a few of the more noted cases in which Mr. Mills lias taken a leading part on one side or the other have suggested themselves as illustrative of his forensic career. His treatment of all of them was marked by patient study and careful othce prepar- ation, the ripe results of which were shown in a readiness fur every move on the part of tin' other Bide which had all the appearance and effect of spontaneity. Never taken unawares, he meets and the most varied legal points with a clear- ness and lucidity which attest the fullness of his reading, and the thoroughness of his scholarship. His addresses to. juries arc always characterized by that "impassioned logic which outruns the hearer in its fiery course." and by a choiceness and beauty of diction only to be acquired by familiarity with the great masters of the realm of thought and the best models of literary style. These qualities have been notably displayed in public addresses delivered by him of late years on occasions of deep interest to tin- citizens of Chicago and elsewhere, who invited him to he their orator for the day. Among his latest public utterances were his response to the toast of "Abraham Lin- coln," at the banquet of Republican Leagues, on Lincoln day. 1890, at ( lolumbus, < >hio; his address on "American citizenship," at a banquet in the Sherman douse, Chicago, December, L890; his address al the Bar memorial service in Chicago. December, L890; before the law school of the University of Wisconsin, on -Law and Progress," in July. 1891; at the memorial services for Herman Raster, the German journalist, August, 1891; and ;it the memorial services over the three young reporters killed in the railway accident, October, 1891. A republican in politics. Mr, Mills has always commanded the respect of all parties, as is shown by his having been engaged by his demo cratic successor to assist him in important cases, ami his employment by the Ohio democrats in the famous "tally sheet" case. Personally and socially, he has won hosts of friends by hisunfail ing courtesy and geniality, no less than by the magnetism of his intellectual power. Scholar, orator, and gentleman, he occupies, although only entering upon what Dante has called the "mezzo del cammin" of life, the highest social ami pro fessional eminence m the great city of the west. JOHN N. JEWETT. Among the many men who have given fame to the bar of Illinois there are none more deservedly prominent than Hon. John N. Jewett. The son of a New England farmer, seemingly born to the pursuit of that calling, his ambition, industry and ability have raised him to a position of lead ership in the profession to which he belongs, and made him one of the number of men who have given to the city of Chicago its best repute. Mr. Jewett was born in Palmyra, Somerset county. Maine, in 1827, and until he was eighteen years old assisted Ids father in the cultivation of one of the hilly farms which are so characteristic of that rugged state. He had early resolved to attain a collegiate education with the purpose of taking up the practice of a profession, and in 1845 ar- ranged to enter Bowdoin College. The removal of the family to Wisconsin, however, caused a postponement of his plans and it was not until lsiT. after a year's experience in teaching in the schools near Madison, that he became a memberof the Sophomore class at Bowdoin. In 1850Mr.Jew- ett graduated and became a principal of an acad- emy at North Yarmouth. Maine. About this time he began the reading of law and continued it Tor two years, rejoing his family near Madison. Wis., in 1S.VJ. At that place he entered the office of Collins & Smith ami completed his law studies, tz?t BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS I 2 He was admitted to the bar in Is."",:; and formed a copartnership with Wellington Weigley, then in active practice al Galena, 111. Mr. Jewett re- mained in Galena about three years, removing to Chicago in ls.">i;. whore he became an assistant to Judge Van H. Higgins, one of the most widely known lawyers in the state The following year, 1857, Mr. Jewett became associated with Judge Walter B. Scates, William K. McAllister and Francis B. Peabody, and the firm of Scates, Mc Allister. Jewett & Peabody was formed. Mr. Peabody withdrew in 1858, but the other mem bers of the firm remained together until Judge Scates retired in 1862 to enter the federal army in the civil war. This left but two of the original four Messrs. McAllister and Jewett and they con- tinued the partnership until 1SGT. when it was dissolved. These several firms with which Mr. Jewett was connected conducted a great amount of important litigation, especially in the period between 1858 and 1862, and although then the junior partner, he became a conspicuous figure in the courts. Mr. Jewett has a natural aptitude for the legal profession; he is a deep thinker, a close student and a logical reasoner. Bringing with these qualities a capacity for hard, earnest work, he was quickly recognized as a lawyer of high rank and his services wire always in demand. On the dissolution of the tirm in 1867 Mr. Jewett found himself surrounded with a large and influ- ential clientage which engrossed all his time, and lie formed no further partnership until 1886, when he associated with him his two sons, Edward R. and Samuel 11. Jewett, under the name of John X. Jewetl .V Jewett Brothers. In the capacity of attorney or counsel Mr. Jewett has been promi- nently before the courts and people of the United States for the past quarter ,,f a century. He has conducted some of the most noted civil causes in the country, and the decisions of federal and state tribunals with which his name is connected are many. Mr. Jewett is an analyzer of the law; a "lawyer "in the full sense of the word more than an advocate. He believes that principles rather than technicalities should govern in the adjust- ment of litigation and his voice is ever raised for the perpetuation of this policy. He espoused vig- orously the cause of the grain elevator ami rail road interests of Illinois against the e, ■f the so-called - granger laws." and ever, the judgments and opinions of the highest courts in favor of that class of legislation are still con- troverted bj him as being opposed to the doctrines of constitutional law. Ihe cases of Munn u Ilh nois, known as theMunn and Scott case, decided in 1876 bj the Supreme Court of the United States, and of tin- Illinois Centra! Railroad Company vs. the People of the State of Illinois, decided by the same court in 1883, were vigorously contested by Mr. Jewett as being " judge-made law." and he has never ceased to contend for a return to the funda- mental principles believed by him to have been overthrown by these decisions. Always dignified and courtly in manner, and impressive in the frankness with which he states his arguments Mr. Jewett invariably commands the close atten tion of judges and juries. He is a type of the old school constitutional lawyer, the man who has 1 the principles of his profession and has too keen an admiration for and belief in them to allow their overthrow by the tricks to which un- scrupulous practitioners may resort. Mr. Jewett's eminent fitness for a judicial position has lone been a matter of comment throughout tin- state. The following excerpt from the Chicago Law Times of October. 1889, well describes Mr. Jewett: -As a practitioner he is ready, .puck and capa- ble, always equal to any emergency. li, sation he is pleasant and affable; in argument. analytical, logical and strong, sometimes indulg- ing in pungent satire. He speaks tersely and to the point, in an attractive, forcible manner. Con- forming himself to principles of the strictesf in tegrity and to the most honorable dealings, he ex] ts the same from those with whom he asso- ciates or has business relations." Mr. Jewett has been solicited to accept a judge ship on the Illinois Supreme Court bench, but declined it, as he also did a tender made some fore of a Cook County judgeship. When the vacancy existed on the Unite,! States Supreme Court bench, which was afterward filled by the appointment of Hon. Stanley Matthews. Mr. Jewett was urged to allow his name to be pre sented to President Hayes as a candidate for the position. On the urgent solicitation of the lead ing lawyers of the West. Mr. Jewett consented that his name should be presented to the Presi dent, not as a seeker for the place, but merely for his unbiased consideration. He refused to write a personal letter of application, stating that he would so refuse even if he had the assurance thai it would secure his appointment. Mr. Jewett never held office but once, and that was in 1870, when he was elected to the State Senate. The new constitution of Illinois had just been adopted, and in response to a general demand he consented to become, for the once, a legislator and take pari in the intelligent refraining of laws mad, '3° BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. Bary by the change. His work was well and Faithfully done, and when it was over, refusing the offers of hi lents for further prefer- ment, Mr. Jewetl resumed again his duties as a lawyer. Since then many rich rewards in official and political life have been refused by him. Mr. Jewetl was married in 1855 t<> Ellen R. Rountree, a daughter of Son. John II. Rountree, of Wiscon- sin. He lias two sens -Edward R. and Samuel R.- both of whom are now associated with him in the practice of the law. The history of the Jewett family is an interesting one. It was founded in America by two brothers who came from England and settled at Rowley, Mass., a few years after the landing of the Mayflower. One of these brothers remained in New England, while the other went to Maryland with a party of colonists and settled there. It was from the New England family that John N. Jewett descended. One of his progenitors, Milo Porter Jewett. was the first president of Vassar College. One of the Srsl members of Congress from Vermont was Luther Jewett. Still another distinguished man in later years was John B. Jewett. a distinguished citizen of Host on. th rough whose aid Mrs. Harriet Beecher Slow.- was enabled to print the firs! edition of her famous book, "Uncle Tom's Cabin." There must have been an inherent fund of intel- ligent vitality in the Jewett family, for from the days of the colonists down, it has given to the world from its many branches men of high re- nown. From the Maryland branch came Hugh J. Jewett and his brother Thomas L. Jewett, both of whom are distinguished for their ability, not only in the law. but as financiers and railway managers. Among all the members of the family who have possessed high intellect and strong ambitions, there are none in whom these charac- teristics are more marked than in John X. Jewett. To them, more than to any fortuitous circum- stances, is due the transposition of the poor New England fanner boy of meager chances to the honored and powerful member of the bar. ROBERT W. PATTERSON. REV. ROBERT W. PATTERSON. I). I >.. was born in Blount county, Tennessee, on January •Jlst. lsi |. His parents, Alexander and Sarah (Stevens Patterson, came to America about the middle of the eighteenth century, and settled in North Carolina. S i alter L800, they removed to Blounl county. Tennessee, where they conti d to live until just before the birth of Robert, when the) took up their residence near Maryville. llli nois was even then a free state, and as Alexander Patterson and hi- wife were both much opposed to slavery, they decided to leave Tennessee and move to the north. This they did in 1^21, settling in Bond county. Illinois, where Mr. Patterson died t luce years later. Robert Patterson's early school advantages were limited, being confined to about six months when he was nine years (■Id: but his mother had taught him to read some Eour years before that, and by her religious instruction and example had trained his youthful mind in the right direction. A few- years later. Mr. Patterson acquired a fair education, and at eighteen was teaching a school, which occupation lie followed for two or three terms. In 1832 1 utered the pre- paratory department of Illinois college, and the next year was admitted as a student. Altera full lour years' course he graduated in IS.'iT. and went to Lane Theological Seminary, where he studied theology under Professors Lyman Beecher, Calvin I-'.. Stowe, Baxter Dickinson and Thomas J. Biggs. Mr. Patterson had joined the Presbyterian Church in 1632, while preparing for college, and early de- veloped a liking for the ministry. It was natural. therefore, that after his training at the theologi- cal seminary, he should turn his attention to preaching, and in 1840 he supplied the pulpit of the First Presbyterian Church of Chicago during the absence of the regular pastor. Dr. Flavel Bascom. The fall and winter of that year were passed in another course of study at the seminary, and in 1811. Mr. Patterson made a visit to the east, preaching ; it Detroit, in the church of Dr. George Dullield. lor several Sundays, and gaining quite a name as a successful opponent of the pre-millen- nial theories. It was on this trip also, that Mr. Patterson met. and won the friendship of such noted divines as Rev. Albert Barnes. Dr. William Adams, and other ministers in New York and Philadelphia. Mr. Patterson's first regular past orate was at Monroe. Michigan, where he remained during the fall and winter of 1841. Calls were extended to him from Adrian, Ann Arbor, Chicago and other cities, and he finally decided to accept that of the Second Presbj terian Church of Chicago, a new society which came into existence June 1st. 1842. It wasduring the early years of Mr. Pat- terson's pastorate in this city that he was called on to combat the secessi E the Presbyterians of Northern Illinois from the General Assembly, BIOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS. I U on account of the alleged complicity of the latter body with the slave-holding faction. Mr. Patter- son was in his youthful days an earnest abolitionist, largely through the influence of William Lloyd Garrison's "Liberator," but on noting the evident drifl of Mr.Garrison toward infidelity, Mr. Patter- son modified his political views and became a moderate anti-slavery man. It was as such that he took conservative mound in the conflict with the General Assembly. He disputed tin- assertion that all Presbyterians were responsible for the existence of slavery as an institution by reason of their connection with the General Assembly, and hold thai secession from that body was not the r: il r mi ly for the evil. His active parti ij.it i 11 in the church struggle, and his able arguments in support of his position, attracted the attenti I theologians and educators in all parts of the country, and in 1856 the degree of Doctor of Divinity was conferred upon him by the trustees of Hamilton College. Dr. Patterson's position on this subject drew him into many controversies, which ended only in the secession of the southern members following the adoption by the General Assembly at Cleveland in 1857, of the report drawn up by Dr. Patterson and a brother minister. This was just after the great debate over the extension of slavery into the territories, which ended with the eleeti n of Mr. Lni'oln and l-il war in 1860 and 1861. Throughout the long strife, Dr. Patter- son was an earnest advocate for liberty and honest government. During all these years the Second Presbyterian Church had prospered, hut changes in the business center of the city, made removal from its location at Washington street and Wabash avenue, advisable. Dr. Patterson advo- cated a change, and in 1871, the- use of the Olivet church at Wabash avenue and Fourteenth street was secured. Just one week after the change, the old church edifice was swept away by the great fire. On the union of the Second and Olivet Churches in 1873, Dr. Patters, in resigned his charge as pastor, and accepted the professorship of Apologetics in the Presbyterian Seminary of the Northwest. He held this chair until 1881 , when he resigned to fill an engagement to lecture in the department of apologetics at Lane Theological Seminary for three years. The friendly feeling which the members of the Second Presbyterian Church held for Dr. Patterson, was well shown on the occasion of his seventieth birthday anniver- sary, January 21st, 1S84, when a notable reception was given in his honor at the church. Dr. Patter- son's theology has always been of tile moderate Calvanistic or New School type, and in all matters of church government lie advocated Presbyte danism generously administered. He was early called upon to take sides on this question, and in 1838, when the Church was divided, he espoused the cause of the New School. When the now famous ease of Professor Swing was first brought to the notice of the church authorities, in 1ST:;. b\ the presentation of specific charges by Dr. Patton before the Presbytery. Dr. Patterson, believing that Professor Swing had not then developed views inconsistent with his ministerial capacity, advised against the prosecution. This he did on the ground that it was not only premature, but might create a prejudice against Presbyterian ism which could be easily avoided without either sacrifice of principle, or real detriment to faith. Dr. Patterson now believes that his position has been fully justified, ami that the matter thus un- fortunately started has been the cause of much strife in the Church. At the present time. L892, Dr. Patterson sympathizes with that portion of the Presbyterian Church which stands firmly for the authority of the Holy Scriptures, as -'tin ly infallible rule of faith and practice." and that re- fuses to encourage any movement which tends to discredit the Bible as being throughout an inspired I k; while he regards the revision of the Pres byterian Confession of Faith and Catechisms as a timely effort to conform those subordinate standards to the improved knowledge of the Church in respect to the teachings of Holy Writ. He deplores more and more the narrowness and exclusiveness of contending sects, but he has no expectation or wish that any organic unity of the Church shall be accomplished so long as different classes of Christians contrive to entertain con flicting convictions in regard to important ques tions of faith ami ecclesiastical practice, believing as he does, that essential unity of spirit is more desirable than unity of form, and that the former may and must precede the latter. In his advanced years, Dr. Patterson still enjoys g 1 health and works heartily in various ways for the furtherance of the Christian cause. A graceful compliment was paid to Dr. Patterson in 188:). when the Trusteesof Lake Pores! University conferred upon him the degr if Doctor of Laws. I >r. Patterson was married in May. 181.1. to Miss .1 ii lia A. (,111 igle\ . of Alton. Illinois. They have had eight children, six of whom are living three sons and three daugh- ters, one of the former, R. W. Patterson. Jr.. being general manager of the ( %icagO Tribune, and sec- retary and treasurer of the Tribune Company. mociarm of Illinois. LVORY QUINBY. HON. [VOR1 QUINBY was born in Buxton, Maine, on the 14th of July, is IT. His parents, Asi and Mehitable Quinby, were of English descent. After completing his preparator) studies he en tered the freshman class of Waterville College, Maine, in 1832, being then a little over til' tern years of age. He maintained a high standard of scholar- ship throughout his entire college course. His favorite study was natural science, and he was es- pecially distinguished for his attainments in chemistry. ITe graduated with honor, his diploma bearing the date of Augusl 3d, 1836. After leav- ing college he spent a short time in Parsonsfleld as an assistant teacher in the academy, then un der the care of his uncle, the Rev. Hosea Quinby. lie then went to Saco and entered the office of Judge Shepley as a student of law. The state of his health prevented his contin uing here long, and in the fall (if 1837 he sought a home in Illinois. He located first at Quincy, where he made the ac quaintance of Hon. O. H. Browning and John Mitchell, Esq. By the advice of Mr. Browning he selected Monmouth, Warren county, then an in- considerable village, as his future home, and com- menced the practice of his profession there in partnership with Mr. Mitchell. This partnership was soon dissolved, and he subsequently formed one with General A. C. Harding, which continued until he retired from the practice of law. < reneral Harding and he at the same time engaged in the real estate business, and for a number of years did the leading business in Warren county. His knowledge of the elementary principles of the law was thorough. He possessed a keen, discriminat- ing mind, and a broad and comprehensive sense of natural justice. His duties to his clients were discharged conscientiously and faithfully. At the general election held November 6th, L849, In 1 was el. 'i -ted county judge of Warren county, being lie first county judge elected under the constitution of 1848. He was re elected county judge in No- vember, 1853. This office he resigned dune 1th. L855, having received the nomination for circuit iudge on the Democratic ticket. The circuit at this time embraced the counties of Fulton, Knox, Warren. Henderson and Mercer. In politics he was a Democrat, but not of that intense class who become embittered against all who chance to be- long to tl pposite party. He recognized the right of each individual to form his own political opinions and to maintain them. He numbered among his closest and most trusted friends many who differed from him in political faith. Among his contemporaries, with whom he enjoyed inti- mate relations, were Judge C. B. Lawrence. Hon. O. H. Browning, Judge N. H. Purple, Hon. Arehi bald Williams. Judge 0. C. Skinner, and others, eaeh of whom achieved not only a state but a na- tional reputation. Upon the breaking out of the Rebellion in 1 Si U there was no hesitation on his part as to what his duty was in that dark and terrible hour. With unswerving loyalty and de- votion lie sustained his country's flag and the Union. Being in infirm health he was unable to enter the service, but he gave liberally in the way of bounties to procure recruits; and no soldier's wife or widow was allowed to suffer for want of t lie necessaries of life if a knowledge of her con dition was brought to his notice. No one not in the field or in some position of public trust was more concerned or interested in the welfare and success of the Union forces than he. No one en- joyed more keenly or more sincerely the procla- mation of the glad tidings of peace and the pres- ervation of the Union. Like many Northern Democrats, he placed his country before party, and though in 1860 he voted for Mr. Douglas, the last vote he lived to cast for a presidential candi- date was given in 1808 for General Grant. Few men in any community were so frequently re- sorted to for advice by those in trouble or finan- cial straits, and he was always ready to give, not only advice, but help. He was consulted by all classes and on all subjects. He was the con- stant adviser and close friend of Dr. D. A.Wallace. president of Monmouth College, during the try ing veins through which he passed in founding and building up this institution: and at times when the prospects were specially gloomy, his suggestions to President Wallace would again open up the way. and the work was pushed with renewed vigor to a successful termination. Pres- nleiii Wallace frequently said of him, " He is the wisesl man for counsel I ever knew." Soon after the opening of the college, he was elected a mem - ber of the board of trustees. For a short time he held the office of treasurer. He was a member of the committee in charge of the erection of the new college building, and also of the executive commit- tee, and was for some years president of the hoard. In these responsible positions the interests of the college made large demands upon his time, which he gave ungrudgingly, attending the board meet- ings punctually, and preparing the reports for a number of years with his own hand. In addition to this he made generous donations to the college yl^fiy <=<- COCuSlsij BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. lun. Is, amounting in all to about ten thousand dollars. He was. perhaps, the must influential member of the board, his colleagues receiving his opinions with the utmost respect. His broad, judicious, practical views on college matters were of the greatest value. No trustee did more than he to determine the character and standing of the institution while lie lived. An educated man. he knew what a college should be; a practical man, he saw clearly the educational needs of the com munity. It was fortunate for Monmouth College that it had. during its most trying years, so liberal a helper and so wise a director. It is especially rare lor a church college to receive such assist- ance from one outside of its own denomination. Those best acquainted with the history of the col- lege affirm that his assistance, in various ways, was so timely and valuable that without him the enterprise could hardly have succeeded. During the last years of his life he turned his thoughts to the founding of a reading room and library for Mon- mouth. A county library association had been formed as early as 1836, only four and a half years after the first log court house was built, and less than nine years after the first white set- tlers eame to what is now Warren county. This library was started not only for the benefit of the citizens of Monmouth, but for an extensive region. the county of Warren then extending to the Mis- sissippi river. It was kept up for several years, but the association owned no building and had no endowment fund, and the scheme languished for want of support. Among the trustees who served that early library during part of its existence was Judge Quinby. The establishment of a permanent library ami reading room was a favorite project with him. ami for several years he considered the plan and the means to carry it into execution. In 1868, the year before his death, lie proposed and organized an association for this purpose. A read ing room, well supplied with periodicals, was opened in a room provided by him. No library was at first attempted — no books were received or bought. But Judge Quinby had set his heart upon the establishment of a library, and offered to give five thousand dollars for the purchase of books in case an equal amount was raised by the subscriptions of others. This, as he informed a few friends, was the first step on his part in his plan for a library for popular use on a foundation of fifty or sixty thousand dollars, which bethought needful for the purpose. He hoped to interest others in furnishing part of this amount. His New England education had made him acquainted with the great usefulness of a well endowed public library. None such then existed in this state. Judge Quinby was almost tile only man in Mon- mouth who knew much about their importance and what was needful for their success. He did not live to see the interest taken in this matter that he had hoped. In 1870 Mr. W. P. Pressly erected at his own expense a brick building which he dedicated for a library, and provided for a con stant supply of hooks from the rents of the stores contained in it. The Pressly library and the reading room started by Judge Quinby have been combined under the corporate name of the Warren County Library and Reading Room Association. Very much is dm- to Judge Quinby's excellent judgment in planning this organization. He drew up and furnished in his own handwriting the constitution under which substantially it exists to-day. He suggested most of the charter members of the controlling corporation. He was chairman of the first committ( i reading matter, and outlined its principles of selection. The library has become a remarkable success; and is worthily ranked as the precursor of those larger benefactions which the city of Chicago is soon to enjoy in the Newberry and Crerar libraries. The exact kind of corporation for the management of a library which Judge Quinby insisted on, and which has been adopted at Monmouth, is now recognized by the state statute as the best for public libraries sustained by gifts and bequests. Judge Quinby was for some years engaged in mer- cantile business, having some railroad contracts and banking interests. He opened a bank in con- nection with T. L. M'Coy, Esq.. in which he con- tinued until September, 1859, when, admonished bj his failing health, he retired. During the last eight or nine years of his life he avoided all kinds of business likely I.. overtax his strength. He was twice mayor of Monmouth, being elected the last time without opposition. Judge Quinby was twice married. His first wife was Miss Jane A. Allen, to whom he was married on the 14th of March. 1839. She died on the 7th of February, 1847, leaving three children, all of whom died before their father. On the 17th of February, 181S. he married Miss Mary E. Pearce, daughter of Thomas Pearce, born in Virginia, a soldier in the war of 1812, who came to the state from Ohio in 183(1. and moved to Warren county in the fall of 18111. By his second marriage Judge Quinby had eight children, only four of whom survived him - Jane, wife of Dr. A. F Bucknam; George, a large landowner in Dakota; Frank, at 134 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. i l;iu in M ■ . 1 1 1 1 1 Vernon, Wash.; and Ivory, insurance agenl al Monmouth. Never very robust, he had been in declining health tor some years before his death, which took place at Monmouth on the 23rd of October, 1869. All classes of his fellow citizens united in paying honor to his memory. The Warren county bar held a special meeting and passed resolutions of respect, characterizing him as "one who to the virtues of private life added the calm, dispassion ate iudgmenl and consistent uprightness of char acter which rendered him an ornament to the profession, a guide to his brethren, and one who worthilj illustrated the exalted principles of en- lightened jurisprudence." General Harding, his former law partner, and Mr. Strain, who had been intimately associated with him as a college trustee, paid eloquent and feeling tributes to their de- ceased friend, and the resolutions were spread upon the records of the court. The trustees and directors of Monmouth College in like man- ner assembled and passed resolutions in which they said that "in the death of the Hon. I. Quinby, long a member and officer of the b 'd, we lost a colleague whom we ever found in all our intercourse with him an upright, courte- ous, Christian gentleman, and in whose counsel we have been accustomed to repose the utmost confidence; " that " we found him a fast, true and efficient friend of the college in time of need; by his able counsels, active services and liberal ami timely donations he lias placed the college under a debt of gratitude which can never be repaid." The directors of the First National Bank, with which he was connected from the date of its organization also adopted resolutions expressing regret for his loss as "a man of wise counsel and irreproachable character." by whose death the bank had lost one of its most useful and cautious members, and the community one of its most val- uable citizens. .Indue Quinby was distinguished lor tin' soundness of his judgment and the candor with which he expressed his opinions. There ■ men in Monmouth whose opinion on any question with which he was familiar carried so much weight, and he has settled many a dispute by simply stating his deliberate judgment. lie was a sincere man. and meant what he said; and what lie did was always done with a purpose. This trail oi chat acter drew in him a large circle ..I true and devoted friends, who had unbounded confidence in him. and to whom lie was self sac rificing. He was considerate of the feelings of all with whom he had to do and with whom he came in contact, dealing with them with a kindness and tenderness that won their admiration and respect. He was a thoughtful and constant reader of the best literature, and was able to reproduce what he read in a clear and forcible manner, in well chosen language, anil without a semblance of pedantry. His manner in this regard was such as to inspire those with whom he conversed with a taste for reading and a desire for the acquisi tion of knowledge. As a member of the Baptist church, his dealings with his fellow-men wen' entirely consistent with his Christian profession. Modest and retiring in las manner of life, he pos sessed the courage of his convictions, and main- tained them "ii all occasions. His charities were unostentatious, but there are many who can testify to substantial acts of kindness on his part, and who to-day bless Ins memory. The charactei and prosperity of any city depend in no small de gree on the men who are prominent in its early history. The city of Monmouth has been for- tunate in having a citizen of such public spirit and sterling character. He was pre-eminently a man of great usefulness, of sound judgment, of careful and prudent methods of business, of re niarkable justice and integrity, of modest prac- tical benevolence, of solid, unostentatious Chris tian character, lb' has left his impress on tin- place and people, and his influence abides and will abide. HOSMEK A. JOHNSON. BOSMEB ALLEN JOHNSON, M. D., M. A., LL. D., Feb R. Micro. Soc. Eng., late President of the Chicago Medical College and Emeritus Pro- fessor of the Principles and Practice of Medicine and Clinical Medicine in that institution, was born in the town of Wales. Erie county. X. V.. Oct. 6th, 1822. His ancestors, both paternal and maternal, wen- of Scotch English origin, and through his maternal grandmother he was de scended also from the early Dutch settlers of New York. His paternal great grandfather was Joshua Johnson, who lived in Worcester. Massa chusetts, w here, about the year 1750, bis son Sam uel was born. In 1794 the latter married Eephzi bah Crosby, born at Worcester in April. 17.VJ. and shortlj after removed to Manlius. X. V.. where, on Sept. 20th, 17! '7. a son. their second child, was bom to them, and named after his father. This son. Samuel Johnson, Jr.. married on Dec. 20th, l! he received t he degree of Master of Arts from the University of Michigan, his thesis which was written in Latin as then required by the rules of the institution being entitled ('limn Variotinis in eadem I.nti- tudine Causes. In April, 1852, he took an active part in founding what is now the Chicago Medical i*6 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS Society, and was chosen its Brst secretary, [n June, of the same year, he became a mem- ber of the Illinois State Medical Society, of which he was secretary for several years and president in 1858. In the fall of 1853 be was appointed Lecturer on Physiologj in the Rush Med- ical College, and in 1855 Professor < if Materia Med- ica and Therapeutics and Medical Jurisprudence [n L857 he was transferred to the chair of physi ology and general pathology. In the spring of 1859 he resigned from the faculty of Rush Med- ical College, and, with Dr. Edmund Andrews. Dr. Ralph N. Isham and the late Dr. David Rutter, founded the Chicago -Me. Heal College, then known as the medical department of Lind University. With that institution he was still connected at the time of his death. At different times he filled the chairs of materia medica and therapeutics, physiology and histology, general pathology and pathological anatomy, diseases of the respiratory and circulatory apparatus, clinical medicine, and lastly that of the principles and practice of med- icine and clinical medicine. After 1881 he did not actively till a chair, luit sustained a relation ship to the last named as emeritus professor. From the organization of this medical college Dr. Johnson served continuously as president of the faculty or as president of the hoard of trustees. At the breaking out of the War of the Rebellion Dr. Johnson was appointed l>\ the Governor of Illinois as a member of the hoard of state ex- aminers, to whom was referred every candidate for appointment as surgeon or assistant surgeon to Illinois troops. He was elected president of i tie 1 ioard, and in this capacity he examined about twelve hundred candidates for appointment. Through the action of this board hundreds of in- competent men were kept out of the service. In his official capacity Dr. Johnson visited the troops al tin- front much of the way from Vicks- burg around to Port Royal, and became somewhat familiar with the experiences of the Union armies in camp and on the held of hat tie. In recognition of his services as president of this hoard, he was made a member of the Illinois commandery of the militar) order of the Loyal Legion. Prom 1867 to 1st:! Dr. Johnson wasa member of the board of health of Chicago, and in that time rendered val- rvices to the city, more especially in the way of sanitary reform. His skill as an expert was recognized b) the United States authorities, who. in 1879, after tic outbreak of yellow fe ver in tie South, appointed him a member of the national board ot health, with which here mained connected until 1885. Prom theoi tion of the American Public Health Association, in 1*7— In- continued an active member of it. and was vice president, mem her of the executive com- mittee of its advisor} council, and in 1888 was elected president. Dr. .Johnson contributed \>r.\ materially to the advancement of science, both medical and general, by the active part he took in organizing societies and associations for en- couraging study and research, comparison of re- sults attained, and the protection of mutual in- terests. The educational value of a number of these hodies has been notable. He was one of the original members of the Chicago Academy of Seance, and was chosen its first corresponding secretary. At the time of the lire of 1S71 he was its vice-president; he served two terms as presi- dent, and since then has been one of its trustees. He was also one of the. charter members of the Illinois State Microscopical Society, of which he was repeatedly chosen president. He was con nected as a member and trustee with the Chicago Astronomical Society almost from its origin, and latterly served several terms as its president. He took an active part in founding the Chicago Literary Club, and was its third president. For many years he was it director and frequently president of the Chicago Relief and Aid Society, and his services in connection with the distribu tion of more than $5,000,000 by that society after the great tire a task involving no end of labor and responsibility — were justly regarded by him as constituting one of the greatest achievements of his life. During the existence of the Univer- sity of Chicago Dr. Johnson was for a lew years a member of its board of trustees. For several years previous to his death he was a trustee of tic 1 Northwestern University, at Evanston. Other learned hodies with which he was connected tire iii' American .Medical Association, of which he was secretary in 1860 ami again in 1863; the American Laryngotological Association: the Cli matological Association: the Association of Ameri- can Physicians; the American Academy of Medi- cine; the American Microscopical Society, etc. He was likewise a corresponding member of sei eral scientific societies, and a Fellow of the Royal Microscopical Society, of London, Eng. During the first decade of his active professional work Dr. Johnson devoted much attention to surgery, and acquired a high degree of skill in that deparl meiit. He afterwards confined himself more partic ularly to the surgery of the nose and throat, and to thi ill 1 1 lands of general practice; hut of late years BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. he limited his labors t" office work and consults tions. His professional and scientific writings, put forth during upwards of thirty-five years,are very numerous, and comprise monographs, addresses, and many learned reports and essays upon a wide range of topics, many of which have been pub lished in the volumesof transactions of societies, and to some extent in pamphlet form, independ- ently, and as reprints. He edited the report of the Relief and Aid Society a large octavo vol ume alter the distribution of the tire fund was nearly completed, preparing in person, or actually superintending the preparation of, that portion relating t" sick, hospital and sanitary mi From L851 he was continuously connected with one "i- more of the hospitals of Chicago, and was at the time of his death consulting physii Mercj Hospital, Michasl Reese Hospital and the Woman's Hospital. He was the recipient of vari (ins distinguished honors from medical, scientific and literary sources, one of the more recent being the honorary degr if I loctor of Laws, conferred in 1883 by the Northwestern University. In L890 he was elected the first president of the Illinois Army and Navy Medical Society, composed of medical officers who served in the late war. For many years he was very active in Masonry. Initiated into the order in 1853, he rapidly rose to prominence, and was elected as presiding officer in lodge, chapter and commandery. In 1857 he organized the Grand Commandery of Knights Templar of Illinois. He likewise took all the degrees in the Scottish Kite, and was an active member of the Supreme Council for the Northern Jurisdiction of the United States. Prof. Johnson was a great traveler, having visited Europe seven times, and also the West Indies. Mexico and the Pacific Slope, as well as nearly all the Southern states and the territories. During his European I ■< he greatly enriched his medical experience; and in the balmy climate of the south of Europe and of the North American continent found much nee, led relief from the severe chest trouble from which he was a constant sufferer. One of the most remarkable features ■■( his intensely active and brilliantly successful career was the courage and persistence with which he applied himself to every task undertaken, byforce of an indomitable will power, rising superior to physical difficulties which would, undoubtedly, long since have killed him had he not been gifted with such splendid resolution. In 1855 he married Miss Margarel Ann Seward, a daughter of the late J. B. Seward. Esq., who was a cousin of Secretary William H. Seward. To this marriage were horn a son and a daughter. The latter, always frail, died in July. 1888. The son. Frank Seward Johnson, graduated from the Department of Arts and Sciences of the Northwestern University in lsTS and from the Chicago Medical College in L881. He is engaged in general practice in Chicago, hut since obtain- ing his degree has been connected with the col lege as a teacher. He formerly tilled the chair of histology. Since 1886 he has been professor of general pathology and pathological anatomy. Dr. H. A. Johnson died after a short illness at his home in Chicago. February 26, 1891. The funeral services were conducted by Prof. David Swing and Rev. Clinton Locke, and his body in- terred in Rose Hill Cemetery with Masonic lion- ors. At a special meeting of the board of trustees of the Northwestern University the following resolutions wen- adopted: "Resolved, Thai h> the death of Hosmer Allen Johnson, A. M„ M. D., EL. I>.. the Northwestern University has lost one .if the most active and efficient founders and supporters of its medical department, an active and wise member of its board of truster U.and an influential patron and friend of all its interests; the medical profession one of its most learned, skillful and honorable members: the city and state one of its most enlightened, patriotic and useful citizens; the cause of education and sanitary science one of their most earnest supporters: and his family on,- of the most unselfish and affectionate of hus- bands and fathers. "Resolved, That the foregoing be entered upon the records of this council, and a copy of the same be transmitted by the secretary to the family of the deceased, ami a copy furnished for publication in the medical periodicals." The following resolutions were adopted by the faculty of the Chicago Medical College, al a spe- cial meeting held on the 28th day of February, L89] ■ fi, solved, 1'hat by the death of Hosmer Allen Johnson. M. D.. LL. D.. the Chicago Medical Col- lege has lost the services of one of its founders and most active, able and eloquenl teachers: the Northwestern University one of its wisest trustees and councilors: the medical profession one of its most learned, honorable and influential members; and the community one who. lor nearly forty years, has been an active, skillful and untiring benefactor to the suffering, alike in peace, n war. and in the midst of the direst of conflagra tions. "Resolved, That to his bereaved family and e tender our most sincere and abiding sympathy, and the assurance that their temporal loss is his eternal gain. i 3 8 BIOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS. " Resolved, Thai the secretary of the faculty furnish a cop) of the foregoing resolutions to the family of the deceased, and to the medical and other periodicals of this city. "N. s. Davis, M. I).. LL. D.. •• Edmund Andrews, M. D.. LL. 1).. ■ Ralph N. [sham, a. M.. M. I).. ■■ ( Jommittee." The following just tribute was paid to the memory of I>r. Johnson by his old friend and col- league, l>r. N. S. Davis, of Chicago "In reflecting upon the career of our departed friend, ii will be seen that he led a life of remark- able activity and success, presenting a mind cul- tivated and ennobled by a wide range of literary and scientific acquirements, chastened and made pure by an abiding faith in the Christian religion, and rendered active, unyielding and yet patient by an almost constanl battle with physical in firmities. As an orator, lecturer and teacher lie was clear and direct in expression, chaste, elegant and often eloquent in style, and always commanded the earnest attention of his hearers. As a physician, he was clear-headed, kind-hearted, faithful to every duty, and skillful both I" recog nize the nature of disease and to choose the appropriate remedies, and enjoyed the implicit confidence of his patrons. As a citizen, he was patriotic, benevolent, honorable, and ever ready to lend efficient aid in all the enterprises recog- nized as important for promoting the varied in- terests of civilized society. As a husband, father and friend, he was affectionate, faithful and true to a degree that neither time nor circumstances could swerve or abate. To those who have hern intimately associated with him from the com- lent of his professional life, he presents a remarkable example of industry, varied acquire ments. usefulness, unswerving integrity, and of the nobler qualities of a Christian gentleman, ever battling with physical infirmities, and yet working undauntingly almost to the end of three ire J 'Mrs and ten." NATHANIEL K. FAIRBANK. NATHANIEL K. FAIRBANK was born in the little town of Soilus. Wayne county. New York, in the year 1829. He received a common school education, applying himself also to study at home, and at the age of fifteen was apprenticed to a bricklayer. The year following he went to er. in his native state, where he served the term of his apprenticeship, after which he a fiouring mill in which he occupied the "I 1 k-keeper for six months and was then admitted to a partnership. In 1855 he came to Chicago, entered into a grain commission busi- ness and represented David Dows & Co.. of New York, as their Western representative. His con- nection with this firm extended over a period of ten years, when he became financially inter ested in a lard and oil refining enterprise, fur- nishing the capital for the erection of the refinery, and becoming a member of the newly organized firm of Suieedley. Peck & Co.. who conducted the business. The company did a successful business for four years, when its plant was destroyed bj tire and a loss incurred of fifty thousand dollars. But in the following year. Is7(>. the manufacturing plant now standing at the corner of Eighteenth and Blackwell streets was constructed at a cost of eighty thousand dollars. In a little over two years after the re-building Mr. Smeedley sold his interest and subsequently Mr. Peck drew out of the lirm. \V. H. Burnet and Joseph Sears took the places of the retiring partners, and the pros perous, steadily growing business of N. K. Fair- bank A Co. became one of the most substantial of Chicago's enterprises. The energy of character and the ability which Mr. Fairbank has displayed in his private business, and that have brought him wealth and high commercial standing, marked also his career as a public spirited citizen and have been very perceptibly potent in advancing the prosperity of Chicago. The enterprises which nave been for the upbuilding of the city, and which have felt the sustaining influence and ma- terial aid of Mr. Fairbank. are so numerous and diversified in character that in a brief sketch of his life it is scarcely possible to mention even a small part of them. His sympathies have been with any movement which promised to result in beautifying Chicago, adding to the pleasure of her citizens or serving their interests in any prac- tical direction; and his purse has always been like his heart, open. In 1874. when the members of the Chicago Chili were nomads in search of comfortable quarters. Mr. Fairbank suggested the construction of a handsome and commodious club house. It being a season of considerable business depression, however, the members of theclub were not inclined to invest in the enterprise and the sug- gestion was received with an apathy that would have discouraged a less determined man. It was a trifling obstacle, however, to Mr. Fairbank. A club house was needed: it would enhance the pleasure of the members and be an ornament to Chicago, and these reasons were quite sufficient to prompt him to offer toerect it at his own expense, trusting in the future prosperity of the club to reimburse him. The sequence of thai generous impulse is the splendid structure on Monroe C^^<^^2<^ BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. '39 street, opposite the Palmer House, which is to-day the elegant home of the Chicago Club. It cost one hundred and thirty-five thousand dollars. But the reader will suspect that Mr. Fairbank was not left to furnish that entire sum. The magnetic influence of a public spirited citizen like him inspires otherB with a like spirit, and before tin' club house had been completed eighty thous- and dollars had been subscribed by the a The remaining fifty thousand dollars of stock Mr. Fairbank has always retained. The club moved into its new home in loTtl. ami for thirteen years elected and re-elected Mr. Fairbank its presi dent. At tin' cornerof State and Randolph streets stands another evidence of the enterprise and pub- lic spirit of Mr. Fairbank Central Music Hall. The late George B. Carpenter had conceived tie need of such a structure and had completed the plans of the building. But both money and influ- ence were required, and the latter must be en listed before the former could be assured. Where could they be had'.' The average man. with a knowledge of Chicago and of her citizens, would naturally have turned to Mr. Fairbank under the circumstances; that was precisely what Mr. Car- penter did. He explained the enterprise to Mr. Fairbank ami showed him the plans of the edifice. These plans remained in Mr.Fairbank'skeepingfor aperiodof about two years, his wish being to wait tor a favorable opportunity to present the matter to tl apitalistsof the city. The opportunity at hist came. In 1879, the year after Mapleson's first visit to what was then Haverly's Theater, and when the city was in the midst of an opera furore. Mr. Fairbank placed the plans of a music hall before the public, and with the influence of his endorsement and the fact that such a hull was a necessity, every dollar of stock was quickly taken, the budding commenced and pushed rap idly to completion, lint his good-hearted efforts have not been limited to providing for the pleas- ures of the upper classes of society. The poor and the neglected have had abundant reason to appreciate his large benevolence and his practical sympathy. The Newsboys' Home of Chicago, an institution of great value to the community and a charity which many a homeless boy prizes, was some years ago heavily mortgaged, but Mr. Fair- bank engaged in the work of raising the money to release the home from its burden of indebted- ness. and it goes without saying that he succeeded. and this useful institution is therefore to daj free from incumbrance. The St. Luke's Hospital was another institution which enlisted his most earnest and active philanthropy. When the effort was made to replace the old. ill iven ient and insufficient building with a commodi- ous structure. Mr. Fairbank came forward ami gave twenty-five thousand dollars, and thus inspired a liberality among his immediate associates that soon secured the needed sum to complete the work. He took an active part in soliciting subscriptions for this object, raised the money to build the new hospital, and from that time to the present has been a strong friend, liberal patron, and faithful officer of the institu- tion. Brought up a Presbyterian he became an attendant at the South Church, of which Pro- fessor Swing was formerly pastor. Mr. Fairbank was seldom absent from the Sabbath services while Professor Swing tilled the pulpit, and here, as under other circumstances, his broad liberality was a marked feature of his character. When a collection was being taken one Sunday to raise the i »? to paj lor an organ. Mr.Fairbank sent a note to Professor Swing that he would make up any deficiency in the fund that might exist after the collection was completed. The deficiency proved to be one thousand dollars, and on the Monday morning following Mr. Fairbank for- warded his check for the amount. When Pro- fessor Swing bit the pastorate of the South Church. Mr. Fairbank was one of the fifty men who agreed to supply any deficiency in the funds that might lie necessary to sustain, for the period of three years, the Independent Church, of which Professor Swing became pastor, at Central Music Hall. It is altogether probable that Mr. Fan- bank's close personal attention to the business affairs of the society have had a very marked in- fluence upon the prosperity of this church. He is a member of the board of trustees and also a member of the music committee, and in the dis- charge of the duties of the latter position he has taken special interest and pleasure; passionately fond of music, his constant aim is to provide that of a very high order at the Sabbath services. Among the many musical societies that he has helped to success, the Festival Asso. iatioD is an example, and the great service that he rendered in conjunction with those famous festivals con ducted by Theodore Thomas was greatly appreci- ated by the music loving portion of Chicago. A work, too. in which he has taken deep interest and that has been of much benefit to the public is that of fish culture in the Northwest. The angler, as he enjoys the sport of Ashing in Wisconsin and Illinois, is always greatly indebted to the enter I 40 BIOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS. prise of Mr. Fairbank in .this direction. Mr.Fair- bank has a splendid home in the city and a hand somecountry residence a1 Lake Geneva, Wiscon- sin, on a farm of a hundred and eighty acres. He w;is married in 1866 to Miss Helen L. Graham, of New York, and has seven children, four sons and three daughters. In person Mr. Fairbank is tall and well proportioned. His figure is commanding. There is in his form and carriage, in his broad shoulders his evenly poised head and his benignant face an assertion and maintenanceof a vigorous and most attractive individuality. His domestic quali- ties, the love of wife, children, and home, are devel oped in his eonstant solicitude and most generous provision for their happiness ami comfort. He never forgets that home, and his highest aspiration is to have it continuously the abode of contentment, comfort, and mental and moral advancement. His ancestry of ruggedest New England stock made Mr. Fairbank physically and intellectually an italic individuality half a century before he wis born, and the law of heredity in him declares its inexorable and imperial results. He looks after not only the comfort of his own family, but the enjoyment of all his near friends is essential to his own happiness, and his affectionate solicitude for their prosperity, health and recreation is eonstant and admirable beyond eulogy. Prom one who was with Mr. Fairbank when the death of his nearest and dearest friend, Mr. Wirt Dexter, was communicated to him. tin' u liter has learned how strong and tender and womanly an emotional nature may go along in harmony with great busi- ness capacity and vast commercial ambitions. For then the tears came and sobs and moans such as a mother's heart sends out and grief shook- the strong frame and sorrow moved ever} fibre of his being, as a great storm twists and rends the bravest oak. It seemed as though he gladly would have died himself to restore again to life the dear. lost. g00d,great friend whose valna hie and useful career had been so suddenly ended. His fondness for Wirt Dexter reflects his tastes, his social lines, and his regard for the highest t.\ pe of intellectual culture. The two men were, by natural laws, drawn to each other, useful to each other, and essential to the happiness of each other. lint besides interesting himself in those nearest, Mr. Fairbank reaches out into remoter circles and lilts up, quietly and without ostentation, very many who otherwise would sink under their burdens of sadness. Few, very few. know what an abundance of g 1 deeds grow out of ids heart every year, nor what solid satisfaction he finds in helping those w ho need help, and in being a friend to those who have no other friends. But for those innumerable kindnesses and large charities which so far have been shut out from public view an- other time will be better. It is enough to say now that there is probably no man in Chicago, who in an active and gainful pursuit of business has so often paused to distribute in generous gratuities so many sums of money, and sums which aggre- gate so great an amount, nor is there any citizen who has a greater contempt for mere inert wealth. WIRT DEXTER. WIRT DEXTER, for many years one of the most famous lawyers at the Chicago bar. was born in Dexter. Mich.. October 25, 1831, and died May 20, 1890. His education was conducted partly at home and in the academies of Michigan. and partly at Cazenovia Seminary, New York, from which latter institution he was graduated after a course of study substantially the same as the usual college course of forty years ago. Mr. Dexter was twice married, first to Miss Catharine Durenburg, of Marshall, Mich., in 1S.X, who died in 1864, and who was the mother of one child, which died in infancy. He was married in 1866 to Miss Josephine Moore, who survives him. Two children were born to them — Samuel Dexter, a recent graduate of Harvard, and now a student in its law school: and Katharine, seme seven years younger than her brother. Wirt Dexter was of a family honored and illustrious in the legal profes- sion in America. His grandfather. Samuel Dex- ter, was secretary of war, and afterwards secretary of the treasury, in the cabinet of President John Adams. He was a vigorous advocate of the adoption of the Federal constitution, a personal friend of Alexander Hamilton, and was known as the -great expounder of the constitution " long before the same title was won and worn by Daniel Webster. His son, Samuel W. Dexter, was a]. pointed United States district judge of the terri- torj of Michigan, and founded the tow n of I >e\ler. where his son Wirt was horn. A brother of Judge Dexter was Franklin Dexter, a contem- porary of Daniel Webster, and who was often associated with or pilled against him. and was everywhere recognized as. in legal acumen and ability, tlie peer of the great orator. With the hi 1 of a line of eminent lawyers in his veins. < z. ■■■ BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. HI Wirt Dexter naturally chose the profession of the law as the work of his life. His father was a man of considerable means, which he had largely in- vested in agricultural and pine lands in tl ol Michigan. Before leaving home the son had, ment of his father's business, and for sometime after locating in Chi cago for the study and practice of the law hi- was : 1 in the manufacture of pine lumber, ami handled the product of his mills in tin- Chicago market, as well as organized and equipped his winter togging camps. This training in active business affairs was of the greatest advantage to him in professional life. His knowledge of com- mercial law and usage was not derived a; hand from the study of 1 ks, but was from an active and interested mingling with men of af- fairs. In a new country the legal questions which arise are largely of a commercial charac- ter, and Mr. Dexter's practical experience made him a safe, prudent and reliable adviser. His professional life was spent entirely in Chicago. although for several years prior to his death he tilled the positionsof general solicitor and member of the executive committee of the board of directors of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company, the duties of which position usually called him lor some months annually to Boston. While a most diligent worker in his pr< ifes- - early training gave him an inclination for business affairs. He was. from a young man. in- terested at Elk Rapids. Mich., where he had a saw- mill, and with others was afterwards in the manufacture of lumber and charcoal pig- iron. He was also a large owner of pine land in Michigan and Louisiana, as also of residence and business property in Chicago. From his prac- tical experience, he distrusted the ordinary meth- ods of charitable work, and was one of the organ- izersofthe Chicago Relief and Aid Society, of which he was for many years an officer. This society works along the lines afterward adopted by various charity organization societies, aiming to discriminate carefully between worthy and un- worthy objects of charity and to afford relief to the deserving without encouraging pat At the time of the great Chicago tire tl and Aid Society was made the almoner of the benefactions of the world. Mr. Dexter was at that time chairman of its executive committee, and abandoning entirely his professional work and business, he devoted nearly a year to the work of distributing in the wisest method pos- sible the millions contributed by the be] of all nations. His extraordinary executive abil- ity, sound judgment, ami knowledge of men, were soon recognized by his associates in the work, and to him more than any other was it owing that from chaos was evoked order: from eon fusion, method. The admirable and wise man- ner in which the $5,000,000 fund was distributed was as noteworthy as the fund itself; that most wonderful exhibition recorded in history, of the truth that God hath n blood all the nations of men. During his professional life, a period of something over thirty years, he was re- tained in the greater part of the famous and in- teresting trials of important causes heard in and .about Chicago. Mr. Dexter seen.; by intuition all the aptitudes of -,, great lawyer. He Irttd an ardent love for his profession and an exalted idea of the term ■•lawyer." He had studied the characters of the great lights of his himself familiar with the - by which they had achievi i themselves upon the jurisprudence of their time. He knew Erskine, Curran ami Brougham, Webstet r, Black and Jeremiah Mason as if he had spent his life in their company. He was familiar with 1 and anecdotes i"n which they had a part. He had made studies of their great causes, not that he might servilely copy them, but that he might get from them the inspiration of their skill, resources and courage. T< • such an equipment of enthusiasm for his chosen work he brought also the belief that the lawyer is essentially a minister of justice: that he. as much as the judge upon th must understand and act upon the rule that the aim of all law is to establish and uphold the right: that no zeal in behalf of his clients is war- rani for an argument from false premises, or an attempt to maintain a false and vicious standard of decision. In his intercourse with his brother lawyers lie was frank and truthful. He conceded to his opponent in a case not only the right, but the duty to do all that could truthfully and hon- estly be done to obtain success for his client. But. as he adjusted his own conduct to a high moral obligation, he also insisted that 1 it hers should do the same, and hail neither patience with, nor respect for. that lawyer who lowered the standard of professional ethics merely to win a case. Another characteristic was his high regard for the office and dignity of the courts. He real- ized often, as all lawyers do. that judges are but men and fallible like other men. but he also felt that the emits are the best invention the wit of '4- BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. man has yet devised to do justice between man and man, and r< spected them according 1" the dig nily of their office. His bearing toward them was always courteous, and at the same time self- i-especting, never Eorgetting that he too was a part of the court, and interested in sustaining its proper weight and dignity. He had been, and to the end of his life continued to be, a hard Btudent in the learning of his profession. His mind was richlj stored with the light that books could afford him, and he could cite authorities copiously when needed. But he depended, after all, for his uccei : mainly upon a certain practical common sense, with which he was largely endowed, for the solution of his most complicated eases. His first. and main effort was to obtain a full and minute knowledge of the facts of his ease. These he arranged in a logical order of statement, so clear and lucid that no rhetoric or trick of words could add to or detract from their force. His diction was well chosen and direct to the point; his man- ner frank, confident and forcible, rich with apt illustrations to clinch or enforce his own argu- ments, or answer and confound those of an oppo- nent. But while his pride, delighl and ambition were in his chosen profession, and while to this he devoted largely Ids intellectual energies, yet, to those who knew him, any sketch of his life would seem singularly incomplete without reference to his magical social endowment and his powers out- side his chosen field of labor. He had a quick ami abounding sympathy with nature. He was fond of country exercise and all manly sports. The majestic grandeur of the mountains, and the flower-sprinkled tresses of the meadow, alike, were his joy and inspiration. His standing in tin o u. unity was singular and almost unique, owing to the universal belief that he was a man of special moral, as we'll as intellectual, force. His a I 'Solute integrity was never questioned: lie was a much trusted man: his influence was the more wide- spread because of his independence of political organizations. In early life he appreciated the evils of slavery, and was vigorous in its denuncia- tion. Duringthe Civil War heupheld eloquently and at all times the efforts of the government to do battle with those who sought the destruction of the nation's HIV. and with it the chiefest hopes of humanity; yel when a military officer sup pressed the publication of the Chicago Times for alleged treasonable utterances, and a mass meet ing of citizens was called to consider the matter, his voice was first and si effective in denounc- ing the arbitrary act of fettering free speech and free discussion in the territory remote from the conflict of arms. He always acted in national affairs with the Republican partj until its nom- ination of Mr. Blaine for President, when he re- fused to support its candidate. In local matters, he never considered for a moment the polities of a candidate, but always aimed to support him. hest lilted for the office. He had a lifelong ad- miration for good talkers, and his friendships were broad, while discriminating. His lather was a boyhood friend of Wendell Phillips, and the house of Mr. Dexter was for twenty years the Chicago home of this graceful and brilliant orator, and this too was true as to James Russell Lowell, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Theodore Parker. Charles Dudley Warner, Judge David Davis. Henry Irving, and a host of men eminent and honored in every walk of life. His married life was .He tying and beautiful. His home was for him a paradise, and was a center of Chicago social and intellectual life. At a time when it is thought that conversation is a lost art, Wirt Dexter was so excellent in talk that we easily conceive lie would have been welcome in any circle in the period when conversation was most cultivated. He had the equipment for conversation; he had wit ami imagination: his mind was stored with literature and knowledge of the world: hi' had tin discipline of an important professional and an important business career; he had an interesting and almost phenomenal verbal memory, with the rare faculty of quoting other men's ideas without hindering the abundance of his own; he had quick and almost tumultuous thought, which was always subdued to perfect clearness and precision by a masterful facility in expression; he had a rich vocabulary, and a diction which, even in the quiet of conversation, always suggested eloquence. This suggestion of eloquence in Wirt Dexter's conversation became actual eloquence, brilliant and powerful, in his public speech. He was an orator, and an orator of high class. His profes- sional oratorj was exceedingly effective, but his gifts were even more fitted to public life and its greater and broader questions. His friends often regretted that he did not continue in the public career he began when a very young man, and when the question of slavery aroused him to pub- lic action and public speech. They regretted, too. that he did not answer more readily to the urgent wish of the community that he should appear more frequently upon important public -asions in Chicago. No man was more wished for. and none received quicker audiences. The ^rVa>t>c^_^^ Ari%-*-*--&^ ■ BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 143 reason that he. who seemed go naturally allied to public life, and who had so easily the ear of the people, so rarely appeared in public was that he lived too wholly in the inner life to rind himself at home in the less inspiring controversies of his later years, while his profession and hif and his friends gave to him a life that exercised satisfactorily his intellectual powers. To the circle of his chosen friends, great as was their ad- miration for his intellectual endowment, it was his heart that was greatest. His love of quiet friendship was the most remarkable quality of this man. who seemed born for the combats of the forum and the storms of a public career. This personation of aggressive intellect, to them, was the tenderest and gentlest of men. His death was so unexpected that at tirst H impossible of belief. He had seemed the im- personation of abounding mental and p vitality: of a strong, vigorous and majestic man- hood. In an hour, on one of the best and hap- piest days of his splendid career, he had joined the silent and innumerable host. His friends wire grappled to his soul with hooks of steel, and to them life will forevermore be shadowed anil saddened by the sudden passing away, in its seemingly supremest hour, of this rare, gracious and beautiful spirit. FRANKLIN II. HEAD. S. .in" of the sturdiest characters in this great country, peopled with great men. wire born on farms. Many of the professional men who have reached high positions in their chosen callings, merchants and manufacturers who have acquired great wealth and exhibited a genius for business. strangely at variance with their early training and birth, have opened their eyes tirst upon I meadows of their father's farms. Perhaps the sim- ple innocence of rural life has much to do in lay ing the foundations for the stable characters that have been built up and been formed into honest, upright men. Franklin H. Head, whose multi- plicity of affairs, in the management of the differ- ent concerns of which he is the head, or in which he is interested, show him to be one of 1 most enterprising business men. had such an origin. He was born in Pari- unty, X. Y., January 24th, 1835. His father's name was Harvey Head, and his mother's maiden name was Calista Simmons. They were both natives of the state of New York. Mr. Harvey Head was a farmer, and Franklin therefore spent his boyhood days as a farm lad. Fortunately for him his father was able to give him a good education. He attended the common schools, and prepared him- self for college at Cazenovia Seminary. When nineteen years ■ if age he entered Hamilton College, and graduated therefrom in 1856. He studied law under Prof . Theo. W. Dwight, now president of Columbia Law School. Young Head graduated from the law school in 1858, but having the oppor tunity to travel, he determined to spend some time in Europe before settling down to the routine of his profession. He spent a year in the old countries with much profit to his mind and body. and returning home, set his face toward the west. He made Kenosha. Wisconsin, his abiding and there opened a law office and practiced for eight or nine years. From there he went to Uti and to California, and spent four years on cattle ranches. In l^To he came eastward, finally locat- ing, that year, in Chicago, and engaged at business. His tirst enterprise was in conjunction with the late Wirt Dexter and X. K. Fairbank. in the organization of the Elk Rapids Iron Company, the lumber and iron departments of which are located at Elk Rapids. Michigan. Of this concern Mr. Head was made vice-president and general ■ . which position he continued to till until. in the spring of 1890, he disposed of his interest in the company. Mr. Head also organized the Bangor Chemical Company; and has been presi- dent of the Chicago Malleable Iron Company 382. He is also vice-president of the American Trust A Savings Rank, director in the Northwestern National Bank, director in the Atheneum. president of the Chicago A- Iowa rail road, president of the Illinois Industrial School for Roys, and a director in the World's Columbian [n 1886 Mr. Head b ok an inl the firm of Dole & Co., which owns and operates the Chicago, Burlington A- Quincy railroad eleva- tors. This firm is the largest warehon- in Chicago. They have a capacity of over sixand one half million bushels of grain. He was one of the principal parties who. about 1882, organized the town of Cedar Rapids in Nebraska, near which he owned a large amount of land, and where he has ever since been largely interested in the busi- ness of manufacturing Hour, cattle raising, bank ing. ami selling lumber. Mr. Head was married on June 14th. 1860, to Catherine P. Durkee of Kenosha. Wisconsin, who died October 30, 1890. ' l-l BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. He-has three children, all daughters and all now living. Though sociable in a mark.,] degree, be is not a club man in the usual acceptance of the term. He became a member of the Union League clubs after its organization in 1880. He has always been in active sympathy with all political reform movements, and as it was with that objei I in view that this club was organized, Mr. Head lias warmly supported every action tending toward that end. He has also interested himself in no small degree in the business affairs of the club and has been twi elected its president, which position he rilled with honor and credit, both to himself and the organization. He is also a mem- ber of the University and Commercial clubs. Some few among Mr. Head's friends his intimate friends at least- know that he is something of a literary genius, and they have a souvenir of thai fact in the shape of a small and neatly bound volume of which Mr. Head is the author. Like so many of our overworked business men. he was greatly troubled by sleeplessness, and this fact probably brought to his notice that no writer has SO many beautiful ami expressive passages regard- pas Shakspeare. He speaks everywhere of sound and refreshing sleep as the greatest of ■■■.. and the loss of such sleep as the greatest of calamities. Inasmuch as one rarely appreciates .1 blessing until it is at least partially lost, he argues that Shakspeare must have been troubled with sleeplessness, or he would not haveso highly appreciated and valued its opposite. The tirst part of the little volume is devoted to a study of the various passages in Shakspeare which have a bearing upon this theory. He assumes that if tin- busy ami troubled people of Shakspeare's time were vexed with sleeplessness, inasmuch as his w ratings are a mirror of tin' age, such fact would be evidenced therein. He says: -If. therefore, insomnia had prevailed in or before his time, in his pages we shall find it duly set forth. If he had suffered, if the ' fringed curtain of his eyes were all the night undrawn,' we shall find his dreary experiences his hours of pathetic misery, his of desolation voiced by the tonguesof his men and women." Mr. Head consumes a number in giving quotations from tin- works of the poet, showing that the distress produced by insomnia is " voiced by his men and women." The are taken from one play after another. showing that the subject of -hep was a burden end at all times, and was not confined to .! acti i - in any on, pla) . His ranee of quotations run through Henry IV. Henry Y. Julius Caesar, Richard III. Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet and Macbeth. They each and every one teem with the subject ol sleep, and confirm Mr. Head's belief that Shakespeare, if not really a victim of insomnia, was at least much exercised over that subject. The latter half of the book is filled with letters purporting to have been written to William Shakspeare during the years of 1593, L602 and 1609 by various people. These letters are introduced for the purpose of illustrating the cause of Shakspeare's supposed insomnia. From the Utters it would appear that when a young man and inexperienced, Shakspeare, like the ge young man of all times, was willing to occasionally indorse a note fora friend as a matter of form, and that in his day the same result fol- lowed which so often does in our own; that in later years, as he became more prosperous in worldly matters, he made the mistake, common to many people under such circumstances, of buying more property than he could pay for. thereb) again falling into the hands of the Hebrew brethren; and that, still later in life, when poE sessed of a competence, he was sometimes dazzled and bewildered by the ■■ Light which lies Pi woman's eyes." The letters .11 3U] posed to have been found in the donjon of the castle of the Duke of South- ampton, and are now preserved in the British Museum. Prom the book it would be inferred that Mr. Head had secured copies of these letters and had produce.) them in his work. The greater part of the book was originally read before the Chicago Literary Club, of which Mr. Head i> an active member, and in 1890 its president, and afterward 250 copier, were printed for private cir culation. As these were circulated a demand was developed for additional copies, and the work, with some additions, was thereupon published by the well known Boston house of Houghton, Mifflin &Co. Many of the letters purport to be from lawyers who have in their hands accounts for collection, and show up in a clear light the generally conceived opinion of Shakspeare's early impecunious condition. Some of them appear to be from the characters in his own plays. One of them, from Mordecai ShyloCk, will serve as a fair index of the rest. It is as follows: •• Fleet Street, near the Sign of the Hog in Armor. Nov. 22, 1593. ••'I'.. William Shakes | •■I have been active in the waj you -..me days since besought me; namely, the procuring for you fcw fL^L^ BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 145 of ;> loan of £5, that you might retire a bill upon which you were a guarantor. As I then told you, I have no money myself, being very poor; but I have a friend who has money, with which I can persuade him to relieve your wants. Hail 1 my- self the money I should gladly meet your needs at a moderate usance, not more than 25 in the hun- dred, I 'lit my friend is a hard man. who expects urn- for his means, and will be very ur- gent that repayment be made on the day named in the bill. He hath empowered me to take your bill for two months — for him. mind you— for 610, tin' payment to be assured, as you wished, by tie- pledge of your two new plays in manuscript 'Midsummer Night's Dream' ami 'Romeo and Ju- liet' lor which bill he will, at my strong instance and because you are a friend to me, give 65. My charge for services in tins behalf, which hath 1 much time, will In- 61, which I shall straightway pay out in the purchase of a new- gown much needed by my little daughtei Ji - you and recalls often the pleasant talcs you do repeat for her diversion." Aside from the amusement Mr. Head lias de- rived from this work, he has every reason to be proud of it from a literary standpoint. His esti- mate of Shakespeare's character lias been favora- bly commented upon by many literary people into whose hands the work has fa lien, [t shows a close study of the poet's works, ami the extracts he has taken evidence the diligence with which he pe- rused his pages. Mr. Head has taken an active in- terest in matters pertaining to the good govern- ment of Chicago, and has occasionally made ad- dresses, not of a partisan nature, upon matters of public interest, one of the most notable of these being the address at the dedication of the Hay market monument, which was erected in memory of the brave defenders of the city who fell in the famous conflict with the anarchists in May. 1886. EDWARD S. ISHA.M. EDWARD SWIFT ISHAM, the senior part- ner in the widely known law firm of Isham. Lin- coln A- Beale, was born January 15, 1836, in Ben- nington, Vermont, and descends in all lines from old and honored colonial families of New England. The Ishams, both in New England and Virginia. are English, from Northamptonshire. Tie Brsl ol the line in New England was John Isham. who was born in England, and settled at Barnstable. Massachusetts. He married December 111. 1667, Jane, daughter of Robert Parker, of Barnstable. His will was there admitted to probate Octobei 10. 171:!. To him succeeded his second sou. Isaac Isham. born at Barnstable February. 1682, married May 3, 1716, to Thankful, daughter of Thomas Lum- bert, Jr., and whose will was admitted to probate August 5, 1771. at Barnstable. His third son was John Isham second, of Colchester. Connecticut, born at Barnstable, Massachusetts. August 6, 1721, died at Colchester March 2, 1S02, and married De- cember 19,1751, to Dorothy, daughter of Ephriam Foote, of Colchester. He was captain of a com pany during the French and Indian war. His son. Ezra Isham. was born in Colchester March L5, 1773, and settled at Manchester, Vermont, in 1800, where for many years he was the leading physician of that region, and died February 8. 18:35. He married June 21, 1801, Nancy (Anna) Pierpont, a daughter of Robert Pierpont, of Man- and born at Litchfield. Connecticut. Robert Pierpont was tin- son of James Pierpont and grandson of the Rev. James Pierpont, the pastor of the First Church at New Haven; and thus was the cousin of President Jonathan Ed- wards, of Princeton, of Aaron Burr, and of Presi- dent Timothy Dwight. Pierpont Isham was tin- son of Dr. Ezra Isham and Nancy Pierpont. He was a justice of the Supreme Court of Vermont and was born August 5, 1802, at Manchester, and died in New York March 8, 1872. He married Seman- the, daughter of Noadiah Swift. M. D.. of Ben- nington. Vermont, who was the son of the Rev. Job Swift. D. D., and Mary Ann Sedgwick, of Stock - bridge, Massachusetts. Dr. Job Swift was a grad- uate of Vale of the class of 1765, and one of the most distinguished divines in that part of New England. The subject of this sketch is the eldi st son of Pierpont Isham. His early childhood was spent in the beautiful region lying on the borders of New York and Massachusetts, among the mountains which, just over tin- bonier of Massa chusetts, break down into what are known as the "Berkshire Hills." Here in the midst of that famed Taghconic Valley, which, with Bennington, includes tin- towns of Manchester. Williamstown, Pittsfield, Lenox and Stockbridge, were the lo- calities and a people animated by the personal associations and daily life of Ethan Allen, Seth Warner, Remember Baker and the Green Moun- tain Boys: and by the traditions of the early strug- gles of Vermont as an independent state in the days of the Council of Safety, and of one of thegreat bat- tles of the Revolution. From these scenes he passed some two years in New York. Later it became necessary to interrupt his preparatory course for college and send him South in search of health and strength to make a delicate physique 146 BIOGRAPHY' OF ILLINOIS. equal to ;i mind of more than usual demands. He was in South Carolina during the years 1850 and L851,and had personal experience of the exeite- , ,i,.,,i caused in thai community by the powerful and aggressive resistance of the anti-slavery senti- ment ofthe North, and of thebitternessinto which the people there were cast by the death, in 1850, of their great nullification leader, John C.Calhoun. Heretumed to the North, and completed his pre- paratory course for college at the Lawrence Academy at Groton, Massachusetts. In 1853 he entered Williams College, from which he was grad- uated in 1857, and is a member from his class of the B. K., and in 18G0 was selected by the fac- ulty to deliver a master's oration for his class at the commencement exercises of that year. He studied law in his father's office and at the Law School of Harvard University, and was admitted to the bar at Rutland, Vermont, in the fall of 1858. Intending to go to St. Paul or St. Louis as more favorable to health than the climate of New York, Mr. Isham reached Chicago about the 25th of October, 1858, and found opportunities there which made him content to postpone his journey to St. Louis or St. Paul indefinitely. After a short time spent in the law office of Hoyne, Miller A Lewis, Mr. Isham in the early spring of 1859 formed a partnership with Mr. James L.Stark, of Vermont, under the firm name of Stark i- Isham. This was continued until 1861. In the tall of lsili he was elected to the state legislature, and during his term was a member of the judi- cial committee. In May. 1865,hewen1 to Europe where he remained about two years. Immedi- ately after his return from Europe the business of his office grew rapidly upon his hands and from that time has wholly absorbed his attention, and in February, 1872, he formed with Mr.Robert T. Lincoln a partnership under the name of Isham & Lincoln which continued until a few years ago, when, with the introduction of another partner, the firm became Isham, Lincoln & Beale, which still continues. Among important cast's which have most largely engaged the attention and in- terest of the public was one that arose concerning the distribution of the estate ofthe late Walter L. Newberry and the establishment of the great library which he endowed, and which, from its public importance, is deserving of particular no- tice here. Mr. Isham has always been the counsel of the trustees of the estate and has conducted tin- important litigation in which that estate has been from time to time invoh ed. 1 a that case the question was o f construction, and in- volved not the validity of the will, hut the judicial determination of the meaning of a specific direction in it. The testator, who died at sea November 6th, 18G8, left his widow and two young daughters. In his will, after pro- viding for them, he considered the contingency of tin- death, without issue, of both his daughters, which meant the complete extinguishment of his immediate family. In that event Mr. Newberry directed that upon the death of the last survivor of its three members tic estate should be divided by his trustees into two equal parts, one to be dis- tributed among "the surviving descendants " of his brothers and sisters, and the other to be ap- plied by the trustees to the founding of a free public library. He reflected upon this contin- gency, and it is known that he estimated at Id per cent, the chances that this provision for a library would take effect. Mrs. Newberry declined the provision made for her by the will, and claimed and received instead of it the share of the estate given her by statute, and when Mary, the elder daughter, died at Pau, February IS. 1871, it be- came obvious, in the extremely precarious health of her younger sister, Julia, that the chance for a li- brary had become practically a certainty. Julia died a1 1;.. me. Italy, April 1,1876. The contest was com- menced by the collateral relatives in April, 1877, by an application to the court of chancery to compel at once ,i distribution of the estate to them, though only the two daughters had died and Mrs.Newberrj was still living. Incidentally, the library pro- vision would take effect at the same time. As Mrs. Newberry had survived both her daughters, the direction of the will was, in effect, to divide the estate at her death. The theory of the con- tention was that tie- devise was of three life- tes, and that the object of the postponement of distribution was to give effect to them: that the gift over to complainants was intended to fie limited not upon the lives, but upon the life- estates, and the estates being ended by the death of the daughters and the renunciation of the widow, the distribution should lie made at once. To this it was answered for the trustees that the life-estate of the widow was not ended by her renunciation; that she thereby had merely sub stituted the life-estate given by statute lor the life-estate given in lieu of it by will, so that even if the gifts over were in fact not limited upon the end of the three lives, but upon the end of the estates, the estates were not ended, and th.- dis- tribution could not be accelerated. Moreover, the direction to distribute at the death of Mrs. BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. '47 Newberry could not be construed to mean at the end of her life-estate, for the death entered into the description of the persons to whom th was given. The "surviving descendants" meant thosi surviving at the time of distribution, and that being appointed at the death of Mrs. New- berry, the donees of tlic estate were described as "descendants surviving at her death." Until then those donees must remain uncertain. There was no other description or means of ascertain- ment of the persons to whom the estate was given, and no gift at all to anyone excepting persons so described, and if the court should give the word "death" the meaning of "the end of her life- estate," or any other than its natural and ordi- nary meaning, it would not merelj accelerate the possession of the property by an owner certain at sometime to b( me entitled i :eive it, but would change the donees from survivors atone time to survivors at another, and so give to one elass of persons an estate that was devised to another class. In the Circuit Court decree was made as sought by complainants in July. 1877. for the immediate distribution of the estate. Appeal was taken, however, to the Supreme Court, and upon argument at Springfield the decri f the court below was reversed in June, 1878. Afterwards, a petition and an amended petition for rehearing were filed by Mr. Wirt Dexter and Mr. E. 1). McCagg and Judge Charles li. Lawrence. The rehearing was granted, and the cause was again argued at Springfield in January, 1880. From the fact that the rehearing was thus allowed it was generally anticipated that the conclusions of the court would be changed, and the decree for distribution affirmed; but after the argument the court held to its original judgment, and ordered the first opinion to be refiled. Then again, in June. 1880, another rehearing was obtained from the Supreme Court, and an oral argument ordered. but before the cans.' was reached for reargument Mr. Isham moved the court to rescind the order for rehearing, on the ground that when it was made the court had no power to make it. and that the time was past within which it had any power to disturb the twice entered judgment. In this situation the complainants secured the interven- tion of the attorney general of the state, asking a reconsideration on behalf of the public interest in the library bequest. The order for rehearing was rescinded by tie- Supreme Court, ami the ap- plication of the attorney general was refused. Then, when the cause was redocketed in the court below, the complainants amended their bill. making the attorney general a party. Hi- tiled a cross bill, to which the trustees demurred; the demurrer was sustained, and the amended and cross bills wen' dismissed. Then an appeal was taken by the complainants and the attorney gen eral to the Supreme Court, and the subject of the relation of the attorney general to trusts for pub lie charities was argued at Ottawa. The COurl refused to change its conclusions, and in April. 1883, the struggle to disturb tin' disposition of the will at last came to an end. 99 Illinois Re- ports, 11; bHi Illinois Reports, HI; 100 Illinois Reports, 584. Mrs. Newberry died in December. 1885, and the library endowment, greatly enhanced by the accumulations during her lifetime, amounted then to nearly three millions of dollars. case of great public interest at the time related to the mayoralty . .1' the city of Chicago when it became incorporated under the law of the state, in April, 1875. At that time Harvey 1). Colvin was the mayor of the city, elected under the old charter. It was claimed by his adherents that the new corporation oper- ated to extend his term of office nearly two years, until April. 1S77. The matter was taken in hand by the Citizens' Association, and a petition for a writ of mandamus, directing the City Council to call a special election for the election of a mayor, was riled by Isham A Lincoln in the Supreme Court, on the petition of Charles M. Henderson, George Armour and Mark Skinner. The cause was argued in the Supreme Court in January. 1S7G. by Melville W. Fuller, th.' present chief justice of the United States, and by Mr. Isham for the relators, and by Mr. Root and Judge Corydon Beckwith for the respondents. There being at the time one vacancy in the bench, the court consisted of six judges, and was equally divided upon the question submitted, so that under the constitution the singular instance occurred of a court unable to render any decision whatever in a cause which the court declared " involved public interests of the gravest importance." Afterwards an election was held. In lss:>, Mr. Isham argued be- fore Judge Mc< 'l'eary. in the United States Circuit Court at Topeka, the case of Benedict v. the St. Joseph A- Western Railway Company, and pro- cured the appointment of a receiver, by which that road was taken from the Union Pacific Rail- way Company and reorganized. His firm was in- strumental in procuring from Judge Gresham a change of receivers for a portion of the Wabash. St. Louis A Pacific Railway system east of the Mississippi river, and subsequently continued to ,|N BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. be connected with the widelj discussed litigation towhich that change was introductory. I" L886 the strikes of railway employes obstructed the operation of a great many roads, and, among others, the service of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway. The general Bupineness and in- efficiencj of the state authorities had led the strikers to hold them lightly, and they were con- vinced by experience thai the popular tenure of office and a sympathy inspire.! by sentiment or prudence enabled them to despise with im- punity the executive, judicial and military forces of the state. But strikers everywhere shrank from coining athwart the track of the federal power. 'The trains that carried the mails were allowed to pass unmolested, and it had been ob served that bankrupt roads in the hands of re- ceivers appointed by the United States courts were not seriously molested, while those roads which had to depend upon the state authorities were prevented from doing any business. It was manifestly desirable tor any road to gain tin' pro tection of the federal jurisdiction. The Lake Shun- A- Michigan Southern Railway, extending from Chicago to I luffalo, ran almost immediati ly, after leaving Chicago, out of Illinois into Indiana and across Ohio and Pennsylvania into New York. It was thus, in almost its entire traffic, a road engaged in inter-state commerce. Statutes of the United States conferred authority on rail- road companies whose roads were operated by strain Pj carry on inter-state transportation, and to carry passengers, troops, government supplies, mails and property. They authorized the trans portation of imported goods in bond to interior ports of entry; and a part of the Civil Rights act. made penal any conspiracy to hinder the exercise of anj right secured by the constitution or laws of the United States. Mr. Isliain pre- sented for the Lake Shore Road, to Judge Gresham, in the Circuit Court of the United States al [ndianapolis in June, 1886, a bill Hied mii: i a number of the principal strikers on thai road, invoking the intervention by injunc- tion of the federal court, on the ground that the commerce obstructed was carried on in the exer cise of a right secured by the laws of the United States. The intervention of the federal court was secured, and on the 30th of June an order for a temporary injunction was granted bj Judge Gresham. The order asserted the jurisdiction of tie' federal court, and " signified a change from the local to the national authority and law in the matter .if dealing with the obstructionists." The injunction was issued, and it became unneces- sary to make actual service of the writ." Among tic important eases which he has argued, some of which have become leading cases upon the sub- jects involved, and some of which in the Supreme Court of the United States have involved grave constitutional questions, may he special!) noted: Brine, v. The Hartford Fin Insurance Company, 96 U. S., G'JT. with its connected ease of Suitterlin v. The Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Com- pany,90 III. R., 483, approved in 105 U. S., -JIT: Richer v. Powell, 100 U. S., 104; Warner v. The Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Company, 109U.S..357; Pickard, Comptroller, v. Pullman Southern Car Company, -117 U. S.. 34; Rand \. Walker,lh, 340; Pullman's Palace Car Company v. Texas &Pa> ific Railroad Company 11 Fed. Ref., 629; Union Trust Company v. Illinois Midland Railway Company, 117 U.S., 434; Kingsbury v. Buckner, To TIL. 514; Central Transportation Company v. Pullman's Palace t 'ar < 'ompany, 139 U. S.. 24; Windett v. The Connecticut Insurance Company, 130 111. R., 621. Mr. Isham belongs to the inner temple of the bar. His practice lies chiefly in the courts of the United States and in the argument of appealed eases. His intellect is vigorous and acute, his judgment quick and com- prehensive, his argument is close and rigid in logic, skillful in method, agreeable and forcible in manner, and has a scholarly finish which is always noticeable. In legal learning, in what may be called the erudition of his profes sion, he has no superior at the bar, and these qualities have given to him the eminent standing so readily accorded him. His literary and oratot ical powers give Ids appearance in court a more than legal interest. His arguments are models of statement, and belong to the domain of literature as well as law. From the earliest years of the (_ ihicago Literary Club Mr. Isham's wide and ele- gant culture have made him one of its most hon- ored members. He has been among those whose essayE have been read at the public receptions of that society, which has been one of the most act ive forces al work in the creation at Chicago of a new literary center. He wrote the article on the Social and Economic relations of Corporations in the "Encyclopedia of Political Science." and an address before the New York Historical Society on "Frontenac and Miles Standish in the North- west," which is published by the society. During the War of the Rebellion hewasamongthemostact- ive of the many patriotic Chicagoans who b) word and deed assisted in the support of the Union cause. ~ f- BKMiRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. I49 and some of his public addresses may be found at length in the journals of that time. Mr. Isham was married in 1861 t<> .Miss Fannie, dau{ Hun. Thomas Burch, of Little Falls. Herkimer county. New York. They have four children two suns ami two daughters. The eldest sun. Pier- pont Isham. graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in lssT: served for a time first in tin- Seventh Cavalry Riley, and afterwards in tin- Third Cavalry ;ii San . Texas, ami is now the junior partner in tin- firm of Isham. Lincoln & Beale. The younger son, Edward S.. graduated at Vale in 1891. STEPHEN T. LOGAN. JUDGE STEPHEN TRIGG LOGAN was born in Franklin county. Kentucky, on the 24th "f February, 1800. His paternal ancestry were of Scotch-Irish extraction: on the maternal side be was of English descent. His great grandfather emigrated from Ireland and settled in Augusta county, Virginia, about theyeaT 17.">o. Hi- father, David Logan, died in Kentucky in the prime of manhood, about 1821. His mother was the daughter of Colonel Stephen Trigg, a native of the ■'<)M 1 (ominion," who moved to Kentucky in 1779, and lost his life in the disastrous battle with the Indians at the Blue Licks, in August ITs-j. His grandfather, Colonel John Logau. was early pioneers of Kentucky, and was a representa- tive in the Virginia legislature from one of the counties of Kentucky before the admission of Kentucky into the Union as a state. Subsequently he was a member of the convention which formed the Kentucky constitution of 1799, and held for several years the office of treasurer of that com- monwealth. General Ben. Logan, his brother, was the first of the family to remove from Virginia to Kentucky, and figured conspicuously with Boone and other famous pioneers in the Indian wars of the period. Stephen received his early education in Frankfort, the capital of the commi m- wealth, and was employed as a clerk in the office of the secretary of state, under Martin D. Hardin. son-in-law of General Ben. Logan, and father of Colonel John J. Hardin of Illinois. While in the discharge of his duties here, when only thirteen years of age. he made out the commissions for the officers of ( leneral Shelby's command in their ex- pedition to our northern frontier during the war of lsrj. As a boy, young Logan was remarked for his quickness, sound understanding, and apti- tude for both study and business. In 1817 he went to Glasgow, Barren county, and studied law under his uncle. Judge Tompkins. He was admit ted to the bar at Glasgow before attaining bis majority, but did not at onci 1 ractice. He supported himself in the meantime by teach- ing school, and serving as a deputy in the circuit clerk's offii f Barren county. In this position himself familiar with the various forms of legal procedure, and acquired much of that skill and facility in the drafting of legal docu- ments for which he was noted throughout his mal life. Shortly after entering upon the practice of law. he was appointed Commonwealth's low circuit. His accurate knowledge of the principles of law. his command over complicated facts, his analytical power in dealing with evidence, and above all his incisive and animate.! style as a sneaker, won for him in a few- years an established reputation and a lucrative clientage. On the "25th of June. ls-j:;. 1,,. married Miss America T. Bush, eldest daughter of Will- iam T. Bush, Esq., of Glasgow. They had eight children, four sons and four daughters, of whom only the two youngest, Mrs. Ward H. Lamon and Mrs. L. H. Coleman, survived their father. Mrs. Logan was a lady of refined manners, of unaffected piety and unpretentious benevolence. She died in L868, in her sixty second year. In the spring of 1832, Mr. Logan removed with his family to Illinois. The journey was made with carriage ami wagons, and was long and tedious. They arrived at Springfield about the middle of May, and settled on a farm near the Sangamon river, about six miles northwest of the city. For a time he contemplated devoting himself entirely to agricultural pursuits, but at the instance of William L. May. with whom he formed a partner- ship, he returned to Springfield in the spring of Is:;:;, and resumed his practice. Mr. May repre- sented the Springfield district, then embracing the entire northern half of tin' state, in Congress from 1834 to 1838. Judge Logan speedily acquired a leading position not only at the Sangamon bar, but in the state at large, his reputation continu- ing to increase until his final relinquishment of his prof ession. In January, 1835, he was elected by the legislature judge of the first judicial circuit of Illinois, embracing Sangamon county. He held this office until the March term, 1837, when he resigned on account of tic- inadequacy of the salary; and in 1839, being again chosen I =?0 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. circuit judge, he declined to serve. < >n retiring fr the bench in L837, he formed ;i partnership will. Col. E. D. Baker. He was afterwards asso- ciated Eroin L841 to HI! with Abraham Lincoln, . later period with his son-in-law, Bon. Milton Hay. Shorl aswasthe time he remained on the bench, he attracted at that time the atten- tion and admiration of many of his must eminent contemporaries anion- them such men as the late Senator David Davis; Judge Caton and Judge Drummond. Speaking of him in the United States Court after his death. Senator Davis re- called some interesting memories of this period of Judge Logan's career. " The first time I saw him," said the Senator, "was in Springfield in the autumn of L835, when he was holding a term of the Sanga i Circuit Court. I had just come to the state, and was naturally desirous of observing the proceedings in the courts. Having pursued my legal studies in Massachusetts and Connecticut, 1 was im- ed with the idea that justice was adminis- tered in these states \>\ magistrates who were superior to any I should meet in Illinois, and was therefore not prepared at the outset to have this opinion changed. I was a diligent observer of the manner in which the business of the court was conducted, and recollect that Judge Logan dis- posed of some intricate points of evidence with a clearness of statement and power of reasoning that not only carried conviction to my mind, hut satisfied me of the largeness of his capacity and of his ability to discharge the duties of any judicial tribunal in the country. The admiration which I conceived for him then, instead of being dimin- ished by the lapse of time, as often happens, was increased as I knew him better and observed the development of his marvellous powers." Speaking of him as an advocate. Senator I >li \ is said: "In all the elements that constitute a great nisiprius lawyer. I have never known his equal. I loved to hear him try an important jury cause, and have quite often been surprised by the re- markable powers displayed bj him when he was hard pressed for victory. 1 will mention one In the winter of 1S44 45, one Chapman was indicted for perjury under the bankrupt law Of 1811. The ease excited a great deal of interest, for the' reason that the party charged with the crime had previously borne a good character, and because manj persons bi lieved a beneficent law had 1" n repi all d on accounl of the perjuries and frauds committed under it. Justin Butterfield was tin ii — cutor, and Logan and Lincoln de- fended. Butterfield exerted all Ins intellectual power to procure a conviction. As usual when Logan was engaged in a ease, no matter who was associated with him, the chief management of it was conceded to him. He never appeared to bettei advantage than in this defence. The trial lasted sevi .1 the lawyers from abroad, as well as thus.' living here, were attracted to the courtroom. The legislature was in session, and though a member of it. I was so fascinated by the intellectual struggle that 1 heard the trial through, to the neglect < if my official duties. Chapman was convicted, but 1 thought at the time the result would have been different had not the Judge charged so stronglj against the prisoner." ■•When I first met him." said the Hon. Thomas I Irummond on the same occasion, "fortj five . ears ago, he was a judge of tie- circuit court of 'this state. He had exchanged with Judge Ford, and went into the hitter's circuit, in the northern pari of the state, in the summer and fall of L835. He was flic first judge before whom I appeared, and his was the first court in which I tried a case in the' state of Illinois. I was engaged in several during the term, and was an attentive oh =erver of the manner in which he administered the law during the whole sitting of the court. The qualities, in my opinion, most conspicuous in him eat clearness of statement, a preternatural quickness of apprehension, extraordinary fertility of i-i sources, ami a glowing, ardent nature, which almost compelled the tribunal he addressed to share in his own conviction. To these were added ceptional fullness the" power of nice discrim- ination and cogent analysis, a true sense of the justice of the cause, and tile capacity to reject all extraneous matter and confine himself to the essential points in the controversy. He was, be- sides, a broad, comprehensive reasoner, never dif- These qualities fitted him peculiarly forthe trial of nisi prius eases, in which he was con- nl. ied unrivalled. I do not think that in general he made great preparation for his cases, or studied them very elaborately. He often trusted with confidence to his resources at the time of trial. and these rarely failed him. Above all. though faithful in the utmost to the cause of his client. In was an honest lawyer, and true to the court, to which lie left, after urging every argument which a fertile imagination and full knowledge could suggest, the decision of the cause, relying upon its real merits for success. The impression he made upon me. as a young lawyer having Ins lust experience in the state in his profession, has never been effaced." His relations with Mr. Lincoln in these days have been graphically described by Hon. Orville II. Browning, ol Quince who said: "Younger men. who afterwards attained greal distinction at the bar. ami have done honor to the stale, had their training in his office and under his instruction. Among others who had the hen etit of Ids association, example and instruction was the lamented Lincoln, who afterwards be- came so illustrious in the history of our countrj and before the world, and whose memory is en- shrined in all our hearts. As his law partner. Mr. Lincoln was lone ami intimately associated with Judge Logan, and no doubt during that period received much of the preparation which fitted him for the brilliant and useful career which awaited him. and which enabled him to achieve immortal renown as a patriot and statesman. Mr. Lincoln BIOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS, 151 al one time exerted all his influence, which was not then so greal as ii afterwards became, to have his friend and former partner placed upon the bench of a Federal court. For such a station he was mosl eminently qualified, and had he held the position he could not have failed to add to the exalted reputation of the American judiciary. I know thai Mr. Lincoln then regardedjudge Logan as the must thorough and accomplished lawyer he had ever known, and through his whole life he cherished Cor him an affection, admiration and re- spect which approached to reverence and adora- tion." Judge Oaton also tells an anecdote which is in- teresting as showing one quality which Judge Logan eminently possessed: " He had to l>c convinced of the justice of his cause," says Judge Caton, "al least he had to be persuaded that he was qoI advocating injustice before he raised his voice in support of a cause; but that cause, when once espoused, he pursued with relentless energy. I recollect once when he was engaged with his partner, Mr. Lincoln, at the time they were partners, in the argument of a cause before this court (the Illinois Supreme C 1 1. I happened to meet him, and inquired, while Mr. Lincoln was making his address, if he proposed to argue the case. 'I don't think I shall trouble you.' he said; -I don't see it as clear as Mr. Lincoln does; I prefer to leave it with him.' I confess I appreciated the compliment, thai he thought an intimation from him that he did nol believe his associate was right would qoI affeel my judgment; I say I appreciated it as a verj high compliment. But it happened that the cause was decided as Mr. Lincoln had argued it." Sometimes it happened that Mr. Lincoln and Judge Logan were retained on opposite sides. When 1 Ids was tin- case, the struggle was certain to be a sharp one, and ii never tailed to interest the whole community, though it never disturbed the harmonious personal relations which con tinued to exist between these two distinguished men throughout their lives. In 1842 Judge Logan was elected a representative in the Legis lature from the county of Sangamon, and re- elected in 1844 and 1846, serving throughout with greal ability and credit. In 1847 he was chosen a delegate to the convention which formed the state constitution of Illinois, and took a leading and influential part in the deliberations of that body. His efforts, both in the Legislature ami in the convention, were specially directed to securing economy in the public expenditures and making adequate provision for the payment of the stale's indebtedness, in each of which he was meas- urably successful. One incident of his can eras a legislator will lie remembered to his lasting h r. Ii cannot be better told than in the words of the Hon. Mason Brayman, in his address to the Sanga- mon county circuit court on the announcement of Judge Logan's death : "Oneoccason I recollect well, when, as a men her of the House of Representatives here, he rose to thi dignity of statesmanship, and at a most critical mom 1 'lit saved Illinois from the danger of repudiation, and aided in laying the foundation upon which was built a restored credit, and after which in natural sequence came an era of tin an cial greatness and prosperity scarcely matched in the histon of Slates. It was when the bill for refunding our old State debt was brought into the House. Our internal improvement system Nad been a disastrous and disgraceful failure. We owed fourteen millions, mostly in bonds not worth fourteen cents to the dollar. The interest was unpaid. The shadow of repudiation had fallen upon the public mind, and infected mem- bers of the General Assembly. At the bottom the people of Illinois were honest. While confessing that they could not pay, tiny stoutly resolved that tiny would pay some time. A night session was held for the tinal struggle upon the moment- ous measure. Judge Logan held himself in re- serve until this hour. All were 1 agi r t" know- his position, for it was felt that the fate of the bill was in his hands. The old hall was packed to the utmost. He took- the floor the venerable and honored Ninian W. Edwards being in the chair and, in one of the most brilliant efforts of his life, supported the bill. 1 recall one of his thrilling sentiments: 'I know my constituents of Sanga- mon county, and they know me. I know that they did not send me here to make repudiators of them, and they know that n< ustituency can make a repudiator of me!' Tim bill was safe. When he closed it was passed under the previous question. Prom that hour Illinois went forward. Her three or four hundred thousand then, go be yond three millions now (1881). Her overshadow- ing debt has disappeared. To him whose memorj you here commemorate, and to those who stood with him in those trying hours, Illinois is indebted for a credit restored and an honor untarnished." In 1848 he was the Whig candidate for Con gress in the Springfield district. Lincoln. Baker and Logan then constituted a triumvirate, and were the three political leaders in the C'ongres sional district. Each was ambitious to serve Ids country at Washington, and it was understood that they would be candidates in rotation. Baker had been elected, and was occupying the seat when the war with Mexico commenced. Lincoln succeeded him. Logan in time became a candi- date, but his party was then under a cloud in consequence of its opposition to the war. while the Democratic candidate. Maj. Thomas L.Har- ris, had just returned with military laurels won on the fields of Mexico. The dashing soldier of course carried tin day. and Judge Logan was sig nally defeated. He now withdrew from all active participation in politics, and for a number of ■ 5; BIOGRAPHY Otf ILLINOIS. jrean applied himself sedulouslj to the practiceof his profession. He had at this time a large, di vereified aud lucrative business, both in the State and Federal courts. In 1854 he was elected for the fourth time to the Stair Legislature. During this session he served as chairman of the judi- ciary and other committees, and was the author of several useful measures of legislation. In 185") he was nominated without his consent as a candi- date for Judge of the Supreme Court for the Sec I Grand Division of Illinois, in opposition to Judge O. ('. Skinner, of Quincy. In May, L860, he was a delegate from the State at large to the Re publican national convention at Chicago, and with David Davis, Leonard Swett, Norman 1!. Judd and other friends of Mr. Lincoln secured his nomination to the Presidency. The election of Mr. Lincoln brought to a crisis the differences which had so long agitated North and South, and threatened a disruption of the Union. At the hi- st r n[ the Legislature of Virginia a national peace conference assembled in the city of Wash- ington on the ith of Februarj . 1861, to devise cer- tain amendments to the Federal constitution, which it was hoped, if adopted by Congress and the several States, would restore peace to the country, preserve the Union, and avert the calam ities of the impending civil war. Thirteen free and seven 1. order States sent delegates to this i gress. The five commissioners appointed by Governor Yates to represent the State of Illinois were Judge Logan, Gen. John M. Palmer. Thomas J. Turner. John Wood and Burton C. Cook. The Peace Congress included a ng its members many of the most eminent jurists and statesmen of the United States. Judge Logan took with him into that body the same noble characteristic which marked him in the law office, that of the peacemaker. As he had striven in the Legisla- ture to save his Slate from public dishonor, so he now sought to save his country from threatened dismemberment. He took an active part in the deliberations of this historic assembly, favoring an honorable compromise between the Northern and Southern sections of the Union. "As the friend of President Lincoln." says the Hon. W. S. Groes- I Hiii i. a member of the conference, in a letter to a gentleman in Springfield, " Judge Lo- gan uas often heard, and always with profound interest. T recall one of his speeches, made toward the close of our conference, when we were ery much discouraged. It was a grand, pa- triotic appeal. It touched everj heart; it moistened neaiU ever) eye. I have not met Judge Logan Since that day. but if 1 were to live a hundred years I would not forget him." Il was probably I his speech to which reference was made by the lion. John T. Stuart in Ins remarks at the memo rial meeting of the Sangamon county bar. and from which the following extract was given by Hon. James C. Conkling in a lecture on tic "Early Bench and Bar." delivered on the 12th of January. 1881, before the Bar Association of Chi- cago: "Instead of dreaming of news from the seat of war. and of marching armies. I have thought of a country through which armies have marched, leaving in their track the desolation of a desert. I have, thought of harvests trampled down; of towns and villages, once the seat of happiness and prosperity, reduced to heaps of smoking ruins; of battle tieids red with blood, which has been shed by those who ought to have 1 n brothers; of families broken up or reduced to poverty; of wid- owed wives, of orphaned children, and all the other misfortunes which are inseparably con- nected with war. This is the picture which pre- sents itself to my mind every day and every hour. It is a picture which we are d tied soon to wit- ness in our country unless we place a restraint upon our passions, forgot our selfish interests, and do something to save our country." Sectional animosities and party feelings were too strong for the friends of peace. Judge Logan's stirring appeals, which electrified the conference, had no effect upon tin- fomenters of strife out- side. He succeeded in the object for which he went into the conference. That body adopted and reported to Congress a number of resolutions embodying various concessions to Southern de- mands; but Congress threw all these aside, and passeil as a substitute an amendment to the con- stitution proposed by Senator Douglas, which for- bade Congress ever to interfere with slavery in the states. Before the necessary number of states could vote on the adoption of this amend ment the Civil War had begun. Speaking before the Illinois Supreme Court in memory of Judge Logan, the Hon. Orville H. Browning, of Quincy, referred to this speech of Judge Logan at the peace conference, and said: -I was not present, and had not the pleasure and benefit of hearing Judge Logan on that occa- sion; but after the lapse of many years, and after the Southern states had been devastated by a war which that congress strove in vain to avert, in conversation with learned and able men who were present as members of the congress. I have been assured that the speech he then delivered was remarkable for its wisdom, its patriotism, its conciliatory tone ami temper, its forecast of the future, and its eloquence and power; and that had the counsels of our deceased brother been ^/■^l-c^^&y / d ,\ his industry, economy and foresight, lb- died after a brief illness at his residence in Spring- H. Id. ni! the 17th of July. 1880. His funeral was attended bj distinguished judges and members of the bar from all parte of the stair; and the mem- bers of the Sangamon countj bar and of the City Council attended in a body. His remains were interred in I >ak Ridge Cemeterj . Special tributes of respeel were paid to his memory by tl im m county bar. whose menu. rial resolul li presented to tin- United States Court, tie- Sanga ni' n county Circuit Court, and the Supreme Court ni' the state, and also by the ('it. Coun cil of Springfield. The liar expressed their regrel for the loss, "nol onlj of a distinguished lawyer, but also an illustrious citizen of the state. who bj bis energj and ability contributed much to its material prosperity, and by his wisd legislator and inflexible integrity as a judge was instrumental in giving to person and property the protection of wise laws, wisely and honestly ad- ministered." Judge Logan's life began with the century when Napoleon was first consul in France and John Adams was President of the United States. In his fourscore years he lived to S< e thi nation grow from six millions to fifty millions of 1 |il'-: to see slavery abolished, and the Republic, tried by the greatest civil war that history records. emerge from it stronger and more firmly rooted in tie- hearts of the people than ever before. -MILTON HAY. There are many men who become well known to the public at large by obtaining prominent offices. Such men may or max not possess tie- quality of greatness. Party conventions do not alwav s select as candidates the wisest orthe best citizens. Mere wire-workers are often more successful than real statesmen. On the other hand there may be found in almost all American communities quiet, retiring men. who never ask for office for them- selves, who never seek to obi ations at the hands of caucus or convention, yet by sheer fori f mind and character exert a wide influence and leave their impress on their age. Such a man is Milton Hay. of Springfield, Illinois. During the whole course of his life Mr. Hay has never pre- sented himself voluntarily as a candidate for any civil olli.-r. nor has he ever asked any man to vote for him. It is true that he j member of tin- convention by which the constitution of 1870 was framed, and was also a member of the islature held under that constitution. In each o ented to ffice oti the most in-rent solicitation of his friends, and in each instance he was so urged by many members of both political parties on the grounds of public interest. Never having any private ends to accomplish, and being at all times free from entanglements with cliques and rings. he has for nearly forty years been consulted by Republicans and Democrats alike during almost every crisis in public affairs. Mr. Hay was born in Fayette com ty, Kentucky, on the .'id day of July, 1817. In the fall of 1S:12 In- removed with his father's family to Springfield. Illinois. Six years afterwards, in 1838, he became a student in the law offic f Stuart & Lincoln, the well known firm of tin- late John T. Stuart and Abraham Lin- coln. Mr. Stuart was then in Congress and absenl a greater part of the time, but Mr. Hay was left in almost daily communication with Mr. Lincoln. He was admitted to the bar in 1840, and at once removed to Pittsfield, Pike county, where h< com menced practice. At that time the celebrated Edward D. Baker, afterwards U. S. Senator from Oregon, lived in Springfield, but like other law- yers of his standing traveled on circuit, visiting many county seats during term time, and Mr. Baker and Mr. Hay formed a co-partnership in Pittsfield, the latter remaining at that point and the former attendingat eachtermof court Thus at the outset of his professional career Mr. Hay had the advantage of the instructions of Mr. Lincoln, and of partnership relations with Mr. Baker, the great orator and daring soldier, the man who delivered the marvelous address over the body of the murdered Broderick — an address that rang throughout the civilized world — who became the champion of I in California, and who was shol down w) lantly leading his forces at Ball's Bluff. While '5 1 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. uilding up an extensive practice in Pitts field, Mi. 1 1 / > n passed through an experience corn- leading lawyers of l 1 He rode Erom count) seal to county seal during the sessions of court, getting whal practice he could, lit- tried cases before justicesof the peace far and near, and " roughed it." as was the custom OI thai period. And here we are tempted I" di- omenl for the purpose of cot the two chief modes by which the characters of lawyers were built up in early days. an. 1 are in less i, i Eoundto-day. One class spend their early in schools and colleges, learning ( Sreek roots omposii g Lai in is. When admitted to the bar they begin practice in courts of record, the ire supposed to be men well in- formed as to matters of law. Such youngpracti- tioners may try many causes before juries, but the) know little of the passions, prejudices and of theaverage juror. Theother to which we refer, ride or walk over the prairies or through the woods to the country school house, or the home of the country justice, putup with their clients, talk with witnesses and meet cm terms of exact equality with that class of people from which ordinary juries are drawn. The) become perfectly familiar with the feelings of thai class and canform a ver) clear opinion as to the manner in which any given propo- sition will strike the common juror. Again, ordi- nary justices of the peace know little or nothing of the law, consequently the young lawyer trying a ease before such a man must not only prove his facts, hut also his law. He is compelled to pre- pare himself to establish ever) thing and to fore- sec all objections, whether of law or fact. We ■i no collegiate course, no city practice. can so well equip a young lawyer for the life be- fore him, either with regard to law. or facts, or knowledge of character, as a few years of "rough- ing it " before justices of tin' peace. Mr. Hay had the advantage of such an experience as well as that derived from a growing practice in the higher is. The result was. that in what a great writer calls -far sighted and sure footed judg- I " he had hardly an equal. The demands of practice not being very extreme at the outset of his r, Mr. Hay entered for a year or two into the service of the press. During the first session of the ] oval of the seat of government to Springfield, he became a reporter for the Sangamon Journal, the leading Whig paper of thai day. published at Springfield by Simi i "id brothers. Stenography was then unknown in Illinois and reporters were com- pelled to make such hasty notes as the) could, and afterwards expand the substance of such notes into arguments and speeches. Politics "ere very bitter and there were constant wrangles as to the manner in which the speeches of one party were reported in the papers of tiie other. Mr. Hay many excellent stories of tin- disputes that arose about the manner in which legislative pro- ceedings were reported in the old days when he was a member of the press. As soon a- a session of the Legislature ended he returned to Pittsfield and resumed his practice. After building up as large a professional business as a small place like Pitt-Held could furnish, he removed to Springfield 8. At that time Stephen T. Logan was nized as one of the first lawyers of America. In quickness of apprehension and fertility of re- sources he was perhaps unequaled. Men of his generation never tire of speaking of his wonder- ful powers. The Judge was never a ver) strong man physically, and was growing old when Mr. Hay returned to Springfield. A copartnership was formed between them. Judge Logan, however, intending to gradually withdraw- from practice. In 1861 this purpose was carried out. and there- U] Mr.Ha) I id a co-partnership with Hon. Shelby M. Cullom, now United States Senator from Illinois, and the late Antrim Campbell. Within a year or two Mr. Campbell retired, but Mi. Hay and Mr. Cullom continued the business untill866. During the year last mentioned Mr. Cul- lom withdrew and Mr. Hay formed a new partner- ship with the Hon. John M. Palmer, now the col- league of Mr. Cullom in the Senate of theUnited States. In L868 Mr. Palmer was elected Governor of Illinois, and the firm dissolved. During the same year Mr. Hay formed his last co-partner- ship with Mr. Henry S. Greene and David T. Littler. On the last day of December, 1879, Mr. Hay and Air. Littler both retired from practice. Thus for a period of forty years the subject of this sketch was a leading figure in tic State and Federal courts, and had much to do with the building up of our system of law. In his profes- sional relations, the life of Mr. Hay is very re- markable. In addition to the fact that he was a student in the office of Mr. Lincoln, the CO part nership which he formed in 1858 brought him into pleasant connection with Judge Logan, and into relations, by succession with Lincoln. Stuart and Baker. By subsequent changes his firm embraced Shelby M. Cullom and John M. Palmer, each of whom became Governor of Illinois and BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 155 both of whom are now United State? Senators. During more than fortj years his firm has always embraced at least one member whose relations extended back in such a way as to connect in professional succession all the prominent names above mentioned; and Mr. Hay himself forms the link by which that dynasty of lawyers was connected in unbroken succession with the firm now in existence. In ever) instance in which one firm was dissolved and a new one formed one or more of the old members entered into the new. so that the line is unbroken to this day. Wehave already said that, greatly against his will. Mr. Hay allowed himself to he elected a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1870, and the second Legislature that followed the adoption of that instrument. His standing in the Constitu tional Convention is lust attested by the fact that, being of the minoritj in that body, he was appointed first minorit) member of the judicial-) committee, and chairman of the committee on revenue. He was also on the committee on municipal corporations. He was prominent in thedelilieratiiais.it' the convention, and many of the wisest provisions of the constitute shaped by him in the committees, a in convention by his efforts, as will he seen by reference to the journal and debates "l I vention. The provisions relating to the , ti'Hi of the courts and their jurisdictioi relating to revenue and the limitations on the taxing powers of the state, and of subordinate municipalities, engaged hit particular efforts and attention. In the Legislature of which he was a member he was chairman of the revenue com mittee. and was a member of the commission by whom the last revision 'if the statutes was made. He was also a member of a committee appointed in 1S85 to revise the entire revenue system of the state, hut tile proposed law prepared by that committee with extreme care was never adopted by the Legislature, the tierce conflict of diverse interests rendering united action on any plan whatever seemingly impossible. In his practice Mr. Hay was always bitterly opposed to sensation- alism. He detested sharp practice, and uever resorted to it. X' 1 man had any excuse for quar- reling with him. His opponents were always treated with perfect courtesy. In beginning an argument he invariably spoke slowly, and with some degree of hesitation, but as he warmed up his speech became fluent and powerful. When thoroughly aroused he became extremely forcible. The late Emory Storrs, of Chicago, was ■<■ told by a legal friend that he was about to try a case against Mr. Hay. of Springfield, and asked what sort of an antagonist the latter was. "Young man," said Mr. Storrs, " the best investment you can make is to deal gently with Mr. Hay. for if you provoke and rouse him he will knock your case into a cocked hat." Mr. Hay might have figured much more extensiveh before the public had he desired to do so. Many men not possessed of b of his ability have attained widespread notoriety by persistently seeking it. and by playing "Such fantastic Tricks liefer-- High Heaven angels weep." Such was not the character of thesubjectof the present sketch. A retiring man always, he shunned instead of courted publicity. He never sought to figure per- crowds or in the newspapers. Tie i laracter and his judgment was best exercised in those assemblies in which men were trying quietly, and Faith, and without any desire for parade. Eor the public; ami he has always been valued most by those men who net him mi such occasions, and were sincerelj prompted by the same motives which controlled him. Although Mr. Hay has retired from practice, having quite sufficient occupation in attending to his large property, he still loves the old arena in which he- played so prominent a part. He says that he still likes to see the old harness, even though In- no 1- it. To this day he keeps his office with his former pari ners, and takes a constant interest in the business of the fin, his last firm was sn The leading quality of Mr. Hay is the excellence of his judgment. For thirty years he ha consulted by every Governor of the state on all matters of great public importance. No man has ever questioned his motives or his integrity. A strong Republican, he is trusted by the best men of both parties, and dislikes a Republican rascal worse than a Democratic one. The next quality for which ilr. Hay is noted is his extreme simplicity and kindness. In this respect he greatly resem- great preceptor, Mr. Lincoln. He may be approached by anyone, and will listen kindly and patiently to rich and poor, the learned or the ignorant. The first wife of Mr. Hay died in 1 many years ago. His second was the daughter of the late Judge Logan, and she de- parted this life about the year 1874. He has two children. Mrs. Stuart Brown and Mr. Logan Hay. now a student of Yale College. His nephew. John Hay. of the New York Tribune, one of the •56 BIOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS. authors of the standard life of Lincoln, is well known both in this country and in Europe. In person Mr. Hay is large and robust, and well preserved, having never injured himself by any kind of excess. All his life he has followed the even tenor of his way. and maintained a calm and collected spirit, even while practicing the most exciting of all professions. As a consequence his body is still vigorous and his mind .-is Btrong and clear asever. Nothing can be more interesting than to listen to Mr. Hay as he describes the events and the men of the past times, and traces the history of the State and its institutions. He knew all the leading men of Illinois who were in the field of active life when he began his career, and he can describe their peculiarities with ad- mirable discrimination and humor. It is always interesting to hear men who have helped to make history descanting upon the characters and events of past times; and this interest is vastly in- creased when the narrator, like Mr. Hay, is in the full possession of every faculty of mind and mem- ory. One slight circumstance will illustrate the estimation in which Mr. Hay is held by those who know him best and who are best qualified to judge. Some years ago two judges of the State Supreme Court had such business relations as promised to result in complicated litigation. Both con- sulted Mr. Hay as their counsel, being prompted solely by what they knew of him as a lawyer and safe adviser, and both succeeded in avoiding all trouble. During the period covered bj the pro fessional life of Mr. Hay, nearly every question of importance in our judicial history has arisen. In 1840 but three volumes of Illinois Reports were in existence. Litigation generally in- volved actions of trespass and suits on prom- issory notes or criminal prosecution. Scarcely any constitutional question had ever been passed upon. The law of corporations was almost un- known. Commercial law was in its infancy. Since that time the whole field of law practice has changed. The old elements of litigation have be- come comparatively unimportant, and those which were scarcely thought of have risen to the first magnitude. It may be safely said that within the hist fiftyyears that is, since 1840— the courts of Illinois have built up a system of state common law. A new constitution has been adopted. Almost the entire code of statutes has been changed, ami our system of practice has been greatly simplified. In all these changes and de- velopments Mr. Hay has borne an active part. In almost every instance in which he ilid not partici- pate in producing a change of the law he shared largely in adapting it to our system. His judg- ment with respect to the interpretation of all con- stitutional and statutory provisions, and with re- gard to such new principles or rules as were required by new conditions, was always accorded great weight. The powers of corporations and their obligations to the public, and the best menus of compelling Hie performance of their du- ties without at the same time wronging such bodies and disabling them for the discharge of their proper functions, have been matters to which Mr. Hay lias paid great attention for many years. His conclusions in these most important subjects have been eminently reasonable and con- servative. In his view the law should be so framed and administered that no evasion of cor- • porate duty should be tolerated, while, on I he other hand, no oppression should be permitted under pressure of clamor of demagogues. There is no doubt that, in the course of his prac- tice, Mr. Hay has done as much as any man in the State to guide both legislative and judicial action into that course which is most consistent with justice and public interest. The writer of this would not speak as freely as he has done of any man in the full career of professional practice, and with whom hundreds of others are in daily com- petition; but Mr. Hay has voluntarily with- drawn from the arena of law. and will no longer struggle with any rival. He retires with all his powers, but his retirement is absolute. We can therefore speak with perfect propriety of one who has closed his professional career and left the field to younger men. We feel that it is due to him and to his friends to say that for forty years he has given the lie to those who say a law- yer cannot be an honest man. He owes no man anything. He has never oppressed the poor. Even litigants to whom he has been opposed make no reflection on his conduct. Whoever bears such ;, record through a long and busy' life reflects honor on his profession, and deserves the highest meed of praise as he passes out of professional life. ALFRED COWLES. ALFRED COWLES, for thirty -five years con- nected with the Chicago Tribune, first as I k- keeper and after the organization of the Tribune Company, its secretary and treasurer and business manager, was born in Mantua, Portage county. r. Cowles, with his father, [lev. Giles Hooker Cowles, removed from Connecticut to Ashtabula county, Ohio, in 1810, where two years later Alfred's grandfather founded the first church in that state which had a steeple. Edwin Cowles received his early education from his father and thus became imbued with a profound and deep respect for religious sentiment. This was also a marked trait in the character of his son Alfred. Hut notwith- standing the fact that religion so deeply impressed Edwin, he did not take up the study of the min- istry. He entered the office of Dr. Hawley of Austinburg, and later cm took his Medical degree and engaged in the practice of medicine in Portage county until 1S."»"J, with the exception of four years, from 1834 to 1838 (which were spent in Detroit, Michigan > when he reim >ved t< > Cleveland. Ohio. Here lie passed the remainder of his life and won for himself a high reputation as a phy- sician and as a generous public-spirited citizen. With such antecedents, the successful business career and the exemplary life of Alfred Cowles are not to lie wondered at. He received a fair com- mon school education in the place of his birth and then went to the University of Michigan, at Ann Arbor, where he took only a partial course. I [e t hen went to < ileveland and entei in:: ; mercial college, received a lirst class business education. His brother, Edwin Cowles. the late proprietor of the Cleveland Leader, was then running a job printing office, and \ If red accepted a clerical position in his concern in Is.VJ. While here he made the acquaintance of Joseph Medill who had just established the Cleveland Leader, and alter his brother Edwin and Mr. Medill con- solidated the two establishments, as they did in Is.',:;, Alfred continued his connection with the joint concerns as bookkeeper, and this position he held until he was induced to go to Chicago. It was the acquaintance Mr. Cowles formed with Mr. Medill that led to his "Garden City." in 1855, Mr. Medill sold his interest in the Leader and removing to Chicago, bought an interest in the Tribunt of that city, from A. T. Stewart .V Co. Mr. Medill remembered the bright business man who was occupying a bookkeeper's position in Cleveland, and made him such offers as induced Hue to him. He v, as at once installed as bookkeeper for liie Tribune, but a few months later falling heir to about $10,080, he purchased a block of Tribune stock and tin' same year was made business manager. It was three \.. this, in 1859, that the Tribune was consolidated with tie- Press, owned by the late Lieut. Goa ernor Bross of Illinois, and Mr. Scripps, and the Tribune Company was organized. Alfred Cowles was elected secretary and treasurer of the new organization and was also its business manager, positions In' held until his death. December 20, 1889, attending to all the duties of these positions up to within two years of his demise, at which time he found his health failing and felt that it was necessary for him to jm, abroad. Though born in Ohio, Mr. Cowles was, so far as his busi- ness career was concerned, in every sense a Chicago man. and the record of his success is a matter to be proud of. (Inly once did he depart from the business life he was so well fitted for by nature and educa- tion, to enter the arena of politics, and then it was in a most modest and quiet way. H-. in 1872, gave a warm-hearted support to Horace Greeley when the latter was running for the Presidency of the United States. He entered heartily into this cam- paign, but it was his only deviation from strictly business pursuits. Though no politician, noreven actively identified in a personal way in the meat public mo veu lent s. he was an interested observer of events and a warm sympathizer with everything is 8 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. that tended toward the success of the city he bad made his home, and was ever a generous contrib- utor t.i its needs. Mr. Cowles, besides the judicious and careful attention he gave to the management of the Tribune affairs, made some outside investments in real estate, the returns of which are testimony to his business sagacity. He was successful in all his undertakings and this was due to his conservatism on the one hand, anil his good judgment and sound business qualities on the other, as well as to the close attention which he gave to everything with which be was connected. As a man. Mr. Cowles was most affa- ble and genial. Strong and bonestin his purposes, generous and quick in his sympathies, and in all his relations, whether in business or in Bociety, his life was regulated by the highesl mural standards. "He was the must just man I ever knew," was the tribute paid to his memory by a man who bad worked under him for many years, and this sentiment was echoed by all who knew him. He sought to do justice on all occasions. No employe ever appealed to him in vain. No matter what his rank, if he had a grievance, Mr. Cowles was ready to bear it and, what is more, to investigate ii and see that justice was done. This was true of him in trivial matters. He wished always to gel at the truth of a matter, and if wrong had been done, he would remedy it if it lay in his power. His judgment was excellent and he never, so tar as known, made an error in the estimation of a man. The Tribune was not. in the early days of Mr. Cowles' connection with it, the paper it is to-day. lie was with it during all its early struggles. It was to his business ability that much of its sueeess is due. as he did much to build it up. He was a man of excellent personal habits, and even in his earlier days, when his in- come was small, he not only lived within it, but saved money. This he put into real estate to a tent, though some be invested in the stock of the Commercial National Bank, of which 'he was a director from the time of its organization. He had stock also in the Kansas City cable mad and in other corporations. Alfred Cowles was a generous man; a : knows what he has done for charity's sake, for he was a man who let not his right hand know what his left hand doeth. It was im possible for him to turn a deaf ear to any just ap peal for help, and he never forgot his old friends. He had been through every grade in the median ical and business departments of a newspapet . and i ing lo men w ho were still setting t\ pe Or running presses was just as cordial as when he was doing the same kind of work himself. Mr. Cowles was by nature a man of domestic tastes. In January, i860, he married Miss Sarah P. Hutchinson, daughter of the Hon. Mosely Hutch inson, of Cayuga, N. Y.. and they had four chil- dr< ii. Edwin \V.. Sarah P., Alfred, Jr.. and William 11., who are living, and Edwin \V„ who died in in- fancy. Mrs. Cowles died in 1881. Devotedly at- tached to his home as he was. this was a sad blow- to Mr. Cowles. It seemed to break in upon his naturally social disposition, and, though by no means souring it. had the effect of drawing him from the enjoyments of the outer world. He was at that time a member of the Calumet Club, and its tiist vice president, but he soon after resigned, and would never again run for office, though he could have been its president at any election could he have been induced to accept that honor- able position. He was one of the club's first members, and in 1881 was a director. In 188:2 and 1883 he held the office of second vice president, and in 1881 was made first vice president. Mr. Cowles was a great admirer of Prof. Swing, He attended the First Presbyterian Church for some time, but later went to the Fourth Church, the pulpit of which was then occupied by the professor, and when the latter lilt thai church Mr. Cow lis went with him, and was one among others who subscribed liberally to estab- lish a new society, the Independent Church. After partially giving up his club Mr. Cow lis' fa- vorite resort became the president's office of the Commercial National Hank. For the latter half of the year before his death he dropped in there almost daily and remained two or three hours. either reading or talking with Mr. Eames, the president. Mr. Cowles' death was sudden, but not unexpected. He was stricken with paralysis while in conversation with some of his friends at the Calumet Club on Thursday evening, Decern ber L9. A physician was sent for, and he was taken to his home, 18(15 Michigan avenue. He was entirely conscious, and remained so until the next i ■ning. when he bad a second stroke, and at 4:30 expired. There had been nothing during Thursday to warn him or his friends of the ap- proach of death. He had. in fact, been feeling particularly well. On this point Mr. Barnes may be quoted: ••Thursday at :'. o'clock," said that gentleman in an interview just after Mr. ( lowli S ! death, "he came into the bank and remained until half-past 4 o'clock. I had discovered for the last month that he was failing, but had no idea the end was so near. We could see week by week he was r & ^ry^ou^Keti^HA^ ■ BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. '59 failing; each time the directors met il was plain he was a notch lower. We did not talk to him about his health, forw uld see he wished to avoid the subject. Occasionally a visitor would ask him how he was. when he would reply 'About the same,' and change the talk to something else. Some time ago Mr. Cowles was induced l>y his friends al the bank to consul! Dr. I; rooks. Imt we felt all that could be done would be to prolong his life a few months. It was Dr. Bishop who was summoned at the time of the seizure, ami lie at once recognized the fact that no hope could be entertained of Mr. ( lowles' recovery." The funeral was from the residence on Sunday afternoon, l> mlier 22, at 2 o'clock, and Lis remains were taken to Oakwoods Cemetery for interment. There Has a very large attendance at the house, ami most of Ins old friends also went to the ceme tery. The body lay all the morning in its hand- some red cedar casket in the late home in a per- fect hank of flowers.' The friends and employes of Mr. Cowles testified to their regard not only by their presence, Imt by the donation of many hand- some floral pieces. The most notable among these was an office chair of white flowers ami smilax, from the employes in tile business office, and a facsimile of a Tribune first page, with the date line December 20,1889. This offering was from the mechanical department of the paper. Long before the services began by the quartette sine,- ■• Lead. Kindly Light," the house was thronged. The Tribune was represented in all its depart ineiils by large delegations. All tin- members of the businessoffi.ee ami nearly all of the editorial force ami local staffs were there to pay their last respects to the memory of Mr. Cowles. The ser- vices were conducted bj the Rev. Dr. McPherson ami the Rev. Dr. Matthews, assisted by the Plymouth choir. Dr. McPherson preached the funeral sermon, and many of the hearers were af- fected to tears by his words. The doctor said: "It was my privilege to enjoy personal ac- quaintance ami friendship with this man whom you are here to day mourning. With many other qualities there are certain other things al t his character which seem to lie obvious, certain things which are more precious because they were obvious, and some things that I can dwell on more heartily and thoughtfully because tln\ are told me, not only by liis more intimate associates ami his family here. Imt 1 1 \ friends who knew him before he came to Chicago. The common testi moin of all is that this was a man of remarkable sagacity, a quality in the human mind that we can scarcely overestimate in business anil in many relations of life; a man who saw much sooner than he spoke; a man who was careful and prudent; a man with honesty; a man therefore favored, not by chance, but favored by the due exercise of his own good qualities. All honest man; not in the sense that he never rendered himself amenable to the [aw, hut in the higher and original sense, where the root of honest) is the root of honor. Honor and honesty are not two things, but one, and they involve something even sweeter and higher and more far-reaching than square dealing. They imply fairness and a good degree of unselfishness, a willingness ami even eagerness to see that all men have opportu nities. They imply also a desire to see that all men are favored. His was what I should call a highly conservative nature: by which I do not mean that he was reactionary at all. Imt. as I said. a careful, prudent, thoughtful man. hoi, line- fust to the things that wen- g 1 and going forward from that secure anchoring. And I suppose this was the reason that lie was a reticent man, and particularly reticent along the line and theory on which he thought the most deeply, and alone- the line that is nearest to ami affects the inti human life. I have reason to know, and those who knew him better had greater reason than ], that he cherished warmer and larger and holier hopes than he was ever accustomed to express. In connection with that carefulness and sagacity, and this reticence, too, I think it was his habit to work things out pretty thoroughly in his own mind before he spoke of them, so that generally he had come to a conclusion before he expressed an opinion. It is a matter of temperament, I sup- pose, and it must always be a question whether a man's happiness is accomplished by the ease with which In: expresses himself and the natural out- pouring of confidence which he shows to his asso- ciates, or by this course of working out problems. As to the highest problems, he did not venture to burden others with theories only part tally sol veil. He 1 was also a man, I find, who loved quiet humor, a remarkably even tempered man, a man not easily changed by the shifting breezes of life, a man who worked deeply on the problems that came to him. He was a man — a matter that I can testify to — who did not die without hope. Al- though in these later years a lonely man, he had great hopes, and cherished with them remarkably tine qualities toward his associates. The charac- ter of this man we may well hold up to the emu- lation of his fellows. The qualities that I have named I think we can any of us well imitate, and the qualities he lacked and any one of us possesses, for those we may lie grateful, and consider that it is in God's great plan that these various tempera- ments and dispositions shall make up the great sphere of human usefulness and- comfort." NORMAN WILLIAMS. The literary and educational enterprises of Chicago have a warm friend in Norman Williams. and there are few movements of note in which he is not interested. By birth Mr. Williams is a New i6o BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. England man, but in all thai pertains to the ad- vancement of his adopted city he is thoroughly a Dative Chicagoan. His parents were Norman and .Mary Anne (Wentworth) Williams, who lived at Woodstock, Vt. He was born on Februarj I. Is:;.".. passed his boyhood amid the rugged lulls of Vermont, and was fitted for college at the Kimball Union Academy at Meriden, X. II. After com- pleting his studies there be attended the Univer- sity of Vermont, from which he graduated with the class of 1855. This was followed by a course a i i In 1 Albany Law School and service in the office of Tracy, Converse ^7. ^1^~^ BIOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS. 169 to its present corporate name of Gray, Chirk & Engle. In 1879 Mr. Clark was elected to the City Council, and through his efforts many municipal improvements were started. He was the firs'1 member of the Council to suggesl the introduc- ti f the cable railway system in Chicago, and secured the passage of the ordinance under which the South Side road was tstructed. It was through him that legislation compelling streel railway companies to pay one-half th si of construction, and a portion of the annual cosl of maintaining bridges used by them, was enacted. The ordinance providing for a uniform system of stone side-walks in tin- central portion of the city; the introduction of the decimal system of house numbering in the South division. south of 12th street; the smoke ordinance; the order covering all lapsed appropriations back into the general fund at the close of each year; and many other importanl measures were either i i) 1 roduced by him or secured b) his acl i port in their passage. His first and only defeat in polities was in 1881, when, as a Republican candi date Eor mayor, he was beaten by Carter H. Har- rison. This was followed, however, by his selec- tion as a member of the board of education, in which office he served three years. .Mr. Clark's skill and strength in polities were well shown in 1888, when, as secretarj ol the committee having in charge the interests of Judge Gresham as a candidate for the Republican presidential nomina- t ion. he largely shaped and directed a contest that come memorable in convention annals. That President Harrison, with the full knowledge of this, and to the rejection of the claims of others who helped to secure his own nomination, should have selected Mr. Clark as the leading federal appointee in Chicago is rightly taken as a just recognition of the latter's ability and high stand- ing as a successful business man. Mr. Clark is a thorough executive, ami has a faculty for accom plishing a great amount of work, while at the same time retaining a complete mastery of detail. Whatever he undertakes is done with a will and vim that insure- success. Mr. Clark has been prominent in many large business enterp] in all of them has been prosperous. One of the best known of these is the Central Music Hall Association, which is among the mosl successful of Chicago's profitable investments, and of which he has for many years been president. In the will of the late John Crerar, Mr. Clark is named as one of the dire, -tors of the great library be- queathed by Mr. Crerar to the city of Chicago. No public question of interest to the people is too small to claim Mr. Clark's time and best thought, and for this reason, while in the City Council, he was always an able and influential member. While a man of the most domestic habits, and the owner of a handsome home on Prairie avenue, he is well known in Chicago club life, and is a mem- ber of many important organizations, including the CJnioD League. Literary Club, Calumet Club, Chicago Club, and Commercial Club. Of the latter la- has also been president. He is a man of fine literary tastes, and is well read in belles- lettres, as well as in current topics; and careful observation while traveling in this country and abroad has given him a fund of information which well tits him for the high station he has found in die. He is a readj talker on all important ques- 1 he day. is a man of tine personal appear- ance, and has an unfailing fund of tact, wit and good-nature. His disposition is genial and hos pitable, and he makes friends wherever la- goes. . '.\ in the prime of life, intensely active in his physical and mental powers, and a leader men. With his family, comprising his son ami one daughter. Mr. Clark is a regular attendant at the Second Presbyterian Church, and has done much g 1 in a quiet way in the charities connected with that society. Mr. Clark's wife was Miss Mary Louise Qua, of New York city, whom he married in 1873. HENRY W. KING. It was at Martinsburg, Lewis county, in the state of New York, that the subject of this sketch was born. Tin- date of his birth was Dee. 18, lS'is. His parents, William and Christian (Rock- well) King, were uatives of Massachusetts. .Mr. King is a representative Ckieagoan. one of that army of men whose indomitable courage and will have surmounted what seemed to be insurmount- able obstacles, and with brilliant ability and un- sw'erving integrity have not only achieved a marked success in their individual enterprises and an enviable fame in tlie commercial world, bu1 have made this second city of the nation what it is to-day. The business push and rest- lessness of Chicago have led to the charge that she is almost wholly devoted to material things. It seeais to he believed by some that her people cs teem a new packing house or a twenty story com- mercial building as much more desirable than a 170 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. librarj or an art gallery. She is charged with : neb devotion to the details of business that her mi rchants neglect the softer phases of human action and stifle the aspirations of humanity. Such a belief does Chicago a greal injustice. The city is greal materially. Ber merchants, like all successful business men, are alive to the duties that devolve upon them in this direction. Bui Chicago is a center of culture and humane demonstrations. The hearts and the pursesof her merchants readily and generously respond to the requirements of culture and charity, and grander charities and more splendid benevolence are sel- dom found than those which the city of Chicago has fostered. Mr. Henry W. King, during ;ill his business success, has never for ;i single moment lost sight of the great truth of the universal brotherhood of man. ami his name and contribu- tions have invested with life and vigor and pro ficiency some of the best charities and move- ments for the benefit of the people that Chicago has ever enjoyed. His early education was ob- tained in the public schools of his native place. At the age of thirteen he left the public school and entered the State Academ) at Lowville, New Ynrk. where he prepared to enter college. But at the age of seventeen he left the academy, and there occurred one oi those changes which hap- pen in the lives ol men, and which maybe fore- iii is nf an entire turn in one's affairs. Young King was now fitted to begin his college course. Had he then entered college the world might have lust a successful merchant, and Chi- cago a citizen whose wraith has enabled him to do s<> much for Ins adopted city. Instead of do- ing so, however, he entered his father's store, in- tending to remain only temporarily; but his love and fitness for business were soon developed so strongly that he concluded to secure his further education in the greal school of observation and experience, in which so many of the world's suc- cessful men have been educated, and thenceforth hi devote himself I" business pursuits. He re- mained with his lather until 1854, when he came to ( ihicago and organized the firm of Barrett. King A- Co.. to do a wholesale clothing business. The firm located at L89 South Water street. In 1857 the house removed to 205 '207 South Water street. and three yean later to Nos. 25 '-!7 Lake street. The reader who knows Chicago onlj as it at pres- ent exists will conceive the idea that a great clothing house on Water street or Lake street would seem sadly out of place; ami the very idea will show him as well as anything can I lie vast changes which have 1 11 wrought in the extenl and methods of commerce in the last forty years in the metropolis ol' the West. In 1863 Mr. Bar- rett retired from the firm, which then became King, Kellogg & Co.. ami was composed ol' Henry W. King, Charles P. and Palmer V. Kellogg. In 1868 there was a dissolution of this firm, Mr. King retiring and the Messrs. Kellogg continuing business al the old stand. Mr. King now formed a partnership with W. C. Browning and Edward W. Dewey, of New fork city, under the firm name of Henry W. King & Co., which conducted a wholesale clothing business at the corner of Michigan avenue and Lake street. The mi mber ship of tia> great firm has remained unchanged from the time of their organization until the pr< s- ent time, except that some junior members have In en admitted. The house, like so many others, was in the path of the great Chicago lire before which so many fortunes were consumed and so many merchants disheartened. The firm's loss was live hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Still the house was much more fortunate than most of its neighbors. The late Wirt Dexter, a life-long friend of Mr. King's, then attorney for the Michi gan Central Railroad, acting with lus characteris- tic generosity and good judgment, placed a train of freight cars at the disposal of Messrs. King & Co., and a force of men began loading these cars with goods from the doomed building. About a hundred thousand dollars' worth had been placed on hoard when the depot caught tire and it was found necessary to move the train to save n from destruction. The goods which had been saved were earned to Michigan City, where they were stored for two weeks, at the end of which time the firm had secured new quarters at the corner of Canal and West Washington streets. The goods were reshipped to this temporary store and busi- ness resumed at once. The fact that the firm had at that time already established a manufac- tory in New York city aided it greatly to over- come the difficulties which many others were not able to meet. In 1872 the firm removed to the Parwell block on Market street, three years later to the corner of Franklin and Madison streets, and in 1891 to their present large store, corner Adams and Market streets. In addition to its large and constantly growing wholesale business, the house during the last few .wars has estab lished retail stores in Chicago. Cincinnati. St. Louis. Milwaukee. Kansas City. Omaha, St. Paul, Minneapolis, New York and Brooklyn. The retail stores are conducted under the linn name of BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS 171 Browning, King & Co. These retail stores and the wholesale house do an annual busii about five million dollars, anil the immense growth of the business will be seen when the fact is stated that the total sales in 1854 were only a hundred and fifty thousand dollars. As previ- ously stated, Mr. King has found time, in the midst of the demands which his large business makes upon his time and abilities, to bear a share of public burdens and to devote himself to the good of his fellow men. In the years of 1870, 1871, IsT-J and 1873 he was president of th CI cago Belief and Aid Society, which dur- ing Ids presidency distributed rive mill- ions of dollars, which was contributed by the world for the relief of the sufferers of the tire of 1S71. The disbursement of tl amount of money was made with such mat'- business ability that not a cent was un- accounted for. The management of thi - butions was so excellent that it reflect honor upon Mr. King and his associate officers, go Relief and Aid Society has been a model for similar organizations in all parts of the Prom 1873 until 1888 Mr. King • urer of this society. He is vice-president of the Nursery and Half-Orphan Asylum, and a director of the Old People's Home. He member of the Fourth Presbyterian Church, which owes much to his influence and interest in its general prosperity. Naturally, a gentleman of Mr. King's financial standing and business ability b ■ sought by some of the monetary institu- tions of the city, that thej might have the benefit of his influence and judgment. Mr. Ki ever, has not ventured much in outside business enterprises of any kind. Still, for more than twenty years he has been a director of the Corn- National Hank of Chicago. II a trustee of the United States Mortgage Com- pany of New York, and one of the American trustees of the Liverpool, London and Globe Fire Insurance Company. Mr. King was married in 1858 to Miss Aurelia Case, of Chicago. They have had three children, on.' son and two daugh- ters. He is a member of the Chicago Club and the Commercial Club of Chicago In politics he has always been a Republican, and had his tastes run in that direction he could have enjoyed political distinction, but he has always declined to be a candidate for office. His reputation for fairness, honesty and integrity ! so well known that there have been occasions in the history of Chicago when Ins candidacy for office would have commanded tie rotes of all respectable men. regardless of party. He is not partisan, as such men seldom are. but his patriotism ami desire for good, honest gov- ernment prompt him to vote for the best men who may be in nomination. Such a lib 1 is a model for the young man who is sometimes tempted, amidst the only too great degrees of 1 se com- mercial morality, to think that success depends upon methods of which conscience and public opinion will not approve. Mr. King has achieved and maintained his honor unspotted. He is as will known in Chicago for his unswerving honesty and integrity, and for his humanity, as he is as a great and leading merchant. His career lias 1 n a credit to himself in every re- spect, and a blessing to the city in which he has so long lived and is so well known. T. W. HARVEY TURLINGTON WALKER HARVEY, a dis- tinguished business man of Chicago, and president of the Chicago Commercial Club, was born in Sil... mi. Ma lison county, N. Y.. March 10th. 1835. The names of few citizens of Chicago are better known than that of Mr. Harvey. He is the presi- dent of the T. \V. Harvey Lumber Company, and of the Harvej Steel Car Company, located at the town of Harvey, an enterprising manufacturing i i .ne-half m lies south of Pull- man, laid out and practically built up by Mr. Har- vey. Mr. Harvej is one of the pioneer lumber men of Michigan and Wisconsin, and has through these relations b< come largely connected with a number of vast enterprises in the lumber interest. He came to Chicago when but a boy. and though he worked in the employ of others for a time, he was iioi long in placing himself at the head of an in- stitution of his own. His career since then has been one of great activity, and not the least of it has been directly in the interest of the city he has made his home. Few men have, perhaps, given so much time to charitable occupations, w-hile at the same time having immense interests of their own which constantly demanded attention. Mr. Harvey"s parents were Joshua and Paulina (Walker i Harvey. His father was a native of New York state, but his mother came from Mass- -. The former in his earlier days was a farmer, but later, engaged in carpenter work, in '7- Kioiii.wrm m-' fllixois Durhamville, N. Y. Young Harvey, Er the time he was eli yen yearsold until he was Fourteen, was employed in a grocery store in thai tow a, and ,,, to learn the carpenter's trade in his Hop. He wasgiven some time for acquir ing an education, which though brief, the lad m;i ,l,. the most of. He attended the public ecI ools and when some years later his Father re- moved to Oneida, N. Y., and there buill a sash. door and blind factory, he studied for a time in the Oneida Academy. His opportunities must nave been limited, however, For he learned his trade in his father's factory before be was nine teen years old. It was a1 this age, in 1854, that he came to Chicago. In 1866 his parents moved to Sandwich, 111., where in 1880 his father died. His mother is still living at a ripe old aye. T. W. Harvey's firs! employment in Chicago was as Foreman of a small sash, door and blind factory, ,,w ned l'.\ James McFall, but he sunn accepted a similar position in a larger concern, that of Abbot! & Kingman, whom he served For five years. While with this firm he had the best of opportuni ties to become acquainted with the Deeds of the western country in that line of manufacture, for the} had a large trade and supplied tin- greater part of the northwest with their goods. In 1859 Mr. Harvey was enabled to effect a business con nection with a Mr. Lamb, and under the firm name of Lamb A- Harvey they built tin extensive planing mill and conducted a lumber yard. The business -rew to such an extent, that in 1861 they W ere obliged to enlarge their facilities and. there- fore, built and equipped a much larger establish ment. In 1865 Mr. Lamb sold his interest to Mr. Harvey, the hit ten- becoming sole proprietor i E the concern. It had become so successful thai even the large factory erected in 1861 lacked the requisite Facilitii s tor t lie conduct of the business; besides the cit) had grown and was growing up about it so rapidly, that Mr. Harvey found it expedient to move to the outskirts. He secured property at the corner of Twenty-second and Morgan streets, where he built the Hist really fire- proof building erected in the city up to thai time. This building was a planing mill, and opposite to it he bought ami built docksfor the receipl of sup- plies, and here he began the conduct of what has grown to he the largest lumber business ever operated in this country. Mr. Harvey had lumber mills at Muskegon, operated till L885, ami Mari- nette. Wis., on the Menominee river, which he operates still. To such proportions did the busi □ess grow that his Chicago yards alone handled as high as 125,000,000 feet of lumber per annum. The conduct of so gigantic a business made the employ menl of every known facility necessary, and besides, it induce, 1 Mr. Harvi y to devise new and greater Facilities. He inaugurated an innovation in the pineries, which has since proved entirely successful in its workings ami has been a great sa\ ing of time and i lej in the transportation of logs. This innovation was the building, in l*7s, of the flrsl logging railroad ever constructed, to transport logs From the lumber camps to a regular In I' railroad, or to the mills and rivers. This road was built in Michigan from Lake George to the Muskegon river, and by its aid he succeeded iii handling vast quantities of lumber yearly. In L883 Mr. Harvej organized the T. W. Harvey Lum- ber Co., into which he put a capital of $1,000,000 ami took in as partners a number of employes who had been in his service for a term of years and whom he had found faithful and deserving. He became the president of the company ami has remained its head up to the present time. The company is not only engaged in manufacturing ami selling lumber, but it also operates extensive planing mills in Chicago. Mr. Harvey has been a prominent figure before the Chicago public. through the medium of various charitable insti tutions with which he has been connected. He was president of the Young Men's Christian Asso ciation, from 1871 to 1873 and from 1876 to 1879, and for many years has been a very active worker in that organization, lie has been superintendent of a Sundaj school in Chicago for twenty-six years. He is vice president of the Chicaga Evan- Helical Society, which sustains schools and does a great amount of i vangelical work. In the ab- sence of 1). L. Moody, who is at the head of this society, Mr. Harvej officiates in Ids stead. Mr. Harvey was chairman in 1876 of the executive committee which built the Moody Tabernacle on Monroe street. He was chiefly instrumental in raising 1110,000 to pay oft the debt of the Young Men's Christian Association, and left it funds for current expenses until il had become fixed upon a firm financial basis. In the field of doing good toothers Mr. Harvey's activity, after the great lire of 1871, is perhaps tin- most striking. He has been a director in the Chicago Relief and Aid Society since 1866. and in ISSti was its president. During the year of the fire he was a member of the executive i mittee. The title of this society indicates plainly enough the purpose of its organ- ization, but il found a greal held of operation during the time of and following the awful calam- BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 17: ity. Most appropriately, Mr. Harvey w;is selected to serve on the shelter committee. Hi was not the chairman, bul as that individual was in- capacitated fr taking an active pari in the wink. Mr. Harvey tilled his position, and did it most admirably. As a proof of the close atten- tion he gave to this work of relieving suffering, it can be si ated thai he was not at his own I nisi ness office but one hour during the six months following the fire. The Chicago Relief and Aid Society was accustomed to make an annual re port In the Common Council of its work each year, and tins report was invariably contained in a small pamphlet of some twentj five pages. The report of the work of the society, however, during the year of the fire and the winter which came with extreme severity close upon its heels, took a large volume of nearly i50 pages. The society was, happily, well organized, ami by the labors of its different committees thousands of lives were saved ami much suffering alleviated. Theshelter committee was a highly important one. A few extracts from the report show clearly tin true condition of affairs. At one point it says: "The exigency was imperative. We were on the verge of the most incle n1 season of the year, and those familiar with the greal severity of our winters, and our exposed situation between the open prairies on tin ■ side ami the lake on the other, can understand how the question of shelter pressed upon us. Some rude barracks were, at the outset, pul up by the artisans com mil tic. which could only answer for immediate protection from the weather: but such structures, even if well built, were open to grave objections as the homes of forty or fifty thousand people in the winter. It was decided, therefore, to put in barracks the minimum number who could not be provided for otherwise, and to provide small but comfortable houses for the rest: much the larger portion hail families and had ow ned or had leases of the lots where they had previously resided, Messrs. T. M. Avery and T. W. Harvey, members of the executivi c mittee of this society, were at once put at the head of a shelter committee, and the result of their labors was even more suc- cessful and encouraging than the most sanguine had anticipated." Mr. Harvey was no sooner apprised of his ap- pointment than he began making estimates. In the space of a few minutes, while riding in a buggy from one point to another, he figured out a plan lor two sizes of houses, a one-room and a two-room house, and had put down on paper the bill of material for the construction of each. The two-room house was 10 be 20x16, for families of more than three persons, and the other 12x16, for families of three only. The floor joists were 2x6, covered with a flooring of planed and matched boards: the studding was of 2x4, covered with inch boards and battened on the outside, or with planed and matched lumber; and the inside walls were lined with thick felt paper, and each house had a double iron chimney, two four panelled doors, three windows, and a partition to be put where the occupant pleased. To the house was added by the committee, a cooking stove and utensils. several chairs, a table, bedstead, bedding and sufficient crockery for the use of the family. The total cost Of this house ami furniture was §125. Some idea of the work done by the shelter com- mit tee maj lie gained from the statement that in one month, from Octobei L8 to November 17, they erecti d i,226 I ses, which number was increased later to over S, 01 10. During such trying times as these the question of cosl is likely to be forgotten, but Mr. Harvey knew that a great portion of the lumber used would have to be paid lor. either out of the society funds or by the city at some future time, and he took a wise precaution. Millions of feet of lumber were destroyed by the tin . and still more by the forest tires in Michigan and Wisconsin, and he readily foresaw that such a wholesale loss would cause a rise in the price. He therefore at once began making contracts for all he could get at the ruling prices, about fourteen dollars per thousand feet. The wisdom of the step was recognized when it was found that the price had, by November 26, reached twenty dollars per thousand feet. The shelter committee used about 35,000,000 feet in their work, and the saving made by the forethought of Mr. Harvey can be readily computed. The following incident will serve to illustrate the heroic service he per- formed, and also the wonderful energy and the humane character of the man. As a result of a terrible snowstorm that had prevailed for several days, soon after the tire, nearly all incoming coal trains were blockaded, and the people were suffer- ing greatly for want of fuel: and what did arrive was left on the outskirts of the city; and besides, it was impossible to hire teams and wagons to haul it. This was the situation one bitter cold Sunday morning, but Mr. Harvey proved himself equal to the emergency, and undoubtedly saved hundreds of people from freezing to death during that terrible storm. Realizing the situation, his first work was the purchase of teams, wagons and harnesses, employment of teamsters and laborers; and all that day he personally superintended the work. The snow was so deep that they were obliged to dig the cars out of drifts that entirely '71 BIOGKAPHY OF ELLINOIS. enveloped them, while the snow on the streets. i! ii which the} had to haul the coal, was several feel in depth. Yet, when that Sunday in-iii had come, seven hundred tons of coal had been delivered to suffering families, and Mr. Har- vey knew that thousands were enjoying the warmth and comfort of their firesides. Such labor as this cannot be forgotten, and the name of T. W. Harvej will I"' a prominent one on everj page which records the sufferings of Chi- cago's citizens in those clays of dire distress, and the heroic efforts made to alleviate them. Mr. Harvej is the owner of one of the finest stock farms in this country. In 1882 he bought two thousand acres of farm land in eastern Nebraska, and here he raises fine eattle and horses. The place is called " Turlington " after Mr. Harvey's first name, and through the excellence of thestock lie raises it lias become known as one of the i i famous stock farms in the United States. This farm claims the honor of having raised the best steer in the world, "Black Prince of Turlington," \\ hose winnings in premiums in one year amounted to about §3,000. As he well may be, Mr. Harvey is ex& edingly proud of his farm, and every year. with his family, lie spends a few months there, and when in the city the family receive from it three times a week a consignment of meat, fruit. flowers and dairy supplies. One .if Mr. Harvey's latest enterprises was laying out flic town of Harvey. Here is located the Harvey Si eel Car Company, of which he is president, the Auto mat ic Mower and Manufacturing Company, of which he is also president and owner of mosl oi I he slock. Mr. Harvey is president of the National Lumber Company, which has yards in Nebraska and [owa, and of the Marinette Saw Mill Com- pany, of Marinette. Wis. He is a director in the Metropolitan National Bank, and in the Ameri- can Trust and Savings Bank. He owns i tracts of pine lands in Louisiana, and has numi c mis interests besides. Mr. Harvey is essentially a DUBJ man. hut he is never too busy to enjoy hours of pleasant intercourse with his happy and interest ing family. When he sits at his table and looks around upon his complete family circle, he sees the faces of his wife and ten children. Mr.Harvey has been twice married. In 1859 he was united to Miss Maria Hardman, of Louisville. Ky. Pour suns were horn of this union- Charles A., John R., George L., and Robert H. Mrs. Harvey died in 1871, and on May 28, 1st:',. Mr. Harvey married Miss Belle S. Badger, of Chicago, a lady whose qualities of mind and heart endear her to all who enjoy her acquaintance. Mrs. Harvey is the mother of six children, three -Iris and three boys. In this happy home circle Mr. Harvey finds his chief enjoyment, and there, withdrawn from the cares ami perplexities of his business, his hearty manner, his generous nature, and his unfailing good-fellowship, find their fullest exer- cise in the society of his family and in his cordial hospitalities. J. ADAMS ALLEN. J.ADAMS ALLEN, M. D..LL.D., was born May. 16th, 182."). at Middlebury. Vermont, his an- cestry dating back to the Mayflower. His father was a man of note a physician ami surgeon and more, a savant, associated with the elder Silliman and Professor Beck in the study and development of the natural sciences. The family name is prominent in the published histories of Vermont in connection with the intellectual and scientific development and progress of that state. Sur- rounded by men of mark and superior attainments, and in an atmosphere of refinement and ripe culture. Dr. Allen was gently reared. Great men ;ul great books were his companions from infancy. Nor was the Puritan element of stern repression wholly wanting in his early training — an elemenl that mars a man or makes a hero. Shakespeare, that everywhere holds the place of honor now, was then interdicted; and it was only by stealth thai he gained access to its masterly pages. The Bible, with him. was a venerated book " tin hook of books." In his hand-writing, on the fly-leaf of a worn copy which lay forty years on his writing- table, is the following inscription: "I count this book priceless for the truth it contains. If it holds also errors, practically they are no more to be regarded than the spots on the sun. To the literary man it is a treasure house of the best English language. For one who is to write.it is commended first to read a few chapters in this book, so as to bring his style within the compre- hension of the uneducated, and at the same time attract the admiration of the most highly culti- vated." Fitted for college at the age of nine years, his health gave way. and this circumstance fortunately sent him to a farm-house in the country, six months in a year, for several years, where he gained an insight into the mysteries of what Rousseau, the great, justly terms the first of human occupations; and so were securely laid Ctn the contrarj their great ideas were thoroughly assimilated and became his assured mental pos- session. The habit of reading, formed quite in his infancy, was continued till the last days of his life, and the books he knew and loved were the best, both old and new. in history, biography, philosophy and fiction. But it was neither m college nor in hooks that Dr. Allen found the deepest inspiration ol his youth, but in the current events of the time and in association with the de- voted men who directed and controlled them. Of the great abolition crusade his father was an ardent supporter: bis house was a station on the black man's road to freedom. There the gifted l>oy. whose heart was full of sympathy for every- thing good and great, met and learned to love for love of the cause they served the leaders of the anti-slavery movement. He was honored with the entire confidence of the noted abolition- ists who often assembled at his lather's house for consultation. He was present at the discussions that disclosed the great purposes of the New England Anti-Slavery Society discussions that dealt boldly with fundamentals in ethics that re- vived the immortal truths of the Declaration of Independence with regard to human rights, — and their spirit so completely possessed him that he ever after entertained a dee], and abiding horror of all forms of injustice. At twenty-one years of age he was in every way remarkably accomplished. He had read with more appreciation and profit than is usual with men twice as old, the world's great books. He had mastered the common college course; had taught school during the college vacations; had studied medicine in his father's office, and graduated at the Castleton Medical College. He was thoroughly equipped to achieve fame and honor in the battle of life. and he entered at ..nee upon the discharge of its serious duties. In December, 1846, he removed to Kalamazoo, Michigan, and thereon January 1st. 1847, married Miss Mary Marsh, daughter of John P. Marsh, w ho had also shortly before left Vermont, and was one of the pioneer citizens and legislators of Michigan. Mrs. Allen counted amongst her ancestors, men prominent in the Revolutionary War, .old men high in public position and esteem in Vermont and New York. The next twelve years Dr. Allen spent in Michigan— then a com- paratively new state in the active practice of his profession in the villages and among the farmers. He not infrequently rode forty miles a day, visit ing patients a very exacting task. Hut he was in the vigor of young manhood, and the demand upon his mental and physical powers wasnever so pressing as to exclude from the daily round some hours of professional and general nailing. He kept an elaborate medical index and prepared for publication a work on medical jurisprudence, the manuscript of which was. unfortunately, destroyed by fire. In February, 1848, he was appointed Pro- fessor of Materia Medica. Therapeutics and Medical Jurisprudence in the Indiana Medical College at La Porte, and while occupying this position was appointed Professor of Physiolog) and Pathology in the Medical department of the University of Michigan. He was one of the or- ganizers of this department, and chatted its primary announcement. Dr. Allen's efforts largely conduced to the subsequent prosperity of the institution. At the request of the hoard of he drafted tin' preliminarj general plan of the literary department, including the entire I 711 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. course oi studies. He also lectured at Kalamazoo College "ii chemistry, physiology and political econ y; wrote extensivel) Eor the daily press, and Eor the magazines and professional journals gaining for himself the title of "universal editor;" took an active interest in politics; made political speeches, and delivered numerous addresses be Eore lyceums, colleges and other assemblies. nass of professional papers written in Dr. Ulen, none have perhaps attracted wider attention than those upon the "Mechanism of Nervous Action," which antedate the discussion of Marshall Hall and other distinguished physi- ologists on the same subject. In addition to these multifarious engagements be was, all the time, a close student in the highesl and best sense of the term. The high esteem in whichhe was held was shown by his election t < ■ the presidencj of the Michigan State Medical Association, and also to the position of Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Michigan, of Free and Accepted Masons. Upon one occasion in 1859, when delivering an address before the Me 1 f, the Legislature and Supreme Court "I Michigan did him the honor to adjourn their sessions to hear Ids address, and il was published as an important state document. It is hardly necessary toobserve that these services of a semi-public character, 1 o lavishly rendered, were given without thought of gain, for, like Fenelon, Dr. Allen had the true ambition to die poor. In the fail of 1859, at the request of the eminent surgeon. Daniel Brainard, then president of Bush Medical College', Dr. Allen removed to Chicago, and accepted the chair of Principles and Practice of Medicine in that insti- tution, becoming president of the College in 1877, and retaining that office until his death. Upou his advent in this city, heabandoned politics, and devoted himself to the practice of his profession, to his college chair and to kindred pursuits. He was for many years editor of the Chicago Medical Journal, and of the \~oicc of Masonry. He pre- pared and published a notable work called '-Med- ical Examinations for Life Insurance" which be came tin standard authority on that subject. In addition to his lectures aud, in later years, his exacting duties as president of one of the most importat the country, he had an ex- tensive city visiting practice as physician and 11 called in consultation to distant points throughout the older northwestern states. For twenty years, he was surgeon of one of the l.i 3 systems centering in Chi- also consulting physician of many of the large hospitals. But these duties, which would have taxed to the utmost the powers of an ordinary man. constituted hut a tithe of the labor performed by Dr. Allen. He delivered frequent public addresses on medical, masonic and genera] subjects, most of which have been published. He passed to the thirty-third degree, in Masonry,and also became, in isTs. a member of the Royal Order of Scotland. The time commonly given to rest and recreation was by him devoted to study. The note-book, or index, ho chose for his medical library was a huge merchant's ledger. Late in life this index, which contained 50,000 references. was stolen from his office, lint though grieved and annoyed by the cruel theft, he was not dis- mayed; and, notwithstanding advancing years warned him of the limitation of his powers, he began a new index, which, at the time of the failure of his health, contained 20,000 fresh notes. In 1888, foreseeing that the end was approaching, he began to set ins house in older: and one of the first of a series of preparatory acts, was the pre sentation of his large medical library, to tin Chi- cago Presbyterian Hi ispital, where it is now known as the Allen Library. Dr. Allen's profi 11. . however, constituted but a small part of his student's course, lie read more law than many lawyers, as much theology as many theolo- gians, was thoroughly acquainted with political economists from Adam Smith to the magazine writers of the present day. ami understood equally the philosophy of Aristotle ami of Herbert Spen- cer. Nor was he less familiar with polite litera- ture. The classics of the ancients and those of the most brilliant period of English letters were as absolutely at his command as the theories of his own Bchool of medicine whichhe daily expounded to the students of "Rush." And over this vast tield of investigation, comprehending works of the imagination and those of the most profound phil- osophic inquiry, he traveled with the care of a scientist in search of new truths, making notes at each step of progress. His indexrerum was Idled from the first page to the last, in a hand almost microscopic; and the collection of scrap-books, to complete which he toiled while his life fast ebbed away, is unique and invaluable — an enduring testimonial to his unselfish industry. During his tours of England and the continent, of which there were several in the last fifteen years, his h Ait of journalizing and collecting scraps of in- formation was continued, and the record thus left is interesting in proportion to the ripening of Ids life with age. When the phenomenal eharac- ISIOOUAI'IIY OF ILLINOIS. 177 ter of his memory is considered, in connection with the extent of his reading and recorded ob- servations, some faint idea may be formed of the vastness of his learning. His memory was so re- tentive that nothing good escaped its tenacious grasp. It was submissive, too under control. It rejected the baser part, extending hospitality only to things of use and beauty. His mind was both analytic and synthetic. But he was an optimist, as all men who love their fellow creatures must be, and his joy was in synthesis, in building, in creat- ing. He shrank from the pessimistic conclusions of the evolutionists that progress involves retrogression, degeneration, and that the end of philosophical investigation is despair. He conceded the value of the services of the specialist in his. as in other, professions. But for himself he could not walk in a narrow path. His mind was so broad that it surveyed the whole field, comprehending alike the atom and the in- finite. Nor were his generalizations ever confined to the field of medical and surgical science; they included the vast scope of all human effort. He was the very incarnation of the spirit of progress. Against the iron mail of his trained mind the shafts of tradition beat in vain. He was in the habit of saying of the ancients, with Bacon, "We are their elders." With him, too. he despised mere opinions, often quoting his celebrated aphor- ism that "Truth is rightly named the daughter of time, not of authority." Bacon's great law of in- duction was wrought into the warp and woof of Dr. Allen's mind in early years, and it exerted a powerful influence over his mental habitudes throughout his whole life. But he possessed in an eminent degree that rarest of human qualities. — the courage of his convictions, — and hence he dared, in emergencies, to go counter to all the recognized standards of his profession, in medical practice. His learning was so vast, and his mental and moral poise so superb, that his intuitions in cases of supreme difficulty became the promptings of genius. So it often happened in the course of his professional career, in perilous instances, that he adopted w it li great success methods long disused, and therefore deriving their sole support from tradition, which, under ordinary circumstances, he held iii contempt. In his lightest, as well as in his graver, moods Dr. Allen was a teacher. In the alembic of his mind the dross of obscurity was quickly burned away, leaving only the pure gold of reason. Every subject that engaged his atten- tion was made luminous by his exposition. He never prosed in story but scintillated in anecdote. His aptitude in illustration was hardly inferior to that of Lincoln: and at the real breakfast table he was an autocrat as witty, as humorous, as fascinat- ing and as wise as Dr. Holmes at the supposititious board, over which he has presided these many years with such rare grace and wide applause. As a converser he had few equals. Without osten- tation, without conscious effort, and without van- ity, lie led the conversation into channels of pleas- ure and profit, introducing subjects of the gravest moment, and dismissing them for the lightest gos- sip of the day. to suit the temper or whim of the company. From grave to gay was, with him, but a step, for in his sympathetic nature the fountains of laughter and of tears waited on the impulse equally of joy in others' joy and pity for others' woes. Mrs. Allen died in April, 1888, and her loss profoundly affected her husband. He was then suffering from the early stages of the disease which resulted in his death, August 15, 1890. Two children survived him, Charles L. Allen and Mrs. Charles J. Haines. The public press and the dif- ferent medical, masonic, and other bodies with which he had been connected, paid high tributes to his memory. At a large memorial meeting held 111 Central Music Hall. Hon. Charles H. Ham de- livered an address I from which we have largely quoted) to the faculty and students of Rush Med- ical College. Dr. Allen's pupils in the various in- stitutions where he taught loved him well, and those of Rush entertained for him the profoundest reverence and the warmest affection. This tender regard they testified in man} - ways — in beautiful gifts, in expressions of sympathy in times of trial and affliction, and, most of all, through an assump- tion and title of tender relationship. These evi- dences of profound regard touched him deeply. They long outlived the relation of teacher and pupil, and were ever a source of unalloyed pleas- ure to him. The souvenirs of the numerous classes he graduated were treasured with loving care. Dr. Allen was a man of the finest senti- ment, but exhibitions of mawkish sentimentality he regarded with contempt. He did not wear his heart upon his sleeve, but coined it into compas- sionate acts for the amelioration of the miseries and misfortunes of mankind. He was wholly self-respecting. He had the pride of conscious strength and uprightness. The haughty he met, port to port, with answer passionate and manner imperious. But to the humble, the poor, the wretched, he was the very soul of graciousness. He was impatient of arrogance, pitiful of ignorance, and of pretenders most scornful. He never forgot 1 7 8 BIOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS. a friend, aor sought revenge on an enemy. He was so clear that no shame deceived him. but BO gentle that no animosities found lodgment in his heart. His mind was molded on a noble plan — oighl) receptive, broadly catholic, and hence hos- pitable to the new in science and art. Diligent in the pursuit of knowledge, and of matchless skill in imparting it. the world is the better for his having lived in it. WILLIAM II. BYFORD. WILLIAM H. BYFORD, M. D., was born in the village of Eaton, Ohio, March 20th, 1817, and was the son of Henry T. and Hannah Byford. The early opportunities of the son were so limited that there was then no foreshadowing of the profes- sional greatness to which he attained. His father was a mechanic of limited means, and the family was deprived of his support in 18'26, at which time he died in Hindostan, Martin county. Indiana. The widow was left with three children. William, then nine years of age, being the eldest. He was now compelled to leave the country school, at which he had been a bright scholar, and devote himself to aiding the mother in the support of the family. Notwithstanding his youth and the scanty wages which such a boy could earn, his earnings were a blessing to the struggling widow. At the end of four years from the death of the husband and father, the mother, with her family. moved to Crawford county. Illinois, to live with her father, upon whose farm young Byford worked for two years. It was then determined to encour- age William in learning a trade, which was the boy's earnest wish. He thereupon started out for the town of Palestine, several miles distant, and applied to a blacksmith for permission to learn his trade. The blacksmith would not consent. The boj applied to several other shops, but his propo- sition to become an apprentice was not favorably received. Finding the avocation of blacksmith apparently closed against him, at least so far as that town was concerned, and observing a tailor's sign, he concluded to apply for the position of ap- prentice in that trade. He found the tailor, whose name was on the- sign, to be, as Dr. Byford always described him. "a kind hearted. Christian gentle- man by the name of Dans." He was kindly re- ceived, and the result of his interview with the tailor was that the latter agreed to receive him as an apprentice provided a certain Methodist min- ister in his neighborhood would recommend him as "a moral and industrious boy." The recom- mendation was obtained and William began his work as an apprentice. He remained with Mr. Dans for two years, when the latter removed to another state, and the boy went to Vincennes, Ind.. where he finished learning his trade at the age of twenty. The boy, however, fully realized that a tailor's shop was not the place for him. While serving his apprenticeship he was con- stantly engaged, during his spare hours, and even when at work on a garment, in the study of text books which he had bought or borrowed. In this way he mastered the structure of the English language, acquired some knowledge of Latin, Greek and French, and gave studious attention to physiology, chemistry and natural history. As his knowledge increased and his mind expanded, he aspired to something higher than the vocation he had chosen, and a year before the term of his apprenticeship had expired, he determined to adopt the profession, in which he afterwards achieved international lame. Subsequently he placed himself under the tuition of Dr. Joseph Maddox, of Vincennes, Ind., and in due time was authorized by the proper authorities of the state to engage in the practice of medicine, which he did August 8, 1838, in Owensville, Gibson county, Ind. Two years later he removed to Mount Ver- non, in the same state, and associated himself with Dr. Hezekiah Holland. He remained here until 1850, in the meantime attending lectures at the Ohio Medical College. Cincinnati, from which he graduated in 184."). Early in his practice he attracted the attention of the profession by his i tributionsto medical journals, first in describing the operation of Caesarian section, which he twice per- formed in 1847; and subsequently by articles which showed a master intellect and the possession of a high degree of scientific knowledge. Naturally such a mind and attainments as this young physi cian was shown to possess, made him desirable as a teacher of the science, for which he was evidenc- ing so much love and aptitude. Consequently in October, 1850, he was appointed to the chair of Anatomy in the Evansville Medical College. Indi- ana, and twi i years later he became professor of the Theory and Practice of Medicine in the same in- stitution, which position he occupied until 1851. During his professorship in this college he was also one of the editors of a medical journal of such merit as to command a high degree of confidence # y/4>/^ BIOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS. 179 in the profession. In May, 1857, at a convention of the American Medical Association, held at Nashville, Tennessee, he was elected its vice-presi- dent. The following autumn he settled in Chi- cago, where he was destined to achieve brilliant fame, and accepted the chair of Obstetrics and Diseases of Women and Children in Rush Med- ical College. After occupying this chair for two years he became one of the organizers of the Chi- cago Medical College, which was established in 1859. He tilled the chair of Obstetrics and Dis- eases of Women and Children in this institution until 1879, when he was again called to Rush Medical College to till the chair of Gynecology. In 1S70 he became one of the founders of the Woman's Medical College of Chicago and was made president of the faculty and also of the board of trustees, which position he held up to the time of his death. He was conspicuous in the organization of the American Gynecological So- ciety, was one of its first vice-presidents, and in 1881 was elected its president. Dr. Byford's life was a busy one. It was a life crowded full of use- ful activity. Besides his immense practice, the im- portance and extent of which may be judged by the fact that it brought him an annual income of from twenty-five thousand to thirty thousand dol- lars, and the discharge of his duties as professor in the several colleges in which he occupied im- portant chairs, he was a prolific writer. He was an authority on gynecology. In 1864 he published the first medical work that ever came from the pen of a Chicago author, entitled " Chronic In- flammation and Displacements of the Unimpreg- nated Uterus." This valuable work ran through a second edition in 1871. His " Practice of Medi- cine and Surgery Applied to the Diseases and Accidents of Women," which appeared in 1866, has passed through foureditions and is extensively used as a text book. In 18G9 was published " The Philosophy of Domestic Life" from his pen, and this was followed in 1872 by his text book on Ob- stetrics, a second edition of which was found nec- essary the year following. In addition to all this, he was almost constantly connected with the medical press. For a number of years he and Dr. N. S. Davis, Sr., were associated in the editorial management of the Chicago Medical Journal. Then he became editor-in-chief of the Chicago Medical Journal and Examiner, which was a consolidation of the Chicago Medical Journal and Chicago Medical Examiner, and was pub- lished under the auspices of the Chicago Medical Press Association, A writer has said: " There are many measures in practice with which Dr. Byford's name is intimately connected; for example, the use of Ergot in fibroid tumors of the uterus; abdominal section for ruptured extra- uterine pregnancy, proposed long before the days of Tait, and the systematic use of the elm tent." The reader will utterly fail to appreciate the magnificence of Dr. Byford's professional success unless he considers the circumstances under which he w-as placed. His starting out in life without means and without influence must not be lost sight of, nor must it be forgotten that when he published some of his medical works, which to- day compare in merit with later works, the sub- jects written upon had never been treated except in occasional articles in the journals, and there- fore he had few sources from which to draw in- formation, such as later authors have had, except his own experience, study and observation. When these facts are considered, and it is remembered that this man developed from a poor boy. with out opportunities, and that he achieved his suc- cess in a great city that was full of eminent physicians and brilliant intellects trained under the most favorable conditions, the greatness of Dr. Byford, standing at the top of his profession, will be realized. He succeeded because he desired to succeed. He was great because nature had en- dowed him bountifully, and he had studiously and carefully and conscientiously increased the talents that had been given him. He was a ripe scholar and a giant in intellect. It is said that he was unusually popular as a lecturer before his classes. That would be naturally expected, for he was master of the science that he taught, and his knowledge of his subject and his bright mind enabled him to make his teachings plain and in- teresting. He was a gentleman at all times, and he won as high a place in the love of those with whom he came in contact as his skill in practice won him their confidence. Called into consulta- tion and to perform surgical operations all over the Northwestern states, and with a large client- age at home, his nobility of character, and large heart, caused this physician and surgeon to be loved over a wider section of country and in a larger number of homes than perhaps any other member of tin' medical profession in this coun- try. He was gentle, sympathetic, magnetic. Toward young men he was always kind and help- ful. Always deeply interested in the welfare of woman, he gave freely his time, influence and wealth to promote her interests. The Woman's Hospital, in Chicago, with half its beds free, is a monument to his persistent effort. He was i8o BIOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS. always an advocate of the medical education of women. No one who knew him personally or by reputation entertained for him other than feelings of the highest respect. Dr. Byford died May 21, 1S00, sincerely mourned by the entire medical profession and by the public at large. Seldom have such eloquent words of eulogy been spoken of the dead as were spoken of him by his associates in the profession. Seldom has the press devoted more space to a rehearsal of the achievements of a life than it devoted to a record of Dr. Byford*s career and success. At a meeting of the faculty of the Woman's Medical College held on the day of his death the following resolu- tions were passed: " Whereas, A mysterious Providence has sud denly called from our midst our honored presi dent and beloved colleague. Dr. William H. Byford "Resolved, That in his death the Woman's Med ieal College has met with a loss which is irrepar- able, he having been the leader among its found ers, its faithful and efficient president during the twenty years of its existence, and one of the most zealous champions of the higher education of women. "Resolved, That we, the members of the faculty, would express our appreciation of his integrity, uprightness, ability, fidelity, and Christian cour- tesy in all his association with us in our college work; and that his sudden and unexpected demise brings to us a sense of loss and bereavement which we can not express. "Resolved, That as a token of respect to the memory of our departed colleague, the college buildings be draped in mourning for thirty days; that all lectures be discontinued until after the funeral, and that the faculty and students attend the funeral exercises in a body. "Resolved, That we extend to his bereaved family our sincere sympathy in their affliction, knowing that to those who lived nearest his great heart the blow falls most heavily. May they find comfort in the thought that his name will ever be honored and reverenced by all who have known him; and that the good he has done 'dies not with him," but that 'his works do follow him.' And may the ' God of the widow and the father- less ' guide and comfort them. "Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be sent to his family, and also be spread upon the records of the college." Dr. Byford was twice married. October 'X 1840, he was married to Mary Anne Holland, daughter of Dr. Hezekiah Holland, before men- tioned in this sketch. They had four children. Dr. Henry T. Byford, the distinguished gynecol- ogist of Chicago, being one them. Mrs. Byford diedinl8G4. In 1ST:', be married Miss Lina W. Flersliein. of Buffalo.N.Y. The only child of this second marriage died in infancy. As a fitting close to this incomplete biographical sketch we quote the eloquent eulogy delivered by Dr. James Nevins Hyde at the memorial ceremonies held by the faculty of Rush Medical College on Decem- ber 20, 1890, at Central Music Hall, in honor of Drs. W. H. Byford, J. Adams Allen and John P. Ross: "Dr. By ford did many things in his lifetime which men commonly call great. He was not bred in halls of classic learning, yet men who were edu- cated in universities were glad to sit at his feet and learn of him. He rounded out the full meas- ure of the highest attainable professional success. He wrote books that were bought and sold, read and quoted as authorities on both sides of the Atlantic. He founded scientific associa- tions of which able members seek the honor of being members. He organized training-schools for nurses, and amassed a fortune by honesty and without greed. His life was illuminated with a ray of eternal life which will shed its beauty forever. He will live in his mercy, his righteousness, his truth and his love. Dr. Byford had the truest heart that ever beat in sympathy with the sor- rows of our life. He and Carlyle resembled each other in the traits of their character. He was never afraid to say that he did not know or that another man did not know more upon a given subject than he did. We are not ashamed of our dead friend, who began life as a tailor's appren- tice and rose to be the president of great societies. He never failed to respond to the appeal of charity. In fact he spent a fortune in deeds of charity." CHARLES G. SMITH. CHARLES GILMAN SMITH, M. D., was born at Exeter, New Hampshire, January 4th, 1828. He is the son of Josiah Oilman and Prances Anne (Eastham) Smith. The family traces its origin in America back to 1643, when Theophilus Smith came from England and settled near Portsmouth, N. H. Theophilus was a school-teacher and his male descendants for several generations followed the same calling. Pour of them were graduates of Harvard, and followed their profession in New- England. Dr. Smith's family history on the maternal side is also of historical interest. Francis Eastham, who was the grandfather of Dr. Smith's mother, was impressed into the British navy when a boy by a "press gang" which took him out of the streets of London and put him aboard a man- of-war, about the year 176T>. He served on the ship five or six years until one day when it sailed into the harbor of Portsmouth, X. H. he jumped overboard and escaped. He settled near by and when the Revolutionary War broke out he joined c^ - BIOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS. 1S1 the colonial army and fought against the British. Dr. Smith when a buy went to school at Exeter, and later at Phillips Academy, where he prepared for Harvard College. He was a quick, bright- witted lad, and at sixteen passed the examination at that famous educational institution and was accepted as a sophomore, graduating in 1847, in the literary department. Soon after he began the study (if medicine in his native town with Dr. William Perry, a noted physician of his day. and took his first course of medical lectures at the Harvard Medical School in 1848-9. It was during this session that the awful Webster-Parkman trag- edy occurred, and the lectures were temporarily interrupted by the conviction and execution of Dr. Webster, who was one of the instructors. After this he went to Philadelphia and continued his medical studies at the University of Pennsylvania, from which institution he graduated in 1851, with the degree of M. D. He then went to Boston where for two years he was attending physician at the Alms-house hospital. In February. Is.",:?, he removed to Chicago and began what soon devel- oped into a highly prosperous and successful practice. He first located at 122 Lake street, and confined himself to a general family practice, from which he has never been drawn away. During the war he was one of the six physicians placed in charge of the prisoners at Camp Douglas in this city, and in this position added largely to his reputation as a skillful practitioner. In 1868 Dr. Smith went abroad to study in the hospitals of France, Germany and England. On his return he was invited to lecture in the Woman's Medical College in Chicago, and did so for some time. He was next made consulting physician at the Women's and Children's Hospital and at the Presbyterian Hospital, to both of which institu- tions he is still attached. Dr. Smith is also one of the trustees for the Peck Home for Incura- bles, one of the most useful charities in the city, and in which he has taken an active interest since its organization. In addition to this and his large private practice, Dr. Smith serves a numberof the more important life insurance companies as their examining physician, a line in which he has proba- bly had more experience than any other medical man in Chicago. Dr. Smith is a man of thorough training in his profession, and is a leader among the most eminent physicians in the Northwest. He is popular with patients and with the other members of his profession. His practice is very extensive, and largely among the best people of Chicago. Dr. Smith is a man of fine literary tastes and spends much of his time in reading, and has a fine selection of books. In 1871 he had acquired an extensive and valuable library of some 1500 volumes, many of them being rare editions, but the entire collection was destroyed in the great fire of that year. Since then Dr. Smith has accumulated another large and well- selected library in which are a number of literary oddities, including a collection of seventy volumes of epitaphs. While the library represents a large money value, it is chiefly notable for the striking originality displayed in its selection, and the merit of its volumes as literary works. Dr. Smith has a wide acquaintance among men of letters, and enjoys the confidence of many noted authors. There are few works of well-established merit with which he is not familiar. While 1 ks dealing with medical and surgical topics have commanded his close attention, he has found much pleasure in the reading and study of non-professional works. Dr. Smith is a charming man socially and is much sought after as a participant in public and private gatherings. He is agreeable and entertaining in conversation; a ready and forcible speaker on many subjects; an excellent presiding officer, and one of the best toast-masters in the city of Chicago. Dr. Smith is a man who has found much enjoy- ment in travel, and has been greatly benefitted by his keen and thorough observations of men and events, both at home and abroad. He went abroad to study medicine as practiced in the centers of learning in Europe and. while keenly alive to all that was new and interesting in his profession, was watchful of many other things that would have escaped a casual observer or mere pleasure seeker. The result was that he came back to America not only better trained and more skillful as a physician, but broader minded and more polished and educated as a man of the world. Dr. Smith was married October 16th, 1873, to Harriett, youngest daughter of Erastus F. Gaylord, one of the earliest residents of Cleve- land, Ohio. Their home is one of the happiest and most hospitable in the city. All of Dr. Smith's medical brethren are warm in their com- mendation of his worth as a physician and a man, while in social circles, and especially in the clubs, of many of which he is a member, he is a popular favorite. He has been president of the Harvard Club and of the Chicago Literary Club. Dr. Smith has done a great deal of good among the poor, but of this he refuses to talk, and there is no one who knows just how widespread his quiet charity has been. BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. MOSES GUNN. MOSES GUNN, A. M., M. D., LL. D.. an emi- nent surgeon, one of the founders of the medical school of the University of Michigan, and for twent} years the occupant of the chair of Princi- ples and Practice of Surgery and Clinical Sur- gery in Rush Medical College, Chicago, was I huh at East Bloomtield, N. Y.. on April 20th. 1822, and died al Ins home in Chicago, 111., on Nov. 1th, 1887. He came of a family which traces its ances- try through a long line of Scottish lairds into the depths of olden times. His father. Linus Gunn, was a native of Massachusetts, a farmer by oc- cupation, and in good circumstances. Remarka ble for a very powerful physique, he was no less noted for his extensive hospitality. He married Esther Bronson, of Great-Barrington, "a comely, clever, thrifty woman, who was a loving wife and mother to whom he was indebted for the many comforts of his home and for much of his suc- cess." After their pioneer life near Batavia in western New York they settled in East Bloom- field, where they spent their remaining years. Linus Gunn died at the age of sixty-seven, and his wife at the advanced age of ninety three, with all her faculties unimpaired. The subject of this sketch was the youngest of four children. He said of himself that his youth was remarkable for nothing but a love of fun and meehanics.- After three years" tuition at home under the guidance of a theological student (a member of his father's family) he entered the East Bloom - field Academy. A dangerous and prolonged illness followed, preventing his taking a regular collegiate course. A change of climate being deemed advis- able, he was sent south, and was so greatly bene- fited that on his return he began the study of medicine in Canandaigua under Dr. Edson Carr, a skillful physician and surgeon. His preceptor had formed a very high opinion of him, and when on one occasion the lad, accidentally finding him- self under Dr. Carr's old-fashioned cloak, ex- claimed, "How proud I should be if your mantle could fall upon me," the old practitioner gravely and prophetically replied: "My boy, you will wear a greater mantle than mine." In the fall of lsll he became a regular member of Geneva Medical College. He worked hard to master his chosen profession. During the second term he frequently assisted Professor Corydon L. Ford, then demonstrator of anatomy, evincing so much aptness and skill in teaching others that it fore- shadowed his appropriate field of labor as a future instructor as well as operator. In 1816 he received his diploma conferring the degree of Doctor of Medicine. With the energy alwa\ s characteristic of him he started for Michigan within a week af- ter his graduation, and in two weeks from the day he left his eastern home began a systematic course of lectures on anatomy at Ann Arbor. He had brought from New York the cadaver of a negro, and was the first person who ever gave lectures, accompanied by dissections and demon- strations, in Michigan. In July. 1819. he was ap pointed professor of both anatomy and surgery, and with a view of broadening his knowledge and experience spent the ensuing winter in New York. Philadelphia and Boston, vising the hospitals and medical schools. We quote his own words: "The primary announcement of a course of instruction in the new school was issued in May, fixing the time of the opening of the course on the 1st of October, 1850. Thus was inaugurated a new medical college, with new and comparatively un- known men for a faculty, three of whom were yet, in medical parlance, boys, and none of whom could show a gray hair." One of his colleagues says: "The first class that Dr. Gunn lectured to at that institution in 1850-51 numbered ninety- two, even this being deemed a remarkable suc- cess. The last class, 1866-7, he there instructed, numbered five hundred and twenty-five, probably the largest medical class assembled in the United States that year. It is not too much to say that to Dr. Gunn more than to any other man, was due this unexampled prosperity." In 1854 he re- moved to Detroit in order to have a larger field for surgical practice, and thus do greater service to the institution with which he was connected. Here he resided fourteen years, journeying to and from Ann Arbor to give his lectures, at one time computing that in so doing he had traveled a dis- tance of upwards of fifty-six thousand miles. His reputation grew rapidly, his practice steadily in- creased, and when the war of the Rebellion opened he was enjoying great prosperity. In the autumn of 1861 he joined the Army of the Poto- mac as Surgeon (with the rank and commission of Major) of the Fifth Infantry Regiment, Michigan Volunteers, and with it served in the Peninsular campaign under General McClellan, participating in the siege of Yorktown. the battles of Williams- burg and Fair Oaks, and the siege of Richmond. Obtaining a leave of absence of three weeks, he returned to Detroit at the beginning of 1862. and, after crowding his entire course of lectures for that term into the time named, hastened back to BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 183 the front, taking with him his eldest son. Glyn- don, then a lad of twelve, who was his constant companion while he remained in the field. In July. 1862, his health gave way under the inces- sant strain to which he was subjected by his con- scientii >us performance of duty, and he resigned his commission and returned to Detroit. Here he continued to practice and to teach until 1m17. when he accepted the appointment of Professor of Surgery, etc., in Rush Medical College at Chi- cago, taking the chair formerly filled by Dr. Dan- iel Brainard, who had died during the terrible epidemic of cholera which had visited the city named in the year mentioned. During the re- maining twenty years of his life Dr. Gunn was a resident of Chicago. He confined his practice to surgery, and attained the high- est distinction in his specialty, which he continued to teach at Rush Medical Col- lege down to within a few months preceding his death. He became a recognized authority on this subject, and during his somewhat extended trav- els in America and Europe he was received by the greatest "f his scientific compeers, with the most cordial evidences of respect and apprecia- tion. -A perfecl master of the construction and functions of the component parts of the human body, of the changes induced in them by the onslaughts of disease.nl the defects cast upon them as a legacy by progenitors, of tin- vital capacity remaining in them throughout all vicis- situdes of existence. . . . wise in human nature, wise in the laws of general science, wise in social amenities." Such and more, according to the testimony of his learned successor, Dr. Charles T. Parkes, was Dr. Gunn when he assumed the Chicago profes- sorship. The same accomplished professor, who witnessed Dr. Gunn's operations for many years, writing of him after his death, said: "Xo man. living or dead, no matter how great the halo of glory or recollections that may rise at the mention of the name, ever had more or better success attend his efforts to relieve the ailments of suffering humanity than followed as the direct sequence .if the work of this truly eminent sur- geon." lli< BUCcess as a surgeon was due. said his close personal friend, Professor Allen, to "his wonderfully minute and accurate acquaintance with anatomy, combined with exquisite power of diagnosis, a cool head, steady muscles, and great mechanical genius." In his operations he was "bold and dexterous, handling the scalpel with the delicacy of an artist's pencil, and yet the strength of iron muscle." In the discharge of his duties as a surgeon he combined with the happiest effect unfailing punctuality and a scrupu- lous and ever present thoughtfulness which seemed to take in the most minute details. It has been said that no patient of his ever shed one tear too many, or felt one pang of anguish more than was absolutely necessary on account of any forgetfulness or tardiness on his part. A resident of Chicago at the time of the great fire of 1871, Professor Gunn suffered heavily. Rush Medical College was swept away in the conflagra- tion; his office being in the building, he lost everything it contained. Among his possessions thus consumed was a fine library, a priceless cabinet of handsomely mounted anatomical specimens — the careful collection of years — and the manuscript of a work on surgery nearly ready for publication. But his house was spared, and there he established his office. His difficulties were numerous at this period, for in addition to the losses above enumerated his surgical practice was scattered, and much of it gone forever. It was as though the labor of his life had come to naught. For a time he thought he would have to begin all over again as a candidate for general practice, but upon reflection he wisely concluded to take up his specialty only. In the destruction of his manuscript the surgical profession of the world sustained a griev. ius 1< iss. The calamity- was so sweeping — neither notes nor specimens being left — that it would have been almost impos- sible tor him to have again gathered the necessary data for publication. But although he left no ency- clopaedia of surgery, one little pamphlet from his pen, "The Philosophy of Manipulation in the Reduction of Hip and Shoulder Dislocations." containing less than twenty-five pages, embodies more learning, says Professor Senn, of Rush Med ical College, than volumes that many others have compiled. While Dr. Gunn seems to have made few notes compared with what might have been expected of one enjoying such an extensive prac- tice, he was not culpably remiss in this particular, as his MS. work on surgery and published notes attest. During his early life he edited for a time the Monthly Independent, published at Detroit 1:1 1857 58), and also the Peninsular and Inde- pendent Medical Journal 1 1858-18(30 i, in which appeared a number of valuable surgical papers, some of which were republished in pamphlet form. In later life he contributed a number of valuable papers to the Chicago Medical Journal and to the Transactions of the American Medical Asso- 1 84 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. ciation and the Transactions of the Imerican Surgical Association, at which limited space per- mits no detailed account. A number of his ad- dresses also have been published in pamphlet form. He possessed scholarly attainments, was a master of English, was fluent in German, and had an excellent command of French. His associates assert that if he had devoted his life to mere business he would have been a millionaire. He was not mercenary, however, nor avaricious. His devoted labors in resuscitating and rehabilitating Rush Medical College prove this, as do also his unselfish services at the Presbyterian and other hospitals in Chicago when he was at the height of his fame, and where, at his free clinics, the poor were received and treated with all the ability at his command. Dr. Gunn received the honorary degree of Master of Arts from Geneva College in 1856, and was granted the degree of Doctor of Laws by the University of Chicago in 1877. Many other honors came to him, among them the presi- dency of the American Surgical Association, which he held in 1885. His success rested on an anatomical rather than a pathological basis, and while not unacquainted nor indifferent to anti- septic surgery — which he practiced at the time of his death— he may perhaps be called the last of the anatomical surgeons, as well as one of the greatest. In summing up his character, Professor James Nevins Hyde graphically says: "But his fame, like that of Velpeau, Nelaton, Hunter, Parker and Mott, will always rest rather on what he did with his knife than with his pen- though he was indeed a scholarly and accurate writer — all of his accomplishments, and they were not a few. were subordinated to his surgical skill, on which his reputation was firmly based. He was an unusually accurate accountant for a phy- sician, a good church man, an excellent horseman, a lover of the best general literature, a skillful amateur architect and astronomer, and a man of refined tastes in all matters pertaining to art. But upon none of these subjects did he set his heart to any extent with the untiring zeal and zest displayed in the discharge of his professional duties. With the enormous demands upon his time, he was never known, when in health, to fail to enter his lecture room at the stroke of the bell, nor to be punctual at the appointed hour for a consultation. The clinical work he did in public was the chief delight of his life. There he was truly royal in word and act. His superb fit; inl- and commanding presence in the amphitheatre are the imperishable souvenirs of thousands of young medical men. who have learned from his iife their first lesson in practical surgery, and have followed with their eyes the wonderful play of instruments in his hand, guided by an anatom- ical knowledge that few, as fully as he, pos- sessed. Professor Moses Gunn came thus to be known to the world at large, as one of the most eminent surgeons of his day — a man of remarka- ble presence, of high moral character, and of the best social position. But to those who were ad- mitted to share the intimacy of his friendship, he exhibited qualities, often, which others scarcely suspected. He was in all these non-professional relations found to be singularly modest, gentle as a woman, light-hearted as a boy, faithful in his friendships, fixed in an honest hatred of all shams and pretenders, and exhibiting in every judgment of his mind a strong common sense that illumined every dark corner into which he looked. He was one of those men who would have been great in any sphere of life. He was, viewed from every Bide, one of the greatest of great men whose names the medical profession will always treasure with gratitude and respect. His memory is enshrined to day in that pantheon of honor, where the most learned of jurists, the ablest ecclesiastics, the most successful military heroes, and the immortal poets and artists of America are numbered with its famous physicians and surgeons." Dr. Gunn was mourned not only by those allied to him by family ties, but by the most eminent members of the noble profession which he adorned. The loss of his eldest son, Glyndon, sixteen years of age, by drowning was a severe blow to him. Three children survive — a daughter, the wife of Thomas Aiken Wright of this city, and two sons, Walter C. and Malcolm Gunn who is following his father's profession. Dr. Gunn was married, in 1S18, to Jane Augusta Terry, the only daughter of T. M. Terry. M. D.. of Philadelphia. This ac- complished woman survives her husband, and it is from a remarkably interesting collection of his letters and memoirs, embellished by reminiscences from her graceful pen and published under the title of "Memorial Sketches of Doctor Moses Gunn, by his Wife," that many of the foregoing particulars have been drawn. JOHN E. OWENS. JOHN EDWIN OWENS. M. D., is recognized as one of the leading authorities in the surgical and medical profession in Chicago, and has attained a degree of eminence which is given to but few men. A distinguished gentleman who has known Dr. ( (wens long and closely says: " Dr. Owens stands in the front of his profession in which he is con- ceded to be not only a leader in Chicago, but to rank amongst the eminent surgeons of this coun- try. He is an indefatigable worker and an enthu- siast in his profession, devoting to it his ripe £ . 2?~z^--t-^-<--*/ BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. I8 5 experience, his untiring energy and his great skill. He is a man of broad reading, libera! culture and keen perceptions, to whom travel in this country and abroad, has been a potent factor in storing with knowledge a receptive and reflective mind. He is a clear thinker, a logical reasoner, and speaks well and to the point on any subject undi elation. He is genial in disposition and social by nature us impulses 1 with deliberate judgement and has a large circle of warm friends and admirers, both within and outside of the medical fraternity." Dr. John Edwin Owens is the son of a Maryland planter ami was born on his father's farm at Charlestown, Cecil county, in that State, on October 16, 1836. His parents were John and Martha I Black The former, although a graduate of Dickinson College at Carlisle. Pa., and in every way fitted for a professional avocation, preferred the life of a farmer. He had an extensive plantation, and, as was the universal custom in the South in those days, was a large slave holder. Soon after the the war Mr. Owens removed to Baltimore where ho died in 1874. The Owens family origin- ally came from Wales, the American branch hav- established by Dr. Owens' great grand- father, Jonas Owens, who came to lin- early in the present century. Dr. Owens passed his boyhood on the farm at Charlestown. and his first schooling was received in the private schools of that section. He next attended the West Not- academy and afterwards was a student at theElkton academy. His education . pleted under the direction of Edwin Arnold. LL. I)., at Mount Washington, Md., an after, he began the study . if medicine at Elkton with Dr. Justice Dunnott. and his son. Dr. Thomas J. Dunnott. the former at that time being considered the most skillfull surgeon in that section of Mary- Land. « in.' year of study under the Drs. Dunnott was followed by two full courses at the Jefferson Medical College. Philadelphia, from which he graduated in 1862. While at the col Owens took a special course in surgical anatomy and operative surgery, with Dr. D. Hayes Agnew. the distinguished surgeon of Philadelphia, and made rapid progress in his profession. For years it had been the practice in Maryland families, in accordance with the teachings and desires of their parents, for the sons, even when of the professions, to settle in their native county. Dr. Owens, under other conditions might have followed this rule, but tin- opportunities afforded in Cecil county for advancement in his profession were too limited to meet with the approval of a man of his strong ambition and liberal views. It was for this reason that he secured the position of resident physician at Blockley Hospital, in Phila- delphia, upon his graduation, and there he re- mained thirteen months. Dr. Owens tendered his to the hospital branch of the medical department of the Union Army early in 1863, and was sent I and assigned to duty in the military hospital there. Shortly after he was placed in chargeof the newly-organized St. Luke's Hospital, and is still senior surgeon of this insti- tution. Dr. Owens has been a prominent instruc- tor in Chicago medical colleges for many years. His first connection as a teacher with any medical college was as lecturer on the Surgical Diseases of the Urinary Organs from 1867 to ]s71 in Rush Medical College. In the same institution he lec- tured on the Principles and Practice of Surgery in the spring course from 1^71 to 1882. He was inted Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery hd resigned in 1882. He was appointed Professor of Principles and Practice of Surgery in the Woman's Medical Collegein 1877 and in 1883. In 1882 he severed Ids connection with Rush Medical 1 rof Oper- ative Surgery and Surgical Anatomy in the Chi- cago Medical College, -the medical department of the North Western University. In the fall of 1891 he was transferred from the chair of Oper- ative Surgery and Surgical Anatomy to that of the Principles and Practice of Surgery and Clini- cal Surgery in that college. Dr. Owens is a keen sportsman and fond of taking an occasional rec- reation with his does and gun. He is a mem- ber of the Tolleston Shooting Club, and of The Calumet Club. Chicago. Dr. Owens is a member of the American Medical Society, the Chicago Medical Society, the Chicago Medico-Historical Society, and a Fellow of tile American Surgical Association. For twenty years he has been the superintending surgeon of the Illinois Central Railway, and has been for a number of years tin- chief surgeon of the Chicago and Northwestern Railway. In addition to these- positions. Dr. Owens is tie Medical Director of the World's Columbian Exposition, his commission bearing date of June 1, 1891. Dr. Owens combii lent executive and administrative ability with his gnat professional skill, and these characteristics have contributed to his success in the organi- zation and supervision of the surgical departments of the great corporations by whom he is employed. The possession by Dr. Owens of these organizing [86 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. mill administrative qualities led to his selection tor the important and prominenl position of Medi eal Directorof the World's Columbian Exposition. This will afford him a wide field for the display of his powers of mind, his skill and executive ability. Dr. Owens was married on Dec. 30, 1869. to Miss Alethia S. Jamar, the daughter of Reuben I>. Jamar, of Elkton, Md. They have one child, a daughter Miss Marie Girvin Owens. EZRA B. McCAGG. One of the best known men in the literary and legal circles of Chicago is Mr. Ezra Butler Mc- Cagg, the descendant of a wealthy New York family. Mr. McCagg was born at Kinderhook, N. Y., on November 22nd, 1825, his father being Isaac McCagg, a prominent merchant. His mother was Mrs. Louisa Caroline (Butler) Mc- Cagg. For some veins the lad prepared for college under the mentorship of a neighboring clergyman, and then went to Hudson, N. V.. where he read law in the office of Monell, Hoge- booin & Monell. He was admitted to practice al twenty-one years of age. In the same year Mr. McCagg joined John Young Scammon in Chicago, and in 1849 the firm of Scammon & McCagg was formed. The firm was enlarged in 1859 by the admission of Hon. Samuel W. Fuller and did ;i very profitable business. In 1872, on the retire- ment of Mr. Scammon. a second change was made by the admission of Mr. W. I. Culver. The I'd lowing year (1873) Mr. Fuller died, and the linn became McCagg & Culver. Few lawyers more important practice than was en joyed by this linn almost from its start in 1849. In the many years of its existence it has been entrusted with some of the most intricate and real estate litigation ever brought before i Im Federal and State courts. Mr. McCagg has now virtually retired from practice, and although he has well earned the right to complete rest, he is forced at times to look after some close point on which his advice is especially desired. Promi- nent lawyers and .judges unite in voicing the opinion of the Chicago liar in public expression of Mr. MeCagg's ability as a lawyer and worth as a man. They pronounce him a thorough student, well versed in the law authorities, industrious in tic preparation of his eases, and vigorous in their trial. In court he is the same polished scholar as in private life; courteous to judge, to opposing counsel and to witnesses, but at the same time well equipped with a ready wit and unflinching courage to administer a stinging rebuke when needed. Mr. McCagg has a high respect for his profession and is unsparing in his contempt for charlatans. He is a Republican in politics, but is not a politician as the word is generally under stood. At the same time he is prominent in the councils of his party and gives earnest attention to mattersof government. Mr. McCagg has been tendered a non-partisan nomination for judge of the Supreme Court of Illinois, but refused it. owing to a dislike for active participation in politics. During the war Mr. McCagg was a member of the United States Sanitary Com mission, and was also president of the Xorth- Western Sanitary Commission, and in recogni- tion of his services as a patriotic citizen was elected a member of the Illinois Commandery of the Loyal Legion. He was the second person in the state in civil life thus honored, the first to be chosen to membership in this organization of military veterans being Hon. Elihu 11. Washburne. Mr. McCagg was the first president of the Lincoln Park board of trustees, mid has for ten vein's and more been president of the board of trustees of the Illinois Eastern Hospital lor the Insane. He was lor ;i long time a trustee of the University of Chicago, and is now a trustee of the Chicago Academy of Sciences and of the Chicago Astro- nomical Society. As a life member of the Chicago Historical Society he had much to do with its organization and management, especially up to the time of the tire in 1871. Mr. McCagg was for ten years an active member of the Chicago Relief and Aid Society, and for many years subsequent to the fire, during lour of which he was its presi- dent, was energetic in the distribution of in ■> and goods to the sufferers, and gave personal direction to the work. The destruction of Mr. McCagg'S library by this tire, the gathering of which had been to him a fascinating work of re- laxation from his professional labors, was a great loss, as many valuable and interesting historical papers relating to the settlement of the North west were burned. It was at that time oneof the finest in the country, and lie had made its collec- tion the labor of years. In literary circles Mr. McCagg deserved!) occupies a high position as he is one of the most thorough students in the west. He is & ready and accomplished writer on all subjects, whether in the field of belles lettres, or on the broader matters of political economy. 20 ^%^^^ ^U^c^^^ BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 18: Mr. McCagg is enthusiastic in the collection of historical papers, and has delivered many enter- taining lectures ami published a number of well prepared pamphlets on this and kindred topics. Of his general characteristics a distinguished contemporary says: "Mr. McCagg is one of the i in social life that this country has produced. II is, I think, more thoroughly acquainted with the modern literature of the world than any other man in the profession of whom I have knowledge. In the intervals of his professional lifenoman devotes more time to general literature than Mr. McCagg. His house is always open to his friends and no one leaves there without feeling glad that he had tin- privi icing there." CHARLES HITCHCOCK. HON. CHARLES HITCHCOCK, an eminent lawyer, for many years a leader of the Chicago liar, and in 1870 chairman of the Illinois State Constitutional Convention, was born at Sansoi . Plymouth county. Mass.. on April 4. 1827, and died at his home in Kenwood, a suburb of Chi- cago, on May 6, 1881. Mr. Hitchcock was of the seventh generation of his family in America, and sixth in descent from Luke Hitchcock, who came oyer from England about the year 1644 . tied in New Haven. His great grandfather, the Rev. Gad Hitchcock, who was a great grandson of the first settler of the came, was born at Springfield, Mass.. in 1710. and was graduati d at Harvard College in 1743. He became one of the ed preachers of his day, and a patriot whose stirring protests against tyranny were un- flinchingly hurled against the English authori- ties long previous to the declaration of independ- ence. One of his greatest patriotic outbursts, an "election sermon" delivered before the British governor. Thomas Gage, at Boston. May 25, 1771. became historical. In it he vigorously arraigned the British government for its conduct toward the colonists and made an eloquent plea for lib erty. When armed revolution came he promptly took the field as a chaplain in the ranks of the patriots, to whose cause he steadfastly adhered until his death. By Lis wife. Dorothy Angier. grand-daughter of Uriah Oakes, president of Har- vard College in 1680, lie had one son, Gad Hitch cock. Jr.. born in 1740. This son was graduated at Harvard College in 1768. He chose medicine as a profession, and establishing himself in the town of Hanson, became a practitioner of consid- erable note. One of his sons, named Charles. born at Hanson in 1704. was a farmer of high in- telligence and excellent standing, lb- was mar- ried to Abigail L. Hall in lvM. and died in l-<40. while his son Charles, the subject of this sketch, was attending college. The latter was well brought up and was given the best educational advantages. As a boy he attended the public schools at Hanson and the neighboring town of Pembroke. Even thus early his scholarship was so far above the average that his instructors felt warranted in predicting for him a brilliant future. In 1846 lie was prepared for college at Philips Academy. Here he fulfilled the promise of pre- ceding years, learning whatever he studied accu- rately and with the greatest facility. In 1S47 he entered Dartmouth College. It is said that his first recitation — the rendering of a classic text into idiomatic English — was so perfect as to elicit the applause of his prof essor and class- Uthough his studies were temporarily arrested during the sophomore year by the deaf) of his father, he resumed them s i afterwards, and in 18-VJ was qualified to accept the ; of instructor in Greek and Latin in an academy at Washington, D. C where also he lectured suc- cessfully on scientific subjects. He was thus en- gaged during tie greater part of a year, yet in that brief period he made such a favorable im- pression thai tor a long time thereafter his name was mentioned in educational circles at the national capital with the greatest respect. Not- withstanding his success as a teacher, the young man concluded that his vocation was in the law. and at the close of his engagements in Washing- ton he gave his attention wholly to legal study. After taking a course of instruction at the Dane Law School— the law department of Harvard College — he was. in 1854, admitted to the bar. Without much hesitation he decided to try his in the West, and selecting Chicago as a promising field of effort, he established himself in that city, and was soon absorbed in profes- sional work. Tn a few years he obtained a large and lucrative practice, and became recognized as one of the ablest of the younger members of the ii. His habits of study still continued, and at his office his leisure was given to p» i fecting his knowledge of the law-, while at home he cultivated with equal diligence his literary- tastes. His rise to the front rank at the Chicago BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. bar was very rapid, bul hi* advance was based on solid acquirements, and bis position once attained was indisputable. No! infrequent!) men imagine they have made a mistake in the choice of their life vocation, and so contenl themselves with performing their daily work in a perfunctory manner rarely exceeding mediocrity. .Mr. Hitch cock was not i. ne of these. He had no sooner entered upon professional duties than lie felt as- sured he had chosen wisely. He became more and more pleased with his choice as his duties enlarged and his responsibilities increased. His cast "I mind was eminently judicial, and he labored with great Eacility, accomplishing a vast amount of work in a wonderfully brief space of time. His reasoning powers were seldom at fault. Hi' reached conclusions rapidly. An eminent contemporary, speaking of his methods of prac- tice, said: " He knew just what to do to accomplish agiven professional result, and he did that and nothing more. If wisdom is the practical appli- cation of knowledge, then Mr. Hitchcock was pre-eminently a wise lawyer. It was because he so well knew what to do to attain success, and did only that, that his professional duties seemed to he performed with so little effort. He did more professional work with less friction and waste of powerthan anyman I have ever known." "There was rarely a day." says Mr. Charles A. Dupee, his law partner fur many years, "in which he did not find time for reading law for at least an hour or two. The latest law magazines or journals, the recent reports of the various states, the new text books, were always carefully ex- me, I by him as they appeared." Interesting or useful facts found therein were given place in his note book or laid away in his memory to be brought forth as occasion demanded. In this way, to quote the same authority, " his mind be- came a store house of systematized learning." Ranking among the very highest masters of jurisprudence in Illinois. Mr. Hitchcock was chosen a member of the state constitutional eon vention of 1S70. He had never before occupied a ii ii a legislative body, but while the conven- tion was composed of men who had occupied seats iii Congress, men who had sat upon the bench, and men who had served witli distinction in the Legislature, when the time came to selecl a chairman of the convention the wisdom Hi' that bod) pointed to Mr. Hitchcock as the right man for the place. It is the testimony of one of his distinguished associates that, "As chairman, his cool, deliberate, clear mind, and his entire freedom from partiality soon demonstrated that as a presiding officer he had few equals and no superiors." Independently of his duties as chair man he performed a large amount of valuable work in connection witli individual members of th mention, and in assisting the committees while they were engaged in maturing the different articles. Alter the great Chicago tire Mr. Hitch- cock was summoned by the governor of the state to a consultation as to the wisest way of adminis- tering state relief to the afflicted city, and his sug- gestion brought about the immediate rebuilding of the bridges of the city and many other much needed helps from the state. It isamost remark- able fact that at this time when all property lines were obliterated, and the usual legal documents also had been burned in the tire, Mr. Hitchcock's accurate memory was relied on in a large number of instances to establish title, his simple affidavit being accepted in place of the deeds. With his eminent standing in his profession, his spotless life, and his great hold upon the confidence of his fellow citizens. Charles Hitchcock might have as- pired to any office or honor in their gift, and had he lived would undoubtedly have been obliged to yield to the public demand in this respect. But failing health compelled him to decline to consider any and all overtures made to him in this regard, and during the later years of his life he withdrew from active practice, although he continued to take an interest in every g 1 work, public and private, down to the last days. "He laid down his life with the same calm courage he had borne it," dy- ing at his home in Kenwood on May G, 1881. His remains were interred in Oakwood cemetery, near by. It is seldom that the death of a private citi- zen has awakened greater public sorrow or called forth warmer eulogium. As a lawyer of com- manding ability, a scholar of ripe learning, a citi- zen without spot or stain, and the friend of youth, he was admiringly spoken of by the press and his former associates and compeers. At a meeting of the Chicago Biir Association, held on May 14th, 1881, to do honor to his memory, the leader of the Illinois bar testified to his eminent worth and distinguished talent. A former law partner of the deceased alluded in feeling terms to his warm in- terest in the younger members of the legal pro- fession, saying: ■■[•'.specially did he find time to aid young men young lawyers who came to him for advice and assistance. He always aided them generously and freely, and they found in him a real friend. His thoughtful consideration of others was shown in his treatment of the young men in the office, the £ Jf^ ^, /9 ^ O-r c^ BIOOIIAPHY OP ILLINOIS. 189 clerks and the Btudents. He suggested their course of reading, both legal and miscellaneous. He was solicitous for their health and advance ment and that their labors should be of service to themselves as well as to him. "His private life was pure and .-lean. No taint of dishonor or dishonesty ever touched him. His word was better than his bond. Be always spoke of his professional brethren with kindness and appreciatingly. Envy, uncharitableness and such qualities wen- whollj foreign to his nature. I never knew him to do a little act or an unkind one." Judge Erastus S. Williams, of Chicago, said of him: "For this, more than a quarter of a cen- tury, it can be said, in no disparagement of the living, but in simple justice to the dead. Charles Hitchcock had no superior at the bar or on the bench of this city. Primus inter pares is uo mean praise at a bar many of whose members have attained an enviable national reputation, but it was the position universally accorded to the de- ceased." The Hon. Chas. B. Lawrence, judge of the Superior Court of Illinois, paid eloquent trib- ute to his courtliness as a practitioner, "It is the theory of the law that the counsel who practice here air to aid the court in the ad- ministration of justice. I have known no member of our profession who has seemed to me more careful to conform his practice toa high standard of professional ethics than Charles Hitchcock. lb- never sought to lead the court astray in a mat- ter of fact or law. He would not endeavor to with- hold from it a knowledge of any fact appi the record, lb' would not cite, as an authority, an overruled case, without stating the fact that it had been overruled. He treated the court with the studied courtesy which is its due. and indulged in no malicious criticism because it arrived at a conclusion, in the decision of a case, different from that which he hoped to hear. Calm, digni- fied, self -controlled, free from passion or prejudice and overflowing with kindness, be gave to his client tlie service of great talent, unwearied in- dustry and a rare learning, but he never forgo! that there were certain things due to the court, to his own self-respect, and above all to do justice, and a righteous administration of the law. which neither the zeal of an advocate nor the pleasure of success would permit him to disregard. He was an able, faithful and conscientious minister in the temple of justice, as he was endeared, in private life to all who knew him by the simple nobility of his character." Melville W. Fuller, the present chief justice of the United States, said: "Charles Hitchcock possessed a mind of singu- lar precision ami power. It was in a marked de- gn e a judicial mind, capable of an impartial view of both sides of a question and of arriving at a just conclusion. In his practice he was abso lutely fair, never indulged in artifice or conceal- ment, never dealt in indirect methods, but won his victories, which were many, and suffered his defeats, which wen- few, in the open field, face to face with his toe. He achieved the highest dis- tinction and ho deserved it. lie was eminent as a lawyer, as a member of the convention which framed the organic law of the state and as its presiding officer. His spotless and exalted rep utation will be long remembered by the profes- sion and the community, and his memory be held precious l>\ his friends, while that which he ac- complished will live long after hisname is dimmed by the mists of years." Other bodies of distinguished citizens with which Mr. Hitchcock had been actively associated in life also recorded their testimony to his worth and services. Prominent among these was the Chicago Historical Society, of which he was one of the oldest and most respected members. Upon its minutes the following resolutions, with which this imperfect sketch of a modest but really great life milst close, were duly reeorded: "Banking among the yerj highest of those who have advanced the character ami learning of our jurisprudence. Charles Hitchcock was called as a lawyer in the state constitutional convention of 1 870 1 1 preside as chairman over its deliberations. The work of that convention in framing t lie present charter of our state government limiting the power of municipal corporations in this state to burden the people by an undue increase of taxes and in crease of debt, called out the applause of people ad at home. The fidelity of purpose and devotion to the public interest which that work manifested shed a luster upon its framers. Pub- lic opinion has since ratified the judgment pro- nounced that the constitution of 1870 is the best yet adopted of American stati nstitutions. But it is not alone as a servant of the state, in fram- ing ile constitution and laws of a free people, that Charles Hitchcock occupied the highest place among his contemporaries. As a lawyer and ad- vocate, the officer of courts engaged in the admin istration of justice, his highest place in the hearts of those who knew him will ever be found." HARVEY B. HURD. HON. HARVEY B. HURD. who ranks among er settlers of the city of Chicago, where he has spent the most of his life, having arrived there when little more than a boy. has been a prominent actor in some of the most interesting ev.ents of our Western history. He was born at Huntington, Fairfield county, Connecticut, on the 14th of February. 1828. His father. Alanson Hurd. was of English descent, and his mother was of mingled Dutch and Irish stock. If ever it could be said of any one that he made his way in life from poverty to a high and honorable station, it 190 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. is true of Harvey 1>. Surd. It is said of him that when he left I ! to seek out fortune for himself , he carried all his possessions tied up in a hand- kerchief, and that when some years later he arrived in Chicago his total wealth was half a dollar. Yet this poor boy w;is in after years l" acl a part which had no small influence upon the career of two states, and to mould the academic studiesof a generation of young American law yers. Until he was fifteen wars old. Mr. Eurd worked upon his father's farm during the summer months, and in winter attended Bchool. On the Brsl of May, 1842, he took leave of home and par ents and walked all the way to Bridgeport, where he obtained employment as an apprentice in the otliee of the Bridgeport Standard, a Whig news- paper. In the fall of 1S41 lie emigrated with a company of ten other young men to Illinois, and entered Jubilee College in Peoria county, then presided over by the Rev. Samuel Chase. Some disagreement occurred between him and the rev- erend principal after he had been at the college about a year, and he went to Peoria, where he looked in vain for employment. He therefore took his passage on a baggage stage for Chicago, where he soon obtained work in the office of the Evening Journal, then published by Wilson and 1 ri er, and afterwards on the Prairie Farmer. In the fall of 1847 he began the study of law in the office of Calvin DeWolf, and was admitted to the liar in 1S48. His Hist law partner wasCharles Haven, afterwards State's Attorney, and next Henry Snapp. afterwards Congressman from the Joliet District. From 1850 to lSoJ he practiced in partnership with Andrew J. Brown. This firm had large transactions in real estate, and were owners of 248 acres of land which they laid out as part of the village of Evanston. Mr. Hurd was one of the first to build in Evanston. He com- menced to build the house lie now lives in. in the summer of 1854, and moved into it in September, L855. At that time it occupied a block of ground, and is now one of the finest homes in that beauti- ful suburb. He enjoys the distinction of having been tin- first president of the village board. Mr. Hurd married in May. 1853, Miss Cornelia A. Hil- liard, daughter of the late Captain James Hilliard, of Middletown, Connecticut, and by this marriage had three daughters, Eda, married to <; -ge S. Lord, Hettie, who died in 1884, and Nellie, mar- ried to John A. Comstock. lb- again married on November 1. 1860, Sarah, widow of the late George Collins. He is now a widower, his last wife having died in January, 1890. Mr. Hurd was an ardent abolitionist, and took an active part in the stirring events that occurred in Chicago before and after the repeal of the Missouri Compromise in 1854. The immediate i sequence of this ac- tion of Congress was to throw the fertile soilof Kansas open as a prize to be contended for, both by the free and the slave states. The slavehold- ers of western Missouri crossed the border, driv- ing out many of the free-state settlers and killing others, pre-empted lands, and opposed the passage of emigrants from the free northern States through Missouri, compelling the latter to take a more cir cuitous route through Iowa and Nebraska. Dur- ing the spring and Bummer of 1855, Kansas was the scene of continual conflict between these par- ties: the ••border ruffians" of Missouri endeavor- ing to drive out the free-state settlers by murder and arson, and the free settlers retaliating. The cry of -bleeding Kansas" echoed through the North, and emigration societies were formed in the free states to aid. arm and protect free-state settlers. A com cut ion was held at Buffalo, N. Y.. at which a national Kansas commit tee was formed; and Mr. Hurd, who was a member of the conven- tion, became secretary of its executive committee. whose headquarters were at Chicago. He had for his assistant secretary Horace White, afterwards editor of the Chicago Tribune, now of New York city. In 1856 the crops in Kansas fell short. There was not seed enough of any kind to sup- ply the demand for the next year's planting. The committee met at New York and passed a resolu- tion instructing the executive committee in Chicago to purchase and forward the necessarj seed, and at the same time appropriated $5,000 to John Brown for the equipment of an armed com pany. Mr. Hurd found, on returning to Chicago that the funds in the hands of the treasurer were not sufficient to meet both requirements. He decided to buy and send on the seed. One hundred tons consisting of spring wheat, corn, potatoes, barley and other seeds were bought and forwarded to Kansas. When Brown applied for the money appropriated to him he found the committee's treasury empty. At Hist Gerritt Smith and other friends of Brown were inclined to Hnd fault « ith the action of Mr. Hurd. But in the meantime the free settlers had been waiting anxiously at Law rence, Kansas, for the seeds. They had been for- warded by a small steamer which was to ascend the Kansas River to Lawrence where the set- tlers assembled to receive them. The steamer was delayed two weeks by low water, and when at last it did arrive, the settlers were so overjoyed BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 191 that the wisdom of Mr. Hurd's course was amply vindicated. Had not this timely provision for raising a crop been made, settlers would have been obliged to leave Kansas. As it was. the tide of emigration from the free states kept on increas- ing, and the pro-slavery men. finding themselves overmatched, soon gave up the contest. In 1869 Mr. Hurd formed a partnership with Hon. Henry Booth, and at thi same I ace pted the position 1 r in the law department of the University of Chicago, which Mr. Booth hadhelped I ize three years before, and of which he was the principal. This firm was dissolved in 1868, Mr. Hurd retiring from active practice. In April, 1869, he was appointed by Governor Palmer one of three commissioners to revise and rewrite the general statutes of the State of Illinois. Bis col were Messrs. William E. Nelson of Decatur, and Michael Schaeffer of Salem. both of whom withdrew in a short time, leav- ing the burden of the work upon Mr. Hurd alone. He completed his task after the ad- journment of the Twenty-eighth General As- sembly in April. 1874. and was appointed by that body to edit and supervise the publication, which he has accomplished to the entire satisfac- tion of th the state. The labor which Mr. Hurd performed in this revision is such as only lawyers can fully appreciate. He had not only to compile into one homogeneous whole the various laws which from time to time had been enacted at the biennial meeti jjislature, but to adapt them to the new state constitution of 1S70. discarding old provisions which wen flict with it. and constructing new ones in con- formity P> it. J of his work was imme- diate. "Hurd's Revisi d Statutes '" is an indispen- sable work in every law office throughout the state, and in many public ofl 3tate edi- tion of 1874, of 15,000 copies, was soon exhausted and Mr. Hurd has been called upon to ed editions since, all of whichhave received the un- qualified commendation of the bar. In the sum- mer of 1- _ain elected to a chair in the Law School which had become the Union College of Law of the University of Chicago and the Northwestern University, and is now Prof essor of _. Practice, and Statutory Law in that in- stitution, it now being the law department of the Northwestern University. He has pation which is thorough!] congenial to him. He has always been a careful student, and his argu- ments of casi - higher courts were always models of clear and accurate statement of legal propositions, and logical reasoning. In his academic work he displays the same invaluable qualities, imparting to his classes a thorough understanding of principles, and training them to systematic and methodical habits. At the special election for a judge of the Supreme Court of Illinois, on the 11th of December, 1875, Mr. Hurd was nominated by the Republicans, hut was by T. L. Dickey, then corporation counsel of the city of Chicago. Mr. Dickey was a Demo- crat and had the entire support of that party: he had. moreover, the whole influence of the city administration: and to crown all he had the hack- ing of the railroad corporations, who were dis- :: Mr. Hurd for the stringent measures of railroad legislation which the General Assembly had enacted, which were contained in "Hurd's Revised Statutes." and with the framing of which he had much to do. By the aid of this powerful combination Mr. Hurd was defeated. Just before the election, a defama- tory pamphlet against him was published by a member of the same Church to which Mr. Hurd belonged: and though of too slight importance to influence the result, it was not a matter to be overlooked by Mr. Hurd, who had always borne an irri 1 character. The writer was tried, and convicted of slander and unchristian conduct by a church court to whom the case was submitted, and received theirformal censure. Mr. Hurd made man} friends by his fori .earing and Christian conduct towards his defamer. Since that time he has not again presented himself before th candidate for any office, ms to prefer the honorable retirement which he has so well earned, tin. line sufficient occupation in his academic duties, ami employing his leisure in the pursuits of a scholar. Mr. Hurd was one of six gentlemen elected to fill the vacancy in the board of county commissioners oi Cook county created by the resignation and conviction of members of that board for defrauding the county. He is credited with being the father of the new drainage system of Chicago by which the sewage of the city, instead of being, as now. dis- charged into Lake Michigan — the source of tin- water supply i-; to be carried into the Illinois river by means of a channel across what is known as the Chicago divide. While Mr. Kurd does not claim the credit of having first suggested such a channel — indeed it has long been talked of — he is without doubt the author of the plan of creating a municipal district from the city of Chicago — the Chicago Sanitary District, and getting it H). BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. adopted. Until be suggested this plan it was generally conceded that there was no way of the necessary money to construct the channel without an amendment to the constitu tion, tin- city ui' Chicago having reached the limit of its borrowing and taxing power. It was through Mr. Hurd's suggestion of this plan to Mayor Harrison that the Drainage ami Water Supply Commission, known as the Hering Com- mission, was raised. He was the friend and adviser of that commission and was the author of the first billon the subject introduced into the legislature in ISSti, known as the Hurd bill, which resulted in a legislative commission to further investigate the subject and present a bill. The bill reported by that commission and passed in 1887, although it differed in some respectsfrom the original Hurd bill, was in the main the same and was supported before the legislature by him ami his friends. He conducted the proceedings ior its adoption by the people of the district. It was adopted at the November election, 1887, by an almost unanimous vote. His residence outside the district, Evanston, although not a legal dis- qualification has in the minds of politicians ruled him out as a candidate for trustee, still he has not ceased to devote his energies for its success upon the broad scale originally designed. The plan as outlined is now in a fair way of being accomplished, and when it is it will no doubt be regarded as one of the grandest accomplishments of the age. It will at one stroke give to Chicago an excellent system of drainage, pure water and a magnificent water-way. connecting the great lakes with the Mississippi river and its tributaries, and with the Gulf of Mexico. Among the charities which receive Mr Hurd's attention and aid, are the Children's Aid Society of Chicago, whose work is the seeking out of homeless children and placing them in family homes, and the Conferen if Charities of Illinois, an organization composed of all charitable societies, lie is president of both of these societies. CLIFTON II. MOORE. CLIFTON II. MOORE, a prominent citizen and lawyer of Clinton, and one of tin- gnat landed proprietors of the state, was born in Kirtland, Lake county, Ohio October 26, 1S17. At that time the greater part of « hat is now Lake county was comprised within the limits of Geauga county, as then constituted. Mr. Moore comes of sturdy Revolutionary stock, being a grandson of John Moore, an American soldier who, as one of the de- fenders of Fori Stanwix. fought the British and their savage allies under St. Leger, and later going south with his regiment the First New York Infantry, commanded by Colonel Goose Van Schaick — served under Washington, and was present at the surrender of Lord Cornwallis at Vorktown. A son of the old-time hero, named Isaac Moore, the father of the subject of this sketch, came to ( )hio in 1811, married Miss Philena lilish, daughter of Benjamin Blish, of Painesville. Ohio, in 1816, and up to 1830 he resided in Kirt- land. Ohio. In the winter of 1830-31 the Mor- mons, under the leadership of their founder, Joseph Smith, being driven by public sentiment" from Manchester. N. Y., moved west and estab- lished themselves at Kirtland. which was to be the seat of the "New Jerusalem." They Milled in Mr. Moore's neighborhood, and his was the first farm they purchased from an "unbeliever." In part payment for his property Mr. Moore ac cepted a farm at Warrensville, Cuyahoga county. Ohio, whither he removed in the spring of 1831. in the winter of 1836-37 he sold this property and bought the Hawkins farm, in Mentor, Lake county, Ohio, within sight of the .Mormon Temple. He lived in Mentor and Willoughby until the summer of 1S78. when he came to Illinois to live with his children. He died in Farmer City. 111.. October |i. 1883, lacking a few months of being ninety years old. Although not a well-educated man in the modern acceptation of the term, Isaac Moore possessed rare attain- ments for one living on the borders of civiliza- tion and enjoying so few advantages. He was a great reader and a deep thinker, and was actuated throughout his long and useful life by the most honorable principles. It has been said of him that •• he was perhaps as good a man to bring up boys as is usually found in liny com- munity." Moral, intelligent, earnest and prac- tical, he was highh respected by his neighbors and associates, and was always esteemed as one of their leaders. While not a man of wealth, he was a substantial farmer, owning considerable land and live stock. His family consisted of eight children, of whom Clifton, the subject of this sketch, was the eldest. The latter gave early in- dications that he had inherited his. father's taste for books and reading. It pleased the elder Moore very much that his boy should take naturally to study, and he encouraged him to rffTi «r~ £ }& Ai c- 'i'/if irnlNn, . BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 193 persevere, and as an evidence of his g I will "gave him his time," as the expression runs, when he was in his eighteenth year. Being no longer obliged to remain on the farm. Clifton, con fident of making his own way if properly educated, devoted the Bret summer at his command, thai of is.;r,. to a thorough course of study, attending for that purpose a small school at Bedford, Ohio, pre- sided over by a worthy clergyman. Bedford was then a small village, about ten miles south of Cleveland, Ohio, ami remarkable for nothing be- fore or since, except that it is sometimes spoken of by those familiar with local events as the place of residence of two young ladies who refused offers of marriage from two men, each of whom afterward became President "f the United States. Tin' summer of 1837 was devoted to attending an academy at Parmington, Trumbull county, Ohio; and that of 1838 to attendance for cur term at Nelson Slater's Academy in Painesville, Ohio, and a course of study at tin- Western Reservi I - ac er's Seminary, held in the Mormon Temple at Kirtland. In the spring of is:;:i he Left for the West via Akron, Portsmouth, Cincinnati and St. Louis, finally stopping at Pekin. 111., about ten milis below Peoria, ami thru containing about the same population, but much more wealth. Here he at once engaged in teaching as a self- supporting occupation, and gave his leisure to the study of law. In the spring of 1840 he re moved to Tremont, then the county seat of Tazewell county, 111., ami was there employed as a deputy in the county ami circuit court clerk's office ami in the recorder's office. At the summer term of the Illinois Supreme Court, held in Springfield in 1841, he was admitted to the bar. ami in August of that year he removed to Clinton, De Witt county, 111., where he has since resided. The depressing effects of the panic of 1837 were still pretty generally felt, ami at this li busi ness in all departments was at a low ebb. The bankrupt law of 1841 gave lawyers some business, but not much money; ami as a rule those in the country were compelled, with their law practice, to take up some other occupation. In fact, from that day to this, outside of the greai cities, fen of them have acquired wealth by means of strictly professional labor. Some took to politics, holding office; others to dealing in real estate, ami not a few fell into improper practices. To an observing eye it was evident that the black prairie soil of central Illinois was destined, through its fruit- fulness, to become very valuable. Perhaps three- fourths of the land in McLean. Logan, De Witt and Macon counties belonged at this time to the government. The greater part of the land in Piatt. Champaign. Ford and Livingston counties had not as yet been entered. Mr. Moore clearly perceived the splendid opportunit) here presented for making a fortune. That it was not eagerly seized upon by others who. doubtless, were equally impressed by the possibilities, was due to the fact, presumably, that money was very scarce. Xot much of the land was entered until after the Mexican War. when each soldier was allowed a warrant nn-iin^ one hundred and sixty acres. 'I'le greater number of the Western soldiers selected their land-- in the section in which they lived, or verj nearby. In Ohio and in the East- ern and Southern states the soldiers, lor the most part, sold their warrants. Some of these were bought and located as low as sixty cents per acre. but the general price ran from seventy-five to ninety-five cents per acre. Had the subsequent turn of events been known, large fortunes could have been made in these lands in 1850. It was not until a year or two later that Mr. Moore be- gan his operations. As far back as 1841 he had made the acquaintance of a gentleman named David Davis, afterwards a judge at Bloomington, 111., but in later times a justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. As years went by his acquaintance with this gentleman ripened into a warm friendship, and subsequently he be- came his business partner. Their first joint operations in real estate took place in 1847 and ISIS. In August. 1852, when the land office at Danville. 111., was re-opened, after a close of about two years, in order to let the Illinois Central Rail - ■ impany select its land, the Arm of Davis & Moore commenced to enter and buy land ami con- tinued to do so in Illinois. Iowa and Missouri, until a short time before tin- death of Judge Davis, which occurred June 26th, L886. The firm of Davis A- Moore bi came widely known, and as it wielded considerable capital, and paid its obliga- tions promptly, its wealth was greatly exaggerated as is often the ease under like circumstances. It is a fact, nevertheless, that Mr. Moore is. to-day, the holder of an immense area of real estate, variously estimated as being from twenty thousand to forty thousand acres. His policy, from first to last, has been to add to his purchases as freely and frequently as his purse would allow, and to sell but little. When his operations began there at deal of land on the market for which no ready sale could be found. He bought all his resources would permit and retained it. adding 194 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. more u henever opportunity afforded. Mr. Moore has always been a hard worker. Even ;it the present day his application is untiring and he devotes as many hours to business as many much younger men. He was endowed with an iron con- stitution, and by judicious habits has preserved his health unimpaired. -His probity is inflexible and in a wide section he is respected as are but few successful men. Hisloyaltyto his friends is a marked trait. Between Judge Davis and him- self there, was the most cordial intimacy. His esteem for this great jurist grew with every year of his association with him. He regarded him as one nt' the truly great men of the nation — great in practical common sense, which he applied to all questions; andnoless great in financial mat- ters. Of his kindness and generosity he always speaks with feeling, well knowing, through his close association with him, that for many years of his life he regularly gave half of all he earned to his relatives and the poor. When Judge Davis' name was mentioned in connection with the presi- dential nomination, Mr. Moore enthusiastically upheld the idea, and then, and always since has declared that he would have made one of tin- ablest executives this country lias ever had. In this trait Mr. Moore followed him closely, being himself a man of most generous impulses. A dis- tinguished financier of Illinois, speaking of Mr. Moore's character in this respect, has said: "1 have known him to befriend and give pecuniary aid to those who were embarrassed and who were his bitterest enemies in their days of prosperity." Mr. .M -e makes no open profession of religion and is identified with no church, yet his good works are unremitting. He still retains his early fondness for 1 ks and has acquired a noble library in which may be found the elassics of all tongues, and the best literature in the English language. In this splendid collection he takes great pride, and some of Ins happiest moments are spent within the walls which enclose it. It is said that his collection of works on ancient and modem history and poetry is not surpassed by any private collection in the state. Mr. Moore is also deeply interested in art, and is a discriminating but generous patron of artists and engravers. His collection of pictures is a notable one, and his etchings are both numerous and valuable. Thousands of dollars have been spent by him in the gratification of this intellectual taste. The consequence is that his literary and art treasures. together, form now one of the leading private collections of Illinois. An upright, intelligent and remarkably active man. even to this day (IS'.liii, he transacts business personally with a rigor and snap which would do justice to one of half his age. To energy and application he owes his success; and he wears his honors and enjoys his achieve- ments with modesty and imperturbability. He is interested in a number of mechanical ventures, and is connected in an official or semi-official way with ! of the leading monetary institutions of his section. By all he is recognized as an upright business man. a cultivated gentleman, and a worthy citizen. He has been twice married. His first wife, to whom he was united ou August 1 1th. 1845, was Miss Elizabeth Richmond, a daughter of Horace Richmond of Tremont, Illinois. This ladj died ,m May 30th, 1872, leaving two children both now living, viz.. Mr. Arthur Moore, a farmer having the care of his father's lands ami stock. of Clinton, and Winnifred, now the wife of Major Vespasian Warner, also i if Clinti m, and her father's law partner. On July 26th, 1874, Mr. Moore was married to Miss Rose Onstine, daughter of George Onstine of North Amherst. Lorain county, Ohio. GEORGE SCHNEIDER. GEORGE SCHNEIDER, president of the National Bank of Illinois, was born in Pirmasens, Rhenish Bavaria, on December 13, 1823. His father was Ludwig Schneider, and his mother was Josephine Schlick, both of them members of good old Bavarian families. George Schneider received his early education in the Latin school of his native town. He remained at home until he reached his majority, when he engaged in journalism. His native province was at that time in a state of revolution, and Mr. Schneider wielded his pen with strong antagonism against the domination of despotism. It was not long, however, before he began to feel that the situa- tion demanded the exercise of a more powerful weapon, and he ad. led the weight of his sword to that of his quill. But when the Prussians came to the assistance of the Bavarian monarchy Mr. Schneider knew that he was engaged in a hope- less struggle, and that it would be only a question of time when his liberty, and in all probability his life, would be forfeited by his opposition to the tyrants then in power. He knew that America, tin- land of the free, was ready with open arms to receive the oppressed, and he determined to make thai country his future home. After an un- "°f^r\ ■".:.: :.■-'■■•■ ..- BIOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS, J 95 eventful voyage he arrived in New York, in July. 1849. He had come to the New World, and was possessed of a too progressive spirit to remain in the older centers of civilization and there work out thr problem of his life. Hi- heard the stories of the great West, and the possibilities of that region were enticing to a man of Mr. Schm ider's disposition. He soon left the Empire State, and made his way to Cleveland. Remaining there but a short time, hi' pushed on further west ward, halting at St. Louis. Missouri, ami more particularly its chief city, had a strong German element in its population, and then- Mr. Schnei- der found a somewhat congenial society. His journalistic proclivities led him to start a news- paper, and the Neue Zeit was the child of his en- deavor. The paper became very popular with the people among whom it circulated, and was a power in its strong advocacy of anti-slavery prin- ciples, even in thai Southern state. Its life was short, however, for some time in 1851 the plant was destroyed by fixe. The Staats Zeitung was at that time being published in Chicago by Robi rt Bernhard Hoeffgen. It was a weekly, and had onlj been in existence since 1848. It was therefore in its infancj when Mr. Hoeffgen invited George Schneider to come to Chicago and take its editor ial management. The invitation was ,,■ and on August 25, 1851, Mr. Schneider I. connection with the stunts Zeitung. He pre- served this connection until 1862. The history of the paper during those years is the history of Mr. Schneider. His own individuality clearly marked every sti'p taken, and the policy of the paper was that laid down by him. Upon assuming the ed- itorship he made the paper a daily, and toward the end of 1852 enlarged it. and its circulation began rapidly to grow. Mr. Schneider was not content to he merely a worker, and he therefore negotiated for a half interest which he succeeded in obtaining, and became co-publisher with Mr. Hoeffgen. In 1854 they inaugurated an innova- tion in the publication of a daily in Chicago. In that year they commenced the issuing of a Sun- day edition. This was the first Sunday paper published in Chicago, and was the hist of all the dailies to oppose the Nebraska bill, and spread anti slavery doctrines. On January 29, 1854, Mr. Schneider convoked the first public meeting to oppose that obnoxious measure. The meeting was held at Warner's Hall, on Randolph street. near Clark. That was probably the first public meeting held for this purpose in the United States. Resolutions were passed which embodied the sentiments of those participating, and their weight was such that when copies were sent to John Wentworth, then member of Congress from Illinois, lie voted adversely to the bill. Mr. Wentworth's vote was the first Democratic ballot cast against the measure. One of the important results of this celebrated movement was the organization of the Republican party, and it may be fairly claimed that Mr. Schneider, through the st, i, its Zeitung, was to no small extent responsi ble for its formation. The strong position the paper took-, its adherence to the Buffalo platform, the bitter tight it made against the bill and against slavery, are matters now of national his- tory. The friends of these measures became the rancorous enemies of the paper, and during that year an angry mob attacked the office. Mr. Schneider was not without friends, and he had many offers of assistance. He. however, declined them, saying he felt entirely able to resist an attack, should one be made. He said that while he controlled the paper he would defend it. and he thoroughly armed all his assistants in the office. So determined a front did Mr. Schneider assume that the mob was cowed, and retired without perpetrating any violence. During the following year another ineffectual attempt was made to mob the office, through the bitterness of feeling which grew out of politics, but the armed neutrality which the paper maintained prevented anything worse than threats assailing its walls. Mr. Schneider was a warm and personal friend of Abraham Lincoln, and these two labored together. At the editorial convention held in Decatur in Is.V, resolutions against the Nebraska hill and against the principles of the then forming Native American party, supported by Governor Palmer, Mr. Lin- coln. Norman B. Judd, and others, were offered by Mr. Schneider, and they were passed amid greal excitement and under the special advocacy of Mr. Lincoln, who stated to his Whig friends that -'the resolutions of Mr. Schneider contained nothing which had not been said in the Declara- tion of Independence." No born American citizen was more thoroughly imbued with the war spirit than was Mr. Schneider. He acted the part of patriot to the country of his adoption as earnestly and honestly as if it was genuine Yank- which coursed through his veins. He looked upon the rebellion as the one natural result of slavery, and he had for years boldly and clearly let his position upon this subject be known. He labored with his paper, and was one of the most active members of the Union defence committee for the M)t) BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. advancemenl of the Republican partj and for the thorough prosecution of the war. He raised a feeling of interest among the Germans of the West, and the history of the war tells what noble work the Germans did toward helping to save the Union. Mr. Schneider \\ as a mi mber of the National Republican Convention, which, in nominated General Fremont for President, and also of the convention which, in 1860, nomina- ted Mr. Lincoln. In the spring of 1861 he was appointed by President Lincoln as Consul to Den- mark, to promote the interests of the Union in Europe and after ! iplished his mission he resigned and returned to the United States. He was then made collector of internal revenue for the 1st District of Illinois. Mr. Schneider remained in that office four years, discharging his duties with marked ability and scrupulous fidelity. His administration was also noted bj hii selection of subordinates. They were chosen for their effi- ciency alone; partisanship was not permitted for a moment to have any influence in his selections. In 1862 Mr. Schneider sold his interest in the st,mt~ Zeitung, in order to devote his i ntire time to the duties of his office, and when his term expired he found himself practically out of business. But this was only for a brief period. The State Sav- ing Institution just at that time needed such a man as Mr. Schneider as its chief executive, and he was unanimously elected to that office. He retained his position in that institution until 1871, when the National Bank of Illinois was organized. Mr. Schneider was elected its first president and still tills that position. This bank is one of the most conservative, prosperous and influential in the state. Mr. Schneider's occu- pancy of the presidential chair for twenty one years is certainly, ample testimony to the high appreciation the stockholders have of his ability. As in his management of the Stoat z Zeitung in earlier years, it is Mr. Schneider who defines the policy of the bank, and its success is the most certain indication of his ability as a financier. In addition to the public positions already men- tioned Mr. Schneider was. in 1876, appointed bj President Hayes as Minister to Switzerland, but declined the position. In 1880 he was an i at largefor Illinois on the Garfield ticket. He has ever labored for the 1 >>tty well scattered over the country from what they ambig- uously term "the earliest period," but the genea- logical tree traces from Richard Farwell of York- slim-, who in the reign of Edward I.. (1280), married the heiress of Elias de Rillertone. The American branch of the family was founded by Henry Farwell who came to this countrj earlj in the seventeenth century, and was one of the first settlers at Concord, Muss., which was incorporated September 2nd, 1635. Tin- annals of the colonies show that from that time on, the Taiw- an important people, holding many places of honor in the government and being prominent in church, military ami civic matters. It was a hardy and thrifty family, and by 1820 had spread into nearly every part of the New England and Easti in Stat s, and had become closely identified with the history of the many communitii which its members mingled. John Villars Far- well, better known as John V. Farwell, Sr.. is a nit. in the seventh generation, of the Henry Farwell above mentioned. Mr. Farwell was born on July 29th, ls-_T>. at Campbelltown, Steuben county. N. V.. where his parents had re- moved from Massachusetts in 1820, and was the third son of Henry and Nancy (Jackson) Farwell. His father was a farmer in moderate circumstances and John Y. Farwell's boyhood was passed in the manner common to others in the same station, the summers being given to work and the winters to stud] in the district schools. In ls.'is when he was thirteen years old. the family removed to Ogle county. Illinois, and three years later he I.e. gan a course of study at the Mount Mori nary. Realizing that it would lie probably, his onlj opportunity to obtain an education and being resolved to tit himself for a mercantile life, the young man brought to his studies 1 decisive energy and force of will that have always predominated in the family, and became an expert in mathematics, bookkeeping and their kindred branches. It was in the spring of 1845 that Mr. Farwell. then barely twenty years old. but im- pelled by an ambition to try his mettle in the business world, went to Chicago. No man who has achieved success can say more truthfully than Mr. Farwell. thi his battle of life with- out a dollar. He was forced to depend entirely upon his own resources and he literally worked his passage to Chicago as one of the hands in A a load of wheat. When Mr. Farwell left home his father gave him three dollars, probably all the money lie had. This he spent for expenses and food on the trip to Chicago, so that he arrived there with-. ut a dollar in his pocket. .Nothing daunti at once to look for employment, which he soon obtained in the city clerk's offici irj of $12.00 per month, with the privilege of reporting the proceedings of the council ii' $2 eting. In his honesty, how- ever, Mr. Farwell too accurately and minutely I the meetings of the city fathers, and he as soon deposed from his position. To tin- annoyance and chagrin of the Aldermen this did little good, as Mr. Farwell continued hisreports. Soon after his dismissal from the servi- city, Mr. Farwi d as bookkeeper ami salesman with the tirmof Hamilton A White, dry ■ rchants, where he remained one year at the princely salary of 18.00 per month. During this time. Mr. Farwell had many opportunities to improve his position, but he had contracted to work for one year and considered himself bound todoso. At the expiration of his twelve months service, he was employed by Hamlin & Day. who 1 in the dry goods business. This seemed to be a particularly fascinating line of trade to Mr. Farwell and he made rapid progress in it. His attention of Wadsworth & Phelps, another dry goods firm, and he was en- them at a salary ol 1 ar which in those times was very libera) pay. Mi. Far- well's entrance upon the singularl} successful Career which has since made him famous, may be said to date from this engagement. He brought to his duties an untiring energy, a thorough knowledge of tin- business and a strict integrity - qualities which were quickly recognized by his employers and rewarded by timely promotions. In 1850 Mr. Farwell was made a partner in the firm, the nam.' of which in the meantime had been changed to Co.. ley. YYadsworth A- Co. When Mr. Farwell modestly assumed a proprietary interest in the business, the house of Cooley. Wadsworth BIOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS. & Co. was doing a trade- of n..t more than slim. in 111 a year. Now the great establishmenl of the John V. Farwell Company, which lias succeeded it. has a business of full} 520,000,000 a .war. and fre- quently sells as man) g Is in one daj as the parent firm handled in a year. The first change in the title was in 1860, when it became Cooley, Parwell & Co Afterward Mr. Marshall Field and Levi Z. Leiter were taken into the partnership, and the firm became Farwell, Field & Co. The n, \ I change was iu 1805. when the name of J. V. Farwell & Co. was adopted. From that time to the present Mr. Farwell has 1 o the leading and controlling spirit of the business, and under his guidance and by his advice their eminent position in the mercantile world has been attained. The only change which Mr. Farwell has made which betokens in any way a disposition to retire from this active control was when, on January 1. 1891, the business was passed to the stuck corporation known as the John V. Farwell ( Jompany. Several in, ii who have Income famous in the commercial world, prominent among whom are Marshall Field. L. Z. Leiter and H. N. Higinbotham, received much of their early business training while in the employ of Mr. Farwell. He is a man of strong religious principles and com ictions. He became a member of the Methodist Church when he was fourteen years old. and one of his first acts when he began to earn money for himself was to con- tribute to the church one-half of his first j salary. The sum was small, but it doubtless caused the giver many hardships, as he had his own expenses t< i pay ami had just formed a reso- lution to accumulate an honest fortune. The principle thus established, however, has never since been departed from, and Mr. Farwell has been for many years known as a generous patron of every worthy institution and cause. The Young Men's Christian Association of Chicago owes its prosperity largel) t,. his liberality in money matters and his earnest and enthusiastic work as a member of the organization. His 1 1 wealth, his time and his influence are used unsparingly in everything which tends to advance the condition of the association. Mr. Dwight L. Moody, when he conceived, in lsoO. the founding of the Illinois Street Mission for the reclaiming of street waifs and outcast children. had in Mr. Farwell a most hearty and substantial supporter. For ten years Mr. Farwell served as superintendent of the mission, and under his ad- ministration it has grown into a church andSun- day school of large proportions. He is mm one of the trustees of the Chicago Evangelization Society, which was organized by Mr. M ly for the purpose of giving poor young men who have no church advantages a practical training for re- ligious work. This same Christian spirit was com picuous in Mr. Farwell during the Civil War. when he was prominent iu many ways, with i iej and with untiring devotion in the work of the celebrated Sanitary and Christian Commis- sions, the labors of which among the sick and wounded soldiers, and on the battlefields, form some of the brightest pages of our country's his- tory. He was also foremost in the recruiting of the Hoard of Trade regiment and in the raising of the slO.OOO for its equipment. Mr. Farwell has seldom taken an active interest in politics, hut lias been selected for positions of high honor a number of times. Once was in 1861. when he served as a presidential elector tor Illinois on the Republican (Lincoln) ticket: and again in 1869, when President Grant named him as a member of the Board of Indian Commissioners. It was as the presidential elector for the first congressional district of Illinois that Mr. Farwell made, 'in writing, a fore, 'f\d and eloquenl presentation of his political views, in which he classed himself as a "Democratic Republican - Abolitionist," and gave in unanswerable argument his reasons for being of that faith. Mr. Farwell has been a vice president of the Board of Trade, and has been in other ways designated by his fellow-citizens for preferment. Mr. Farwell has been twice mar- ried. His first wile was Abigail G. Taylor, daugh- ter of John G. Taylor, of Ogle county. 111., to whom he was wedded in 1849. This Mrs. Farwell died in 1851, leaving one daughter. InMarch. L854, Mr. Farwell married Emeret C.< !ooley,of Hartford, Conn., by whom he has a family of four children, three sons and one daughter. Of the sons, John Y. Jr.. is the manager of the newly incorporated John Y. Farwell Company; Frank Cooley is iu the credit department, and Arthur Lincoln in the buj in-, department, of the same house. Mr. Far- well's home is a beautiful but modest one. and in it peace and contentment and true Christian charitj hold undisputed sway. The same indom it able and fearless personal traits of character that influenced the Richard Farwell of 800 years igo to deeds of prowess are there, but softened and turned to a better purpose by the mellowing hand of time and the advantages of a refining civilization. A fair example of Mr. Farwell's character was given in a speech made by him at a meeting of Chicago business men, just after the '"^y JlW'C*' BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS 20I great fire of October, lsTl, had driven many of them to the verge of bankruptcy. Mr. Farwell'e firm was among the heaviest losers, but he dis- countenanced in Btrong language all idea of taking unfair advantage of the disaster in dealing with creditors. "Every man." he declared, " must pay to tlu> full extent of his means ami begin anew the work of making Chicago the commercial and financial center of the whole Northwest." This characteristic speech made a strong impression upon his fellow-merchants. Mr. Parwell's advice was followed, and how well it was given the phenomenal success of his own firm, and that of thousands of others, will bear witness. ARTHUR G. BURLEY. ARTHUR OILMAN BURLEY, foul head of the oldest mercantile establishment in - and one of the earliest settlers of that city, was born at Exeter. New Hampshire, Oct. 1. 1812. The Hurley family in this country is descended from Gdes Burley, who came from England in 1GIS and settled at Ipswich, Massachusetts, where, in 1668, he is shown by the records t" have lieei ■ a laud owner. At a late period some of his descendants settled in New Hampshire, and at Exeter, in that state, James Burley, the father of the subj cl oi this sketch, was born during the lasl quarter of hteenth century. He learned the trade of cabinet making, and for some years conducted a flourishing business on his own account. In later life he became interested in financial affairs and was chosen cashier of the Exeter Hank. Hi- was E some means and of excellent business standing, and was highly respected. Arthur was t child. He was brought up al eived a good education in the local schools. In the spring of 1835, lie journeyed wesl to the flourishing village of Chicago. In these days of "lightning express " trains it is not without inter est to note the method of transportation to this prairie settlement at that early day, long before Horace Greelej gave his famous advice, " j young man. go west!" The following itinerary of the trip as made by .Mr. Hurley's brother, Mr. ■ H. Burley, in 1837, and as described bj the latter in a speed le by him at the Calu- met Club in Chicago, in .May. 1891, maj b ted as a g I description of the journey made by Mr. Arthur G. Hurley two years previously. "From Exeter, in New Hampshire, to Boston by ■■eh; thence by railroad to Providence, where a steamboal was taken for New York. Thence by a steamboat to Albany, where by com- partment cars the journey was continued toUtica. These ears had substantial oak seats and each pas- senger furnished his own cushion. From Utica rapid transit to Buffalo was secured by means of canal packet boats. As stea rs at the time could not gel int., or out of Buffalo harbor on account of ice. the journey was continued in a box lumber wag.m. thirty -two miles, through deep mud. to Silver Creek, where a steamboat was taken for Detroit. At the latter place the option was afforded of talcing stage or private team for and the journey thither was seldom made than seven days." When the subject of this sketch leached Chicago it had a population of between three and four thousand. The houses wen mostly plain wooden structures, some of lo^; and the brick buildings did not exceed a dozen in number. The whole of the land was low and wet except along the lake shore. The business of the place was mostly done on South Water street west of Slate street, although within a couple of years afterwards there were thri r four stores on North Water street east of Walott. now North State street. The "dry goods district" was on Lake street. Young Burley took a lett( rof intro duction with him. but as he succeeded without difficulty in securing employment, he did not present it. His first position was a clerkship in of John Holbrook. dealer in boots, shoes and clothing, which he held two years. lb- was next employed as a clerk by Stephen F. Gale, dealer in stati i\ and books, whose store was on Water street. Writing of those times and the people contemporaneous with them the editor of •■The Story of Chicago " says: -The book and stationery store ol Steven Gale and Augustus Hurley, was the only one of its kind in the whole district ami was the natural ing place of all the more intellectual members of society, who talked, read the papers and played chess there, by hours together." After he had worked here faithfully about a year he invested his savings, amounting to several hundred dollars, in a stock of crockery, secured at i from the State Bank of Illinois, which had taken it in payment of a claim. With this stock he began business a lei;, merchanl in April. 1838, and the establishment of A. G. Hurley A Co., thus founded, has continued under the sa name, down to the present time,— a period exceeding fifty-four years,— and in point 202 BIOGRAPHY OK ILLINOIS. of age has qo rival in the city of Chicago. The business, which w;is wholesale and retail from the beginning, was at first conducted in a building at the corner of La Salle and Lake streets. Burnt out in 1812. Mr. Burley, with a new partner, st a it ril again at No. 105 Lake street. Managed with extraordinary enterprise and on principles as hon- orable as they were wise, the business developed rapidly and in time became one of the most flour- ishing in the city. In 1884, the Arm was incor- porated as a stock company, retaining its original and honored title. Upon the reorganization Mr. Burley became president of the retail branch of the business, which had grown to such gigantic proportions as to require the whole of the large es- tablishment on State street; and also vice-president of the wholesale branch, then permanently estab- lished in the large store on Lake street, his part- ner, Mr. John Tyrrell, becoming the vice-presi- dent of the former and president of the latter. Although its beginning was very modest, the house of A. (i. Hurley & Co.. was not long in winning its way to prominence among the lead- ing business firms of the city. From the first, lair and honorable dealing was relied on to build up its trade and reputation; and the consequence was that not only in Chicago but in a wide extent of surrounding territory its name soon became synonymous with every mercantile virtue. Its patronage was limited to nosection, nationality or class, but was drawn in almost equal proportions from all. In fact the house was transacting a metropolitan business long before the city had arrived at the distinction of classification as a metropolis. Back of the splendid success achieved by this house, and constituting one of its unfail- ing sources of success, was the untiring enterprise of its now venerable founder. One of the few sur- vivors of that noble colony of young New Eng- enders, in "the thirties", who brought their sturdy vitality, thrifty habits, shrewdness and energy to aid the fortunes of the struggling prairie village that Chicago then was, Mr Burley is not only the founder of a leading business house but also one of thefoundersof America's greatesl inland city, and in the latter capacity a historic person age. From the day the house of A. G. Burley & Co. was first organized, more than half a century ago, down to the present time, Mr. Burley has been at the head of its affairs, controlling and di- recting them with sagacity and enterprise. The panics of two generations have failed to shake its foundations or its credit. Even the great tire of 1871. in which this house suffered heavily with the ot hers, caused but a temporary interruption in its business. Within sixty days after the calamitous event the firm hail paid every one of its creditors, including those in Europe, and hail alreadj started on a new era of prosperity based on a still broader foundation than at first. For years the house has enjoyed a wide reputation for the excellence and beauty of its wares; and of late its European importations have been of the richest and most artist ic character. Vigorous and hearty, despite his years, Mr. Burley still contin- ues to direct the great retail business which he founded, and it is doubtful if in the whole city there is a more progressive merchant. Ever since Mr. Burley established himself in Chicago he has manifested a high order of public spirit. His ad- vice, personal services and private means have been liberally given to aid every worthy public movement. The numerous splendid institutions which have grown up about him during the half century of his mercantile activity, have received his cordial encouragement and generous support, and of many of them he is an honored member. In his early life Mr. Burley was an enthusiastic member of the volunteer fire department. ejviiiL: to its work twelve years' active service. Many years ago he joined the Masonic order, and since 1849 he has been the treasurer of Oriental Lodge of Chicago. He was one of the original members and builders of the Church of the Messiah ( Unitarian I. which was founded in 1836 (now located at the corner of Twenty-third street and Michigan ave nue), and is still a member and regular attendant. He is likewise a member of a number of the lead- ing social organizations of Chicago, including the Calumet, Chicago and Washington Park Clubs. In all circles he is known and respected as an hon- orable merchant, a high-minded gentleman and a progressive and public-spirited citizen: and as one of the pioneer business men of Chicago, lie is held in affectionate regard by the the newer gen erations of his compeers, who gratefully recognize the heavy debt of gratitude which the splendidly developed city and its colossal enterprises owe to the untiring labors of the venerable men who have devoted their lives to laying the foundations upon which this brilliant, modern superstructure of success, wealth and power has been erected. Mr. Burley was married on Sept. 21, 1849, to Miss Welthyan L. Harmon, of Burlington, Vermont. who settled in Chicago with her parents in July. 1831. This esteemed lady enjoys the honorable distinction of being tl Idest female resident of Chicago living to-day. *s* m^ ) 19-zrl BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. CO: SILAS B. COBB. The history of Silas B. Cobb is largely identi- fied with that of the ,-it\ of Chicago, and no record of either man or cotnmunitj would be complete without full mention of both. A resident of Chi- cago since 1833, Mr. Cobb has seen the little mil- itary post of Port Dearborn, which he found here at that time, grow to a magnitude and power of which his fondest hopes never, until recent years, conceived. He is one of the Eew men now living whocansay with perfect truth: ■■This is a part of my life work: with my own hands I have aided in the building up of this great city; my faith in it was strong from the lirst. and I have the same just pride in its advancement that a father takes in the prosperity and welfare of his child." Mr. Cobb is one of the oldesl and most widely known business men of Chicago, where he has moneyed interests of great magnitude. He is now a man of eighty, but stronger in mind and bodj than most men of three score, and intensely acute and active in all the cans of business or the demands of domestic life. The Buccess which he lias achieved should be a spur to the ambition of ev- erj boj in this country, latter how poor or lowly. Mr. Col, I, is the son of Silas W. Cobb, and a native of Vermont, having been born in Montpelier, January 23rd, 1812. His mother, whose maiden name was Hawkes, died when Silas was an infant, and the boy, bereft of maternal care, had to depend, even in his tender years. largely upon his own resources. At an age when most lads are deep in their school studies. Silas was an assistant to his father in the latter's ever g vocations. He Eound a living by turns in farming, in tanning, and in tavern-keeping, but when the son became old enough, sent him to a shoemaker to learn that trade. This useful in- dustry, however, was quickly given up for that of harness-making which the lad found more to his liking. As was the custom in those days, young Silas was regularly apprenticed or "bound out" for a term of years, hut had served only twelve months when Ids employer sold out his shop and business. The new proprietor recognized in Silas a valuable aid ami at once laid claim to him as a part of the chattels he had bought. Abolition was n.it then s.i much discussed as it was in after years, and there was usually but little question ..f the master's right to control the services of an apprentice. Silas was only eighteen years ..1.1. but his independence and indomitable spirit, which was in a large degree responsible for his after successes, fired him to the declaration that "in this case the nigger docs not go with the plantation." The newcomer was forced to make another contract with Silas and on much more liberal terms than those of the original agree- ment. When this contract was fulfilled Mr. ( '..lit, worked as a journeyman harness-maker in Mont- pelier and other Vermont towns, t'. the satisfac- tion of all his customers. There was not the money in the business, however, that Mr. Cobb had the right as a skilled workman to expect: nine months, .f hard work and frugal living left him hut 560.00 of savings and he resolved to go west. At this time he was twenty-one years old. a sturdy, self-reliant young man. hopeful of the future and fearless of the present so long as health favored him. Oliver (Joss of Montpelier. was forming a company to take up some govern- ment land which he had. in a previous expedition, located near what is now Chicago. The journey was then a long, wearisome and expensive "lie. and Mr. Cobb, Sr„ was opposed to his son's un- dertaking it. But the young man persisted and one tine day. having made his way with the rest of Oliver Goss' party to Albany, he took passage on an Krie canal packet for Buffalo. When he reached the latter city Mr. Cobb found that, al- though he had been careful in all his expendi- tures, there was but seven dollars of his little capital of sixty left. The price of passage toChi cagoby the schooner Atlanta, was just seven dol- lars, but this did not include board, as each pas- senger had to provide his own provisions. To most men this would have been an almost insur- mountable barrier, as the trip between Buffalo and Chicago was often a matter of three or four weeks time. But as Mr. Cobb relates, lie was bound to get through, even if In- had to walk or swim, and going boldly to the captain of the bc] ner he explained his condition. To his sur- prise the captain told him to buy what provisions led for the journey and the remainder of the seven dollars would be accepted as passage money. This seemingly kind offer was accepted andMr.Cobb came to Chicago on the Atlanta. They had an unusually boisterous voyage andhad been live weeks on the water when the schooner dropped anchor in this port. The youngpioneer was. of course, anxious to get ashore at once, but to his disgust the captain detained him on the pre- text that the rest of the passage money was due. It was in vain that Mr. Cobb reminded the tricky mariner of the bargain make in Buffalo; he was obdurate and for three days the captive was tan 204 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. talized bj the sight of the promised land he could not reach. Thru a deliverer appeared in the per son of a generous stranger who went aboard the schooner to take passage bark to Buffalo, and on being told of Mr. Cobb's plight, paid the claim of the extortionate captain and released him. The Chicago at which Mr. Cobb landed, May 29th, Is:;;;, was a log-hut settlement, populated bj about one hundred whites and half-breeds and seventy soldiers. On that day he was actually penniless, his last penny having been given to the captain of the Bchooner at Buffalo. James Kinzie was about constructing a rude building of logs and unplaced boards which he called a hotel. He needed a boss carpenter, and Mr. Cobb, who was compelled to get work i if si ime kind, applied fi ir the job, although he knew nothing whatever of that trade. Fortunately no questions were asked and Mr. Kinzie gave him charge of the work at two dol- lars and seventy-five cents a day. which Silas con- sidered very good wages at that time. With the first monej earned he repaid his kind deliverer. His pluck and natural shrewdness and ability car ried him along successfully until a meddlesome yankee, who coveted the position, underbid him fifty cents a day on wages and clinched it by an exposure of the young man's ignorance of the building trade. With the monej t Ims earned, Mr. Cobb bought a lot of trinkets and began to trade with the Indians, making in this way a little capital with which he determined to put up a small frame structure of his own. There was no lumber to be had in Chicagoand the nearest saw- mill was located at the settlement of PlainlieM. Illinois, forty miles distant across an unbroken prairie. After getting directions from an old Indian chief, Mr. Cobb set out on foot for Plain- field to purchase the lumber he required for his building. As there was not even an Indian trail across the prairie, he was guided only by the groves of timber that dotted the prairie at long- intervals. There was but one habitation, a set- tler's shanty, the whole distance. Arriving at his destination, lie purchased the lumber he required and set out upon his return, having bargained with a settler near Plaintield. for the use of three yoke of oxen and a heavy wagon. He was fairly under way when it began to rain and continued without intermission for three days, transforming the formerly hard, dry surface of the prairie into deep, sticky mud. This trip Mr. Cobb will never forget to his dying day. At night he slept upon the wagon under an improvised shelter of boards from his load. The pelting rain and the howling of the hungry wolves combined to make the sur- roundings the most dreary and. desolate the young Vermonter had ever experienced. Continuing his journey, he was compelled from time to time to throw off portions of his load, until on the fourth day, when he reached the Des Plaincs river. twelve miles from Chicago, he was finally obliged to abandon the last of his load and turning the oxen in the direction of Plaintield. set them adrift to find their way home with the empty wagon. This they did finally without accident. When the prairie was again sufficiently dry, the trip was again made, the lumber collected and safely brought to Chicago. When his building was com- pleted Ic rented the upper part, and with thirty dollars furnished by Mr. Goss, bought stock for the harness-shop which he started on the ground floor. This was a partnership arrangement and lasted one year, when Mr. Cobb withdrew and, removing to larger quarters, began business on his own account. Trade prospered with him and in 1848 he sold out at a good profit. Chicago was then about beginningthe wonderful growth which has since made it famous, and with his native Bagacitj Mr. Cobb foresaw that almost any legiti- mate enterprise, honestly conducted, was sure to succeed. This led him to form a co-partnership with William Osborne, in the general boot and shoe, and hide and leather trade. Confident as he Isel been of success, Mr. Cobb found the business profitable beyond his fondest expectations, and in 1852, he retired with a fair fortune. Since then he has confined his operations to real estate in- vestments and the promotion of corporations which, while assuring a fair return on money. would also benefil thecity. When Joel Matteson, the proprietor of the old Matteson House, at Randolph and Dearborn streets, died in 1852, Mr. Cobb was appointed the executor of the estate and guardian of the rive children. This trust he held until 1866, and the settlement then showed the w isdoru of his financial management. In 1855Mr. Cobb's business ability was again recognized by his election as director of the Chicago I his Light & Coke Company, and his advancement a few years later to the important position of a member of the Hoard of Managers. This he held until 1SS7. when he disposed of his interest and with- drew from the company. One of the greatest improvements in Chicago, due largely to the enterpriseof Mr. Cobb, is the cable railway system which was inaugurated and constructed while he was president of the Chicago City Railway. He is still prominent in the councils of this company BIOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS. 205 and also in those of tin- West Division Horse Rail- way, as well as the National Bank of Illinois. For years Mr. Cobb was a controlling spirit in the Chicago & Galena (now the Northwestern), and the Beloit A: Madison railroads. Several fine blocks <>f buildings on Lake and Dearborn streets bear silent testimony to his faith in Chicago realty, and have been very profitable investments. Later in life Mr. Cobb f< >und the habits of economy which had been forced upon him in his youth by stern necessity, had become second nature. "Habit is a cable. We weave a thread each day till it becomes so Btrong wecannot breakit." But there is no parsimony in hi- 1 nature. No more in- dulgent husband and father ever lived, nor one who has taken more delight in bestowing all the good gifts on his family which his ample means has allowed. In 1810 Mr. Cobb married Maria, the daughter of Daniel Warren, of Warrensville, Du Page county. 111. Il^w his first acquaintance began with her. who for nearly half a century shared with him the joys and sorrows of an event- ful and finally successful pioneer life. Mr. Cobb narrates as follows: "I arrived at Chicago in the spring of 1833. In October of the same year I was occupying my little shop opposite the Kinzie Hotel, in the building of which, my first dollar was earned in Chicago. While standing at the door of my shop one afternoon talking with a neighbor, our attention was attracted by the arrival, at the hotel, of a settler's wagon from the East. With my apron on and sleeves rolled up. I went with my neighbor to greet the weary travellers and welcome them to the hospitality of Fort Dearborn, in accordance with the free and easy customs of -high society' in those days. We learned that the travellers were the Warren family from Fredonia. X. Y.. bound for the settlement of Warrensville in Illinois, where a relative had pn ceded them about six months previously. There were several young women in the party, two of them twin sisters, whom I thought particularly attractive, so much so that I remarked to un- friend, after they had departed, that when I was prosperous enough so that my pantaloons and brogans could be made to meet, I was going to look up those twin sisters and marry one of them, or die in trying." This resolution wasadhered to. through years of toil and privation, with tie- same spirit of determination that characterized his every undertaking, and finally resulted in his marriage on the 27th of October, 1840, to Miss Maria Warren, -one of the twins." Mrs. ('obi. died May 10th, 1888. To them were born six children, of whom two only survive, viz., Maria Louise, t lie wife of William B. Walker. and Bertha, widow of tlie late William Armour. Those deceased are the first born and only son Walter, and Lenora, wife of Joseph G. Coleman, and two daughters who died in infancy. In politics Mr. Cobb was an old-time Whig until the Republican party was organized, and since then has been of that faith. His success in business has been so marked that his methods are of interest to every- body. His rules are: "Industry, economy, tem- perate habits and strict, unswerving integrity." To these he added in early life a resolution to keep out of debt, which he has never broken but two or three times in his long and honorable career. These facts of Mr. Cobb's pioneer life mark him as one of those indomitable beings, few in number at all times but growing very rare in our day. who expeei to suffer, to endure, to "die in trying." if need !»■. for the prizes of life. Upon the strong. supporting shoulders of such men as Mr. Cobb. little Port Dearborn was lifted out of the mud. and stands to-day the World's Fair city. Chicago — a monument to the courage, energy, industry and heroism of these pioneers— foremost among whom was Silas II. Cobb. FRANKLIN D. GRAY. FRANKLIN D. CRAY, president of the Na- tional Safe Deposit Company of Chicago, and for many years one of the leading wholesale merchants of that city, was born at Sharon. Litchfield, county, Conn.. May 10, 1818, and as a lad worked on his father's farm, attending the district school in winter and leading the usual life of a country boy. This was the routine up to the time lie was ten years old, and with the exception of one year passed in the high school, he had noother educa- tional advantages. When young Gray was twelve years old he thought himself well embarked on life's journey, having secured a clerkship in a country- grocery store at Goshen Center. Conn. Here he remained until he was twenty-one years of age, learning every detail of the business so far as it could be done under the conditions. Soon after reaching his majority, Mr. Gray, in company with Messrs. Morton and Walter, of Goshen, came to Chicago. Tips was in 1S40. and the city was then little more than a village. Messrs. Morton and Walter opened a general store on South Water 2o6 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. street, and Mr. Gray served with them as a clerk until 1845, when, the business having prospered finely, he was admitted to the firm as a partner, the title becoming Mmion. Walter & Co. After four years of fair trade, the firm dissolved and in L849, Mr. Gray formed a copartnership with E. N. Dens- more. Success was with them from the start, and in 1853 the firm became Gray, Densmore & Phelps. Five years later Mr. Gray bought oul Mr. Dens- more's interest, and with his brother, Moses W. Gray and Frederick Gaylord, as additional part- ners, organized the new firm of Gray, Phelps & I !o. Mr. Gaylord withdrew in 1869 and the firm name was then changed to Gray Brothers & Phelps, Franklin D. Gray and George 11. Phelps looking after the business in Chicago while Moses W. t iray was stationed in New York as buyer for the house. In 1871 another change was made; Mr. Phelps retired and the firm name became Cray Brothers. This firm did business until January. 1880, when Mr. Gray, needing more time for his diversified interests, brought about another reorganization. The old copartnership was dis- solved and a new one ('..lined, comprising Moses W. Gray. William Burt and Charles H. KingmaD as general partners, and Franklin D. Gray as special partner. On that date (January 1. 1880)Mr. Gray retired from active connection with the grocery trade, leaving a large and profitable business which has been built up largely by his practical knowledge, gained by elose and happy methods of observation, and his great natural ability. The principal project which Mr. Cray then had in hand was the National Safe Deposil < ' pany of Chicago, which was organized in 1881. Previous to this, and as far back as 1867, when Mr. Samuel Nickerson was made President of the First National Hanli. Mr. Cray served with him as a director, and after his second term of service was elected vice-president of that bank. This honored position Mr. Gray held until the organization of the National Safe Deposit Company as stated. when he resigned in order to accept the presi- dencj of the uewconcern. Allofthe best thought and ripe experience of his later years have been devoted to the advancement of this enterprise and the company is now one of the most solid and prosperous of its kind in the West. There are few public movements in Chicago with which Mr. Graj has not. at some stage of their progression. been connected. Ee was one of the founders of the Fireman's Insurance Company, and in all matters relating to the tire department, he has taken a deep interest, since 1840, shortly after which time Mr. (bay became a member of the volunteer tire department. Mr. Cray won many prizes as a fireman, which he still preserves, along With his exemption Certificate, granted by Charles M.Gray, then mayor of Chicago, after ten years of service with Engine Con.]. any No. 1. during all of which time he was secretary and treasurer. Another special object of Mr. Cray's attention is the Chicago Home for the Friendless, in the management of which he has always been promin- ent. He was its vice-president in lSGri, then ser ved as president for several years, and is again a vice-president. This is but one of the many charitable institutions to which Mr. Cray contrib- utes liberally. He is noted not alone for his deep interest, but for his practical direction in all organized efforts for the relief of tin- poor and the educational advancement of mankind. Mr. Gray was married July 1, 1st:;, at Norfolk. Litchfield County, Conn., to Miss Ann C. Phelps, daughter of Jeremiah W. Phelps of that place. They have but ■ child, Miss Isabella C. Gray. Mr. Gray finds his greatest relief from business cares in the seclusion of his beautiful home, but he is a leading member of the Calumet Club and at times devotes much attention to its affairs. This, in brief, is the history of a man who has been indentified for fifty years with every public movement that has tended to the benefit of Chicago in a financial or moral sense. His career has been remarkably successful, chiefly by reason of his natural ability and his thorough insight into the business in which as a young tradesman, he embarked. There is one point in his career of half a century in Chicago to which all old settlers refer, and that is. thai whether as a wholesale merchant or a financier, Mr. Gray has always been the same genial, courteous gentleman, whose ways are those of refinement, and whose word no man can question. THOMAS M. AVERY. If the man who makes two blades of grain to grow where but one sprouted before is to be held up as a benefactor of his race, what shall be said of him under whose wise management a mammoth business, giving employment to thousands of bread-winners, is built up? It is a great thing to show men how to furnish food for mankind; it is a greater thing to give to mankind the means with which to not only earn its food, but to build BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 207 its homes, to educate its children, and to create centers of population, of wealth and of intelli- gence. At Elgin. Illinois, the works of the much famed Elgin National Watch Company are located. From an humble beginning in 1865, with a capital of $100,000.00, the company lias expanded until now it requires a capital of $2,000,000.00 to carry on the business, and in its factory alone 3,000 men, women and children are employed. The man who directs the affairs of this vast concern is Thomas M. A very, of Chicago. It stands to-day a monu- ment to his business ability and untiring energy, more flattering than sculptured shaft or painted canvas. Mr. Avery is now seventy-one years of age and has been the executive head of the great watch company for twenty three years, but he is still hale and hearty and as active in mind and body as when he first took the management of the company's affairs. The boyhoodof Mr. Avery was passed at Perryville, Madison county. N. Y.. where he was born October 12th, 1821. He is the son of Orrin S. and Abigail (Morris) Avery, both of whom were old time residents of Madison county. The Avery family originally came from Connecticut, while the Morris family maj be de- scribed as the pioneers of Madison county, to which they moved from Connecticut about the beginning of the present century. The town of Morrisville, Madison county, is named after sturdy old Jacob Morris, the grandfather of Mr. Avery on the maternal side, and a man who spicuous in the early history of interior New York. The education of a child in thus.- days was not the easy matter it now is. and at ten years of age the subject of this sketch was trying to master the -rule of three" in the district school. The same year he was sent to the Polytechnic Academj at Chittenango, a pretentious establishment at that time, and where he studied for two years. This. with a three years' term at theCazenovia academy, completed his opportunities for acquiring an edu- cation. But even at that young age. inheriting from his parents scholarly tastes and a warm desire for advancement. Mr. A very had made com- mendable progress, and when, at fifteen years, he wasforcedby the death of his father to begin life's struggle in reality, he was comparatively well prepared for the task. It was in 1836 that Mr. A very acquired his first mercantile experience as a clerk in the general store of Harvey Morris at New Woodstock, Madison county N. Y. Here the young man's aptitude for mercantile pursuits received encouragement in the shape of an agree- ment by Mr. Morris in 1810, to take him into partnership the following year. Shortly after this understanding was reached, however, Mr. Morris died and the work of settling up the estate and closing the business devolved upon Mr. Avery. This he accomplished to the satisfaction of all con- cerned and then began trade on his own account in the same store. He prospered, but the lauda- ble ambition to get into a larger field was too strong to allow him to remain in New Woodstock, and in 1851, Mr. Avery sold "Ut his business and went to Chicago. His first venture in that city- was in the lumber trade as a partner with Read A. Williams, the firm title being Williams & Avery. The junior member was without experience in this particular line, but his sound business train ing and good common sense carried him along, and the new firm was soon doing a large trade. Retail orders were not by any means despised. but the bulk of the trade was in the wholesale line, big lots of lumber being shipped by canal boats to dealers along the Illinois river. This partner- ship lasted five years and was dissolved in 1856, when the business had assumed such proportions that it warrantee! a division, Mr. Avery soon be- came noted as urn ■ of the most successful dealers in the West, and in 1872 his eldest son. Charles O. Avery, was taken in as a partner. Tn 1875, having amassed a comfortable fortune and rinding other cares crowding upon him, Mr. Avery decided to abandon the lumber trade, and did so. It is as the president of the Elgin National Watch Com- pany that Mr. Avery is the most widely known. and here his fame as a great organizer and suc- cessful handler of men rightly rests. It requires something beyond ordinary business ability to manage an army of employes, to get their wares on the market at advantageous terms and to secure a profitable income on millions of dollars of capital. The man who can do this is a general. for "peace hath its victories no less renowned than war." The watch company was started in 1864, but the work of making watches did not begin in earnest until 1867, in which year Mr. Avery was elected president of the company. He accepted the office only after great urging by the stock holders, and with the distinct understanding that they would relieve him as soon as the proper man could be found. But it soon became evident that Mr. Avery was the proper man. and there was such pressure brought to bear upon him by the directors of the company that every new year found him more closely identified with them, until finally in 1875, he was compelled to surren- der his valuable lumber business in order to give 208 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. more time to his greater interests in the watch works. The history of how Elgin came to have such a large establishment is almost as interest ing as that of the gentleman whose life forms the subject of this sketch. In 1864 two employes of the American Watch ( iompany at Waltham, Mass., Perry Bartlett and Ira G. Blake made a visit to Chicago, and while here met .1. C. Adams, a watchmaker at Klein. This trio became im- pressed with the idea <>f starting a factory in the West, ami finally the "National Watch Company of Chicago," was organized. The capital was £100,000. Elgin people headed by Messrs. S. Wilcox. W. T. Pease, H. Sherman, anil li. F. Law- rence, subscribed for $25,000 of the stock, donated thirty live acres of land for a factory site, and the works were located then-. The organization was not completed until February, 15th, 1865, ami it was in April of the same year that the first building was completed. On the 25th of April the company found that its capital was too small for the work in hand, and was increased to $500,000. The next two Mars was a period of experiments: of hopes and fears; of fond expectations and deep disap- pointments. It was on the 1st of April. 1867, that the pioneer Elgin watch was placed on tie mar ket. This was the " B. W. Raymond," a movement that soon became popular as a good timekeeper, and of which thousands are now in use. It was about this time that Mr. Avery was called to take charge of the company's affairs. Many improve- ments were made, and since March, 187.>. e\en part of the watches, even to tin- mainsprings, have been made at Elgin. In May, 1876, the utmost capacity of the factory was taxed, and it became necessary to refuse foreign orders and deliver all the product to the home trade. Many men would have been well contented with this fullness of success, but not so Mr. Avery. He saw oppor- tunities for a much more extended trade, and he grasped them. More capital was needed, and in L884 he induced the stockholders to give him 82,000,000 with which to extend the business. They did it without a question. They had seen this man build up, without a hitch of any kind, an enterprise which, with a working force of 3,000 people, turns out I. son watch movements every twenty four hours, and they were satislied with his management. When Mr. Avery secured the increase,,!' $1,500,000, the plant was enlarged and otherwise improved until it is now one of the most perfect in the world. The company owns 22 acres of valuable land, has six first class shops tilled with the best of modern machinery, an artesian well of pure water, steam-heating and electric light plants, in fact almost everything that money can buy and ingenuity devise. The company has built and furnished a magnificent hotel for the accommodation of such of its employes as wish to board, and for these only. It has also erected at a cost of $40,000, the most complete gymnasium and concert hall in the west a building which is always pointed out to strangers as the pride of Elgin. The man under whose direction all this has been accomplished is one of Chicago's most modest residents. He has other business inter- ests, but none of them so extensive, or so close to him as the watch company. The one to which his best second-thought is given is the Chicago Brass Company, which he organized in 1S87. This is not only the first concern of the kind ever started in Chicago, but the first in the U. S. west of Detroit, and is prospering finely under the control of Mr. Avery's youngest son, Frank M. Avery. The presidency of this company is also vested in Mr. Avery, and he takes just pride in its success. As a member of the First Congregational Church, Mr. Avery is an earnest Christian, firm in the faith, but quiet in his professions; a man whose ■rood works are not paraded for the applause of the public. In politics Mr. A very is aEepublican. He has never been an office-holder, and never sought political favor of any kind, preferring to keep as clear from it as possible. In 1847 Mr. Avery was married to Margaret E. Morris, the daughter of Harvey Morris, his first employer at New Woodstock. To them were born two sons, Charles O. and Frank M. Avery. The latter, as previously stated, is now the manager of the Chi cago Brass Company, and is a thorough man of business. The first son. Charles O., was associated with his father in the lumber trade, and when that was given up went to Colorado, where he acquired extensive mining interests, but became the victim of a melancholy accident in 1883, by which In- lost his life. JOHN S. GOULD. JOHN STEARNS GOULD was born at Essex. Essex county. New York, on January 7, 1822. He is the son of Judge John and Theodosia (Nichols) Gould. His father was a native of Concord. Mass.. who did a large business as a manufacturer and dealer in lumber and iron. He moved to Essex .TVvivJ^im^L/ BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. >OQ county New York at an early date, andwasfor many years a judge in that district. The grand father of John S. < ion Id was Henry Gould, a pat riot of the Revolution who participated in the first battles of the War for Independence at Concord and Lexington. Mrs. John Gould, the mother of the subject K [LLINOIS. Mr. Gould's strong characteristics are well esti- matedin a paragraph, by a prominent Chicago busi- ness man who has know him Eor many years. He says; " 1 would trust Mr. Gould with everything I I possess without question; 1 would take his opinion on business matters before that of any other man 1 know: 1 think he is one of the most level-headed, careful and honest men I ever knew." NATHANIEL S BOUTON. As the organizer and incorporator of the Union Foundry Works. Nathaniel Sherman Bouton lias Keen one of the most prominent producers of architectural iron and railway castings in the West, and although no longer actively identified with the business he is still recognized as an au- thority in all that pertains to it. Mr. Bouton was born in Concord, New Hampshire, on May 14, 1828. His parents were Rev. Dr. Bouton and Har- riet (Sherman) Bouton. the latter being the grand- i of the celebrated statesman and philan- thropist. Roger Sherman. The Bouton family were originally French Huguenots, who had settled in England, where they went at the time of the mas- sacre of St. Bartholomew. In 1835 John Bouton emigrated from England to America, and from him the family in this country is descended, Na- thaniel S. Bouton, the subject of this sketch, be- ing of the seventh generation. Rev. Dr. Bouton was born at Norwalk, Conn., and graduated from Vale College in 1820. The degree of Doctor of Divinity was subsequently conferred upon him by the Trustees of Dartmouth College. Dr. Bouton was one of the oldest anil best-known Congrega- tional ministers in New England. He preached for fifty-two years at Concord, and occupied one pulpit for forty-three years. Besides the manifold duties incident to his ministry. Dr. Bouton served for a long time as state historian, and was the author of many profound essays and sermons. After his death, in 1878, some of the most interest ing facts in Dr. Bouton's life were published by his son, John Bell Bouton, in the shape of an au- tobiography which the Reverend Doctor had pre- pared sonic years before. When he was fourteen years old, Nathaniel S. Bouton went to work upon a farm in Connecticut, anil followed this avocation until he was sixteen, when he taught school for a short time in the same state. His business career was begun in L846, when, after a prospecting tour of the west, he returned to New Hampshire and engaged with the firm of E. A T. Fairbanks A Co.. scale manufacturers, as a traveling salesman. He continued in their employ lor six years, travel ing on horseback and bj stage over Pennsylvania. Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan and Illinois. Having acquired in this position a thorough know 1 edge of the commercial development of the west. he finally determined to locate in Chicago. He went there in 1852 and entered the employ of ( l-eorge \V. Sizer A- Co., a foundry firm, who had extensive establishments in Cleveland and Cincin nati, and were about to organize another in Chi- cago. He was put in charge of the business in [lus city, and a year later became a partner in the firm. The foundry was situated on Clark street near Fifteenth, where they built up a large busi- ness, manufacturing car -wheels and castings for the railroad enterprises then being developed in the large territory of which Chicago is the center. They also furnished all the castings and wheels re- quired for the Union Car Works of Messrs. Stone & Boomer in their varied operations as car and bridge builders. When the latter firm was burned out in September. 1855, Mr. Bouton purchased for them the American Bridge Company"s works, and shortly afterwards became a member of the tirm, the name of which was changed to Stone,- Boomer & Bouton. From this time until 1857. when they sold their plant (then known as the Union Car & Bridge Works,) to the Illinois Central Railway Company, this firm built nearly all the railway bridges used in the west, including the first one built across the Mississippi river at Rock Island. They were also extensive manufacturers of all kinds of material for railways, more especially cars. Before the sale to the Illinois Central Railway. Mr. Bouton had purchased on his own account the architectural iron business of Frederick Letz ; and in 1858 he bought from Messrs. Stone & Boomer, their interest in the plant of the old Union Car Works, which he rebuilt and operated until 1863. In that year the firm of N. S. Bouton A ( !o. was formed, the partners being N. S. Bouton, Christopher B. Bouton and Edward P. Hurlburt. After nine years of successful business the com pany was. in 1871, incorporated under the name of The Union Foundry Works, with X. S. Bouton as president, Edward F. Hurlburt, vice-president and superintendent, and Christopher B. Bouton, secretary and treasurer. The corporation thus formed and conducted by members of the old tiini, was noted for the line quality of its work, espe cially in architectural iron work, and the contracts BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. i i for the prominent hotels and business blocks of Chicago, the Custom House both there and St. Linus, the State House of Illinois, and also of Iowa, and most of the grain elevators of Chicago were executed by this company. In 1881, the premises occupied by the company wire acquired, for right of way. by the Western Indiana Railway Company, and inducements being offered by the Pullman Palace Car Company, a new c panj was organized under the name .if the Union Foundry and Pullman Car Wheel works, and lo- cated at Pullman, Mr. Bouton, being president. The new plant covering eleven acres of ground and employing about six hundred men. was car- ried on as a genera] foundry and machine shop, in addition to the manufacture of car wheels and ear castings for the Pullman Car Company, — melting daily about one hundred and fifty tons of inm. and having an annual product of upwards of 81,500,000, with a monthly pay roll of aboul 830,000. In L886, Mr. Bouton sold out his interests to the Pullman Palaee Car Company, and established the Bouton Foundry Company in Chicago, for the purpose of giving the young men who had been in his employ an opportunity of eventually acquiring the concern, he purposing soon to nine from active business. All through his business career, Mr. Bouton has been untiring in his efforts to encourage and aid worthy young men with whom his large manufacturing interests in ( 'hi cago have brought him in contact, and there are in this city to-day many prosperous men who owe their success to the material assistance extended by him. He has been easy of access to them for advice and aid at all times, for business success and increasing interests have not changed his kindly and benevolent nature. At the present time there are at least seven concerns in Chicago doing business in kindred lines which wereorgan- ized and developed by young men who received their business training with Mr. Bouton, and aside from these there are semes of other men who have been started toward prosperity by him. In national and state affairs Mr. Ponton has acted with the Republican party, but in local politics he is independent. He was made superintendent of Public Works by Mayor Wentworth in 1857, and was continued in the office by Mayor Haines. It was during Mr. Bouton's administration of the Public Works' Department that the first street pav- ing in ( Ihicago wasdone, and the present city grade was established. He was one of the committee of three appointed by the council to fix the grade of the city, and recommend the present levels. In 1862 he became quarter-master of the 88th Illi- nois Infantry, but served as staff officer, A. A. < v >. M., until after the battle of Chickamauga, when the pressure of private business compelled him to resign. Mr. Bouton is an active man in church work; he was an elder in the Olivet, now united with the Second Presbyterian Church of Chicago; was president of the Young Men's Christian Asso- ciation for a number of years; and was prominent in the organization of the Kenwood Evangelical Church, one object of which is the sinking of all denominationalism. In this last named church, Mr. Bouton is still an active member and worker. He is identified with the Union League and the Kenwood Club, but is not what is called "a club man." his tastes being strongly domestic in nature. His pleasure! are found in works of benevolence and Christianity, and in the society of his family circle. Mr. Bouton was one of the twelve original members of the Chicago Relief and Aid Society, and he not only had charge of all the organized charitable institutions in the city, but assisted in the organization of branch societies in the same line of work. Mr. Bouton had charge of the dis- tribution of the fund of 8100,000 contributed jointly by A. T. Stewart of New York, and the Chicago Relief and Aid Society, .just after the great liie of 1871, for the relief of destitute, si If supporting women. His labors in connection with the distribution of this money were very arduous; and he gave personal attention to tin- many thousands of applicants for relief, who be- sieged his works, office and residence, and extended aid to over four thousand deserving women. It was the hard work that devolved uponMr. Bouton in this charitable undertaking, lasting over live years — from 1871 to 187G — which brought on a crisis in his physical condition, his system being already weakened by the strain attendant upon the direction of his large private interests. Ho persevered, however, to the end, and had the sat- isfaction of knowing that the immense relief fund had been honestly and wisely distributed. At present Mr. Bouton is president of the Chicago Bible Society, and gives much of his time to Bible work in this city. Mr. Bouton's predominating characteristic is benevolence, and he is untiring in his works of philanthropy in a quiet, unosten- tatious way. He is a man of broad views, and of that kindly, forgiving disposition which is incapa- ble of harboring resentment against any one who has done him a wrong, no matter how grievous; and in this he shows the spirit of true Christianity by which he is animated. There is no bigotry in 212 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. his religious virus; he is a broad Christian and strictly non-sectarian. No man can justly say thai Mr. Bouton ever did any one an intentional wrong, and when he is called away t<> his eternal reward, it may be truthfully written of him, "Ho was just and generous." In his business and benevolences Mr. Bouton is indefatigable; he combines strong executive ability with untiring energj . and pushes to success e\ erything in which be becomes inti rested. Mr. Bouton has been twice married; his first wife was Miss Emily L. Bissell, daughter of Dr. Bissell of Suffield, Con- necticut. She died in 1858, about one year after their marriage. His present wife was Mrs. Ellen Shumway, daughter of Judge Gould, of Essex, New York. SAM TEL E. GROSS. As an extensive dealer in real estate, a builder ami promoter of suburban villages, ami an active man in business and municipal affairs. Samuel E. Gross has been prominent in the advancement of the lies! interests of Chicago, and in the securing of those substantial elements of success which have made the city so prosperous. Mr. < Jross was horn November 11, 1843, at the Mansion Farm, on the Susquehanna river, in Dauphin county. Penn. His father, John C. Gross, was a descendant of the French Huguenots, who. at the time of the early religious persecutions in France, settled near Mannheim, Germany, from whence they, in after years, came to America, settling in Pennsylvania. The first known record of the Gross family in this country dates back to 1726, Joseph Cross holding property at thattimein Montgomery county. Penn- sylvania. His grandson. Captain John Gross, who was the great-grandfather of Samuel E. Gross, served as a Captain in the Revolutionary war, his commission from John Hancock. Governor of Penn sylvania, hearing date of Nbvember25, I77C After the Revolutionary war, Captain Gross removed to Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, where he owned a large farm and other property, such as flouring mills, iron forges, etc. Captain Gross married a Mjbs Sahler, whose mother was a Du Bois. The Du Bois family was of Huguenot descent and as early as 1659 was a rich and powerful factor in the community about Kingston. Xew York. The of Samuel E. Gross was Elizabeth! Eberly) Cross. Her family was of tiiat sturdy German stock which settled in Pennsylvania in L725, and with the Erlis and Hersheys, has been for one hundred and fifty years, or more, prominent in the educational, commercial and religious histor) of Pennsylvania, [n 1846 the parents of Samuel E. Gross removed from Pennsylvania to Illinois. locating first, near Dover, in Bureau county, hut afterwards in Carroll county, where the lad received his early education in the public schools. followed by a course at Mt. Carroll Seminary. Mr. Gross was only seventeen years of age when the Civil war broke out. hut he enlisted in the fist Illinois Infantry, and went with it to Mis- souri. Being under the required age. he was. al the request of his parents, mustered out, of ser- vice, and returned to his home in Carroll county. There for a short time, he attended the Mt. Carroll Seminary, going in 1862 to Whitehall Academy in Cumberland county, Pennsylvania. In June, 1863. the Confederates having invaded the state, young Gross again determined to become a sol dier, and on June 29th, of that year, he was com missioned First Lieutenant of Company D, 20th Pennsylvania Cavalry, being one of the youngest officers of that rank in the army. He had active service during 1863, in following up tin- retreal of General Lee's army from Gettysburg to Virginia- having a number of spirited contests with the rear guards of the Confederate forces. On Pebruarj 17th, 186*4. he was promoted to the captaincy of Company K. in the same regiment, and cam paigned with his command in Virginia, in 1864-5, being actively engaged in the battles of Piedmont, Lynchburg, Ashby's Gap, Winchester and other engagements. At the close of the war. he was itered out of the service at Cloud's Mills, Vir- ginia, on July 13th. 180."). Chicago was at that time just becoming noted for the push and energy which have since made it famous, and Mr. Gross, in looking about for a field of labor, decided to lo- cate t here. He was young and ambitious, and his choice was not made without careful consideration of the merits of other cities, which is. in itself, an indication of his business sagacity and foresight. In September, 1865, Mr. Cross look up his resi- dence in Chicago, and began the study of law. lie entered the Union College of Law. and gradu- ated in 1866. He passed a very favorable exami nation, was admitted to practice by the Supreme Court, and became a member of the Illinois Bar. Previous to this — in fact just after locating here in 1865 Mi. ( boss had bought a few lots in Chicago, and, in this way laid the foundation for his pres- ent large business. On these lots he built a niiin <_V S~ ^^T*^^ LIBRARY OF TH£ MNMJttmr of ILLINOIS. BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS 2 1 ber of houses in L867 and while still active in the practice of his profession, became much interested in real estate operations. In the winter of 1868 9 he was prominentin the establishment of the park and boulevard system, and was energetic in pushing it to completion, securing for the city one of its most beautiful and attractive features. Wh< i fire of < tetobei 9th, 1871, started, Mr. Gri occupying an office at Clark and Smith Water streets, where he had many valuable 1 . other business papers, deeds, abstracts of titles. etc., which he only succeeded in saving l>y dump- ing them into a rowboat and pulling over to a tug on which he stored them for safety. The daj after the cessatii in (if tie- Are, lie brought back his documents and resumed his business with even greater energy than he had before displayed. During the dull business season of 1873 to 1879, Mr. Gross spent most of his time in the study of Bcience, art. literature and political economy ; in the practice of his profession and in the prepara- tion of a number of important papers on various subjects. Being of a naturally ingenious and in- ventive turn of mind, he perfected and patented several inventions for the improvement of streel paving, and also designed several valuable mathe- matical instruments. With the revival of trade in L879 80, there was a decided increase in the re- alty business, and the city began to grow so rap idly that Mr. Gross decided to confine his atten tion entirely to real estate. With this object in view he closed up the rest of his interests, and began tin- subdividing of additions to the city. He was probably one of the first men in Chicago to go into this as a business, and as earl} as 1880. he had platted several new villages to the south west of what was then the city limits. In 1882 he started what is now the 1 flourishing suburb of Gross Park, near the northern city limits. - cured a station on the Chicago A Northwestern Rail- way, and soon had a settlement of over 2,000 peo pi.- on what was but a few months before, a mere cabbage patch. In lss:i. Mr. ( irose began I lie work of building homes for people of moderati selling them for a small cash payment and taking the rest in monthly installments. It was the in- auguration of a new system in Chicago, and won public favor from the start. In lss?.. Mr. 'boss built and sold m this way. three hundred houses; in 1SS4 ."i he built and sold over •_!. 000, and the business is still A feature of the work is the building up of districts hitherto undeveloped and unim- proved, and which would be long neglected undei the system of individual building. In this way a number of small villages which were started by Mr. Gross, only a few years ago. in tin- outskirts of the city, are now solidly -built-up portionsof the city itself, [n 1886, Mr. Gross founded the town of Brookdale, on the Illinois Central Railroad, south of the city limits. The next \ear li- the village of Calumet Heights, to the west oi South Chicago; and also the village of Dauphin Park, on the Illinois Central, besides improving a forty acre sub-division at the comer of Ashland avenue and Forty-ninth street. In 1888, his suburban venture was one of the largesl he had yet undertaken, the opening oi "Under the Lin- den." just northwest of the city. In this year Mr. Gross also improved a large district near Humboldt Pork, and erected over two hundred houses near Anher avenue and Thirty-ninth street. In 1889, the magnetic town of Grossdale was located on the Chicago. Burlington & Quincy Railway, one mile west of Riverside, where a tract of five hundred acres of farm land 1 transformed into a beautiful residence village, containing many fine public buildings, including a theater, churches, etc. This is one of the most successful of Mr. 1 1 ross' many similar ventures. and he very naturally takes great pride in it. During the last ten years. Mr. ( iross has done a great work in the enlargement of Chicago, by his original methods, bis transactions in this eon i pa i a tively short till follows: Thirty thou- sand lots sold, seven thousand houses erected and sold, and sixteen thriving towns and villages located. In securing these grand results. Mr. ( Jross has confined his efforts entirely to his own methods. His plan is to buy a well situated piece of laud at able price, and improve it with streets. parks, depots, public buildings, etc. This done he both builds attractive houses and sells lots to people who will build homes on them, and when necessary, advances the money to build with, taking it back in small monthly payments. Not withstanding the magnitude of his business, it is to the credit of Mr. (iross that he has never fore- closed a It is largely on the reputation for generous dealing thus established that he has secured such an immense business. He is now the owner of over one hundred and fifty sub- divisions in all parts of the city, containing al I 24.000 lots. Mr. (Iross is a director and large stockholder in the Calumet Electric Railroad in the southern portion of the city. His fortune is estimated at from $2,500,000 to $3,000,000, but this did not prevent the United Working men's socie- 214 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. ties of Chicago fn ominating him for mayor in 1889, an honor, which from pr< ss of private busi ness, and a feeling that the time was inopportune, he was forced to decline. Mr. i iross is a member of the Chicago, Union, Iroquois, Marquette and Washington Park Clubs. He is also much inter- ested in the work of the Humane and similar societies, and contributes liberally to their sup- port. In 1886 Mr. Gross made a four months' tour of Europe, during which he made extended inquiry into methods of building and of city development. In 1889 he visited Mexico and many of the western seaboard cities, and in the latter part of tile same year made another trip to Europe, giving a large share of his time to the Paris Exposition. So wide is the fame of Mr. Gross as a successful handler of real estate, that while in Mexico, and also on his second European tour, he was solicited to undertake mammoth works of development in those countries, but re- fused. Mr. (Jross is a man of robust constitution, and bright and happy disposition. He is positive in character, but liberal in the reception of the views of others. He possesses great executive and administrative ability, and is thoroughlj practical in his ideas. Of fine culture, and highly educated and refined tastes, he isa very genial and companionable man. He lives in a handsome residence on the Lake Shore Drive, at Division street, with his wife, a lady of fine appearance and sterling mind and worth. They were married in January. 1871. Mrs. Cross was formerly Miss Emily Brown, and comes of a good English family. Great as has been the success of Mr. Gross, it is beyond dispute that he is the architect of his own fortune. There has been no combination of lucky circumstances in his favor. He has won his way bj the fori f his own brain power and resistless energj and integrity intellectual effort well seconded. There are lew men who have accom- plished so much as Mr. ( iross. when the benefits i" the community as well as individual profit are considered. EMORY COBB. EMORY coin; was bom at Dryden, Tompkins county, New York. August 20, 1831. His parents were William and Achsah (Bradley) Cobb. The family was of English origin, and while there is no authentic record of the fact.it is thought that He- American branch was established by the immigration of two brothers, .Morgan and Nathan Cobb, early in the seventeenth century. Rev. Sylvanus Cobb, the historian and novelist, is a descendant of Nathan, and considers himself as of theseventh generation, which tends to confirm approximately the time of the arrival of the Eore runners of the family in this country. On this subject. William Cobb, of Warwick. .\l;i-s„ on,, of the early descendants of the original immigrant, Morgan Cobb, wmte. on Maj 17. 1844, to Wil- liam Newell Cobb, the eldest brother of El j Cobb, as follows: -" I have no one to consult on this subject except my mother, who resides in mj fnmily, and is now ninety-four years old. but re- tains her mental faculties to a g 1 degree. The most that I can learn is that two brothers b\ the name of Cobb emigrated from England to America, but at what time. I cannot ascertain. One was named Morgan, the other Nathan. Our family I from Morgan Cobb. It has be. that we are tinctured with Scotch blood. I was born in Norton. October '-!7. 177H. and am now seventy-four years old." The connection of Emorj Cobl. to the Morgan Cobb mentioned in this letter as the founder of this branch of the family in America, may be traced in the following manner:— Emory Cobb. William Cobb, his father: Elisha Cobb, his grandfather; William Cobb, his great-grandfather; Morgan Cobb, his great-greal grandfather; ■ — Cobb, and Morgan Cobb, the immigrant. In Revolutionary days. theCobbs had become quite numerous in Massachusetts ami New York, and were active and prominent Whigs. William Cobb, the father of Emory, was a farmer. but operated several mills on Fall Creek, in Tompkins county. N. Y.. audit was there that the subject of this sketch passed his time until he was twelve years old. when, on the death of his father, he went to live in Genoa, Cayuga county, with Lemi Bradley, his mother's father. In 1S47. Emory Cobb went to Ithaca to study telegraphy, and the next year secured a position as operator at Predonia, on the Erie & Michigan Telegraph Line, which had just been constructed by Hon. Ezra Cornell, and Col. J. J. Speed, between Buffalo and Milwaukee. His service gave such satisfaction that in 1851, he was made bookkeeper Eor the company at Cleveland. Ohio, and in March ls.VJ, became manager of their office in Chicago. It was during his manageniant of the Chicago office, that the first -pool." it is believed, ever formed in this country, went into effect. At that time there were three telegraph companies doing business from Chicago to the East — The Erie & oF THE uftl C BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 215 Michigan; the Ohio, [ndiana A: Illinois; and the Southern Michigan. In 1853, it occurred to the managers of these companies that they could unite their offices in Chicago, and divide the earnings. They did so under Mr. Cobb's supervision, and the experiment was so satisfactory that it was followed in 1S">6. by the merging of the companies into the Western Union Telegraph Company, Mr. Cobb being retained as manager of the I office, and his authority and territory enla his appointment as superintendent of the Western Division. This important dual position he held until October, 1865, when his health having be- come impaired, he was given a year's leave of . and went abroad, passing most of his tine- traveling in Europe. Asia and Africa. On his return in 1866, Mr. Cobb was earnestlj solicited to resume his old place, but fear of agaii breaking down under his growing cares and re- sponsibilities led him to decline. He afterwards served as a member of the board of directors. Mr. Cobb introduced the system of transmitting money by telegraph, and. with the consent of the Western Union Telegraph Company, the n of which were doubtful of its practicability, con- ducted the business on his own account from L857 to 1867. In these ten years he establishei in all the principal Eastern cities, and so demon strated the success and profit of the bush the company in 1867, withdrew all objections, and incorporated the system as a leading feature of iis service. As early as 1861, Mr. Cobb had made some investments in lands at Kankakee, Illinois. and when he retired from hit position with tin- Western Union company, in 1866, he sought refuge from tile cares and worry of business life by retiring to his farm at Kankakee, and there as a farmer and stock raiser, again built up his health, which had been in danger of being perma- nently shattered. In this connection, he became prominent as a breeder of Short-horn cattle, and when the American Slant horn Breeders Associa- tion was formed in 1881. he was chosen as its president, ami with the exception of one year, when he was absent in Europe, he has hi Id the position ever since. This association is one of the most important in the live-stock industry of America. It has eight hundred stockholders, and conducts the Short -h in S _ ' a foi tl horn breeders in the United States and Canada. Mr. Cobb is still actively interested in general farming and stock-raising. He was for many years a member of the State Board of Agriculture, serving as vice-president until he declined re- election in 1882, when about to make a foreign tour with his family. He started on this tour in lss-j. and was abroad two years, visiting most of the important continental centers. It was in 1883. while abroad in Europe, that Mr. Cobb in divest- ing himself as much as possible of exacting duties. declined, in connection with other ..II position of president of the board of trustees .•( the Illinois Industrial University, at Champaign (now the University of Illinois), in which position, he had served continuously from 1*7:; to 1883. Of the original trustees. Mr. Cobb is the only one who yet retains a place on the board, having been named year after year by succeeding Governors to this honorable position. From his first appointment as trustee he has been a member of the executive committee. Of late years. Mr. Cobb has done much to develop ami improve Kan kakeeandit is largely to him that this flourishing town owes its present prominence and prosperity. [i 1884, he erected at Kankakee, the Arcade Build- ing, which is one of the most complete and unique office buildings in the state. He was instrumen- tal in erecting the celebrated -Hotel Riverview," at Kankakee, and is the president of the company. Mr. Cobb is also largely interested in the Kanka- kee Electric Railway Company. The First Xational Bank of Kankakee, of which he is presi- dent, owes its existence to his foresight, as does also the prosperous Teed Shoe Manufacturing Company of Kankakee, which he assisted in organ izing in 1887. B been active in business enterprises in other promising centers. One of his many successful ventures was the organization of the Bozeman National Bank, at Bozeman, Mon- tana, which was profitably conducted bj his so::. Charles II. Cobb, until lie was called home to take charge of the Electric Railway at Kankakee. Mr. Cobb was married on February :«. IsoS. to Miss Isabella Haven, daughter of Aaron Haven, one of tin- pioneer merchants of Chicago. He has three sons, Charles Haven Cobb, born February 17. I860, now General Manager of the Kankakee Elec- tric Railway; William Walter Cobb, born Novem- ber 11. IStJ'J. now vice-president of the Teed Shoe Manufacturing Company; Duane Phillips Cobb, bom November 14. 1867, a graduate of Yale in the Class of '91,andnow traveling with his mother in Europe. Mr. Cobb is a very public- spirited man. and while careful in his invest- ments, he has always had in view the benefit of the general public, as well as his individual profit. He has been uniformly successful in his business enterprises, and has amassed a comfortable fortune 2 l6 BI< 1GRAPHY OK ILLINOIS. He is in every respecl a thoroughly self-made man. His judgment of men and times, and oppor- tunities, is excellent, and he is lasting and true in his friendships. Although quick to act inimportant matters, he rarely makes a mistake, and his opin- ions and advice are valued by all men. Socially, Mr. Cobb is a very genial and affable man, eonsid- erate of the Eeelings of others, while, at the same time, holding strongly to his own views He was brought up a Methodist, but has been for over twenty-live yearsa memberof the Protestant Epis- copal church, and is very active and prominent in all the works of that Christian body, whether in the parish, the diocese, or the country at large. He has been a member of the vestry of St. Paul's Church, Kankakee, since the parish was organ- ized in lSli:!, and a warden of the church since L865. He is. however,as broad-minded in religion as in other things, and lias little sympathy with narrowness and sectarianism, whether in the pul- pit, or in religious and charitable work. HENRY II. EVANS. Wherever Illinois politics are known and under- stood, Senator Henry H. Evans is recognized as one of tile most energetic champions of stalwart Republicanism that the state contains. Colonel Evans — and he is entitled to the rank by reason of appointment on the staffs of Governors Culloni and Pifer was born at Toronto. Canada. March 9, L836. He is the .on of Griffith and Elizabeth (Weldon) Evans, both of whom were natives of Harrisburg, Pa. His father was a millwright. and his work took him to various parts of the United States and Canada, and it was while on one of these extended business tours that Henry H. Evans was bom. The Evans family traces back se\ eral generations in Pensylvania, but came origin ally from Wales, the family having been established in this country many years before the Revolution ary war. ( rriffith Evans moved to Aurora. 111., with his family in June. 1841, and aided in the construc- tion of the Black Hawk. Montgomery and Eagle Mills. Later he was foreman of the car building hops of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincj Rail road, in Aurora. He died suddenly, of heart dis- ease, September 28, 1882, aged 73 years. His wife had died on .January 29, 1882, aged 69. Thej lefl a famih a I lie lirst four were bom in Canada, and the remaining six in Aurora. Colonel Evans was only live years old when his parents moved to Aurora, and his life since then has been passed in that town, with the welfare and prosperity of which he is unquestion ably more closely identified than any other indi- vidual. As a child he had no special advantages. He went to the village schools, and was reared in the same way as thousands of other village boys. He had. however, the benefit of good home train ing and example, and it has left an indelible im- press upon his character. " Honor thy father and thy mother," was always a live precept with him, and in IS?:!, being convinced that there was no necessity for his father to continue in the shops. he induced him to resign, on the promise that he would pay him a yearly salary sufficient for all his needs. The contract was not only faithfully car- ried out. but the aged couple were frequently the recipients of handsome presents in addition. The first business venture made by young Evans was the selling of peanuts. He was successful, and in L858 had accumulated capital enough to open a restaurant. This he conducted with a fair profit until 1862, when he enlisted in the 124th Regiment of Illinois Volunteers, and served until the close of the war. His first active service as a soldier was al Jackson. Tenn. He next assisted in the iege and capture of Vicksburg, and after the capitulation of that stronghold was detached and assigned to hospital duty, his knowledge of the restaurant business making him a valuable man in tin- cook room. During his army career he made a little money in two or three legitimate speculations, and when he was mustered out in l-i'.:. he relumed Pi Aurora with the nucleus for what is now a large fortune. On leaving the army Mr. Evans again embarked in the restaurant business, which he followed until 1873, when he bought the Pitch House-— now known as the Hotel Evans. This he conducted for a few years, and then lease. 1 if. About that time Colonel Evans, with his natural shrewdness and business fore sight, began buying up real estate in and around Aurora, and every investment of this kind has broughl linn a handsome profit. He has made ten large additions to the city. In the successful handling of this realty he developed a greal capacity for other business enterprises, which havs been of vital importance in the building up of Aurora. He organized and put in operation the lirst street railway in tin- town: induced the Aurora. Joliet and Northern Railway to run its road there, and secured the watch factory, and the Rathbone, Sard A Co. stove works, ami several LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY aflLUHOiS. BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 2 17 other factories, all of which have large plants in Aurora, and give employment to hundreds of peo- ple. In addition to these enterprises, Colonel Evans is directly interested in many others of equally vital importance to the welfare of the town. He is president of the German-American National Bank of Aurora; president of the Aurora Novelty Manufacturing Company; president of the Piano Manufacturing Company, and a direc- tor in the Aurora Gas Company, all of which he has been largely instrumental in forming and put- ting on a paying basis. He is the owner now of the new additions to the city, and is improving and developing them; has lately erected a new business block and an opera house, and is about to undertake the construction of a belt railway and a new street railway. Colonel Evans seems to be a natural builder of railways. He organized the first Aurora street railway in September, 1882, was elected president of the company, and two months later had rive miles of track laid and the road in operation. He was also the founder of the Joliet. Aurora and Northern Railway, secured most of the subscriptions to the capital, superin- tended its construction, and not only got the road to running in a short time, but made it a financial success from the start. Industrious and success ful as he has been, however, in all his business un- dertakings, whether for the advancement of per- sonal interests or the benefit of Aurora, it is as a politician that Colonel Evans has won his greatest fame. His political career began in 1876. when he was elected to the State Legislature. In the same year he was elected to the Aurora City Council from the Ninth Ward. In 1880 he was chosen to represent the district in the State Senate, and was re-elected in 1881. receiving each time a very complimentary majority. Since then he has been in the Senate continuously, and has done good work for his constituents and the state. It was by the efforts of Colonel Evans, while a represen- tative in 1876, that the Soldiers' Home at Quincy was established, and his fighting qualities were so well shown at that time that Governor Cullom ap- pointed him a Colonel on hisstaff . He was influen- tial also in securing the passage of the State Militia. and Police pension bills, both of which measures have since received warm public endorsement. The only real opposition ever developed against Colonel Evans was in 1890 when a faction of his party, unable to defeat him for renomination, sought to beat him by running an independent candidate at the polls. Colonel Evans was re- elected, however, by a good majority, and signal- ized his return to the Senate by taking a radical stand against any compromise for the election of a United States Senator. Neither the Republicans nor Democrats had votes enough to elect a senator without winning over the Farmer's Alliance mem- bers. The latter repeatedly offered to vote with the Republicans on certain conditions, but as often as any move in this direction was detected, Colonel Evans and the three or four men who stood by him. defeated it by refusing to vote. The result was the election of Hon. John M. Pal- mer, the Alliance members finally going over to him. On being accused of thus helping to elect a Democrat. Colonel Evans said : " I prefer the election of an outspoken Democrat like Governor Palmer to that of any compromise man secured by a surrender of Republican principles by Repub- lican members." His course has since been en- dorsed by the leading men of his party as a wise and proper one. In 1888 he was seriously consid- ered as a candidate for Governor, and but for his own protestations would have been nominated. Colonel Evans is a very liberal man in money con- tributions to all deserving objects. He is not a church member, but no church has been built in Aurora without a generous subscription from him. He was the largest contributor to the fund for building the Soldiers Memorial Hall and Library. In 1888, when there was urgent need for a new- city hospital he pledged himself to raise $5,000 for the purpose, and he did so, although at the time he was more than usually busy with political and business affairs. There is no man in Aurora who enjoys the confidence and respect of the people, irrespective of party, to a greater degree than Colonel Evans. He has not only been singularly fortunate in all his ventures, and free from errors in his official career, but there is a spirit of hearty- good fellowship about him which makes friends by the score. He is liberal to all in distress, but never gives with ostentatious display. He is happy in his expressions, whether of condolence or congratulation, and shoves in all his actions, sound common sense. At fifty five years of age Colonel Evans is a physical and mental giant. He stands sis feet two inches in height, weighs 210 pounds, and is as alert, erect and vigorous as a man of twenty-five. He is not easily provoked to anger, but when occasion requires, uses his great strength like an athlete. On April 25, 1S90, while walking on Madison street in Chicago he saw a bully iusultiug a young girl with indecent talk and by trying to kiss her. Colonel Evans interfered in the girl's behalf and was told by the loafer to 2l8 i;ioci;Ari[Y of Illinois. mind his own business. " Well! out in the country I make all such affairs as this my business," he said, and gave the bully a terrible slap in the face. The chap showed right and Colonel Evans boxed his ears and threw him into the gutter. This did not satisfy the offender and he followed the Col- onel with aggravating remarks until the latter turned short and knocked him into the middle of the street with a left-hand blow. The policemen who witnessed the occurrence would not interfere because they saw the bully was getting what he deserved, and also because they recognized in Col- onel Evans the champion of their pension fund bill. The brain of Colonel Evans is bright and clear and continually at work evolving some new scheme for adding to the material prosperity of Au- rora. Colonel Evans was married in 1858 to Miss Alice M. Rhodes, a native of Lancashire, England. They have one son, Arthur R.Evans, now in the em- ploy of the United States Express Company as agent at Aurora, 111. Colonel Evans is almost as well known in Chicago as he is in Aurora and has some large business interests there, as well as many warm friends. He is a director in the National Bank of the Republic, of Chicago, and is active in other financial and industrial concerns. WILLIAM E. MASON. HON. WILLIAM E. MASON was born in the village of Franklinville, Cattaraugus county, New York, on the 7th of July, 1850. He is the son of Lewis J. and Nancy Winslow Mason. His father was engaged in mercantile business in Franklinville, and was a practical man of affairs, of high character, who took an active interest in politics, and identified himself in his early man- hood with the movement for the abolition of slavery. When the Republican party was organ- ized, he became a member of that party, and was an enthusiastic supporter of John C. Fremont for the Presidency in 1856. In 1858 he removed to Bentonsport, Iowa, and lived there up to the date of his death in 1865. William E. Mason received his education at the public schools of Franklin- ville and Bentonsport, and had spent two years at Birmingham college, at the time of his father's death. Being thrown upon his own resources at the age of fifteen, he began teaching school, and devoted himself alternately to teaching and study- ing until 1808. He then went to Des Moines, Iowa, where he obtained a position as teacher in the public schools, which he held for two years. In 1870 he began the study of law with Hon. Thomas F. Withrow, who was at that time a pros perous corporation lawyer. Soon after Mr. Mason entered his office, Mr. Withrow was appointed grin iiil solicitor of the Rock Island railway com- pany, and removed to Chicago. Mr. Mason accompanied Mr. Withrow to this city, and re- mained in his office one year. At the end of that time he entered the office of Hon. John N. Jewett, where he completed his legal studies. He re- mained with Mr. Jewett for some years after his admission to the bar. In 1873, about the time he received his license to practice, he married Miss Julia Edith White, daughter of George White, a prominent citizen of Des Moines, and now has an interesting family of children. In 1877 he left the office of Mr. Jewett to form a partnership with Judge M. R. M. Wallace. He soon distinguished himself at the bar, especially as an advocate. Very early in his career it was observable that he belonged to that active, energetic class of young men who never remain long in the background in any community. He became noted as a political speaker. Keen in his perceptions, clear and lucid in the logical construction of his arguments, and with a remarkable fluency and readiness in the expression of his views, he gained a considerable reputation as an orator, and his abilities on the rostrum, combined with a geniality and bonhomie that made him friends wherever he went, led to his election to the lower branch of the Illinois legislature in 1879, before he had reached his thirtieth year. The Republicans were not success- ful at the polls in his district in 1881, a representa- tive of the labor party taking Mr. Mason's place. He returned to his legal practice, and obtained lucrative engagements as attorney for several important corporations. After practicing for a time with Judge Wallace, he became the senior member of the firm of Mason, Ennis & Bates, with which he is still identified. While he has achieved distinction as a member of the Chicago bar, and is looked upon as an able lawyer, his public services have won for him the commendation and high regard of a large constituency, and the esteem of many of the distinguished men of the country. Evii since he could cast a vote, he has been an enthusiastic member of the Republican party and an ardent worker for the success of the organiza- tion. They have repaid him by electing him to fill successive terms of public office, and his failure to gain a majority in 1800 was due to no with- \ LIBRARY OF THE MWVERSlTYaflLUMOIS. BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 2 19 ilrawal of party confidence, but more than any- thing else to the revulsion of public feeling over the first effects of the MeKinley tariff bill, which swept so many prominent Republicans, including the author of the bill himself, from their places in Congress. That Mr. Mason's rejection, in 1890, was not caused by any withdrawal of party con- tinence but simply to a tidal wave of popular sentiment occurring in what is called an "off year," is proved by the fact that eminent Republicans all over the country lost their seats at the same time. Hut we have somewhat anticipated the natural course of our narrative. Mr. Mason was not per mitted to remain long in retirement after the expiration of his term of service as a member of the Illinois House of Representatives, in 1881. In 1882 he was promoted to the State Senate, where he represented the Ninth Senatorial Dis- trict, which embraces the north-western portion of the city of Chicago, and had many important interests to be looked after in the General Assem- bly of the state. As a state legislator he was conspicuous not only for his ability, but for his devotion to the interests of his constituents, his useful consideration of proposed legislation, and his close attention to business at all times. He served as a member of the Senate four years. The last session of Mr. Mason's legislative term was the famous session of 1885, when Genera] Ligan was elected Senator of the Unite. 1 States. after a long protracted tight by the Democrats on behalf of General William R. Morrison. Mr. Mason was the chairman of tin- judiciary com inittee of the Senate at that time, and made several characteristic speeches during the joint sessions of the General Assembly. These sessions used to begin at noon, and the balloting would last from half an hour to two hours each day. Sometimes little dramatic episodes occurred, such as are usually incidental to such occasions, and Mr. Mason would get up and make a short and pithy speech, which, as one of his legislative com- peers in that session has described it, "was like the crack of a whip among an unruly herd, and stirred every body up." He was also a mem- ber of what is known as the "steering com- mittee" in General Logan's interest. As is well known, the tight was protracted until a Demo- cratic assemblyman died, and his place was filled by a Republican, to secure whose return the late Dan Shepard made his famous "still hunt" through the district, in the disguise of a peddler, and brought the voters in sufficient numbers to the polls to secure the election of General Logan. That was an unusually bright and capable Gen- eral Assembly, comprising such men as Abner Taylor. W. .1. Campbell, "High License" Harper, and E. C. Fuller, and among them Mr. Mason ranked as one of the foremost. He left behind him at the close of his term the tradition, that he was the best relator of a humorous story and the best improptu speaker in either branch of the Legislature. In 1888 he was nominated for rep- resentative in Congress from the third congress- ional district of Illinois, and was elected after a spirited contest. He soon justified the choice of his constituents, and won laurels for himself and his district, by his ability as a parliamentarian and his ready wit as a debater. His first speech in the House of Representatives, at Washington, was largely impromptu, and the best things in it were uttered in the heat of debate, without previous preparation. He was making a reply to some Southern member, who interrupted him by a re- tort, which at once put Mr. Mason on his mettle. He paid his Southern antagonist back with a re- tort in kind, and for a time the house was enter- tained with the competition of oratorical fire- works between the two, in which our young con gressman was admitted to have had the best of it. Since then Mr. Mason has distinguished himself on the floor of the house on numerous occasions. and few of the younger members of that body have been listened to with more respectful atten- tion. It may also be said of him. that during his brief term in Congress, few of his colleagues, except those who have for many years held their places there, have had greater influence in shap- ing legislation and controlling the policy of the party of which he is a member. So good a rec- ord had he made during his first Congressional term that he was nominated for re-election, but failed for the reason already indicated. There will be no defections from the party standard in 1892, and there is no visible reason why Mr. Mason should not still have a long and honorable public career before him. He stands in the happy and fortunate position of being still able to determine the shape of his future life, and he has two allur- ing alternatives before him — either to pursue rep- utation and fortune in his profession, in which he has already an honorable place, or to carve out a record for himself in the legislative annals of his country. Both alternatives are within his grasp, and there are few public men who can point to such a record at the time of life at which he has now arrived. While in Congress Mr. Mason was one of the most popular of its members, and there 2 20 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. was seldom a week passed over that the Washing- ton correspondents did not spice their letters with some characteristic anecdote of him. He had the reputation ot being one of the wittiest, as he was one of the most genial and accessible, of the mem- bers of the House. As a political orator, he has been always in demand for campaign service. In the Presidential campaign of 1888 he became known as an effective political speaker, and dur- ing the hotly contested campaign of 1890, in Ohio, he added to his fame as a campaign orator. Had he devoted more attention to his personal interests in his own district at the time, the result so far as he is concerned might have been different, but none can withhold from him the admiration due to his generous sacrifice of personal ambition on the altar of party loyalty. ISAAC L. MORRISON. HON. ISAAC L. MORRISON was born Jan. 26, 182G, near the village of Glasgow, Kentucky. His grandfather was Andrew Morrison. He was from the North of Ireland, but the date of his emigra- tion to the colonies is not known. However, he was settled, near Orange Court House, Virginia, and had a family, at the time of the beginning of the Revolution. He enlisted in the Continental army, and was killed at the battle of Brandywine. Isaac L. Morrison's mother was of the Welborn family of North Carolina. Her father, Samuel Welborn, was also a soldier, and served under General Greene in his campaigns against Cornwallis. John Organ Morrison, who was the eldest son of An- drew Morrison, and father of Isaac L. Morrison, at the age of twenty-one moved from Virginia and set- tled in Kentucky in 1793. He was a farmer. Hedied when Isaac L.Morrison was fifteen. As the eldest of the sons at home the management of the farm was left to his charge. Prom that time till he was twenty the subject of this sketch continued to man- age the farm, at the same time reading history and acquiring knowledge in other branches, so far as was within his reach. In his twentieth year, Isaac L. entered Masonic College, in Ky., and continued his studies there for two years, when he entered upon the study of the law. He read in the office of a practicing lawyer for eighteen months, and was admitted in 1819. He remained in Kentucky till 1851, when he settled in Jacksonville, Illinois, where he has since resided. Mr. Morrison came to Illinois a stranger, and unaided by any influ- ence, except that of merit and honorable ambition, he quickly gained recognition as an able prac- titioner, and this, with a well-deserved reputation for unbending integrity, and unceasing energy soon placed him in the front ranks of his profes- sion. He was soon known as an adept in the sci- ence of special pleading, and, although, having to contend often with some of the ablest of the bar at that time, he never lost his clients' confi- dence in his ability. His one purpose from the start was to win the causes entrusted to him in an upright, honest way, and in this, few lawyers have been more successful. His skill in special pleading, and in the direct and cross examination of witnesses is recognized, and his services are always in demand. Mr. Morrison is a man of force, and while he generally tries his cases and makes his arguments with the sole object of plac- ing the facts before the court in the most favora- ble light for his client's interest, rather than any attempt at eloquence, he can, if he so desires, use invective and sarcasm with effect. Like all men of pronounced force, Mr. Morrison has at times aroused bitter feelings against himself, but his treatment of his antagonists has been so uniformly fair, and his practice has been so conducted, that no lasting resentment has resulted. He justly commands both the respect of the bench and bar, as a lawyer, and of the community as an honora- ble and public spirited man. Mr. Morrison has never been a seeker for office, and his hearty de- testation of the begging for, and the giving of patronage, has kept him from being a politician. He was an opponent of slavery before he left his native state, and has been a member of the Repub- lican party ever since its organization in Illinois. He was a delegate to the first Republican State Convention, that of 1850. and also to that of I860. He was a delegate to the Republican National Convention of 1801, and also served as a member of the Republican state central committee for that year. He represented the thirty-eighth dis- trict in the State Legislature, in 1877, 1879 and again in 1883. His services to his party and Un- people of his state, were of great value, especially in the session of 1883. The Republicans at that time, organized the House of Representatives, having only one majority, and put themselves on record as responsible for the legislation of that body. Shortly after this, one Republican member was taken sick and another declined to vote with his party. Being thus left without the means of controlling the House, and at the same time being uLlUs LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY of ILLINOIS. BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. sponsors for its acts, the Republicans needed the services of a cool, able, intrepid leader, and Mr. Morrison was placed in command upon the floor of the House. He was recognized at once as the ablest lawyer, parliamentarian and debater, on the floor, and his opinion was generally deferred to. At the same time Mr. Morrison was chairman of the judiciary committee and in this capacity assisted in moulding all the important measures of the session, including the Harper high license bill. Major James A. Connelly and Mr. Morrison prepared the original, which was a skeleton bill and it was introduced by Mr. Harper. This bill was reported from the committee on licenses, with- out recommendation, and against the more astute judgment of the Honorable Elijah M. Haines. This bill was amended in second reading, and put in the shape it ultimately passed the House and became a law. Mr. Harper was not a debater, but a very judicious and industrious friend of the bill. There were some Republicans representing constituencies opposed to the passage of tin- bill, and they failed to obtain the support of these representatives; upon the other band, t lure «ne nine Democrats who refused to obey the decision of their party, and supported the bill. The opposition was led by the Hon. Elijah M. Haines, a gentleman of very great skill in all legis lative proceedings. Mr. Morrison led the chain pions of the measure, ami in the discussion and management of the bill, won for himself the admiration of the opponents of the measure. For some three months, almost every move in the House had for its object, either to obstruct the passage of this bill or to advance it. For ten days the House was in a deadlock over a contested election matter, the result, to either increase the strength of the friends of the bill, or to hold a man in a seat to which he was not elected. After more than three months spent in the struggle, the bill passed the House, was sent to, and quickly passed the Senate, was signed by the Governor and be came a law. The district represented by Mr. Morrison was largely interested in the charitable institutions of the state, and Mr. Morrison was at all tunes willing to work for the passage of liberal appropriations for the care of the inmates of the same. In 1880, Mr. Morrison was nominated for Congress and made a canvass of his district, not with any expectation, or even desire to be elected, the district being controlled by a large Democratic majority. He received a vote, largely reducing the usual Democratic majority in his district. Since the closeof his term, last mentioned, in the Legislature, Mr. Morrison has retired from poli- tics and has since taken no active part in political matters, except to address meetings in the interest of his party, when called upon. His time is now given almost wholly to the practice of his profes- sion. Principal among his clients is the aggrega- tion of railway corporations, known as the "Jack- sonville Southeastern Line." of which he is chief solicitor and vice-president. Mr. Morrison was married in 1853 to Anna R., eldest daughter of Jonathan and Miriam Weeks Tucker, of New York City. A son and daughter have been born to them. The residence of Mr. Morrison is in the western part of the city of Jacksonville. The house is finely situated in a small grove of tine old forest trees, surrounded by a large ami well kept lawn. An artistically arranged interior bespeaks the cul- tured tastes of the family. There are many orna- ments which go to make home attractive, not the least'of which is a large and well selected library. Mr. Morrison is a man of modest aims, and entirely free from ostentation or show. In his every daj life, as well as in court, or legislative hall, he is in- different to personal appearance, his mind beiDg concentrated on the successful handling of the subject to which, for the time being, he is giving his attention. EDWARD P. RIPLEY. EDWARD PAYSON RIPLEY a prominent citizen of Chicago, actively connected for many years with several of the principal western rail- roads, and now third vice-president of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad, was born at Dor- chester, now a part of the city of Boston. Massa- chusetts, October 30, 1815. The Ripley family to which he belongs is one of the oldest and most re- spectable in New England, having been founded thereby two brothers who came from England to Massachusetts in 1630. Mr. Ripley's father, Charles P. Ripley, was a native of Vermont. He removed to Massachusetts in early manhood and established himself in the grocery business at Dorchester, where he resided until his death in 1866. He married, in 1843, Miss Anne Payson, daughter of Samuel Payson, of Dorchester. This lady was a native of Massachusetts and a member of the same family as the distinguished scholar and divine, the Rev. Dr. Edward Payson. The subject of this sketch finished his education at BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. the Dorchester high school, one of the best insti- tutions of its grade in the United States. At the age "I seventeen years he entered commercial life as a clerk in a wholesale drygoods business at Boston, remaining thus employed several years. About the time he became of age he entered the service of the Pennsylvania Rail- road Company as a clerk in the freight depart- ment of the Boston office. In 1870 he left this position to accept a responsible clerkship in the Boston office of the Chicago, Burlington & Quiney Railroad company, his duties connecting him with both the freight and passenger departments. Two years later he was made the New England freight and passenger agent of the company, with head- quarters at Boston. In 1876 he was appointed general eastern agent of the company for the ter- ritory east of Buffalo, still retaining his official headquarters at Boston. In 1878 he was made general freight agent of the Chicago, Burlington & Quiney system, with headquarters at Chicago. In 1887 the office of traffic manager was created by the directory of the road, and his special excel- lence in this department was recognized by his ap- pointment to till it. Further promotion came to him in 1888, when he was made general manager of the road. This position he resigned on June 1, 1890; and on August 1, following, he was elected third vice-president of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Rail Road Company, his offices being in Chicago. Mr. Ripley's specialty is traffic, and in this department he stands second to no railway official in America. A quarter of a century's ex- perience in railroad affairs has made him a master in this. He brought to the railroad business a well trained and active mind, and his quarter of a century of experience in this line has broadened and perfected his knowledge of it to a degree which it would be difficult to surpass. Mr. Ripley's various promotions and present position have been won by unremitting application to duty and an intelli- gent comprehension of the demands of the public. He is one of the galaxy of brillant young Eastern men to whom the rapidly growing West is in- debted for practical work of inestimable value and the City of Chicago for a number of its most ma- terial and enduring successes. He was one of the most untiring in his labors to secure for Chicago the World's Fair, and at the election of directors in April, 1891, was chosen a member of the direc- tory and appointed on the committees on ways and means and transportation. He is a prominent member of the Chicago Club. On October 4, 1871, he was married to Miss Frances E. Harding, daughter of Wilder Harding, of Dorchester, Mas- sachusetts. They have four children, Alice, Fran- ces, Robert and Frederick. The two girls are now in Germany finishing their education. Mr. and Mrs. Ripley have resided since marriage in the township of Riverside, where for the last seven years Mr. Ripley has filled the office of supervisor. xMATTHEW T. SCOTT. MATTHEW THOMPSON SCOTT, a promi- nent citizen and wealthy business man of Bloom- ington, and one of the largest landed proprietors in tin' state, was born at Lexington, Kentucky, Feb. 21, 1828, and died at his home, in Blooming- ton, 111., on May 21, 1891. He came from Revo- lutionary stock and from one of the most promi- nent of the old families of Kentucky. On his father's side he traced his ancestry in an unbroken line to Robert Scott, an old Covenanter hero, who fought at the battle of Bothwell Briggs, in 1679, for the Covenant and the Crown. This ancestor was a member of the old Scottish parliament and opposed the union of the crowns during the reign of Queen Anne, because of the ignoring of the Scottish crown and name in the new Parliament of Great Britain. For this offense, he. with a num- ber of others of the two old houses of Parliament was immured in the Tower of London with the risk of their heads. Upon his release by George I., when brought over from Hanover to take the throne in virtue of his being a descendant of the Stuarts, Robert Scott and his friend, the Earl of Belhaven, a member of the upper house of the old Parliament, emigrated in disgust to the north of Ireland. The eldest son of Robert, named John, emigrated to America about 172. r > and settled first in New Jersey. His son, Matthew, married at Carlisle, Pennsylvania, in 1702 or 1763, Miss Betsy Thompson, daughter of William Thompson, who was commissioned a colonel in the Revolutionary army on June 25, 1775, and promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General on March 1, 1770. Matthew T. Scott, Sr., the father of the subject of this sketch, was a grandson of this couple and was one of three brothers who emigrated from Pennsylvania to Kentucky at an early day. One of these brothers, Dr. Joseph Scott, settled at Lexington, where he became a leading physician and also one of the principal citizens. The other brother, Dr. John Scott, was the confidential friend and a c^^j&u^yXcZc LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY of ILLINOIS. BIOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS. 223 member of the personal staff of General Win. Henry Harrison, afterwards President of the United States. Each of the latter named his eldest son after the other, one becoming the Hon. Scott Harrison father of President Benjamin Harrison, and the other, Dr. Harrison Scott, a prominent physician of Illinois. The three Scott brothers, and the subject of this sketch, were all men of refinement, liberal education, sterling vir- tues and great force of character; in themselves splendid illustrations of the many noble qualities which characterized the revolutionary stock of Scotch-Irish blood, from which they were descended. Matthew T. Scott. Sr., made a study of finance ami rose to distinguished eminence in this department. He became associated with the Northern Bank of Kentucky at its incorporation, and for about thirty years, as cashier or president, guarded its interests and shaped its policy. The business of this bank extended from New York to New Orleans and embraced transactions over a large part of the Ohio valley. It passed through several financial storms which wrecked the busi- ness of the country and ruined great industries, without ever suspending specie payment or hav- ing its credit impaired, or omitting its regular dividend of eight per cent. The skill and fidelity with which Mr. Scott managed its affairs gave him wide renown in the business world and his name became a synonym throughout Kentucky for the highest personal and commercial honor. Matthew T. Scott, Sr., married Miss Webb, whose father, Isaac Webb, a Virginia gentleman of a prominent colonial family, settled near Lexington, Ky., at an early date. A brother of this lady was Dr. James Webb, whose daughter Lucy became the wife of General R. B. Hayes, afterwards Presi- dent of the United States. Lexington. Kentucky, at that day, was probably the most conspicuous religious, educational and social centre west of the Alleghenies. It was the home of Henry Clay, the greatest political leader of the day. and as such enjoyed unusual prominence politically. Its society possessed both wealth and refinement, and the educational facilities for youth were except- ionally excellent. It was something at that day, for a youth susceptible as was Matthew Scott to the good influences of such surroundings, to be so fortunately placed. He imbibed the ennobling stimulus of these environments in his youth, and illustrated them in all his after life. He received a careful preparatory training, and was sent to Centre College, at Danville, the educational pride of the Presbyterian church, then under the presi- dency of Dr. John C. Young. Here he graduated in the class of 1846 with a high reputation for scholarship, being then but eighteen years of age. Even thus early in life he was a remarkable young man. Without any affectation of superior virtue he eschewed the ordinary vices common among men of all ages, never indulging in liquor, tobacco, pro- fanity or gambling. He was, nevertheless, very- popular with his associates, and being gifted with marked physical strength took rank as a leader in their sports. When nineteen years of age he received from his father an interest in a large landed property in Ohio, of which the latter was owner; and thither Matthew went and spent sev- eral years. It was while he resided at this place that his marvelous faculty for perceiving the latent advantages of a locality first manifested itself. Impressed by the possibility of early and great developments in the then sparsely settled State of Illinois, he invested for himself and differ- ent members of his family, in a large amount of government lands, and at once, with the boldness, confidence and resolution which characterized all his business ventures, proceeded to reduce them as rapidly as possible to cultivation. Speaking to a friend, shortly before his death, he said that he had made and owned over two hundred and fifty miles of hedge fence; had reduced to cultivation, for himself and others, as much as sixteen thous- and acres of prairie land in Illinois and Iowa; had built on these lands nearly two hundred houses; had made over two hundred and fifty miles of ditch, and the tile drains for thoroughly tiling five thousand acres. He added, that single-handed he had conducted tin' largest business transaction ever consummated in the State of Tennessee by one man, viz; the purchase and sale of forty-six thousand acres of mineral and timber lands. One of Mr. Scoffs earliest enterprises was the founding of the city of Chenoa (Indian— Chenowa) in 1856. His farm at this place was the first large one in the country cultivated without fences — except those around the pasture lots to confine his own stock. His successful experiments in this line en- couraged many to follow his example and led to the rapid settlement and improvement of that section of the state. The passage of the so-called " No fence law " by the Illinois legislature was the result of his testimony before a committee of that body. Mr. Scott had great faith in investments in lands and he steadily increased his possessions in realty. His next step was to improve and cultivate. He was never a mere speculator, but a liberal, enter- prising, far-seeing business man, whose operations 224 l!IO( iKAPHV OF ILLINOIS. all tended to developing the resources, and build nig up the prosperity of the community, and state. As a business man he was extremely bold, re- sourceful, and self-reliant, and it has been truth- fully said of him, "that no man gave more earnest effort toward developing the young and growing commonwealth of Illinois. While capable of the largest transactions, and built for the broader arena of life, he was also of the most generous and kindly nature, a warm and steadfast friend, and achieved success without making enemies, or arousing envy, because his own upbuilding meant the advancement of many others." From 1870 to 1872 he resided at Springfield, 111., whither he had removed in the hope of benefitting his wife's health. In the latter year he. chose the town of Bloom- ington, 111., as his permanent residence and bought the beautiful home there in which he passed the remaining twenty years of hislife. lb' became prominently identified with the interests of the city and invested largely in enterprises within the county. He organized and became president of the McLean County Coal Company, which proved of the highest value to both city and county, greatly increasing their importance and prosperity. He remained at the head of this great enterprise until his death. A man of intense public spirit he invested in a number of minor enterprises on general principles, most of them having their basis in real estate. One of the most important of these, to prosecute which he organized a company and became its president — led to the development of the celebrated Galena (Kansas) lead mining district. A volume might be filled with reminiscences of his great business activity. Energetic, far-seeing, honest and public- spirited, he operated boldly and continuously and by the stimulus of his exertions roused the enter- prise of others, and through this means added to his own great labors, and furnished thousands of laborers remunerative employment. He was never a public man in the ordinary sense. He was never an office holder, or an office seeker, having no taste for official or political life, even if his busi- ness interests would have permitted him to enter it. But during all his business life, he held many important relations to the public interest through the business enterprises he conducted, for in all of them the public was a large indirect beneficiary. In fact he never sought to figure personally before the public in any light or any relation. His in- fluence was felt as a strong, steady, moving force, in the social, moral and industrial movements of the community, rather than seen, and no man of his real influence and force made so modest a figure before the public. In politics, he was, until the war, a "Henry Clay Whig." In 1860 he supported Bell and Everett, and was a strong advocate of compromise before and during the war, on a basis of the preservation of the Union. In 1878, he with others, founded the Bloomington Bulletin, a democratic newspaper, of which he subsequently became the sole proprietor. No better evidence of his real modesty can be adduced than the fact, that though for many years the owner of two newspapers, his name rarely appeared in either. While intensely devoted to business, and a man of very decided views and strong con- victions, he was by nature of a gentle and affec- tionate disposition. His moral standing was high and he lived up to it. Said one who knew him well — himself a commanding factor in the business world— "his word was as good as his bond; he was the soul of honor, and the better one knew him, the greater the respect, and the warmer the friendship. His genial companionship, his tena- cious regard for the simple truth, his unostenta- tious generosity and large hearted Christian benevolence were among the qualities that greatly endeared him to my heart. I considered him the possessor of the brightest mind in my whole acquaintance." His home life was beautiful and satisfying, and in it he found his chief enjoyment. There the influences were gentle and refining, and the intellectual and moral graces thoroughly cultivated. When death came — the result of a cold, which developed pneumonia and bronchial difficulties— it was felt to be a public calamity. "Well-descended and well-bred," reared in a life of constant and healthful activity, he preserved a sound mind in a sound body to the last. His life was that of a " high-souled, large-minded, noble- hearted Christian gentleman." Mr. Scott is sur- vived by his widow, Mrs. Julia Green Scott, and two daughters— Mary Letitia Scott and Julia Green Scott. Mrs. Scott, to whom he was married in 1859, is the daughter of the late Rev. Lewis Warner Green, D. D., then president of Center College, Danville, Ky., previously president of Hampden-Sidney College, Virginia, and also of Transylvania University, Kentucky. Through her father Mrs. Scott is descended from one of the early colonial families of Virginia, one of her unci's tors being Robert Green, a member of the House of Burgesses in 1731. She is also descended through Lawrence Washington, from Leonard Washington, who with his wife Ann, emigrated to America in 1659 from Warton, county Lancaster, England. OF THE BIOGRAPHY OF ILLIM US. --:> JACOB STRAWN. JACOB STRAWN was, at the time of his death, in 1865, one of the most extensive and prosperous farmers and live stock dealers in the West. He was a man who had made a study of the business from early life, and was master of all its details. He was born in Somerset county, Penn., May 30, 1800. His father was Isaiah Shawn, a well-to-do farmer in Somerset county. The family is of Eng- lish-Quaker origin. Mr. Strawn's mother was Rachel (Reed) Strawn, a native of Sussex county. New Jersey. The first seventeen years of Mr. Strawn's life were passed on his father's farm in Somerset county, uneventful except for the fact that when he was ten years old he went to visit one of his aunts and found her feeding calves. The boy became interested, and. learning that cattle raising was a profitable business, resolved tn follow it when the time came for him to earn his own living. This resolution he never forgot, and for nine years it was his daily hope and am- bition. As a boy Jacob Strawn received a fair education in the district schools of his native county, and when at the age. if seventeen he re- moved with his parents to Licking county, Ohio, he was well fitted tn take care of himself. Two years later — in 1819 — he married Miss Matilda Greene, daughter of Rev. John Greene, of Licking o >untj . and settled on a farm near his father's place. He began farming on a small scale, and was success- ful from the start. His capital was limited, but his stock of integrity, shrewdness, tact and com- mon sense, was large, and he carried through with profit many transactions in which men of larger means, but less ability, would have failed. Pros- perous as Mr. Strawn was in Ohio, however, his real start on the highway to fortune dates from the time he settled in Illinois. His first visit to this state was made in February. ls:J>>. when he went to Morgan county to buy stock. He was attracted by the richness of the land, and instead of buying the horses he was after, he invested his money in land. This done he returned to Ohio and closed out his business there. On May 17. 1831, Mr. Strawn removed to Morgan county, and entered vipon the career which made him famous. Mrs. Strawn died soon after reaching Illinois, leaving a family of seven children, of whom two are now living. In July. 1832, Mr. Strawn mar- ried Miss Phebe Gates, daughter of Samuel Gates, of Greene county, a woman of tine presence, sweet disposition and rare good smse. By this marriage Mr. Strawn had six children, of whom three are living. The first few years of Mr. Strawn's life in Illinois were passed in studying the various mar- kets and conditions of trade, and in the buying up of desirable farms. Once possessed of a true knowledge of the situation he pressed his business so persistently that he was soon in command of the beef trade in central Illinois. The fact that Jacob Strawn sent a drove of cattle to market was a guarantee of their worth, and his stock always brought high prices. He practically con- trolled the trade in New Orleans and St. Louis, and held it by honest dealing against men who tried all sorts of trickery to take it from him. At one time the buyers in St. Louis combined and agreed not to buy any of Mr. Strawn's cattle except at their own price. Mr. Strawn was then offering stock in that market at a fair price, but they re- fused to touch it. He said nothing, but sent agents out on all the roads leading into the city and bought up every head of stock coming in. Two days' experience convinced his opponents that they were at his mercy, and they never both- ered him afterward. Mr. Strawn conducted his cattle business on broad principles. He would handle none but the best, and they must be in the pink of condition when they left his hands. He wassoundly honest in all his trading. He despised all deception, whether in buying or selling, and his word was freely taken by purchasers, who often bought cattle of him without seeing them. Mr. Strawn made money very fast. He did so because he understood hisbusines, and conducted it on an immense scale. He loved a farmer's life, but nn ordinary farm was large enough for him. He wanted land by the thousands of acres, and he was constantly adding to his possessions, until he became the largest land owner in the state of Illi- nois. His lands were well farmed and nearly all the produce was fed to cattle, hogs and sheep, and the largest possible profit thus secured. In the handling of his enormous business Mr. Strawn employed an army of men, and he rarely had a poor one among them. He was a good judge of human character, and had the faculty of surround- ing himself with assistants who understood his policy, and were act ive in carrying it out. He was a man without bad habits, and would not tolerate them in others. He had no use for men who drank liquor or used tobacco. Vast as were his interests, Mr. Strawn gave active supervision to them. He did nothing by proxy. He not only laid out hard work for others, but he did lots of it himself. By his own example he incited others to labor. Plain in manner and dress, rough at times 226 moOU.UMIV OK ILLINOIS. in speech, he always commanded the respect of all who labored for him. No weather was too severe, no hardship or privation too great to turn him from a self-appointed task. Day and night he was in the saddle riding about his estate, looking after the work, and, when necessary, tak- ing a hand in it himself. Mr. Strawn was a man of powerful physique and iron constitution. None other could have stood the great strain to which his body and mind were constantly subjected. His health gave way at last, but it was only after toil and exposure that would have wrecked a doz- en ordinary men. Mr. Strawn amassed (for a far- mer) a great fortune. He was a natural money maker and money saver. There was nothing of the speculator in his character. He believed in hard work, in frugal living, and in the investment of capital in safe, legitimate trade, where a profit was reasonably sure. He was never hard-hearted toward those who borrowed money from him and failed to meet their obligations, and he never op- pressed the worthy poor. He had little patience with those who were lazy, neglectful or vicious. The poor workman never got any more than the agreed wages; the good workman was always rewarded with a substantial increase. He believed in encouraging industry, but this did not prevent him from extending aid to those who deserved it. No one in real distress was ever turned away empty handed by Mr. Strawn. Rough and stormy in his ways, he was readily moved to tears by tender words, or the sight of suffering. In the relief of Union soldiers during the War of the Rebellion Mr. Strawn was especially active. He contributed to their comfort in many substantia! ways, not the least of which was a present of $10,000, to the Christian Commis- sion for the use of the sick and wounded. This gift, he was afterwards heard to say, gave him more real pleasure than anything he ever did. Mr. Strawn was not a member of any church. He was slow to contribute to any general benevolent cause, and yet he was very liberal in furnishing funds for the building of schools and meeting houses, and when an enterprise struck him as be- ing decidedly good he would make a generous donation to it. Toward the end of his life Mr. Strawn became much softened in character, and was a daily reader of the Bible. In 1859 Mr. Strawn erected a fine opera house in Jacksonville, which was completed in 1861, and was the hand- somest building of its kind at that time in that part of the State. In politics Mr. Strawn was a Whig, and when the Republican party was organ- ized he became one its members. He was a warm' personal friend and supporter of President Lin- coln whom he aided in many ways during the war. He never sought political preferment, but always refused to accept a nomination to any office. Of Mr. Strawn, as of many other men who have gained unusual prominence, there are many odd stories told, but few of them can be substan- tiated. He was simply a unique character — a general among the farmers of his neighborhood. He had ambition, enterprise, grit and capital, backed with wisdom and ability, and with these he won fame and fortune. When asked at one time for the secret of his success, Mr. Strawn gave the following maxims which he said he had followed closely all his life, and which were widely published at the time. "When you wake up, do not roll over, but roll out. It will give you time to ditch all your sloughs, break them up, harrow them, and sow them with timothy and red clover. One bushel of clover to ten of timothy is enough. " Make your fence high, tight and strong, so that it will keep cattle and pigs out. If you have biush, make your lots secure and keep your hogs from the cattle, for if the corn is clean they will eat it better than if it is not. "Be sure to get your hands to bed by seven o'clock; they will rise early by the force of circum- stances. "Pay a hand, if he is a poor hand, all you promise him; if he is a good hand pay him a little more; it will encourage him. " Always feed your hands as well as you do your- self, for the laboring men are the bone and sinew of the world and ought to be well treated. "I am satisfied that getting up early, industry and regular habits are the best medicine ever pre- scribed for health. " When it comes rainy, bad weather so you can not work out of doors, cut and split your wood. "Make your tracks when it rains hard, cleaning your stables, or fixing something which you would have to stop the plow for and fix in good weather. "Make your tracks, fixing your fence or a gate that is off the hinges, or weather-boarding your barn where the wind has blown off the siding, or patching the roof of your house or barn. "Study your interests closely and don't spend any time in electing presidents, senators and other small officers, or talk of hard times when spend- ing your time in town whittling on store boxes, etc. " Take your time and make your calculations; don't do things in a hurry, but do them at the right time and keep your mind as well as your body employed." These maxims, which constituted his rules of con- duct, evidence very strikingly, by their originality and epigrammatic style, his peculiarly suggestive mind and individuality; their rugged philosophy explains much of his great success. U Vth£ 5/VX^W^ BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. CHARLES S. DOLE. CHARLES S. DOLE, one of the oldest and most highly respected citizens and business men of Chicago, prominently identified for upwards of forty years with the grain commission trade of the West, and for fully thirty years with the grain warehousing and elevator business in and near the city named, was born at Bloomfield. Oakland county. Michigan, on November 2, 1819. On the paternal side he traces his ancestry to James Dole, a gentleman of English descent, who served in the American army during the Revolutionary war, holding a commanding position. Subse- quent to the struggle for independence James Dole resided at Troy, X. V.. where, as late as 1812, he carried on an extensive business as vessel owner and grain merchant. He was a man of aristocratic feelings but genial and popular in a large circle, and both he and his family occupied an enviable social position. His son, Sidney, the father of the subject of this sketch, married Elizabeth Swan, who has been described as a most estimable woman in mind and heart, possessing many noble traits of character. She was a daughter of Dr. Ziba Swan of Albany. X. Y.. and through her mother — originally a Miss Palmer, of Stonington, Connecticut— traced her lineage to ancestors who came over in the Mayflower. The immediate ancestors of Dr. Swan were of Xew England birth: remotely he was of Scotch descent. All of these maternal ancestors of Mr. Dole were of the earnest, strong-minded type, and extremely tenacious of their convictions where principle was at stake. With them industry was a virtue and they practiced frugality and economy from conscientious motives down to the latest period of their lives and long after such a course had ceased to be obligatory. Some of them entered the learned professions, others followed farming or practiced the useful handicrafts, while a few be- came manufacturers. One. named John Swan. was the founder of the popular line of stages, known as Swan's coaches, which connected Albany with neighboring towns at an early day. Sidney Dole seems to have inherited his father's military tastes, for as a young man he was the captain of the "Trojan Greens," of Troy. X. Y.. which was the crack military organization of the state in 1812. and was called into service for a brief period during the second war with Great Britain. About this time he held a responsible position in the Bank of Troy, but he resigned this, together with the command of the company named, and, form- ing a co-partnership with a Mr. Wilson and two other gentlemen, embarked in the milling and salt business at Syracuse. X. Y. One of the first heavy shipments of salt made by the firm was sent to the fisheries at Detroit. Michigan, and Mr. Dole drawn thither by his business interests, took such a liking to the place that he removed there and was followed soon after by Dr. Swan and his family, the trip being made on board of the steamer "Walk in the Water "—the first to run on Lake Erie. Mr. Dole and Dr. Swan, with their respective families, established their home at first on a farm of about three hundred acres, at Bloom- field, in Oakland county. Michigan. Soon after- ward Mr. Dole and his family removed to Pontiac, the county seat, where he served as clerk of the county court, and as such issued on July 10, 1820, the first legal writ ever put forth in the county. He was a man of decided ability and his fellow-citizens appreciating his worth retained him in public positions until his death which occurred at Pontiac, in 1829. After the death of his father, Charles, the subject of this sketch, spent about a year upon the farm of his grandfather. Dr. Swan, and there formed a love for agriculture and the beauties of nature which he has always retained. Up to this time he was given as good an education as the circumstances surrounding him would admit of. traveling on foot to the nearest school — which was two miles distant, — and frequently meeting on the way bands of Indians on their way to Canada to collect from the British authorities the annuities paid them, it is supposed, for their depredations upon American citizens. With these savages the young lad, on more than one occasion, divided the contents of his lunch basket as a peace offering. When about fourteen years of age he left home and went to reside with his maternal uncle who lived at White Pigeon. Michigan, in the interior of the state. This uncle was the proprie- tor of a general store, in which Charles found employment as a clerk. After several years' service in this capacity, part of the time being in charge of branch establishments, he, with other clerks, bought out his uncle's business. Most of I the goods disposed of were sold to the farmers on credit, to be paid for about the first of September, when the wheat was harvested. As the firm's trade extended over three or four counties, the making of settlements required considerable work and was frequently effected by purchasing the farmers' crops for cash, deducting the indebted- ness. The wheat thus acquired was converted into flour in the mill controlled by the firm, and »8 BIOGBAPHY <>K ILLINOIS. this commodity was then shipped to New York for sale. When the business was in a fair way of being made very successful for the new firm, a serious fire occurred. There being no insurance, the loss was a heavy one and this, together with the cost of overhauling the old mill and building a new one — which largely exceeded the estimates of experienced millwrights- -involved the firm in financial difficulties, and Mr. Dole was obliged to sacrifice all his property in an endeavor to meet the claims against him. When he had done all that lay in his power he was still about three thousand dollars in debt. Unable to continue, he gave up the struggle, and with cash assets of eighty dollars in his pocket and about thirteen hundred dollars worth of maturing paper, he and his brother James, who had been his partner in the defunct concern, removed to Chicago. Here James succeeded in obtaining a clerkship in the office of the Galena Railroad Company — which then owned about eight miles of track running out of the city. Charles, after recovering from a severe attack of chills and fever, started by packet on the Illinois & Michigan Canal for Pekin, 111., having letters of recommendation to a firm there, doing a large business in packing and provisions. He arrived at Pekin with but five dollars at his com- mand, yet succeeded in effecting, independently, a very advantageous business arrangement, which, however, he was obliged to forego owing to the lack of a very little ready money. Taking passage on an Illinois river steamboat he proceeded to Beardstown, Illinois, where he worked as a book- keeper until the following spring, when, not liking the business methods of his employer, he gave up this situation and returned to his old home in Michigan. After a brief rest among his relatives he went back to Illinois and was for a time en- gaged in purchasing hay in the vicinity of Lock- port. Following the suggestion of his friend, Mr. Erastus Ranson, Chicago, he next engaged in the purchase of wool, and, although inexperienced in this line, succeeded very well. While in Chicago on one of his business trips, he was offered a re- sponsible position in the distributing room of the city post-office by his uncle, Mr. George W. Dole, who had been appointed postmaster of Chicago on September 25, 1850. He accepted this posi- tion and at the expiration of three months' service was appointed assistant postmaster, holding this office during his uncle's incumbency. Although he declined re-appointment at an increased salary, tendered him by Mr. Isaac Cook, the successor of Mr. Dole, on the conscientious ground that, as he had not voted for President Pierce, he was not en- titled to the place, he voluntarily assisted in the work of the office until a suitable person was fi .und to succeed him. While Mr. Dole was assistant postmaster of Chicago, the post-office was re- moved from a site on the west side of Clark street — now partly covered by the Sherman House — to the east side of Clark street, immediately oppo- site, in what was then called the Tribune building, forming part of the Kingsbury block. In 1852, Mr. Dole embarked in the grain commission business, having as a temporary partner, Mr. Samuel Shack- ford. Later, he formed with his brother, James H. Dole, the firm of C. S. Dole A- Co.. which be- gan systematic operations along the lines of rail- road running and being built from Chicago out into the surrounding country, including the Ga- lena as far as Freeport, the Illinois Central, and the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy. The last named, extending at that time only from Turner Junction to Batavia — four miles — was gradually pushed to Princeton, Walnut Grove and on tow- ards "the Military Tract," and Mr. Dole was kept busy in attending to the business of the firm along its entire route, which lay through a country abounding in grain and hogs. With the farmers of this favored district he succeeded in building up an extensive and profitable commission trade, the principal dealing being in wheat, which the firm was obliged to handle and store in immense quantities. Up to the year 1856 there had been no attempt to classify this staple into grades and no standard was recognized, greatly to the disad- vantage of those who produced and dealt in a su- perior quality. In that year the Hoard of Trade of Chicago made the first move towards estab- lishing grades by the separation of the three lead- ing varieties of wheat into three standard grades. The warehousemen generally sanctioned this first effort to classify the grain, but the variable standard of inspection at the different warehouses still remained a constant source of annoyance, disagreement, and sometimes of great damage to receivers, there being no statutory law at that time which defined the standard or enforced its strict adoption, upon all alike. The mixing of good grain with inferior grades prior to its delivery be- came so common a practice, that the Chicago market became degraded and much of the better grades of wheat was diverted to other markets. In 1858 a second and successful attempt was made to remedy this evil. The Board of Trade placed the matter in the hands of a committee consisting of Mr. S. H. Butler and Mr. Charles S. Dole. BKXiRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 229 These gentlemen recommended the rejection of much of the product previously passed as "stand- ard" and a rigid inspection of all wheat after June 15th. Their recommendations being adopted, a chief inspector 1 Mr. George Sittsi was appointed, and also a committee of inspection, composed of Mr. Julian S. Rumsey, president, and Mr. But- ler and Mr. Dole, which labored with such excel- lent judgment as to restore to Chicago her former prestige as a grain centre. In 1860 Mr. Charles S. Dole, being by far the largest receiver of grain over the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, applied for and obtained from that com- pany a concession for ten years of sufficient gn mnd and tracks upon which to build and operate a grain warehouse with elevators. An arrangement was then made with Mr. George Armour and his partner. Mr. Wesley Munger, by which, in 1861, they became united with Mr. Dole under the firm name of Armour. Dole A Co., each partner taking a third interest in the enterprise. The business of this firm was continued idespite the deaths of Mr. Munger and Mr. Armour) until the termina- tion of the lease and contract with the Chicago, Burlington A- Quincy Company, which expired by limitation on August 1, 1887. The road then purchased the elevator warehouses and sold them to the surviving partner, Mr. Dole and Henry E. Southwell. Franklin H. Head and James Barrell 1 the latter associated with Armour, Dole & Co.. since 1803. first as book-keeper and later as general manager), who organized the firm of Dole & Co., and operated the plant until the termination of the copartnership, on August 1, 1891, when the elevators were again purchased by the Chicago & Burlington Company, ami again sold to the new firm of Dole A Co., all men of high standing, large experience, and wealth. The two firms named had successively owned the ware- houses and had full charge of the grain receipts of this road from 1860. when elevator "A" — capac- ity 850,000 bushels— was built, down to 1881. The increase of their business has been as follows: In 1863, elevator "B" was built— capacity 850,000 bushels; in 1873, elevator "C" was added — capac- ity 1,500,000 bushels; in 1S79. elevator "D", 1,800,- 000 bushels; in 1882, elevator "E". 1.000,000 bushels. In 1867 the capacity of elevator "A" was enlarged to L.250,000 bushels. In 1885 the capacity of the four elevators owned by Mr. Dole and his partners was 6,350,000 bushels, with a receiving and ship- ping capacity of 700,000 bushels daily, and a ship- ping capacity 1 when not receivingjof 1,500.000 daily, having handled through these houses from 1876 to 1880, an average of 25,719.173 bushels, and from 1881 to 1885 an average of 21,033,055 bushels. Mr. Dole personally superintended the business at the ele- vators in 1862 and 1863, and although situated at the time some distance from the business centre, they took a high standing from the start and soon became the favorites with many shippers, some kinds of grain selling at a premium in them. This was entirely owing to the scrupulous care taken of all grain entrusted to the firm, and the reputation then acquired was never lost. Sub- sequent to 1863, Mr. Dole spent a large portion of his time in the country, as the railroads extended, making business arrangements for the accumula- tion and shipping of grain, sometimes assisting in getting new stations established for that purpose (Sandwich, 111., being one of them) and especially in looking after the grain at competing points, and building houses and equipping them with proper machinery for rapid and economical work, thus protecting his patrons from the aggressions of opponents and building up an immense busi- ness. In the interests of his customers he inven- ted and patented a device for unloading grain from the farmer's wagons, practicable even if a woman or boy drove the vehicle to market, as was often the case. To sketch in detail the work of Mr. Dole during his active business life would be a task of no small moment, however agreeable and interesting. It must suffice to say in conclusion that his labors have been of the most earnest character, that they have been exceedingly com- prehensive, and that they have contributed in a most important degree to the development of the agricultural and commercial prosperity and wealth of the section in which they have been performed, and in no slight measure to the material advan- tage of the whole country. Although making no claim to greater credit than that which belongs to one. who by wise and persistent effort has. by honorable means, advanced his own fortune and at the same time that of hundreds, even thous- ands, who have shared in one way or another in his enterprises, a discriminating public sentiment will not fail to accord him a front rank among the commercial benefactors of his country. — the giants of trade and commerce, whose nerve, energy and honorable methods redound so greatly t" the In. nor of the American name. His equipment at beginning life was a strong moral principle incul- cated by a pious and loving mother, whose teach- ings he has always respected and honored by observance, and his splendid success is a powerful lesson to all who strive for eminence in whatever BIOGRAPHY OK ILLINOIS. it may be sought. Mr. Dole was married to Miss Julia Louise Coffin, a lady of sterling worth, greal refinement, and sympathetic disposition and character,— in tact " charity " is her favorite verse in the bible. Her father, Joseph Warren Chase Coffin, a native of Vermont, who went to Chicago to reside in 1835, was warden of St. James, the first Episcopal church organized in that then border town, of which his wife, Harriet Delia Coffin, Julia Louise's mother, was also a member. The surviving children of Mr. and Mrs. Charles S. Dole, are Mary Florence, Harriet Delia and Sydney Hope. CHARLES M. HENDERSON. CHARLES MATHER HENDERSON, one of the leading merchants and manufacturers of Chi- cago, comes of good old New England stock. Mather was the name of his paternal grandmother, who was a direct descendant of Cotton Mather, the great minister of the Massachusetts Bay Col- ony. He is a native of New Hartford, Litchfield county, Conn., the son of James F. and Sabrina Henderson. His mother's maiden name was Marsh. Her father, Roswell Marsh, was a soldier in the Revolutionary war and was present at the hanging of the ill-fated Major Andre. Young Henderson's early education was received at the district school in his native village, but when fif- teen years old he began attendance at the Baptist school at Suffield, Conn. He remained there about a year, when learning that a teacher for a district school in an adjoining county was being sought, he said he would take the position, and to his surprise was soon applied to and accepted. As a teacher he proved successful, but at the close of the term he returned to his studies. About a year later, in 1853, he was offered a position in Chicago by an uncle who had located there soaie years before, and was engaged in the wholesale boot and shoe business, under the firm name of C. M. Henderson & Co. The offer was accepted, and Mr. Henderson, then about eighteen years of age, came to Chicago. His first position in his uncle's establishment was that of general clerk and salesman, but he. in fact, did all kinds of work, both in the office and store, thereby secur- ing a general knowledge of the business in all its details— a knowledge that in later years contrib- uted much to his success. He worked hard, and showed such marked ability that in less than four years he was given an interest in the concern. He and his uncle continued in partnership until the death of the latter in 1859. Mr. Henderson at this time organized a new firm under the name of C. M. Henderson & Co., his first partner being Elisha Wadsworth, head of the old firm of Wads- worth, Farwell & Co. Mr. Wadsworth was prac- tically a silent partner, for Mr. Henderson took entire charge of the business, and about three years later he bought out Mr. Wadsworth's inter- est and took in his brother, Wilbur S. Henderson, who had been in his employ several years as clerk and salesman. He also gave his bookkeeper, Mr. Edmund Burke, an interest, but several years later bought it back. For several years the busi- ness of the concern was confined to the jobbing of boots and shoes, but in 1865 a factory, on a small scale was started, for the purpose of manufactur- ing a heavy grade of boots and shoes for the West- ern trade. That factory is still in operation, and largely increased in capacity. In 1880 they also began the manufacture of ladies' and misses' fine shoes, this factory being located at Dixon, 111., and it is conceded to be one of the best arranged and best conducted shoe factories in the country. It is substantially built, and is furnished with all the finest machinery and with all modern im- provements, no expense having been spared to make it complete in every department. The firm has lately built another factory at Dixon, where they manufacture a superior grade of men's fine shoes. When Mr. Henderson came to Chicago his uncle's establishment was located at 169 South Water street, and was afterwards moved to 40 Lake street. The new firm organized by him, moved to 32 Lake street, about 1861, and afterwards to the corner of Lake street and Michigan avenue, but was burned out in 1868, and at the time of the great fire in 1871, they were located at 58 and 60 Wabash avenue. With others who suffered in that fearful calamity, their building was swept away, but in less than three weeks' time they were doing business again in a one-story frame shanty on Michigan avenue, and four months later, they were occupying a new brick building on Wabash avenue, moving into it before it was plas- tered. In the autumn of 1872 they removed to the corner of Madison and Franklin streets, where they remained five years, and then removed to the corner of Monroe and Franklin streets. In 1884 they erected the fine six story building at the cor- ner of Adams and Market streets, which they now occupy. This store is about 170x120 feet, and is UHWtRaTY T i^ HOlS ' MOOKAPHY OF ILLINOIS. all used by the firm for general offices, and as a distributing depot. Mr. Henderson has, by his good management and business sagacity, brought their business up to millions annually. There are employed by the firm of C. M. Henderson & Co., in the various departments of the store and facto- ries, over 1,000 men and girls. In 1888 the business was incorporated under the name of C. M.Henderson & Co., and at this time Mr. Hender- son selected certain employes, who had been with the concern tor a long term of years, and gave them an interest in the business. Mr. Hen derson was married in 18">8 to Miss Emily Hol- lingsworth, daughter of James Hollingsworth, of Chicago, and there has been born to them Eour children, three daughters, all now living, and one son, who died in infancy. Mr. Henderson is rather socially inclined. He is a member of the Union League, the Chicago Club, the Commer- cial Club, and several others. A thorough and consistent Christian, he is a member (if the First Presbyterian Church, with which he united about 1868. He has given considerable time to church and mission work, and was for two or three years president of the Young Men's Christian Asssocia- tion, and for ten years the superintendent of the Railroad Chapel Mission, but ill health demanded that he should resign this position. Mr. Hender- son has always been a Republican in principle, and though he has never entered the field of poli- tics, he has been an active worker for the city's good. He was a participator in the reform move ment undertaken by several prominent citizens of Chicago, in 1874, and did much to aid in purifying the municipal government. Always liberal where money would accomplish good to single individ- uals or to the community at large, he contributed considerable money toward the reform movement. The city was in a deplorable condition; its officers were caught appropriating the public funds, and extreme measures were resorted to. It required energy and firmness on the part of the citizens, to say nothing of money, to cleanse the city of its impurities. Mr. Henderson was chief among the agitators, and gave wise counsel in the delibera- tions, as well as giving money to the cause. One of the results of that reform movement in 1874, was the adoption of the present city charter, a very important result to the community to-day. It was also instrumental in causing the reorgani- zation of the fire department, and the improve- ments then started have resulted in giving Chi- cago a fire department excelled by none, and hardly equalled by any city in the land. In all these movements for the public good, Mr. Hen- derson took a zealous part. Honest and upright himself, he could tolerate no dishonesty or treach- ery on the part of the officers elected to govern the city of which he was a citizen and tax payer. It required courage and-firmness to trample the wrong doing under foot and annihilate it; it required the presence and action of men like Mr. Henderson to free the city from its bondage. Chicago had the men of nerve to do it, and C. M. Henderson was among that number. There are many wealthy men who give liberally of their means to the cause of charity, or to the support of public institutions who are never given due credit. They are the men who let not their right hand know what their left hand doeth. Mr. Henderson has always been liberal in his gifts to charity, and has been an active participant in the organization <>f institutions of a charitable nature. Among others, he is a trustee of the Home for Incurables. He has also been warmly interested in all educa- tional movements, and is at present a trustee of the Lake Forest University. It is due to such men as C. M. Henderson that Chicago is what she is, and what she is destined to be. Coming here as a lad he has grown with the city, but has aided the city in its growth. It is to such men she owes her prosperous condition. Strong in themselves, they impart strength to those with whom they come in contact. Their influence is all powerful and pervades the whole community. They make riches for themselves, and the city grows rich about them; they live pure, honest and industri- ous lives, and by force of example compel afollow- ing in their train. JOHN T. PIK1E. Although not a Chicagoan by residence, the lo- cal interests of Mr. John T. Pirie, as senior mem- ber of the great dry -goods house of Carson. Pirie, Scott A: Co., make him to all practical purposes one of Chicago's most influential business men. Much of Mr. Pirie's early mercantile life was passed here, and it was not until 1865 that the growing business of the firm necessitated his re- moval to New York City. Like many another successful tradesman. Mr. Pirie comes of sturdy Scotch ancestry. He was born in Errol, Scotland, on August 'JO. 1827, his father being Allen Pirie. a thrifty cabinet-maker, joiner and upholsterer, and BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. his mother, nee Mary Hawkins, whose family came from York, England. As a boy, John Pirie passed his school days at the Presbyterian parish school of his native place, but was only thirteen when he began to earn his own living as an office boy with a ship-broker, in Glasgow. The mercan- tile spirit was strong in him, even at that early age, and he was barely fifteen when he went to his uncle, Henry Hawkins, at Newry, Ireland, to learn the dry-goods business. This branch of trade suited young Pirie much better than the more romantic one of sending ships on cruises, and he was pretty well versed in it when he engaged as salesman with John Arnott & Co., of Belfast. It was not long before the young man's employers found he was capable of more important work, and he was soon installed as buyer for one of their de- partments. For three years Mr. Pirie remained in Belfast, where his intimate knowledge of the dry -goods trade, and his fidelity to the honorable trusts reposed in him, brought many enticing offers, some of which he accepted. At length a lucky incident brought him to the United States. In company with Samuel Carson, then a fellow clerk, Mr. Pirie had arranged to open a retail store at Crookstown, Ireland, and had paid their first six months' rent in advance, when they met an old friend, Robert Murray. This gentleman had gone to America some years before, and settled at Peru, Illinois, and was at that time visiting his old home. It did not take long to convince both of the young merchants that it would be profitable to forfeit their rent money and go to America. Both John T. Pirie and Samuel Carson were at this time unmarried, full of energy and anxious for an opportunity to get a start in the world. On the 26th of August, 1S54, they left Belfast together and sailed for New York, in which city they landed safely and secured positions with James Beck & Co. Up to this time their lives had been busy and to a measure successful, but not to the degree which the desires of John T. Pirie demanded. A born leader of men, a general of trade, he was not content to always serve others whose plans, al- though good, were not hisown. The fear of losing a profitable place before he had gotten another was not in John T. Piric's make-up. He struck out for success and attained it by resolute courage, fair dealing and unassailable integrity. It was. therefore, no surprise to those who knew him, to be told, a few months after his arrival in New York, that he had decided to emigrate to the then far west to do some prospecting. Samuel Carson was his inseparable companion, and together the young men went to Peru, Illinois, where their good friend, Mr. Murray, gave them a hospitable welcome. They remained in Peru until the fol- lowing spring, when by Mr. Murray's good offices they were helped to a small credit and started a store at La Salle, Illinois. They worked diligently, but three months' experience was enough to con- vince Mr. Pirie that there was a better opening in Aniboy, Illinois. They accordingly moved there and the firm of Carson & Pirie did a thriving business for ten years. For miles around they be- came known as progressive, reliable merchants, and. in 1864. when they struck a balance of their books, they found themselves free from debt and with a stock of goods worth $50,000 to show for their ten years work. Chicago was at that time just growing into commercial importance as a great business city, and Mr. Pirie saw again a chance to better himself. His counsels had always been good, and when he proposed to remove to Chicago, Mr. Carson readily consented. Here they came and opened, what was for that time, an ex- tensive store at No. 20 Lake street. From this place Mr. Pirie and his partners did a large job- bing trade, and at the same time maintained branch retail stores at Amboy, Polo and Mendota, Illinois. These branch establishments were for some time under the charge of Messrs. George and Robert Scott, young men who had learned the business in Newry, Ireland, and who had been firm friends of Mr. Pirie and Mr. Carson from early boyhood. Their ability had been recognized by their admission to the firm in 1859. The same energies which brought success to all the retail ventures of the firm, assisted them to prosperity in their more hazardous jobbing venture, and be- fore long the business of Carson it Pirie had in- creased to such an extent as to demand the servi- ces of other able men in the direction of the firm's affairs in Chicago. It was then that George and Robert Scott removed to that city, and shortly after the name of the firm was changed to Carson, Pirie, Scott & Co.. which has been retained, through the sentiment of Mr. Pirie, to this day, although Mr. Carson died in 1869. Since then Mr. Pirie, always the most active man in the firm, has been its undisputed head and has directed it stead- ily on to ever-increasing popularity and good for- tune. The only reverses the house has ever had were in 1868, when the entire establishment was destroyed by tire, and again in the great conflagra- tion of 1871, when everything was swept away for the second time. The resistless energies of the di- recting head were well displayed on the first ■ LIBRARY OF THE UWVERSITY of ILLINOIS. BIOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS. 233 occasion when, in an incredibly short time, he had opened a new store ;it the corner of Randolph street and Wabash avenue. The firm was doing a fine trade there when the great fire of 1871 came and destroyed everything but about $50,000 worth of goods, which, after two removals to different parts of the city, were finally saved in a barn on Wabash avenue, near lGth street. In this disaster over half of the total capital of Mr. Pirie and his partners was destroyed, but the only sign they gave of their great loss was the asking of a few months extension on their credits. This was granted them without question, and the deferred obliga- tions w T ere all taken up when they matured. After the tire the firm started a wholesale and retail store on West Madison street, and another, ex- clusively retail, on Twenty-second street. Both of these enterprises, like all the rest of their ventures, prospered, but the firm lost considera- ble valuable time in the search of a suitable loca- tion for the down-town wholesale house. Finally, in the spring of 1872. the buildings of 200 •-'"'J East Madison street were rented, but the; were found inadequate and. in lS7:i. the firm moved to the large building at the northeast corner of Franklin and Madison streets, and which, by eighteen years of uninterrupted business success, was made a notable landmark of Chicago. In the same year the two retail stoivs were, consolidated and under the able management of Mr. Andrew McLeish did a profitable business at West Madi- son and Peoria streets, until 1S88, when it was re- moved to the elegant building at Adams street and Wabash avenue. This was made necessary by the magnitude of the trade which required not only more commodious quarters, but a down town location. Another highly successful retail branch of this noted firm is the store at the southwest corner of State and Washington streets. This business was bought from Chas. Gossage & Co. Ii\ Carson, Pirie, Scott & Co. in 1883. and con- tinued under the old name up to the present time. In 1890 the building was found to be too small and was reconstructed into one of the handsomest and best appointed stores in this country, and here (in 1891) the firm is doing a retail trade on the same grand scale that marks its immense whole- sale trade. Some men in commenting upon the uni- form success and prosperity which have attended all of Mr. Pirie"s plans, will ascribe it to luck, but they are wrong. Advancement has been gained by earnest work, by a thorough business tact anil skill, and an unflinching honesty of purpose coupled with good, sound sense. From the start. Mr. Pirie has insisted that the entire resources of the firm, as well as all the energies of its members, should be used solely in the business of buying and selling dry-goods. There has been no specu- lation of any kind, not even in real estate. The result is that the firm has always had funds at its disposal, and its credit is, to-day, second to none in the country. From a total business of 8500,0(10 in 1864, the first year' of their Chicago trade, Carson, Pirie, Scott & Co.'s trade had grown in 1890 to about S15,000,000, and branch offices are maintained in New York. Manchester. Eng., Chemnitz, Germany, and Paris, France, for the purchase of the many fabrics they handle in their trade. When Mr. Pirie removed to New YV>rk, he at first devoted all his time to buying of merchandise for the different departments of the concern. As trade increased he relinquished one department after another into the hands of com- petent buyers, and now he finds ample occupation in looking after the financial interests of the great concern of which he is the head. He lives there still, because his business interests are best served by it, but he is in heart a thorough Chicagoan, alive to all that is vital to the good of the city. When he seeks rest from business cares, Mr. Pirie has a beautiful country home, at Sea Cliff, Long Island, on the shores of the Sound, to which he repairs with his family. In his domestic relations Mr. Pirie is a most happy man. He was married in 1857 tn Miss Sarah Carson, at Amboy, 111., and now has an interesting family of four sons and three daughters. Mr. Pirie has always been domestic in his tastes, taking greater delight in his home circle than in club life or society in general. He has a great liking for instructive travel and has made several trips to Europe with his family. Without the society of his wife and children Mr. Pirie finds no pleasure in travel. In religion he was reared a Presbyterian, but with his wife joined the Baptist church soon after marriage. Politics have but little charm for him; he has never held nor sought office, though he has always been a consistent Republican. In his choice of partners and trusted employees Mr. Pirie has been most supremely happy. His co-partnership with Mr. Carson was productive of uniformly satisfac- tory results, and when on the death of the latter, the Scott brothers. George and Robert, became Mr. Pirie's more intimate co-laborers, the same rules of good sense and business integrity pre- vailed. It has always been the policy of the firm. to recognize the services of able and faithful employes by merited promotions, and in this way 234 BIOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS. a force of 1500 trusty and intellectual people, many of whom have been with the house twenty- five years, has been secured. While Mr. Pirie confines his personal attention entirely to the financial interests of the firm, Messrs. George and Robert Scott, both of them able merchants, look after the mercantile part. The elder of the brothers, George Scott, has the confidence of the whole staff of the employees under him. Under his advice and fostering care their best energies are developed. Mr. Robert Scott is a thorough man of business, of keen perception and great executive ability, and with a knowledge of human nature which does him good service in dealing with men. Mr. Andrew McLeish, who has been a member of the firm since 1870, has charge of its retail trade which he has developed to a most remarkable degree. GEORGE M. MOULTON. GEORGE MAYHEW MOULTON, is the son of Joseph T. and Maria J. Moulton, and was born in Readsboro, Vermont, March, 15, 1851. His father, who came to Chicago with his family in 1853, still resides in this city, he and the subject of this sketch doing business under the firm name of J. T. Moulton & Son. The family is of old New- England stock, Mr. Moulton, Sr. having been born in Chichester, near Concord, New Hampshire, in which vicinity the Moultons had resided for many years. Gen. Jonathan Moulton of Revolutionary fame was the great -great grandfather of the sub- ject of this sketch. As soon as he was of suffi- cient age George entered the public schools of Chicago, and it was in them and by diligent study outside that he secured an excellent education. He was seventeen years of age when he graduated from the Chicago high school with the class of 1868. He stood well in his class, and at the com- mencement exercises, held in the Crosby Opera House, he was selected to deliver an original Ger- man oration. After attending school continuously for nearly thirteeen years, he at once engaged in active business pursuits. He was first employed in various capacities under his father, who for many years has been engaged in designing and building grain elevators on an extensive scale in all parts of tin- United States. While thus em- ployed young Moulton also learned the carpenter"s trade. In January, 1870. he went with his father to Duluth— then just starting on its miraculous career of development and promise — where he was engaged in building the first grain elevator ever constructed in that section of the country. His duties were those of secretary to the vice- president and general manager of the company and as genera) clerk of the work. Mr. Moulton recalls with a great deal of interest, the absence of railroads running into Duluth at this time, and the fact that the last seventy-five miles of his journey from St. Paul was made by sled stage and the development which has since taken place at that point has been so great as to seem almost like a dream in the life of a man of forty. The first train of cars arrived at Duluth in August, 1870, and now the young prosperous city is a noted railroad center. Mr. Moulton assisted in unload- ing the first car load of bulk grain which arrived in Duluth, which town has since rivalled Chi- cago as a grain center, and even outstripped that wonderful city in amount of wheat handled per annum. After the completion of the elevator, in the fall of 1870, Mr. Moulton engaged for a year with the company owning it, to operate it for them. But before the close of the year he was transferred to Stillwater, Minnesota, to supervise the erection of an elevator which the same com- pany had projected at that point. When the Stillwater elevator was finished, he remained in charge of it until the close of navigation in the fall of 1871. Returning to Duluth for a short time, he left there in November for Chicago, ar- riving on Thanksgiving day 1871, amidst the blackened ruins which the great fire had made of so large a part of that city. Re-building, however, had already begun, and his father being engaged to erect a large number of grain elevators, the son was employed by him as foreman on the Galena elevator. He was thus employed until the spring of 1872. when the contract to erect the Advance elevator at East St Louis was taken by father and son, who then entered into partnership under the present firm name. He arrived in St Louis, March 18. 18V2, and remained thereabout eighteen months, designing and erecting in the meantime, in adddition to the Advance elevator, which was of one hundred and fifty thousand bushels capac- ity, the Central elevator in St. Louis, with a ca- pacity of five hundred thousand bushels: the East St. Li mis elevator, of one million bushels capacity; also elevators at Bethalto. Illinois, and St. Gene- vieve, Missouri, each of fifty thousand bushels capacity; besides designing elevators at Venice. Illinois, and Indianapolis, Indiana. Since that STse^j. j 's^J^c^a OF THE UNIVERSITY of ILLINOIS. BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 235 time his home and headquarters have been at Chicago, though in the prosecution of his busi- ness as architect and builder ot grain elevators he has visited, as representative of his firm, all the large cities and grain centers from the Atlantic to the Pacific, where the work of this firm may be seen. It has erected elevators in Portland, New York. Weehawken, Baltimore, Norfolk, Buffalo, Cleve- land, Toledo, Detroit, Chicago, Duluth, Washburn, Winona, Minneapolis, St. Louis, East St. Louis, Kansas City, Tacoma, and at numerous other places. In 1877 Mr. Moulton formed a co-partner- ship with George H. Johnson for the manufacture and application of fire proof materials for build- ings. The design of the new company was to use hollow-ware tile for floor, partition, and roof con- struction, wall girder and column covering. This partnership and enterprise resulted in 18S0 in the organization of the Ottawa Tile Company, and the establishment of works fur the manufacture of hollow tile at Ottawa, Illinois. The business of the company increasing rapidly, a large acre- age of clay land was purchased, and the plant en- larged, until it has become one of the largest clay manufacturing establishments in the world. The name of the company was finally changed to the one it now bears, the Pioneer Fire Proof Con- struction Company. This corporation has a paid up capital of two hundred and fifty thousand dol- lars, to which has since been added and invested in the business a large surplus of earnings. The company is a leader in its line, and Mr. George H. Johnson, having been the inventor of the forms of hollow tile construction, now so generally in use in large buildings, and having first introduced this form of building, the Pioneer Fire Proof Construc- tion Company is unquestionably entitled to be re- garded as precisely what its corporate name im- plies. Mr. Moulton has occupied the position of president of, and principal stock holder in, the company from its organization until the present time. In 1885 this company purchased a half interest in the River Bank Coal Company, of Streator, Illinois, in which Mr. Moulton has since become the largest stock holder and presi- dent. The company is actively engaged in the business of mining and shipping coal to the West and Northwest. Mr. Moulton is also presi- dent of the Commerce Vault Company, director in the Chicago Deposit Vault Company, and also a member of the directory of the Chicago Cold Stor- age Exchange. He is also a stockholder in the Masonic Fraternity Temple Association, of Chi- cago, and the Masonic Temple Association of Joliet. In 1884 he became one of the incorporators of the Knights Templars and Masons Life Indemnity Company, a fraternal co-operative insurance company, of which he was vice-president until August, 1890, when he succeeded the late Dr. J. Adams Allen as president. Managed with ability, this company has now twenty-two million dollars insurance in force, and has enjoyed a steady growth that is a source of pride to Mr. Moulton. In 1885 he became one of the incorporators of the Illinois Masonic Orphans' Home, and was elected president of the association, filling that office until 1890, when he retired voluntarily, remaining, how- ever, in the board of trustees. During the presi- dency of Mr. Moulton, the association acquired a property which is valued at fifty thousand dollars, and practically free from debt. The home is in practical operation, and is a delightful protection to a considerable number of dependent Masonic orphans. Mr. Moulton is an enthusiastic Mason, and has taken the following degrees in Masonry : Raised Master Mason in Covenant Lodge No. 526 A. F. A A. M., February 12, 1875; exalted Royal Arch Mason in Corinthian Chapter No. 69 R. A. M., May 17, 1875; greeted Select Master in Siloam Council No. 53 R. and S. M., August 7, 1875; created Knight Templar in St. Bernard Commandery No. 35 K. T. September 1, 1875; created S. P. R. S. 32 degree in Oriental Consis- tory. A. A. S. R., June 4, 1880. He was crowned as Sovereign Grand Inspector General, 33d degree, A. A. S. R., for Northern Jurisdiction U. S. A., September 20, 1887. He was created Knight of the Red Cross of Rome and Constantine, Knight of St. John of Palestine, and Guardian Knight of the Holy Sepulchre, in the Grand Council of the state of Illinois, October 25, 1875. He also holds membership in Queen Esther Chapter, O. E. S., and Medinah Temple A. A. O., Nobles of the Mys- tic Shrine. Nor has he been an idle member of these various bodies. On the contrary he has been an almost constant, faithful and efficient office- bearer, serving with fidelity in many of the hum- bler official positions, and with distinction in many of the most important in the gift of Masonry. Among the positions which he has tilled are the fol- lowing: In Lodge. Senior Deacon, 1877, and Junior Warden 1878 and 1S90. and Senior Warden in 1891; in Chapter, King, 1884 and 1885, and High Priest 1886, receiving Order of High Priesthood October, 1886; in Council, Thrice Illustrious Master 1884; in Commandery. Captain General, 1878; General- issimo, 1879, and Eminent Commander, 1883; in Chicago Council Princes of Jerusalem. 16th de- 236 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. gree, A. A. S. R., Soverign Prince Grand Master, 1884-85; in Consistory S. P. R. S., 32nd degree, A. A. S. R., 2nd Lieutenant Commander, 1885-6-7, and 1st Lieutenant Commander until January, 1890, when he became the Illustrious Commander- in-Chief; in Illinois Grand Council of Delibera- tion, A. A. S. R„ Grand Standard Bearer for three years from 1885; and was elected Minister of State and Grand Orator for 1890-92; in Grand Chapter, R. A. M., Grand Master 1st Veil 1888; Grand Master 3rd Veil 1889; Grand Royal Arch Captain 1890; and now occupies the position of Grand Principal Sojourner; in Grand Council, R. and S. M., Grand Conductor, 188G; Deputy Grand Master, 1887-8; Grand Master, 1889; in Grand Command- er}- K. T., Grand Sword Bearer, 1885; Grand Standard Bearer, 1886; Grand Captain General, 1887; Grand Generalissimo, 1888; Deputy Grand Commander 1889; Grand Commander, 1890. At Washington in 1889, he was appointed Grand Standard Bearer of the Grand Encampment of K. T., U. S. A., for the term ending August 1892. In 1886 Mr. Moulton was commissioned as Major in the Second Regiment Illinois National Guards. He resigned his commission in January, 1890, retiring when Col. H. A. Wheeler — at whose solicitation he entered the service — retired from the command of the regiment. While in commis- sion he served in the two weeks' campaign at the Union Stock Yards, during the noted labor riots in the Fall of 1887, and was with his regiment at all its encampments and whenever it was called upon for any duty. He is a member of the Union League Club, Miltona Club, Acacia Club, Sons of Vermont, Chicago Art Institute, and the Illinois Association of Architects. Among Mr. Moulton's marked characteristics are great executive ability, excellent judgment and an intense power of appli- catory which enable him to grasp and master in- tricate business problems with comparative ease. These combined with great physical vigor have enabled him to accomplish what few men at his age have done. Mr. Moulton was married March 12th, 1873, in Burlington, Iowa, to Anna Flor- ence Garland. They have two children Edith May, who was born at Winona, Minn., and Arthur Garland, who was born in Chicago. The family reside on Calumet avenue, in the home- stead of the late General John A. Logan, which, after General Logan's death Mr. Moulton pur- chased, remodeled and enlarged into a very hand- some and commodious residence. With his suc- cessful career and pleasant home, Mr. Moulton has much reason to be satisfied. SAMUEL W. ALLERTON. SAMUEL WATERS ALLERTON is the son of Samuel Waters and Hannah (Hurd) Allerton, and was born May 26, 1829. Both of his parents were natives of Armenia, Dutchess county, New York. Mr. Allerton is a direct descendant of Isaac Allerton, one of the Pilgrims who came over in the Mayflower, and who was commissioned on several occasions to return to England in the in- terest of the Pilgrim colony. The middle name, Waters, was that of an ancestor who took an active part in throwing the tea overboard in Boston harbor. His grandfather, Reuben Aller- ton, was a surgeon in the continental army. Mr. Allerton, therefore, comes from an ancestry of sterling character and brilliant devotion to the cause of patriotism, liberty and right; and he is bountifully endowed with the elements of charac- ter that made his ancestors brave and true. Samuel's father was a merchant in his native- town. In 1830 he erected a comb factory and a woolen factory in Armenia, and these were operated by himself and a younger brother. But in 1833, owing to the reduction in the tariff, the manufac- turing business was generally prostrated, and within three years nearly every business was crippled, and bankruptcy was almost universal. The father of the subject of this sketch did not escape the fury of the financial storm, ami soon found his own enterprises wholly wrecked. In 1837 he went to Dubuque, Iowa, where he engaged in mining lead. But reverses of a very serious character came, and finding himself utterly bank- rupt, he returned to Armenia and accepted a clerk - ship in a store. When Samuel was thirteen years old, his mother and he succeeded in raising five hundred dollars, and removing to Yates county. New York, they rented a farm on the banks of Seneca Lake. Here young Allerton worked with his father until he had reached the age of nine- teen. A considerable degree of financial success had resulted from the industry and good manage- ment displayed upon this farm, and when Samuel was nineteen they found themselves possessed of sufficient means to purchase a farm of eighty acres in Wayne county, in the state of New York. Samuel at this time, with the energy of character that he has so conspicuously shown all through his life, retained about six hundred dollars' worth of live stock and farming implements and rented a farm in Yates county. He remained on this farm until he was twenty three years old, at which time he was worth $3,300, which represented his LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY of ILLINOIS. BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 237 accumulations for the rive years. The substantial character of the young man was clearly demon- strated at this time by the fact that upon his own individual note, he was enabled to borrow five thousand dollors from the banks in Wayne county. With his savings and this borrowed capital he commenced the business of dealing in live stock in central and western New York, with head- quarters at Newark. Wayne county. Extending his operations a little further west every year, he finally went to Chicago. Arriving there in 1856, he continued the purchase of live stock in Illinois. shipping to New York City. At the expiration of two years, however, a severe illness suggested to him that perhaps lie would not be able to stand the climate of the West, and returning to Newark, he engaged in the dry goods business. But in a year"s time, having in the meantime regained his health, he concluded that the occupation of a dry goods merchant was not broad nor active enough for one of his disposition and ambition. The fine opportunities offered in the great west for the in- auguration of business enterprises and the accu- mulation of wealth, decided this young man of restless energy to risk the rigors of the climate and to subordinate every other consideration to his desire to again come where there were plenty of room and boundless opportunities. Without waiting even to sell his store, he gathered ti igether what capital he could, and once more started for Illinois. For a year he bought live stock in Fulton county and in other parts of that section of the state. He then married and removed to Chicago, where there was but one man at that time with whom he had a personal acquaintance. He located at what was then called the Orient House, which was situated at the corner of State and Van Buren streets. Here he met B. P. Hutchinson. J. M. Richards. John Black, Ezra Wheeler and Chas. Tobey, young men who were then compara- tively poor and unknown, yet all of whom achieved a brilliant success in life, accumulating large fortunes and becoming prominent and honored citizens of their adopted city; and in each of this notable company of men, from Mr. Allerton through the list, the secret of success will be found to have been unswerving integrity, perseverance, industry and economy. Other young men. poor and perhaps friendless, may look upon this list of young men who met at that humble hotel, and. following the brilliant career of each to fortune and prominence, feel encouraged to make what may sometimes seem to them a hopeless effort. But they must possess the same sterling qualities that Mr. Allerton and his companions possessed, if they would succeed. Mr. Allerton began busi- ness in Chicago, in a small way, by buying live stock at the old Merrick yards on Cottage Grove avenue, making shipments to the east. The courage of the man and his entire confidence in his own judgment, as well as his proper recogni- tion of the value of his own integrity, were demon- strated very soon after beginning his business career in Chicago. For a time he had no bank connection in Chicago, and was compelled to do business largely upon remittances which came by express from New York. In the month of May. 1860, the market on hogs declined a dollar and fifty cents per hundred. Mr. Allerton secured an introduction toMr. Willard, cashier of the banking house of George S. Smith, and put to him this question: "If I pay for three telegrams, one to my commission house in New York, another to your own New York correspondent who shall be directed to inquire if my commission house is good, and a third to my banker in Newark, N. Y., inquiring as to my personal integrity, will you, if the answers are satisfactory, cash a sight-draft for me to-morrow?" Mr. Willard answered in the affirmative, and Mr. Allerton. returning to the Stock Yards, bought all the hogs in Chicago. The next day he presented at the Chicago bank a sight- draft for eighty thousand dollars. The cashier was staggered, saying that he did not suppose, when he agreed to cash the draft, that more than five thousand dollars would be called for, and he promptly declined to fulfill his promise, a fact that is not to be wondered at. It was a large sum of money to pay out in such a manner, and yet the man who asked it perhaps scarcely thought of the unreasonableness of the request, judge, 1 by the rules of banking methods. His staunch integ- rity he believed was good for any amount of money that he might ask, and it was. Nor was he long in finding a banking establishment that be- lieved his character and judicious enterprise were good enough security for eighty thousand dollars. Of course Mr. Willard's refusal to cash the draft presented, was, under all the circumstances, a stag- gering blow to Mr. Allerton; but almost immedi- ately meeting a friend, he inquired of him if he knew any Chicago bankers. His friend replied that he did, and upon the request of Mr. Allerton. introduced him to the banking estab- lishment of Aiken & Morton, who, after ex- amining the telegrams which had been sent, and also the answers to the same, which were very favorable, agreed to let him have the sum he '38 iuooraphy of Illinois. wanted, at one per cent exchange. The deal which this loan enabled him to consummate, was the real beginning of the splendid success he has achieved in the business world. He and Mr. Aiken, of the banking firm referred to, were inti- mate in business relations for a number of years. When the National banking law was enacted, the bankers of Chicago were slow to take advantage of its provisions, a fact that is not much to be wondered at. when the conservatism of bankers is considered, and it is remembered that the Na- tional banking system was a great innovation up- on established methods. But Mr. Allerton was quick to see the excellence of the proposed system, and aside from that, his patriotism prompted him frequently to urge Mr. Aiken to start a national bank. His agitation of the subject was largely instrumental in the organization of the First National Bank of Chicago, of which Mr. Allerton was one of the first board of directors. The Union Stock Yards of Chicago, with their vast interests and throbbing business life, are also largely a result of Mr. Allerton's keen foresight of the ulti- mate necessities of the live stock business, and of his personal activity and energy. When he came to Chicago there was no stock market of import- ance except in the winter season. Every shipper bringing stock to Chicago, intended taking it through to New York, and it was difficult for Mr. Allerton to buy stock, for the reason that there was no competition to encourage selling. Finally, Mr. Nelson Morris began to buy cattle for eastern shipments, and these two gentlemen soon educated the stockmen of the West to see that Chicago was a first-class live stock market. But there were at that time in Chicago three yards for receiving stock. In 1865 Mr. Allerton and John B. Sherman, conceived the idea of establishing union stock yards. Mr. Allerton wrote the first letters to the Chicago Tribune, setting forth the great advan- tages that w y ould result to the farmers of the West from having one central live stock market, where all buyers would be brought together. This was established in 1866, largely through the instru- mentality of Mr. Allerton. This has now become the largest live stock market in the world, and, with its daily disbursement of about one million dollars — which largely filters through all the ave- nues of Chicago trade makes the city the great money center of the West. Mr. Allerton has been a shipper of stock over the Inns of the Pennsylva- nia railroad since 1861. Previous to that date the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern, the New- York Central and New York and Erie railroads did nearly all the traffic between Chicago and New York. After a time Mr. Allerton secured the controlling interest in the Pittsburgh stock yards and became interested in the yards at Philadel- phia and Baltimore. In connection with John R. McPherson, now United States Senator from New Jersey, he also established stock yards at Jersey City, and there to-day is the principal cattle mar- ket of New York. For twenty years Mr. Allerton has been a director of the Chicago City Railway, whose cable system was first recommended by him. In 1880 he witnessed the working of the cable in San Francisco, and upon his return home he suggested its adoption in Chicago to Mr. C. B. Holmes, then superintendent of the Chicago City Railway. Mr. Holmes at once went to San Fran- cisco to investigate the system. Upon his return, a month later, the work of constructing the pres- ent South Side cable system in Chicago, was com- menced, and every one who is at all conversant with the elements which have entered into the prosperity of the city, is free to acknowledge that the introduction of this motive power in the opera- tion of street railways has been among the most prominent agencies of the city's progress. Mr. Allerton says there are two things that he never offers for sale. They are the stock of the First National Bank — and he is one of the largest stock- holders in that institution — and the land he owns in Piatt county. 111. He owns about forty thous- and acres of land in this state, Nebraska and Wy- oming. Nineteen thousand acres of his landed pos- sessions are located in Piatt and Vermillion coun- ties, 111., and this land is in the very highest state of cultivation. Upon the farms into which this land is divided, there is grown a variety of crops, and special attention is given to Raising horses and fattening cattle and hogs. The farms are worked upon the co-operative plan, by which each farmer shares the profits on his work. The same system is adopted on the Nebraska farms. There are three railroad stations on the Illinois farms, viz: Galesville, on the Wabash; Allerton, on the East- ern Illinois, and Allerton Switch, on the Illinois Central; and at these stations the products of the farms are loaded on the cars and shipped East. Among his other business enterprises are inter- ests in the stock yards at Omaha, and in the Oma- ha Land Syndicate, which controls a large amount of property in that city. He owns a packing house in Chicago and one in St. Joseph, Mo., both being conducted under the name of the Allerton Packing Company, and from which large ship- ments are made to the East and to Europe. In OH THE umviftsiTYonuJNOis. i;i()i;i;.\i'HV of Illinois. 239 politics Mr. Allerton is a Republican, and if his tastes were in that direction, the honors of official position could unquestionably have been his. But he has always taken a greater interest in matters of business than in active politics. He has always manifested a deep and judicious interest in the young men in his employ, and he makes it a rule never to retain a young man in his service who does not save something from his earnings. This must be regarded as a very practical method of encouraging young men to form economical habits as the chief basis of success in life. In 1860 Mr. Allerton was married to Miss Pamilla W. Thomp- son, daughter of A. C. Thompson, of Canton. Illi- nois. Two children, Robert H. and Kate R., the widow of the late Dr. F. S. Papin, of Keokuk, Iowa, were born of this union. His first wife died and in 1880 he married Agnes C. Thompson. Mr. Allerton takes great delight in the charms of home life, and although a member of the Union League, Chicago and Calumet clubs, he enjoys the comforts of home and the companionship of his family to a much higher degree than club life. SAMUEL H. McCREi. SAMUEL HARKNESS McCREA was for many years prominently identified with the commercial and municipal interests of Chicago. He was born in Goshen, Orange county, New York, August 16, 1826, of Scotch-Irish parents. His father, William McCrea, was born in Londonderry in 171)6. and his mother. Abigail (Harkness) McCrea. in county Tyrone, Ireland, in 1799. They came to America in 1821. Of their ten children, the subject of this sketch was the fourth in tin- order of birth. While Samuel was still quite young his father's family moved to Brighton, near Rochester, where he lived until he attained his majority. In boy- hood he acquired a knowledge of the subjects taught at the common schools of the vicinity, and a large fund of practical information, that aided him in after years. As he grew older, he seized upon whatever work promised to advance him, and had many occupations in quick succession. In 1849 he went to California and mined with moderate success until 1852. Then he engaged in the construction of a railroad through the sugar region of Louisiana. There Mr. McCrea's indom- itable spirit was shown in the fact that he with- stood the perils of the miasmatic swamps for two years. He came to Illinois during the summer of 1855 and settled at Morrison, where he entered the grain and lumber business, ami took an active interest in the development of Whiteside county until he moved to Chicago. Here shortly after the outbreak of the war of the Rebellion he found a wider held for the exercise of his ability. As a member of the Board of Trade he soon became prominent and his power was felt in the reform of old abuses. He served in the directory from 1867 to, and including 1869. In the latter year he be- came first vice-president of the organization, and in April,1870, waselected to the presidency. Dur- ing his administration the manner of handling grain underwent a thorough change, by which the whole business of inspection, storage and ship- ment was taken out of the hands of the Board of Trade and placed under control of the state. By his influence President McCrea contributed hugely to this beneficent reform. In business. Mr. McCrea was a man of large experience, keen intellect and unimpeachable integrity. His conservative and practical methods secured his customers against loss during the great fire and the panics of suc- ceeding years, and his broad-minded appreciation of the needs of both producers and consumers made him a valuable adviser in the management of the Board of Trade. Mr. McCrea was elected to the City Council as a representative of the Twelfth Ward in 1S76. He immediately became chairman of the committee on finance, upon which devolv- ed the task of managing the monetary affairs of a city, then considered little better than bankrupt. The depleted treasury, however, was soon filled, the police, fire and school departments paid, and the credit of the city restored. A year later he became treasurer of Cook county, and served two years with high credit to himself and to the satis faction of the people. Governor Cullom appointed him a park commissioner for West Chicago, in which capacity he served six years. He was twice elected to the presidency of ttie board, and took a leading part in organizing and promoting the growth of the West Side syste f parks. He re- signed in 1883 on account of failing health, and to devote more time to travels and his business inter- ests. He died March 12. 1891. Judge John E. Bennett, of South Dakota, an intimate friend of Mr. McCrea, wrote the following tribute to his memory: "As a friend I have found him one of the gentlest, kindest, truest. His heart was full of quick and warm responses to generous nature * * * The old sought him to renew their youth, the children sought him as a companion 240 KIOOUAI'IIY OF ILLINOIS. * * * He made a great success of life. He lived nobly, achieved grandly, died bravely," Mr. McCrea was married cm June 28, 185G, to Miss Coralinn I. Johnson, of Cook county. They have had four sons — Willey S., Daniel Q. (deceased in infancy), Charles M. and Samuel H., Jr. DANIEL K. PEARSONS. In Daniel Kimball Pearsons Chicago has a citizen entitled to three-fold prominence — an able physician, a successful business man, and a noted philanthropist. In all of these worthy lines he is justly distinguished and yet wears his honors with becoming modesty. Pew are the men who have done as much for mankind as has Mr, Pearsons, but it would never be known were it left for him to tell. In many ways Mr. Pearsons is a remarkable man. He is seventy-two years old, but looks to be about fifty-five. He is of robust build. thoroughly active in every detail of his large busi- ness; always on the move, and yet brimful of kindly magnetism which gives him a power of mastery both in bending others to his ways and in securing from them faithful and well-directed aid. Daniel Kimball Pearsons was born in Brad- ford, Vermont, April 14, 1820. His mother was Hannah Putnam, a connection of General Israel Putnam, of Revolutionary fame, her father being also a soldier in the same war. These Green Mountain families are of sturdy stock, and Mrs. Pearsons lived until 1888, in which year she died at the advanced age of ninety-three, full of mental vigor and physical health almost to the last day. Mr. Pearsons' father was John Pearsons, a farmer, who settled in Vermont over one hundred years ago- There were nine children in the family and it was a matter of pride to Mrs. Pearsons in her old age that she had set for them an example of the use- fulness of work, by herself spinning the yarn and weaving the cloth for the clothing of the entire family. When sixteen yearsold Daniel K. Pearsons, following the lead of many other New England men who have also became famous, began teach- ing in a country school. Five years of this service gave him the means to enter" Dartmouth College, where he took a two years' course, and afterward studied medicine at Woodstock. He graduated and began practice in his native state, but in 1843 removed to Chicopee, Massachusetts, then, as now, a thriving manufacturing town. There he made for himself a good practice, but the desire to come west was too strong, and in 1857 he removed to Ogle county, Illinois, to the great regret of his many Eastern friends. In these four years of practice Mr. Pearsons earned the title of "doctor," by which he has ever since been known to his family and most intimate acquaintances, although he has not practiced his profession since leaving Chicopee. Mr. Pearsons' chief object in moving to Ogle county was to engage in farming— a call- ing which had many charms for him — but the quiet country life was too contracted for a man of his restless activity and he soon established him- self in Chicago in the real estate business. His first operations were as the agent for the sale of farm property, but lie was quickly put in charge of the Sturgis, and other large outside estates, and handled them so well that a very profitable busi- ness was secured to him. He sold lands for the Illinois Central Railway, for Michael Sullivan, the farmer king, and others, his sales in Illinois alone aggregating over one million acres. In 1860 Mr. Pearsons began loaning money as the agent of eastern companies, mostly on farming lands and did an extensive business, the average annual loans for twelve years being over 81,000,000. In placing these, loans Mr. Pearsons always acted as the agent of both borrower and lender, securing for the former equitable and easy terms, and for the latter unquestionable security. During the panic of 1873, when the auditor of an eastern state was critically examining the assets of an in- surance company for which Mr. Pearsons had been placing western loans, he paid high compli- ment to the soundness and ample margin of values of the mortgages. In 1877 Mr. Pearsons found his own business interests so great as to require all his time and he severed his connection with other capitalists. Since then, although he has given away $700,000 in charities, his fortune has been constantly growing and is now very large. He owns extensive timber tracts in Michigan, several fine farms in Illinois, and much valuable improved property in the northern division of Chicago. Mr. Pearsons has also been very promi- nent in many large local enterprises, and is now a director in the Chicago City Railway and in the American Exchange National Bank. He retains large monetary interests in other financial institu- tions, but has withdrawn from their active man- agement in order that lie may be less hampered by business cares and have more time for the en joyinent of life. Mr. Pearsons had a bright and powerful political future before him, but after two )F THE UNIVERSITY of ILLINOIS. BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 2 4 r terms in the City Council he withdrew from poli- tics entirely and has since refused to allow his name to be used in thai direction. Before bis re tirement. however, Mr. Pearsons performed an acl for the benefit of Chicago which was of the mosl vital importance to the future prosperity of the city. It was in L875 that tin- city was in debt beyond the constitutional limit and needed more money. Capitalists refused to advance any more because the validity of certain certificates winch had been issued by the city was being questioned in the courts and they were likeh to be declared invalid. In this dilemma .Mr. Pearsons, then a member of the City Council, went to New fork and quieted the creditors there by promising them that no matter what decision the courts made on the certificates, they should !»■ paid, and to this end he pledged his entire fortune. He afterwards raise. 1 in Chicago the $500,000 required to save flic city from bankruptcy. When Mr. Pearsons re- tired from the Council, a committee of citizens waited upon him and in a series of handsomely engrossed resolutions testified their appreciation, and that of the city, for his effective work- in this and in other important public matters. It is. however, as a philanthropist that Mr. Pear- sons is entitled to more open credit than lie has yet vi ived. His charities have always bi i quiet, unostentatious sort, and within a few years he has given away $700,000 with scarcely a com- ment outside of those from the people directly interested. Nor is this all. Mr. Pearsons' be- quests are always so framed as to lead other rich men to follow his g 1 example, and in this way his generous gifts have been increased many fold. If he gives $100,000 to a college it is generally con- ditional upon $100,000 being raised from others able to give. This acts as an incentive and the required conditions are always fulfilled. I J • ^ — ■ — always given for some specific object and is BO secured by judicious investment that it can- not be squandered should the institution to which it is given ever come under unwise management. To one worthy college he will give $50,000 to sus tain a certain professorship; to another he will give $100,000 to be loaned oul to ] r students at 3 per cent interest, etc. It is impossible in a short article to give a list of Mr. Pearsons' many acts of benevolence, but the following are among the more prominent: To Beloit College, $100,000; Lake forest University, $100,000; Knox College. $50,000; Chicago Theological Seminary. $50,000; Presbj terian Seminary. $50,000; Presbyterian Hospital. $60,000; SToung Men'- Christian Association. $30,000; Women's Hoard of Foreign Missions. $20,000. All these sums are so invested that the beneficiaries are sure of a large and regular income. Besides all this Mr. Pearsons is a constant tributor to most of the charitable institutions in Chicago: assists generously in the founding of public libraries in country towns, and d is] icnses annually large sums of money in private acts of benevolence known only to himself and the receivers. M r. Pearsons, however, has never yet donated a dollar to any individual or institution that has made a request of him. He prefers to search out for himself theobjectsof his generosity and his gifts ari therefore always a surprise, lb' is constantly besieged by applicants for financial :e, but none of them get anything. Mr. -' wife, formerly Miss Marietta Chapin of the widely known western Massachusetts family. is in active sympathy with him in his well-laid plans for doing good to mankind by apportioning out his money while he i- yet alive, to see that it is well used. Mr. and Mrs. Pearsons are both great travelers and have seen nearly all of this country, and have three times visited Europe. He spent the winter of 1890 in Egypt. They have a beautiful suburban home at Hinsdale, where they find] :h domestic comfort. Mr. Pearsons, while not a regular communicant at any church, has a deep reverence for the good that religious influ- ences accomplish, and is a strong supporter of church societies. Hi- is a regular attendant at the First Presbyterian Church and is also well known in other church circles. He was one of the founders of the Sons of Vermonl Society, and was one of the first presidents of the organization. Beyond this he has had no desire for prominence in chili or public life. CHARLES COUNSELMAN. CHARLES COUNSELMAN is the son of Jacob and Mary (Wigart) Counselman and was b..rn in Baltimore, Md.. December 25, 1849. The family traces back four generations in the state of Marj land. Both of his grandfathers were soldiers in the war of lspj. Mr. Counselman is one of the bright products of the American common school system which has always furnished the great ma- jority of children with all the education they ever re, -live. Having acquired such education as the schools of his native city imparted, he entered 242 BIOGR \l'in OF [LLINOIS. upon the study of law at Elliott City, Maryland, in the office of Judge Edward Hammond; but at the end of three years, his health failing, he con eluded to abandon tin- law. and accepted a position in the office of George R. Blanchard, the General Freight Agenl of the Baltimore ami Ohio railroad, where he remained for about a year. Coming to Chicago in 1869, he secured employmenl with Eli Johnson & Co. The salary was small and the position he occupied was insignificant, but like many other brainy, energetic young men who ,•; to that city in the days of small things, and have since left their impress upon the magnificent development of the western metropolis, he did not wail for a specially brilliant opening. Indeed, he could not wait, and his natural industry would not have permitted him to do so. even if his finan- cial circumstances had been such as to make it possible. His mental and physical activity the only capital that he brought with him into the new west -combined with his poverty, to make immediate employment a necessity. At that time he showed conspicuously the traits ot character that have made his life brilliantly successful. He performed all the duties that devolved upon him. however humble and however small the recom- pense might he. conscientiously and industriously . Utei a short term of service with Mr. Johnson, wi find him engaged in the business of selling ^il on commission, for Chase, Han ford & Co. His next move was to start in the commission business for himself. This was in 1871. About this time he became a member of the Chicago Board of Trade and from then until now, a splendid pros- perity has steadily been his. It is true, that like other business men. he may not have found all the days equally bright. Indeed, in his commer- cial experience he has seen the gathering of clouds that threaten disastrous storms, but his rich in- heritance of energy and pluck lias enabled him to turn defeats into victory and promised failures into brilliant successes. His strict integrity, business conservatism and judgment have always been so universally recognized, that Mr. Counsel- man has enjoyed public' confidence to an enviable degree, and naturally this has brought him such a lucrative patronage that, through times of gen- eral prosperity ami general adversity alike, he has witnessed a steady increase in his business, until t.j da\ il is one of the most nourishing in its line in the city of Chicago. It has been his bright for- tune, therefore, in consequence of possessing a well balan i mind and a sterling character, I" see silvery linings to clouds that to main other men would be totally dark, and to overcome ob stacles which to others might have been insur- mountable. Mr. Counselman is a dealer in stocks and grain and has a branch office in New York City. To facilitate his enormous transactions he has in bis offices private telegraph wires connect- ing with New York. Cleveland, Boston, Rochester, Buffalo, Providence and other large eastern cities, as well as with Baltimore, Washington. Richmond and Norfolk. Virginia. In 1879 he erected a large warehouse at the Union Stock Yards, in Chicago, and in addition to his other interests does an ex- tensive business in warehousing provisions. Asa member of the board of directors of the Hoard of Trade and of its board of managers of real estaie. he was influential and efficient in the erection of the new Board of Trade building in Chicago. Mr. Counselman is a large owner of Chicago real estate. In L883 the Counselman building was commenced and completed in May, 1884. It is owned wholly by Mr. Counselman and is a monument, not alone to the business archi tccture of Chicago, but to the enterprise and ener- gy . .1' t he proprietor. One of the largest of Mr. Coun- sehnan's interests is that of the Rock Island Elevat- ors, of Chicago, which have acapacityof about two million bushels. He has about one hundred and fifty stations throughout Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska. for buying grain to supply his markets. For a man who has achieved such great successes in life and won such honors in the business world, Mr. Counselman is exceedingly modest and retiring, disliking ostentation and shrinking from all pub licity. Instead of cherishing that feeling of pride and exultation which often leads men who have been successful, to boast of their achievements, he seems to be utterly devoid of even a reasonable appreciation of himself and of the splendid results of his abilities and of their judicious application. His retiring disposition can be described no more graphically than by quoting his own words. He has said "the longer I live the more fully I realize of what little importance we are in the world. however great our achievements in this life may be. Though a man may be on the crest of the wave to-day, financially and socially, to morrow he may be submerged by some unforeseen misfortune. and the day after, forgotten. The life of an indi- vidual is like the casting of a stone into the water. It causes a few successions of waves to ripple the surface, and then all is still the force that caused the disturbance is at rest, and forgotten." But Mr. Counselman is by no means a pessimist. Ib- is simply thoughtful and modest, meeting the OF THE UWVtRSlTYoflLUHOlS. BIOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS. -45 duties < it life cheerfully and if needs be heroically, laboring to achieve the best possible results, but yet in the midst of the splendor of his suceess, commendably recognizing the fact that men come and men go, but that like the stream, the world's does not stop. No doubt his graver, sterner and more conservative views of life may lie at- tributed to his rally experiences in Chicago, a hi D he found it a tierce battle to sustain himself and support his father and mother. But all through this struggle for existence, he never compromised his honor and integrity. In truth it was Ids posi- tive refusal to aid others in a dishonest transaction that deprived him of employment in Ins early ex- periences in Chicago, and made three years of his lite ;i bitter contest with poverty. The remem- brance of those dark daysisalways vivid, and while prompting him to appreciate the blessings of pros- perity, seems to have taught him an imperishable lesson of humility. He is a friend to young men who are struggling to achieve position, not only because he is a broad-minded and generous hearted gentleman, but doubtless also for the reason that he remembers the obstacles which he himself, when a young man, was compelled to surmount. The demands of an active business life and the accumulating of a large fortune have not in the slightest degree — as is too often the ease —blunted his sympathies or dwarfed the best part of his manhood. He is devoted to his home ami his family; he is keenly alive to the claims of hu- manity upon him, and in all the relations of lite is an exemplary and a manly man. He wisel} ac knowledges social claims upon his busy life, and is a member of the Union League, the Chicago Club, Washington Park Club and the New York Club. Mr. Counselman was married in 1^7."> to Miss Jennie E. Otis, daughter of Judge Otis of Chicago. They have two children, one son and one daughter. NORMAN P.. REAM. NORMAN BRUCE REAM was born in Som- erset county. Penn., November 5, 18II,and inherits the sturdy qualities of character for which the old families of Pennsylvania have been si > long and so widely famous. He is the son of Levi and Highly (King) Ream, and the family traces back a number of generations in the state of Pennsyl- vania. The Ream family originally came from Germany. On his mother's side Mr. Ream is of Scotch and German descent, making altogether an ancestry that was rich in those characteristics which make strong character and splendid intel- lectual development. Until recently, when he went to California and settled in Sacramento, his father was a farmer in Somerset county. Penn. Norman I!. was educated in the common schools of his native county, and in the local normal schools. When he was only fourteen years of age he taught one term in a district school, where, as was of ten the case in those days, tie- "big boys". were inclined to run the sc1m.i1 and the teacher. But young Ream was not only master of his school in name, but in fact, and the obstreperous boys were not long in rinding it out. The salary was only seventeen dollars a month, and many boys and young men of to-day would doubtless think that he more than earned that in a single week's physical conflict with the '-young gentle- men" under his charge. After a term at teach- ing, he acquired the art of taking pictures by the ambrotype process, which at that time was just coming into popular favor. He followed this busi- ness and worked on the farm until he arrived at the age of seventeen, when he enlisted in the 8~>th Regiment. Pennsylvania Volunteers, and went to the front in the war of the Rebellion. His regi- ment was a part of Key's corps, ami young Ream was with it all through Genera] McClellan's pen- insular campaign of 1862, and was in North ( !aro- lina during December, 18G2. and January, 1865, under General foster, in his campaign against Goldsboro. Soon after his enlistment he was made sergeant. For meritorious service at the battle of Kingston. North Carolina, he was com- missioned second lieutenant. About this time his command joined that of General Gilmore in South Carolina, and he was in the siege of Charles- ton, during which he was promoted to be first lieutenant. While acting adjutant of his regi- ment he was severely wounded in an enga near Savannah. Georgia, Feb. -i'. I864,and was in- capacitated for service until the following June, when he rejoined his command, which in the meantime had been transferred to the army of Virginia, under Gen. Butler. Immediately upon his return to the service, his regiment was attacked by the enemy, and Mr. Ream was again badly wounded. In the month i if August following, he pluckily rejoined his regiment, but found he was unable to longer bear the strain of active service, having neverfully recovered from his first wound. Receiving an honorable discharge, and with the evidences of his courage and patriotism indelibly 244 HIOCKAI'HY OF ILLINOIS. stamped upon aim, he returned I" his h e, and after a course in a commercial college at Pitts burgh, Penn., tie served Eor a short time as clerk in a general Btore. In l*t>'i In- came west, locating at Princeton, 111.. w here Eor a time he was clerk in a drj g Is store. Hi- then entered into business with Mr. Charles Mosshart, under the firm name of Mosshart & Ream, [n aboul a year, however, he withdrew, selling his interest to his partner, aial went to Osceola, Iowa, where he engaged in the grain, live-stock ami agricultural implement business, and in farming. For three years he was highly successful in his business, but a fail ure nf crops in that state compelled him to close out his entire business with a heavy loss. However, in the settlement of his affairs his course was so straightforward ami honorable, that his credii was not impaired in the least. Mr. Ream now came In Chicago, arriving herein 1871, just before the great fire. He located at the Union Stock Yards, engaging in the live-stock commis sion business, after which he became a dealer on his own account. From this time on he enjoyed greal prosperity, and made money rapidly, oper- ating in conjunction with his other business, in railroad stocks. For a time he was a member of the New York Stock Exchange. In 18S8, however. Ii asid to operate upon the exchanges, though retaining his membership in the Board of Trade, lie lias been a large investor in real estate, ami his investments in that direction have resulted in the erection of such structures as the famous Rookery building in Chicago and the Midland Hotel in Kansas City. He is a heavy stockholder in city railways, and has large interests in cattle ranches in the west, also tine farms and timber lands. His ability has been recognized by his fel- low citizens in his election as a director of the first National Bank of Chicago, the Illinois Cen- tral Railroad, and in several other important cor porations in this city and elsewhere. Mr. Ream is a valuable citizen, realizing to the fullest degree thai citizenship under a popular government, means individual responsibility. He belongs to that class of typical western business men who think for themselves, and cannot be led by the i|e gogue, and will not submit to the party lash. He is an independent republican in polities, tak- ing deep interest in all public questions, but despising politics as a profession. The best can didate is sure to receive his support, on whatever ticket the name of such candidate may be found. Mr. beam is a member of the following clubs: Chicago, Calumet. Washington Park. Athletic and Commercial of Chicago; the Union and New York of New York City. In lSTli he was married to Miss Carrie Putnam, daughter of Dr. John Put nam. of Madison, New York, and the) have seven children two daughters and live sons. Mr. Ream's life has been a successful one, as a result of a strong character and a high degree of honesty and integrity. Whatever of adverses he has met with, seem only to have brought out more strong Iv his inflexible determination to succeed. ORSON SMITH. ORSON SMITH, vice], resident of the Mer- chants Loan & Trust Company, has been, from his early boyhood to the present time, closely identi- fied with the financial interests of Chicago. He is a native Chicagoan andhas been conspicuous in all the great movements, changes and evolutions that have tended to make Chicago a financial center. He entered a bank when but a small lad and he has been connected with banks and bank- ing ever since. He was prominently connected with the Chicago Board of Trade for many years, in a responsible financial position. He began his association with the different banks with which he has been connected while those institutions them selves were but incipient organizations, and grew and prospered with their expansion and success. Orson Smith was born in the city of Chicago. December 14. 1811. His father's name was also Orson, and his mother was Mary Ann Paul. Both parents were natives of New York state. ( h'si.n Smith, the lather, came west and settled in Chicago in the year 1S:?8. He became a man of much prominence in the early days of the city's struggles, and was identified with all the move- ments which have in their way contributed to- ward the present high position the city has attained. Ee was for a number of years city marshal, and later was elected sheriff of Cook county. He lived an active ami useful life, during the twenty-three years he spent as a citizen of Chicago. He died in 1861, leaving a name the historians of the city are proud to mention. Ib- left his son as an heritage the example of a long and busy life which that son has emulated and followed, though in a different field of labor. Young Smith received his education at the public and private schools in his native city, but his ambition to begin to battle for himself induced BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 2 45 him to leave his studies a1 .-in early age. When but thirteen years old he entered the retail store of Potter Palmer as "bundle boy." He remained there only one year when he secured a position as clerk in the private banking house of P. Granger Adams, then doing business at II Clark street. Had young Smith, even at that early day, deter- mined to become a banker he could hardly have found a better instructor in the minutia and intri- cacies of the business than the gentleman into whose employ he entered at this time. Mr. Adams was a successful banker and had organized his house in 1S.7J. Here Orson Smith labor,, I for eleven years, rising from one clerkship to the next one in importance until, in 1m',:;. when a change was made in the name and character of the bank. Mr. Adams had concluded to go to New York city and ;i charter was then taken out for the Trader's Hank, and Mr. Adams' private institution became merged into a stab' bank of that name. Later on. the name was again changed to the Trader's National Bank. Mr. Smith remained through all these changes until the year 1870, reaching the posi tion of ehief clerk and assistant cashier. He had been growing more and more interested in Board of Trade affairs, and as about this time there was organized The Corn Exchange National Bank, the intention ofits promoters beh g to the Board of Trade business, he resigned from the Trader's National Bank and took a position in the nrw concern. The former institution eon tinued in business until the year 1889, when during the serious illness of its president. .1. O. Rutter, who soon after died, it collapsed making a bad failure. T. P. Tallman, who hail been i neeted with the institution from an early day. was at the time of the failure its cashier. The Corn Exchange National Bank was organized with Julian S. Rumsey, as president, S. A. Kent ;i-, vice-president anil Orson Smith as cashier. This bank has had something of a history. After the great Hie. business was ;it once opened up in the basement of B. P. Hutchinson's residence. Mr. Hutchinson was then one of the directors in the bank. In the December following the fire it was removed to No. 1. Land's block, on the northwest corner of Randolph and Market streets. In October, 1872, the bank took up quarters in the Chamber of Commerce building, remaining there until it went out of existence March. 1881. Upon its old foundation, however, another institution was started. This was a state organization and was called the Corn Exchange Bank. Its promo- tors were B. P. Hutchinson. Charles L. Hutchin- son, and S. A. Kent. Orson Smith was retained as < -a shier. The concern moved into the Insurance Exchange building and has ever since been a grow- ing and successful institution. At the last state- ment its capita] stock was $1,000,000, and its sur- plus $600,000. Orson Smith remained in the position of cashier until the spring of 1884, when he resigned to accept the vice- presidency of the Merchants Loan & Trust Company. As stated above, Mr. Smith had become interested in Board of Trade matters, and he became a permanent and active member of that Exchange. In 1872he waselected its treasurer, a highly responsible position and one requiring much executive financial ability. It was evident, however, that Mr. Smith was tic right man in the right place. He was successively elected for seven years from 1872to 1878. During his tenure of office, the city passed through the exhausted and depressed condition resulting from the great tire. He was in office during the re- building and re establishment of the Chamber of Commerce. It was in 1S77 when the question of more r n began to be discussed ami Mr. Smith was one of the most earnest and energetic sup- porters of the idea. It was of course recognized that if such a move was made it would be with a view tii the grand future of the citj and itsgrowth as a produce center. It was. therefore, a gigantic undertaking, and took time tor consideration before the best course could be agreed upon. The result of all the deliberations is to be seen at the foot of La Salle street, where stands the new- Board of Trade building which was formally dedieated April 29, 1885, the pride of the city and the pride of the organization which executed it. Though Orson Smith was not the treasurer of the Board at the time this notable structure was built, he can reflect with pleasure that his voice aided in bringing about so important and desirable a result. The Board of Trade went through many important changes during Mr.Smi tli's treasurership and many additions were made to its field of operations, the Produce Exchange being not among the least of them. Mr. Smith is also a member of the governing committee of the Stock Exchange, an institution in which he has taken as active an interest ;is he lias in the Board of Trade. His present position as vice-president of the Merchants' Loan A: Trust Company is most satisfactory to himself while he is eminently suited to the posi tion. It is one of the chief and foremost financial institutions of the city of Chicago. Its capital by the showing of the last statement is e_M x K u K ki with a surplus of $1,000,000, and with undivided 246 moiiKAI'llY OF ILLINOIS. profits amounting to $350,987.74. In social circles Mr. Smith is a well-known man. lb- is a liberal contributor to the various public institutions of the city, and aids and sanctions by active mem- bership several of the prominent chilis and Bocial organizations. He is a member of the Washing- ton Park, the Chicago, the Union ami the Ath- letic Chilis. Mr. Smith married into one of the oldest and most respectable families of Chicago. On December 14, 1871, he was wedded to Miss Anna, youngest daughter of Hon. John B. Rice. .Mi-. Rice was one of the most estimable and prom- inent citizens of the city. In the September issue of the Centura Magazine is the autobiography of Joseph Jefferson, the comedian. Among other personages he speaks of Mr. Rice, who was re- lated to him by marriage. The manner in which Mr. Jefferson writes of him indicates tin' warm affection in which he was held, and this feeling was but a reflex of the opinion of all wdio were ever fortunate enough to form the acquaintance of this good citizen, this admirable gentleman. Mr. Jefferson begins by saying: •'John B. Rice was a connection by marriage, having been united to a cousin of mine, Miss Mary Anne Warren, sister of William Warren, the come- dian, and of Harry Warren, the theatrical mana- ger of Buffalo. Mr Rice was a prominent citizen of Chicago, having been at one time its theatrical manager, its mayor, and afterwards its Representa- tive in Congress. Those who remember this wise and honorable man, whose life was devoted to usefulness, will recall the valuable services he rendered to his adopted state and city, and to those by whom he was surrounded. The conduct of his life was simple and dignified, and he re- veived the smiles and favors of fortune with an equable bearing, and was ever ready to assist the needy with either his purse or counsel. Contented and cheerful, I scarcely ever saw him look grave except when contemplating the prospect of another one's misfortune. He was liberal but wisely prudent and often berated me for my ex- travagance." Mr. Jefferson spoke of the intimacy that for years existeil between Mr. Rice and Edwin For- rest and related the circumstances of the rupture which enstranged them, showing it to be the hardy, rugged, lirutus like honesty of Mr. Rice that made him decide a matter according to his honest belief regardless of the opinion of friend or foe. lie also related some amusing incidents proving M r. Rice to have had a thorough and keen appreciation of a joke. Mr. Smith has no children living, but he finds solace for their loss in the com- panionship of his wife. Hi' enjoys home life and even the attractions of the various clubs to which he belongs fail to draw him from that retreat. Mr. Smith has never had any inclination to enter public life. His early education and his training when he first began to battle for his own liveli ho, id fitted him peculiarly for a financier. JOHN. W. DOANE. JOHN WESLEY DOANE, president of the Merchants' Loan and Trust Company of Chicago, and for nearly forty years a leading merchant of that city, was bom at Thomson, Windham county. Connecticut, on the 23d of March, 1803, and is tin- son of Joel and Olivia Primrose Doane. He re- ceived his education at the common schools of the Nutmeg state, and early acquired those habits of industry, temperance and economy which have enabled him to ascend the ladder of fortune step by step, until at an early age when men are gen erally considered to have only reached the prime of life, he ranks among the prominent merchants and leading financiers of Chicago. While still a boy he had formed ambitious projects for his future, ami saw in the growing west the natural field for their realization. He decided when he was twenty-two years of age to immigrate to Illinois, which was then a new and comparatively undevel- oped state, and toward which a continuous move- ment of enterprising and hardy sons of New- England was going on. Arriving in Chicago with a very small capital he rented a store and began business as a grocer. Patient, persevering and dili- gent in his calling, never carried away by the fever- ish haste to be rich — so characteristic of the pioneer population — but adopting the wise commercial rule of small profits and quick sales, he gradually in- creased his business year by year, until 1S70, when his firm's sales were the largest in that line in the Northwest. Mr. Doane married, on the 10th of November, 1857, Miss Julia A. Moulton, daughter of Josis Moulton, of Laconia, New Hampshire. As the city grew in population and importance, Mr. Doane's business participated in the advantages of a larger market, and he worked hard and unceas- ingly toextend anddevelopit. So well did he pros- per that the business, which in 1855 had been insig- nificant had been increased to three millions per annum, which, as stated before, was the largest in the city. Then came the disastrous fire of 1871, in which the fortunes of so many Chicago citizens perished and were seen no more. The firm of J. W. Doane A Co.. was involved in the common 2^>g>, UBWW BIOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS. 247 ruin. But Mr. Doane was not a man to sit down with folded hands and lament over hismisfori une. ( )n the contrary, he devoted to the task of recon structing the business of his house, an em courage surpassing that with which he had orig- inally built it ii]): the credit which so many years of strict integrity and honorable dealing him to command was as good as capital to trim at this crisis, and with the assistance of an friend the firm was very soon established again. In a short time all their losses were retrieved, and the house iif J. W. Doane & Co. was once more in its wonted financially prosperous condition. In 1872 Mr. Doane disposed of his interest in the firm to Messrs. Towle A Roper, and entered into a new field of enterprise. The Chicago merchants in in:- line had previously been accustomed to replenish their stocks in the eastern market; but Mr. Doane determined to import goods direct from the various producing countries of tin- w irld, and his firm were the first Chicago importers of teas and coffees, to which were afterwards added fruits and spices. The lirst cargo of c ported was from Bio de Janeiro, in 1S,7'_I. by the steamship " Dauntless," via Mobile. The firm has now a branch house in Rio de Janeiro, through which all its importations from that poi ceived. To this new branch of business Mr. Doane has devoted a large share of his attention, and has cultivated it so assiduously that his warehouse is now at the head of Western importing houses Since his election to the presidency ..I' the Mer chants' Loan and Trust Company some years ago, Mr. Doane has taken an active and prominent part in the management of the affairs of that in- stitution. On monetary and financial questions he is considered a sound authority, and his opin ■hi such questions have been frequently quoted by the press of this city. He is a director in several of our largest commercial corporations, among them being the Pullman Palace Car Compa- ny. During the preliminary discussions in refer- ence to the World's Pair and the efforts to have it located at Chicago. Mr. Doane lent valuable assist ance to the Committee appointed to represent our city, and although taking no active or prominent part before the public, was instrumental in pro- curing the wished for legislation by Congress. When the committee of the Senate at Washington w en- debating the proposed World's Fair hill after its passage by the House of Representatives, there was considerable opposition to Chicago developed, which was led by Sen ah irs Disc, ick 1 if New Yi irk and Ingalls, of Kansas. Senator Kenna, of West Vir ginia, insisted upon some written proof of Chica u'o's ability and intention to make good the prom ised guarantee of ten million dollars, and finally Senator Parwell telegraphed to Chicago for the document. A written statement, signed by Lyman .1. 1 iage, John W. Doane. J. J. 1', 1 . I, i . and Wirt Dexter, was forwarded to Washington. ! tlie assurance of the signers that the subscription fund would be collected, and this Was laid before thee, mill lit tee. t lie |,|', ifessed doubts were removed, and the bill favorably reported for the approval of the Senate. Mr. Doane was one of the founde,. of 1 he ( !hic: :ial Club, and has taken an influential part in its proc I iljes. He leis twice been elected its president. and held that office H - I iranl w as en tertained by various social organizations in this city on his return from his trip around the world in 1879. \1noi1u the foremosl of the public bodies ended their hospitality to General Grant on that occasion, was the Commercial Club, who him a banquet at the Grand Pacific Hotel, at which Mr. Doane officially presided. It was a great and memorable assemblage of the rep- resentative men of both the East and West, for the Boston Commercial Club were al the same time the guests of their Chicago brethren, and among the speakers were men wdio had gained national celebrity in mercantile and professional walks of life. In proposing the toast of the evening, Mr Doane paid a neat compliment to tie der." and at the sane- time g 1 h uuioivdly indi- cated what he, asa Democrat, thought of the out- look of the presidential campaign, in which Gen- eral Grant's name had been put forward a didate lor a third term. He suggested a more attractive future for the General than either the presidency of a railroad or of the United states. ■■ Just come and settle amot business man," he said "and we will pledge you oiu- mil's as the president of the Commercial Club." Mi'. Doane has also In -en a member of the Calumet Club since its organization, and in lSSo succeeded Edson Keith as president of that insti- tution. He is a member of several other social clubs of Chicago. In politics Mr. Doane is an un- swerving Democrat, and somi - the Dem- ocratic clubs of the city used all their influence to induce him to accept the nomination for Con gressman from the first district, but Mr. Doane did not consent until a few days before election day. Nevertheless, he reduced the usual Repub- lican majority by 6,500, coining within 500 votes of an election. His opinions have always had great > 4 8 BIOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS. weight with his party, and in an unobl rasive waj tedoes much to strengthen the party organiza- tion. Mr. Doane is a member of the Protestant Episcopal communion, and has I n for a number of terms chosen as a vestryman of Trinity Episco pal church. Anion- the many merchants of the metropolis of tin- Northwest, who have carved oul their splendid fortunes by their own praiseworthj endeavors, and who have contributed so much to its present greatness, no one has more deserved his sue cess, and none can present a more honorable record, than John W. Doane. Much of interesl in the life of Mr. Doane, not given in this brief summary of his career, could have been added hut for the writer's inability to obtain such farts as were not matters of current knowledge, and known only to those from whom repeated efforts failed to elicit them. WALTER Q. GRESHAM. JUDGE WALTER QUINTIN GRESHAM was born March 17, 1832, on a farm near the hamlet of Lanesville. Harrison county Indiana. Amongthe pioneer farmers who settled in Harrison county were George Gresham and Dennis Pennington, the grand-father and grand-uncle of WalterQ.Gresham. They were both of English descent and natives of Virginia. George Gresham was born near Peters- burg, Virginia, October 9, L776. Whenayoungman be emigrated with the Penningtons to Mercer coun ty, Kentucky, ami in L801 was married to Mary Pen- nington. He lived in Mercer county, until 1809, when he removed with his family to Harrison county, Indiana, where he took up a large quan- tity of land on Little Indiana Creek, where Lanes ville now stands, and became a prosperous farmer. Judge Gresham's father, William Gresham, was the eldest son of George Gresham and was born in Kentucky, September 17. 180'J. He was a farmer, but learned the trad.' of cabinet-making which he pursued industriously together with farming. There is a tradition that he was one of tin- handsomest men in Harrison county. "Six feet two inches in height, well formed, muscular and lithe, with black hair, hazel eyes and finely i mi Eeatures, his pleasing address, genial manners, straight Eorward honesty and great personal cour- age made him a popular idol." He look a -real in- terest in in i lit ;i i-\ affairs and in those peaceful days lose to be colonel of the militia. In Novem- ber, 1825, he married Sarah Davis, a daughter of John Davis, who also came to Indiana from Vii ginia by way of Kentucky, bid was of Scot eh Irish descent. Sarah Davis was but eighteen years of age when William Gresham brought her. a youth fill bride, to his home. More than three score years have passed since then, and she still resides at the old homestead with an unmarried daughter. She i-s a hale and active woman, giving heed to her daily household duties, ami. though sin- has been tried by adversity and by sorrow, is still cheerful and kindly, happj in her declining years in the abiding affection of her children. In 1833, Colonel William Gresham was elected sheriff of Harrison county by an almost unanimous vole. He was a candidate on the Whig ticket, but his popularity swept everything before it. In the fob lowing year he was fatally shot by a desperado whom he was attempting to arrest. Walter or - Watt " Gresham, as every man, woman and child in Harrison county calls him. grew up on his ther's farm with but two or three winters' schooling, such as the country districts then afforded, until he was sixteen years of age, a tall and slender youth with remarkably tine hazel eyes. well formed features and a complexion of health- ful color "the very image of his father " his mother was wont to say. A thoughtful boy desir ing to study, but without opportunity and with little in the way of books to read, but his tine eyes took in a horizon that extended far beyond his mother's farm, and he lived in the hope that one day it might fall to his lot to attend an institution of learning called the Oorydon Seminary. While he was thus dreaming- and hoping his brother Ben returned from the Mexican war. and about the same time Mr. Samuel Wright, a friend of the family who was auditor of the county, offered Watt a small position in his office where he might earn enough money to pay for his board. He seized the opportunity with alacrity and assisted by his brother Ben. he entered the seminary at Corydon. Two years at the Corydqn seminary and one year at the Bloomington university com pleted his education so fa r as sell. >ol ing was con cerned, and he returned to Corydon, obtained a deputy clerkship in the county clerk's office, and passed his leisure hours in the study of law under the guidance of Judge William Porter, one of the noted characters of southern Indiana. It is doubt fill if any young man ever had a better instructor. He took a decided interesl in Watt, as almost everybody did. and as almost everybody dm-:- in a courageous young man commencing the battle of LIBRAE OF THE UHtVtHSlTYaflWNOlS. BIOGB \\'\\\ OF ILLINOIS, 240 life in a sturdy way. Judge Porter gave him the books i" read, i ncing with Blackstone, as signing lessons, and on appointed evenings heard him recite. And the preceptor was martinet enough and thorough enough to insist on recita- tions, letter perfect, or the pupil would have to go bach and study the matter over. Judge Gresham has often said in later life that it was that train- ing that made him. After nearly three years' work by day and study by night, in the year 1854 Walter ( iresham was admitted to the bar, and en tered into partnership with Thomas C. Slaughter, an eminent lawyer of that time, afterwards judge of the circuit court. To combine law and politics is the prevailing custom with young lawyers 111 the United States, and young Gresham proved do exception to the rule. His admission to the bar and the Nebraska question were coincident. The great Wing party with which all his political tra ditions were associated was dissolved. It was a hot and seething time and men began to range themselves on the slavery question. In 1835 the Republican party was formed, and with it t iresham at e allied himself. In 1856 his partner, Judge Slaughter, was a delegate from Indiana to the Philadelphia convention that nominated Fremont. In the canvass that followed, the young lawyer stumped Harrison count} in behalf of tl Path tinder" and scored many successes. Wherever he wi'nt he obtained subscribers for the New York Tribune, and argued the questions at issue in a straight forward, reasonable way that carried his hearers with him. When the votes were counted in November.it was found that more Republican votes had been east in Harrison c it} than in all the rest of the district together between New Albany and Evansville. Engaging now earnestly in the study and practice of law. he soon gained a reputation at the bar as a careful and pains-taking lawyer, successful with both courts and juries. His style of oratory was almost entirely argumen- tative, addressei I to the reason and no1 to the feel- ings. While In- could always interest his hearers. both in the court and on the stump, he did SO more by the clearness of his statements and tin- ex aetnessof his language than by any indulgence in anecdotes or figures of speech. If he can be said to have hail a model at all it will lie found in tin- decisions of Chief Justice Marshall, whose I u ous reasoning has always been > mended to tin- study of lawyers, young and old. In 1858, Mr. Gresham married .Miss .Matilda McGrain, the daughter of Thomas McGrain, a man of Scotch Irish descent, long a resident of Harrison county. A son and a daughter have been horn to them. In 1860 Mr. (iresham was selected as the Republican legislative candidate for Harrison county, with a steady, reliable working democratic major- ity of over live hundred against him. But he entered upon the campaign with spirit, challenging his opponent. Hancock, to a .joint dis- cussion, and drove him in discomfiture from the platform before the appointments were half rilled. Following up his advantage, he canvassed every school district in the county, with the result that he scored a complete victorj ami was elected with a good majority. As a member of the Legislature he was made chairman of the committee on mili- tary affairs, ami as such brought forward ami hail passed a militia hill which placed Indiana almost on a war footing. He was a valuable coadjutor of Governor Morton, and was recognized as such by the great war governor, who gave him his con fidence. Mr. Gresham was thoroughly convinced that war with the South was inevitable, and felt tin- importance of making every preparation for it. Then came the inauguration of Lincoln and tin- outbreak of civil war. For some tins- before tin- war young (iresham hail been captain of a militar} company in Corydon called "TheSpen cer Rifles." He was well versed in military affairs and in the tactics, besides, In- had natural mili- tary instincts. He inherited all his father's liar lessness, ami. indeed, seemed a horn soldier, and so when his legislative duties were over. Governor Morton appointed him lieutenant colonel of the 38th Indiana Regiment, bu1 before it entered active service he was appointed colonel of the 53d Reg- iment in December, 1861. The regiment was first ordered to St. Louis. Imt when Grant, after Don elson, advanced up the Tennessee, Gresham's reg iment wasordered to join him at Savannah. Here he was assigned to Veatch's brigade in Hurlbut's division, ami wasstaliom-d at Savannah to guard the coast, (iresham being placed in command. During the brief period of this command Col. Gresham's hearing and ability were such as to commend him strongly to tin- Eavor of General Grant ami his chief of stall'. Col. John A. Rawlins. The 53d participated in the siege of Corinth, and after the evacuation of that place moved to La Grange, and from that point made expeditions south of the Memphis A Chariest ailroad. Af- ter this the regiment joi I I [rant's arm} and took part in the North Mississippi campaign, after which it was stationed at Memphis until 1 v, ''o Later il joined Urn army besieging Vicksburg, after Grant's famous strategic movement, but wa6 250 BIOGRAPHY < »P fLLlNOIS. of the battles that preceded the Biege. On the Hth of August, 1863, ( !ol. Gresham, on the recommendation of Generals ( Irani and Sherman, was appointed Brigadier-General, and placed in command of the post at Natchez, and afterwards of the district of Natchez, succeeding ■ Crocker. His government of that turbulent city ■ ii ius i hat it is spi this day, and General Gresham hasscoresof warm fi iends there among thi i ilder citizens, i renei al Gresham remained in command at Natchez until the following spring, when he was placed in com- mand of a division in the 17th corps in the Army of the Tennessee, to take part in the campaign against Atlanta. ( ieneral McPhersi in c< immanded the army and General Frank Blair the corps, and with both of these officers, but particularly with McPherson, i iresham became on specially friendly terms. Mis activity and zeal as a soldier \vi-n- his chief recommendations to them. He was in the battle of Kenesaw Mountain, and in thi ments that followed all the way up to and around Atlanta, until the 20th of July. That day in the battle of Leggett's Hill, while at the front exam- ining the ei emy's p isition with a view to pressing forward, the firing being very heavy, a ball struck him just below the knee* inflicting a wound. He was at once carried to the rear and the next daj General McPherson himself gave personal attention to having General (iresham conveyed in an ambulance, with great care, to the railroad station. The trip was a slow one and oc- cupied several .lays. When General (iresham arrived at the station he there found the remains of his beloved general, who had been killed the next day after thej parted. Tears come into the General's eyes when he relates this incident. Hack to New Albany the General was taken, and for more than a year he lay prone upon his hack, nursed by his faithful wife. His leg was saved. but he was compelled tog i crutches for several years. The war over, General Gresham returned to his profession, forming a law partnership at Xew Albany, Indiana, with Judge Butler, and Noble ('. Butler, his son. But his party still made claims upon him. and in 1866 he w: the Republican ticket for Congress against M. C. Kerr, who was afterwards speaker of the house. The district was heavily democratic, and h<- was. I i asa matten if ci the leading men of the country. It con sequently so happened when President Garfield was forming his cabinet that Judge Gresham's name was among those originally agreed upon. Mr. Blaine particularly urged his appointment. The situation became such, however, that Garfield found himself obliged to modify his original intei tion and Judge Gresham was not tendered a seat in that cabinet. Garfield died and Arthur succeeded him. In April, 1882, Mr. Howe, the post master general did. Judge < fresham was at that time helding court in Evansville. One even ing he received a dispatch inviting him i the position of post-master general. This lie did and took up his residence in Washington. Judge Gresham's career as posl mast' r general presents no specially remarkable features, for the office is largely one of routine and of well-establish( '1 pn c edent. One of the most notable incidents was his exclusion of the Louisana lottery from tin- mails, ami this In- sue, led in accomplishing in spite of the most powerful pressure ever Mil ii ih'Al'HY OF ILLIM IIS. brought 1c bear upon a public officer. He looked thoroughly into the mattei' of the mail contracts, ami there were no star route jobi during his incumbency. Briefly, the office was well and honestly administered. Near the close of President Arthur's term, on the death of Secretary Fblger, Judge. Gresham was a] Secretary of the Treasury, a position which he held for a short period. In October, 1884, he withdrew from the cabinet altogether. During his cabinet service, although one of the y he was one of President Arthur's most trusted advisers. His judicial quality of mind, his sense of fairness and his even temper made him a valua- lil tadjutor in such a position. In December, 1884, Judge Drummond having retired from the office of United Slates Circuit Judge, President Arthur spontaneously tendered that position to Judge Gresham. Having taken him from the bench to make him a cabinet officer, it was a pleasing duty to the President to restore him tci the bench at the close of his service. Since then Judge Gresham's time has been zealously given to the duties of his office, During hii carei i on the bench Judge Gresham has heard and de- cided many note-worthj eases, many of his decis- ions illustrating in a remarkable degree his fear- . impartiality and judicial firmness. It ought, perhaps, to be no commendation h> one in -Indian exalted position, that he possesses the attributes of a just judge, but there are dailj bo man} exhibitions of moral cowardice and par- tiality, and even worse on the bench, tha than ordinary degree of courage and integrity necessarily attracts attention. As a jurist Judge Gresham is distinguished for the directness and accuracy of his perceptions, the absolute fairness of his rulings and his utter unconsciousness of the standing, character or wealth of parties or counsel. The young lawyer gains his attention as readily as the oldest or most learned, and none, either old or young, learned or unlearned, will escape rebuke if he thinks an attempt to impose on the court is being made. In the classification of great judge's, made by Mr. Walter Bagehot in his essay on Lord Brougham, into judges for the lawyers and judges for the. parties, Judge Gresham would be ranked among the latter. He is more intent on doing exact justice betwei d litigants than in delivering learned opinions. He never loses sight of the object of the law, which is to administer justice in the present control ersj then and there in hear- ing. It is the tendency of law to get bound in forms and precedents which finally work harsh in- justice. It is i hi i ol the great judge to overleap these harriers ami reach the heart of the controversy. This is one . if Judge i Iresham's dis- tinct qualities which ranks him a ig the fore most jurists of his time. The celebrated Wabash Railroad i -a se illustrates his various charactei istici more fully, perhaps, than any other. It was a case involving \ a si interests. I he parties were men of immense wealth and influence, and the counsel were among the mo t learned and able on the con tinent. Some popular interests also attached to , not in any pecuniary setise, but onlj from curiosity to know whether great railroad magnates and their astute counsel could hear down every thing before them in Judge Gresham's court as easily as elsewhere. To give a brief epitome of that case so that the non-professional reader could derstand all the points in the controversy is simply impossible, but the salient features may be outlined as follows: The Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific Railway Company was formed by the eon solidation of several corporations, owning or con- trolling, in May, 1884, upwards of five thousand miles of railroad, lying in several states cast and west of the Mississippi river. Upon every part of M there existed not less than three morf nd on the entire road these mortgages amounted to seventy five in all. In that month the railway property passed into the hands of re- ceivers appointed by the United States Circuit Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, upon the voluntary application of the conpany. This appointment was entirelj without precedent, it being always the prerogative of the creditors to make such application; but the holders of the bonds secured by the numerous mortgages, at first took no alarm. Similar bills were tiled in other districts, including the two districts in Illinois, and the same receivers were appointed to manage the portions of the railway there. In pursuance of a plan for the reorganization of the company, the two junior mortgages covering the entire system were foreclosed in the United States Circuit Court at St. Louis, and a linal deer if red in January. 1886, the property being sold in April, and bid in by a committee known as the "purchasing committee," appointed to carry out the re-organization plan. The bond-holders of the oldei mortgages on various sections of the road had 1 n led to believe thai their rights would be unaffected by the foreclosure proceed- ings, bin liny were now told that the debt of the road was so great that they must accept for the future a reduced rate of interest, and that the BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS interest must be funded tor a limited time. A najority of them had already assented to the re organization plan, represented by the "purchasing committee.*' but a strong minority, interested in of the Mississippi river, between Toledo. Quincy, Hannibal and Keokuk, and between Chicago and St. L>uis. refused to do so. Tn the agitation which necessarily ensued, they were met with the throat that a large amount of the receiv- ership debt of upwards of four millions of dollars. created in the foreclosure proceedings, could be enforced in priority 1" their liens. More than half of the receivership debt had been created for the purpose "f taking up certain notes issued by the corporation prior to the receivership, and en- dorsed by four directors, Jay Gould, Russi - 9 Sidney Dillon, and Solon Humphreys. The certifi- cates issued to take up these notes were issued upon petition of the receivers, one of whom was Mr. Humphreys, the other being Thomas E. Tutt, "f St. Louis. The decree of foreclosure and sale, and the decree confirming the sale in June. 1886, had been construed as requiring the "purchasing committee" to assume and pay, as part of the purchase price, all indebtedness created by the receivership. But on the "21st ofSeptember, 1886, the counsel for the "purchasing committee" obtained from the court at St. Louis, two orders, one authorizing the receivers to pay "such interest coupons or bonds secured by mortgages superior in right to the mortgages foreclosed,"' as they might be - requested to pay by the purchasers at the sale." and the other ordering that in case the purchasers should become possessed by purchase or otherwise of any claims against the property, they should be subrogated to the rights of the original holders of their claims. The dissenting bond-holders looked upon these orders as a declar- ation of war by the "purchasing committee," since the orders provided for the payment of interest such bond holders as they might desig- nate, and for keeping alive in their hands claims which it had been understood they were to pay off and extinguish. In consequence of these orders, an application was made to Judge Gresham for the appointment of a different receiver for the lines within his jurisdiction, and for foreclosure of certain of the senior mortgages covering these lines. Upon this application evidence was taken, and it appeared that the interests and sympathies of receivers Humphreys and Tutt were so related to those of the "purchasing committee" as to render their removal indispensable. It was argued side that the dissenting bond-holders were entitled to a, fair ami disinterested management of the property, and could not be forced to waive or scale down their interest: on the other hand it was urged that the granting of the application would be ruinous to the Wabash Railroad and would compel the majority to surrender to the demands of a minority. Judge Gresham took the former view, and appointed a separate receiver. It was a courageous act bravely done, and those who know most of the circumstances praise it most. It showed the people, moreover, that no matter what the power, wealth or standing maybe, with Judge Gresham justice rules over all. Judge Gresham has been a man of action more than of study, and yet he has found time for wide reading. He possesses a thorough and minute knowledge of the history of the govern ment and of the country, of the measures of the various administrations, of the great del. the men who shaped and influenced legislation in their day. many of whom are now forgotten. He understands the relations of this country to for- eign nations, the nature of the treaties in force, and the government's diplomatic history. He has been a careful and thorough student of the de- cisions of Chief Justice Marshall, and understands the just relations of Federal and State sovereignty. In other fields of literature he may be classed as a well informed man. What he reads he makes his own, not by a mere effort of memory, but by philosophizing upon it. analyzing it and getting at the heart of the matter. Like mat lawyers and judges his favorite relaxation is with a novel. Absorbed in the creations of the novel ist's genius, he has been known to read a novel through at a single sitting, even if it took him all night. More than once he has seen the daylight creep through his window's ere he laid down the fascinating novel. In apppearance Judge Gres ham is somewhat slender — in youth he was re- markably so - six feet in height, his black hair and full beard now- turned to iron gray. His eyes are hazel, full and large with the power to ••threaten and command," but soft and amiable in familiar converse. His features are clearly cut and regular and abundantly justify the reputa tion he had in youth of being a handsome fellow. His voice is pleasing and consorts well with his habitual demeanor, which is quiet and modest. Indeed, one would say that for a man he i- ex- cessively modest. In Harrison county, and throughout all that section he is still "Watt liresham" and in his intercourse with all the peo- ple he shows them he is indeed the same old U * ,V£ *Sn> of ILLINOIS. -^6?, BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS 2 53 Watl kind, generous, frank and manly. His admirable qualil iei 1 if heai 1 and mind ha for him their love and respecl just as in a larger and broader field they have endeared him wher- ever he is known. In c mversation recently a ven- erable old-time Democrat proudly exclaimed: "Man and boy, I hav ■ known the family for three generations and n le c ver saj a word against any Gresham." VOLUNTINE C. TURNER. VOLUNTINE C TURNER was born in Malta, Saratoga county, New York, on i i i'- 25th of Feb ruary. 1823. His father, John B. Turner, wa ■ • tensively engaged in railroad building, having acts for the construction of the Erie railroad, tin- Galena division of the Chicago & Northwestern railroad, and other important works. While preparing for college, Voluntine was em- ployed in his father's office at the time the latter was engaged upon the construction of the Erie railroad and the Genesee valley canal. Having completed his course of si inly at Troy and ( (xford Academies, in the state of New York, he went to Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts, where he graduated in l^ir,. In the fall of that year he renin veil to Chicago, and soon afterwards commenped the practice of law, which he contin ned for a period 1 if twelve years. Prom 1 s 18 to L858 he was in partnership with II. A. Clarke, and from 1858 until 1860, with theexception ti , only a few months in all. during which he was in partnership with Benjamin F. A\ gaged alone in the general practice of hi sion. In February. 1859 In- joined with his father and William B. Ogden, Charles V. Dyer, and .lames II. Rees, in procuring Hie charter for the horse railway mi the north side, designated in the act of incorporation as the North! hicago City Railway Company. lie was appointed secretary and treasurer of the company at the time of its organization, and continued to act in that capacity until duly. 1865. From that date until January. 1867, he u as the vice-president of the company. He was then chosen as its pres- ident, and held that office until the sale of the road a few years ago tn a syndicate of eastern capitalists, of which Mr. Charles T. Yerkes is president and general manager. The horse rail mad was an indispensable accommodation to the citizens of the north 6ide, and played an imporl ant part 111 furthering tie- development ol thai division of the city. During Mr. Turner's man agemenl il served the needs of the community with very little cause for complaint. The people mi idatiuii it afforded, and in the course of years it became a valuable propertj for the stockholders, much of its financial prosperity being due to Mr. Tin tier'-: prudent management. With the ii illation in the northern suburbs of the city, the problem of providing more rapid transit to and from the business centre assumed greater im- portance, and more ample accommodations were ly required. The success of tl system in thesouthern division, and in othi ci1 1 led to its adoption by Mr. Yerkes and hi ciates in inb resl So rapid has been the exteh sion of the city northward by tin- building of new suburbs thai alread) it has bei te a matter of pressing necessity that still greater transportation facilities he afforded. With the difficulties at tending these new experit ever, Mr. Turner has happily had nothing to do. He turned over a well equipped and handsomely paying prop - . and since his retirement from the presidency of the North Chicago City Railway Company he has not been actively en gaged in any business, but has spent his well earned leisure iii the societj of his Looks in his charming residen 1 the Like Shore Drive, and icasional travel. Mr. Turner married on the 20th of May L851, Miss Eliza Smith, daughter of Colonel Henry Smith, a former partner of William 1!. Ogden. She died about six years ago, and Mr. Turner again married, a widow lady, Mrs. Green. By education and natural disposition Mr. Turner ys been a studious man. and prefers to spend his leisure in his own home among his In loks and friends rather than to take any prominent part in society doings. His residence on the Lake Shore Drive is a model of elegance and c fort, and there he delights to dispense a liberal hospi tality. Among Chicago busii one stand higher for ability and honor than Mr. Turner. and those who knew him in his early days, both in business relations and socially, have remained his friends for a lifetime. He has been for sonic years a member of the Union Club, and is always an honored visitor there, lb' has always been and shooting, and during his busi- ness life often availed himself of opportunities to go out into the country for a while with his rod and gun, and enjo} these recreal He is now the 254 BIOGRAPHY OF [LLINOIS. president of the Pelee Club, whose mbership embraces a select company of the best people in Chicago, Cleveland, and New York, who are en- thusiastic amateur sportsmen. The late General Sheridan was a member, and it now includes Judge Walter Q. Gresham, George M. Pullman, Esq., J. Russell Jones, Esq., and other well known gentlemen. Their magnificent club house is situ- ated on a Canadian island in Lake Erie, off San dusky. The real estate of the islandis their prop- erty, and the club house was erected at a cost Of $100,000 The members of the Pelee Club visit the island twice a year, in May ami October, and spend some pleasant weeks in congenial society ami amusement. Mr. Turner has never held any public cHice. and never aspired to one. In polities lie is a Democrat, and lias always held a respected ami influential place in tie- councils. of his party. In 1876 lie took an active part in the Tilden cam- paign, ami his exertions were largely instrumental in bringing out the unusually large vote which the Democrats of Chicago polled that year. The result of the electoral commission was a great disappointment to him. as it was to zealous Dem ocrats everywhere throughout the country. He has since seen his party victorious in a presiden- tial struggle, and no doubt hopes to see it again. Mr. Turner and his first wife were for twenty- live years prominent members of St. James' Episcopal church. Since the organization of Professor Swing's church, he has been an attend- ant upon the ministrations of that popular preacher. JOHN J. P. ODELL. JOHN J. P. ODELL, president of the Union National Bank of Chicago, was born in the town of Eastport, Maine. August 19, 1S17. The first eighteen years of his life were spent at home in Hie town where he was bom. His parents were both New Hampshire people, but removed to Maine when both were still young. His mother was .Miss H. E. Peavey, ami belonged I i old New Hampshire family. His father. I). [. Odell, established himself as a merchant in Eastport ami continued so for half a century. Both parentsare still living mar Boston, Mass. Young Odell's facilities for He- acquirement of an education were nol exceptionally good. He attended thecommon schools a1 Eastport and was given one year at a private school in Providence, B. I. When about sixteen years <>ld he became infatuated with the idea of becoming a civil engineer. Per two summers previous to his leaving home he accom panied coasl surveying expeditions engaged in surveying the coast of Maine, ami he had then a very serious aotion of making a study of the science "f surveying. Circumstances, however. conspired to change these plans. Young Odell bee ' imbued .with the -Western fever "a ml he felt that if one half of the stories told of the grand opportunities "out west" for brain or muscle to accomplish great things were true, it was the place for him. In 1865, Chicago had gone far be yond the experimental period; she had alreadj begun to feel her power ami the reputation of the western metropolis hail become known through- out all the land—even reaching beyond the seas. The grand chances offered by this phenomenal city became known in the little town upon the cast of Maine, and young Odell, then eighteen years old, decided to go there and judge for him self if it was indeed the El Dorado it had been de- scribed. Mr. Odell arrived in Chicago in the fall of 1865, and began to look for employment. Thus far he had not determined upon his future. He hardly knew in what direction he had better turn his talents and his energies. Believing, however, that sooner or later lie would find his proper sphere, he took the first situation that hi uld find. This was employment of some kind on the Chicago, Burlington A Quincy Railroad. He had been thus engaged for only a month when he secured a situation as bookkeeper in the North- western National Bank. He entered this institu- tion on November 1st, 1865 and remained there until July of the following year when he resigned to accept a position, similar to the one he was holding, in the Union National Bank. With Hie latter bank he has ever since been connected, pass ing through all the grades it offered to employes, reaching finally the top round of the ladder, be- coming president of the concern, one of the princi- pal banking houses in thegreat Northwest. This bank was the outgrowth of a private concern estab- lished only a year or two previously by Mr. W. V. Coolbaugh, under the firm name of W. P. Cool- bauglnv Co. Mr. Coolbaugh had been a successful banker in Burlington, Iowa. He was considered a financial power in that state, and at the breaking out of the war he telegraphed the governor to draw on him for money, if he needed any financial ;,:;: i- lanee, in fitting cut the state with her quota of men. The banking house thus established in BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS *55 baugb did a fairly su . and in February 1865, was merged into i 1 i I ion National Bank of Chicago. Mr. Cool- baugh was made president of the new organization and remained at its head until Noven when his life was cut short in a ino£ manner. He had alwa; bi staunch Demo- crat of the Douglas school, and wasagreat admirer of that eminent statesman. But his mind became I and during a period of mental aberration nitted suicide upon thi monument, on the night of November 11. 1877. After the fire of 1871, the ban! ■nee of C. T. Wl Wabash avenue. Mr. Wheeler was then vice- president and the bank continued to there for several months, when they moved into the Central Unioi m Madison street, near the river, whicl built by Cool Laugh & Wheeler. A 373, thej moved into the Union Building on the Washington and La Salle streets. In July. 1872, the capital stock was increased from a half, to a million dollars, but was reduced agaii original amount in 1878. On the death of Mr. Coolbaugh, Mr. Wheeler was elected president, but resigned in 1882 and bi • onnection with the bank. In January. 1880, Charles A. Munn resigned the vice-presidency, and W. C. I). Grannis was elected to till the vacancy, and at the same time Mr. Odell was made cashier. He had d in the concern during all these i 66. He had found a field in which he could use his talents to the besl advantagi He filled all the positions in the hank up to this last responsible one to which he was appointed in lss-o. In 1885 he was elected vice-president, and at the annual meeting in 1890, he was elected to the cy. The Union National Bank of i to-day as a great power in the financial of tlie city, and has. within the last few years, grown rapidly in importance. Mr. Odell paid to his own interests found time to devote to matters of public interest and public welfare. He was an active worker in tic preliminary movement which re- sulted in the organization of the V. M. C. U.. now know ii as tie- Chicago Atheneum. This institution was the outcome of the fire and was started at a public meeting called by the Rev. C. W. Wen, lie. and of which Rev. Laird Collier was c On .Max 8, 1874, the name was chat . Men's Christian I Inion, to tie I Atheneum. The plan was nearl) the same as thai of the Boston Union. The institution to-daj is a great success, and one Chicago can well of. Mr. Odell has been one of its directors for many yei I b irn in Maine and proud of it. it was but natural he should be active in a movement to organize a society called the "Sons of Maine." (in March 12, 1880, a meeting was held iii the club room of the Gardner House, now the Leland Hotel, at which there were present, Abner Taylor, C. P. Kimball, J. L. Hathaway, A. A. Libby. John J. P. Odell. C. P. Libby, i. Swett and others. Leonard Swett was made chairman and J. 8. Brewer, secretary. The chair appointed as a committee. Messrs. Kimball. Odell and Libby, to prepare a constitution and by-laws for an organization to he known as the " Maine." At an adjourned meeting held March 19, roved. Officers follows: President. Hon. Thomas Drunnuond: first vice-presi . . d Swett: second vice-president. J. Young Scammoi tary, J. S. Brewer, and treasurer. John J. P. Odell. In the winter- - rganization had crow ii so in numbers and h; popular that a banquet was talked of. The idea was readily taken up and on June 111. 1881, there was held in Chicago the first banquet of the organiza- tion. Many of the prominent men from I of Maine were invited and came to do honor to sion. A. special committee was sent in a special car to Boston, to convey the ■ < Ihicagi i. The affair was a great success and the ,, rganization lias since been kept full of life by the activity of its members, who enjoy, not only the banquets which have bei annual affair, hut the regular meetings of the organization. Mr. Odell has many other business than the Union National Bank. He is the president of the National Storage Company, to which office he was elected in lsss : he j< presi- dent of the Union Cold Storage and Warehouse Company, having been elected in IS 1 is a Director in the Union S : D posit Com pany. Chicago Atheneum. World's Columbian Exposition and of The First National Dank of Duluth. B mber of the Chicago. Union. on Park and the Bankers Chilis, and a member of the Executive Council of the American Bankers Association. He is a member of the Trade, of Chicago.and has been for manj years a Fellow of tin- Institute of Bankers of London. England. The most of the abovi ations are of a business character, and though holding a membership in several social clubs he i- !«?6 BIOGRAPHY OF LLLINOIS. doI in any ■ en e a club man. lie enjoys his home life in the extreme. Mr. Odell has been twice married. He first wedded MissMary L.Brown, of i Ihica ;o, October II. L868. Shediedin L871. Two children were born of this marriage, one of whom is now living. In November 1ST:!. Mr. Odell was again married, bis bride being Miss Emma A. Palboi of Providence, R. I. Two children were the result of this union, both of them now living. JOHN W. KOOT. The short career of John Wellborn Root, archi- tect, was a power for good in Chicago, with whose artistic development his name is closely connected. In a community whose interests are mainly com- mercial, his rare artistic genius was like a light in dark places, an inspiration to all lovers of beauty. There are many dreamers in the historj of art, but ii is nut often that a mind as alert, as active, as ready in resourc is as his, has also the sensit ive- ness of a musician and the tine imagination of a poet. He was an engineer whose inventions and adapt a tii uis of old laws to new uses have received wide professional sanction, as well as an artist to whom the recent luxuriant flowering of architec ture in the West is largely due. The rapidity of his thought and the sure touch of his skilled hand were phenomenal to those who came in per- sonal contact with him; ami these qualities are still apparent in the extent ami beauty of the work that he performed during the last ten years of his lite. Itut there are other faculties which he could not pei petuate in stone, certain j character, his generosity, his encouraging sym pathy, his intuitive comprehension of motives ami actions. The rare charm of his talk cannot be lightly passed over nor easily suggested for his mind was as quick to grasp a discovery as was his memory to retain it. And his facility of speech was e raensurate with the readiness and the alert ai i n ii\ ol ee keen intellect. With a mind open to all impressions, he was responsive to ideas both personal and poetic; and it was this dual faculty in him, which, together with his wit and his ex- ppreoiation of all humor, brought him in touch with men of many classes. Mr. Van Brunt has written of "his hospitality to every form of intellectual appeal;" and no on.- who knew him can soon Forget Im- helpfulness, his suggestive sympathy, or the inspiring influence of his joyous personality. Born in Georgia, January, M>. L850, John Wellborn Rool was only half a southerner, his father being a native of Ver nt. In spite of his New England training, however. Sidney Root was an ardent sympathizer with the t Jonfederacy, and he served the southern government at one time b) undertaking a difficult diplomatic mission lo several European courts. His ships were many times successful in running through the Union blockade; ami John, his oldest son. was sent on one of them to England. He was placed in school near Liverpool, and remained there until prepar- ed to take the Oxford examinations, which he passed with credit. During these years he studied the organ with William Best, the greatest organ- ist in England, thus cultivating the exquisite music, d gift which, throughout his life was a de- light to all who knew him. After his examina- tions, the war being over, his parents sent for him to join them in New York, then their home. There he entered the University of New York, from which he was graduated with honor in L869. Prom his earliest youth his taste for architecture had been apparent and this specific Kent was care fully fostered by. his parents. At tin- end of his college course he entered James Renwick's office in New Yoik, and later that of J. It. Snook, who was then designing the Grand Central Station. In 1S7'J he went to Chicago, where the work of rebuilding the city after the fire was being hur- riedly done, and for a year was a draughtsman in the office of ('aider. Drake & Wright. At that time Daniel H. Burnhain was in the employ of the same firm; and in 1873 he and John Root Eorined a partnership which death alone has sev- ered. Burnham & Wool took high ground from the beginning, preferring long inaction to any compromise with fortune The delay was gaily endured, however, for a close and lasting friend- ship had grown up between the two men, and the final success was well worth waiting for. From lSs'tl until the end. Knot's life was a succession of triumphs; and it is pleasant to remember that Imt few serious disappointments disturbed its high serenity. He was twice married in January. L880, lo Mary Louise Walker, who died within a month; and three years later to Dora Louise Monroe, a union which was singularly happj and joyous, lie attained a wide reputation as a writer upon architecture, and as a speaker upon any subject, and his inferos! in men and things made his hospitality a delight to his friends. He was at his best al home, u hen tic brilliancy of his lluenl talk, and I he wit that was quick to meet any UM»VtRSlTY. O. Mills buildings in San Francisco. Thi many beautiful residences, the First I; Armory, with its material simplicity, the grace of line in the Chicago Herald building, and the Art Institute, which "Binge over the water" these are some of the children of that great brain which has lost the power of action. His must vital archi tectural work was done in Romanesque, although tie made several notable excursions into other fields. But he was an originator and used the style with no imitative hand. Realizing that all good architecture is the outgrowth of the civiliza- tion that engenders it, he adapted the Romanesque forms with scholarly ey, and yet with daring and consummate skill, to the needs of the time. Root knew the mathematics of his profession ae well as its poetry; and many of his discoveries in construction, sue! as the con undation, are now widely aployed. Interesting himself intensely in the welfare of his profession, he was largely instru- mental in organizing thi Western Association of \ rchitects, which bestowed its highest offices upon him. When that body became a part ot the Vmeri can Institute of Architects, Root was elected sec retary of the older society, a position which he held at the time of his death. In Sept em her. 1890, he was unanimously elected Supervising Archi tect of the World's Columbian Exposition, his partner Mr. Burnham. being same the positii 1 Chief of Canstruction. Throwing him self into this great work with characteristic en thusiasm, Hoot drew innumerable plans for diffi c bag arrangements of the grounds and buildings. Even the location of the Fair was not definitely decided upon until November, and during the autumn months plans were pr< pared for everj p is sibie contingency. No one who was uotin close contact with Root at this memorable period can have an j concepti if the marvellous work which he accomplished. His quick mind gras] detail of the enormous enterprise, and no I ,u\ discouragement could rob him of his faith in its ultimate success. The National Commission and the Bi ian I "I I > t< irs paid a 1 a re 1 ribute to his genius by final 1} granting everything that he most desired in regard to the arrangement of build : the selection of architects Together I 'he t - if ( ''instruct ion ami the landscape architects, he prepared a report upon the location of the Fair, which, as a clear and concise state men! of the arguments and conclusions upon both sides, could not well have been surpassed. This report and the drawings which he submitted at the same time won the day for Jackson Park, with parable 1 mtloi ik upon 1 he lake. Judge Harris, of Virginia, declared in that convention that "the conceptions were as wonderful as they were numerous, and that the architectural pre cm the Exposition was guaranteed in ad One of the directors, who was also pres- ent at this crucial meeting of the Commission, dei cril iei i R01 it's ■• herculean labi >rs in inaugurating this magnificent architectural move- ment." "One Mash of the noonday sun." lie said in an interview published 111 the Chicago Inter Ocean, "outshines the all-night twinkling of the stars. John R the Columbian Expo- sition more than it honored him, and the high impress of his name and genius is worth ten times the amount of salary." In the same talk, this described the way in which Root captured the convention, and adds, " It was a feat to satisfy any ambition, but the draft upon nerve and brain and vitality had been fatally great." Root kept the management of his department upon the loft- .iii- 1 !n- genen ius selection of the -rent est architects in the country to design the build- ings without 1 (petition is unprecedented in our histor) of public enterprises. No incident in his career shows more clearly than this his get us admiration of noble work by other architects, or ense of professional honor. John Well born Root died on the fifteenth of January, 1891, .just as he touched the highest point of hiscareer, and endless opportunities for great achievement pening before him. "His work," writes !S8 BIOGB \PIIV OF ILLINOIS. Henry Van Brunt, "is sure to be fruitful in the future through the spirit which he left behind him and which cannot die," aspirit that impreg- nated his highest thought and his most hurried sketch. ■• In him," adds this distinguished fellow architect, "we Lave lost a Hotspur, whose gallant example kept the lamp of life blazing like ;t bea- con." It was a favorite theory of John Root's a theorj which no one has exemplified bo well as himself that the true architect must be philos- opher and poet, painter and musician, sculptor and man of letters, that to be a great architect is to feel the inspiration of many forms of beauty, and to understand and express all arts. Of the many eloquent tributes which wen called forth by his death, one written by Mr. Williston Pish ami printed in the Chicago Daily News, may be fittingly quoted : "To be beautiful, to be strong, to be skillful, to be learned, to be wise theseare things that fol- low nature and where they rise and how they grow and flourish every man ran know. But there is a thing above these more beautiful than beauty, stronger than force, more cunning than skill, more learned' than learning, wiser than wisdom; and whence it comes, what it is. whereon it flourishes no man knows. There is a last touch of nature beyond what study knows, that is life; and there is a last touch of humanity which is genius. Phil- osophers can tell us truths, scholars can recount the world's learning, instructed artists can de- light the eye. apt poets can please the car. ami ap- prehension can match praise to their work's excel- lence, but when genius has wrought there is creation; there are the smiles and tears of life, and the nearest understanding is only wonder at the dear mystery. I ienius is rare. It comes but a few times in the careers of the oldest and noblest nations. Vet a man of genius, we in our brief day have had with us. lias he been too close for us to perceive altogether what he was'.' We have seen him from day today in the streets, in the clubs, in all the common walks of common men. And seeing him so he seemed but as others— the best of ethers talking, ]3stmg sympathizing with his neighbors. We have seen him in his work room and lie was but making lines and figuresand com putations. He was one of us. yet he was not. What was it? Somewhere behind that friendly, familar face lay the power of immortality. We seem all in a common crowd, or all alike, or differ- ent but ina measurable degree; but we arc tried by adversity and one remains steadfast; we are tried by danger and one is undaunted ; we are tried by war and one rises to command our command- ers; and in the end we arc tried by time and one who sat with us is immortal. Others were as noisj in their day, but when their voices aresilent, his still speaks on, forever listened to, in the assemblies of the wise We have not failed to honor him much. Few men in their lifetime have been honored 'e, but his genius overtopped our admiration. There will be amends. The man w ho can have the admiration of his own time onlj . must have full measure, but this man will add to our homage, lacking and half aroused, the horu age of time to come, i ireater will grow the honor of having known him. In forty years he of us who lives so long, will tell of slight acquaintance and gain the public ear. Let him I hen, when a new generation shall stand before the structures, in whose matchless lines the spirit of the archi tect who created them still seems to live, let him then, and his old tongue will have respect, tell his memories, be thej never so trivial, of how he knew John Root in the walks of common men. ■•John Wellborn Root is dead, and this city of triumphs and misfortunes, which had its highest triumph in his work, has suffered in his death pro foundest misfortune. The city will still be great, powerful, prodigious: but the hands the two hands which could mould its ambition into beauty, iis greatness into grandeur, are done with work. The city, the world, may well pause — it does pause to consider its loss; to recur to the past and to the marvels a chic veil; to regret, no matter how vainly. the future with its promise disappointed. There wire beautiful forms ready to take enduring sub stance, ami others in glorious procession would have followed, like towers upon towers and pal aces upon palaces in summer skies. What time does not destroy it cherishes; what it docs not wear away it makes greater, and the names of men great in art. cherished ami made vast by time. weigh Upon the senses of the present. And yet one may look over the earth and say that no architect of immortal name in any age did more for his own fame or for the world of beauty than he who twentj years ago was a boy and who now is dead. he will be remembered. As long as one stone re mains above another, those stones shall have a tongue to proclaim his genius. For whatever re mains will be right, just and beautiful beyond rules. The ruins will furnish examples for newer days. To constant Time, brooding upon the mar- vels it has seen, we leave the filling of the great measure i if his praises; but Time we charge to have this care; that when his portraits arc faded; when his statues are worn and broken; and when his generation and all belonging to it shall seem old, Tine shall not say that he was old, nor think that his triumphs were slowly won. Tiny were won in youth, and the glory of youth shines upon them." GEORGE R. DAVIS. Director-General George R. Davis possesses a marked and picturesque personality. Among ten thousand men lie would attract attention asa man of great individuality and force of character. His features bear the stamp of native power. His figure is of commanding proportions, and his splendidly developed shoulders are surmounted OF THE UNIVERSITY of ILU H01S ' BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS •59 by a large, finely shaped head, covered bj a mai of gri fully flowing silver gray hair. His eyes are shrewd and penetrating, yet kindly, in their expression. His nose, formed after the Grecian type, indicates by it ties and broad base, the aggressive, clean cut, incisive qual- it i his character. Colonel Davis' manner agreeably supplements the magnetism of his per- sonal presence. He is cordial without being effu sive, frank, open and direct in his intercourse with his associates and with thegeneral public. There is no cant about the man. His honesty of inten linn and sinceritj of purpose, together with his splendid endowment of good sense, come to him bj inheritance. His ancestors for several hun- dred years back are of Welsh-Scotch extraction, and il is to this strain in his blood thai he owes man} of the sterling traits thai ha i e a character conspicuous. His father, Benjamin Davis, ii man of great force, was born in Massa ehusetts, where he died in 1890, admired and re- spected by n large circle of friends, at the ripe age of 79. Mis mother, Cordelia (Buffington) Davis, member of an old and honored family of Connecti- cut Quakers, < 1 i< >< 1 within a few months, at Ware. Massachusetts. When George R. Davis came into the world at Palmer, Massachusetts, January :;. 1840, he became possessed by birth of distinct ad- vantages. His family were educated and refined people, who could offer their children all the ad- vantages that the time afforded. Young Georgi was placed, at an early age, in the publi of his native village, where he passed several years. laying a thorough foundation for the classical training which it was intended he should receive. At the age of seventeen he entered Williston Academy, that famous nursery of prominent Americans, at Easthampton, where he gradu- ated in 1860. During the next two years the young graduate was associated with his father in business at Springfield, Mass.. where he also studied law during his leisure moments. He was admitted to the bar, and would probablj have em braced the practice of law had not the breaking out of the war disturbed his plans. Like thous ands of other young students and professional men of that time he patriotically offered his ser- vices to the government. His natural ability as a leader of men being quickly recognized by those in authority, a captain's commission was of- fered him in Company H, 8th Massachusetts In- fantry. His regiment was attached to the 18th Armj Corps and served with distinction in the campaign of 1862-63in the Carolinas. In August, 1863, Ids term of service having expired, he re- turned to his native state and was mustered out of service with his regiment. Under authority of the got rnor oi the state, he immediately organ izeil a battery of light artillery, but when ready for muster was informed that no additional bat teries would be a i i i Massachusetts, and that his command would be mustered as one of t! mpanies of the Second Massachusetts Heavj Artillery. This service not promising theactivity that young Davis desired, he resigned and ac- cepted the position of Captain of Company C, 3d Rhode Island Cavalry, which had been tendered him by the G ivernor of Rhode Island. In Decern ber, 1863, he was promoted to be major, and he ded the regiment during the remainder of its service, and participated in rnanj of the prin- cipal battles of the war until its close. Upon the muster out of the regiment at New ( Orleans he ac cepted service in connection with the regular army in a civil capacity, and was attached to the head -quarterters of General Sheridan as superin- tendent of railroad, river and ocean transpor tation in the department of the Gulf. He re- mained in this capacity until General Sheridan ued to duty in command of the depart- ment of Missouri. He accompanied General Sher idan to Leavenworth, Kansas, and through the Indian campaigns of isijs 1869, and participated in gements of those campaigns. When General Sheridan came to Chicago in 1869 he brought Colonel Davis witli him. for he had a high opinion of his subordinate's ability -an opin- ion amply justified by the hitter's brilliant per formances on many occasions. After two years agreeably spent at headquarters in Chica onei Davis resigned in 1871 to accept the position of financial agent and general representative of eastern insurance companies, whose large inter- ests he managed for several years with success. After his resignation from the service. Colonel Davis turned his attention to | he local military companies of the state militia, and by his enthu- siasm and great aptitude for organization, assisted in speedilj | lacing the First Regimi nl upon a sphndid financial and military footing: In recogni- tion of his services he was commissioned Colonel of the regiment, and on the retirement of ( ten. A . C. McClurg, became senior Colonel in the state ser vice. But for a man of Colonel Davis' stamp, possessing popular personal qualities, an honor able war record, and a genius for organization, it was almost inevitable that he should gravitate toward polities. It was quite a natural result. 260 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. therefore, that having become a prominenl factor in Chicago's business and military affairs, his friends should bring him forward ;is a candidate for political honors. As a matter of fact, in 1876 he was nominated for Congress by the Etepubli cans of the old West Side Becond district to op- pose the Honorable Carter H. Harrison, by whom be was then beaten. The greal personal popular ity of the defeated candidate is. however, shown by the fact that he ran several thousand votes ahead of the Republican ticket. In is"s be was again nominated, and was this time successful by a large majority. He was re-elected in 1880, and again in 1882. During his Congressional career Colonel Davis won a national reputation as a statesman and a politician of a high type. Person- all) incorruptible, with an honorable record of military service for his country, and high stand ing in his important business relations, he at once took a prominent rank among the leaders of his party in the nation at large. His prestige enabled him to accomplish a great deal not only for his immediate constituency, bui also for the city of ( JhicagO and State of Illinois. It was due to ( !ol I Davis' interest and intelligent effort that the large appropriation was seemed for the im- provement of the Chicago harbor. During his Congressional career he served on the committees on commerce, military affairs, pensions, educa- tion and labor; he was a member of the board tor the examination of the Military Academy at West Point, and he also represented the Republi- can party of the state of Illinois and adjoining states as a member of the Congressional execu- tive committee during his entire term of service in Congress. He was a member for the third district of Illinois at the national convention of 1884 and a member at large for the state of Illi- nois in the convention of 1888, and in the latter led the I h-esham forces. He was a member of the Republican National Committee and of the Re- publican National Executive Committee, both of which positions he resigned when he accepted the office of Director-General of the World's Colum- bian Exposition in September, 1890. On his re- tirement from Congress in 1884 Colonel Davis returned to Chicago, prepared to re enter the paths of private life and renew his attention to his neglected business interests, from which his career in Washington had naturally separated him for six years. This was not to be. however. The condition of local politics of Cook county at that time was such thai the Republicans were com pel led to put forward their strongest men in order to Succeed, and Colonel Davis was called upon once more to carry the party to victory in the tight for the treasuryship of Cook countj to which office he was triumphantly elected after a hard fought campaign that tested his shrew ,| gen eralship to the utmost. During his term as treas- urer over til't.N tw illion dollars passed through Colonel Davis' hands, every cent of which was duly handed over or accounted for when he left his position in 1890 to accept the important trust of the Director-Generalship of the World's Col- umbian Exposition. His selection tor this great honor is a fitting tribute to his character and at- tainments. It is a double honor by both the na- tion at large through its National Commission, anil by the city of Chicago, which had long known and appreciated his sterling character and ability. It is perhaps not an injustice to the many able gentlemen who represented Chicago at Washington in the light for the location of the Exposition, to say that the principal credit of the result is due to Colonel Davis. At a critical period in the history of the crusade, when the trend of sen- tin icnt seemed to lie against the Lake City. Colonel Davis wasscnt toWashington with instructions to secure the location for Chicago, lie went quietly to work among the individual Congressmen among wh he had a wide personal acquaintance, and as a result of his splendid organizing talent and great persona] magnetism, soon won over a sufficient constituency to asssure Chicago's com plete success on flic final issue. His appointment was, therefore, not only a general tribute to his fitness for the position, but it also served as a special reward for his splen- did work for the World's Fair site. Since his acceptance of the trust, Colonel Davis has pursued a policy that, if carried out. will in- sure a great international success I'm the work he has in hand. Broad-minded and honorable in his views, he has constantly kept aloof from anything that resembled clique or faction in his attitude towards the various conflicting interests that are striving for recognition. He has. from the first. firmly declined to discuss political developments, replying to all requests of that character that his position as a representative of all parties precluded such discussion on his part. His course in this respect has effectually disarmed criticism that would have tended to the injury of the great cause. It is proper to say in this connection that Colonel haiis first proposed and cordially advocated the proposition to compose the National Commission equally from the leading political parties. One of LIERAffY OF THE IMMttSllY of ILLINOIS. BIOGKAPHY OF ILLTXols 261 Colonel Davis' first acts on assuming the office, was the issuance to the press of the countrj of a letter asking support and encouragement in the undertaking. This letter met with immediate and cordial response, and proved to be a most sagacious move. The broad line of policy sug- gested in that letter has been the kej note of the Director-General's subsequent action in the or- ganization of the various departments of the Ex- position. All of his appointments have been made with a view to meeting the just demands of the press and people of the entire country. Colonel Davis in private life is a most genial anil compan ionable man. II. • has a large and interesting tam ily tin- occupants of his beautiful home on Washington boulevard in Chicago. Hi- first met his wife, then Miss Gertrude Schulin, a handsome ami accomplished girl "f seventeen, in New Orleans, ami was married t" her there July 25, 1867. In onler to obviate some legal difficulties obstructive to the marriage, he" found it 1 t" I" me the legal guardian as well as the hus- band 'if tie- young woman who hail won h 'I'le- match made under such romantic circum- stances has prove.l a very happy one. Mrs. Davis is a woman of great talent ami cultivation, of marked domestic tastes, ami has ably supple mented her distinguished husband in his honora- ble career. The family of children consists of two boys and four girls. Colonel Davis' personal tastes are quiet and domestic, and although tie is an active member of the Masonic and Army or- ganizations, and a member of many of the leading clubs — the Chicago. Union League La Fayette, Fellowship, and many others he is a hone- man and fund of reading, preferring works of history and political economy. His home contains a well- selected library of over four thousand volumes. FERDINAND W. PECK. To erect a monument to a man who has spent his life in great works, who has been the means of benefiting his fellow creatures, is without doubt a perfectly proper act. The memory of all gi great men should lie kept fresh in the minds of those who live after, and even a marble shaft erected to their memory is a token well deserved. There are men. however, win. in the activity of their busy lives, eiect monuments to themselves. .\o allusion is made to any ..ne. who in the pride of wealth and the power that money gives, builds only in the hope that his name shall lie handed down to posterity, realizing that his claim is too threadbare to expect such honor at other hands. Hut men have erected nutrients in their life- time, having 11.. thought ..t glorifying themselves but only of accomplishing some great work to ben etit. if not mankind generally, to at least be a pride and a glory to the community in which they reside. Such a man is Ferdinand W. Peck, and the Chi cago Auditorium Building stands as a monument to his ability as a business man. to his persever- ance and energy, to his devotion toChicago. Mr. Peck is in everj sense a Chicago man. He was born here .Inly 15,1848. His father was Phillip F. W. Peek, and his mother's maiden name was Mary Kent Wythe. The Peck homestead st 1 on the gn iow the Grand Pacific hotel is built, and it was there Mr. Peck's infant eyes first saw the light of day. His education was ob tained entirely in Chicago. He graduated sue cessively from the High Scho ago Uni versify and from the Chicago Union College of Law. He was admitted to the bar. and for se\ eral years was actively engaged in the pri that profession. After the great fire of 1871, he found that his father's estate would occupy too much of his time to admit of following his profes- sion, and that was abandoned that he might give lis l.est energies to the management of these pi. .p.rty interests. Mr. Peck has always been free and outspoken in his defense of the rights of the working man. and he heartily despises till forms of snobbish aristocracy. Asa strong advocate of the cause of the 1 pie, of tin- masses, he has ever been in tic front rank, and to that sentiment, born in him and acted up. .11 by him. is due. in a measure, the accomplishment of the great work of his life, the erection of the Auditorium Building. It was the needs of the people that caused Mr. Peck to conceive the idea; it was to benefit them, by aid- ing in the cultivation of art and music, that stim- ulated his energies and brought the work to a happy and glorious completion. It is consistent with the nature of things that Ferd. W. Peck should hold some honorable public positions, lb- is tin president of the Chicago Athenaeum, and takes much pride in that institution, as it stands for philanthropic education of a most prac- tical kind. He is. of course, president of the Chicago Auditorium Association. Deeply inter- ested in educational matters, he was for sonic time president of the Chicago High School Alumni Associatii.il. and was a member for several 262 BIOGE A PHY OF ILLINOIS. terms, of the Board of Education of the city of Chicago, and served as its vice president. He is the first vice president of the Illinois Humane Society, and is a director of the Union League Club, [n view of the results thai have followed, perhaps Mr. Peck's position ;is president of the Opera Festival Association is one of the most im- portant he lias ever occupied. Few had any con ception of what a gigantic enterprise this \v;is. but ii is .-i fact that had it not been for t he < >pera Fes tival of 1885, the Auditorium would hardly have been built; lor that season developed so strongly the sentiment thai such a building was needed, that Mr. Peck, who had conceived the idea some years before, was enabled to bring the enterprise to its culmination. With all his labors and his multitudinous cares, Mr.Peck finds time for social enjoyments. He has traveled much in Europe, as well as in his own country. He has ever been devoted to the art of music, loving it betterthan painting. His city home was for a longtime at the corner of Wabash Avenue and 23 I street, but in 1889 he removed toa handsome new residence at 1826 Michigan Avenue. His family consists of a charm- ing wife and six children— four sons and two daughters. He has a summer villa at ()> imo- woe, Wisconsin, and enjoys the distinction of be- ing Commodore of the Wisconsin Yacht Club. Two of his boats are called the "Tarpon " and the " Arline." the latter being named after one of his daughters. The name of the former has a little history, interesting, at least to Mr. Peek, who is very fond of fishing. Once while spending some time in Florida, he caught a tarpon off that coast weighing 146 pounds. He accomplished this feat with a rod and reel, and only after a vigorous strug- g le of several hours. It was in honor of this event that M r. Peek named one of his yachts "Tarpon." The great Auditorium, however, is Mr. Peck's main hobby, and every one is glad to accord to him the distinction of having conceived, planned and carried to the point of completion, a project which, though based on solid ideas of utility, with an investment feature, was yet calculated to ad- vance Chicago in esthetic and ethic development. Through the successful labors of Mr. Peck and l;is coa Ijutors. whom he, bv persistent solicitation brought to his aid, Chicago became possessed of the largest building ever erected in this country by private capital, its success has al ready been del strated, and those who invested will find in return for their invest men t substantia! reward, and 1 lie city « ill gain advantages possessed by no other metropolis in the United States. As stated. Mi-. Peck had been thinking of this enterprise for years and the opera Festival in 1885 gave an impetusto his thoughts! as it also opened up before the cap ilalisls of the city the need and therefore the pos- sibility of erecting such a temple of music as would serve for all time, In the spring of 1886 Mr. Peck laid before the Commercial Club of Chicago, at one of its monthly banquets, in a comprehensive address, the considerations that had led him to be- lieve his project a good one. These observations had the effect to stimulate those already inter ested in carrying out the enterprise. A site had already been secured through the efforts of Mr. Peck, fronting on one of the finest boulevards in the world, and covering an area of one and one half acres. It is well understood that Mr. Peek. regarded the question of profit as a subordinate one. He simply wished to provide the public with a great and beautiful auditorium, a hotel of the high- est class, and a building containing other important features, that would serve public convenience. It was with a full knowledge of the difficulties before him that Mr. Peck began the great work. He proceeded step by Step toward its accomplish ment and his success is an evidence of his rare sagacity as a man of business. To the men he desired to interest, he showed the need of the Auditorium and the public benefits which would be assured by its completion. He showed that with a central location, the income paying adjuncts which could be secured would afford a safe and certain revenue and he emphasized the good 1 licit upon the city which would radiate from such a ecu terof art and culture. To bring these matters prop- erly and convincingly before the men whose aid he wished to secure cost Mr. Peck several years of toil, but he succeeded, and secured a list of nearly three hundred stockholders worthy of a city like Chicago. It was Mr. Peck's idea that no class, clique or creed should claim any special credit for the work or influence in its completion. Notice was given at this time, when the certain success of the enterprise was assured, that the wider the distribution of the stock remaining mi sold, the more effectually would the idea of the projectors be secured. It was of course among the wealthy and public spirited men of the city that Mr. Peck first labored in launching (he enterprise and the following list of officers of the association shows how successful he was. Mr. Peck was naturally made the president, his election being unani us. X. K. Fairbank is now first vice president and John U. Walsh, second vice -presi- dent ; Charles L. Hutchinson, treasurer ; Chas. H. 'UJNO/S. BIOOT;\P|[V OF ILLINOIS. 263 Lmnt, secretary. The directory is composed of X. K. Fairbank, Charles L. Hutchinson, M. A. Ryerson, A. A. Sprague, Clarence I. Peck, John R. Walsh, L. Wampold, Charles Counselman, A. L. Coe and Ferd. W. Peck. A writer in speaking of this great building says : "The Chicago Auditor- ium is not an expression of the tastes or needs of a single generation. It is expected to convey to future inhabitants of this great city some idea of the spirit of prophecy thai was in us and some proof <>f our knowledge that strength, endurance, usefulness, comfort and economy are everlasting principles, to be yel accepted among men. rather than to be forgotten. Thus the Chicago Audito- rium at first sight is no ad captandum edifice. Irs size must convey to the intelligent mind its real claims Upon human wonder and admiration It is plain, but so are the pyramids; that which canawe the beholder is in no danger of disappointing him." The architects of this great structure were Messrs. Adler& Sullivan, of Chicago. The draughts which finally met the approval of the board of directors were selected from at lest twenty-five different ones that were submitted. Fifteen draughtsmen were kept busy for over a year on the working drawings, then- being five thousand sheets, each of them four by seven feet in size. The Chi- cago Auditorium is a convincing testimonial that Chicago has citizens not to be outdone in deeds of public spirit. Not only is this structure a mai ter of great pride to the ] pie of Chic< is commanding the attention of the whole country and also of Europe. The building takes rank with the finest and most substantial in the world. The eost of the great structure was s:!..i1iii.ik Hi. The Auditorium Hall is superior to any hall now in existence and will lie used for many more purposes than were dreamed of when the undertaking was first conceived. It will accommodate more people than tin- famous Albert Hall in London. The stage i"i 1 cost nearly % 200,000. The organ is the grand est musical instrument of the kind in the world, 1 $55,000. One of the features added to the original plans is tie- "Recital Hall." a r 11 capable of seating five hundred persons and designed for amateur musical performanci tures and tie- like. It lias been found to i useful adjunct to the main hall and is another proof of the sagacity of the entire conception. The formal dedication of "The Auditorium" was one of the greatest events in the history of Chi cago. This occurred in the presence of the presi- dent of the United States. Benjamin Harrison; the governors of many states, government officials of Canada and the official representatives of the city of Chicago. One of the notable gatherings in the Auditorium was the lecture of Chauncey M. Depew, under the auspices of the Press Club, of Chicago. On this occasion, as well as later, in an interview in New York City, the famous orator was almost at a loss for words to express his won der and admiration for the stupendous enterprise. The hotel feature is a valuable adjunct and is proving a good paying investment. In his annual report to the directors in December, 1888, Mr. Peck said : "You are creating a city, as it were, containing, when completed between Ih.ikki and 12,000 -011 Is." and such it is. a veritable city. When Mr. Peck said to himself "it is finished," he was right sofai as in- pari was concerned, but the stockholders still had something to do. Theytoo now say "It is finished." and their last act was placing a bronze bust of Mr. Peek in the main foyer of the Auditorium hall. It is the work of Howard Kretscliniar. a Chicago sculptor. The granite pedestal upon winch the bust rests, bears the following inscription: " A tribute to the foun der of this struct lire from the stockholders of the Chicago Auditorium Association, in recognition of his eminent services as their president ; in be half of the citizens of Chicago. 1889." Mr. Peck unceasing in his labors in behalf of the World's Columbian Exposition, and has been prominent in the directory of that body sii its organization. He is a member of the board of and control, member of the executive committee, memberof the committee on legislation. member of the special committee on ceremonies and chairman of the committee on finance. SIDNEY SMITH. SIDNEY SMITH was bom in Wa county. Xew York, on the 12th of May. 1829. lb' studied law in the office of church a Davis, of Albion. New York, and was admitted to the bar at Albion in 1851. He came to Chicago in 1856, and entered into partnership with ( Irani < roodrich and William W. Farwell, the firm taking the name of Goodrich, Farwell & Smith. All three rose to high rank in the profession, and were honored by election to tie- bench, one after the other. In 1859 Mr. Goodrich was elected judge of the supe rior court of Cook county, and on the expiration of his term resumed his old place at the head of BIOGRAPHY OP II.UN'ols the linn until L870, when Judge Farwell was elected l" the circuit bench, and the firm was dis- Dm its conl inuance, the firm had an . tice both in Illinois and adjacent states. Mr. Smith attended to all the court work of the firm for years, and probablj tried as many cases both at law and in equitj during that period asanj lawyer of his time. He at once became distinguished as a trial lawyer. With an intellect rous as his physical frame was powerful, he was a tremendous worker, and devoted to every cause In- tried his fullest capabilities with tin' most untiring energy. This remarkable equip- ment -1 bodily and mental strength seemed to give an air of aggressiveness to his advocacy, ami made him a formidable opponent in a hard foren m,' contest. Il<- fought every point of a rase with a persistent tenacity that commanded the cespecl ourt an. I of the lawyers opposed to him, if it did not always insure a successful issue ha- his client. Strictly honorable and upright in all his professional dealings, he has always taken a high rank among the leading men of the Chicago bar. To enumerate all the important rases in which Smith lias been engaged on one side or the other as counsel during his long professional life would make a list which of itself would till con- siderable space. It would embrace causes in almost every branch of legal practice, criminal and civil, for his services and advice have been sought in matters as diversified in character as they were weighty and important. He has been the leading counsel in cases where the issue was the solemn one of life or death, and also in cases where hundreds oi thousands of dollars were involved, and in the main his ad\ ocacj has been remarkable bucci si I'nl. both before juries and in the higher courts, lebrated cases in which he appeared i 1 in the early part of his career was the Hart L. Stewart divorce case, and one of the latest ..f the same class, involving sensational details which filled the newspaper columns and attracted !i it the whole col 1 1 II 1 11 1 1 i I y at thetime. Leslie Cartel divi irce case. In both of these Judge Smith was opposed bj an array of aen who st 1 in tin yerj Eoremost rank of uid both cases were keenly 1. every resource which a thorough knowledge of legal principles and practice alone furnish being called into requisition on either side. In 1STT Judge Smith was retained as counsel for the city of ( Ihicago aloe- with the cor -I in the litigation between the i-ity ami David A. Gage, thi former citj treasurer. ami lus bondsmen, being successful after a long contest in the courts in obtaining a judgment ami a satisfactory settlement of the city's claim. Among the many important criminal cases in which he was engaged may he mentioned his de- fence of the county commissioners indicted for fraud ami embezzlement in connection with contracts lor supplying the county institutions in IsTT. He was also retained to assist the state's attorney in the prosecution of Ziegenmeyer for the murder of Gumbleton, a case which attracted much attention at the time. In 1879 Judge Smith was elected one of the judges of the superior court of Cook county, his term expiring in 1885, when lie resumed his practice at the bar with all his wonted energy and success. After his retirement from the bench, Judge Smith became attorney for the Chicago Board of Trade, which position he held until three years ago, when Mr. A. W. Green, law partner of \V. ('. Goudy, succeeded him. Throughout his professional career. Judge Smith has been as diligent a reader and studenl of the law as he has been an indefatigable worker. and is thoroughly conversant with the science of law in all its branches, ami an adept in its prac tie,. He is a good judge of human nature, quick in pet ception, firm ami positive in his coin id ions. He is a forcible speaker, and makes a Btrong argu- ment to a court and a convincing address to a i ii ry . He carried to the bench the same habits of industry that distinguished him in his business office. He was one of the "working judges," at- tending daily at his chambers, with very rare in- termissions. He possesses that judicial instinct which makes its way quickly through immaterial details to the essential points upon which the de- termination of a cause must turn, and in all cases decided by him the decisions were based upon clearly stated principles. During his judicial term he possessed the unqualified confidence of the bar. as he has always enjoyed their respect and esteem as a distinguished member of the pro- fession. Previous to the Rebellion, Judge Smith had been ;< Democrat, but was always a staunch Union man. and on the out break of the Civil War he joined the ranks of the Republicans. He hae never sought political office, and rests his claims to the esteem ami res] t of his fellow-citizens upon his professional record and his standing as a citizen. In his religious views he is broad and tol. •rent, ami when the People's Church was or- ganized, after the trial of the Rev. Dr. Thomas bj the Roci liner Methodist Conference, he was one of the original guarantors of the new church. BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. >6 5 and h'as stood by it loyally to the present time. His excellent wife is one of the leading workers of the church, and takes a liberal part in all its charitable undertake GEORGE E. ADAM-. GEORGE E. ADAMS deserves the distinction of being Chicago's response to the demand for "the scholar in politics." He was born in Keene, New Hampshire, in June, 1810. but his parents came to Chicago just as he was entering his teens, and that city has been his home ever since. His tat her. Benjamin F.. and his mother, Louisa (Redington) Adams, both belonged to typical New England families. He had already been well grounded in the rudiments of education when he left his native town, and at the early age of six- teen he entered Harvard College, taking the regular and full course. He received the degree of Bach- elor of Arts from that college in 1860. He ch< ise the law as his profession, graduating from the Dane Law School of Harvard. He was admitted to the bar in 1865. For the fifteen succeeding years, .Mr. Adams was a private citizen of Chicagi >. devoting much of his time to study and travel. He had always felt a keen interest in public questions, but took no active part in politics until he was brought forward by a movement on the part of the business men of Chicago, to purify the local politics of that city. Young men who had enjoyed the best educational advantages and who could afford financially, to devote themsi the public service, were urged to take an interest in politics, and be active in trying to raise the standard of the party of their affiliation, out of the quagmire on to the table lands of purer methods and nobler aims. Among those who obeyed the summons was George Everett Adams. He had hitherto been a mere voter in the Republican party, but in 1880 he was nominated and elected to represent the sixth senatorial district of Illinois in the State Senate. The term was for four years or two regular sessions of the General Assembly. Senator Adams entered upon his duties as a legis- late a- with zeal, and it was -zeal according to knowledge." He was thoroughly prepared by nature and study for the work before him. The body of which he was a membi r was remarkable for the large number of young men it contained who have since become prominent in the public- affairs of the state. They were the controlling element, and almost from the first Mr. Adams was recognized as specially fitted to mold legisla- tion. Some of the most useful of the statutes of the session were drafted by him. and others were more or less modified by him. For what is known as "practical politics" he had no taste, but for legislation proper, he had remarkable aptitude. Two years later, when his term as senator was only half over, he was nominated and elected to Con a promotion brought about byno self-seek- ing. He would ha'. i it to have served out his entire term, and awaited a later call to "come up higher." but the Congressional district in which he lived, the fourth Illinois, was in need of his services. The Hon. Charles B. Farwell of that district declined a re-election, and urged Mr. Adams as his successor, on the ground of his marked and demonstrated aptitude Eor legislation. He could still serve out the greater part of his re- maining senatorial term, which he did, resigning as senator. March .". 1883. Mr. Adams was elected to Congress four consecutive terms. He was nominated for a fifth term, but was one of the many victims of the political cyclone of 1890. In Con- gress he showed the same qualifications forlegisla- tion as in the Shite Senate. His especial field of operation was the committee on judiciary, a com- mittee which aff i »rds the best scope for what may be called the details of general legislation, in which his labors were indefatigable. Some men there are who come out strong on occasions which attract the public eye and incline the public ear. but when it c y daj duties they are as fond of their ease as Falstaff in his inn. Gei E. Adams on the contrary performed his duties in a modest way; his voice was sometimes heard, however, in the debates on the floor of Congress. and when he spoke the House listened. But the attraction was not the pyrotechnics of oratory. He commanded attention by the clear and thorough knowledge which he possessed, of the subject under discussion, the closeness of his adherence to it. and above all by the fairness of his statements. Of the speeches made by Mr. Adams during his Congressional career, three deserve especial attention — the first, delivered in April. 1SSG. discussed free coinage of silver; the next delivered early the following winter, set forth the importance and feasibility of providing a navigable channel between Chicago and the Gulf of Mexico, or rather the supplying of the missing link in the chain of water communication from that gulf to the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The third 266 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. delivered in the summer of 1888. on the restora- tion of the merchant murine, set forth the great advantage to the country of the South American trade. The latter was an able and explicit argu- ment in favor of reciprocity as that term has come to mean, in connection with the distinctive policy of the Harrison administration, in relation to commercial relations with our neighbors on the south. In the first of these speeches, Mr. Adams set forth with cogency the objections to free coinage, how it would undermine the prosperity of the country l>y lessening the purchasing power of money in common use by the people. Hestrongly favored international bi-metalism — insisting that to attempt the restoration of silver without the co-operation of other nations would defeat the very end sought. "What is to be desired." he said, "is the adoption of an international agreement by which each nation shall bind itself to use its fail- share of silver, and so bind itself not to use more than its fair share of the world's stock of gold. The adoption of such an agreement would perma- nently raise the price of silver bullion." He did not insist upon this desired international gold and silver union taking any particular form; it might be free coinage of both metals at an agreed ratio between them, or the issue of silver bullion certifi- cates based upon the market value of silver in terms of gold to be ascertained and determined from time to time by an international authority. The former would be in accordance with the fundamental idea of the Congressional silver act of 1878, the latter of the Congressional silver act of 1890. In this connection he used the following language, which in the light of the developments of 1891, may be called almost prophetic, only to the countries named, Russia should be added: "I do not claim that we can force European nations to come to a settlement of the silver question. What I do claim is that by announcing our determination to suspend silver coinage in the near future, we can remove from the minds of European financiers a motive which now ope- rates to delay the formation of an international gold and silver union. They know that by our annual silver coinage of s28,000,000, we relinquish to others a large amount of gold which would oth- erwise be in circulation here. They also know that many able, earnest and eloquent men in Con- gress, are urging unlimited coinage of silver. They have some reason to hope that this country is about to commit an irretrievable error, which Europe will be swift to turn to her own advantage. They have but to wait till our mint is open to sil- ver, and the five hundred millions of gold now cir- culating in the United States will go to strengthen the gold reserves of France, Belgium and Ger many." The commerce of the harbor of Chicago was set forth in these words: '• During the fiscal year ending June :>0. 1880, the aggregate of the ar- rivals and clearances at the ports of Baltimore. Boston. New Orleans, Xew York, Philadelphia. Portland, Falmouth and San Francisco, amounted to 37,41 1. while the arrivals and clearances at the port of Chicago alone, during the same time amounted to 22,096. It appears that the arrivals and clearances at this single port exceeded in number the arrivals and clearances at Baltimore. Boston, Xew Orleans, Philadelphia, Portland. Fal- mouth and San Francisco, which were only 21,227. They exceeded thoseof New York. Xew Orleans, Port land. Falmouth and San Francisco, which were only 21.731. They exceeded those at Xew York, Baltimore, Portland and Falmouth, which were only 21,996, and they exceeded those of Xew York, Philadelphia, Portland and Falmouth, which amounted to 22,041. If we compare the coastwise trade of Chicago with the coastwise trade of other ports, which I admit is not a fair compari- son, it appears that the coastwise arrivals and clearances at the ports of Boston, Baltimore, New Orleans, Xew York. Philadelphia. Portland, Fal- mouth and San Francisco, aggregated only 13,931, while the coastwise arrivals and clearances at the port of Chicago alone, amounted to 21.564." Mr. Adams expressly disclaimed any hope of any im- mediate appropriation commensurate with the needs of such a commerce, but he laid a firm foundation for the demand for such co-operation on the part of Congress with the Chicago Drain- age District as would make the channel for the construction of which that district was created a great highway for ocean-going ships. In discuss- ing the development of foreign trade by the res- toration of our decayed merchant marine, Mr. Adams did not enter upon a consideration of the general principle of bounty or subsidy. The Post- office Department had to make contracts for car- rying foreign mails, and he urged that so far as practicable, they should be made with American steamship lines. He illustrated the importance of having direct communication with these coun- tries, by citing a conversation held four years ear lier with a Chicago gentleman who had for years been engaged in selling American goods in the South American markets. This salesman told Mr. Adams that on one occasion he was trying to sell agricultural machines, such as are made in LWA8Y J^m^'d W. J&/z BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 267 Mr. Adams' own Congressional district. There was a demand for a considerable number of them. The superiority of the American machine at tin- price demanded, was admitted; yet he could not sell his machines. Why'.' Because they could not be delivered in time. Why not? Because there was no direct and regular steam communi- cation with the United States. The machines would have to be sent to Europe, and tinner to South America. Solas customer, or rather, the man whom he wanted for a customer, di 1 get the European machine, though he admitted its inferiority to the American machine at the price demanded. He could get the European ma- chine more promptly and regularly when he needed it. That one example illustrated the whole case. and in this connection may serve to illustrate Mr. Adams' practical turn of mind as a law-maker. He is a statesman with an eye to practical results. and not glittering generalities. It will beobserved that Mr. Adams' turn of mind is eminently judi- cial and free from the bias of animosity. Strong and positive in his republicanism, his party fealty is not grounded on partisan prejudice, and he en- joys the respect and confidence of all his associ ates, irrespective of party. Of the great issues which divide the two parties, with their roots extending down to the very l.ed jock of the foun- dation of the Republic, he has the true statesman's grasp. Well grounded in the political maxims of the schools, familiar with the philosophy which found its highest expounder in John Stuart Mill, he also studied the lessons of actual life, arriving at his conclusions as a result of what may lie called his 'post-graduate studies in the school of affairs.' Such men. whether in office or out. are the natural leaders of which ever part} - they may lie identified with, especially in that movement toward higher politics which is common to both parties, and which constitutes the most hopeful political sign of the period. DAVID B. LYMAN. DAVID BRAINERD LYMAN .njoys the well- earned distinction of ln-ing what the public calls "a self-made man." He was born at Hilo. on tin- island of Hawaii, one of the Sandwich Islands, on March 27, 1S40, and is the son of Rev. David B. Lyman, a missionary clergyman who was sta- tioned in the Sandwich Islands in 1831, where he remained until his death in 1SSG. Rev. D. B. Lyman was born at New Hartford. Conn., was a graduate of Williams College and the Andover Theological Seminary, and was the representative in its missionary work of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. David's mother was Sarah (Joiner) Lyman, a native of Royalton. Vermont, who belonged to one of the old New England families. She was a lady of more than ordinary intelligence and refinement. Throughout her busy life she kept up a course of reading, study and correspondence with friends in different part s 1 if the world. She also took an active part in her husband's life work in tin- missionary field. They were both spared to a long life of use- fulness, having celebrated their golden wedding about five years before Mr. Lyman's death. Mrs. Lyman survived her husband but two years. Dur- ing his boyhood, young Lyman took advantage of ever} opportunity forsecuring an education. All his leisure hours were devoted to study at home. until he was old enough to enter the preparatory department of Oahu College, at Honolulu. Mr. Lyman left Honolulu in 1859,when he was but nine- teen years old. and yet before this he had been in the government employ as a surveyor several years. From his earnings in this position he saved the money to pay fora collegiate education in America. He sailed from Honolulu, around Cape Horn, to New Bedford. Conn., arriving there in May, 1860, and in September of the same year he entered Yale College from which he graduated as Bachelor of Arts in 1864. During his course at Vale. Mr. Lyman was the first president of the college so- ciety, Brothers in Unity, and was in other ways honored by his fellow students. He next went to the Harvard Law School where he took a two years' course, graduating in 1860, and receiving one of the chief prizes for his essay. During the years 1864-65. while studying law. Mr. Lyman was an active worker with the Sanitary Commis- sion, as hospital visitor for the fifth corps hos- pital of the Army of the Potomac. He. was also detailed to the Point of Rocks hospital, in Vir- ginia, and subsequently had charge of the Sani- tary Commission work for the army, in the vicin- ity of Washington. In 1SGG. after being admitted to the practice of law in the Massachusetts courts by the examining authorities in Boston, Mr. Ly- man removed to Chicago and served for two years as a clerk in the law office of Waite & Clark. On July 1. 1869, he formed a partnership with Hunt- ington W. Jackson, the firm name being Lyman & Jackson. This firm still exists and is the old- 268 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. est law partnership iu Chicago. Mr. Lyman has been highly successful in tho practice of his pro- fession in its various branches. The most of his business has been in real estate, corporation, and commercial law, but he is nevertheless an able counselor and advocate in all lines, and as a gen- eral practitioner has few equals. During his practice he has conducted important litigation in the federal and state courts with gratifying suc- cess, winning well-earned fame and distinction. He has much natural ability, but is withal a hard student and is never contented until he has mastered every detail of his cases. He believes in the maxim, "there is no excel- lence without labor," and follows it closely. He is never surprised by some unex- pected discovery by an opposing lawyer, for in his mind he weighs every point and fortifies himself as well for defense as for attack. Mr. Lyman is not an orator to the extent of swaying juries by his eloquence, aud for this reason he has been ac- corded more fameas a counselor than as an advo- cate. And yet there are few lawyers who win a larger percentage of their cases before either judge or jury than does Mr. Lyman. He convinces by his concise statements of law and facts rather than by word-painting, and so highis the respect for his legal ability and integrity that his asser- tions in court are seldom questioned seriously. Judges and clients also respect him for his careful counsel. Mr. Lyman is a man of most courteous manners and yet firm and unyielding in all that he believes to be right. Whatever he does is for the best interests of his clients and for the honor of his profession. No man gives to either a more unqualified allegiance or riper ability. These qual- ities have won for him the admiration and respect of all who know him. He is not a politician to the extent of taking an active part inpolitics, but he is nevertheless a staunch Republican and is much interested in that party's success, and in the securing of good government. He was married on October 5, 1870, to Miss Mary E. Cossitt, daugh- ter of F. D. Cossitt, of Chicago. Four children, three of whom are living, are the result of this union. Mr. Lyman resides at La Grange, a beau- tiful suburb of Chicago. He takes a leading part in the maintenance of the Episcopal church there, and is now its senior warden, lie is also active in general works for the improvement of the village. He has taken a leading part in educational mat- ters and has served for seventeen years on the board of education in his village, as its president and as a member. He is an enthusiastic advocate of the common school system and hugely through his efforts the Lyons township high school was established, which is taking rank equal to the best schools of the country. Mr. Lyman was one of the organizers of the Church Club of Chicago, and served as its first president, lie is president of the Cook County Abstract and Trust Company; he is trustee for a number of associations and holds other important positions of trust in finan- cial and business enterpri ses. He is a member of the Union League, the Chicago Club, the University Club and the Literary Club. JAMES W. SCOTT. JAMES W. SCOTT, publisher of The Chicago Herald ami president of The Chicago Evening Post Company, is a typical western American; a man of unbounded energy, keen business fore- sight and rare courage. He was born iu Wal- worth county, Wisconsin, in June, 1849, and is the son of Dr. Wilmot Scott, an old-time printer, who, for thirty-five years preceding his death, in 188S, was an editor and publisher of newspapers. When James W. Scott was a mere lad, his father re- moved to Galena, Illinois, where he founded a paper, and was actively identified with journalism for the remainder of his life. James W. Scott, when old enough to begin work, learned the print- ing trade in his father's office at Galena, attending at the same time, the public schools in that town. Later he was a student at the Galena high school, and on graduating from that institution, went to the college at lieloit. Wisconsin, where he studied for two years. He was unable, on account of his restless desire to be engaged in some calling on his own account, to complete his college course, and went to New York, where for a time he was engaged in floriculture. His interest in this fas- cinating business was great, and in addition to his active work in it, Mr. Scott, although then very young, was an intelligent contributor to the papers devoted to it. Many of his articles showed a good literary style, as well as an enthusiastic study of the subject. Abandoning this business to take a position in the government printing office at Washington, Mr. Scott became again a working compositor, until 1872, when he withdrew from the office tii establish a weekly newspaper in Prince George county, Maryland. This was Mr. Scott's first effort as a proprietor, and his success, while BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 269 not glittering, was sufficient to confirm him in the belief that it was his proper place in the news- paper world. The Maryland paper, however, did not afford Mr. Scott sufficient Bcope; he was a young man with progressive ideas, many of which he could not put into effect on a country weekly, ami especially one in so contracted a territory as Prince George county. Leaving Maryland, he returned to Illinois, and with his father, Btarted The Press, at Galena. Here the same troubles faced him; he wanted a larger field — a better op- portunity. One year in Galena satisfied him that he could do better in Chicago, and he came to this city as a resident, in 1S75. Mr. Scott's first ven- ture in Chicago journalism was to buy The Daily National lintel Reporter. Under his manage- ment its success was immediate, and he made arrangements to change it from a class daily to a general newspaper. From this intention, how- ever, Mr. Scott afterwards receded, and having an able and trusty partner in F. W. Rice. In- di cided to leave the control i>f the journal entirely in the hands of the latter. In this connection it may In- mentioned that Mr. Rice still conducts the paper for himself and Mr. Scott, and that it is the source of great profit to both of them. It was the ambi- tion of Mr. Scott to become identified with a high- class daily newspaper, ami in May 1881, he. in company with several young men who hail been successful in their work on other Chicago dailies, organized The Chicago Herald Company. Want of sufficient capital retarded the proper develop ment of the enterprise, until 1SVJ. when Mr. John R. Walsh, president of the Chicago National Bank, having full faith in Mr. Scott's ability and judgment, to make the paper a success, purchased the stock of the other share-holders, and concen- trated the control in the hands of Mr. Scott. With abundant means at his command, and at the same time possessed of the judgment nee omical but wisely directed use of his cap- ital, Mr. Scott accomplished the supreme wish of his life in building up to a profitable existence, a great metropolitan daily newspaper. Every de- partment of the Herald bears the impress of his executive ability. He surrounded himself with the best men he could find, both in the editorial and the business branches, and insisted upon a a liberal policy in the gathering . >f the news, as well as in its preparation for publication. The result of this is seen in the unchallenged statement pub- lished in the Herald every day. that it has "the largest morning circulation in Chicago." He has spared no outlay of time or money to make his paper one of the best in the country, and the resull is not only highly satisfactory to .Mr, Scott him- self, but to every one of his aids. The American Newspaper Publishers' Association is a powerful combination for the mutual benefit and protection of all the leading newspaper publishers in the United States, and of this organization Mr. Scotl has been president for three terms, his counsel and executive direction being of great value in accomplishing the objects of the Association. He has also served for three terms as president of The Chicago Press Club, and much of the pres- tige of this now flourishing society is due to his wise admistration. As president of the United Press, which expends half a million dollars an- nually in the collection and distribution of news by telegraph over leased wires, to daily papers in all parts of the United Stati - and < ianada, .Mi-. Sett wields no small power. The telegraphic news service of this country on the Association plan is a recognized institution, and the employed in preparing the reports are often more influential than men high in public office. To properly handle a corps of this kind, and obtain from it the best results, while at the same time repressing whatever tendency there may be to abuse of its high power, requires some thing akin to generalship, and the present highly organized service of the United Press, is in this respect, a testimonial to Mr. Scott's genius. When the pro- ject of securing the World's Fair for Chici first broached, Mr. Scott was made chairman of the press committee of the preliminary organization, and it was largely from his work that the public opinion, to which Congress finally yielded, was formed. He was an active man, to put it mildly, in securing the Fair for Chicago. When the per- manent organization was perfected, he was made a director, and he was unanimously tendered the position of president at the annual election of 1891, but the pressureof his private business compelled him to decline the honor. He did. however, ac- cept the chairmanship of the committee on press and printing, and the same sensible direction which made Mr. Scott's previous efforts so accep- table is already noticeable in this important branch of the World's Fair machinery. A little over a year ago Mr. Scott started the Chicago Evening Post, a paper which has attained a phe- nomenal success. It is prosperous and influential, and has built for itself one of the finest newspa- per offices in the country. While not so active in its management as he is in that of the Herald. Mr. Scott has a keen supervision over all the de- »7o BIOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS. tailsof the business, being well seconded l>y an able staff of assistants. In personal appearance, Mr. Scotl is a well formed man, of robust physique; his face is of kindly mould, and he has keen bul twinkling eyes which well show his good nature. I Minis. l>. soci ;l and jovi il in tusdisposi i in, h: is i member, either active or honorary, of nearly every prominent club in Chicago, as well as of the fa- mous Clover Club of Philadelphia, and the Press Club of New York. ALBERT A. SPRAGUE. ALBERT ARNOLD SPRAGUE. an eminent merchant of Chicago, known in the commercial world as the founder and senior member of the great wholesale grocery house of Sprague, Warner & Co., was born at Randolph, Vermont, May 19, 1835. The family from which he springs is one of the oldest in the country, having been founded by ancestors who emigrated to America from the south of England in 1629. These ancestors set- tled at Charlestown, Massachusetts, whence their immediate descendants spread to other New Eng- land colonies. Branches of the family are now to be found in various parts of the United States. The subject of this sketch belongs to a branch which was established in Vermont early in the present century. His father, Ziba Sprague. a na- tive of that state, was a well-to-do farmer and tra- der at Randolph. He married Caroline Arnold, who came of a highly respectable family in that neighborhood. Albert was one of a family of three children. He grew up on the parental farm and had good educational advantages from his earliest years. After attending the common schools in his native place he entered the seminary at Meriden, New Hampshire, where he was prepared for college. In 1855 he entered Yale, took the regular classical course, and graduated in 1859. It was his inten- tion at this period to qualify himself for the legal profession, but a tendency towards pulmonary troubles caused an abandonment of further study. The ensuing three years were spent at his home in Vera t and a complete restoration to health and strength effected. In the spring of 18G2 he went to Chicago with the desire of engaging in business. He had at the time no well-defined intentions as to the nature of the business, but after a little in- vestigation he concluded that there was a good opening in the wholesale grocery trade, and in that he embarked his limited capital, taking as a partner Mr. Z. B. Stetson, with whom he formed the firm of Sprague & Stetson. At the expiration of a year, Mr. Stetson retired, and a new partnership was formed with Mr. Ezra J. Warner, under the style of Sprague & Warner. In 1864 Mr. O. S. A. Sprague, a younger brother of the senior partner, was admitted to the firm, which was then reorganized under the style of Sprague, Warner & Co. This style has remained unchanged down to the present day, the compo- sition of the firm likewise being undisturbed. The business received a great impetus during the Civil War and while the war prices continued; but the wonderful and substantial growth of the house, as it is known to-day, is the result of splendid busi- ness management, progressive methods, unflag- ging energy, high principles and honorable deal- ings. This house is now known throughout the United States as the largest exclusively whole- sale grocery concern in the Western Continent, being rivalled but by one other— that of Thurber & Co. of New York, now incorporated as a stock company and which deals extensively in grain and breadstuffs for foreign shipment. Regarded as a citizen, and in his social relations, Mr. Sprague belongs to that public-spirited, useful and helpful type of men whose ambitions and de- sires are centered and directed in those channels through which flow the greatest and most perma- nent good to the greatest number. Though fre- quently solicited to become a candidate for high political and other public offices he has eschewed them entirely, but probably there is not a man of large private interests in Chicago that has felt a more hearty concern for the public welfare or has been more helpful in bringing about those purifying and wholesome reforms which have been gradually growing in the political, munici- pal and social life of the city. It is true that his chief life-work has been that of a remarkably sue cessful merchant, but the range, of his activities and the scope of his influence have reached far beyond this special field. He belongs to that class of men who wield a power which is all the more potent, from the fact that it is moral rather than political and is exercised for the public weal rather than for personal ends. Unselfish and retiring, Mr. Sprague prefers a quiet place in the background to the glamour of pub- licity; but his rare aptitude and ability in achieving results make him constantly sought and often bring him into a prominence from which he would naturally shrink were less uMivwstTYiVmots. BIOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS. 271 desirable ends in view. Few broad municipal or commercial movements of progress are made in which he is not a factor. In the political manage- ment which moulds administrations and Shapes the course of public affairs he is often an unseen but potential force. His earliest political affilia- tions were with the Republican party and he still adheres with fidelity to its principles and fortunes and enjoys the confidence and respect of manj of its great leaders. Ready at all times to contribute his personal support to whatever lias a tendency even to advance the interests or add to the con- venience of Chicago, he has become connected with a number of important corporations having these ends in view. Among them maybe named the Chicago & Alton Railroad Company, in which he has been a director since 1887; and the Edison Electric Light Company, in which also he is a director. He was one of the organizers of. and is still a director in the Northern Trust Company, one of the strongest financial institutions of the city. In the field of philanthropy and benevolence he is likewise active. Since 1st:; he has been a director in the Relief and Aid Society, and from 1887 to 1889 wasits president. He is also a trustee of the Orphan Asylum and of the Presbyterian Hospital. In the social life of the city he is no less active. He was one of the charter members of the Commercial Club, organized in 1S7S. and in 1882 was its president. Oiler leading social or- ganizations of which he is a member are the Chicago Club, the Union League Club, the Calumet Club, the University Chili and the Washington Park Club. He is also a member of the Chicago Literal} Society and a director in the Art Institute. Few men in Chicago are better known, more earnestly sought or more justly esteemed. Mr. Sprague was married on Septem her 29, 1862, to Miss Nancy A. Atwood, the daughter of Ebenezer Atwood. of Royalton, Vermont. They have one child, a daughter. WILLIAM E. McLAREN. The Episcopal diocese of Chicago owes much of its prosperity and its material and spiritual ad- vancement to the wise guidance and Counsels of the Rt. Rev. William Edward McLaren, D. I >.. 1 1. C. L., who is the third bishop to whom the dio- cese has been entrusted. Assuming the charge of affairs at a time when the church was rent with factional disturbance and men and money win notably lacking, he has by Arm hut loving admin- istration made tic diocese of Chicago the second in influence and church wealth in the United States, being outranked only by the much older diocese of New- York. On the occasion of the re- cent diocesan convention in Chicago, mention was made of Bishop McLaren's noble work in behalf of the church, but the real facts of his labors u ill never lie fully known except as they can lie seen in the outward visible growth of the diocese. Factions have been put down, feuds abolished, and the various parishes united in the work of the church. Bishop McLaren is a man of kindly presence and contagious enthusiasm. Modest in character, but firm and insistent in church dis- cipline, he governs the clergy and people of his dioceE He by force of good example and honest in their affairs, than by show of authority or word of command. He is a man who knows men and how to handle them. Bishop McLaren is a native of New York state, and was born at Geneva, December, 13, 1831. His parents on both sides were of Scotch descent. His father's family came from Callender, in the Trosachs, Scotland, and his mother was the daughter of a Scotchman named McKay. When thirteen years of age. youg McLaren went to Hagerstown, Mary- land, to live, and after a short residence there re- moved to Pittsburgh. He studied at Jefferson college, Canonsburg, and graduated in 1851, with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. Bishop McLaren's first employment was as a journalist, and six years of his life were passed in editorial work in Cleve- land and Pittsburgh. His inclination, however, toward the clerical life grew more defined as he advanced in years, and in 1857, when twenty-six years old, he entered the Allegheny Theological seminary. In 1SG0 he received Presbyterian ordi- nation and served in that degree of church work for nearly twelve years. In July. 1872, he became deacon, and officiated temporarily, in St. John's church. Detroit, and on October -20, of the same year, was advanced to the priesthood. He was in that year inducted as rector of Trinity church, at Cleveland, Ohio, where he remained until 1875. when he was made Bishop of Illinois, the diocese covering the state. The consecration of Bishop Mc- Laren, which took place on December 8, 1875, was one of the most solemn and imposing ceremonies in the history of the church. The most distinguished prelates and priests of the country were present, among them being Bishops McCoskey, of Michi- gan, Bedell, of Ohio, Whipple, of Minnesota, Tal- 272 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. bot, of Indiana, Clarkson, of Nebraska, Spalding, of Colorado, Gillespie, of western Michigan, and Welles, of Wisconsin, all of whom assisted in the consecration. Revs. Drs. James DeKoven and George Worthington, were his attending Presby- ters. Prom the start Bishop McLaren secured the support of influential church members who were weary of the internecine strife, and began to'sweep away the elements which had barred the work of progress. Under his care many church works were undertaken and pushed to successful culmi- nation, with the result of still further strength- ening the position he had taken. In 1877. under his guidance, the diocese of Quincy and Spring- field were erected and subsequently the name of the remaining diocese was changed to Chicago. By his appeals, Bishop McLaren secured the build- ing and endowment of the Episcopal Theological seminary, at Chicago, and Waterman hall, at Sycamore, Illinois. These were followed by a com- plete renewal of the Cathedral equipment, and the construction of a clergy house and sisters' home. Funds were not only contributed for their future support, but, with all the work of enlargement, the Elpiscopal treasury was not aegltcted and it is now in a very satisfactory condition. One of the greatest of Bishop McLaren's successes, perhaps, was the building of the Western Theological Sem- inary. With an endowment of i?225,000 by Dr. Tolman Wheeler, as a basis, the seminary was in- corporated, and Bishop McLaren, as its president, labored unceasingly until the structure was coni- pleted and the training of young men for the priesthood begun. As dean of this seminary, he is its executor and administrator. Another insti- tution in which the Bishop takes a special inter- est is St. Luke's Hospital, to the success of which he has contributed materially. Bishop McLaren was the recipient of the degree of S. T. D., (or D. D..) from Racine College, in 1875. and in 1889 the University of the South conferred on him the degree of D. C. L. Bishop McLaren is a pul- pit orator of wide fame, and his sermons and ad- dresses are models of pure and eloquent language. One of the chief charms of his delivery is his clear, strong and sympathetic voice, in the toning of which to the varied phases of expression he is a master. A man of deep learning, not only in church matters, but in all branches of polite liter- ature, and will informed on the current events of the day, Bishop McLaren is a strong and convinc ing debater, and in argument is aggressive and fearless. He is a ready writer and has published many interesting and important books and pain phlets, among the Eormer being "Catholic Dogma, the Antidote of Doubt," which appeared in 1883. The purpose of this volume is to restate and apply to present times the Vincentian canon. "Quod semper, ubique et ab omnibus." In 18L>1 he deliv- ered an important charge on the " Current Phases of Unbelief." Bishop McLaren is intimately asso- dated with Racine College, of whose board of trus- tees he is president. He occupies a similar rela- tion to St. Mary's school, Knoxville, and Water- man hall, Sycamore; and he is by virtue of his Metropolitan See Primus of the provincial synod, composed of the three dioceses of Illinois. WILLIAM W. KIMBALL. WILLIAM WALLACE KIMBALL, founder of the piano and organ-making industries of Chi- cago, and illustrious in national mercantile annals as the pioneer of the wholesale music trade of the Northwest, was born in 1828 in Oxford county, Maine. This was also the birthplace of his father. David Kimball, and the ancestral abode since the close of the Revolutionary War. Through the chronicles of early New England, the direct line of ancestry of the Kimball family on American soil. is traced back through some twelve generations to Richard Kimball, of Ipswich, Mass., who emigra- ted from Ipswich, England, and settled in that colonial village in 1634. The family name, thus associated with the antiquities of the nation, is frequently encountered in the introductory chap- ters of our country's history, coming to eminence in peace and war alike, during all the earlier sta- ges of colonial development, and through the sub sequent era of rapid political transition, ending in the establishment of our present republican gov- ernment. Among the many soldiers of the family entering the great war for independence, from New Hampshire, and of whom history makes hon- orable mention, is found the name of Moses, grand father of William W. and father of David Kimball, who in turn served with equal distinction through the.warof 1812. The soldier of the Revolution, ;,t the close of that struggle, became a farmer, re- moved to Maine and settled in Oxford county, which, two hundred years subsequent to the time of Richard the Pilgrim, of Ipswich, became the birthplace of W. W. Kimball. At the age of eigh- teen, with such educational advantages as were afforded by the district and high schools of his LlbRA.i OF THE UHlVERSlTYof ILLINOIS. BIOGKAPHY OP ILLINOIS. 73 native county, young Kimball engaged for a time in stoic clerking, and afterward, in teaching. The bent of his inclination was strongly in the direc- tion of commerce, however, and proceeding to Boston at once upon attaining his majority, he secured mercantile employment, and soon became a traveler, doing business first in New England and afterward in the Middle, Southern and West- ern states. As the result of these years of travel, heacquiredan intimate and comprehensive knowl- edge of western mercantile geography, which proved of inestimable practical advantage to him later (.11. in supplying those various latii u co [unities with the product of his own manu- factory. In 1857 Mr. Kimball visited Chicago, then a frontier city, in a comparatively isolated region. Finding something congenial to his own temperament in the whirl of its traffic, and in the vitality of its enterprise, he decided to locate per- manently in the place and. in the fall of the same year, commenced business as a dealer in pianos and organs. There was apparently at that time little to tempt business enterprise to enter the musical field. The infinite domain beyond Chi- cago was mainly a wilderness and, in the clearing and settlement of that vast country, the material necessities had to take precedence of the arts. There was no art sentiment in the Northwest. What the settlers wanted was lumber, tools, hardware and groceries. There was no call for musical in struments, andfor a man in those days to see the great future prosperity in the piano trade, he had to be somewhat long-headed. He had to look far enough ahead to see the country after it had changed, and after music had become one of the interests of the land, as well as good hatchets an. I shingles and blacksmiths' outfits. Experience, also, seemed to discourage the project. All who had preceded him, in that particular line of busi- ness, had encountered only discouragement and failure. The young merchant seemed to realize the necessity of patient waiting, and so resl tent with a local retail trade, in the belief that the growing requirements of the country would in time call for the establishment of a wide agency system and wholesale traffic connections, with tin' larger opportunities thus implied. Nor did he mis- calculate. In 1864 the wholesale trade in pianos ha.l, through his individual effort, been established for the first time in Chicago, and the development of traffic became such as to justify his removal to the famous Crosby Opera House on Washington street. Here he opened fine ware-rooms which be- came the center of the polite trade of the north- west till the general conflagration of 1871. From newspaper records of the period, it appears that W. W. Kimball, within forty-eight hours after the subsidence of that historic tire, had converted his private residence on Michigan avenue into a musi- cal warehouse, with the billiard room for an office and the barn for a shipping department. The floor- age, however, proving quite inadequate for his business, a removal was made to larger quarters, at the northwest corner ..f Wabash avenue and Thirteenth street, which served his purpose till the summer of 1st:;, when he took possession of the commodious building at the south-east corner of State and Adams streets, in the rebuilt central district. Here, in 1882, the business was reorgan- ized under the corporate name of W.W.Kimball Company, and the growth of trade, including the extension of the manufacturing industry, led, a few years later, to the occupancy of the mammoth structure at the south-east corner of State and Jackson streets. In the spring of 1891 the final removal was made to the Btately, new edifice 147- 157 Wabash avenue, which is elaborately planned and constructed for the perfect accommodation of all the different departments of a business that has now come to be represented by a thousand branches, and to cover all the wide territory trib- utary t. . Chicago. In supplementing this general outline of his business career, it would be interest- ing to present a larger and more detailed review, with side-lights on the character and commanding energy of the man, and some reference to the final bearings of his individual achievement on national art interests. Hut. even in a sketch so limited as this, there is on.- aspect of his work that can hardly lie passed without mention. The former sentiment of mankind that all heroic intellect anil energy have their expression in war, is giving way in the modern world to an equal appreciation of enterprises that result in some economic benefit to society. W. W. Kimball took the view that capable leadership in the civil industries may be just as masterly or heroic as military cam- paigning or spectacular gunpowder engineering; that it is just as worthy of our national ambition to invade a foreign country, peacefully and smilingly, with tine pianos and organs, as to invade it violent- ly, with trained sharp-shooters and improved rifles. Music being the finest spirit of human art. with influences upon human taste far superior to paint- ing or statuary, he used to say that to produce an ■ improved musical instrument — to introduce a new and purer instrumental tone to the hearing of mankind — was equivalent to the introduction of a -74 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS new Eactor in the civilization of the world, and quite as worth) of renown as riding a military horse at theheadof anarmywith banners. From the time that he entered the music trade of Chi- cago, his idea seemed to !><■. not only t<> bring the piano and organ to the highesl degree of perfec- tion consistent with the mechanical resources of the world, but to finally realize so definite an economy in those industries as to effect a practical benefit to tlir West and to the American public as a nation. If is plan aimed at once to advance the mechanical principles of construction, and to so economize the industry as to afford the highest grade of in- struments at a greatly reduced cost to the public. In pursuance of this plan he erected a great organ factory in the year 1881. The trade of the house now covered all the Western and Northwestern territory, and a careful review of the situation over a larger and more universal field indicated the time as opportune for inaugurating the indus- try. The experiment proved a wonderful success. In five years' time the Kimball parlor organ was selling on every American market and forming an important item in the national export trade. The manufacture of pianos was begun six years later (in L887), when a factory, corresponding with the dimensions of the vast organ plant, was erected in juxtaposition to the latter, and completed a vast two [old manufacturing system, covering a floor- age of a quarter of a million square feet, and being thus made jointly available to the two sepa- rate but related industries. The latter enterprise also proved very successful, a product being soon realized which, under the name of the "new scale Kimball piano," was at once accepted by the musical authorities of this country, and of Europe, as among the foremost instruments of our time. Personally speaking. W. W. Kimball is not only a man of quick, comprehensive and commanding in- tellect, but of a cheerful, natural vitality and hu- mor that convert the greatest labors into an invig- orating pastime. He enjoys vigorous competition for its constant brisk encounter of schemes, tac- tics, policies and plots — as a trial of the wit and strength of men— and likes the big chess-board of commerce, not merely for the stakes, but for the animation of the mighty game. He is fond of the drama, of lively society, and of polite club life. But, while classed among the millionaires of Chi- cago, and known to have been one of the original promoters of many of its public institutions, to possess great wealth has never 1. ecu the quicken- ing principleof his ambition. Another character- istic is his fondness for reading men andcharacter. A happy faculty of interpreting the traits and peculiarities of strangers, with the quickness of in- tuition and with an almost infallible accuracy, has been one main secret of Ids success in mercantile life. Of course the best evidence of great mental endowment lies in his work, and its lasting im- print on one of the great art interests of society. What a few years ago existed but as a determina- tion and a purpose in a Western merchant's busy brain, has been publicly realized in important eco- nomic changes, and become part of the crystal of American mercantile history. But the fact of his being a natural optimist, with a keen enjoyment of life itself, regardless of life's stakes and fortunes, and looking always on the silver lining of the cloud, and on the bright side of every human situation —taking losses and reverses as trifling incidents of the play— all this has probably had as much to do with the outcome of his career, as mere business sagacity. But. while . if a light and jocular disposition that has made him famous for his stories and humorous anecdotes, he is possessed, also, of the judicial mind and that clear sense of the equities so necessary to the maintenance of a spotless per- sonal reputation, through all the trials of con- flicting interests, and all the warfare of industrial ci impetition. Furthermore, to compass these pres- ent results called not only for sagacity and an opti- mistic disposition, but for the laborer's patience a ml the soldier's strong will; it called for an invincible tenacity of purpose that could overcome obstacles and opposition and survive the mutabilities of commerce through long periods of time; it called for the faculty of organization and leadership and for the very highest order of practical administra- tive ability. These are the traits and qualities that illustrate the character and mental fibre of W. W Kimball. The pursuit of his great main purpose, though persistent, unwavering, intrepid and ambi- tious, has been equally marked by tranquillity and self possession — by a breadth and practical wisdi >m in all his policies and measures by which his influ- ence in the music trade has been felt throughout the civilized world. His career has been equally marked, also, by a standard of commercial integ- rity, that has made his house one of the shining names of the West. During all the unpropitious conditions of war. tire, panic, industrial depression and political turbulence, coming in successive blasts of calamity and danger troml857to 1S92, there never was a time when he failed to main- tain an even balance with the world, and to meet all obligations in full. Still another character- istic has been his appreciative and considerate LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY of ILLINOIS. BIOGRAPHYCOFJ! ILLINOIS. 275 fidelity to employes. Many of those who began with him at the commencement of his career are still in his service. Others who have branched out for themselves have received his assistance and encouragement to assured prosperity. In return. hi- aids and subordinates— the rank and file of his clerical and working force— have, individually and asa body, shown aloyalty to their chief, worthy of t in. • s«.ldirrs to a general, who has led them through the campaigns of more than thirty years. Mr. Kimball was married in ISO.") to Miss Evalyne M. Cone, daughter of Hubbell B. Cone, of Chicago. EDWARD L. BREWSTER. EDWARD LESTER BREWSTER, the founder and head of the well-known banking and brokerage house of Edward L. Brewster & Co., was born at Brockport, Monroe county, New York, on June 22, 1842,and i- a lineal descendant of Elder Will- iam Brewster, chief of the Pilgrims. His parents were Frederick William, and Jeanette (Downs) Brewster, both natives of the Empire state. His paternal grandfather, Hon. Henry Brewster, was for many years a presiding judge in I county. X. Y., and a man of distinction in the legal profession. The boyhood of young Brewster was spent in his native place, where he attended the public schools, and also a collegiate institute which flourished there at that time, where he ob- tained a good academic education. At the age of fifteen he became a clerk in a dry goods store, but. after a year in that employment, he concluded to reach out for the better advantages offered in larger business centers. Thus, at the age of six- teen he left his native village, and shortly after we rind him occupying a good clerkship in the then largest insurance agency in Buffalo. The two succeeding years that he spent in that city. were years of much profit to him. for he not only acquired a good knowledge of business methods in the performance of his duties as clerk, but by utilizing his leisure hours, supplemented the knowledge thus obtained with a course of study at a commercial college. So. well equipped in both practical and theoretical education, he found no difficulty in securing employment on his arrival in Chicago, in November, 1860. His firsl ment was in the banking house of Edward 1. Tinkham & Co., and from that day to this Mr. Brewster has been either directly or indirectly identified with the banking interests of Chicago. During the eight years following the discontinu- ance of the banking house of Edward I. Tinkham & Co.. Mr. Brewster was variously employed, first as a money broker, next in the service of the Galena & Chicago Union R. R. Co. prior to its consolidation with the C. A- X. W. R. R, Co.; then as confidential clerk in a iarge wholesale house and finally as clerk in the Third National Bank, where he remained two years. In January L868, in. connection with Samuel P. Parrington, Mr. Brewster established the wholesale grocer) house of Parrington & Brewster, at the corner of Dearborn and South Water streets. This business was successfully carried on and, though heavy losers in the great fire of 1871, the firm paid every dollar of their obligations at maturity, and con- tinued their business as before. On July 1. 1872, Mr. Brewster retired from the firm to engage in a general banking and brokerage business, which, from his early training and his personal taste for financiering, he found mere in the line of his ambitions than merchandising proved to be. He established the firm of Wrenn & Brewster on Wabash avenue, in the vicinity of Congress street, but in the spring of 1873 they removed their head- quarters to 9G Washington street. This new venture proved profitable to Mr. Brewster, and. greatly to his credit be it said, that the firm suc- cessfully weathered tie- great financial panic of that year, and remained in active existence until January. 1*70. when it was dissolved. Mr. Brewster immediately opened a new office at 101 Washing- ton street, and alone continued in the same line of operations. His business grew rapidly, and ln- soon found it necessary to establish himself in more commodious quarters, which he did at 104 Washington street. From this time on. Mr. Brewstergrew in public favor as a judicious and thoroughly reliable financier. Prosperity came to him as a natural sequence, so that he was enabled in 1883 to absorb the house of Gwynne & Day, (successors to A. O. Slaughter) bankers. Mr. Chas. C. Yoe, who had been a trusted employe of Mr. Brewster for a period of years, was now taken into partnership under the firm name of Edward L. Brewster & Co., which has continued as such up to the present time. They remained in the Grannis Block, to which they had removed on the purchase of Gwynne A- Day"s business. until it was destroyed by fire, on the evening of February 10, 1S85. when they took new offices at the corner of Dearborn and Washington streets. When the new Board of Trade building was com- 276 BIOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS. pleted, Mr. Brewster, recognizing the change of business center, established a branch office in thai building and connected it with his main office by two private wires, thus securing means of instantaneous and absolutely private communi- cation between the two offices. He has been an Influential member of the Board of Trade since 1873, and also of the New York Stock Exchange since 1881. He was one of the principal projectors and charter members of the Chicago Stock Ex- change, which has now become one of the very important institutions of the city, and is destined to exercise great influence in the monetary affairs and in the transactions in market securities of this country. Mr. Brewster has been from the begin- ning a member of the governing committee, and lias exercised an important influence in shaping the policy of the Exchange, and is at this time its president. He is a stockholder in many of the large enterprises, banks and corporations in and about . Chicago, but has uniformly declined a place in the directory of any, except the Chicago Edison Company. The stock of this company is owned by a few of the wealthiest men in the city, and Mr. Brewster was elected one of its directors. This company controls all of the Edison electric patents, for Cook county, and is fast becoming an enterprise of great magnitude. The present offices of Ed- ward L. Brewster & Co., at the corner of Dear- born and Monroe streets, which they occupied for the first time, on November 12. 1889, are, per- haps, the most complete in arrangements, and the most elegant in appointments of any in the city; and there, during the busy hours of the day, many of the wealthiest and most influential of Chicago's citizens are frequently in consultation with Mr. Brewster concerning their various in- terests entrusted to his management, in the mon- etary markets of the world. His reputation for honorable dealing and business sagacity, has brought to him the patronage and friendship of many of the wealthiest and most influential men in Chicago. Outside of his business cares he en- joys the pleasure of social contact, and his name is found in the membership of the Chicago Club, Calumet Club, Union Club, and Washington Park Club, and the Chicago Athletic Association. He is also a member of the Union League Club and the New York Club, of New York City. Mr. Brewster has. from time to time, indulged in travel and during 1890, in company with his wife, spent six months in Europe, visiting the leading centres of interest on the continent. In the sphere of business activity such as Mr. Brewster has spent the major part of his life, it is difficult to characterize those elements in a man's make- up which are most essential in attaining pre-emi- nence. That the successful broker must possess a thorough knowledge of existing and prospective values of speculative properties, that he must pos- sess rare judgment in making or advising invest- ments, and many times lie obliged to act on matters involving fortunes on a moment's notice; that he musi I '■' a man of business, courage, and most of all a man of unquestioned probity, is necessarily true. That these qualities predominate in Mr. Brewster, his splendid success is ample testimony. His temperament is of that restless, sanguine type which is never satisfied with " well done, " but confident of yet greater effort and greater re- sults. This spirit was very noticeable in his younger days during the several changes of occu- pations, always made in the hope of improved op- portunities and the ultimate attainment of better things. When finally he had determined upon the vocation for which he believed himself adapted, and which, at least, was consonant with his tastes, he surrendered to it his best energies and thought; and from that time up to the present his career has been an upward and prosperous one. The volume of transactions carried on by the house of Edward L. Brewster & Co. has continued to in- crease from year to year, until to-day it ranks among the foremost of similar concerns in the West. On November 12, 1866, Mr. Brewster mar- ried Miss Mary, daughter of Hiram Niles, of Buf- falo, New York, who has borne him six children, three of whom, two boys and a girl, are now living. WILLIAM K. ACKERMAN. WILLIAM K. ACKERMAN was born in the city of New York, January 29, 1832. He comes from the old Knickerbocker stock, his family for three generations back having been born in that city. His grandfather, Abram D. Aekerman, resided there during the Revolutionary period, and participated in the incidents of that struggle, having served as captain of a company in a New Jersey regiment known as the "Jersey Blues," and was with General (Mad) Anthony Wayne at the storming of Stony Point. His father, Law- n-nee Aekerman, was born in the city "I New York. April 20, 1786, and resided there for eighty- LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY of ILLINOIS. BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 277 five successive years; he was a soldier in the war of 1812, serving as lieutenant in the Third Regi- ment ot New York State Artillery; at one time he had command of the troops stationed on Bedloe's Island. The subject of this sketch received a high school education in the city of New 5Tork, and after engaging in mercantile business for a tew years, entered the service of the Illinois Central Railroad Company on the 28th of May, 1852, as a clerk in the financial department in New York; this was shortly after the charter of this pioneer land granl road was obtained from the Legislature of the state of Illinois. Continu- ing in the service of the company he took up his residence in Chicago, September 13, I860, and after tilling the various positions of secretary, auditor and treasurer, on July 17. 1ST*!, he was elected vice-president, and as the company was without a president at that time. Mr. Ackerman was practi- cally its chief executive. On October 17, 1S77. in response to the expressed wishes of tic foreign shareholders, who at that time held a majority of the shares of the stock of the company, he was made president, which position he held until August 15, 1883, when he voluntarily resigned in favor of Mr. James C. Clarke the vice-president, who had been a faithful co-worker with him in the Illinois Central service for many years. Upon his resignation as president, the board of directors again elected him vice-president; he continued in this position until January 1, 1884, when he with drew entirely from the service of the company. During his active management of the Illinois Central Railroad Company, its affairs were con ducted to t lie great satisfaction of the shareholders. and the credit of the company at home and abn iad was well maintained. -Mr. Ackerman is the author of two interesting works on the subject of railways. -Early Railroads of Illinois" and "His torical Sketch of the Illinois Central Railroad." He has also contributed numerous articles upon the railway question to the periodicals and news- papers of the day. The thriving town of "Acker- man" in Choctaw county. Mississippi was named for him. Mr. Ackerman is now connected with the World's Columbian Exposition in the capacity of comptroller, a position for which on account of his long experience in railway management, and his thorough knowledge of accounts, he is eminently fitted. He is an active member of the Chicago Historical Society. Mr. Ackerman was married Nov. 30, 1858, to Miss Alida Reynolds Lewis, at Cortland, N. Y. Mr. and Mrs. Acker- man are esteemed members of Chicago society. JAY C. MORSE. JAY COLLINS MORSE, president of the Illinois Steel Company, was born in Painesville. Ohio, March 24, 1838. His father was Collins Morse, a native of Brattleboro, Vermont, and his mother was Fannie Curtis, a native of Massachu- setts. Some time in the early 30's they moved to Ohio and settled in Lake county near Painesville. When but an infant of six months, death deprived Mr. Morse of a mother's care. His father was en- gaged in general business, real estate and grain being the prominent features. He died in 1886. After the usual attendance at "common schools T- during early boyhood, his restless spirit and the desire to begin the actual battle of life, induced young Morse to leave home and school, and at the age of eighteen he obtained a clerkship in the freight department of the L. S. A M. S. Ry.,at Cleveland. Ohio, under Mr. Addison Hills, then one of the most competent ami thorough general freight agents in the country, a strict disciplinarian and a stern and just officer. Young Morse remained in this employ seven years, during which he earned promotion through the several grades to the chief clerkship of the department. In 1864 he married Miss Mary A. Outhwaite, daughter of John Outh- waite, of Cleveland, who was at that time one of the few investors in the Lake Superior iron ore district and president of the Cleveland Iron Min- ing Company, whose mineral lands were located in Marquette county. Michigan. Mr. Outhwaite and his associates, among whom were Samuel L. Mather, George Worthington, Selah Chamberlain, and General James Barnett, of Cleveland, pre- vailed upon Mr. Morse to relinquish his promising career in railroading to take the management of the Cleveland Iron Mining Company's mines at Marquette,and in 1865, with his young \vife,he took passage on a lake steamer for Marquette to make a home and a name among the pioneers of that wonderful mining country. Here he found a field peculiarly adapted to his disposition and am- bition. All was new and crude, the only railroad in the upper peninsula of Michigan was the four- teen miles of track that connected the mines with the lake harbor at Marquette. Very little machin- ery, and that of the crudest kind, was in use in the great mine. The ore was being mined by hand labor, hoisted with horse power and loaded on to vessels at Marquette with hand barrows. Mr. Mi >rse soon equipped the mine with machinery, built one of the first great ore docks at Marquette and in the following sixteen years of his intimate and -7 s BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. prominenl connection with the mining interests of Lake Superior, during all of which time he made his home in Marquette and continued in the man- agemenl of the Cleveland company's mines, Lake Superior had grown to be the greatest iron ore producing district in the United States. In 1881, having earned a much needed rest, Mr. Morse went to Europe on a tour of travel and remained abroad until the summer of 1882, when he re- turned to the city of Cleveland to live, still retain- ing the management of the Cleveland Iron Min- ing Company's affairs, the general office of which company was located in that city. At this time he, with Colonel James Pickands and Samuel Mather, both of whom had long been his associ- ates in Lake Superior interests, organized the firm of Pickands, Mather A: Co.. of Cleveland, and two years later ties.' parties, with Major H. S. Pickands ami W. L. Brown, organized the firm of Pickands, Brown & Co., of Chicago. Mr. Morse is still a member of both concerns. They are exten- sively interested in iron and coal, both as miners ami shippers of iron ore and coal, and manufac- turers of pig iron. Early in the year 1885, Mr. H. II. Porter, who hail undertaken the re-organization of the Union Iron and Steel Company, of Chicago, prevailed upon Mr. Morse to resign the manage- ment of the Cleveland company's mines that he had so long and ably conducted, to enter the broader Held of manufacturing steel products, and he became president of the new Union Steel Company with headquarters at Chieago. Under Mr. Morse"s active direction this company rebuilt the steel works at Bridgeport, Chicago, and at once took a prominent position in the steel rail trade. In 1889 Mr. Morse, as president of this company was largely instrumental in effecting the consolida- tion "f the three great steel companies of the West, viz: The Union Steel Company, the North Chicago Rolling Mills Company, and the Joliet Sol ( lompany, into the Illinois Steel Company, of which company Mr. Morse is now president. This is one of the largest and strongest concerns of ils kind in the world. It has an authorized capital of twenty live million dollars and employs about eleven thousand men. Its plants are at South Chicago. North Chicago, Bridgeport, Chi- eago, and at Joliet and Milwaukee. After so many years of signal success in iron mining Mr. Morse and his associates decided to avail theui- selves of his skill and experience in that business once -e. and he selected the comparatively new but exceedingly promising district of northern Minnesota, and in lss? Air. Morse and-Mr. H. H. Porter and his associates Organized I lie syndicate that purchased the Minnesota lr.ni Company's mines at Tower and the Duluth and Iron Range Railroad. Mr. Morse was at once made president of the company, and under the application of his sure and rapid methods the management and pol- icy of the company underwent a complete re-or ganization, and calling to his aid his old mining captains from Lake Superior, he more than doubled the output of ore ami brought tin 1 min- ing company to a dividend-paying basis, and its stock is justly, to-day, one of the marked favorites ■ hi lln' markets. When Mr. Morse accepted the presidency of the Illinois Steel Company he re- signed the presidency of the Minn. Iron Company, I nd he is still a director and member of I he executive board, and a large stockholder in that company. Mr. Morse's wife died at Cleveland. February 28, 18S6. An only child, a daughter with whom Mr. Morse now makes his home, is the wife of Mr. Arthur C. Ely, a young business man of Chicago. Mr. Morse is something of a club man, being a member of the Chieago, Union and tin' Washing- ton Park Clubs in Chicago, and the Union Club, of Cleveland, and the Union League Club of New York City. WILLIAM P. NIXON. WILLIAM PENN NIXON, an American journalist, known in both hemispheres as the editor ami controlling genius of the Inter Ocean of Chicago, one of the ablest and most widely-circu- lated journals of the United States, and a lead ing Republican newspaper of the West, is of Virginia descent, both his father and mother being natives of that state. His ancestors were English Quakers, his grandfather, Barnaby Nixon, being an esteemed minister of that denomination. He was not only an earnest preacher, but a determined, conscientious man. He early became impressed with the belief that it was wrong to hold a human being in slavery, and before his denomination had borne its testimony against slavery, as it did after- wards, he set his slaves free, but continued to have a watchful care over them as long as he lived. Owing to the severe laws of the state these freed- incn continued to be a great care to his son long long after his death. His plantation was beauti- fully situated on the James river not far from Petersburg, which was his market town. On this BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 2/9 plantation in the last quarter of the last century, his only child. Samuel Nixon, the father of the subject of this sketch, was born, and there he lived until well advanced in bachelors 1. Mien he married Mrs. Rhoda Butler, a young widow with three children, an 1 removed to North I'am- limi. near Greensborough, where he resided many years. His wife's maiden name was Hubbard, a family extensively related through the southern Atlantic States, many members of which were prominent in public and social life. William Penn Nixon, the subject of this sketch, was the youngest of his mother's seven children. All his brothers and sisters were born south, but ho was born in a small village in Wayne county. Indiana. - family had moved early in the thirties. A- is evident he was named after the illustrious founder of Pennsylvania, for whose distinguished virtues and honorable career, the boy's parents, who. like their ancestors for generations, were faithful members of the Society of Friends, cherished a praiseworthy regard. Brought up under the uign home influences, moral, mental and religious, the young lad early manifested decided intellectual tastes. His parents carefully fostered his natural bias in this direction and decided to give him a classical education. In 1S4!V after having been duly prepare 1 ;it a hoarding school located at Richmond, Indiana, and under the management of the Society of Friends, he entered ow known as Belmont i near Cincinnati, Ohio, where he was graduated in 1853. For two years he taught school in Cincinnati, but having decided upon the profession of law, he went to Philadelphia in 1855, where he took a four years course in the law department of the University of Pennsylvania. In 1859, having taken the degree of Bachelor of Laws at this in- stitution, he returned to Cincinnati, was promptly admitted to the Ohio bar and at one. engaged in practice, in which he continued until 1868. He met with flattering success at the bar, and being an outspoken Republican, active in partisan work and full of vigor and determination in the support of the principles and policy of his party, he was nominated by it for the Ohio Legislature and was eleeted. by a heavy vote, for three successive terms, viz., those of 1865, 1866 and 1867. In 1868, in connection with his elder brother, Dr. 0. W. Nixon, and other friends, he founded the Cincin- nati Chronicle, and a year or two later purchased the Cincinnati Times which they then consolida- ted with the Chronicle, the two interests being combined as a Republican organ. Early in 1S72 he sold his interest in this journal, and in May of the same year, accepted the position of business manager of the Inter Ocean of Chicago, a news- paper then in the early stages of its career and making heroic struggles for a foothold. In 1875. in connection with his brother, Dr. Nixon, he De- controlling interest in this journal and took the sole management of its affairs, which he has directed with undisputed authority from that day to the present. "There is." says a writer conversant with the facts, "per haps no paper in the city of Chicago that has passed through more vicissitudes or had a fiercer struggle for existence, than the Inter Ocean. For years it was an expensive luxury to own. and required the closest financiering to keep the breath of life in it: but success finally came, as the reward of brains, energy and determination, and the Inter Ocean is not only a very valuable property, but one of the most in- fluential journals of the country. Mr. Nixon was well qualified for the place when he assumed its management, and he has grown with the extraor- dinary demands made upon him until he must be of the most sagacious newspaper men in the city. He has an unobtrusive watch fulness, a quiet persistence and an equable temper that tit him admirably for the place he occupies. The features of his policy are concentration on points of special interest, a close attention to all the details of news gathering and a readiness to respond to what he deems the most wi public sentiment. He gives personal attention to the business affairs of the company, and extends a general supen 11 departments of the paper." He works early and late, being, as a rule, the first at the office in the morning and among the last to leave at night. He takes a personal interest in every man on the staff, knows just what work he does and how he does it. anil is as quick to praise as he is to reprove. ••Through all these years of toil : 1 1 ; • I trial" says the writer pri quoted, -he has held every line, manipulated every key. guided every movement, and dictated every thought expressed by the paper. Its wise and judicial political administration is to-day evidenced by the fact that for years it has been regard) d by a very large following as the gnat Republican monitor of the West and has held a position of power in Washington second to no paper in the country." To his practical training at the bar before entering the field of journalism he doubtless owes much of the success which has crowned his later labors, and the observant reader 28o BlOGBAl'HY OF ILLINOIS. may easily detect in his best editorial work frequent evidences of judicial thoroughness and evenness of temper. These traits elevate and dignify his published utterances which not unfre- quentlj ring in clarion tones from one end of the continent to the other. His aim appears to have been to secure a national importance for his news- paper while making it a great and reliable local leader. In this he has been brilliantly successful. The rare courage required to breast powerful opposition, to overcome obstacles incessantly rising, and above all to continue unfalteringly a long fight against adversity he has possessed in a truly remarkable degree. His success has been a real test of merit, and it must be said to his credit that while lie appreciates it. he wears his laurels modestly. The new building of the Inter Ocean, completed in 1890, stands at the corner of Madison and Dearborn streets, and is one of the finest news- paper buildings in the West. Absorbed in theduties of journalism and management, Mr. Nixon does not rind a great deal of time to devote even to his favorite reading and studies. Nevertheless he does not wholly neglect either, having that quality of mind which finds rest in change rather than cessation of employment. In his college and school days he delighted in the study of mathe- matics and excelled in all branches that come under that head. But in literature he has taken his greatest pleasure since leaving college, and he can come nearer forgetting all cares in a volume of Dickens than in any other way. He is frank to say that he thinks David Copperfield the greatest of novels. On the downward side of fifty years of age Mr. Nixon looks younger, although his hair, quite dark in youth, is " now sprinkled with the white lines of care and industry that mark the labor and study that lift the boy from obscurity to a place in the affairs of men." In stature he is above the common medium of height, and perhaps a trifle below the normal weight. He has deep- set blue eyes, keen but kindly, and a head which is admirably proportioned to his slender frame and nervous temperament. To say that he is a busy man but half -expresses the fact. Few men are more busy. But with such lofty aims labor is a pleasure to him, and in the confident, belief that he is doing something lor the advancement of his fellow-men and for the betterment of his country, ;ii the same time commanding the attention of hundreds of thousands of expectant readers as they are told tile daily story of the world, he finds a satisfaction which renders other pleasures lame in comparison. His theory is that the life is scarcely worth living that does not make other lives happier and leave the world better for its having been. He is one of the best known as he is one of the most respected men in Chicago, and is keenly alive to every interest of that great city. .Mr. Nixon was married, in Cincinnati, in 1861, to .Miss Mary Stites, daughter of Hezekiah Stites,of that city. This lady died in 1862, leaving no issue. In 18G9, Mr. Nixon was married to Miss Elizabeth Duffield, daughter of Charles Duffield, a merchant of Chicago. By this marriage there are three children. Mary, Bertha and William l'enn. Jr. W. C. D. GKANNIS. WILLIAM CHARLES DUSTIN GRANNIS, a prominent citizen and financier of Chicago, and president of the Atlas National Bank in that city, was born in the village of Hatley, Stanstead town- ship, Province of Quebec, on March 30, 1826. He is of New England ancestry and a grandson, on the maternal side, of Moody Dustin. who was an officer in the American army during the Revolutionary War, and whose commission, signed by John Hancock, is a prized heir-loom in the family. The father of Mr. Grannis was William Grannis, a native of New Hampshire, who was a merchant during the greater part of his life, and was in business at Hatley at the time of his son"s birth, although several years afterward he gave up mercantile pursuits, and removing to the town of Stanstead, engaged in hotel-keeping. He died in Stanstead in is:;;;. His wife, whose maiden name was Nancy M. Dustin. was a daugh- ter of Ensign Dustin, previously mentioned. She also was a native of New Hampshire. The subject of this sketch attended public anil private schools at Stanstead until he was sixteen years of age, and thoroughly mastered the usual branches of an English education. He then turned his at- tention to business, and securing a situation in a store at Waterloo, Canada, spent a year in gain- ing an acquaintance with commercial methods. An opportunity occurring to learn the drug busi- ness at Woodstock, Vermont, hi' removed to that place and devoted three years to mastering the science of pharmacy. When he was twenty-one years of age he removed to Montpelier, Vermont, and taking a partner opened a drugstore there which did a thriving business for several years. In the fall of 1852, Mr. Grannis disposed of his in- ^^r. ■ . OF THE UNIVERSITY of ILLINOIS. BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 28l terest in this establishment and went to Chicago. Receiving a good offer from the well-known whole- sale grocery house of M. D. Oilman & Co. in that city, he accepted a clerkship with this firm, and on January 1. 1856, was admitted to partnership, the firm then taking the style of Gilman, Grannis & Farwell. In 1867 Mr. Gilman retired from the firm, and the remaining partners conducted the business under the style of Grannie & Farwell. The great tire of 1871 swept away the store and stock of the firm; but even before the excitement occasioned by that terrible calamity had begun to subside. Mr. Grannisand his partner were at work re establishing their business. At first they con- ducted their operations from temporary headquar- ters in a stable at the corner of Michigan avenue and Twenty-First street, which they occupied about a month, when more suitable accommodations were secured on Michigan avenue, between Madison and Monroe streets. A year later the firm re moved from this place to a larger store on Frank- lin street, between Madison and Washington streets; and in 1871. returned to its original loca- tion, now occupied by Sprague & Warner, occupy ing the new and tire proof structure erected on the site of that destroyed in 1871. In 1879 Mr. Grannis and his partner sold out and both retired from mercantile pursuits. For several years pre- vious to taking this step Mr Grannis had been a director in the Union National Bank of Chi- cago, and in the discharge of his duties as such, had exhibited so marked a capacity for the manage- ment of financial affairs, that when he had re- leased himself from other business cares his fellow- directors insisted on his accepting the vice presidency of that institution— then, as now. one of the first in Chicago. Since that date Mr. ( iran nis has given his principal attention to banking. In 1882 he was chosen president of the Union National Bank, and as its chief officer managed its affairs with success until the close of 18s;,. when he resigned the position in order to accept the presidency of the Atlas National Bank. This in- stitution, which Mr. Grannis, together with a number of leading merchants of Chicago, had or- ganized in 1885, with a capital of S700,000, was duly chartered by the Unite.! States Government, and began its operations early in 1886. The abil- ity and character of its presiding officer and direc- tors placed it at once upon a firm footing with the nmereial world; and its business, from the day it opened to the present time, has been a large and growing one. A recent report of its condition shows that its deposits range in the neighborhood of two and a half millions. Mr. Grannis is still at the head of this bank, and is ably assisted in managing its affairs by the Hon. C. B. Farwell. late United States Senator, who holds the office of vice president. Mr. Grannis has been for sev- eral years a director in the Chicago Dime Savings Bank. He is also a director of the great packing corporation doing business under the style of Libby, McNeil & Co.; and holds the office of vice- president of the Union Rendering Company, or- ganized a quarter of a century ago. Among other corporate positions held by him are the treasurer- ships of the Oakwoods Cemetery Association and of the Union Building Association. As a young man Mr. Grannis unhesitatingly cast his lot with the people of Chicago, and his best energies have been given to the development and elevation of that city. His businesss career has been remark- able for persevering energy and an unswerving fidelity to duty in every station he has tilled: and his success has been the gradual outcome of intel- ligent, persistent and honorable effort. An active experience of nearly forty years as a successful merchant and banker in Chicago, has enabled him to acquire a practical grasp of its business and financial affairs, which is probably not exceeded by that of any of his cotemporaries. Conservative in judgment, and possessed of excellent organizing abilities, his views and services are frequently sought by persons interested in important investments, and which have contributed in no small degree to the success of many enterprises. His association with any undertaking is in itself sufficient to ins], ire public confidence in its suc- cess. Although so highly successful in life and so implicitly relied upon, Mr. Grannis is a man of great modesty of character. His habits and tastes are likewise modest and simple. Notwithstanding the demand made upon him by his numerous cor- porate duties, he is always ready to give his aid and assistance to any movement for the public good, and also finds time to attend to many mat ters of a social and philanthropic character. He is a member of the Calumet. Commercial. Chicago and Iroquois Clubs, and is widely esteemed for his many companionable and agreeable personal qual- ities. Mr. Grannis was married in 1850 to Miss Lucia Louisa Baldwin, of Montpelier, Vermont, who died in 18(U. without issue. His present wife, formerly Miss Clara J. Brown, has borne him four children, three of whom are now living. Mrs. Grannis is widely known and highly esteemed for her many excellent qualities, and is active and helpful in many good works. iilOOKAPHY OF ILLINOIS. JOEL C. WALTER. One of the oldest merchants of Chicago, died at his late residence on Michigan avenue, on March 11, 1891, in the eighty-first year of his age. All but twenty seven years of this long and useful life had been spent in Chicago, including a period of nver a half a century, during which the city grew up from a rude frontier settlement of three or four thousand inhabitants to its present pop- ulation of more than a million people. It may be said of Mr. Walter as of Caesar; " All this he saw and part of it he was," for, certainly no citizen's life was more fully identified with the growth and progress of the city, especially during the early stages Of its development, than was his. Joel Clarke Walter was born in Goshen, Litchfield county, Connecticut, on October 30, 1810, and was of Revolutionary parentage. One of his ancestors was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and several of them were soldiers in the war of the Revolution. At the age of twenty-seven Mr. Walter left his farm-home in Connecticut to seek his fortune in the then wild West. In those early days railroads did not span the country as now. Lake navigation was the only means of commerce between the East and the West, and the Erie canal was the chief artery connecting the great lakes with the Atlantic seaboard. Mr. Walter made a halt in Buffalo, then a thriving town of probably ten thousand inhabitants. In June, 1837, he landed in Chicago. At that time the vil- lage boasted a population of about three thousand five hundred. It may be mentioned as a curious illustration of the expectation of those early set- tlers in regard to the future of Chicago, that when Mr. Walter arrived here in 1837 he expressed the hope that the new town might some day equal Buffalo in population and business. He was al- ways a firm believer in the future of Chicago; but this shows how inadequate were his ideas, as indeed were those of all the early settlers, as to the future greatness of the city. Little did he dream that he should live to see it the proud metropolis of the Northwest and the second city of the. Republic. In less than five years it had exceeded Buffalo's ten thousand inhabitants, and from that time on, during Mr.Walter's life, ils av- erage rate of increase was more than twenty thous- and a year. It was a surprise and a satisfaction, no less than a constant stimulus to his faith and enterprise, In sir a city of such magnitude and promise growing up around him and to feel that he was an active promoter of many of its most important institutions and interests. When Mr. Walter first came here there was no business mi Wabash avenue. The arteries of trade — such as they were — pulsed through South Water and other streets touching upon the river. He was instrumental in building the first stone store or warehouse in the city. His enterprise secured to Chicago its first grain elevator. Through his company the first shipment of grain was made by lake from Chicago to Buffalo. He was one of the organizers and a member of the old volunteer fire company, and one of the charter members of En- gine Company No. 1. Mr. Walter's first business venture was the establishment of the mercantile firm of H. Norton A Co., in the storage and for- warding business on South Water street between Clark and Dearborn streets, he being the com- pany and resident partner. In 1839 he pre-occu- pied a piece of government land at the corner of Dock and River streets, which, when offered by the government fur sale, his firm purchased. The company also engaged in the handling of grain, lumber and coal, and also became interested in the pork-packing business, then an infant indus- try. In 1810 he built the first warehouse for the storage of grain in the West. The immense grain areas of Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska had not then been developed, and the grain handled by Mr. Walter (H. Norton & Co.), was bought of Indiana farmers and delivered on the decks of vessels in large dump-boxes. It was then shoveled into bags and in this form sent to its destination. The business grew so rapidly that the warehouse was soon displaced by an ele- vator, the first built in Chicago, the necessary power for a time being furnished by horses. Then the wooden elevator was burned and a structure of stone with steam power took its place. In 1812 the late Edward K. Rogers became, a member of the firm of Horace Norton & Co., in the storage and forwarding business. Mr. Walter was also a partner for fifteen years with Mr. Rogers in the coal and iron business and was one of the organ- izers of the firm of Wadhams & Willard, now the Washington Ice Company. All of his business ventures proved successful. Mr. Walter was one of the organizers of the Board of Trade in 1818. When the war for the Union broke out in 1861, he was one of the first to sign the muster-roll of '•The Old Guard," a military organization com- posed of citizens over forty-five years of age. After the great fire which devastated the city in October, 1871, he was among the first to rebuild. His city residence previous to the fire was on the UBRMN ^// c> /oa^^^- BIOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS. 283 present site of the Clifton House, corner of Wa- bash avenue and Monroe street, and the title to this property has remained in his estate for over fifty years. During thirty years previous to his death lie owned a summer residence at Lake Geneva, and took great interest in popularizing that place of resort. In 1878 he took a leading part in organizing the Calumet Club, of Chicago, and it was at his suggestion that the meetings of the old settlers were held in the club house of that organization. As a business man Mr. Walter was both conservative and aggressive. While he did not hesitate to push out into new enterprises, his rare sagacity enabled him to anticipate the results of his ventures and he was not often disappointed. He was a good judge of the value of property, fruitful in resources and of rare tenacity in hold- ing to whatever plans he had prescribed for his conduct. His natural disposition was to accumu- late rather than to spend, and while he was lib- eral and public-spirited, he did not neglect his own private fortune. He left a valuable estate to the survivors of his family. In his religious and social preferenci s. and in questions of politics, he was a man of broad and liberal views, in belief a Unitarian and in political principles a Demo- crat of the Jeffersonian school. Probably, if it had not been for the Civil War he would never have changed his relations with the Democratic party to which he belonged by inheritance of birth. However, he never sought political pre- ferment. Mr. Walter was twice married; first, in 1847, to Miss Ophelia, daughter of the late Dr. Phillip Maxwell, of Chicago. The fruit of this marriage was four children, two of whom are living. Mrs. Julius Steele and Charles J. Walter. Mrs. Walter (nee Maxwell) died October Is. 1863. In December, 1866, he married Miss Mary E. Mudge, of Lynn. Massachusetts, who with a sou, Alfred M. Walter, survives him. OR] BALCOM. URI BALCOM was born in Oxford. Chenango county. New York, on the 17th of May, 1815. He is descended from the English family of Balcombe, in the county of Kent. The first of the name who came to America in 1661 was Henry Balcom, who settled at Charlestown. Massachusetts. Col. Bal- com is in the seventh generation descended from this English 'ancestor. His grandfather, Henry Balcom, was born in Sudbury, Massachusetts, August 16, 1710, and in 1773. about the time of the Boston tea party, moved with his family to New - fane, Vermont, being a pioneerto that wilderness. In August, 1777. he responded to thecal! of ( leneral John Starke, and ('ought under the command of that redoubtable soldier at Bennington. He served until thecloseof the Revolutionary war. Another Balcom, near of kin, was Captain Joseph Balcom, who was in the battle of Lexington. Henry Bal com moved from Vermont to Oxford, Chenango county. New York, in 1793 and died there in 1812. His two sons, Francis and Samuel, had settled there in 17*9. married then', and with their wives endured all the hardships incident to tie- life of a pioneer at that early day. Samuel Balcom. the father of Uri. had nine children. He lived for a short time in Green, the next township, and for a few years in Steuben county, where his four sons had become lumbermen, but he returned to Ox- ford in time to be a presidential elector in the Harrison campaign and victory of 1840. He was a man above suspicion of doing wrong to another, and was loved ami honored by all who knew him. He died in Oxford in 1847. Uri Balcom went early to Steuben county. New York, and engaged in the lumbering business, owning large lumber interests and floating his lumber in rafts to Baltimore. Harrisburg. and other points. About 1864 he re- moved to Oconto, Wisconsin, and became one of the partners in the large lumber firm of Eldreds & Balcom. This partnership was dissolved after a few- years, and the firm of Holt, Balcom & Calkins was formed. In two years, the interest of Calkins was bought by Holt and Balcom, and this firm con- tinued in business together over twenty years. Like his Revolutionary ancestors. Col. Balcom has always been imbued with a spirit of ardent patriotism and devotion to his country. At the outbreak of the Civil war in 1861, he raised a com- pany in Wisconsin, which did gallant service in the field. A staunch Union man, he has been a member of the Republican party since its organi- zation, and loyally supported the government in all its reconstructive and economic policy since the close of the war. In 1S6S he removed with his family to Chicago, and has since been known as one of the most influential and public spirited citizens of our western metropolis. The product of the mills at Oconto was shipped to the lumber yards in Chicago, andhis firm have done for many years past an extensive business in this city under Mr. Balcom's personal supervision. About four years ago he retired from business, though he :8 4 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. still remains a director of the Atlas National Bank ol Chicago, in which he has had a large interest Bince its organization. Socially he is very popular, ami is a member of three of the leading clubs of the city, the Commercial. Calumet ami Union League, which represent, in some aspects, the business. social, and political life of this community. Mr. Balcom married Miss Jane E. Berly, of Steuben county. New York, an estimable lady who has I'M- occupied a prominent position in the highest social circles of Chicago. They have no children. One of his brothers. Judge Ransom Balcom, rose to eminence as a member of the bar of the state of New York, and was for many years judge of the Supreme Court of that state. He died there a few years age. GRANT GOODRICH. GRANT GOODRICH was born in Milton, Sara- toga county. New York, on the 7th of August, 1811. He was the youngest son of Col. Gideon Goodrich, and was a direct descendant in the seventh gen- eration from William Goodrich, who arrived in New England in 1630. The family name is Saxon, and can be traced back for centuries before the Norman conquest of England, one of those who I wire it being St. Godric, abbot of Croyland, men- tioned in the chonicle of Ingulphus and the his- tory ol' Hector Boece. It has been interpreted to mean " a good ruler." or " one rich in God," or " in goodness." Its early English possessors, notably the good abbot, are said to have exemplified the first of these meanings, and the American branch of the family have steadily striven to exemplify in their lives the second. This was notably so with the subject of our sketch, who said, in a family memorial written by him and privately printed, " Whether the name was originally intended to indicated one rich in God or in goodness, a good ruler, or a ruler over a good district or domain, is not important at this day; cither denotes an hon- orable family origin and name, which all who in herit should strive never to dishonorer disparage." Among the descendants of William Goodrich were several who rendered useful service to their conn try in time i if need. One of them was with Starke in the battle of Bennington; another supplied bul- lets, cast from the lead of his own dwelling, to the continental troops in Boston; another was a metn- ber of the corporation of Yale college soon after its foundation; another served through the Revo lutionary war, and was present at the surrender of Burgoyne at Saratoga; another was in the bat- tles of Lexington and Bunker Hill, and was with Washington when he inarched his victorious army into New York. In the early years of the present century we find among its members prominent ad- vocates of anti-slavery and temperance principles, and devoted adherents of the Methodist Church. Literature, law. and diplomacy, the pulpit, the counting house, and the legislature, all are repre- sented on this family roll. •• Peter Parley." whose entertaining books for young people were the de- light of a past generation, was a near relative of Judge Goodrich. His father was a man of marked ability, force of character, public spirit. and general information, especially interested in promoting education, and active and liberal in the founding of schools. He was colonel of militia during the war of 1812 with Eng- land, represented Saratoga county in the Legis- lature, was always prominent in public and political affairs, and possessed the confidence ami respect of all who knew him. Iu 1816 he started for "the West." which in those days was located in the western part of New Y'ork. He purchased large tracts of land in Chautauqua county, which was a comparative wilderness, and so entirely destitute of educational advantages that he was obliged to employ a private tutor for his large family. When Grant Goodrich was ten years old his mother died, and he went to live with his sister, a remarkably cultivated and intellectual woman. Her husband was a physician, and so thoroughly did she acquaint herself with the scieii f medicine, that when patients came dur- ing his absence they were quite as well satisfied if she would prescribe for them. His associations in his sister's family confirmed his taste for liter- ary employment; and much to the disappointment of his father, who wished him to become a farmer, he showed a decided inclination for books. He was a puny, delicate boy. with some tendency to con- sumption, which study and confinement seemed to aggravate, and his relatives decided to put him on one of the vessels of his brother, who was en- gaged in the commission business at Portland Har- bor, on Lake Erie. His physical system was greatlj strengthened by the fresh air and manual exercise of two years' seafaring life, which probably laid the foundation for the ripe old age which he at- tained, and he also gained much practical knowl- edge of the laws controlling navigation, which was useful to him in after years in his admiralty prac- tice. He next entered Westfield academy, where BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS 285 he completed his preparatory studies, and then studied law with the firm of Dixon & Smith, with whom he remained until the spring of 1834. Much against the wishes of his family, he decided to come west, and after a journey of fourteen days in a stage coach arrived in Chicago on the 1 1th of May. ls:u. Hire he formed a law partner- ship with Alexander N. Fullerton, which contin- ued for about a year. In the fall of 1835 he went into partnership with Giles Spring, which continued until 1849. The climate of the West must have been particularly favorable to his constitution, for he endured labor and hardship of which he would not have been thought capable in his early years, while the excitement and ro- mance of life in a new country seemed to be con- genial to his mental temperament, stimulating without demoralizing his ardent nature. He came to Chicago when only eight small frame houses weir here to mark the site of the future great city. He lived to see what few living men have seen or will ever see — a mere frontier settlement on the banks of a small stream glow into a great metropolis of over a million people. He antici- pated from the beginning the city's destined great ness, and planned, along with other far-sighted pioneers, forthat wonderful growth which Chicago was to attain. His name is recorded as one of the eleven lawyers practicing in Chicago in 1834. He was present at the first formal meeting of the Chicago bar, held in 1835, on the death of Chief Justice Marshall. One of the hardships of those early days was the trip to Springfield, which the lawyers were obliged to make twice a year to attend the terms of the United States court which were held there. The ride to that city now occupies part of a day or night in a comfortable railroad car. Then a stage coach was the most luxurious conveyance to be had. In June, when the broad prairies were covered with a carpet of grass, over- laid with a variety of wild flowers, the .journey was one of pleasure. But in December, four or five days of weary travel through snow or rain and fathomless mud, traversing swollen streams on treacherous bridges, or folding where the bridges had disappeared, was a terrible ordeal for the strongest physique. Judge Goodrich interested himself and took stock in the building of plank roads, which was the first movement towards im- proving the facilities for inland transportation. At some seasons of the year the roads leading out from Chicago were almost impassable. He was a member of the volunteer fire department, from its inception, and the present generation, who can go to sleep with perfect confidence in the ability of the splendidly equipped and perfectly trained fire brigade to protect their property can have little conception of what that service implied. Every good citizen was impressed witli the idea that the whole responsibility of the little hamlet of Chicago rested upon his individual shoulders, and the talismanic cry of '-fire" in the midnight hours would rouse him from the soundest slum- bers. Dressing hastily, he would rush to the river carrying his leathern bucket, form in line, and pass buckets of water from hand to hand, for hours if necessary, until the fire was subdued, and then go home with blackened visage, but with the proud consciousness of duty fulfilled. In 1838 lie was one of the ten aldermen who constituted the Common Council of Chicago, of which body Judge John D. Caton is the only living representative. His name is found in the list of the first city elec- tion, and probably in every succeeding one, for with him it was a matter of principle, and he con sidered it the duty of every American citizen to take an interest in elections, and endeavor to in- sure the success of what each voter considered for the best interests of the country. For ten years afbr his arrival, he knew every settler in the young town. He at once saw the great possibili- ties of real estate speculation, ami engaged in that business, in which he was rapidly acquiring a for- tune, when the crash of 1837 came, and not only- swept away his own acquisitions, but involved him in debts not strictly his own, to the then appall- ing extent of over £00,000. The old canal lands had been offered for sale on long time on payment of a first cash installment. A great number of people came to Judge Goodrich to help them get a homeon these terms, and he endorsed their notes which went for the deferred payments. A large number of these notes were thrown back on him for payment. He refused to seek shelter under the bankruptcy law to relieve him from this bur- den; he set himself resolutely b 1 pay < iff every obli- gation, dollarfor dollar, and it took him seventeen years to do it. At the end of that time he had paid off the whole, principal and interest. In 1854 he entered into partnership with Hon.W. W. Far- well, and in 1 sr,i ; Sidney Smith was admitted into the firm, which took the name of Goodrich, Far- well & Smith. They transacted a large business both in the State and Federal courts, and were recognized as one of the leading law firms of Chi- cago. The unremitting labor which he had under- gone began to tell upon his health, and by advice of his physicians lie went to Europe in 1858. After 286 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. his return, in 1859, he was elected one of the judges of the superior court, which position he held between four and five years, when he returned to the bar, resuming Ins place at the head of the linn which was finally dissolved in 1869, when Judge < (oodrich retired from general practice. In common with hundreds of others, he saw the ac- cumulations of years of toil swept away in the great tire of 1871. To retrieve something of his tosses, he again entered into active practice; but after five years of intense and successful profes- sional labor, his nervous system gave way. and his prostration became so complete that he was forced to all am Ion all professional labor. As a lawyer and judge, he well deserved the eulogium spoken of him by the late Rev. Dr. Hatfield,—" In his ap- prehension of the law, as well as business capacity. Judge Goodrich was an honorable man. I do not suppose those who knew him would claim that he was one of the most brilliant lawyers at the bar of the city or state, but he was a good, well read, and thoroughly conscientious lawyer, who made his way in the world by just and honorable means, and not by financial trickery. There are few men in the city in whom the public had more perfect con- fidence than in Judge Goodrich, and this confi- dence was never misplaced. He was as true to his clients as to his own convictions of duty; and the same characteristics he carried to the bench, when the responsibilities of that position devolved upon him." But it is as a citizen, a friend of educationin its highest sense, and of the Christian religion in which he was reared, that Judge Goodrich will be longest remembered, and his acts in furtherance of which will be his most enduring monument. In isr_!he was one of the members of the school board, and helped to lay the foundations of its splendid school system. He aided in organizing the first temperance society and the tirst Bible society in Chicago, and was at his death a life member and vice-president of the American Bible Society. To provide facilities for the higher edu- cation in the north west, he, associated with others, procured the charter of the North-Western University, at Evanston, and by personal contri- butions, their united labors, watchful care and judicious management of its financial interests, secured its endowment and the honorable reputa- tion it bears. The university conferred upon him the degree of Doctor of Laws. As the legal ad- viser of Mrs. Eliza Garrett, after her husband's death, he was chiefly instrumental in confirming her decision to endow the Biblical Institute at Evanston, which bears that lady's name. He was one of its trustees until his death, when he was succeeded by Judge 0. H. Horton. He was also one of the founders of Rush Medical College, and a trustee of that institution from the date of its incorporation, March 2, 1837. When the college was organized and opened for students in ( (ctober, L843, he was chosen secretary, and signed everj diploma which was conferred by that college until the time of his death, which must have num- bered thousands. He was one of a committee of five who were appointed to draft the call for the convention to urge the general government to im- prove the rivers and harbors of the west, which met in Chicago in 1818, and was attended by twenty thousand delegates. But over and above all these enterprises, any one of which would be a proud memorial, we have to speak of his services to religion. The Methodist church owes him a large debt of gratitude, which it will always be paying, gladly. No layman has been more closely identified with the progress of Methodism in the Northwest. He was converted and became a mem- ber of the Methodist church in Westfield, New York,inl832. Immediately after his arrival in Chicago, he became a member of old Clark street church. He worshiped as a member in all of the temples erected successively for the use of that congregation. In addition to securing on a firm footing the two great educational institu tions of the Methodist church at Evanston, already mentioned, it is to his advice that that church owes its present possession of its most valuable property in this city- the building at the corner of Clark and Washington streets. When others thought it was too far from their homes on the outskirts, and insisted on its being sold, he strenu- ously counselled that it be kept in the hands of the church; and its present value is sufficient evi- dence of the wisdom of the advice. It stands now in the very center of the business part of the city, and the rents received from offices in the building, for the erection of which he drew a special char- ter which was passed by the Legislature, have amounted to over $300,000, most of which has been used in the founding of other churches. Belong- ing to the same political party as Mr. Lincoln, and having been associated with him in important law suits, he became one of the most ardent support- ers of Mr. Lincoln for the presidency. When the Rebellion broke out he was an active member of the Union Defence Committee of Chicago, which organized, equipped and sent to the field several regiments. After the Emancipation Proclamation was issued, he acted as a member of the Freed LIBRARY OF THE UMWtRSlTY of ILLWOIS. BIOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS. 287 man's Aid Society in caring for the liberated slaves, and there were few charitable movements which did not receive his best thought and active BUpport until the time of his death. He died at his home in Chicago on the 15th of March, lss'.t. in the seventy-eighth year of his age. The news of his death brought sadness to a large host of friends, both in the church and in business circles. A memorial service was held in the First church on Clark street, where venerable pastors joined in paying a tribute to his memory, who have them- selves since passed away. Among those who thus honored him, were the Rev. Drs. Hatfield, Hitch- cock. Boring. Edwards, and Bolton. His pallbear- ers were. Hon. Thomas Drummond, Hon. W. W. Parwell. Hon. Sidney Smith. William Deering, William A. Baldwin and John Borden. In 1836, Judge Goodrich married at Westfield, New Yorki Miss Juliet Atwater, who survives him. Five children were born to them. Horace A.. Mary P., George D., Walter G., and Charles H. Goodrich. Horace, the eldest, is in the real estate business in Chicago, and Walter ( J. is a member of the Chi- cago bar; George is a manufacturer of sewer tiles in Boston; Mary became Mrs. Maguire, and is now a widow; Charles died in lssi. The North Western University, the Garrett Institute, the Chicago board of education and the Chicago bar all held meltings and adopted appropriate tributes to Judge Goodrich's memory. At the bar meeting the memorial minute was presented by Judge Borton, and we are indebted largely toitformany facts embodied in this sketch. Judge Horton summed up the characteristics of Judge Goodrich in these appropriate words: "He inherited from his father, either by nature or teaching, a stern sense of the responsibilities of life, combined with a gentleness and equanimity which were phenom- enal. His indignation was never roused to fierce passion.' He never used expletives to emphasize his resentment, and malice was a word that had uo meaning as applied to him. for an injury was no sooner acknowledged than it was condoned or forgotten, and life seemed too busy and too impor- tant to waste on such insignificant matters. His influence was always for the cause of right and justice, regardless of consequences." The press of the city and the northwest, and wherever Judge Goodrich was known, paid unmeasured tributes to his memory which voiced a public regard accorded to but few men. A lectureship in apolo- getics has been founded at the Garrett Biblical Institute, which has been called the Grant Good- rich lectureship. JOHN H. LEWIS. HON. JOHN HENRY LEWIS, a prominent citizen and lawyer of Knoxville, two years a mem- ber of the Illinois Legislature and a representative of the state in the Forty-seventh Congress of the United States, was born in Tompkins county, New York, July '21, 1830. Mr. Lewis is of an an- cestry which will always be distinguished as illustrious in American annals, being descended from one of the signers of the Declaration of Inde- pendence Francis Lewis, a native of Llandaff. Wales, who in 1735, when about twenty-two years of age, emigrated to America, and settled in New- York as a merchant. Francis Lewis was one of the most resolute supporters of the movement which resulted in throwing off the yoke of Great Britain. He was one of tie originators of this movement and one of the famous organization known as the "Sons of Liberty." He was a dele- gate to the Continental Congress from 17TG to 177'.'. and signed the Articles of Confederation and the Declaration of Independence. He terminated a long, brilliant and successful career on Decem- ber 30, 1803, dying in New York, on that date. The father of the subject of this sketch was Henry Lewis, a descendant of "the signer." He was born October 6. 1796, in Sussex county. X. J., just across the line from New York, of which latter state his kinsman. General Morgan Lewis — who married into the old Livingston family — was Governor at one time. Henry Lewis married Miss Permelia M. Shaver, a native of Xew Fork state. July 8, 1820. In- the fall of 1830 Mr. and Mrs. Lewis removed to Illinois with their two sons, George W. and John H., the latter being a little over six years of age at the time. The family made the wearisome journey in a two-horse wagon. the trip consuming fifty-one days, arriving at their destination. October 15. 1836. It was a bold as well as a serious undertaking, for the pioneers of those days were called upon to endure hardships and privations of the sternest character. Mr. Lewis settled in Ellisville, Fulton county where there were only some old uninhabited wigwams. He built the tirst frame house erected in that town, but died within a year after his arrival therein— September 25. 1S37. His widow, a cour- ageous and God-fearing woman, was thus left alone with her young children in an almost un- civilized country. Shortly after her bereavement she and her little ones were turned out of house and home to subsist as best they could among strangers. With a mother's devotion she labored 2 88 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. diligently to provide for her offspring, and sup- ported and watched overthem to the best of her ability until they were able to maintain them- selves. George the elder son- left Illinois while still young in years, and after extended travel in the Eastern states and in Mexico, found a home in Southern California, where he still resides. The subject of this sketch remained near his mother who continued to live at Ellisville — until he was about eleven years of age, getting a few months" schooling in each year, but also doing some farm work in an effort to contribute to his own support. At the age mentioned he was put out to work on a farm in Peoria county, near Farmington. The family with whom be was placed were South Carolinians, and the period of service was fixed at six years. The considerations offered him were good clothing during his apprenticeship, three months* schooling each year, and a horse, saddle ami bridle at the close of the term. As in many similar instances, these considerations were willfully neglected, and the lad at the end of five years of the period had had but forty-one days schooling, almost nothing in the way of clothing, and all this time was treated as an inferior and even denied association with the family at meals. Under the impression that he was legally bound out. he submitted to this cruel neglect. By acci- dent, his mother while working at a farm house, some six miles distant, learned of her son's condi- tion. As there had been no formal indentures of apprenticeship she claimed him and soon after- wards succeeded in placing him for the winter in the family of William Kent who lived near the present town of Yates City. His mother who also was an inmate of this household, kept him at school during this time and supplied him with clothing and books. In the spring he found em- ployment as farm-hand with Mr. James Kent, who lived near by. receiving for his labor seven dollars a month. In the fall of 1817 he entered the family of Mr. 1!. L. Hannaman, of Knoxville, Knox county, stipulating to do chores for his board. Here he was treated with the greatest kindness and remained two years, attending school in proper season. Early in 1849 he obtained a minor clerk- ship in the store of G. M. Ewing, at Knoxville, beingpaid fifty dollars a year salary in addition to bis I ii .a id. The second year the money considera- tion was raised to seventy live dollars. The third year he was offered one hundred and fifty dollars to continue, but he declined it. preferring to attend school during that summer. In the fall he was temporarily employed by a Mr. Alexander Ewing' in opening up a new stock of goods, and made such a good impression by his fidelity and cleverness that this worthy merchant gave him credit for a small stock of goods to enable him to start in selling on the road on commission. To procure the necessary horse and wagon involved consider- able financiering, as the lad's capital did not exceed twenty -two dollars. Of this amount twenty dollars were paid on account of a horse and harness purchased for forty dollars, and a sixty-day note for sixty dollars was given for a wagon. This note — the first he ever negotiated — was paid before it matured out of the profits of his commercial venture. In 1852, lie took a responsible clerkship in the newly opened store of a Mr. McChesney, at Abingdon, ten miles from Knoxville, and continued in that employment until his employer sold out in 1857. Thrown into connection with court officers and lawyers, through his temporary services in the law offices of Hannaman & Hales in making an abstract of the county records, he acquired a bias in favor of the law as a profession, and having access, in 1857, to the law library of A. J. King, a prominent lawyer of Abingdon, he made good use iif the privilege and qualified himself for admission to practice. He was duly licensed by the Supreme Court to practice law in all the courts of the state mi the 10th of January, 1870. Mr. Lewis imbibed abolition ideas while he was a mere boy in years — the neglect he experienced at the hands of the southern family, to whom he im- agined he was bound, awakened in him a deep sympathy for the enslaved blacks. He became a member of the Republican party when it was formed, voted for its first presidential candidate. Fremont, and in the exciting campaign of 18G0, was its nominee in Knox county for the office of clerk of the circuit court. Elected to this office, by virtue of which he became also recorder of the county, he served out his four years term, and then took a vacation of several months, in the course of which he visited many of his friends in the Union army, then operating in the border states. His own private business affairs occu- pied him pretty closely for a few years and he paid considerable attention to politics. In 1S68 he again entered the clerk's office as deputy, re- maining there until 1871. Early in that year he was appointed one of three trustees of the Illinois Institution for the education of the blind, but this office he resigned in the fall, after being elected to the State Legislature. Mr. Lewis made an excellent record in this body, in which he served one term to the complete satisfaction of UBRWtf OF THE vrvlC C^'U^vr^n,xU^c BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. ; 8 9 his fellow-citizena generally. A man of the most humane impulses he was led to examine for him- self into the workings "f the penal institutions of the state, and becoming convinced that the sys- tem employed was prejudicial to the public wel- fare, In- framed a preamble and resolution which was read for the information of the Legislature in 187."), and published in the Chicago Tinas and many other leading Western newspapers. In this preamble and resolution Mr. Lewis took the ground that the public prisons should be places of reform instead of vindictive punishment; that justice should be dune even to a criminal; and that in punishing him, innocent ones dependent upon him lor support should not lie robbed of all of his production and driven to the poor-house, prostitution or tin- grave. This resolution ex- cited wide-spread interest and was probably the first step taken in this country to draw public at- tention to a subject which, at least, is beginning tn receive the consideration it merits. It was. without doubt, the first paper bearing on this matter ever offered in an American legislative body. In 1880 Mr. Lewis was nominated for Con- gress by the Republicans of the ninth Congres- sional district of Illinois, and was elected by a majority of 364, over his Democratic opponent, John S. Lee. He was again nominated in 1882, but was defeated owing to the marked publicsen timent reproving those who voted for the River and Harbor bill passed by the Forty-seventh Congress, of whichhe wasa member. It should be recorded that Mr. Lewis' support of this bill was praise worthy and honorable beyond cavil. He believed the measure to he perfectly right and he. himself, had an appropriation to complete needed locks and dams on the Illinois river. Although not re- turned to his seat in Congress, Mr. Lewis still maintains a profound interest in public affairs, regarding which few men in Illinois are better in- formed. His acquaintance with public men is extensive and he keeps in perfeet touch with en- lightened public sentiment on all matters of im- portance, national as well as local. While in Con gress he served on the committees on public buildings and grounds, and public expenditures, occupying second place on the first named com- mittee, and gave close and intelligent attention to public business, never sparing time or labor in any matters which engaged his support. Since leaving the National Legislature he has 1 n oc cupied almost wholly by his private business af- fairs. Although "belonging to no church and ac- cepting no creed yet his faith in the mercy and justice of God is great and immovable." He is a prominent member of the Masonic order, with which he became affiliated shortly after coming of age. As a business man he owes his success to his trained judgment and high reputation for integ- rity. His extensive operations in real estate have brought him into intimate relationship with a large number of well-known and wealthy citizens, as well as with others less known and less wealthy, by all of whom he is held in deserved respect. He is one of the best known men in Knox county and a staunch Republican. His triumphover tin- adverse circumstances of his early life has been complete and teaches the lesson of patience, per- severance and honorable living. The mantle of his illustrious ancestor — "the Signer "—has fallen upon shoulders worthy to bear it, and lias been borne without spot or stain. Mr. Lewis wasmarried on December 12. lSo7, to Miss Elizabeth S.Russell, daughter of R. H. and Elizabeth Russell, of Abingdon. Illinois. This lady was born in Vir- ginia, from which state she accompanied her par- ents to Illinois, when but one year old. Her father and mother were among the early pioneers of the latter state, coming in the fall of 1837. and were people of worth and high respectability, Inn- ing left their native state on account of then- hatred to the institution of slavery. Of six children, four sons and two daughters, born to Mr. and Mrs. Lewis, only two sons. Ira J. the fourth, born August 11. 1865 mow in a bank in Moberly. Missouri i. and John, the sixth, born Aug- ust 30. 1S74 (now attending St. Albans school in Knoxville i. survive. GILBERT WOODR V Y V . GILBERT WOODRUFF, president of the Rock- ford National Bank, and a leading citizen of that city, was born on the 20th of November, 1817, in Watertown. New York, the son of Frederick and Lodema A nd ms Woodruff. During his boyh Un- attended the common school in tin- winter season. spending the summer months on his father's farm. Having mastered the rudiments of learning. In- finished his school course at an early aye and with a small capital began the grocery business at Watertown. At tin-end of six months he had sold out his stock, and opened a large store, which he conducted for two years and a half , with constant- ly increasing prosperity. Having now, by careful >90 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. management, sufficiently increased his capital he began to invest in real estate, and soon had the management of an extensive business. He in- vested heavily in building, and among others, erected the Washington Ball block, in Watertown. In L857, he elosed out Ins business in the East, and removed to Dubuque, Iowa, where he spent one year attending to his financial interests. Dur- ing the period of his real estate transactions in Watertown, he had .loaned money to parties in Wisconsin and Iowa, and had also invested in lands in both those states. He removed to Rock- t'ord. Illinois, in 1858, and for the next three years employed the principal part of his time in the real estate business, exchanging his Iowa and Wis- consin lands for property in and around the city of Roekford. Within two or three years he owned forty farms in Winnebago and Ogle counties, which he afterwards exchanged for city property. The beautiful city in which he decided to make his home oweB a large part of its development to the public spirit and energy of Mr. Woodruff. During his long residence there, he has always taken an active interest in all public enterprises, and has been associated with many city improve- ments. The Woodruff addition to Roekford was laid out by him. He has seen the city grow from a mere village into a large manufacturing town, and has personally taken an active part in nego- tiations to induce manufacturing corporations to establish their headquarters there. In several of these efforts he has been successful, and Roekford now boasts a variety of manufacturing concerns, each employing hundreds of workmen, who have been attracted to the city by the public spirited efforts and agency of Mr. Woodruff and others. He was one Of the originators of the Roekford National Bank, and in May, 1871, was elected its president, a position which he still holds. In 1873 he was one of the founders of the Forest City Fire Insurance Company, of which he is now president, and in 1875 he organized the Forest City Furni- ture Company, which has one of the largest man- ufacturing establishments in the city, doing an extensive business in the west. In the same year he built a large plow factory, which is also a thriv- ing concern, employing a large number of hands. Recently he built two of the finest business blocks in Roekford, one of which is the Roekford National Hank building, and I he other an elegant block in which is located the opera house. In 1st:! he waselected mayorof Roekford, ami held that office until 1ST."). Mr. W hull' has always taken an active interest in religious work, and is a leading member and tins tec of the first Congregational Church of Roek- ford. He is also one of the trustees of the Rock- ford Female Seminary, which ranks very high among the educational institutions of the state. In politics he is a Republican. Socially he leads a quiet, unostentatious life, and is always accessi- ble to the humblest of his fellow citizens, and always ready with a helping hand whenever his sympathies are aroused by a case of distress. In all his dealings he has maintained throughout life a character of the highest integrity, and the city of Roekford does not contain a more generally esteemed and respected citizen. In April 1812, he married Miss Nancy Fay, and has two sons and three daughters. CHARLES W. LEFFINGWELL. REV. CHARLES WESLEY LEFFINGWELL. D.D.,wasborn on the 5th of December, 1840. Heis the son of Rev. Lyman and Sarah (Brown) Lef- flngwell (deceased), who were natives of Connecti- cut. His paternal grandfather, Joseph Leffing- well, born in Norwich, was a lineal descendant of Lieutenant Thomas Leffingwell, leader of the col ony that founded that place. Charles Wesley entered the Sophomore class of Union College, Schenectady, New York, at the age of sixteen. Owing to ill health he was compelled to suspend study and come to Illinois, whither his parents had preceded him, to recuperate. Soon after his arrival, when but seventeen years old, he taught a school of about sixty pupils, one sea son, near Dundee, Kane county, Illinois, after which he taught one season in the Military Insti- tute at Kirkwood, Missouri. He then went to Galveston, Texas, in company with the Rev. Ben- jamin Eaton, with whom he lived for a year. Af- terward he held the position of deputy-surveyor for the city and county, and taught a private school during most of the time. At the com- mencement of the war in 1861 he returned to Illi- nois and entered Knox College, at Galesburg, where, in June, 1862, he graduated. On the 23rd of July, 1862, he was married to Elizabeth, daughter of John Francis, formerly of Kent. Eng- land, then a resident of Chautauqua county. New- York. Mr. Leffingwell soon after became vice- pi -incipal of the Military Institute, of Poughkeep- sie, New York, of which Dr. C. B. Warring was LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY of ILLINOIS. RIOORArilY OF ILLINOIS. 29T the principal. He completed his theological course in the seminary at Nashotah, Wisconsin, where he graduated in L867. After his ordination by Bishop Whitehouse, having served four months as assistant to the Rev. Dr. Rylance, of St. James church. Chicago, he was elected tutor of the Nash- otah Theological Seminary. While a student there he had supported himself and family by or- ganizing and conducting a school, which he now- continued to carry on successfully in connection with his duties in the seminary. Before a year had expired he was called from his tutorship to establish and take charge of a diocesan school for girls, in Knoxville, Illinois. Accordingly, Si. Mary's school was opened April 13, 1868. In 1875, Mr. Leffingwell received the degree oJ Doctor of Divinity Crom Knox College. After conducting for four years a religious paper called "The Diocese." in the interest of the Episcopal Church in Illinois, he became editor and propri eter of Tht Living Church, Chicago, a general church weekly newspaper, which under his man- agement has attained a large circulation in all parts of the United States, having also many sub- scribers in Canada and England. On the morn- ing of January 1, 1883, the building and contents of St. Mary's School were destroyed by fire. The school, however, was not disbanded, but in October occupied a new building, far exceeding the previous one in beauty and convenience In 1890, Dr. Leffingwell opened, as a private enter prise. St. Alban's School for boys, in Knoxville. He has been for many years president of the standing committee of the dioceseof Quincy, and has represented the diocese from its formation in the general convention. He has edited two books: "A Reading Book of English Classics'' (1879), and a volume of j try. ■• Lyrics of The Living Church" (1891). He has had seven chil- dren, two having died in infancy. The oldest living is Mrs. Alice E. Binkley, Chicago, Illinois; Charles Warring, graduate of Columbia, 1892; Ernest DeKoven, Hortense Nesbitt, and Ger- trude. ELIJAH II. GAMMON. Among the figures prominently identified with the development of the state of Illinois, both in spiritual and material interests, is that of Rev. Elijah H. Gammon. His remarkable career has in it much inspiration for aspiring young manhood. Mr. Gammon was bom in what is now the town of Lexington. Maine, December 23. 1819. He was the eldest of six children. His parents were poor, and he was early thrown on his own resources, both for a livelihood and an education He left home to seek his fortune; but being come, ted at seventeen, and uniting with the Methodist Episco- pal Church, his plans for life were changed, and he felt deeply impressed that it was his duty to preach the gospel. He taught school for a time, and at twenty-four was licensed to preach, and received into the Maine Conference. In this same year, 1843, he was married to Miss Sarah J. Cutler, of Wilton. Maine, and it was to this town that he went as his first appointment, with a salary of one hundred dollars. He labored suc- cessfully as pastor and preacher 111 Maine for eight years. But in 1851, having contracte I a bronchial affection, and desiring a more genial climate he removed with his family, consisting of his wife and two daughters. Abbie K. and Sarah M. Gam- mon, to DeKalb county, Illinois. At Ross Grove he opened a private school; but the next year. 1852, he began again to preach, and united with the Rock River Conference of the M. E. Church. He was sent to St. Charles. The year following he served the Jefferson street Church, Chicago. In 1854 he went to Batavia as pastor of the new- church just completed. Here he remained one year and was then appointed presiding elder of the St. Charles district, and continued in charge until 1858. In that year, his health again breaking, and his bronchial trouble having become chronic, he was obliged to have the ministry. His home was broken in 1S.V>. by the death of his wife. In May I806. he was married to Mrs. Jane C. Colton, and on September of the next year was born his first and only son, Charles Wesley Gammon, who lived to be about nineteen, when he died of typhoid fever while attending school at Worcester, Mass. He was a young man of excellence and promise, greatly beloved. The two daughters. Mrs. J. S. Harvey and Mrs. Fred Huse, both died in early womanhood. Thus stricken by the death of all his children, Mr. Gammon bore his loss with a fortitude becoming his character, both as a man and a Christian. The business career of Mr. Gammon began in 1859, when he connected him- self with Newton A: Co. of Batavia. This firm soon began the manufacture of the Palmer & Williams self-raking reaper, and this was the first introduction of that machine in the West. The partnership of Newton & Co. having ended in 1861, Mr. Gammon, who foresaw a great demand in the 292 lilOOKAPHY OF ILLINOIS Northwest for harvesting machinery, concluded to establish a distributing house in Chicago. A partnership was formed with. Mr. J. D. Easter, and under the firm name of Easter & Gammon thej handled until 1864, Ball's Ohio reapers and mowers, and threshing machines. About this time the Marsh brothers were seeking to introduce their harvester, the first of its kind. Easter A Gammon saw the machine, and had faith in it, and against many discouragements, and bitter opposition began its manufacture and sale. They obtained exclusive control of the Marsh harvester for six western states. The development of this machine, the adoption of the automatic binder, and the perfecting of the twine-binding harvester, are largely due.to the enterprise and courage of Easter & Gammon. Inl868this tirui was dissolved, and Mr. Gammon went into partnership with Mr. James P. Prindle. This firm continued the busi- ness of making and Belling reapers and farm machinery. In the year following, Mr. Gammon acquired an interest with the Marsh's and Stewards, in the manufactory at Piano. In 1870, Mr. Prindle having retired, Mr. Gammon formed a partnership with Mr. William Deering. and the great manufacturing firm of Gammon & Deering, was established. This firm became sole owners of the works at Piano. They pushed the sale of the Marsh Harvesters to a great success, and intro- duced a practical wire binder, and the Appleby twine binder. In 1878 Mr. Gammon sold out his interest to Mr. Deering. His health being poor, he had traveled abroad and in his own country for a year or more before retiring from business. With health recruited, he established, in connection with Mr. William H. Jones and others in 1880, the Piano Manufacturing Company. Of this very successful Company Mr. Gammon was vice-president and the largest stockholder, and his connection with it, has given it the confidence of the people throughout the country, and helped in no small degree to make it the profitable institution that it has become. During the last few years of his life Mr. Gammon's health was much impaired. By spending some time abroad, and by wintering in the South, it was hoped that the bronchial affection would be eradi- cated. But every effort was unavailing, and in the Bummer of 1891, on returning from Atlanta, Geor- gia, he was taken with a severe attack of asthmatic bronchitis and pneumonia from which he died peacefully at his home in Batavia, on the morning of July 3. His death produced a profound im- pression on the whole community, for he was a man loved by his friends, respected by his busi- ness associates, and honored by his church. The gathering at his funeral on July G, bore strong testimony to the high regard in which he was held. He was buried in the family lot in Graceland, Chicago. The business career of Mr. Gammon was remarkably successful; but the large fortune he accumulated has gone in part to bless and help lift up the world, as well as to make rich provis- ion forthe beloved wife and relatvics that remain. Throughout his long life, Mr. Gammon had main tained a wide sympathy with all philanthropic and especially with educational interests. He was always a liberal man, and as the passing years added to his generous fortune they also added to the large purposes for God's kingdom that had always throbbed within him. To the Maine Wes- leyan Seminary he gave five thousand dollars; to Garrett Biblical Institute, of which he was for twenty years a trustee, lie gave ten thousand. To needy friends and students, tei chinches, to the benevolent causes of Methodism, he gave sums that make large aggregates. Batavia will ever hold a monument of his generosity and that of Capt. D. C. Newton, in the unique and beautiful church erected by them there. But the crowning work of Mr. Gammon's life, and that which ranks him among the foremost philanthropic sons of his church, has been the foundation and endowment of the Theological Seminary at Atlanta, Georgia, that bears his name. Into this, there has already been put more than two hundred and fifty thous- and dollars, and by the provisions of his will this amount will be raised to nearly half a million. It is 1 in t fair to say that no school of the South is the outgrowth of a more deliberate and thought- ful conviction than is the Gammon Theological Seminary. Through it a strong Christian soul has found an utterance for itself, to its own and every succeeding generation. Mr. Gammon was of the New England type of character; but to the rug- ged strength of his nature there was added a kind- liness and charity that increased with the years. In manner he was modest and unobtrusive. He was a man of few words, reticent and thoughtful, coining to deliberate conclusions and hard to move from them. As a Christian he was simple and sin- cere. His home was singularly happy, a place of warm friendships, and given to hospitality. From every state of the South, have come up to the bereaved family expressions of deepest gratitude from the people for whom he wrought his greatest work. And in not a few churches in that land, the draped altar and the memorial service, have spoken the honor in which he was held. In the LIBRARY OP THE UNIVERSITY of ILLINOIS. "^^ ■ ftiMsluii£ &Eiigrarii f ^7^. T^L BIOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS. 293 death of Mr. Gammon, we feel that a potent fac- tor lias gone out of the life of the state and of the nation. He touched at so many points, Bociety, the business world, the cause of education, the church of Christ and the larger liberty of our country, that when we sum up his life, we feel that In' represents net merely the upright busi- ness man and the loyal citizen, but in a true high sense, the typical American. GEORGE M. ROGUE. GEORGE MARQUIS BOGUE is a native of Norfolk, St. Lawrence county. New York, where he was born January 21, 1842, and lived until he was fourteen years of age. His parents were War- ren Steuben and Sally (Underwood) Bogue. The form T was a descendant of John Bogue, who came to America from Glasgow, Scotland, in 1680, and settled in the Connecticut colony at East Haddom. now known as Hadlyme. Warren Bogue was born at Georgia. Vermont, in the year 1800, but removed when a young man to St. Lawrence county, New York, where, as stated, ( leorge M. Bogue. the sub- ject of this sketch, was born. In IS.jG. when he was in his fifteenth year. < leorge M. Bogue came to Chicago to join his brothers. Hamilton B. and S. Curtiss, who had preceded him by several years. He reached Chicago on August 28, 1856, and in 18.57 went to work in the freight office of the Mer- chant's Despatch (of which line his brother, Mr. Hamilton B. Bogue was tin- Chicago agent for man] years), where he continued until April 1859. He then returned to Xew York state and entered the Cayuga Lake Academy at Aurora. There he received all academic education, and in July, 1861, returned to Chicago and was again taken into the office of the Merchant's Despatch, where he re- mained until the spring of 1863. In June of that year Mr. Bogue laid the foundation of his present fame as an expert in realty by obtaining a position in the land department of the Illinois Central Railway. In this capacity he served a little over four years, daily accumulating a wider knowdedge of real estate matters, ami finally in October, 1867, he withdrew and began business on his own ac- count. He was then only twenty-five years of age, but he quickly secured a profitable patronage, and the small beginning then made has since devel- oped into the immense trade now controlled by Bogue & Co., wdiich consists of George M. Bogue, Hamilton B. Bogue and H.W.Christian. Prom his early manhood, Mr. Bogue has been a busy, progressive citizen. In 1858 he became a resident of Hyde Park (then only a small suburb adjoining Chicago on the south, but now a part of thecity), and in 1864 was elected town clerk, holding the office until 1867. In I860 Mr. Bogue was elected treasurer of the town and served until 1872, and in November of the latter year was elected a mem- ber of the Cook county board of commissioners, vice Hon. Chas. Hitchcock, resigned. Mr. Bogue filled out the term, which expired in December, 1874. acting in the meantime as chairman of the finance committee, and being also a member of the building committee. The latter was an es- pecially important assignment, as it was during Mr. Bogue's incumbency that several large public buildings wen' erected, including the county hos- pital, criminal court and county jail and extensive additions to the insane asylum. In 1874 In- was elected as a representative in the State Legisla- ture from the second senatorial district, and served with marked distinction. In February, 1S77. Mr. Bogue was appointed by Gevernor Cul- lorn, of Illinois, as a member of the State Board of Railroad and Warehouse Commissioners, andheld the position until March, 1883, when he resigned. In June. 1870. he was one of the delegates from Chicago, to the Republican National Convention at Cincinnati, which nominated President Hayes. Mr. Bogue's intimate knowledge of railway affairs, and his reputation as a man of broad conservative opinion and strict impartiality led to his unani- mous election in January, 1883, as the arbitrator of the western railway pools, composed of the Southwestern Traffic Association, the Colorado Traffic Association, the Northwesten Traffic Asso- ciation and the Central Iowa Traffic Association. That the interests involved were immense, the following list of roads that were members of the various associations will show: Chicago & Alton; Chicago, Burlington & Quiucy; Chicago. Milwau- kee a- St. Paul: Chicago & North western; Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific: Chicago. St. Paul. Minne- apolis t t Omaha: Hannibal & St. Joe: Kansas City, St. Joe & Council Bluffs; Minneapolis A- St. Louis; Missouri Pacific; Rock Island A- Peoria; and the Wabash. St. Louis & Pacific. All the vast and intricate business incident to Mr. Bogue's duties as arbitrator between these powerful and aggres sive railways was performed to the satisfaction of all. and when in 1887 he resigned that he might devote his time exclusively to his rapidly growing realty business, there was universal regret among 294 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. railway nun. In making his awards large sums of money were always involved, and in deciding the hundreds of troublesome ami intricate points submitted to him. Mr. Bogue's fairness was never called in question. Since his withdrawal from railway matters, Mr. Bogue has attained a simi- lar enviable place in the business world. His con- nection with the Chicago Real Estate Board, of which he was president in 1889, and is now chair- man of the committee on valuations, has marked hi in as one of the most deservedly prominent and able men in the city. Besides these interests which have absorbed nearly all his time and called him into the hardest and most exacting of active service. Mr. Bogue has quietly filled many other positions of honor and trust with great credit to himself and profit to those who bestowed them upon him. He was, for instance, for many years an active member of the board of managers and of the executive committee of the Home for Incura- bles; he has been a member of the board of mana- gers of the Presbyterian Hospital since it was established in 1883, and for the past three years has been president of the board; a member of the board of directors of Lake Forest University; a member of the executive committee of the Pres- byterian League of Chicago, an organization which conducts the mission work of the Presbyte- rian church in Chicago; a trustee of the Hyde Park Presbyterian church since its organization in 1864, and for the last eight years the president of the board. Mr. Bogue was married on January 26, 1871, at Hyde Park, to Miss Catharine M. Van Doren, daughter of A. B. Van Doren of that place. They have had five children. Two died in infancy, and three, Franklin Ackerman, Ruth Van Doren, and ( leorge Marquis are living. WILLIAM F. POOLE. WILLIAM FREDERICK POOLE, LL. D., an eminent American librarian and historical writer, recently president of the American Libra- ry Association and of the American Historical As- sociation, also librarian of the Chicago Public Library, and since 1SS7 librarian of the Newberry Library in Chicago, was born at Salem, Massa- chusetts, 1> imber 24, 1821. He descended, in the eighth generation, from John Poole, who emi- grated from Reading, England, to Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1632, and three years later, be- came the leading prnprieter in the settlement of Reading. Massachusetts. Ward Poole, the father of tin' subject of this sketch, married Eliza Wild- er, a daughter of Abel Wilder, of Keene. New Hampshire. He carried on the leather and tan- ning business, which had been the family occupa tion for several generations. In 1835 the family removed to Worcester, Massachusetts. William was the second son of a family of six sons and one daughter. The third son. Henry Ward Poole (A. M. Yale College), born September 13, 1825, was professor in the National College of Mines in the City of Mexico, where hi' died October 21, 1890. He was an eminent mining engineer, geolo- gist, archaeologist, linguist, and writer of articles, in Silliman's American Journal of Science (1850- 67), on the most abstruse questions relating to musical science, which were acknowledged by Helmholtz and other scientific writers in Germany and England; to be of the highest importance. The house in which they were born is still stand- ing, and, although it has never been moved, has passed, by changes of town lim s and names, from Salem to Danvers, from Dauvers to South Dan- vers, and from South Danvers to Peabody. Until his twelfth year William attended the common public school at Danvers. Having had an excel- lent teacher, he was then well up in the usual Eng- lish branches, and had some knowledge of Latin and advanced mathematics which he had learned out of school. He then went to Keene, New Hampshire, and worked in a jeweler's shop for one year. The next year he was, with his father, engaged in farming at Worcester, and then, going back to Danvers, learned the ancestral trade of tanning. With this varied experience as a boy he was contented; but not yet having found his right groove, his mother resolved that he should return to his books which had been laid aside for five years. At the age of seventeen he began pre- paring for college at Leicester Academy, and in 1842 he entered Yale College. Here his studies were interrupted at the close of the freshman year, and during the ensuing three years he was engaged in teaching. In 1846 he returned to Yale, entering the sophomore class, and in 1849 was graduated. Among his classmates were Timothy Dwight, now the president of the college, F. M. Finch, now judge of the New York Appellate Court, and Prof. E. D. Morris, D. D., of Lane Seminary. Mr. Poole's life-work began even be- fore he had completed his college education. Near the close of his sophomore year he was appointed assistant librarian of his college society, the BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 295 •■ Brothers in Unity," which had a library of about ten thousand volumes. After a few wicks of practical work he saw the need of some kind of an index to the bound sets of periodicals with which the library was well supplied, but wen- not used. With the design of meeting this want he began the preparation of an index of their con- tents for use in the library. It was a great task, but was persevered in until accomplished, the work being done at night and in spare moments. The index proved to be so great a convenience to students that it was Deeded elsewhere and was printed. The tirst edition, an octavo volume of 154 pages, appeared in 1848, and was 3 1 exhausted. The demand continued and Mr. Poole devoted his leisure hours during Benior year and the year sub sequent to his graduation to the preparation of a new and enlarged edition containing six times as much matter as the fonner work. It was com- pleted and published in 1853. It made a volume of 531 pages and secured for its author a fame which extended to every section of this country and to Europe. He was the librarian of the society in his senior year, and remained in New Haven some months after his graduation. In 1851 he was called to the assistant librarianship of the Boston Athenaeum, and the following year to be the librarian of the Boston Mercantile Library. At that date librarianship had hardly risen to the dignity of a profession. " Most of the librarians" says one who is himself an ornament of the pro- fession — "were men who had drifted into the pur- suit from some other occupation. To few, if any, was it the chosen life-work. Few of the libra- rians in colleges saw in the work which was giv- ing them a lift in their income the promise and potency of a profession. Now, librarianship has come to be recognized as a learned profession, de- manding and compensating first-rate abilities, and rivaling almost any other pursuit for college-bred men." The authority quoted justly recognizes Dr. Poole's conspicuous labors in creating the pro- fession of librarianship, saying of him that " fen- have done more to elevate and dignify this pro fession, and at the same time by the application of 'uncommon common-sense,' to develop it along the lines of practical utility." Dr. Poole was li- brarian of the Boston Mercantile Library four years, and during that period — in addition to bringing out the second edition of his Index to Periodical Literature prepared and printed a "dictionary catalogue" of the library. on the "tit le- a-line " principle, which has been widely followed since. In 1856 he accepted the position of libra- rian of the Boston Athenaeum, and for thirteen years tilled that important position until the close of 180S, when he resigned it to engage in ex- pert library work. The Athenaeum was then the largest library in Boston and was one of the best in the United States, but has since been over- shadowed by the phenomenal development of the Boston Public Library. During his administra- tion of the Athenaeum Library, he with the able assistance of Mr. Charles Russell Lowell, began the preparation of the catalogue now in use in that in- stitution, consisting of five large volumes, which were completed and printed by his successor. On leaving the Athenaeum, Dr. Poole was, with sev- eral assistants, occupied as a library expert in the organization of the Bronson Library, Waterbury, Conn., the Fairbanks Athenaeum Library, at St. Johnsbury. Yt.. and in similar work at Newton and Easthampton, Mass.. and in the library of the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis. Md. His services were engaged in the same capacity for the Public Library of Cincinnati, in the autumn Of the year 1809; and soon he became the librarian and remained in charge for four years. In October, 1873. he was elected librarian of the Public Library of Chicago, even before it existed. Entering upon his duties there in January, 1874, In selected ami purchased the books, organized the institution, saw it safely through all the troubles and perils of its early existence, and for fourteen years fostered its marvelous growth in usefulness and popularity. During these many years, he has constantly been called on for advice and assistance in the formation and management of libraries throughout the country. In 1882, Dr. Poole issued the third edition of his now famous Index to Periodical Literature, a royal octavo vol- ume of 1469 pages. In its preparation he had the co-operation of the American Library Association. the Library Association of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the assistance of Mr. Win. I. Fletcher, of Amherst College Li- brary. It is now in use in all public and many private libraries, and it is difficult to conceive a work more useful to students. It has no rival in the English language: and no one in France, Ger- many or Italy has attempted to make a similar index to their reviews and magazines. Ever since adopting his profession, Dr. Poole has appreciated the value of concerted action among librarians; and has worked with excellent results to bring about a co-operation of interests on the part of the profession and public. He was a member of the hist convention of librarians in this coun- BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. try, and the Brsl in the world, which, wag held in New York City, in September, 1853. He took a leading part in the organization of the American Library Association, at Philadelphia, in Isti;, and was one of its \ Lee presidents from that year un- til 1885, when he was elected to the pn sidency of the association, and in the following year was re- elected. He lias attended every meeting of the society, and lias contributed many papers of high value, besides participating in the discussions on everj important subject. He was one of the Americans who attended the first International Conference of Librarians, in London in 1877, and had the honor of being one of the vice-presidents. In 1882 the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws iLL.D.i was conferred upon him bj the North western University. In the summer of 1887 Dr. Poole was appointed librarian of the Newberry Library in Chicago, an institution named after its founder, the late Mr. Walter L. Newberry, I >y whose will it was established on a foundation of nearly three millions of dollars. The institution is and will lie solely a reference library for the use of scholars. Its foundation was then by far the largest of any library in the United States. The Crerar foundation, of about the same amount for the es- tablishment of another free library in Chicago, has since been left by the will of the late John Crerar; but the library has not yet gone into operation. Dr. Poole's position at the head of the Newberry Library is one of high responsibility, and has opportunities unequaled in his profession. The founding of two such magnificently endowed institutions as the Newberry and the Crerar libraries in the city of Chicago must operate with marvelous power in advancing that progressive city to a chief place among the great literary cen- ters of the world: and in this work the experience and zeal of Dr. Poole cannot fail to act a memor- able part. Among the special subjects to which Dr. Poole has given attention is that of library architecture: and his several papers upon it have attracted much attention, both in this country and in Europe. He may be called the leader in the present movement for securing practical util- ity and convenience in library buildings, as op- posed to the old conventional style, in which both have been sacrificed to architectural effect. In the latesl edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica his papers on this subject are accepted as the highest authority. In the new building of the Newberry Library, now in process of erection, his principles of construction will lie fully carried out. In other departments of library management he has manifested no less originality and fertility in devising improved and practical methods. The "Report on Public Libraries" issued in 1876, by the United States Bureau of Education, contains sev- eral papers by him, one of which is on "The Organ- ization and Management of Public Libraries," giv- ing practical directions on all essential points connected with the work, and is generally recog- nized as the standard authority on the subject. The work of his pen has not been limited to sub- jects pertaining to his profession. Being inter- ested in historical studies, first, those especially relative to New England, and then to the West, he has for thirty years been a constant writer of critical papers relating to American history. Con- troverting tlie chargi s brought by standard histo- lians against the New England clergy of foment- ing the witchcraft persecution of the 17th cen- tury, he published several articles in 1868-81 which arrested general attention, and changed the current of popular belief on this subject. Chief among these was the one on " Cotton Mather and Salem Witchcraft" in the Noriti American Re- rieio, April, 1869. The same theme was assigned to him by the editor of the "Memorial History of Boston," and he wrote the chapter on "Witchcraft in Boston." In the North American Revieiv also appeared his articles on "ThePopham Colony." October, 18G8, and "The Ordinance of 1787," April, 1876. The former disposed of the claims of Maine to priority of settlement over Massachusetts; and the latter gave for the first time the secret and true history of the famous Ordinance which kept slavery out of the Northwestern states. His "Anti-Slavery Opinions before the year 1800," appeared in 1872; "The Public Library of our Time," in 1887. and "The Early Northwest." in 1889. In 1874-5 he edited, in Chicago, a literary monthly called the Owl; and since the starting of the Dial in 1880, he has been a constant contribu- tor, chiefly in historical criticism. While in historical criticism his pen is sharp and he is always on the alert to discover and expose errors, his style- on the whole, is constructive, often using an author and his book simply as the occasion for treating the subject from his own point of view, and from materials which were unknown to the author. Dr. Poole's achievements in librarian- ship and bibliography have given him an interna tional reputation, and bis advice and counsel are sought by his professional co-workers in all parts of the globe. His work in the field of history has led to his becoming president of the American Historical Society, and member of many other Cktit^ & , and was a member of the board of trustees of the Hahne- mann Medical College; he was appointed a mem ber of the school board by Mayor Medill, holding the position three years. In 1871 he was appointed on the commission which effecti d the exchange between the city and National Government of the old Bridewell lot for the lot whereon the First National Bank now stands. Governor Cullom ap- pointed him on the board of trustees of the North- ern Asylum for the Insane, of Illinois, and he was president of the Chicago Dock & Canal Company from 1871 to 1887. His wife died June 20, 1870. The surviving members of his family are Mrs. William Fitzhugh Whitehouse, of New York, and Mr. Edwin 1!. Sheldon, a member of the firm of Ogden, Sheldon A- Co., of Chicago. At thetimeof his death Mr. Sheldon was one of the executors and trustees of the estate of the late William B. Ogden, the value of which is estimated at ten mil- lion dollars. His health began to fail in 1888: in October, 18! K>, he went to Newport to visit his neice, Miss Caroline Ogden Jones, and from there accompanied her to her home in New York City. where he died. I )eri ■ niber IS. 1890. CHARLES HENROTIN. CHARLES HENROTIN, banker and broker, was born in Brussels, Belgium, April 15, 1843. His parents were l>r. Joseph F. Henrotin and Adele iKinsoen) Henrotin, both natives of Bel- gium. Mr. Henrotin's father was an officerinthe Belgium army, during the revolution in Europe, and in 1818 was made consul to the United States. When he came to this country Mr. Henrotin brought his family with him. In 1856, Charles was sent back to Tournay, in his native Belgium, to be educated and to be fitted for entrance to the Belgium Polytechnic school, where it was intended he should study military engineering. Upon com- ing to the United States, Mr. Henrotin had been stationed at Chicago as consul, and it was there the young man returned after graduating at the Belgium University. Charles Henrotin was not IflOOKAI'HY OF ILLINOIS. destined to become a civil engineer. Theknowl- edge be acquired of mathematics probably aided li i in materially in the field in which, he has since earned a national reputation. He has become one of the best known financiers in Chicago. It was in L861 he returned from bis studies, and he- then entered the sen ice of the Merchants Loan & Trust Company. There be first began to develop thai remarkable sagacity in monetary affairs which has sine • made him known in the financial world. Lyman J. Gage, now the president of the First National Bank, was in 1SGS cashier ofthat banking institution, ami in that year Mr. Henrotin suc- ceeded him in that position, and for ten successive years he ably performed its duties. Believing he could better serve his own interests, he opened, in ls;s. ;, banking and brokerage business on his own account, thereby laying the foundation of the suc- cessful enterprise In- now controls. -Mr. Henrotin made a specialty of railroad and first mortgage bonds, together with city ami county securities. 'I'le- condition of Chicago's finances was very bad about the time Mr. Henrotin started his inde- pendent business, ami therein he found a field which later proved not only lucrative to himself. but he placed the city under obligations to him it can never repay. The city was badly in debt, ami its paper on the market was si depreciated that municipal bankruptcy seemed imminent. The city serip issue had been declared illegal, and the syndicate of capitalists the city depended upon to take it refused to accept any more. Its value had fallen to eighty-five cents on the dollar, and the employes who were compelled to receive it in pay- ment for services, were seriously inconvenienced. Their predicament also naturally affected local business interests and financial matters were in pretty had condition. Mr. Henrotin appeared to be the only man in the financial swim who had any confidence left, and he came to the rescue: and for the very substantial aid he rendered in this crisis, the city of Chicago owes a debt of last- ing gratitude. Mr. Henrotin possessed the pluck ami energy necessary to buy the depressed scrip. lie took everj d illar's worth that was offered,and putting up the price to ninety-three cents, the tide was at once turned in favor of the city. No act could so readily, so quickly and so effectually have restored lost confidence and re establish tin- city's credit. The indebtedness was put upon such a basis, that it failed to appear the terrible bug-bear it had been, and the community looked upon Mr. Henrotin as a •■ friend in need." Since those dark days he has taken nearly every issueof county bonds and has helped negotiate them. He was the first broker to do so at a low rate of interest. He has the reputation of being one of the best judges of investment securities in Chi- cago, and is regarded as one of the most success- ful financiers in the West. Mr. Henrotin was the foremost spirit in the organization of the Chicago Stock Exchange, in L880. and was unanimously elected its first president. He was re-elected for a second term, but declined to serve a third. In 1886 he was again elected president, and also in 18S9andl890. Charles Henrotin has interested himself in the advancement and building up of Chicago in many ways. He was one of the prin- cipal projectors of the Chicago Opera House Com- pany, and is now its vice-president. He is heavily interested in the street car systems of the city. ami is a director in one of the companies. He has taken a great interest in the negotiation of \mer ican securities in England, and acted as broker in the sale to English parties of the American Brew- ing A' Malting Company and the Union Stock Yards C impany. The aggregate of these tales has amounted to 833,000,000. Mr. Henrotin has dis- played much ability also as an organizer. When on a recent visit to Europe, in 1890, and while passing through London, he assisted in the for- mation of the Chicago A London Contract Coin pany, and of the London A- Western Investment C u-poration, each of them with a capital of $4,000,- 000. He is a director in the latter and is the official broker, in America, of the City of London Contract Corporation. During the last two years he has made conversions of American properties i;i i above corporation, of over eighty millions of dollars. In 1S7G. Mr. Henrotin was appointed resident consul for If ilgium, and. in 1S77. to the same position for Turkey, and these consulates he holds at tic present time. When the telephone was first introduc • 1 and b 'came of practical utility, he. in c mnection with the French consul in Chi- cago, mil- a length] and exhaustive report to the French government on its application. This report attracted a great ileal of attention, and led to large concessions to himself and others, in the introduction of telephone instruments into France. Mr. Henrotin was ultimately interested in the or- ganization of a telephone company in Paris, which is now the largest in the world. His business con- nections have enabled him to make interesting and lengthy reports on commerce reports that have been of great b mefit to this country and to others interested. He has done much to en- courage the emigration of skilled labor and well- LluSft : OF THE UNIVERSITY of ILLINOIS. ■ to . ^/cZ&alcici ^S, o^Z^r^ij^^ BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 299 to-do artisans from Belgium to this country, a class that have happily superseded the pauper element. Iu every sense Mr. Henrotin has been a public spirited man. and when he inaugurated the half century celebration of the Belgium govern- ment in Chicago, in 1881, he was thanked by that government for his fidelity to the interests he rep- resented, ami for the international benefits he had secured. In 1889 he was created a Knight of the Order of Leopold, for services rendered in regard to the importation of meats and for his valuable commercial reports. In politics, Mr. Henrotin has been a life-long Democrat, but his business has prevented his taking any active interest in political affairs or accepting any office. Mr. Hen- rotin was married on September 2, 1869, to Miss Ellen M. Martin, of Chicago, and has an interest ing family of three In . WILLIAM II. MOORE. WILLIAM H. MOORE, a prominent lawyer of Chicago, was born in the city of Utica, New York, October 25, 1848. He is a son of the late Nathaniel F. Moore, formerly a well known and highly re- spected merchant of Utica. who died in 1890. Nathaniel F. Moore was also a native of the state of New York-, although his parents were from near Pittsfield, Berkshire county, Massachusetts. The family was resident in New England in early colonial days, and has always been one of high respectability. Mr. M -c's mother, whose maiden name was Rachel A. Beckwith, was the daughter of George Beckwith. of Triangle, N. Y. She, too, was a native of the state of New York, and came of a well known family. William H. M v. being the son of well-to-do parents, received every en couragement ami aid possible in his studies. Aft: r due preparation in the seminary at Oneida and in the Cortland Academy, at Homer, New York, he entered Amherst College in L867. Not- withstanding his ambition to remain, ill health npelled him to relinquish study previous to the graduation of his cla^s. While in search of health he visited Wisconsin and, finding benefit from the climate, he settled temporarily at Eau Claire, and in 1870 began the study of law in the office of W. P. Bartlett. a leading lawyer of that city. In 1872 he was admitted to the liar at Eau Claire. His health still requiring attention he spent a few months on th ■■ Pacific coast, and, on his return in the fall of the year mentioned, he established him- self in practice in Chicago. After spending about a year and a half, as managing clerk, in the office of the late E. A. Small, Esq., a lawyer whose business was largely as attorney and counsel for corporations, he became the partner of that gentle- man, and the firm of Small & Moore, thusfounded, was continued until the death of Mr. Small in the winter of lss] s - J. Mr. Moore now formed a partnership with his younger brother, Mr. J. II. Moore, who had just been admitted to practice. In 1887, Mr. W. J. Pureed became a partner, and the firm took the style of W.H. A- J.H. Mo,, re & Purcell, which it still retains. The firm is one of the best known and most successful at the Chicago bar, ami has a strong clientage, composed princi- pally of large business houses, trustees of exten- sive estates, and wealthy corporations. Mr. Moore has won success in his profession by devoting himself to it without reserve. For many years during his earlier career he was the chief trial lawyer of the firm, and was in court continually. Combining with an intimate knowledge of funda- mental and statute law, great natural sagacity, and constantly exercising the most scrupulous care in preparing his eases, he rarely fails of success. Among the leading clients of Mr. Moore may be named the American Express Company, the Adams Express Company, and the Merchants' Dispatch Transportation Com- pany — the Vanderbilt Fast Freight Line— for each of which he is western counsel. The firm are attorneys for the Chicago West Division Railroad Company and other important local cor- porations. Mr. Moore's thorough knowledge of corporate law is recognized far and wide in the business world, and his professional services are in constant demand in the framing of charters, bills of incorporation and other legal documents of a similar import. Personally he possesses rare powers of organization, and has achieved a number of his most brilliant successes in the formation of stock companies. He was one of the principal projectors of the Diamond Match Company. organized in 1S89. under the laws of Illinois, with a capital of £6,000,000, a large share of which was invest, ,1 in the ehti rprise through his personal influence. He has served sine,- il rganization of this company as a member of its executive com mittee and in the board of management of several others also, of large capital, and has proven that in addition to his distinguished talent for the law, he possesses decided abilities for business opera- tions. The extent to which his services have been :< h » BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. called into requisition is shown by the fact that the capitals "f the corporations which he has organized, and in which he is a managing director, aggregate upwards of $25,000,000. In the success- ful combination of legal practice with purely business functions, it may I n- doubted il' h- has a rival at the Chicago bar. Mr. Moon- was married, in 1879, to Miss Ada Small, daughter of E. A. Small, his late law partner, whose biography and portrait appear in this volume. Their family consists of three sons, William Hobavt, Edward Small, and Paul. WILLIAM T. BAKER. WILLIAM T. BAKER, president of the World's Columbian Exposition, and late president of the Chicago Board of Trade, was born at West Win- field, Herkimer county, New York, September 11. 1841. He is the sou of William and Matilda (Peabody) Baker, his father being a farmer who came from Bradford, England, in 1838. Mr. Baker's mother is a native of Stonington, Conn. His early youth was spent uponthefarm,andall the schooling he ever had was obtained before he was fourteen years old. Mr.' Baker's first business ex- perience was as clerkinthe country store of H.K. Clark, at Groton, New York, after which he served for six years with D. B. Marsh & Co., dry-goods merchants at McLean, New York. Mr. Baker came to Chicago in 1SG1. and was initiated into Board of Trade matters as bookkeeper for Hinckley & Handy. Mr. Handy retired the following year and Mr. Baker succeeded to an interest in the busi- ness, the firm becoming Hinckley & Baker. This partnership was dissolved the following year, and Mr. Bak sr eon lucted the business alone until 186?, when the firm of Knight. Baker & Co. was formed by the co-operation of C. A. Knight and W. F. Cobb. In 1878, Mr. Knight withdrew and Messrs. Baker and Cobb continued the business under the name of W. T. Baker * Co. Immediately after the greal fire of 1871, Baker & Co. established themselves in the building known as the ■•Wig- wam" on the West Side, afterwards moving to 86 La Salle street. Here they remained seven years, and then took offices in the Chamber of Commerce building. On the completion of the new Hoard of Trade- building, the firm moved to 240 La Salle street, an I from there, in L888, went to their hand- som qua t rs in the Phenix building. Mr. Baker, while genial and pleasant in his intercourse. especially in social matters, is a man of strong and advanced opinions. His perceptive faculties are unusually clear, and his great earnestness which is perhaps, the most marked trait in his character — leads him to take radical views on all subjects in which he interests himself. Mr. Baker has the courage of his opinions and ex- presses them without fear or favor. As with all men of strong character, this has, in a measure, prevented the general public from viewing him in his true light, as one whose heart is kind, whose sympathies are broad, and who would prefer uni- versal happiness to self-aggrandizement. It is said that Mr. Baker is extremely tenacious and combative in argument. This is true; but he also admires justice and fair play, and few men know better than he how to accept defeat gracefully when its comes, and retire to await abetter oppor- tunity. He does not " sulk in his tent." He will contest a point with all the vigor and emphasis of his mental and physical power, but if overborne by contrary opinion, has a hearty handshake and the best of good wishes for his opponents. Mr. Baker is in some respects a very peculiar man. While at times he is a great operator on the Board of Trade, he never loses his self-possession, or the cool, level-headed judgment which is so marked in him. He dislikes to change his tactics when he has once embarked in a "trade" — and be has probably conducted as many as any other member of the Board — but when convinced that it is for the best to abandon the line of operation he has started on. there is no hesitancy in his movements. Mr. Baker has been very successful is his business and enjoys a large clientage, built up entirely by his own labors. He was for many years the largest indi- vidual shipper of grain from Chicago. It is amat- ter of much comment among the buyers of grain that Mr. Baker is always in favor of higher prices. He believes that the producers are entitled to a fair price for their crops, and that there is a gen eral benefit to the world, when values are firmly held. Mr. Baker has been twice elected president of the Board of Trade. His first term began in January, 1890. The business of the Board was, at that time, paralyzed by the aggressive opera- tions of the •■bucket-shop" men, who had nearly monopolized all the speculative trade. There had been for years a desultory warfare waged upon them, but without result, and each year found them growing more bold. It was at last decided to make a war of extermination upon these "bucket-shop" keepers and their pernicious meth- . UBRAffy OF THE UN WKS/TV of ILLINOIS. BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. ;oi ods, and Mr. Baker was selected as the man most competent to direct it. Great executive ability and unflinching courage were needed in the man who should lead the fight, and these qualities were found in Mr. Baker. He signalized his elec- tion as president by opening a vigorous assault on the "bucket-shops," and for the first time in the history of the Board, they were routed. To ac- c implish this, heroic measures had to be resorted to, but Mr. Baker used them without hesitation. The powerful telegraph companies, which for years had enjoyed the undisturbed privileges of sending instantaneous quotations from the floor of the Board wen- driven out; prominent brokers who were found to be in alliance with the "bucket- shop" men. were sternly disciplined, and such other action taken as was necessary to cut off the secret communication with the Board, by which the "bucket-shops" were enabled to do business. One by one these parasites on the trad killed off, and tlie close of Mr. Baker's first term foil ml the illegal business pretty well stun ; The progress was so gratifying that he was unan- imously re-elected, and the good work undertaken in L890, was,in l-'.'l. still further fortified, with the result of a greatly enlarged and much cleaner business. Although always prominent in Board of Trade matters, and at times a leader in specula- tion, both for himself and others, Mr. Baker has given most of his time anil attention to what is known as the "shipping business" the buying of actual grain from country shippers. Mr. Baker is equally as pronounced in his political views, as he is in those In- holds on business and other topics, and always fakes an advanced position on the leading economic questions of the times. He is keenly interested, as a citizen, in good govern nient, and does his part to secure it. Mr. Baker has taken an active interest in the affairs of the World's Columbian Exposition from the begin- ning. In 1890 he became a member of the Board of Directors, and was made chairman of the coin- mittee on foreign exhibits. April 14. 1891, the appreciati in of his colleagues, for his energy and ability, was shown by his election to the presi- dency of the World's Columbian Exposition. To the administration of the affairs of this office he has di voted all his energies, and here brought to hear the saine ability that he displayed in bison n private business and as president of the Chicago Board of Trade. Mr. Baker has been twice married. In 1862, he was wedded to Miss E. Annie Dun- ster, ol' Attleboro, Mass., who died in 1873. In 1879 lie married Mis-; Anna P. Morgan, of Troy. New York. Mr. Baker is a life member of Apollo Commandery of Knights Templar of Chi cago. He is a member of the Commercial, the Chicago, the Calumet, the Iroquois and the Un- ion League Clubs. EDWARD T. JEFFERY. EDWARD TURNER JEFFERY, president of the Denver a- Rio Grande Railway, was born in Liver] 1, England, on April 6, 1*4:>. He is a son of William S. and Jane (McMuIlen) Jeffery, of English descent, although his father was bom at Greenock-on-the-Clyde, in Scotland, and his mother at Downpatrick, in Ireland. The senior Mr. Jeffery followed tin- sea. and. when not en- gaged in his nautical avocation, resided in the cities of Liverpool, Portsmouth and Woolwich, in the order named, until his death, which occurred when Edward was six years of a u;e. Iii 1850 the fam- ily emigrated to America, and settled first in Wheel ing, West Virginia. Here the following six years of Edward's boyhood were passed in minor occu pations and in gaining the rudiments of an educa- tion. He was but thirteen when the family re- moved to Chicago, in 1856, and in September of that year he entered the employ of the Illinois Central Railroad Company, probably not dreaming of the distinction that awaited him as the, future superintendent and manager of that gnat corpo- ration. His ambition at that early day did not ex- tend beyond reaping the rewards of faithful and honest work in the humbler duties of his calling. He entered the office of Samuel J. Hayes, super- intendent of machinery, where he was employed as general errand and chore boy for about two months, when he was put to work in the tin and coppersmith shops, where he served three or four months, and then entered the machine shops of the company to learn the trade of a machinist. He served in this latter capacity till July 5, 1858, v, hen he was given a place by Mr. Hayes in the depart- ment of mechanical drawing. From this time, en- couraged by the warm heart and good counsel of Mr. Hayes, he developed the ambition to fit him- self for the complete mastery of both the science and the art of mi chanical drawing and engineer- ing. He entered upon a course of systematic stud- ies which he continued for ten years, with such marked results that the privilege was accorded him of alternating study with his work as his ;o2 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. duties permitted and be might feel inclined. At tlir age of eighteen he was on the rolls of the company as one of the regular mechanical draughtsmen. At twenty he was placed in full charge of the department of mechanical drawing. It is worthy of notice here that young Jclfery. at this early stage of his career, had perceived and applied in his own self training the principle now advocated by the most advanced educators, viz., that of combining the labor of the hand and the brain, the work-shop and the study in the attain nil ii t of an education that shall meet the practi- cal demands of an industrial calling. In this Mr. Jeffery anticipated most of our polytechnic and manual-training schools by tlic force of his own original mind. It does not appear that he took an} suggestions from any of these schools or their founders. He continued his work and studies with such profit that at the age of twenty-five he was in possession of the entire range of sciences adapted to the highest efficiei.ey in his occupation, and had also gained a wide breadth of general cul- ture. Few men can be found whose talents or acquirements are more versatile than his. At the time he was placed over the department of mechanical drawing he was also made private sec- retary to the superintendent of machinery. At the age of twenty-eight he was appointed assistant superintendent of machinery, by John Newell. then president of the Illinois Central Railroad Company. Mr. Newell was thoroughly acquainted with Mr. Jeffery's capabilities, and being a typical self-made railroad man. was not slow to open the way for promotion to deserving and energetic em- ployes. During the six years of his service in this position, Mr. Jeff cry was one of the most active and efficient officers of the road. His long experience combined with his practical work and study had not only rendered him familiar with the mechanical departments in all their branches and details, but he had also acquired much knowledge of general railroad operations and management. Accordingly, in fsTT, he was appointed to the office of general superintendent of the entire Illinois Central Railroad -system, lie held this responsi- ble position till January 1. 1885, at which time he was appointed general manager of all the depart mints of the road, a position which he held till he resigned, in September, 1889, for the purpose of obtaining needed rest, .'liter so long and arduous a Service in the interests of the company. While he maj be called a self made man in the best sense of that phrase, yet the company was liberal in the recognition of his genius and in affording him a fair opportunity for its development. Thus from an office boy he rose by successive stages to the management of a great corporation, and every promotion he received was fully earned by hard and faithful work, and was conferred upon him unsolicited. In 1885. when the international railway congress was held at Brussels, he was the representative in that body of the Illinois Central Railroad Company, and the only Americau dele- gate present. In his younger days he was presi- dent for several years of the Young Men's Liter- ary Society of Chicago, an institution which did much to foster a literary spirit among a large number of citizens, and which carried on its roll of membership some of the brightest young men of the city. He was a frequent though anonymous writer in prose and verse and several of his poems were very generally copied by the press of the country. The following lines written and pub- lished by him more than a quarter of a century ago have been reprinted from time to time. OUR DUTY. The heart that is sad where a heart should he light, Or false wliero a heart should be true, Let us guide through thedarkness obscuring tholight, And point to the future eternal and bright, And teach it to dare and to do. The soul that is darkened by passion and crime Let us win from its idols of clay, And lead to the heroes and sages sublime, Whose names are inscribed on the records of time, Unfading. Immortals are they ! Let us fight for the right, though the struggle be long, With firm and unswerving desire, Let us manfully battle oppression and wrong With hearts that are earnest and trusty and strong ; Witli God and the truth to inspire. Let us dare to lie noble men, nature's own pride, And dare to be true to each other. For the earth is a homestead so fruitful and wide Wo can live, we can love, we can toil side by side, And each unto all be a brother, Mr. Jeffery is a prominent member of the American Railroad Master Mechanics" Assi iciation, a member of the Chicago, Iroquois and Calumet Clubs, being vice-president of the latter, and belongs to the Masonic Fraternity. Socially as well as intellectually he is held in high repute. In his political affiliations he is democratic, but takes no active part in political affairs. The three principal ideas which governed Mr. Jeffery in his official railroad career were: First, to establish mutual confidence and kindly relations between the corporation and its employes. Second, to gain the respect of the general public, and bring about a clearer and more intelligent comprehen- . LU LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY of ILLINOIS. BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. sion of the relations between the people and the carriers, and of their obligations to each other. Third, to so conduct corporate affairs as to secure and retain the confidence of investors and the financial world. It is believed by those who are qualified to judge, that he met with a large measure of success in carrying out these ideas. With the people and with working men Mr. Jeffery lias always been in close fellowship, and few men have been capable of exerting a stronger influence over railway employes. One instance may be cited. Soon after the strike occurred on tin- Chicago. Burlington A- Quincy road, in 1883, and a general tie-up on all the roads of the country was threatened, he was requested by a few con- servative labor men to use his influence with those who favored a general strike, a large mass-meet- ing of whom were in session in Turner Hall on Twelfth street, ready to take radical action in the matter of a general suspension of work which wovdd have been disastrous to all the industrial, commercial and financial interests of the country. Mr. Jeffery met the excited multitude, gained their attention, addressed them for over two hours, and by his powerful and conciliatory argu- ments succeeded in averting the impending disas- ter. For this timely service he received public recognition and many letters of congratulation and thanks from the leading merchants and busi- ness men of the country. As soon as it was km iwn that he had resigned his p isition in the Illinois Central Railroad Company, Mr. Jeffery was i by the mayor and leading citizens inter- ested in promoting tin- World's Columbian Expo- sition, to visit the Exposition iu Paris, study it and make a report upon it. and at the same time to promote, as far as practicable, the claims of Chicago as the site of the Columbian Exposition. He went to Paris and was entirely successful in his mission, remaining in that city a sufficient length of time to gather and condense a vast amount of invaluable information respecting the Paris Exposition, which he published in one of tin- ablest and most concise reports ever prepared upon that subject. This report furnished all the data which has been so freely used by the directors and officers of the Columbian Exposition. It was published in London and has been translated into the French and other European languages. Mr. Jeffery declined to accept any compensation for these and other services in connection with the Exposition. Upon the organization of the directory Mr. Jeffery was chosen a member of the board. He was strongly urged to accept at a high salary, the position of director general, but he re- fused the honor. He also declined to have his name used as a candidate for the presidency of the board of directors, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Mr. Lyman J. Gage II was for a year and a half chairman of the com- mittee on grounds and buildings, and was in every way efficient and influential in organizing and constructing the great international exposition of 1892 •'!. giving his time ami energies to it without pay. Chicago is very much indebted to his in- fluence for securing the location of the enterprise in this city. In January, 1890, he was sent to Washington, ami made an unanswerable argu- ment before the Senate of the United States in behalf of Chicago as the site for the Exposition. Mr. Jeffery is a close student and a fluent writer and a ready speaker. He has delivered various addresses on transportation and other public questions before state legislatures, municipal councils, boards of state and inter-state railroad commissions and other bodies, which rank among the best literature of their class. For nearly a year and a half he was connected with a new enterprise having in view the construction of large locomotive works iu the city of Chicago. Many of the leading citizens were associated with him in the undertaking and he accepted the presidency of a company which was organized for the purpose stated. It was natural. however, that his inclinations and the associations and habits of life formed through thirty-three years of continu- ous railway service would lead him to return to his old profession. Many lucrative offers were madetohim by railway companies after he retired from thelllinois Central road, but all were declined until October. 1891, when he accepted his present distinguished position as president of the Denver & Rio Grande railway, with headquarters at Denver, Colorado, where he now resides. The circum- stances under which this important change in Mr. Jeff cry's affairs was made, were as follows: Having been solicited, in September, 1891. to act as arbitra- tor in a controversy at Denver, he. while there in such capacity, was proffered by the directors of the Denver A Rio (Irande. the presidency of that road, and with such a warmth and heartiness that he accepted it. When this became known in Chicago, the press of the city were unanimous in expressions of sincere regret at the loss the com munity were to sustain at the removal of so valua- ble and popular a man. though at the same time rejoicing at his new and deserved honors. Tin- following editorial which appeared in one of the 3°4 IMOCKAPHY OF ILLINOIS. leading papers, is typical of the many that voiced the public sentiment: "The Denver & Rio Grande Railway Company is to be congratulated on securing tor the difficult office of president and general manager, so able and amiable a man as E. T. Jeffery. The city of Denver is happy in the accession of a g i citizen. But Chicago, though extending its felicitations to the fortunate company and the no less fortunate city, cannot let the occasion pass without an ex- pression of regret at the loss we experience in I »enver's gain. Mr. Jeffery has lived in Chicago from boyhood. Here he made that wonderful race from tin' work-shop to the general superintendencj of a great railroad. In all stays of advancement he has been found mine than equal to the respon- sibilitiesof his position, and a loyal and patriotic citizen. Mr. Jeffery's public spirit has best been illustrated by his services to the Columbian Fair. Asa member of the directors and especially as chairman of the vastly important committee <>n grounds and buildings, he has been alert, indefat- igable, invaluable. It is no disparagement to other members of the directory to say that Mr. Jeffery has led them all in the value of his services. bestowed freely and with no other motive than an admirable public spirit. It will not be easy to till the place Mr. Jeffery will leave vacant, it will be harder still to efface the traces which his master mind has left on the records of the fair." Mr. Jeffery was married April 'J. 1S77, to Miss Virginia O. Clarke of Frederick. Maryland. They have two children James Clarke and Edna Turner Jeffery, aged thirteen and eleven years respectively. WILLIAM C. GOUDY. WILLIAM C. GOUDY, one of the most famil- iar figures to be seen around the halls of justice in the city of Chicago, was born in Indiana on the 15th of May. 1824. He comes from a mixture of Scotch Irish and English stock. His father was a native of Ireland, where some of the family still live; but for several generations collateral branches of the same family have lived in Scot- land, whence no doubt the progenitors of Mr. Goudy moved into the sister island at the settle ment of that country, which dates from the time of Cromwell. The name is Scotch and is com- monly spelled "Goudie. " The readers of Burns will remember the apostrophe to "Goudie, terror o' the Whigs," whose political mantle must have fallen upon the subject of this sketch, as he has always been distinguished among the opponents of that party in America, to whom the name of Whigs was applied in the early days of the Re- public. His mother was a native of Pennsylvania, of English descent. At the time of his birth Mr. Goudy's parents were in humble circumstances; his father was a carpenter, but later on became interested in a printing and book binding business in Indianapolis. Thence he moved to Illinois in the hope of better prospects, settling first at Van- dalia, then the capital, and afterwards at Jackson- ville and Springfield. In 1833 he began the pub- lication « f "Goudy's Farmer's Almanac," the first of its kind cv.r published in the Northwest, which soon gained a wide circulation and made the name of Goudy a household word in central Illinois. The elder Mr. Goudy was a strict Dem- ocrat and reared his son in the same political faith, from which the hitter has never swerved. Out of the publication of the "Farmer's Almanac" there grew a weekly Democratic newspaper. which was started in 1834 by Mr. Goudy in con- junction with SamuelS. Brooks, in Jacksonville! and through which Stephen A. Douglas was first introduced to public notice. Mr. Goudy senior died in 1845. William's early home life and associations were such as to develop the intellectual faculties of the boy. He received a common school educa- tion, and, like Benjamin Franklin, enjoyed the practical training of his father's printing office, becoming an expert compositor and pressman. There can be little doubt that in the country newspaper office he acquired that habit of precise and exact statement, and of close logical reason- ing which lay at the foundation of his success as a lawyer. He had, however, no inclination to- wards literature, and made earl) choice of the law as a profession. With this end in view he entered the Illinois College, at Jacksonville, and gradu- ated from that institution in 1845. He had just attained his majority, but in strength of purpose and fore of character he was far ahead of most young men at that age. He had already formed his plan of life, and had the persistency to follow it out tosuccess. Recognizing the fact that what- ever he was to become depended only upon him self, and that hard, steady work was required to gain the mark of his ambition, he began a regular system of economizing his time, making every minute count to some advantage. To add to his pecuniary resources he taught school at Decatur for a time, employing his leisure hours in reading elementary law books. He then entered the office of Judge Stephen T. Logan, at Springfield. Judge Logan had been for some time in partnership with Abraham Lincoln, but a dissolution took ■ ■>F THE UMlVLKSnYof>LUHO\S. BIOOUAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 305 place just admit the time young Goudy began his studies with the Judge. In 1847 he was admitted to the bar, and in the following year began prac- tice in Lewiston, the county seat of Pulton county, in partnership with Hun. Hezekiah M. Wead, then a prominent lawyer. Success attend- ed him from the start, and clients seemed to flock to him. His cautious, deliberative methods gained for him the reputation of a safe counselor, and he came to be looked upon with a confidence rarelj extended to so young a man — a confidence which has always continued to be reposed in him throughout his long professional career. From ls.VJ to 1855 he was State's Attorney for the tenth judicial district, and from 1857 to 1861 a member of the State Senate of Illinois. During his term of legislative office he took part in the noted con- test for the United States Senatorship between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas, which resulted in the election of Douglas in 1859. In that year he moved t" Chicago, where his profes- sional labors have Keen crowned with distinction and fortune. In 1862 he was an unsuccessful can- didate for the Senate of the United States, to lill the vacancy caused by the death of Mr. Douglas. The choice of the majority id the Legislature fell upon William A. Richardson. Since that time Mr. Goudy has not been a prominent actor in po- litical affairs, but has always been influential in the councils of the party. It is as a lawyer that Mr. Goudy is chiefly known, and in that profession lie stands in the foremost rank. He has built up a very large and lucrative practice at the Chicago bar. and it may almost be said that in all the liti- gations involving interests and property of great magnitude which have come before the Chicago courts in the last thirty years. Mr. Goudy has been a leading counsel. An examination of the Illinois Supreme Court reports would give some idea of the immense volume of business lie has conducted since he argued his Hist case in that court in 1855. Since that time nearly one hundred and fifty vol- umes of these reports have been issued, and Mr. Goudy 's name appears as counsel in every one of them. In the higher courts of other western states, and in the Supreme Court of the United Stales, can be found a record of his connection for the past forty years with many important cases. involving questions of commercial and constitu- tional law. Not less remarkable than the magni tude and importance of the causes in which he has been engaged, is the almost continuous victo- ry which has attended his advocacy. This has been due not more to the soundness of his posi- tions than to the clear and convincing logic with which he argues them. Other lawyers have out- shone him in eloquence and brilliancy; for rhe- torical embellishments Mr. Goudy cares very little; his main strength as an advocate lies in the plain, business-like way in which he states his points in language that cannot be misunderstood, and the wide range of judicial learning with which he is able to fortify his posi- tions. Among the numerous cases reported in the books which stand as landmarks of his pro- fessional fame, the limits of this sketch permit of a few being merely noticed as illustrative of his laborious, successful and honorable career. One of these was the celebrated Munn case, which was carried to the Supreme Court of the United States and forcibly argued there by Mr. Goudy. In this case it was ultimately established that the state had power through its Legislature to fix maximum rates to be charged by ware- houses, railways and other corporations or per- sons whose business wasof a character affecting the public interest. Another notable case involving an important question of constitutional law was the Bowman case, which arose out of the prohibi- tory statute of the state of Iowa, regarding the importing of intoxicating liquors into that state. The Supreme Court held that a statute which prohibited railways from bringing intoxicating liquors into a state was in conflict with the com- mercial clause of the constitution of the United States. Probably the most interesting casein which Mr. Goudy appeared as counsel was the litigation over the Kingsbury property in Chicago, which included the Ashland block, on the north east corner of Clark and Randolph streets. This suit was carried through the Illinois courts, and after a long, protracted litigation was finally de- rided by the Supreme Court of the United States in May. 1890, in favor of Mr. Goudy's client, < }ov- ernor Buckner of Kentucky. This property had been bought in 1833 by Major Kingsbury, of the regular army, for a few hundred dollars. The Major had two heirs, a son and a daughter, the latter of whom became the wife of Governor Buckner. Some time in 18G1 Mrs. Buckner con- veyed by deed her share of the property to her brother, who had entered the Union arnn and was an officer on General Burnside's staff. Hav- ing a presentiment that he would never return North alive. Kingsbury made a will at Richmond bequeathing the property she had deeded to him back to his sister. The young officer was killed at the battle of Antietam, and a contest over the 3°6 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. property ensued. The birth of a posthumous child revoked the will by operation of law, but the Buckners claimed that the deed executed by Mrs. Buckner was merely a deed of trust, whereby her brother was to hold her share of the property in trust for her, and that upon his death it should revert to her. The deed, however, was absolute, and it was necessary for the claimants to produce some writing signed by the brother in which the trust was acknowledged. All search for such a paper had been ineffectual ; but at last Mr. Goudy learned that the officer had been in the habit of writing letters to his mother, then living in Connecticut. He went there with Governor Buckner and saw the old lady, and succeeded iD finding a letter from Henry W. Kingsbury in which he acknowledged the trust. With this paper Mr. Goudy went into court and established Mrs. Buckner's claim. The Ashland block was afterwards sold by Governor Buckner to Mr. Alexander of Kentucky, w-ho has just built upon its site a new office building eighteen stories high — one of Chicago's -sky scrapers." Mr. Goudy's fee for services in this case is said to have been the largest ever paid to any lawyer in the West. Scarcely less notable for the general interest it excited in the public mind was the great Storey will case, in which Mr. Goudy was counsel for the heirs. Wilbur F. Storey, editor and proprietor of the Chicago Times, left two wills, tin last of which was contested by his natural heirs, because by it the bulk of the estate was left to Mrs. Storey. The heirs retained Mr. Goudy. and Lyman Trum- bull was counsel for Mrs. Storey. When the will in favor of the widow was presented for pro- bate, the witnesses to the signature, Mr. Patter- son the business manager of the Times, and Mr. A. S. Trude. the attorney, testified that when he signed it Mr. Storey was insane. A long litiga- tion ensued, which was ended by the purchase , if the whole estate by outside parties, and an ad- justment of interests by which Mr. Goudy's cli- ents were fully satisfied. As counsel for railroad corporations, Mr. Goudy has long been conspic- uous in the courts, and has added more largely to his fame and fortune than in any other branch of litigation. He was associated with Chief Jus tice fuller ;i> counsel for F. H. Winston in a rail- road case involving some 53,000,000. In Mr. Winston's interest he fought the Southwestern road, an Iowa corporation, and won his ease. He also represented important railroad interests in a series of eases involving the constitutionality of a Minnesota statute, authorizing the fixing of rates absolutely by the state railroad commission. The Supreme Court of the United States, at a re- ei nl session, announced its decision in these cases which further circumscribes the rate-making powers of the States, the declaration of the court being that the question as to what constitutes a reasonable rate to be charged and received by a railroad company is a judicial question, and not one in which the action of a state legislature, or of a commission appointed by state authority, is conclusive; that the Minnesota statute was, there fore, in conflict with fhe constitution of the United States, and for that reason invalid. Nu- merous clients had retained Mr. Goudy in suits against the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad, in which he had been generally victorious. That corporation came to the conclusion that it \\;is advisable rather to have him for them than against them. In January, 188C, therefore, negotiations to this end were concluded and Mr. Goudy be- came the general counsel for that company — a position which he now holds and in which he is invaluable to the corporation. He still retains his membership in the law Arm of Goudy. Green A- Goudy, and is the controlling spirit of their great legal practice. One high in the profes- sion, speaking of him shortly after his accept- ance of his present position in connection with the Northwestern road, said: "He is the only man who ever graduated from a large legal practice to become the counselor of a large corpo- ration and at the same time retained his practice." Although taking no active or visible part in polit- ical affairs, it is well understood that Mr. Goudy wields a potent though unobtrusive influence in the councils of his party, and during four brief years, at least, was in a position to " shape the whisper of a throne." A seat on the bench of the United States Supreme Court was w ithin the scope of his honorable ambition, and when Chief Justice Waite died, his chances for the highest dig- nity in his profession were considered excellent. But on learning that Melville W. Fuller, between whom and himself a warm friendship existed was in the held, he put his own claims aside and worked successfully for his friend. He is a mem ber of the Iroquois Club, the senior organization of the Democrats of Cook county, and also of the Union Club. His activity in his profession has precluded his figuring to any extent as a man of society, or participating in measures for the gen- eral improvement of the city. He was, however, I he lirst to suggest the formation of one of the most attractive of our parks, and may claim not re- ^ L/V& A- <_^± ^ Yc sf A-- BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 3°7 motely to have been a pioneer of our present mag- nificent park system. He was among the most active in securing the land and having Lincoln Park laid out as it now is. and is at present the president of the Lincoln Park board of commis- sioners. He is the owner of valuable real estate, and is largely interested in Argyle Park, a beauti- ful suburban village on the north shore of Lake Michigan, the entire site of which was formerly his property. Mr. Goudy married, in 1819, Miss Helen Judd, sister of S. Corning Judd, a distin- guished Democratic lawyer, and postmaster of Chicago under President Cleveland's administra- tion. They have two children, — "William Judd Goudy, a partner in his father's law linn, and Clara, now Mrs. Ira J. Geer. The son is married to Carolyn Walker, daughter of the late Samuel J. Walker. Through his son's marriage Mr. Goudy has a bright and beautiful granddaughter, in whom he takes great delight, and through Lis daughter he has an active grandson, in whom he is quite as much interested. Mr. and Mrs. Goudy are members of the Fourth Presbyterian church, the latter being very active in church work, and interested in various charitable organizations, among them the Half Orphan Asylum, of whose board of managers she is president. Mr. Goudj is still, as he has always been, a hard worker. Both at home and in the city he works early and late. Strictly abstemious, and of a robust and hard] constitution, he is at the age of sixty-six as capable of undergoing great intellectual or phys- ical exertions as at any period of his career. FREDERICK S. WINSTON. FREDERICK SEYMOUR WINSTON, a lead- ing lawyer of Chicago, director in the World's Columbian Exposition, president of the Chicago West Division Railway Company, and director of the Michigan Central Railway Company, late cor- poration counsel of the city of Chicago, and prom- inently connected as counsel and director with a numlier of large corporations, was born in Frank- fort, Kentucky. October27, 1856. The progenitors of the American branch of the Winston family came originally from England and settled in Yir ginia at an early period in colonial history. Since the Revolution their descendants have spread to Kentucky, Illinois. Xew York and other states, in all of which they have flourished and main- tained a position of high respectability and honor. The founder of the Eastern branch of the family removed from Virginiato Saratoga county, New York, about the close . if the last century, and there married Miss Susan Seymour.of a good Xew Eng- land family. A son of this marriage, Frederick Sey- mour Winston, the first of this name, was the pater- nal great uncle of the subject of this sketch, who was named after him. Making his home in Xew Voik. he founded in that city the Mutual Life Insurance Company of Xew York, which be- came under his able management, the largest life insurance company in the world. For many years preceding his death he was president of this com- pany. He w as a man of distinguished ability and of the highest character, and during nearly half a century ranked among the leading citizens of the business metropolis of America. The pater- nal grandfather, Rev. Dennis M. Winston, was a native of Xew York, but when a young man. he settled in Georgia, and later lived and died in Kentucky. He married Miss Mary Mcintosh, daughter of General Mcintosh, of Georgia. Of the children born to them, the Hon. Frederick H. Winston, father of the subject of this sketch, was the eldest. As a biographical sketch of this gen- tleman appears in the preceding pages of this vol- ume, it is unnecessary in this place to make more than a passing reference to him. The mother of Frederick S.. who was befme her marriage, Miss Maria G. Dudley, of an old family in Kentucky, was a descendant of two early governors of that state- -Talbot and Canard. Frederick S. Winston, the eldest son of the foregoing, spent the first sixteen years of his life in Chicago, where he obtained his early education. In his seventeenth year he entered Yale College. Pur- suing the classical curriculum with far more than ordinary zeal, he achieved the remarkable feat of receiving the degree of Bachelor of Arts upon three years study. Leaving college at the com- mencement of his senior year, he was voted his degree by the faculty on account of the high standing taken by him during the first threi of the college course. Deciding to follow the legal profession, he entered the rjaw School of Columbia College, in Xew York City, and later supplemented his studies by practical work in his father's office in Chicago. In 1S78, at the June term of the Supreme Court of the State of Illi- nois, he was admitted to practice and immediately became the partner of his father, the newly organ- ized firm taking the style of F. II. & F. S. Winston. Young Mr. Winston came to the practice of his v »8 BIOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS. profession not only well-grounded in the princi- ples of the law, but with bis natural acuteness of intellect trained and disciplined by a thorough course in the classics and mathematics. In addi- tion to bis other qualifications be had the habit of study, and altogether was splendidly equipped to begin his life-work. A brief practice sufficed to draw general attention to his superior ability, and in L881 his talents were officially recognized by his appointment as assistant corporation coun- sel of the City of Chicago. In November, 1883, I,,, became acting corporation counsel, and in this position displayed such conspicuous ability that in April. 1884, be was confirmed in the office by the unanimous vote of the Chicago City Coun- cil, the Hon. Carter Harrison being mayor. He was the youngest man ever appointed to this of - B ce . Hi> promotion to this important position, occurring when he was but little more than twenty-seven years of age, has been rightly termed "an extraordinary tribute to his legal at- tainments and maturity of character." Subse- quent results proved this tribute to be a well- merited one. tor during the period that he re- mained at the head of the law department of the city government, he met the requirements of tin' position with a degree of skill, confidence and success which has seldom been equalled by any incumbent of that office. A number of the ques- tions with which he was required to ileal in his official capacity were of an exceedingly compli- cated nature. Among the cases argued by him, which especially attracted public attention, were the decision of the United States Supreme Court establishing the power of the city to close the bridges over the Chicago river against vessels en- gaged in inter-state commerce; the special cases confirming the right of the municipality to license and regulate trades and occupations; the decis- ions of the Supreme Court of the state construing various provisions of the city charter, and those sustaining the divers enactments of the city coun- cil. In May, 1SS6, Mr. Winston resigned the office of corporation counsel to accept the position of counsel of the Michigan Central Railway Com- pany, which he has ever since retained. He was later elected the Chicago director of that com- pany. The following letter addressed to Mr. Win- ston on the occasion of his resignation, bespeaks the estimation in which his services to the city were held: " Mb. P. S. Winston: '■Mv Dear Sn: I have delayed until the last moment giving you a formal answer to your tender of resignation of the position of corporation counsel tor this city. You have performed the duties of that office so beneficially to the city, and so satisfactorily to me, that it is a really disagreeable task to aeeept your resignation, and thus finally sever your connection with tin- city's administration. The public has seen the value of your services in the many suits you have won for the city, whereby large sums of money were directly saved or important principles settled in the interest of the municipality. Hut the public cannot know how often your opinions have been a safe guide to the councilor have upheld the ex- ecutive department, enabling it to act with promptness and decision. In losing your services the municipality will lose an able counsel and a safe friend. It is some consolation to me that you have promised during the remainder of my term Of office to aid your successor by your free advice, and to attend to the important causes now in the courts, which you understandso much better than any new attorney can. and that you will not accept a retainer in opposition to the city. Five years ago you accepted from me a subaltern position in the Law Department. You were young and un- tried. I thought 1 saw the stuff that was in you. I made no mistake, and it will always be to me a source of unalloyed pleasure that I had the oppor- tunity to enable you to show the mettle of which you "were made. In the performance of your duties you have been unbending in the right, and yet so courteous that no sting remained after the right was done. During my seven years in the service of the city I have necessarily made enemies and received much obloquy. No firm man could do his duty in such an office and escape this. The absolute conviction that I have done my duty to the best of my ability enables me patiently to await the righting which time will bring; I know what the verdict will be and am content. An immedi- ate source of pleasure is. however, always present to me. That is, that I have been enabled to place so many true men in position to serve the city well, and to enable them to merit and to win the encomiums of the citizens of Chicago- you are one of the foremost of these. In accepting your resigna- tion, I can only add that I hope that every success may attend you in your new field of duties, and I feel sure that I can'extend to you the best w isles of the people whom you have so well served. Sin- cerely vour friend, " Cakter H. Harrison. Mayor. Mr. Winston's practice is entirely confined to cor- porations, and he represents as officer and counsel about twenty large companies, having probably the largest corporation practice in the West. He has a large English clientele, and is the represen- tative of nearly all the English capital recently invested in Chicago enterprises. It was at his suggestion that the floating of industrial enter- prises was made through international issues, in place of the former method of American concerns being purchased by English capitalists and offered exclusively to British investors. Among the com- LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY of 1LUK01S. BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 309 panics in which he is a director may be named the Chicago Breweries, Limited; the Chicago Consolidated Brewing and Malting Company; tin- Chicago Gas Light and Coke Company, and the People's fins Light and Coke Company. Mr. Winston's distinguished success as a lawyer is rendered all the more striking by the fact that it has been achieved so early in life. But al- though the victory has been great, the labor by which it has been won has been even greater. Dil- igence, thought, close study, unusual activity and manly self-reliance have all had a share in the work, ami the best powers of the man have been put forth simultaneously with the best skill of the lawyer in attaining the results. His brilliant es have made Mr. Winston one of the best known men in his profession, in Chicago, ami his ability and honorable conduct have won for him the cordial esteem of the entire community. A Democrat by inheritance as well as by conviction Mr. Winston has faithfully adhered to the fortunes of that party, although having no desire for polit- ical office and but little time to spare from profes- sional duties to do more than give his assent and vote to party candidates and measures. From the inception of the project for holding a great inter- national fair in America in commemoration of the quadri-centennialof the discovery of the new world by Columbus, he has taken a lively interest in the great enterprise and has labored with great earn- estness in its behalf. Upon the organization of the World's Columbian Exposition he was elected one of the board of directors and has served ever since on the committee on legislation and as a member of the board of reference ami control. Socially Mr. Winston is of a genial, hospitable dis- position, and is one of the leaders of society and club life in Chicago. He was married, on June 26, 1876, to Miss Ada Fountain, daughter of Gideon Fountain, of New York City. Mis Winston is a highly accomplished lady, of rare personal attrac- tions, and great amiability and kindness of heart. She is well-known in a wide circle for her benevo- lence and is a recognized favorite and a leader in the highest social circles of Chicago. CHARLES L. HUTCHINSON. CHARLES L. HUTCHINSON was born in Lynn. Massachusetts. March i. 1851. When only two years of age he came west with his parents, Mid was educated in the schools of Chicago. Graduating from the high school in 1873. he im- mediately entered upon his business career with his father. B. P. Hutchinson, whose fame as one of the most prominent and successful busi- ness men of Chicago, is national. While attend ing school. Charles developed in a marked de- gree those habits of industry and close applica- tion to whatever tasks that were assigned him, that have been conspicuous characteristics of his business life. A class-mate has remarked, in speaking of the secret of Mr. Hutchinson's success in the business world, that, •' while at school, he never had time or inclination to join in the boyish sports and frivolities of the play ground. He found a keener delight in the pursuit of knowledge, and so devoted was he to his books, but for the demands of his father's large commercial enter prises upon him— which drew him into business pursuits it is likely that he would have become famous in the world of science or of literature. In any calling his splendid intellect and peculiar characteristics would have carried him into the foremost ranks." Nature richly endowed him with the elements of success in whatever direction he might have chosen to exert his powers. His business training has been of the most thorough character. At first he spent oneyear in the grain business and then a year in the packing house. After that he entered his father's banking house, the Corn Exchange Bank, passing through every department, with great credit to himself, until he finally became president of the bank, which posi- tion he still holds, and is also vice-president of the Northern Trust Company Bank. He is uni- versally recognized as being among the ablest, most energetic and successful young business men of Chicago — where the man who rises above the level must possess sterling worth and unquestioned ability. Although a child of fortune, his father's wealth being always behind him. and furnishing him with every advantage, lie has always been thoroughly democratic in his tastes, detesting nothing so much as affectation and snobbery. In a word, he is a manly man. and that is the highest compliment that can be bestowed upon an indi- vidual. Mr. Hutchinson is a lover of art and has one of the finest private collections in Chicago. He is president of the Chicago Art Institute, and has occupied that position for twelve years. Probably no other man has done so much for the development and advancement of the interests of this institution, as has Mr. Hutchinson. He has been abroad several times, and has spent much time in the art centers of Europe in procuring 3io BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. additions to the Institutes eleganl collection. In the organization of the World's Pair directory of which Mr. Hutchinson has been, from thefirst, one of the most useful and influential members he was placed, verj appropriately, iit the head of tin- 1 nittee on fine arts and also placed f a leader and as one was. in 1866, appointed deputy county-clerk, of Cook county, under ( ien eral Ed. S. Salomon who was then the incumbent of the county clerk's office. In this capacity he had charge of the county records. In 186S, while still holding this position he was nominated by the I;, publicans for the office of county clerk, and ■ted by an overwhelming majority. As the holder of this office he was ex-officio regis- ter of deeds for the county -and as the fee system was then in vogue the position was very remuner- ative. Dming his term of office he was a power in politics and was recognized as one of the most efficient workers in the Republican party. He was chairman of seven campaign committees and as such conducted the affairs of his party in his district with great vigor and success. In Decem- ber. lsTJ. his term of office closed and he did not afterwards take any decidedly active part in po- litical matters — although continuing a staueh Republican till his death. With his fortune, which was then said to be considerably in excess of a quarter of a million dollars, he embarked in extensive real estate operations, which made the firm of Xorman T. Cassette A Co. one the best known in the state. He owned a large amount of real estate just after the great tire, but he had dis- posed of it all. with the exception of four houses, at the time of the panic in 1873 and had invested his means in Government bonds and other stand aril securities. Later he made some very profita- ble investments. He was president and manager of the Van de Poele Electric Lighting Company for some time, and also a large stockholder in the Lakeside Publishing Company, but he withdrew from the latter before it was overtaken by disas- ter. For several years previous to his death he was the partner of his son. Mr. Wirt K. Gassette, in a very large real -estate and loan business in Chicago. Although Mr. Gassette was well known by reason of his prominent official position and through his military service, extensive real-estate operations and active connection with a number of important business enterprises, his celebrity came to him as a member of the Masonic Order. He became a Master Mason in 1864, affiliating with Blair Lodge. Xo. 393, of Illinois. Later he joined Home Lodge. No. 508, in the same juris- diction. There was for him a great charm in the mystic work of the fraternity, and he made a close study of it. becoming eventually one of the most erudite Masons in the country. He worked with ardor to build up the Order and rose to the highest rank in it. In 1869 he was made a Royal Arch Mason in Lafayette Chapter, in Chicago; and in the same year became a life member of Apollo Commandery, Knights Templar, in that city. Some of his most notable Masonic work was done as a member of and through this Com- mandery. In 1*74 he was chosen "prelate" serv- ing two terms; he then became "generalissimo" and subsequently " eminent commander. " In the latter capacity le- served six years, in the course of which time the commandery became the largest body of Masonic Knights Templars in the world. As eminent commander of Apollo Commandery. Mr. Gassette was chairman of the joint committee of management of the twenty-first triennial con- clave of the grand encampment of Knights Temp- lar held in Chicago in 1880, and in this capacity became the controlling and directing power in de- vising and executing the plans necessary to render the immense conclave a success. Thus the chief BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. responsibility rested upon his shoulders; and that he was eminently successful in bearing it unci in performing the gigantic task thai fell to him is now freely acknowledged by all, although at the time he was harshly criticised in some quarters. Masonic history upholds his course throughout; ami this is a sufficient refutation of his would-be critics. Mr. Gassette was in com- mand of Apollo Commandery whin it made its fa- us trip to Europe, in 1883. The party, consisting of one hundred and forty "Sir Knights" and twenty ladies their wives Or relatives left New York mi the " City of Rome " in July of the year mentioned, and after visiting nearly all the princi- pal cities of Europe, returned in September. The Commandery received many honors from their for- eign brethren, and the trip was in many ways a verj remarkable one. In 1874, also, Mr. Gassette was admitted tn membership in the Chicago Consistory oi the Scottish Elite, and having taken all the de- grees leading thereto was. on September 17. 1889, advanced to the highest, or 33d degree, at a meet- ing of the Sepreme Council of this Rite, held in the City of New York. As a Knight Templar he was elected Eminent Commander of the Illinois (or State) Commandery in 1888, and during 1889 he was Grand Commander of the Grand (or National) Commandery— and head of the Knights Templar of the United States. In 1889, he took the Templars of Illinois to the triennial conclave in Washington, having under him the largest bat- talion of uniformed Knights Templar ever sent to a conclave. Three full trains of cars were required to transport them. "Mr. Cassette " says one who was closely intimate with him — " was one of the leading men in the councils of the Masonic frater- nity, and his name was known to every member of that organization in the country as that of one of the leading lights in the order. He devoted the greater part of his time to the interests of the or- der and gave freely to any of its projects. He was an orator of no common ability and frequently contributed poems and essays to the order." As previously stated he found a great charm in the stud} of Masonic subjects. His reading was re- markably extensive and probably covered every li i research bearing upon them. "Ho was a man of the widest culture." said a noted Chicago book-seller and publisher; " he must have had one of the largest libraries in the city. * * * * * He bought books to read, not for show or orna- iN' in. I le read everything — history, science, literature and poetry. * * * * * Whal he read became his own. If tin-re was any line of reading he pursued more systematically and thoroughly than any other it was the history of early and oriental religions. He was thoroughly conversant with all that has been written con- cerning the various forms of religion and relig- ious worship that have been taught or practiced in India. China. Persia. Egypt— or in fact anywhere in the Orient. He was especially interested in the symbolism and mystic elements of these religions." Mr. Gassette was a valued contributor to Masonic literature. He was one of the ripest Masonic schol- ars in the country and thoroughly familiar with the history and legends of the order from its birth down to the present day. He wrote the last ritual of the Knights Templar, and at the time of his death was engaged in revising it. The ritual of the Scottish Rite read in the burial service of its members was entirely his composition. Several of the songs are works of great merit, and the rit- ual as recently revised by him is now the standard for every lodge in English-speaking countries. Of all his Masonic works it is probable that the Masonic Temple in Chicago will remain his great est monument. It may be said to have had its in ception in his mind. He was one of the first to broach the subject, and when it was taken up the active work devolved upon him. The two years preceding his death were devoted to it to the ex- clusion of almost every other work. This mam- moth architectural pile, eighteen stories of granite and steel, recognized as one of the most remarka- ble buildings in the world, may not unjustly lie called his Masonic monument. He was president of the board of directors of the Masonic Fraternity Temple Association at the time of his death. He was also at that time Grand Senior Warden of the Grand Commandery of Knights Templar of Illi- nois. As a veteran of the Civil War he was on terms of close friendship with the ex-Union sol diers of Chicago, and was an influential comrade of the Grand Army of the Republic, was instru- mental in effecting a great deal of good for the members of that military order and for the wid- ows and orphaned children of deceased soldiers. At the time of his death he was commander of Columbia Post, No. 700, Department of Illinois. G. A. R. There was a deep religious vein in Mr. Cassette's character. In the enterprises of all churches he took a sincere interest and rendered active service willingly whenever called upon. For eight years he was chairman of the finance com- mittee of Immanuel I'.aptist church, of which he was a regular attendent. and of whose pastor, the Rev. Dr. Lorimer, he was an intimate and trusted jbRARY OF THE ^SlTYoflLLlNL CAAA^J® BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. friend. His personal traits of character were most manly and agreeable. There was a quiet strength and great dignity in his character and bearing. Hi- conversed with great fluency and was an ad- mirable story-teller. He was fond of study, yet he never gratified himself selfishly in this regard, having too high a conception of duty. He loved the - of the home circle and was a model hus- band and father. As an employer he was kind and just, and made the humblest subordinate perfectly at ease by the engaging cordiality of his demeanor. He gave loyal allegiance to the city of Chicago, and worked faithfully at all times to advance its interests. His death, which was the unlooked for sequence of a severe attack alt "la grippe" — the dreaded epidemic disease of Eusian origin, now so prevalent in all parts of the civilized world- occasioned wide-spread grief and drew forth the most sincere expressions of regret from many quarters, and his funeral was one of the most notable that ever took place in Chicago. Mr. Gassette's wife, nee Amelia L. Boggs, survives him, also two children, —Mr. Wirt Knickerbocker Gassette, already a prominent business man of Chicago, and Miss Grace Gassette. JOHN J. HEER1CK. JOHN J. HERRICK was born on the 25th day of May, 1845, at Hillsboro, Illinois. His father. William B. Herrick, M. I)., was a physician of note, who practiced in Chicago for a number of years, and was professor of anatomy and materia medica in the Rush Medical College from 1844 to 1847, but on account of failing health, returned to Maine, his native state, where he died in 1865. His mother was Martha J. Seward, daughter of John B. Seward, of Montgomery county, Illinois. Mr. Herrick's early school days were spent in Chicago, in the public and private schools, and afterwards, on his father's removal to that state, at Auburn. Maine. He prepared f< >r ci illege at Lewiston Falls academy, and then entered Bowdoin College, Maine. He took the regular classical course, graduating in 1866. He then came west, and taught school in Hyde Park, at that time a suburb of Chicago, now included in the city limit- year. At the end of that period lie entered the C) i( !ag0 law school, graduating in 1SC8. During tin- first year of the law school course, he entered the law office of Higgins, Swett A- Quigg, with whom he remained as student and clerk until the spring of 1871, when he began the practice of law in Chicago. In 1878 he became associated with the late Wirt Dexter, and in 1880 the firm of Dexter. Herrick & Allen was formed, its mem- bers being Mr. Dexter, Mr. Herrick, and Charles L. Allen. This firm continued up to the time of Mr. Dexter's death, in May. 1890. They had a large clientage, both nt individuals and corpora- tions; the suits entrusted to their management involved property "f large amount, and tin- volume of business which passed under their hands from year to year was not exceeded by that of any other law firm in Chicago. On the death of Mr. Dexter, the firm of Herrick A- Allen was formed, succeeding to the business of the old firm of Dexter. Herrick & Allen. Among the men of his age Mr. Herrick has perhaps no equal, certainly no superior at the Chicago liar. In the recent stock yards litigation, where the conflicting interests of Chicago. East ern and English capitalists were represented by the highest legal ability that could be employed in this country, tin- briefs of John J. Herrick. who represented the Chicago interests, were spoken of in terms of unqualified praise by the great lawyers that took part in the case. Hi- has distinguished himself as an attorney in sunn- of tin- most important cases the West has ever known, involving large private and corporate interests. He is a man who thoroughly loves his profession. lb- is eminently gifted with the rapacities of mind which an- indispensable to success at tin- bar. lb- is an indefatigable worker, ami labors as much for th'- love of his profession as In- does for pecu- niary success. Quick and keen in perception, he has the faculty of grasping all the details and in- tricacies of a case, and not losing sight of tin 1 essential facts and considerations involve 1 in it. upon which the decision of every case finally turns. In the diligence and care with which he sifts and marshals the facts and investigates the law applicable to them, he is unsurpassed in his profession. In preparing a case for trial, everj fact, however insignificant, is carefully studied, and its possible relevancy to the merits of the case weighed and considered. Tin- principles of law applicable to the case are studied and thought out with equal industry and care, and Mr. Herrick has always been noted as a living encyclopedia of authorities wherewith to fortify his positions. His knowledge "f cases in point, and his readiness and facility in referring to them, amount almost to a specialty with him. A member of tin- bar, who has had many opportunities of observing Mr. 3>4 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. Herrick'e methods, has given us the following ac- count of him in this regard: "Perhaps one of his most striking character- istics is his manner of studying and using the decisions of courts and authorities. In the lirst place he is possessed of unwearied industry in the search for authorities; In- wishes to have before him all thai courts have Baid or decided cm a dis- puted or doubtful question of law involved in any of his cases. The amount of labor which he thus takes upon himself can be appreciated only by lawyers familiar with the enormous number of reports, and their rapid increase of recent years. In the next place, his mind seizes with great rapidity on the facts and essential points of decided cases, and almost by intuition grasps the grounds on which the decisions rest, and the distinctions between them and the particular ease upon which he is at work. Nor is he misled by authorities, as so many lawyers are. The fact that one or two eases may be found, supporting a particular view of the law. does not lead him into the error of sup posing that such is the law. even if no contrary eases ha ve conn- to his knowledge, or can be found; the reasoning of decisions is just as important in his eyes as the fact that such decisions have been made, and if such reasoning does not seem to him legally sound, they have little weight in his judg- ment. When lie comes to the practical use of authorities in court, one of his greatest merits appears. He never cites a case which can be turned against him by his opponents. He never cites eases which rest on distinctions that his ad- versaries can avail themselves of. Nor does he burden a court with tie' labor of examining a large number of authorities which have no real application to the controversy before them. His authorities are carefully selected, and they are in point. But his reasoning as to the law. independ- ent of authorities, and on the facts of his case, is perhaps his pre-eminent merit as a lawyer. He is broad-minded, free from the fault of laying to., much stress on technical points and of wasting his energies on minor questions of fact or law, and his positions follow one another with convinc- ing force. Much the same may be said of his briefs and arguments before courts of review. As a brief writer he has no superior, and perhaps no equal, at the Chicago bar. The order and arrange- ment of his briefs is thought out and planned as a general plans a battle. He sees what the real and fundamental questionsare in a record, and he devotes his strength of argument to those ques- tions, while not failing to press, with all their propi i- force, the other points in his case." Although a good advocate before a jury, stating and arguing his cases to them with clearness, force, and in a persuasive manner, there can be no doubt that Mr. Berrick's forte is as counsel out of court, and as a trial lawyer before I lie bench without a jury, in chancery eases, and in eases on appeal. Asa counsel he is painstaking mservative, and his judgment on what is the best tliinu r to be done in the matters sub- mitted to him can safely be depended upon. He never gives opinions without the fullest investi- gation both of the facts and the law applicable to them, and never advises his clients to take a course of action which may be doubtful in result without fully explaining to them the possible consequences. As a trial lawyer, either in a law court or in a chancery case, he is a most careful, alert, forcible, and energetic advocate. Mr. Her rick has an intuitive perception and love of justice, and he has. as a consequence, an instinctive ap- preciation of what courts can be persuaded to hold as law. He has therefore the great and con- spicuous merit of never attempting to support positions as to law or facts which an- in conflict with the probable predispositions of the court whom he is addressing. He has also the gift of caution in argument; that is, he does not seek to establish principles or rules of law unnecessary for the decision of his particular case, or to carry a rule of law further than the decision of his case in his favor requires. If there is a limitation on his merits as a lawyer, it lies in the fact that owing to his great natural sense of justice, he is a stronger antagonist when clearly on the right side of a controversy than at other times. He does not confine his attention to corporation law, although very frequently employed in corporation cases. He is a lawyer in general practice, engaged in a very extensive and varied line of business, and who has had the experience in nearly all varie- ties of legal practice, and is equally proficient in them all. Mr. Herrick married, in 1883. Miss Julie A. Dulon, of Chicago. Three daughters have been born to them. He is a man thoroughly domestic in his tastes. Though a member of sev- eral clubs, he is seldom seen at any of them. He seems to find more congenial enjoyment in his own home. He has the refined nature and the amiable qualities that win friends everywhere, though not what is commonly known as a society man. The University Club and the Chicago Lit- erary Club count him as one of their most valued members. He and his family attend the pulpit ministrations of Professor Swing. In pol- itics he was a Republican until the presidential election of 1884, when he voted for Grover Cleve- land. In this he had the companionship of a con- siderable number of citizens who had theretofore acted with the Republican party, most of whom were dissatisfied with the tariff policy of the ad- ministration. In municipal politics he has always been independent; since 1884, he has voted with the Democratic party on national issues. LIBRAE OF THE UWVtRSlTY»f«AAHO\S. £M/, BIOGRAPHY OP ILLIMHS. 5 l 5 CHARLES L. ALLEN. CHARLES LINN.EUS ALLEN was born al Kalamazoo, Michigan, on the 22d of October, 1849. He is the son of Dr. J. Adams Allen, whose biog- raphy appears elsewhere in this work, and Mary Marsh Allen. When he was ten years of age, his parents removed to Chicago. Here he went through the usual course at the high school, and afterwards attended the Chicago University. His uncle, Professor Marsh, was at that time a mem- ber of the faculty of Dennison University, at < »ran- ville, < thio, the greal Baptist seminary from which many eminent clergymen of the Baptist church have graduated; and after he had studied forsome time at the Chicago University. Mr. Allen pro- ceeded to Granville, and completed Ins college course there, graduating in 1870. In September of that year he entered the law office of Walker, Dexter & Smith as a taw student, and remained with that firm, after his admission to the bar, until 1879, when the firm was reorganized. Mr. Walker and Mr. Smith retired, and Mr. Dexter associated with himself in a new partnership, John J. Herrick and Mr. Allen, under the firm name of Dexter, Herrick & Allen. Of this firm Mr. Allen became the business manager, taking charge of the financial interests of the firm. Si tin- death of Mr. Dexter, in .May. 1890, the firm has been known as Herrick & Allen. The firm .if Dexter. Herrick & Allen, and its successor, Herrick & Allen, have been engaged in much of the most im- portant litigation which has been carried on in Chicago since the earlier firm was formed. They have acted as the chief attorneys of some of the largest railroad and other corporations doing busi- ness in the city and state. During Mr. Dexter's life he was the general solicitor of the Chicago. Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company, aud the firm was engaged in nearly all the important legal business of that road. Some of the eases which thus occupied their attention have become land marks in our western jurisprudence, such as the eases relating to the validity of the Iowa and Illinois railroad rate laws, and to the validity of the Iowa statute forbidding foreign railway companies to remove cases from the State to the United States courts. During the cele- brated strike of engineers and other employes of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy railroad a few years ago, when dynamite was employed as a means of wrecking trains, and several of the ringleaders of these riotous proceedings were brought to trial and sentenced to a long imprison- ment in the penitentiary, the railroads connecting with the Burlington system, intimidated by the attitude of the men, and fearful that the strike would extend to their mails, refused to receive and carry the freight from the Burlington line. Consid erable litigation grew out of their refusal to handle this freight, in which the firm of Dexter, Herrick A- Allen weie employed as the representatives of the Burlington Railroad Company. The firm were also concerned in the celebrated W. P.Storey will case, and the well-known Spalding case as to what constituted a voluntary assignment for the benefit of creditors. They now represent the Union Stock Yards and Transit Company and the Chicago Junction Railroad Company in the litigation they are now carrying on with some of the packers. To enumerate the persons and corporations forwhom the firm has acted as counsel and attornej s. either in all or the principal part of their litigation, would be to name very many of the most promi- nent people and corporations doing business in the state. Their business in the main, is one involv- ing very large amounts of money, and much of it is advisory business, that is. giving counsel to clients with large interests, in matters which never come into court at all. Mr. Allen is well-known in his profession, and has already achieved an enviable reputation for so young a man. He rarely appears in court, anil has never been what is termed a court lawyer, but has devoted himself chiefly to general chamber practice, the trial of cases in which the firm are engaged devolving mainly upon his partner, Mr. Herrick. He is prin- cipally occupied in the management of negotia- tions and advising as to the law applicable to sub- mitted facts, and the proper course of procedure to be undertaken in regard to them. As an advis- ory counsel, giving his legal opinion on matters brought before him, he has evinced an accuracj of knowledge and a sagacity of judgment that have won the confidence of numerous clients. As a business lawyer he has in fact few. if any, superi ors at the Chicago bar. He is thoroughly well read in the law, with a firm grasp of its principles and an ability to apply those principles quickly to cases as they are presented to him. and this fac- ulty in applying his knowledge and experience en- ables him to dispose very rapidly of a largeamount of business, and makes him a most valuable ad- viser in all business matters. He is very quick to comprehend, and his mind grasps, retains and ar- ranges the most intricate details with unfailing clearness and accuracy. Hence he displays a re- markable aptitude in laying out the detail work 3 .6 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. and to him much of the err. lit is due tor the thoroughness of preparation aoticeable in all the cases which this firm bring int urt. Coupled with tins alertness of perception, he pos- sesses a sagacious judgment, which leads him to jivil little faith in technicalities, but looks to the essential points involved in all controversies or problems with which he lias to deal. Quick as he is to apprehend legal points, he is conservative in advice, preferring to be guided himself and to guide others by the line of well established gen- eral principles rather than by novel or doubtful views of the law. On account of these qualities, in im gotiations and as a confidential adviser, he is held in tin- highest esteem by those who have had occasion to consult with him in important trans- actions; and in this line of professional work he has had very large experience, the enterprises in relation to which his advice and services have been in request being often of great magnitude. In addition to advising and negotiating, he has fre- quently been called upon to act as an arbitrator. — a fact which shows the implicit confidence placed in him not only for his judgment but his honesty. In all his business and professional re- lations he is a gentleman, he attracts people by his ability and the charm of his manners, and inspires confidence by the fairness and integrity which characterize every action of his professional life. He has for years attended to all the financial busi- ness, both of the old firm and of the present firm of Herrick * Allen. In 1S73 Mr. Allen married Miss Lucy E. Powell, daughter of General William H. Powell, of Belleville. Illinois. General Powell commanded an Ohio regiment of cavalry during the war. and while on service in the Shenandoah valley attracted the hatred of the Confederates on account of the reprisals he took for the picking off of Union soldiers by the inhabitants of a neighbor- ing town, who were ranked as non-combatants. but who took every opportunity to kill any of the Union soldiers who fell in their way. He had the misfortune to be captured by the rebels and thrown into Libby prison, and would have been shot hut lor the prompt interference of President Lincoln, who threatened a like fate to a leading Confederate general, a relation and namesake of General Lee. who was held as a hostage for Gen- eral Powell's safety. In the course of events Genera] Powell was exchanged, and at the close of the war settled in Belleville. By his marriage with Miss Powell. Mr. Allen has one daughter. Dora Alice. While attracting many friends by his amiable manners, he is of a modest and retir- ing disposition, and though a member of Dearly all the leading clubs of the city, he is rarely seen at any of them. His membership in the Univer- sity Club, the Chicago Literary Club, and the Sunset Club is indicative of his literary tastes. rather than of any active participation in their proceedings, ami pretty much the same may lie said of his relations to the Union League Club. He is too busy a man in his profession to be able to spare much time for club life, and is thoroughly devoted to his own home, where all his leisure is spent He is very genial in the domestic circle, where he is seen to the best advantage. He is a great lover of the beautiful in art. in music, and in literature. He is especially fond of music, anil has one of the finest musical libraries in the West. In politics he has always been independent, be- lieving more in men than in party, and giving his support to that candidate or set of candidates whom he regards as most likely to serve the best interests of the city, state and nation. He is very liberal, always ready to extend a helping hand to those who need it and m private lit'.' exempliti: s the best qualities of a man and a citizen. MELVILLE E. STONE. MELVILLE E. STONE, vice-president of the Globe National Bank, and one of the founders of the Chicago Daily News, was born in the village of Hudson, near Bloomington. in the state of Illi- nois, in ISIS. His father the Rev. Elijah Stone, was a member of the Rock River Methodist Con- ference from 1818 till 1804. and in pursuance of the itinerary system of that church, was appointed to the pastorate of what is now the Centenarj church in this city, when Melville was about twelve years old. The congregation of the Cen- tenary church .at that time worshipped in a frame building on Desplaines street, and after their new church edifice was built, on Monroe street, near the corner of Morgan street, the Rev. Mr. Stone continued to net ;is assistant pastor for some years. He retired from the ministry in 1804. Melville received his education mainly in the public schools of Chicago, and when he came of age in 1860, his father assisted in starting him in business as proprietor of a foundry and machine shop. Two years later his property was destroyed hi the great lire of 1871, and the young man was left with nothing but several good sized debts to paj oil'. ^*LjL<£lh^£&^ C~. j^^o-^j2_ LiLfto;?> OF THE UNIVERSE of ILLINOIS. BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 3*7 Among those who were prominent in devising measures of relief for the sufferers by the fire was Mr. Stone, who was himself a sufferer to a con- siderable extent. His acts in furtherance of the relief measures are recorded in the histories of thai terrible time. They gave evidence of the ex- uberant energy and fertility of resource which have distinguished him in all his subsequent enter- prises. The great tire having left him without occupation, Mr. Stone at once began to look about him for new opportunities, and settled down for a time as a newspaper man. On his mother's side he comes of a literary family, of which several members have made a reputation as writers fi>r newspapers, and in general authorship. He had acquired a taste for newspaper work during school vacations, when he was em]. loved in the Tribune oil ice. in set ting type, reading proofs, and ".picking up items." He now joined the staff of the old can, which soon after became the Inter Ocean, with Melville E. Stone as city editor. Hi- health failed a year later, and he traveled in the South for six months. On his return he helped to bring about the consolidation of the Post and Mail, and became managing editor of the new- paper. In this capacity his originality of method and his spirit of pluck and enterprise began to attract attention. Some months later he went to Washington as correspondent, and while there became a member of the New York Herald's con- ;il staff. He returned to the Past and Mail in the summer of 1S75. In the meantime he had conceived au ambition to found and control a cheap evening paper, and on Christmas. lsTo. the first number of the Daily News was issued, with a circulation of six thousand copies. Mr. Stone associated with himself as partners Percy Meggy and William E. Dougherty— the latter a versatile newspaper man whose daughter has acquired celebrity on the stage under the name of May Waldron. and lately married Mr. Stuart Robson, the well known comedian. The total capital of the new concern was about $5,000, which was several thousand dollars short of what was needed. Dougherty and Meggy soon retired from the enter- prise and left Mr. Stone in sole possession. He was still embarrassed by old debts and the neces- sary expenses of his family, and as a desperate re- source he sought his old time friend and school- mate, Victor F. Lawson, and offered him an interest on pretty nearly his own terms. Under Mr. Lawson as business manager and Mr. Stone as editor-in-chief, the Daily News continued on its unprecedentedly prosperous and successful career, until in May. 1S8S. Mr. Stone sold out his interest to Mr. Lawson. His retirement from the editorship of the journal he had founded, at a time when its position was secure as one of the foremost of American newspapers, and when he himself was in the prime and vigor of manhood, was a startling event in newspaper circles for a time, and there was an abundance of gossip on the part of "well posted" correspondents as to Mr. Stone's reasons for relinquishing a business for which he was so eminently well fitted. The simple explanation was that thirteen years of newspaper work had brought him enough of wealth to maintain his family in comfort, and educate his boys and start them in life, and he was beginning to feel the effects of the physical strain that the responsible and arduous work of a newspaper editor entails. He could pursue fortune as successfully in less laborious fields, and he now felt the need of rest. His retirement therefore was simply the act of a thoughtful man. Many remarkable stories have been told to account for the phenomenal success of the Daily News under Mr. Stone's editorial management. The secret of his success lay in his intensity of pur] sleepless activity, his fertility of resource, and his invincible courage. No such word as "fail" has ever found a place in his lexicon. From its first beginning, the Daily News was noted for the originality of its enterprises in the way of gather- ing news, and to Mr. Stone belongs the credit of having introduced into newspaper work the detective methods which have done so much to unravel the mysteries of Chicago crime, and to bring wrong doers of all grades to the bar of justice. Not content with advocating obedience to the law. he scoured continents at his own ex- pense to bring the disobedient to judgment. In 1877. when he was an editor two years old, he be- came convinced that a number of the savings' banks of Chicago needed looking after. They were scheduling their real estate and other tangi- ble property away above its value: they were offer- ing six per cent, on deposits when money was worth less than five per cent.; they were amending their articles and by-laws to the extent of altering the contract with depositors to the disadvantage of tie- hitter. Mr. Stone proclaimed the necessity of a law for a system of rigid supervision of these banks by the state. The banks pooled their in- terests, secured the election of a member of the Legislature, got him appointed chairman of the banking committee, and when bills providing for a stricter regulation of the savings banks wen' 3i8 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. introduced, their representative managed to Bmother them in the committee. Mr. Stum- kepi up his exposure of th<' savings bank management until a run upon them resulted. The rottenest of these concerns was the State Savings Bank, and it was the firsl to collapse. Its president, 1». D. Spencer, disappeared one morning, and in the vault of the bank, instead of money, was found Silencer's note of hand for £C>I KUK.H ), not worth the paper it was written upon. The "Beehive" was the next to fail, and one after another four of these institutions closed their doors, while thousands of hardworking and frugal depositors had to bewail the loss of the entire accumulation of years of thrift, and were literally ruined. The efforts made by Mr. Stone to track the fugitive, Spencer, and bring him to justice would read like a romance were it possible within our limits to set forth the story, lie started out on a detective hunt himself, and soon struck Silencer's trad, fol- lowed him across Canada, and telegraphed the chief of the Chicago police authentic information of the steamer on which the absconding embez- zler had sailed. Scotland yard was notified, but Spencer landed at an obscure port, and escaped to German) beyond the reach of extradition. Mr. Stone never relaxed his efforts until he discovered where the fugitive had taken up his abode, and sent a correspondent to Stuttgart, in the kingdom of Wurtemberg, who walked in upon Spencer one daj and interviewed him. The revelations of Mr. Spencer occupied a page of the Daily News, and were decidedly interesting reading, not only to the depositors in the State Savings Bank, but to the community at large. It appeared that Spencer had carried away very little of the bank's funds. Most of the cash had gone into the pockets of lob- byists at Springfield. The result of Mr. Stone's exposures has been that Illinois today has a sav- ings bank law securing the amplest protection to depositors; and the confidence of the people, which was slow to revive toward these institu- tions, is now placed on a trustworthy foundation. The terrible railroad riots of 1877, starting at Pittsburgh and spreading to Chicago, gave him another opportunity, and he rose to the situation in a way entirely characteristic of him. Mount- ing a corps of disguised reporters on horseback, hi' was able In get instantaneous reports from all tin- meetings, and issued extras hourly, thereby trebling the circulation of the paper, and coni- inensurately enlarging its influence. He was also very largely instrumental in unearthing the ballot- box fraud in the eighteenth ward, for which Joseph C. Mackin, secretary of the Cook county democratic committee, suffered punishment at Joliet. It is said that during the whole of that investigation the private secretarj of Mackin was in the pay of Mr. Stone, and furnished that irre- pressible gentleman with daily reports of Mackin's doings. The evidence which chiefly convicted August Spies of guilty knowledge of the anarchist conspiracy resulting in the Haymarket massacre of May. 1886, was supplied by Mr. Stone, who had sent a reporter in January preceding to interview Spies, and obtained a full exposition of the plans and purposes of the conspirators. The reporter carried back to the office of the Daily Ncus a blank bomb which Spies had given him. of the pattern afterwards used with such murderous effect. From that interview down to the fateful hour in May the A 7 eirskept up its warning, which was unheeded by the authorities, and after the arrest of Spies and his associates, furnished im portant assistance to the state. In like manner Mr. Stone worked up the case against the "Dood- ling" county commissioners in 1SS7. and not only enabled the state to convict them, but saved the county from further plunder by disclosing the frauds in connection with contracts which were successfully pleaded in defense of suits brought by the contractors. Space forbids even a refer- ence to all the many instances of Mr. Stone's somewhat novel and singular conception of the proper functions of an editor and his pecular adaptation to detective work. Yet it was all done with becoming modesty and without attempt at posing; nor has he ever incurred the charge of being either a sensationalist or a crank. Of course his paper had its full share of libel suits, but with one exception these have all been dismissed before trial. The exception was the famous Wiltshire case, which resulted in a verdict for Mr. Stone, who then turned round and had Wiltshire arrested for perjury. Mr. Stone hoped to be able to say that the only man who ever had the hardihood to prosecute a libel suit against him landed in the penitentiary; and Wiltshire was convicted and sen- tenced to two years in the state prison, but was granted a new trial, and the matter is still pend- ing. Immediately after his retirement from the News, Mr. Stone went to Europe with his family, and traveled all over the continent, and paid a visit to the Holy Land. He returned to Chicago in August, 1890, after an absence of over two years, his health being much improved by the vacation. Almost as soon as he arrived, he was invited by Col. George R. Davis to take charge of the bureau LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY of ILLINOIS. OC^C^jc^Ly / . &^-^^y BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. .19 of Promotion and Publicity of the World's Pair, but declined the appointment, and recommended Mr. Moses Handy, of Philadelphia, who was placed at the head of that department. In the summer of 1891, Col. Davis again sought his aid, offering him the post of chief of the department ^f foreign affairs, bul again Mr. Stone was obliged by the pressure of private business to decline the proffered honor. In the fall of 1890, Mr. Stone joined in the organization of the Globe National Bank, the other incorporators being Messrs. G. I'. Swift. O. I). Wethefell, Morris Rosenbaum, Wil- liam H. Harper. James L. High, ami ex-Senator Eckert. The presidency of the hank was tendered to him. but he declined in favor of Mr. Wetherell, and accepted instead tl fflce of vice-president, which he still holds. During the brief period since its organization, the business of the bank- has grown very rapidly, it now having deposits amounting to two millions of dollars. On the re- signation, a few months ago. of Mr. Byron L.Smith from the treasurership of the Drainage Board. .Mr. Stone was unanimously elected by the board of trustees as his successor, and is now perform- ing the duties of that office. As we have said, Mr. Stone comes of a literary family. Several of his cousins on the mother's side are well known newspaper writers. They include Mr. John M. Dandy, editor of the Saturday Herald: Mr. Arthur Brisbane, one ,,f the editors of the New York Sun; Mr. Crawford, of the Loudon Daily News, and Mrs. Emily Crawford, one of the brightest newspaper correspondents in either hemisphere, who is now the Paris correspondent of the London D< lily News, and of Labouehere's celebrated paper, Truth. Some of his cousins in the same line of descent are engaged in newspaper work in India and Australia. Col. Brough. grand- son of Archdeacon Brough, of Toronto, an able newspaper writer and author of some successful novels, resident in Madras, is his cousin; and so also is Mrs. Rickard, who as Miss Constance Neville, acquired some reputation, both for news paper editorials and literary sketches and tales contributed to the press of San Francisco. On his father's side he is a cousin of the late Presi- dent Arthur. Mr. Stone married in 1869, Miss Mattie Jameson McFarland, niece of Hon. John A. Jameson, late Judge of the Superior Court of Cook county. Three children, two sons and one daughter, have been born of this uniou. The elder sen is now now at Harvard, the younger is at Phillips Academy, Andover, Mass., and the daughter is with her parents in Chicago. ADLAI T. EWING. ADLAI THOMAS EWING is descended from Scotch-Irish ancestors. His parents, John Wallis Ewing and Maria McCleland Stevenson, were natives of North Carolina, but for many years resided in Christian county. Kentucky; in 1833 they became residents of McLean county. Illinois. where Adlai Thomas was born, on the 5th day of February, 1846. Mr. Ewing's father wasa man of marked personality and great force of character. His mother was the grand-niece of Doctor Ephraim Brevard, the author of the Mecklenburg Declara- tion of Independence, which was the first renunci- ation of British authority by American colonists. Mr. Ewing is the youngest of a family of five sons and one daughter; and is a splendid illustration of the possibilities, under American institutions, opened to every young man of intelligence, integ rity and energy. He was educated at the Illinois State University, studied law in Bloomington, Illi- nois, with his eldest brother, the Hon. Janes S. Ewing, and was admitted to the bar in 1868; the same year he commenced the practice of his pro fession in Chicago, and since that time has been an active and able member of the Chicago bar. Three of Mr. Ewing's brothers. James S.. William G, and Henry A., arc lawyers of acknowledged ability, and for many years have occupied leading positions at the bar of Illinois and Kansas. Although Mr. Ewing. from his early manhood, has been a consistent and persistent advocate of the doctrines of the democratic party he has never sought political preferment. He assisted in or- ganizing the Union Club, one of the leading social clubs of Chicago, and was also a charter member of the famous Iroquois Club, of which he has been an officer almost continually since it- ization, having served successively as secretary. vice-president and president. He was appointed by President Harrison one of the United States commissioners for Illinois to conduct the World's Columbian Exposition; and at the request of the Hon. James G. Blaine, Secretary of State, called to order the first meeting of that distinguished body. Mr. Ewing was elected a member of the committee on permanent organization of the commission, and was afterwards made a member of the executive committee and also a member of the committee on fine arts. He was one of the earliest and foremost promoters of the great sani- tary and commercial enterprise of connecting bj abundant waterway, Lake Michigan with the Gulf of Mexico; and to his intelligent and untir- 32° BIOGRAPHY OF [LLINOIS. ire in this behalf, as much as to those of anj other man, is due the incalculable advantages in peace and war that will result to Chicago and the country at large from this stupendous triumph of engineering skill. He was the promoter of the beautiful boulevardnow connecting Union Park with Douglas Park in the city of Chicago Mr. Ewingisaman of greal energy and Eorce, and although he has given much time and thought to matters of purelj public and general interest, he has been provident and wise and has accumulated a handsome fortune. He is a man of tine ability, many accomplishments, equable temperament and genial sunny disposition. He was married in 1879, at Buffalo, Ni w York, to Miss Kate Hyde, a lady of rare intellectual gifts and personal graces. Four children, three daughters and one son. have been born of this marriage. PHILIP D. ARMOUR. The name of Armour is of Scotch-Irish descent. The ancestors of Philip I). Armour, both lineal and collateral, were American-born for genera- tions. There is evidence on the paternal side of quick perception, wit and humor. We find on the maternal branch the ear-marks of thrift and economy; also meritorious mention of heroic acts of bravery during the Revolutionary War. Mr. Armour may justly be called an American. Dari- forth Armour and Julianna Brooks, the father and mother, left Union, Conn., in September. L825, and settled at Stockbridge, Madison county. \i ,\ York. Here Philip Danforth Armour was born M . i \ 16, 1832. There were eight children — six -.his and two daughters. Farming was their occupation. The children while thus engaged, attained their majority. Each matured amid humble surroundings, and conditions that were favorable for physical development; simplicity of life, habits of frugality and industry were the teachings and hereditaments of the parents. These family pn cepts were maxims that were in- fused in the young hearts by a mother's joyous disposition, never to be eradicated. They were all sent to the local red school house, and only under able conditions could they go to the academy. Philip attended this institution. and many are the incidi nts related of him by his Bchoolmates. He was uppermost in their counsels; tiny were plele.d to be with his set. He was endowed with will power and courage to voice his convictions. These personal characteristics made him a leader among his associates. The discovery of gold in California in 1849, had permeated everj nook and corner of the country. Fabulous and extravagant were the reported findings. The air of Stockbridge was impregnated with the fever. A company, including Philip, was organized to make the over-land trip. The wildest dreams of bis youthful ambition to get out into the world were about to be realized. They left Oneida. X. V.. in the spring of 1S.V2, and arrived in California six months later, passing successfully through all the dangers besetting similar journeys. The members of the caravan found, on arrival, the country full of adventurers: they individually be- gan looking about for favorable locations; every man was placed on his own resources, and was soon brought face to face with the perils and iniquities common to a country where laws were not then recognized. The fumes from this chaldron of vice, the privations and hardships endured, were not to he lived in vain; they were necessary attributes for the development of the sturdy character we are favored to review. It was with joy and rapture that in the year 1856. he returned to the East to visit his parents; their attachments, one for the other, cannot be measuredby our conception. He related to the companions of his youth his varied experiences, but reserved for his parents the Eacts pertaining to his moderate financial success. His visit of some weeks' duration ended, lie started once more for the West, to become a resident of Milwaukee. Here soon after his arrival he fi irmed a co-partnership in the commission business with Frederick B. Miles. It was carried on succesfully in his characteristic and spirited manner until 1863, when the co-partnership was dissolved. The genial disposition, strength of mind and fit business qualifications displayed, brought him with favor before the most prominent commercial firms. It was at this early age freely predicted that his future was destined to be one of achievement and marked success. A life's foundation had been laid, but not until the co-partnership with John Plankinton in the spring of 1863 was formed, had he formed the cornerstone. Mr. Plankinton was his senior. He had been a resident of Milwaukee a long time, and had established a thriving packing liusiness. As a merchant, his standing was high; as a citizen, he was powerful and influential, for he was a man of well known probity of mind. This was an opportunity of a life-time. Every faculty was brought into play: every detail was given that concentration of thought and system BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 12 I atic scrutiny, thai has characterized him through life. Provisions were a staple commodity of life, and were enhanced in value to the same extent and ratio that gold was affected by the devasta- tion of the rebellion. The wide fluctuations in prices caused by the disappearing clouds of the Civil War made the firm a fortune. Herman O. Armour, a brother engaged in tie- grain commission trade at Chicago, in 1862. This im- portant point and fast growing business he entrusted t«> a younger brother, Joseph P. Armour, in 1865, ami assumed an interest in as well as the management of the New York house, then organized under the tirm name of Armour. Plankinton A- Co. It was to the moneyed centres of the East that the Milwaukee house had to turn its attention for the accommodation necessary for a season's packing. Mi in-over. New- York was the headquarters for the European buy- ers of provisions. The house soon became well established under its efficient management, ami bi came the Eastern financial agent of the Western houses then and thereafti r to l»- established. The tirm of H. 0. Armour & Co. continued at Chicago until 1870, doing a grain and general commision business. The packing of provisions was com- menced at this point in 1868. The name of Ar- mour A- Company was adopted and identified with this particular line. In lsTnU.tli branches of the business were assumed by Armour A- Co.. and have since been so conducted. Tie the times were quickly recognized in 1871. Cin- cinnati was fast declining as a packing center. It was evident that the stock producing power of the country was moving westward. Hence, with their usual keen discernment, they inaugurated at Kansas City. Missouri, the tirm of Plankinton A Armour, to be conducted under the immediate supervision of an elder brother. Mr. Simon I; Ar- mour. This was continued until the fall ol 1883, when it became known to the trade as the Ar- mour Packing Company, with Mr. Kirkland B. Armour as its moving spirit. Physically Joseph P. Armour was not strong: mentally, he was the equal of any living Armour. In 1st:., it became apparent that he required assistance. Milwaukee, as we have seen, had brains to spare. Philip, therefore removed to Chicago, and became the central figure of all the houses. The mariner governs and directs his barque according to the variations of the needle, influenced by the mag- netic north. This truism was applicable to the established houses at Milwaukee. New York and Kansas City. Tie y took their bearings from the California pioneer at Chicago, and were guided tip fields of prosperity and renown, The business of the various houses grew to such a magnitude that it was the marvel of the trade. Their brands were well ami favorably known in the principal marts of the world. These words are made sig- nificant by the fact that the distributive sales of the Chicago house alone, are in excess of the gross receipts of any one railway corporation of the world. With a feeling almost akin to revet ential affection, he turned once more to the East, and invited tl ly remaining Armour. Andrew- Watson, a brother on the old homestead, to be- come the president of the Armour Bros. Banking Co.. organized at Kansas City inl879. He brought to the office of this institution the same unyield- ing qualifications of mind that had marked the efforts of all his brothers. The affairs of this in- stitution were well conducted, and it soon became a synonym of financial strength and honor. In taking a retrospective view of a person who has become so prominent as a merchant, we find that the success attained in this character is marked and founded on the industrial faculties of his mind. When a person follows out literally tin- instinct of his mind, and that idea is what he be- lieves to be the great point and cardinal virtue in the law of mankind — to labor — then man's achievements an- generallj measured onlj by his capacity. Hack of this dogma is Mr. Armour's great endowment of vital force, combined with clearness of perception. A mind that is a mirror. b\ which In- instinctively perceives the weak and strong points of human character, as well as records indelibly every act and deed bj a reten tive memory. lb- is at his desk by seven o'clock every morning. Hen- tin- day is passed surrounded by the heads of his various departments. Every item of detail in connection with his extensive business is here passed in review in a genial and affable manner. His personality through his long business career has been closely allied with the welfare of his employes. He is not a partisan, as accepted in politics, though generally identified with tin- highest aims and principles of tie- Re publican party. He never held a public office The only digression he ever made on his business interests was at the request of his life-long friend, the late Alexander Mitchell, to serve as a director of the C. M. & St. P. Ry, Mr Armour was mar- ried at Cincinnati. Ohio, in October. 1862, to Belle Ogden. the only daughter of Jonathan Ogden. Tlie underlying principles of economy were as fixed a tenet in Mrs. Armour's composition as BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. \),,-\ were hereditary precepts of her husband's. The grace and simplicity of their home life has been one characterized by domestic tranquillity, fraught with joj and contentment. They have two sons, Jonathan Ogden Armour and Philip Danforth Armour, jr., both under thirty years of aye and active business partners of their father. Quiet and unostentatious in manner, inspired by the well known name that has preceded their ad- vent in the commercial world, an analysis of their methods, application and business tact clearly demonstrates that their ability to carry their hon- ors is by no means wanting. Mr. Armour's travels have been extensive. Wherever time has found him. it has been among those who were consumers of his products. His close observation make him familiar with the wants and require- ments of the people. The family are attendants of the Plymouth Congregational Church. Here Joseph P. Armour attended. Both brothers were closely identified with the financial history of this church. In connection with the general work a small mission was established, which was fre- quently visited and aided in various ways by Joseph. It was here that he conceived the idea. bj which at his death in 1881, he left $100,000 for the founding of a mission church and school. By the provisions of his will, Philip was empow- ered to carry out this munificent bequest and to this amount he has added a much larger sum. lie has not only fulfilled his brother's desires in a magnanimous manner, but has given and contin- ues to give, a large share of his time. Every branch of the work receives his critical considera- tion. The environs of Armour Mission have been made secure, and nothing has been left undone to ensure a permanent work for the intellectual character and moral culture of children and youth in their midst. The traits, the principles, and the features here related unite in contributing to the fame of a man who has not only reached the zenith of his power and distinction as one of the first of the world's merchants, but from whose munificent influence and bequests posterity will accord the character of a benefactor of mankind. GEORGE F. KIMBALL. It is now a well established fact that, among tie' i .I her great commercial and manufacturing in- terests of Chicago, that of glass has become one of the most important. That city has become the great center of trade in that material, and ( ; ge V. Kimball is in a great measure responsi ble for the volume of business done and for the importance the traffic has of late years assumed. He has been a citizen of Chicago for about twenty two years and in that time he has accomplished more than many men do in their entire careers. This is the more remarkable since his early training had nothing to do with the line of business in which he is now engaged. In fact his entire acquaintance with the glass busi- ness is confined to the space of a few years. Mr. Kimball was born at Boston. Massachusetts. Feb- ruary 23, 1839. His father was Alvah Kimball, a prominent print manufacturer of Boston. His mother was Ruth (Woodbury) Kimball, who was descended from the old Woodbury family, of New- Hampshire. His early education was received at the common schools of Boston, and later he be- came a pupil at Andover College. When sixteen years of agi young Kimball went to visit an uncle at Louisville, Kentucky, who was a dry-goods merchant of that city, and while there he sud- denly resolved to leave college and begin to earn his own living. He remained in the Kentucky city, finding employment in the dry-goods house of Bent & Duvall, and when only nineteen he had shown such aptitude, such genuine business capa bilities that the firm made him their New York buyer, a position of great responsibility, as the success of any commercial house depends as much upon judicious buying as upon the selling of goods. Mr. Kimball remained with Bent & Du- vall for five years when, the opportunity offering itself for securing a business of his own, he formed a partnership with a Mr. Johnson and carried on a successful dry-goods business in Louisville, under the firm name of Johnson & Kimball. In 1861, Mr. Kimball retired from the concern to en- ter the pay department of the U. S. Army, with headquarters at Louisville. He held this posi- tion for a year and was then made chief clerk of the quartermaster's department under Colonel Thomas Swords, the headquarters of the assistant quartermaster general being at Cincinnati. Mr. Kimball remained in that department until the close of the war. At its termination he went to New York City as the solicitor for consignments for the auction and commission house of Ander- son & Co., of Louisville. While in the employ of this concern he came to Chicago in 1869. Mr. Anderson, of the firm, was the owner of a patent sash balance and Mr. Kimball's business was in- troducing this to the trade. In 1871 he made his 7 ^"MSM ■ LIBRARY OF THE WHVE8SITY of ILLINOIS. BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. first acquaintance with the glass business as an employe of James II. Bice. He entered this house ;is chief clerk and remained there eighl years. Since then he has become his old employ- er's greatest competitor, hut the relations between them are of the pleasantest character and they bold each other in the highest esteem. Mr. Kim- ball's business is second to none iu the west, ami he is the largest buyer of American window glass in the United States. His bold specu- lations in the glass trade during the past few years have placed him among the most suc- cessful young business men of the West. After severing his connection with Mr. Rice he estab- lished a business upon his own account in 1879, and located at 15 and 47 Jackson street. He has since that time, in twelve years, built up a busi- ness that would seem phenomena) in any other city or by any other man. He deals heavily in German and French mirror, polished plate, andin dome tic and foreign window glass. The trade, however, in foreign importations is not what it used to be; it has fallen off greatly during late years owing to the competition of American man- ufacturers. The snobbery which induces ] pie to pay a high price tor a foreign article is rapidly dying out and it is now seen that the domestic glass is as good for every purpose as that manu- factured abroad. "American g Is for Ameri- cans," is becoming every year a more popular idea. There are in the United States, at present, seven plate glass factories. One is located at New Albany, live in Pennsylvania near Pittsburg, and one in Crystal City, Missouri. Of the latter factory. Mr. Kimball is the sole agent. So popu- lar has the glass of American manufacture be- come, that these factories are at present unable to supply the demand. Should this demand con tinue to increase in the next few years as it has in the past, (and there is every reason to believe it will,) it will take from twenty-five to thirty facto ries with capacities equal to those already in ex- ist, to meet the want. Fully three fourths of all the glass sold in the United States today is of domestic manufacture. and seven-eighths of the glass sold in Chicago, which has come to be the most extensive distributing point in America, is made in this country. The sale of American glass had increased fully twenty five per cent an- nually in Chicago for the four years previous to Ism;. Since then the percentage has been largely increased and the time is not far distant when importation of glass will be wholly abandoned I ,y Chicago dealers, as the demand for it is growing less and less each year. Mr. George F. Kimball has been called a bold young speculator, and in the term there is nothing meant to which the most rigid and conservative business man might object. His speculations have been based upon purely business principles, ami have I n the outcome ol keen foresight and of the soundest judgment. His grand operation in HSJ was a coup iV etat, ami while it shook the glass trade to its very foundation, it gained the admiration of the Napoleons of finance as a brilliant stroke of business genius. In a sense it was not a specula- tion, but a shrewd business operation. It was a bona fide purchase by which he secured a com- plete corner on the glass market which sent the price up fifteen per cent. So c prehensive and wide spread was this manipulation that the ad- vance quoted, ruled tin' market all over the United States. It was a bold move mil was only possi hie to a man with such thorough knowledg of all the " ins and outs " of the business as he po It created great excitement and Mr. Kimball was the subject of press comment from one end of the nation to the other and extended even to the journals of foreign countries. Mr. Kimball wed- ded Mrs. Lydia Taft. of Waukegan, Illinois, in October. 1ST). Mrs. Taft had one son named Weston Taft. Mr. Kimball is a prominent man in social circles and, though not much of a club man is a member of the Union League and the Washington Park Club. Some men are born with careers all planned and laid out for them, while others are compelled to hew a pathway through the thick wall of an uncertain future. Such was i ieorge i\ Kimball's lot. He is still a young man. with years of bright prospects ami usefulness be- fore him. and he can point to his past with that glow of pride any man is entitled to feed who has made a success of life. william s. Mccormick. The characteristics of the late William Sander- son McCormick arc well described in the words of a prominent Chicago gentleman who knew him long and intimately, and whose opinion is of high value. Of Mr. McCormick this authority says: '• I knew him intimately for several years. In every respect he was a superior man. He was always ready to receive suggestions and quick to act upon them when they commended themselves to his judgment. He was keenly appreciative of therea- 324 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. sons i'ii both sides of any controversy in which he might I"' engaged. In shorthewas eminently just and honorable in every way." Mr. McCor- mirk was born in Rockbridge county, Virginia, November 2, 1815. He was the son of Robert and Marj Ann (Hall) McCormick, and a brother of Leander J. and the late Cyrus II. McCormick, of Chicago. Mr. McCormick's father was an ex- trusive farmer ami his early years were passed amid the surroundings of an agricultural life. His father was not only the owner of several large Earms and closely occupied in their manage- ment, hut was a man of remarkable mechanical genius, ami for many years gave a large por- tion of his time t<> the development of the reaper, and various other of his inventions. William S. McCormick, the subject of this sketch, was able at an early age to relieve his father of 1 1 1 ; 1 1 1 \ .it' the details of farm management, and prac tically operated five or six farms. In 1837 his father met with serious financial reverses through tin- mismanagement of a partner in a large iron business, and the success of the family in regaining prosperity was in no small degree due to William's judicious and progressive handling of the agricul- tural interests. He was an earnest and intelligent worker in whatever he undertook. He was never satisfied with any thing less than the best of machin- ery and methods, and his farming operations were conducted with the same precision and regularity that in after years marked his wise financial man- agement of the enormous and pro fit able reaper busi- ness which he assisted in building up in Chicago, and in which he was interested to the extent of one-fourth. On the death of his father in 1846, Mr. McCormick inherited the homestead, which he conducted successfully until 1849. when he re- moved to Chicago and united with his brothers in the manufactureof reapers. Much of the surpris- ing success which attended this great business enterprise up to the time of his death, is due to the executive ability, sagacity and untiring energy and skill of William S. McCormick. Mr. McCor- miek was married in June. 1846, to Mary Ann Qrigsby, a daughter of Reuben Grigsby, Esq., one of the most prominent planters of Rockbridge county, Virginia, 'the ( Irigsby estate, then known as Hickory Hill, was situated between Lexington and lie' Natural Bridge, and wasone of the hand- somest farm properties in Virginia. Twosonsand three daughters were born to Mr. and Mrs. McCormick. The eldest Bon, Robert S., married Katherine Medill, daughter of Hon. Joseph Me- dill, of ( 'lii, -ago. The second son. William G„ married Eleanor Brooks, daughter of Walter Brooks, Esq., of Baltimore. The eldest daughter, Emma Louise, is the wife of Perry II. Smith, Jr., son of the late Hon. Perry H. Smith, of Chicago. Anna R., the second i laughter, is the wife of Ed ward Blair, son of William Blair, Esq., of Chicago. The third daughter, Lucy Virginia, married Sam- uel R. Jewett, son of Hon. John N. Jewett, of Chicago. The death of Mr. McCormick, which occurred September '27, 1865, was the indirect re- sult of a too laborious and sustained application to business. He was incessant in his supervision of the details of the great and growing interests in his care, and was subjected to intense nervous strain. He held up under it until early in 1865, when the pressure became too great, and he sought relief in retirement from business cares. He was Hun badly broken down, but it was hoped that rest and recreation might restore his health. He improved for a time, but the relief, however, came too late, and in the fall of the same year In- passed away, sincerely mourned by his family and by a large number of friends and acquaintances. SIDNEY A. KENT. SIDNEY ALBERT KENT, one of the most successful business men of Chicago, whose enter- prise in various fields has given him wide reputa- tion,— more especially in the Northwestern and Western States, was born in Suffield, Hartford county, Connecticut, July 1(1, 1834. He is a son of Albert Kent and Lucinda Gillette, his wife, also natives of Connecticut, whose respective families date back to a very early period in the history of the New England colonics. It is known that the founders of the American branch of the Kent family came to this country from England about the year 1630, being among the first English set- tins to follow •■the Pilgrim Fathers" to the shores of the New World. The Gillettes, who are likewise of English origin, arrived in America at a some- what later date. Albert Kent was a farmer, and his son. Sidney, grew up amid rural surroundings, aiding in the labor on the home farm, upon which he remained until he was nineteen years of age. At the district schools and in the Suffield Academy he secured a g 1 English education. and before leaving home was amply qualified to Intake the instruction of pupils in the usual grammar-grade studies. Actuated, probably, by ■ UBRAfi OF THE UNIVERSITY of ILLINOIS. BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 3 2 5 that larger hope which has been such an effective factor in peopling and developing the western sec- tion of the country, young Kent, at the age of nineteen, left home to seek his fortune. His oh jeetive point was the state of Illinois, which then had a population of about one million, many of whom were pioneers, or the children of pioneers, who had left comfortable homes in the Eastern and Middle states to reap the golden advantages which its virgin and fertile soil, its abundant mines and rapidly growing business opportunities held out to the industrious and enterprising. Having friends in Kane county he proceeded thither and, while awaiting employment more in consonance with his ambitious spirit, he taught school for a briaf period. F.arh m IS A. his dili- gent efforts to engage in mercantile affairs secured him ;i minor clerkship in the wholesale dry -g Is house of Savage, Case & Co., of Chicago. This city then had a population not greatlyin excess..!' fifty thousand, and as it had increased more rap idly in trade and importance than any other place in "the fiir west" it was universally regarded as onenf the best localities in that region for making a start in life. Thus, certainly, it was regarded by young Kent, who, in the spring <>f 1854, took up his residence in the city to enter upon a career, which, through his pluck and energy, was to lead to distinguished business success and large for- tune. In 1856, Mr. Kent having readily adapted himself to his new circumstances, cut loose from subordinate employment and in a modest way en- gaged in a general commission business. Pushing his infant enterprise with an energy which never abated, he was soon in a condition to enlarge his operations, and in a very short time lie had achieved a standing among the more prominent commission merchants of the city. The possibili- ties of profit in the fur trade speedily attracted his attention and he boldly engaged in it, making somewhat extensive trips through the Western country, buying furs in considerable quantities and shipping them to a New York dealer with whom he had established business relations. For about four years of the period he was thus en- gaged, his elder brother, A. E. Kent, now of Chi- cago, was associated with him in the enterprise, which brought satisfactory pecuniary results to both. In 1859, Mr. Kent, in connection with his brother, established a beef and pork pack- ing establishment in' Chicago, the firm taking the style of A. E. Kent & Co This business grew to large proportions and in 1872 was re-organized as a stock company under the title of the Chicago Packing and Provision Company, of which Mr. Sidney A. Kent was chosen president. This cor- poration is to-day one of the largest in the pack- ing business in Chicago, and has an extensive foreign, as well as domestic trade. Mr. Kent re- tained the presidency of it until 188S, when, owing to the pressure upon him of other duties, he resigned this position and accepted that of vice-president, the executive duties of which are largely nominal. ( Ither similar enterprises with which he has been prominently connected are the Merchants" and Traders" Packing and Provision Company, largely interested in Nebraska; and the East St. Louis Packing and Provision Company, established in 1872. Mr.Kent became identified with the grain and corn business as far back as 1856, since which time he has been engaged in it as a broker and shipper. His name has I n prominent in this tiel.l for many years, and during the last decade or two he has been a leader in some of those stupendous opera- tions in the grain market, for which the city of Chicago is noted. Since L856, too, he has been a member of the Chicago Hoard of Trade and has served many years in its directory. In 1869, in association with Mr. B. P. Hutchinson, he organ- ize. 1 the Corn Exchange Bank, which went into operation with a capital of $500,000. He served as president of it during the early years of its existence, ami later took the vice-presidency, which he resigned only recently. Under his ad- ministration the bank became one of the leading financial institutions of the city, anil from first to last has been one of the most successful in the West. Another most successful financial institu- tion of Chicago, with which he was long identified as a director, is the American Loan, Trust and Savings Bank. Mr. Kent has given considerable attention to and has invested largely in a number of local enterprises which have contributed in no small degree to the development of Chicago. In one of these, the West Side Railroad Company, he held a large financial interest for many years. He was also a director for several years in the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Rail road Company. Among the principal enterprises which owe a great shari' of their success to his personal direc- tion and in which he is a leading investor, are the Union Iron Company, which operates extensive mines, owns itsown railroads, rolling stock, barges, etcjtheKirby Carpenter Company, which has large interests in land, lumber and millson the Menoiu- onee River in Michigan; and the Illinois Steel Com- pany. Upon the organization of the Chicago Gas Trust, in 1887, Mr. Kent was chosen its president. ; 2 6 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. Recently he has entered with his usual push and determination into an undertaking of great mag- nitude and one which promises to !"■ of incalcula- ble benefil 1" the citj in many ways, viz: the sup- ply of natural gas to its inhabitants. In conjunc- tion with a few other wealthy men he organized, early in 1891, the Natural Gas Company, of Chi- cago, with a capital of $2,500,000. This corpora tion, t<> the affairs of which he is now devoting his chief attention 1ms already made great progress in laying pipe toconnecl Chicago with the 1ml i an a gas fields, believed to furnish a practically inex- haustible source of supply. As a businessman, Mr. Kent stands among the most successful and energetic in Chicago, with an honorable record covering upwards of thirty-five years of unremit- ting labor. Having the genius for large opera- tions he labored sedulously Cor years t.> acquire -sary capital to engage in them as a prin- cipal. Since this has been at his command his operations have been bold and comprehensive, yet always planned with sagacity ami carried on with vigor and deliberate judgment. His suc- cesses have been many; indeed, it may be said, he has had no failures; and the large fortune that has rewarded his increasing ami judicious toil has been acquired wholly in legitimate avenues of business and without any sacrifice of the inter- ests of his associates. Mr. Kent is a man of few- words and of a retiring nature. Although he acts in his various enterprises with marked decision, he never does so hastily, invariably giving care- ful examination and deliberate thought to every detail before issuing an order or hazarding an opinion. A good proof of the soundness of his judgmenl is afforded by the fact thai he is always deferred to as a leader in every enterprise with which he is connected. This place he takes naturally, partly by reason of the soundness of his views and clear comprehension of the needsof the undertaking, whatever its character, but scarcely less so through his remarkable capacity for the exercise of the executive function. Hav- ing achieved fortune, thus successfully meeting what in this age is regarded as the supreme test of bu&mess al ihtv m America, he has of Late \ ars given more attention to the gentler arts, social HIV and public interests. Mr. Kent has taken a lively interest in the new Chicago University, and has recently made to that institution the mag- nificent gift of 8150,000 for the building and equip- ■ a chemical laboratory. This is • of the largest and most notable individual gifts yet made to that institution and follows another from Mr. Kent of $10,000, given at the inception of that great enterprise. Mr. Kent was married mi September 25, 1864, to Miss Stella A. Lincoln, a native of Mohawk Valley. New York, and the daughter of W. S. Lincoln. Esq. As its name implies the Lincoln family is of English origin, but that branch of it, from which Mrs. Kent springs, lias resided in the Mohawk valley in the neighborhood of Owego, New York, from a very eartj period in the history of the Empire State. Mr. and Mrs. Kent's family consists of two charm- ing daughters, who with their motherspend much time at the National Capital, where Mrs. Kent's parents have resided for several years past. EVERITTE ST. JOHN. EVERITTE ST. JOHN, general manager of the Chicago, Rock Island .V Pacific Railway, was born in Litchfield county. Conn.. Feb. I. Hit. His fat her and mother were natives of Connecticut, of English ancestry. His great-grandfather came to this country from England with some of the early Puritans. The name in England is pronounced as if spelled "Sinjin." The name of Mr. St. John's father was Lew-is St. John, and his mother Miss Laura Cartwright. The father died when Everitte was but four years old. and at the earliest possi- ble period he began to earn his own living. An elder brother was postmaster, station agent, town clerk aial store keeper in the town where the fam- ily lived: and there in the capacity of clerk Mr. St. John spent the first years of his working life, where he remained until he was seventeen years of age. It is probable that his labors at 'this period, and the economies he was obliged to prac- tice, were of value to him in his later career. He acquired simple, plain tastes, and exhibited a thrift and willingness to work rather exceptional in lads of his age. Everitte St. John has become a notable railroad man, and commencedhis career in this held when he was but seventeen. His first position in railway service was far away from his native home. In the town of Quincy, 111., in the year 1862, he became clerk in the general ticket officeof theQuincy A- Toledo Railroad. His salary there was $30 per month. This road was. soon after, consolidated with the Great Western Rail- waj of Illinois, and Mr. St. John was trans- ferred to Springfield, where he held a similar position, but with a slight advance in salary. Here he remained until July 1, 1863, and on July LIBRARY RIOORAl'HV OF ILLINOIS. 7 4th, three days later, having received an offer from the Chicago, Rock Island A- Pacific, he accepted ii and began hie service with that company, at sin per month. It may be safely said that mi railroad system in the world lias been more uniformly suc- cessful than has the above corporation, and that this success has been greatly aided by the splen- did services of Everitte St. John, is admitted by those best qualified to judge. His advancement in position and power has been accomplished Btep by step, and with eaeh successive step tie road has advanced in power and influence. July i, 18G:i, lie began as a clerk in the general ticket depart- ment. On November 7. 1864, he was appointed chief ticket clerk. On January 1, 1865, he was appointed general ticket agent. This position he held fi n- a uumber of years, and on January 1, 1879, \\ as made general ticket ami passenger agent. To this office was added, on June 30, 1885, thai of assistant to the general manager. In the follow- ing year, 1886, July 13, he became assistant gen- eral manager, and cm September 8, 1887, he was made genera] manager (if the lines east of the Mis- souri river. On February - J'J, lsss, he was general manager of the lines east of the Missouri river, and became also the assistant general manager of the lines west of the Missouri river. On April 1, 1889, Mr. St. John received the honor due to his ability and his untiring energy in the interest of the ( 'hi cago, Rock Island & Pacific mad. by his appoint- ment as the general manager of the lines both east and west of the Missouri river, constituting the entire system. Tin' Chicago, Rock Island & I'acilie railroad is the outcome of the charter orig- inally given to the Rock Island it La Salle Rail- road Company, February "J7. 1SI7. There was nothing done under that charter, but at a meet- ing on February 7, 1851, at which Stephen A. Douglas was present, the old charter was trans- ferred to Eastern capitalists, and in 1854, tie road was opened to tin' Mississippi, forming the nucleus of the grand system now in operation under the name of the Chicago. Rock Island & Pacific rail- road. Great as the honor was, by his appoint- ment to the high position of general manager of such a grand railroad system, it was fully de- served by that gentleman. He has given it the best service possible; In' has given it the ability and experience acquired through many years of labor and intelligent observation, Mr. St. John is also the chairman of the General Managers' Association and the executivi mmittees of the Trans-Missouri Freight Association, Western Rail- way Weighing Association and Inspection Bureau, Chicago Car Service Association, Live Stock Weighing Association, and member of the execu five committee .if the Western Freight Associa- tion. Mr. St. John is a hard worker from eh,, ice. and gives from twelve to sixteen hours daily to his duties. During this period of continuous labor hi' has never limited himself to the mere perform ance of routine work. He has constantly studied and labored for improvements in the mechanism of every department with which he has been connected. He is a man of liberal dimensions; his head is WeLsterian in its size, his chest broad, and generally he suggests a reservoir of great power. He appears to be immensely self reliant, self itained, daring and yet conservative. As a railroad manager he stands among the fore- most. He is easily approached and has none of the indifference or austerity so of ten character- istic of officialism. He meets visitors with a hearty clasp of the hand. and at one,- gives a close. undivided attention. He is apparently quite as much interested in the business of tin- caller as is the latter. His door is always open to the public, and to the humblest employe of the load who has a grievance, he listens with patience, and en- deavors to give as nearly exact justice as possi- ble. He believes that all gnat bodies employing men, such as railways, insurance companies, mine owners, etc.. should take steps to educate and otherwise forward the interests of their employes. There was a time in the career of Mr. St. John when he came nearly leaving his chosen held of labor. At the inception of the Rebellion he aspired to enter West Point, and was promised an appointment providing Congress should pass a then contemplated law authorizing the nomination of a large additional number of cadets to fill the vacancies made by the secession of federal officers. He began his studies in preparation for an exami- nation, should the law pass, under the tutorship of Hon. Chas. II. Andrews. ex-Governor of Con- necticut, and now the chief justice of that state. It did not pass, however, and Mr. St. John was reserved by (ate to become one of the commanding generals of the Chicago, Rock Island A Pacific rail- waj . He has never regretted missing his war career, though he says "I had an almost irresistible desire to enter the service, and certainly should have done so. had it not been for the influence of my mother. Her entreaties and opposition prevailed. I sent a substitute, and thus surrendered the most ardent wish of my life." Popular as Mr. St. John is in railway circles, he is no more so there than with the public. He wedded Miss Emilina 328 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. B. Lamson, of An. lover. Mass., and is extremely fond of his home. Be is a great lover of books, and liis library of nearly 1,000 volumes is well selected from the lust authors of 1 >< > 1 1 l continents. lie is far too busy ;i man to give much time to the social side of life, bu1 he is by no means a recluse. He is a member of the Union League Club; is Pas! Master..!' Wabansia Lodge, X... ICO, A. F. & A. M.. and Past Eminent Commander of Mont- joie Commandery, No.53, K. T. He is also presi- dent of the Sons of Connecticut, whichhas a mem- bership of about three hundred. 1 II (ill RIDDLE. In the last half of this century, the influence of business men has been pre-eminently powerful. The man of affairs, as distinguished from the politician or. professional citizen, has been a recog- nized |u.\ver. His wealth, his factory, his power to successfully administer and operate great properties, have been important factors in the development and preservation of the nation. He has been depended upon in war and in peace to conserve the best and permanent interests of the whole people; without him, and the approval of his practical judgment, the efforts of the states- man would have been futile, and the courage of the soldier in vain. Such a man has been, and is Hugh Kid. Ik; of Scotch and Irish descent, his character is of that honest, prudent, and deliber ate kind that forms the foundation of the best citizenship and safest material policy. The north of Ireland has given to America a long line of reliable citizens, none of whom has been more useful, or more trustworthy than the subject of this sketch. Born in Bedford, New Hampshire, ,,n the 11th of August, 1822, his boyhood was spent on a farm, that nursery of the sturdiest American manhood. In the common school, as pupil and teacher, he mainly laid the foundation of a practical education, which embodied at once the education and the discipline that have stood in g I stead in later life. Attention then given lilted and gave him a predilection for the life of a civil engi r, and at the age of twenty-four, he entered the engineer corps of the Erie railroad, on rofa railroad man, in which he has been so long active and successful. He continued in this work, mainlj connected with work of con- struct ion, until tin inpletion of the road in L851, when, still as engineer, he became identified with the operating department of the system, having his headquarters in New York city, and hero re- mained until lHi.'.t. a period of almost a quarter of a century. With his disposition and character- istics, it was inevitable that in the great and rapidly growing railroad world, he should make an enviable reputation and attract attention, and it easily followed that when in 18G9, the great West and its matchless possibilities challenged the attention of capital and invited the energies of rail- way managers, he was called to a wider field. Hence, in November, 1869, he came to the city of Chicago, invited there by those who had learned to know and duly estimate his ability, to become the general superintendent of the Chicago, Bock Island & Pacific Railroad Company, then having a line reaching from Chicago to Council Bluffs, Iowa. In 1871 he became vice-president, and in 1877, president, in which office he remained until 1883, when, at the age of sixty-one, at his own solicitation, he was relieved from the active man- agement, retaining, as he still does, his connection with the company as director and member of the executive committee. His ripe experience, steady judgment, and unswerving honesty make his services too valuable to be wholly surrendered. Under his administration, the road was consider- ably extended, its prosperity greatly augmented, ami its standing in the railroad world thoroughly sustained. He commanded at once the confidence of the public and of those high and low, associated with him in the management of the property. He had the confidence in a large degree of the opera- tives of the road ; they trusted his pledged word implicitly, and not in vain. He demanded fealty and appreciated it. Labor troubles did not dis- turb him, because the operatives knew he was just, and withheld from th.-m nothing he could give in justice to his trust. In 1884 he was asso- ciated with Mr. Charles Francis Adams on the Trunk Line Committee, and in 1885, wasa director in the Union Pacific Railroad Company. From time to time his knowledge and experience has led to his selection as arbitrator to settle differences between railroad companies. His first wife was Mary Walker, of Hyde Park, Vermont, wdio died in 1870, leaving one son. In 1872 he was married to Althea E. Wetmore of Oneida county, N. Y. To Mr. Riddle, and men like him, the railroad system of the country, and practically that of the great west, owes very much. Under the guidance of him and his co-ad jutors, it has been a mighty factor in the development of the rich resources of LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY of ILLINOIS. a? BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 329 the country, and made Chicago not only the metropolis of his adopted state, but of the country west nf the Alleghenies. In the list of Illinois' leading citizens, Mr. Riddle is easily a prominent figure, commanding the respect anil 1 lii li -in-i ■ nl' his fellow-citizens and justly enjoying the fruits of a well spenl life. JOHN BROWN. JOHN BROWN, the subject of this sketch, was born in Lycoming county, Pennsylvania, on the 15th of November, 1S07. He was the seventh sun in a family of ten children, all of whom were boys, except the youngest. His father, John Brown, was born in the north of Ireland, and coming to this country in early life married Miss Elizabeth Bennett, a lady of German descent, but born in the state of New Jersey, with whom he lived, and in whom he always found a worthy help-meet, until his death, which occurred in the year 1816, in Clark county, Ohio, the family having moved there from the Pennsylvania home, not long-prior to his death. Pour sons of this couple had died in infancy, in Pennsylvania. Before the subject of this notice had reached his twentieth year, an epidemic carried away his mother and all the rest of the family, except himself, that had survived to that time— the young man's condition was sad enough sole survivor of a large family, without money, without a trade, and with but a very limited amount of the meagre schooling of that early day. in the then comparatively new country in which he lived. A heart less brave, or a mind less resolute might have been discouraged under such circumstances. But he was not discouraged, although few people could more fully comprehend or appreciate all his surroundings at that time than did he. If the present was not as bright as could be wished, it would grow no brighter by brooding over its darkness. The thing to do was to work systematically to better his condition. So he set himself to the task of acquiring the trade of bricklayer and plasterer. He soon learned the business, and often worked hard for twenty live cents a day, and even after he had learned his trade he worked for wages small indeed, when compared to that received by common day laborers of to-day, though as good as then paid to good mechanics. That he was proficient in lus-trade is evidenced bj the fact that specimens of his work can be found in Warren county, Illinois, that still remain in their original strength and beauty, although the work was clone more than fifty years ago — a lasting monument to the painstaking care of the man, and an exemplification of the adage, that "what is worth doing at all is worth doing well." Mr. Brown moved to Monmouth, Illinois, arriving there on the 20th of August, 183C. Among the families at that place of which he had some previous knowledge, may be enumerated the Junkinses', the Holidays, and the Garrisons, from the counties of Green and Clark, in the state of Ohio. When Mr. Brown came to Monmouth he brought all his earthly possessions with him. for he had decided to make that his future home. True In- was then worth but very little property, but he at once went to work at his trade, and if the wages were low, andevenif those agreed upon were not always fully paid, that was no reason why he should not work, and make the most out of the scant} earnings he received. By judicious invest- ments of his money, in goods, in lands and in any- thing that promised safety for the sum invested and a reasonable profit, and by keeping constantly at work, and husbanding all his resources, it was not long till he had accumulated quite a snug sum of money for those times. He soon became recognized as a man of property and a money lender, a reputation that steadily and constantly increased, but never for a moment diminished. For many years he was sheriff of Warren county, filling the office with credit to himself, and to the general satisfaction of his constituency, irrespec five of party, for men of all parties voted for John Brown whenever he ran for any office, lb- was a member of the board of supervisors of his county. In addition to this he was a bank president; at one time or another he was a stockholder, director or officer in nearly all. if not all, of the banks that had lii-en organized in Monmouth up to the time of his death. In all his relations in life he was prudent, and his judgment, so slowly and cautiously funned, was always conceded to be accurate, when formed. He possessed to a marked degree the ability to acquire and safely manage money and property, having amassed an estate worth nearly three quarters of a million dollars. A man of strung, affectionate nature, he found in his wife, children, home, friends and business his highest happiness. When he came to select his life partner, he married Miss Mattie 1!. Pittinger, a lady considerably his junior, and a daughter of his old friend, Andrew Pittinger. His children, John S. and Harry II. Brown, were only in uioiiitAi'iiv ok Illinois. their teens when their father died, on the 26th ni September, 1888. By his will he left the man- agement of his estate, till after the majority of his youngest son, to his executrix and executors, they being his beloved wife, and Mr. Fred E. Harding and J.udge William C. Norcross. Mr. Harding was his trusted hanker, and the Judge was I'm- many years his attorney and adviser. By the will the great bulk of his property is left to his wife and sons, hut it makes liberal provision for others as well. He was honest and just in all his dealings. In polities he was a Republican, in religion he inclined to the Calvanistic belief, though he never united with any church; he was a regular attendant with his wife and family upon the services of the M. E. Church, of which she is a very devoted and consistent member. 0RK1N W. POTTER. ( IRRIN W. POTTER, for many years the lead- ing iron and steel manufacturer of Chicago, and who lately retired from the presidency of the Illi- nois Steel Company, was born in Rochester, N. V.. December 25,1836. His father. Abel Potter, was a farmer by occupation, and it was under such rustic influences as farm life engenders, that young Orrin spent the early years of his life. His mother's maiden name was Cynthia Lathrop. She was a woman of most estimable character, and her influence had a potential effect in mould- ing the character of her son and in laying the foundation for the principles of honesty and up- rightness which have characterized his career as a business man and a citizen. Mr. Potter received the best educational advantages afforded by the (•limine m schools in his native place. Though these were limited, young Potter possessed nat- ural abilities which, in a large measure, com- pensated for his lack of higher education. Very early in his school training he developed a remark- able faculty for mathematics and civil engineering. Tin loudness for the latter led him, when but fif- teen years old, to leave school and join a survey- ing party, with which he traveled over portions of New ifork state and Canada. He was not, how- ever, destined to become a civil engineer. Pate had another field of labor mapped out for him, and he entered it when twenty years of age. Cap- tain Eber 1!. Ward, a gentleman widely known in the earl) history of transportion upon the great lakes, and with the iron trade, had established a rolling mill at Wyandotte, Mich. As Mr. Potter's career is closely identified with that of Captain Ward, it may not be out of place to recall some incidents in the life of the latter, especially those which led him to establish a plant in Chicago, and which were the causes leading up to Mr. Potter's association with him. When the Michigan Cen- tral Railroad had been extended to Marsha II. Mich., Captain Ward established a stage line between that place and St. Joseph, Mich., and from there connection was made with Chicago by two steam- ers, making regular trips. Sometime later, when I lie road was completed to New Buffalo, he ran a line of steamers from there to Chicago, and also to Milwaukee, and continued it until 1S.VJ when the road entered the Western metropolis. This line of lioats was the origin of the present line of Goodrich steamers which make every prominent port on either side of Lake Michigan, a regular stopping place. But Captain Ward had the fore- sight to see that the railroad interests were des- tined to override that of lake transit, and he began to invest in the iron mines of Lake Superior. Thus, it was about 1855 he built the rolling mill plant at Wyandotte, Mich., a few miles below De- troit, and it was there, as a clerk in the office of the mill, that Mr. Potter found employment when he came West in 1856. This was his real start in life. Here he so quickly developed exceptional aptitude for business that within a year his em- ployer found the opportunity to advance him in position. Captain Ward had from his first visit to Chicago, when he landed there with a load of flour, and anchored off the mouth of the Chicago river at a time when there were only a few houses, an old fort and a so-called hotel, had a feeling of her future greatness. As the years went by this feeling grew and, in 1857, he determined to build another rolling mill plant at that point. To this new field Mr. Potter was transferred, ami became book-keeper and pay-master in the new concern. Here he remained, acquiring a thorough knowl- edge of the business in all its details, and making himself an absolute necessity to the enterprise. In 1864 Captain Ward's plant was made into a stock company with the title of the Chicago Roll- ing Mill Company, and Mr. Potter was chosen secretary of the new organization and was also made the general manager of the works. From the very first the concern proved a paying invest- ment. Year by year the business grew until it became recognized as one of the city's greatest manufacturing corporations. And thus was it a uHWWsrn<*nwK° ls - BI0GKAP1IY OF ILLINOIS. 331 great honor when, in 1S71. the president, I Stephen Clement, retired from active business, that Mr. Potter was elected to fill his place. It was an honor, for the company had attained a proud place among Chicago's business enterprises. But it was an honor due, for it is but simple jus- tice to say thai the success attained was due to Mr. Potter's wise and conservative management; that the enterprise had survived many panics and depressions in business during the financial troubles which, several times in its history, swept over the country. Beginning as a clerk at a salary ••: 1300 per annum, he had worked his way to the acy. In his progress he obtained a wide knowledge of the business and a thorough experi- ence in its practical workings. He became pe- culiarly qualified to carry out his work, while his natural executive ability enabled him to put at the head of all departments the m who could and would co-operate with him in carrying out his plans and business methods. On the original plant the investment was $225,000, the capacity 100 tons a day of iron rails, and there were about 20 n employed. In 1864 an additional mill was erected, doubling the capacity, and a puddling department was also added. In this year the con- cern became the Chicago Rolling Mill Company, with a capital stock of 8500,000, and Captain Ward's interest was merge,! into this corporation. During 1- grinal plant was burned, but at once rebuilt on a larger scale than before and. in 1869, under a special charter the North Chicago Rolling Mill Company wasorganized with a capital of $1,000,000, and the works of the old company were merged into the new one. Blast furnaces were built in 1870, and in 1872 a Bessemer-steel plant was added, ata cost of $350,000. The first steel rail ever made in America was rolled at this mill. In 1878 the Milwaukee Iron Works, locate,! at Bay View. Wis., where pig-metal, iron rails and merchant iron were made, were purchased, and in 1880 works were erected at South Chicago. The number of men employed during 1884, at the several works, was 5,800, demanding a pay-roll of $250,000 a month. The annual capacity of the works was 334,000 tons of pig-iron, 320,000 tons steel rails. 120,000 tons iron rails, 10,000 torn merchant iron. 20,000 tons fish plates, and a nail mill part of the Milwaukee Iron Company's plant turned out 1,000 kegs of nails a day. and had a capital of live millions of dollars. It was at the head of such an enterprise, practically built up through his own efforts, that Mr. Potter was placed, a po- sition he held from 1*71 until 1890, when the en- m was reorganized into the Illinois Steel Company, with a capital ,,f $25,000,000, employing 11,000 men. This was the result of thirty-three years constant application to one industry and in one place. In May. 1889, Mr. Potter waselected chairman of the board of directors of the new company, and remained in that office until April, 1890. At that date he withdrew from active- man- agement of the concern, but continued in the board of management of the new organization as an ad- visory member, in which capacity he still continues to act. Multiplied as Ids duties were while man- aging this property, Mr. Potter found time for other interests. He was one of the original incor- porators of the Inter Ocean Transportation Com- .anizeil in 1*7*. ami has been its treasur- er ever since. Mr. Potter practically controls the entire stock of this company. It is one of the heaviest private- transportation companies on the lakes. It owns and controls 14,000 tons of ton- nage and is engaged chiefly in carrying iron ore upon the Lakes. The company own -1 \ vessels, six of them steamers. A in w one. the ■■Maryland." is the largest steam vessel on the Lakes, having but recently been put in commis- sion, and has a carrying capacity of four thousand net tons. This company was incorporated under the laws of Wisconsin, and has a capital stock of $850,000. Mr. Potter was also one < >f the incorpo- rators of the Metropolitan Iron and Land Com- pany which owns the wonderful "Norrie" and the "Pabst" mines, at Ironwood, Michigan. The Norrie mine is in the Gogebic range and is the largest iron ore producer in the world. Mr. Pot- ter is a director in this company, and also in the Commercial National Bank, of Chicago. It was but natural that a man so long and intimately identified with the iron trade of this country, should be a prominent member of a committee to receive the large delegation (si D ■■ 700) of English. German and French capitalists and manufactur- ers which recently visited Chicago, on their tour through the country for the purpose of inspect- ing are! studying the iron interests of America. Mr. Potter was made chairman of the reception committee and entertained the guests so well and and made so thorough an exhibit of the city's re- sources, that they left the city with the pleasant- est impressions of the hospitality of Chicago's citizens, and its importance as a manufacturing and commercial metropolis. Mr. Potter was mar- ried Di mber -Jo. 1858, to Miss Ellen Owen, daughter of Benjamin F. Owen, of Marine City, Michigan, and a niece of Captain E. B. Ward. The} BIOGRAPHY OF [LLINOIS. have tour children. Edward ('. Potter, theeldest, ;i prominenl business man of Chicago, and three daughters, Agnes, the wife of James C. Hutchins of Chicago, connected with the law department of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad, and Gertrude and Margaret. Though not much of a club visitor, Mr. Potter has memberships in three different organizations. His connection with the Commercial Club dates from early in its organization, and in 1881 he was elected its president. He is also a member of the Union League Club and the Chicago Club. He lias had but little time, and less inclination to give to polities, though he was with the late John Crerar ;i presidential elector, in 1888, for Mr. Harrison. Mr. Potter's life has been one of constant busi- ness activity. He early learned the value of ex- perience and thorough training in any calling, and knew that steady industry was apt to achieve more than is usually accomplished by inconstant genius, however brilliant. It was upon these lines that Mr. Potter marked out the plan of his life, ami his splendid success testifies to his wise judgment and to his steadfastness of purpose. Now having partially retired from business he spends his summer months at his home on Lake Geneva, some seventy miles from Chicago, where many of her business men find rest ami recreation on the banks of this beautiful lake, and in the de- lightful country that surrounds it. JOSEPH T. TORRENCE. GENT, JOSEPH THATCHER TORRENCE, a leading business man. and widely known as an al ile and successful engineer and executive, in con- nection with the planting and development of a number of extensive iron and railroad enter- prises in the West, was born in Mereer county, Pennsylvania, March 15, 1st:). His parents were James and Rebecca Torrence, both natives of Pennsylvania. Before he was ten years of age he closed his school books and started out to make his own way in the world. His first employ- ment was at Sharpsburg, in his native state, where he worked nearly three years for Mr. John 1'. \i;ncw. the proprietor of blast furnaces. He was employed subsequently in various capacities al the lirici- Hill furnaces, in Ohio, where he learned | he blacksmith trade, and proved such a diligent and capable workman that he was pro moted to the position of assistant foreman before he had completed his sixteenth year. He re- mained connected with the blast furnaces in that region until the opening of the Civil War. and ac- quired a mastery of the business, both practically and scientifically. The first gun of the Rebellion, tired a month after he had completed his eighteenth year, awoke in him an irrepressible desire to serve his country, and when the great call for troops was made by President Lincoln he enlisted as a private in Company -A," One Hun- dred and Fifth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infan- try. Tall and strongly built, already disciplined by years of responsible labor, and accustomed to handling and directing forces of men, Torrence. young though he was, made a decidedly favorable impression upon both his associates and superiors, and was at once appointed a non-commissioned officer. As such he took the field and served faithfully and bravely with his regiment through all the campaigns in which it participated, down to and including the battle of Perryville, in which he received four wounds. Being pronounced physically disabled for further active service, he was honorably discharged from the army, at a later period being granted a life pension by the United States government. When able to leave the army hospital he returned to Ohio. At that very time the rebel raider Morgan, with his band of guerillas, had just made a bold incursion of the state, and his rapid and daring operations, which covered a wide swath of territory, caused the greatest terror to the loyal inhabitants. Joining a small force of volunteers formed (or detailed) for the purpose of pursuing the retreating guerillas, young Torrence being recognized as a veteran of experience, capacity and courage, was made its leader, and with his command took an active part in the operations which led to the capture of the rebel chief and his band. At the expiration of this service he went to New Castle, Pennsylvania, and entering the employment of Messrs. Reis, Brown & I lerger, was at first given charge of their furnaces at the place named, but later was given charge of the products of the entire works and their sale, discharging these duties live years. The ensuing two years were occupied by traveling in the South on his own account, devoting his time as an ex- pert to the construction and repair of blast furnaces and rolling mills. In lSOt) he came to Illinois and took charge of the furnaces of the Chicago Iron Company, at Bridgeport. In the following year he became connected also with the Joliet Iron and Steel Company. Besides attending to respon- ■^ OF THE OMWtRSlTYoflUAHOtS. BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 333 sible duties for these corporations he superin- tended the construction of furnaces at Depere, Wisconsin, and at Menomonee, Michigan. He later built two large improved furnaces for the Juliet Iron and Steel Company and had charge of them, as manager, until 1874. when he resigned, and going to Chicago, became consulting engineer for the Green Bay and Bangui- Furnace Company. lb- had resided but a short time in Chicago when he attracted the notice of a number of leading men, among whom may be named Thomas Hoyne, W. J. Onahan. and W. F. Coolbaugh, who. being most favorably impressed by his fitness for high military position, urged him to take the colonelcj of the Second Regiment Illinois National Guard. Disposed at all times and at any personal sacri- fice to do his full duty as a citizen, he readily consented, although overwhelmed by business cares, and being elected was duly commissioned colonel of the regiment named by Governor Bev- eridge, and assumed command in 1874. Towards I lie close of 1876 lie was appointed to the rank of Brigadier-General and received his commission as such from Governor Cullom just a few days be- fore the beginning of the great riots of 1877. At this critical juncture he was placed in a unique position by the voluntary action of the Mayor and Council of Chicago, who gave him absolute com maud .if the city. It is doubtful if a graver con- dition of affairs has ever confronted an American National Guard commander, in time of peace, than that which existed in Chicago when General Torrence became the legal military dictator in the city. With the wisdom of a veteran he decided upon prompt and energetic measures to suppress the disturbances. The five infantry regiments comprising his brigade, together with the local cavalry and other organizations available, were at once ordered to report for duty. The mural effeel of this exhibition of a large, well-armed and dis- ciplined force, acting legally, was felt immediately, restoring confidence to all law-abiding citizens and proving to the turbulent that a resort to force could only end in ignominious defeat. With true American spirit General Torrence refrained from making a dramatic display of strength. His tmops were suitably placed and they had their orders, yet nothing was done to unduly irritate the public pulse, already throbbing with a fervent excitement. Personally. General Torrence was a marvel of coolness. While keeping his eye upon every detail of the military situation, he gave due attention to his regular business duties which were already of an engrossing nature. On two occasions during the period of excitement, when the mob broke into open riot, he took personal command of the cavalry and by energetic and de- termined action promptly checked the outbreak. Throughout the whole period of the riots he was conspicuous for his masterly grasp of tin- military requirements of the situation and proved no less brave than able in the discharge of his grave and responsible duties. It is due to the truth of history to record that his vigorous and skillful measures saved the city from an epoch of lawlessness and anarchy, which must have re- sulted in a deplorable loss of lite and property, and have remained forever a blot upon her es cutcheon. The extent and pressure of his busi- ness duties led General Torrence to resign his command in the National Guard in 1881, but his administration left many fruits, not the least of which was the prestige gained by the brigade while under him. After some time of efflcienl service as consulting engineer for the Green Bay and Bangor Furnace Company, he became asso- ciated with Messrs. Joseph II. Brown, of Youngs- town. Ohio, and Herbert Aver, of Chicago, in the organization of the Joseph H. Brown Iron and Steel Company which erected a fine plant on the Calumet river. This plant was afterwards leased by Mr. Brown, his sons, and General Torrence, who operated it successfully. Subsequently these gentlemen sold the works to the Calumet Iron and Steel Company, which secured General Torrence's services as consu lting engineer. During tin- two years he remained with the company a disastrous fire and increase of business necessitated import- ant changes in the works, and under his superin- tendence they wen- largely rebuilt. About this time General Torrence became connected with the construction of the South Chicago and West- ern Indiana Railroad, and his ability finding speedy recognition he was chosen president of that corporation. In 1SS1 he became interested in the large rolling mills at Evansville, Indiana, and soon afterwards purchased one-half interest in that plant. In the following year he transferred the business to Hammond, Indiana, where new works were constructed. A little later he sold his interest in these mills. In the springof 1886 he organized the Chicago and Calumet Terminal Railway Coin pany, for the purpose of constructing a railroad around Chicago, so as to permit of a transfer of all east and west bound freight from one mad to another without the necessity and expense of bringing it into the city. In May, 1887, he organ ized the Calumet Canal and Improvement Coin 334 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLTXOTS. panj . under the laws of [ndiana, with a capital of 82,000,000, and in the Bame month he organized the Standard Steel and Iron Companj under the laws of Illinois. The first named corporation was created mainlj Eor the purpose of obtaining title to about eight thousand acres of land in Indiana, between the Calumet river and Lake Michigan; and the last Darned for the purpose of obtaining title to about one thousand acres in Lake county, in i he same state which, under General Torrence's plans, was subsequently laid out as the town of East Chicago. This Lake county property had been in litigati n for man-, y are before G-sneral Torrence acquired it; but he settled all claims satisfactorily and perfected his title. In the prosecution of his plans for improving and de- veloping this property he realized the advantage of seeming a permanent water way for govern- mental purposes; and in carrying out his sugges- tion, a strip of land two hundred feet wide, extend- ing from Calumet river northerly and easterly to Lake Michigan, with branch running westerlj con- necting George lake. Wolf lake, Calumet river and Lake Michigan together, was deeded without cost, to the United States government, for the use named. In 1890 General Torrence organized the Chicago Elevated Terminal Railway Company, having in view the project of constructing an ele- vated road of sufficient capacity to meet the demands of some of the railroad lines entering the city. This great enterprise, now definitely assured, has been pronounced one of the grandest engineering projects of the time, and its successful completion will be one of the greatest of General Torrence's many triumphs. Of all companies organized by him General Torrence became presi- dent, and their success has been largely attributa- ble to his able direction in the early history of their affairs. In August, 1890, he sold his interest in the Chicago and Calumet Terminal Railway, and in December following resigned from the presidency of the Calumet Canal and Improve- ment Company and the Standard Steel and Iron Company. He has taken an active interest in se- eming government aid for the Calumet river and barb ir, and through his effi irts originally. Congress has I n induced to make appropriations of large sums of money for improving these waterways. As a member of the committee on river and har- bor [or Calumet district he still continues his efforts at Washington in behalf of these improve- ments. In politics General Torn 'nee is an ardent Republican, and as such has rendered valuable sen ice to his party, and although not consenting lo hold a political office of any kind has the confi denceof its most prominent leaders, and is widely known. During the presidential campaign of 1884 he he was conspicuous as an eloquent sup- porter of Blaine and Logan, and in company with the latter a warm persona] friend he traveled through the states of Michigan, Wisconsin, New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio. General Torrence is a man of large and imposing physique, capable of great exertion and prolonged application. His executive and organizing abilities are of a high order and tit him for enterprises of great magni tude, which he grasps in whole and in detail with remarl;able quickness, and carries out with equally remarkable sagacity. By his efforts he has amassed a fort line, and has taken his place among the lead- ers of the business world of the West. During his whole life he has resolutely refrained from the use of intoxicating liquors and tobacco a fact to which he is disposed to attribute much of his per- fect health. He was married on September 11, IST'J. to Miss Elizabeth Norton, the accomplished daughter of the late Judge Jesse ( ). Norton, of Chicago, by whom he has one daughter, Jessie Norton Torrence. Mrs. Torrence died October 12, 1891, the result of a most distressing accident, having been thrown from her "dog cart" while taking her accustomed ride with her daughter. The horse becoming frightened, ran away and dashed Mrs. Torrence to the ground, killing her almost instantly. This sad event was a great shock to an exceptionally wide circle of loving and devoted friends. From the Chicago Tribune we quote the following: "Seldom has Chicago society been so shocked as b\ the news of the death of Mrs. General Tor- rence. In the prime of life, beautiful, admired, beloved, a sudden, almost trivial accident befalls aud all is ended. "Mrs. Torrence was one of a type of women pe- culiarly the product of the fresh, free, vigorous West. To the world she was only known for her beauty, her cultivation, her matronly charm as the lead of the splendid and hospitable home only lately occupied, which she beautified by her tasie and adorned by her presence. Hut to those who knew her best these qualities were but the varnish on the lovely picture. "She was perfect in her domesticity, in her household management, in her devotion to home and family; and. what was less to be expected, she was of unerring judgment in the more weighty affairs of business. In all the large and extended enterprises in which her husband was engaged she was his confidante and adviser; nothing was entered upon without her being consulted, and nothing to which she had given her unqualified approval ever went amiss." LIBRARY OF THE ERS1TY of ILUHO -^#-0*- BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 335 SENECA D. KIMBARK. SENECA D. KIMBARK Is one of the pioneers of the great iron and steel trade in Chicago, having been in active business in that line since L853. Mr. Kimbark is a nativeof New York state. He was born at Venice, Cayuga county, March 1. 18:12. His education was a thorough one for those days, and obtained by his own endeavors. After graduating from the district schools he attended the Geneseo and Canandaigua academies, at each of which he paid for his tuition with monej earned by teaching in country schools. When he was but eight years old his parents moved to Living- ston county. N. Y., and four years later he was set to work on his father's Farm. With the except inn of the time spent in attending and teaching school in the winter months, he worked on the farm until he was twenty -one .years old. This was in 1853, and Mr. Kimbark celebrated the event by removing to Chicago and engaging in business as a junior member in the firm of E. G. Hall & Co., in the iron trade. In 1860 the name of the firm was changed to Hall, Kimbark & Co. In 1873, it became Kimbark Brothers & Co., and in 1870, Seneca D. Kimbark became sole proprietor of the immense business. He was a heavy loser by the tire of 1S71, but his business energy and tact brought him safely through difficulties that would have permanently hampered a man of less sagacity and courage. Mr. Kimbark's establishment is now the largest of its kind in Chicago, and during all the years since its founding in 1853, its com- mercial integrity and high standing, have been preserved, unaffected by the changes ami fluctua- tions in the business world. Some years ago Mr. Kimbark established a large factory for carriage woodwork, in Michigan, which was, in 1891, removed to Elkhart. Indiana, where the conditions were more favorable. This is now one of the largest and most successful factories of its kind in the United Stab's. It is located in a Hue hard- wood lumber district, and its yearly output of buggy, wagon and carriage bodies is enormous. The factory proper is 100x80 feet, and the engine house, etc., is 180x40 feet, and both arc equipped with the finest machinery known in the trade. In all his long business career Mr. Kimbark has been working hard for the best interests of the iron trade and its dependent branches, and his voice is potent for good in every national assembly where the iron interest is made a subject for in- vestigation. His notions of business honor are so broad that he never makes a distinction between commercial and moral integrity, and the "tricks of the trade" have never found a place in his transactions. He is a man of positive opinions but never controversial in their support. His perfect self reliance is the outgrowth of inherent mental strength; and for tin- same reason he is always a good listener and ready to surrender his own opinions when convicted by arguments that appeal to his better judgment. Mr. Kimbark was one of the three commissioners appointed to locate the South Park system. It was fortunate for the future of Chicago that such a man was embraced in the commission. It was impossible for him to study the growth of Chicago from the usual standpoint of increasing population. He found in this only the evidence of that philosophy of permanent growth ami prosperity upon which In' based his prediction of enlarged boundaries. The park was located upon his notions of future necessity, though it is justice to state that the other commissioners wire in full accord with his views. Notwithstanding the hostile criticisms excited by the then distant location of the parks, the Chicago of to-day is grateful for that wisdom and comprehensive foresight which fixed the loca- tion. In preserving the "Lake Front" from the greed of railway extension. Mr. Kimbark has been more insistent and influential than any other. unless we except the untiring efforts of the late Thomas Hoync. In this, as in everything else, he carefully examined into the rights of the respective parties. He investigated all the details of title and possession, and when he satisfied himself that the Lake Front Park was an inheritance that be- longed to all the people of Chicago, no influence could be brought to bear to swerve him from an intelligent and persistent hostility to every en- croachment. He is in no sense a politician, but he takes an active interest in every ciuestion of municipal reform. While he is a Republican he is not partisan. He is quick to grasp the details of every measure which involves the good faith and prosperity of State or Nation, and always main- tains the right and condemns the wrong regardless of party affiliations. In his early life Mr. Kimbark was a Democrat, and was a warm advocate of the annexation of Texas. The repeal of the Missouri Compromise, however, made him an ardent ab olitionist, and on the formation of tin- Republican party he became actively identified with it. Dur- ing the war Mr. Kimbark warmly espoused the Union cause and did good service for it. Whilst one of his partners was in active service in the tield. his brother, lieorge M. Kimbark, at that IHOOKAPHY OF ILLINOIS. time also a partner, was engaged in the organiza- tion of volunteer companies, notably the Kimbark Guards; the business of the linn ..1' (tall. Kim bark & Co., was conducted by its senior members, Elbridge G. Hall and Seneca D. Kimbark. ami furnished its full share of the sinews of the war which saved the Union and Constitution. He has always refused all tenders of political preferment, and declined the many nominations offered to him. He is one of the best known men in Chicagi i, and personally and imercially is thoroughly identi- fied with I lie hist i iry of the city. Mr. Kimbark is a man of most kindly and hospitable impulses. He has a charming home circle and is also prominent in Chicago's club history. He has been identified with the Union League Club almost since its organization, and has taken a lively interest in its advancement. While engaged in its active management and direction he has always insisted that the high standing of the club has been achieved and must be maintained by its efforts to establish a higher standard in the con- duct of public affairs. In this, as in all other matters, he makes usefulness the measure of suc- cess. He was one of the original members of the Chicago Club, a charter member of the Washing- ton Park Club, and is an influential member also of the Calumet Club. Mr. Kimbark was married on September 25, 1856, to Miss Eliza beth Pruyne, daughter of Peter Pruyne, at one time a State Senator of Illinois, and a colleague of Stephen A. Douglas. Mrs. Kimbark's mother is the widow of the late Thomas Church, one of Chicago's pioneers and a man of great per- sonal worth. Mrs. Kimbark is one of Chicago's eldest daughters; her birthday was the inaugura- tion day of its first mayor. She is a woman of good attainments, genial presence and engaging manners, having brilliant conversational ability an«l ready w it. Her name but seldom appears in current society news, or in connection with public institutions; her charities have been generous and continuous, bestowed by her own hand. Four children have been horn to Mr. and Mrs. Kimbark, two daughters and two sons. The eldest son, Charles A. Kimbark, is now the financial manager of his lather's business and is a young man of great promise in the business world. The younger son, Walter, is at the head of the carriage-goods department of his father's establishment, which he manages ably and successfully. Mr. Kimbark's younger brother, Daniel A. Kimbark, who was a member of the linn of Kimbark lliothers & Co., died March LO, L886. He came to Chicago at the i close of the Civil War, and up to the time of his death was identified either as partner or in salaried positions in the above named house. Prior to 1882 he held offices in the Apollo Commandery of Chi- cago, in which he had a host of warm personal friends; but ill health forced him into comparative retirement. He was a man of musical taste and culture, and was a tine singer. Many still remem- ber his rich baritone voice and his genial friend- ship. He married in 1861, Miss Eliza Underwood, of Auburn, X. Y„ who with five sons survives him. The history of Seneca D. Kimbark is not an unusual one in Chicago, and yet it can be read with profit by all young men. It is the record of a poor country boy who by pluck, integrity, stead fastness of purpose, and business ability, has be- come one of the most influential and successful merchants in a great city; has attained wealth and position, and is honored and respected wherever his name is known. GEORGE M. KIMBARK. GEORGE MASTEN KIMBARK was bom in Venice, Cayuga county, New York, on the 18th day of May, 1833. His parents. Adam C. Kimbark and Sarah Masten Kimbark, were both natives of Ulster county, New York, and passed their lives in that state. Adam C. Kimbark's business life was during the early days before the railway train had superseded the stage coach; it was divided between agriculture, mercantile pursuits, and hotel keeping, which at times he carried on simul- taneously. Having acquired a competency, he retired from business and resided several years in Auburn, New York, afterwards removing to Roch- ester, where he died in 1867. Throughout his life he had enjoyed the esteem and confidence of all. preserving to the last his high character for per- sonal integrity. George was educated at Alfred academy, Allegany county, New York, and after- wards at Geneseo academy, in the same state. In 1854, having just attained his majority, he moved to Chicago, where a brother and two sisters had preceded him. He was appointed bookkeeper for E. G. Hall & Co., of which firm his brother, Seneca ]>. Kimbark, was then the junior member. He soon became popular as a salesman, and in 1860, upon the organization of the firm of Hall, Kim- bark & Co., he was admitted as a partner. He held his interest in that firm, and also in its sue- BIOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS. 337 ecssor, Kimbark Bros. & Co., until January 1, 1876, when he sold out to his brother, Seneca D., and from that date to the time of his death was not actively engaged in business. In 1860 he married Miss Elizabeth Gray, daughter of the Hon. Samuel Gray, of Bowdoinham, Maine. This lady and her only child, George, survived him, George being sixteen years old at the time of Mr. Kimbark's death. Prom his youth Mr. Kimbark had been reared in an atmosphere of refinement, which influenced his whole life, and developed in him those tine social qualities which won him many warm personal friends, both in his business and social relations. At Gent sco academy he was very popular among his classmates, and on his removal to Chicago he soon became prominent in a circle of young men who were then just beginning life, whose careers have all been crowned with remarkable success. His traits of character were strong and peculiar, and early developed. He was a man of principle, strictly honorable and upright in all his ways. Enterprising and diligent in 1 >n~i- iii'ss, he was beloved in social circles for his gen- tleness, liberality, and kindness of heart. In the midst of a busy mercantile life he found time 1 . ■ identify himself with many institutions and move- ments for the public weal. He was tin- friend and patron of everything that tended to elevate the morality of the city, and the opponent of every- thing that tended to degrade it. He took an active interest in politics, but never sought public office, and was animated solely by a disinterested desire for the public interest. A staunch Repub- lican, Mr. Kimbark devoted his best enei the interests of the party, and took an active part in promoting the diction of Abraham Lincoln. To the last days of his life he was always ready with counsel and liberal financial assistance, and was. so long as the state of his health permitted, one of its most zealous workers. In the early part of the war he was especially active in behalf of the Union cause. When the first call was made for 300,000 troops, he enlisted, organized and equipped a company of infantry at his own ex- pense, which took the name of the "Kimbark Guards," in honor of its founder. He ] them with a beautiful flag, and at tic cl war. after their long and honorable service, the Guards returned to him the flag, which they had received from him on their going to the front, which they had carried through hard fought fields and horne back in triumph, and winch now remains with his family as a memento of his patri- otic zeal. One of the institutions in which Mi'. Kim- bark specially interested himself was the Young Men's Association of Chicago, which had for its object the intellectual advancement of young men by tic establishment of a public library and the delivery of an annual course of lectures. There was then no such thing as a circulating library in the city, and such an institution was a great pub- lic want. George M. Kimbark was not a wealthy man, hut up to the great tire of 1871, was success- ful in business, made money rapidly, but being of a sanguine temperament, gave beyond his means, and for the same reason, and also because he had unlimited faith in the future of Chicago, he be- came involved in real estate purchases beyond his ability to pay. The fire changed the values of many locations where he had made investments. Failing health and the fire of 1871, were sad fac- tors in his business life which otherwise, without doubt, would have been a financial succi ss. Mr. Kimbark ha 1 an enlightened appreciation of the duty which the successful owe to their less fortunate brethren; he was inspired with a genuine love of literature, and such an object as this at once commanded his hearty sympa- thy and cooperation. He gave liberally, both of his means and of his time, to the establish- ment of the elegant library of the Young Men's Association, which soon became the largest public library then in the West. In 1863, he was elected president of the association; and his successful lain us were none the less honorable and com- mendable because the fruits were destroyed in the great tire of 1871. In the latter years of his life his activities were much impaired and restrained by ill health, but he never lost the buoyancy of spirits and generous sympathy with others which had always made him conspicuous among his associates and friends. Liberal in all things, gen- erous at all times, he could not fail to occupy a warm place in the heartsof others. A good business man, an intelligent merchant, a lover of his country and of his fellow men, he enjoyed the affection of all who knew him. As he never lost a friend, the number of those who so regarded him in his clos- ing years was very numerous. He died on the 9th of January, 1880, at his residence in Hyde Park, Chicago. The funeral services were conducted by his old friend, the Rev. W. H.Ryder, D.D.. who had known him for over twenty years, and who promptly responded to the dying wish of Air. Kimbark that he should officiate on the occasion. The services were held on Sunday, the 11th of January, at the family residence, and the remains were interred in Graceland cemetery. 338 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. JOHN 0. COONLEY. JOHN' C. C00NLE1 was born at Aurora, New York, December 6, 1833. His father was a farmer of moderate means, and from the age of fourteen years, Mr. Coonley earned his own living and educated himself, teaching a part of each year, and attending Echool when not teaching. His school education was completed at Cazenovia Seminary, New York, where he was for a time both student and member of the faculty. He studied law in Aurora. New York, in the office of Mr. 10. \V. Ames, anil at the Albany law school; was duly admitted to the bar. and in 1865 located in St. Louis, where he practiced his profession with credit and success until 1SG8. In 18G1 he married Miss Mary Tripp, of Aurora, who died in L863. In 1867 he was married to Miss Lydia Ay ery, of Louisville, Kentucky, by whom he had six children, two daughters and four sons. In 18GS, his health being impaired by close confinement to office work, lie removed to Louisville, Kent inky, and became a member of the manufacturing firm of B. P. Avery t t Sons. He remained in this busi- ness for five years, and, finding his health re-es- tablished, decided to exchange his profession for a life of active business. In 1873 he became a>sn- dated with Messrs. Whittemore and Tuttle of Naugatuck, Connecticut, and Mr. A. A. Pope, of Cleveland, Ohio, in the establishment of the Chi- cago Malleable Iron Company, of which he was president and active manager until his death. October G, 18S2. The business at Chicago pros- pered under his prudent and sagacious direction, until, at the time of his death, it was larger than any other in its line in the United States. While in Chicago, he was also instrumental in organiz ing the Bwart Manufacturing Company, formed for the production and sale of the detachable chain belting invented by Mr. W. D. Ewart; the Link-Belt Machinery Company, which facilitated tin- introduction and use of the chain belting; and the Indianapolis Malleable Iron Company — all large and prosperous industries. From this synopsis of Mr. Coonley's active life, it will be seen that he was a resident of Chicago for only nine years, yet in this brief period he had won a conspicuous place as an energetic and successful man and a g I citizen. While vigilant m business, he found time for active participation in efforts for the public welfare and the promo- 1 n1. I le was one of 1 he or- ganizers of the Union League Club, and was serving his second term as its president at the time of his death. To him. more perhaps than to an\ other, is this club, which has been for many years a potent factor in Chicago life, indebted for the establishment of the broad and liberal yet aggressive policy, which has since characterized its efforts in the cause of pure and honest munic- ipal government. Mr. Coonley was a man of hands* mie and commanding presence. . if singularly genial and cordial manners, sincere and kind. His high character and manly virtues, his sympa- thy, tenderness and uniform courtesy endeared him to all who knew him, and when death sud- denly claimed him, in seemingly perfect health and \ igor, and in the prime of life, it was recog- nized as a public calamity. HARLOW N. HIGrlNBOTHAM. It is not given to many men to achieve in any walk of life the high measures of success attained by Harlow X. Higinbothain. A native of Illinois, and reared and educated within the state, Mr. Higinbotham is now at fifty-three years of age, an authority in mercantile matters and one of the controlling spirits in one of the greatest whole- sale houses of the world. His advancement is the triumph of merit based upon a natural busi- ness character, and therefore, to this degree, a beacon of hope to every aspiring man. no matter how lowly his condition. Harlow X. Higinbotham was 1 k .in at Joliet, Illinois, October 10, 1838. His parents, Henry 1). and Rebecca Higinbotham, nee Wheeler, were natives of Oneida county. New York, ami had moved to Joliet in 1834, soon after their marriage. Both are now deceased. Mr. Higinbotham Sr.'s death occuring at Joliet in 186."), and that of his wife at the same place in 1888. Harlow Higinbotham was a farmer's son and re- ceived only such preparatory education as the common schools, which were of good grade for that period, afforded. This with a term at Lom- bard University. Galesburg, Illinois, and a com- mercial college course in Chicago, in 1856, com- pleted his career as a student, and in the same year of his release from study he began work as a clerk in the Will County Bank at Joliet. Subse- quently he went to the Joliet City Bank where he remained until 1859, when he became the as sistant cashier of the Bank of Oconto, Wisconsin, a position he held until 1£61. In April of that year Mr. Higinbotham came to Chicago, and was LIBRA! OF THE UNIVERSITY of ILLINOIS. BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 339 installed as entry clerk and assistant book-keeper with the dry goods firm of Cooley, Farwell & Co., and was prospering finely when in August, 1862, he found himself unable to longer withstand his country's call to arms and enlisted as a private in the Mercantile Battery. Before the command en- teral active service however, Mr. Higinbotham was transferred to the chief quartermaster's office and served as chief clerk of the department of the Ohio, in Kentucky and Tennessee, until February. 1863. At that time Mr. Higinbotham was again transferred, his new post of duty being in the state of Ohio, where, under Assistant Quarter- master General Thomas Swords, he wasemployed in adjusting the accounts of quartermasters. This duty done, Mr. Higinbotham was sent to Martins- burg and then to Hagerstown, Maryland, as chief clerk to Quartermaster (iillam. He severed his connection with the army at the latter town in December 1864, and returned to Chicago. In January of 1865 he was hard at work again as a civilian clerk, ha vme; secured a position as a book- keeper with Field, Palmer & Liter. From that time on Mr. Higinbotham's advancement was rapid and he rose through various departments of importance and trust, until in lsTs. he was made a partner in the firm. Mr. Higinbotham has a happy and promising family. He was married to Miss Rachael D. Davison, of Joliet, in 1866, and six children, two sons and four daughters, have been born to them. Of these, two daughters, .Marie and Helen are deceased. Mr. Higinbotham i^ prominent in many large enterprises aside from tin' great dry goods house in which lie is a poten- tial factor. He is a director in the Worl i'sColum- bian Exposition, the Northern Trust Company, and the Chicago Free Kindergarten Association. He is also a trustee in the Northwestern Univer- sity at Evanston. and of Trinity M. E. Church, in Chicago. For twelve years Mr. Higinbotham has been president of the Chicago Home for In- curables, which now has a comfortable home at Fifty-tilth street and Ellis avenue, and with an endowment fund of S600.COO, is one of the best supported charitable institutions in the North- west. The placing of this worthy institution on a sound basis has 1 n a work of pride with Mr. Higinbotham. and he labored night and day until he accomplished it. The Newsboys and Bootblacks Association at 141>1 Wabash avenue, was badly in debt and on the verge of being abandoned, when Mr. Higinbotham came to the rescue, and gave liberally of his money and time until its perma- nency was assured, serving fourteen years as director and treasurer of the institution. On the o.-casion of the first anniversary celebration of the Joliet Steel WorksClub.on December 20, 1890, Mr. Higinbotham delivered an address on "Pa- triotism " which for earnest sentiment and clear- ness of diction is worthy of imitation by many more pretentious talkers. It was warmly received by an enthusiastic audience, as an able exposition of the patriotic principles which must prevail if the free institutions of this country are to be perpet- uated, and was given unqualified endorsement. The publishers of "America," in recognition of the educational worth of the address, printed it in full as a leader in the issue of January 1, 1891. Mr. Higinbotham inherited many of the sterling qualities which combine to make the best types of western men. His father and mother were among the very best people in the state, and were conspicuous among the few of that time, who, by economy, industry and thrift, accumulated a com- petency by farming. Mr. Higinbotham's boyhood was spent on tin' farm and he entered upon his business life with a vigorous constitution, which, preserved by temperate habits, has sustained him through all the anxieties, perplexities and responsi- bilities, if the passing years, so that now he is in the prime of his usefulness. His business career be- gan in the early clays of western development, and during the last thirty years he has grown and broadened in the same measure as the commercial interests of Chicago and the West have increased. Possessed of the natural qualifications which make an ideal "credit man," he has kept pace with this enormous growth, and with keen foresight and un- erring judgment, has so controlled the trade of the great house with which he is connected, as to avoid the losses usually incurred by those doing business in a new country which is being rapidly developed. Not conSning himself alone to finan- cial statements, it is his practice to take into ac- count all the circumstances likely to influence the trade of a customer, oftentimes extending credit where there is little financial basis for it. but where character and conditions warrant the ex- pectation of success; and many firms throughout the West, now prosperous and independent, owe their success largely to his advice and fostering care during their early struggles. His business methods are characterized by thoroughness in every detail, and as he never spares himself, his business life has been a most exacting and labori- ous one. As a citizen, lie always recognizes the obligations imposed by our form of government, giving freely of his time, his advice and his money 540 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. to the furtherance of any projecl I'm- the public good. In politics, he is a Republican, but not a partisan, and in great political crises during the the las! twenty years, his indefatigable efforts and personal influence have been potent in shaping the poliej to he pursued, although he has been neither an office holder nor an aspirant Cor politi caJ favors. He is in active sympathy with all measures for reform in city and county govern- ment, without regard to party, and the es • ■ his clear judgment and practical business methods places him in the front rank of our public spirited men. He is deservedly one of the prominent and valued members of the board of directors of the World's Fair, and one of the most aggressive members of important committees. Notwith- standing his busy life, he finds time to visit the needy sick ami suffering; his ears are ever ready to listen to the story of sorrow, financial trouble, sickness or distress of any kind, and his purse is always open to afford the relief that money can give. He is connected with a number of the lead- ing charitable institutions of the city, conspicuous among which are the Newsboys' Home and the Home for Incurables. During the early struggles of these institutions, he projected and managed entertainments giveD for the purpose of raising money for their use, and he has many tines per- sonally presented their claims to prominent and wealthy people of the city with a persistence which always insured success. For many years he was the president of the old Home for Incura- bles, and until merged into another institution of the same name, so richly endowed by Mrs. Peck (and of which he is now the president), it was dependent upon his efforts for financial sup- port. The Newsboys' Home is on a sound financial basis, and besides caring for and sustain- ing these homeless boys, it gives them such aid at critical times in their lives as enables them to secure steady employment, and to Income good citizens instead of vagabonds or criminals. The careful methods which prevail in his commercial affairs are observed hi the charitable institutions with which he is connected, and he has thus gained the confidence of the citizens of Chicago. They are ever ready to respond to his call, feeling sure that the money thusgiven will be judiciously expended in the care of the helpless and in the endeavor to aid the unfortunate to better their condition. In faith, Mr, Higinbotham is a Univer- salist: but, recognizing the fact that all church organizations are engaged in the work of elevating and christianizing humanity, he does not restrict himself to denominational lines; and his scU'ts to various churches in the city and country have been most widely distributed. The beautiful chapel belonging to St. Paul's Universalist Church was built by the joint contributions of Mr. Higinbotham and one of his friends, who is also distinguished for his liberality; and Marie Chapel, a Mission of Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church, was so named by the trustees for a daughter of Mr. Higinbotham's in acknowledgment of hisgen- erous gift. The exacting nature of his business duties and the attention he has given to pub- lic affairs have not been permitted to overcome Mr. Higinbotham's natural fondness for books, and he has one of the largest and best selected private libraries in the city. His reading has per- haps not been as extensive as it would have been could he have followed his inclinations, yet he is thoroughly familiar with the standard works of history, fiction and poetry. Appreciation of a moral accountability and recognition of the responsibility growing out of increase of wealth, have hail a controlling influence in shaping Mr. Higinbotham's course and moulding his character; and his liberality, prompted by the highest mo- tives, is reciprocal in its benefits. Thus he stands to-day, in his domestic, social and business life, an ideal man, loved by his friends and respected by all who know him. JAMES II. RICE. Among the prominent business men who have been closely allied with the growth of Chicago for marly forty years is James H. Rice, president of the stock company which bears his name. Mr. Rice was born in the town of Caroline, Tompkins county. New York, in 1830. His parents, Asa and Polly (Reid) Rice, were 1 most estimable people. Their home was a farm on the eastern shore of Lake Cayuga, and here, with seven brothers and two sisters, the childhood and boyhood of Mr. Rice wire passed amid beautiful and pictur- esque scenery. In this home life he acquired those habits of industry, thrift and self-reliance which, with his business ability and integrity, have made his career a very successful one. Here it was that he formed those principles which have enabled him, while building for the beauty and grandeur of Chicago, to build for himself an un- blemished character. His education was gained ZJ^?^ in the district schools of his native town. At the early age of nineteen he left the country school house and home to work on a farm in Seneca county, New York. l«ut farm life was not in har- mony with his tastes: he soon evinced an inclination to leave the harrow for the hammer, the plough for the plane; and in the spring 18~j4 he came West and was employed as a carpenter at Peru. Illinois. In July of the same year his life in Chicago began as a day laborer at his chosen trade, his first work being for ex-Alderman Sexton in building a dwell- ing-house at the corner of Indiana avenue and Twelfth street. He was also employed on Park Row and in the construction of old the Richmond House, at the cornerof Michigan avenue and Lake street. With the exception of the winter of 1855 6, which he passed on a plantation in Arkansas, he worked by the day for three years. In ls.">7 Mr. Kiee and Ira Foote formed a co-partnership as ci >n- tractore and builders under the firm name of F ote & Rice. This firm did an extensive business for many years. They built the old Board of Trade building, which was a conspicuous land-mark in Chicago, until destroyed by fire in October, 1871. They built the fine residence of Peter Schuttleron West Adams street, for a long time the best pri vate dwelling on the West Side. When the excite- ment about silver mines was at its height in the vicinity of Pike's Peak, in 1860, Mr. Rice took to that region the first stamp mill that was ever car- ried to the mining districts of Colorado. This mill was bought of P. W. Gates A Co. and was moved by rail to St. Joseph. Mo., and from there by ox teams to Nevada City, located on the Kan- so-called, about sixty miles from Denver. The outfit was owned by Mr. Rice, Hon. Charles B. Lawrence, late chief justice of the Supreme Court of Illinois, Judge Schofield. of Quincy, 111., and Mr. Henry Ames. He sold his interest in Decem- ber, 1861, when he returned to Chicago, and, with his partner, Mr. Foote. continued the busi- ness of contractors until 1870. Many mag buildings, erected by this firm during thl - went down in the Chicago fire. Among those still standing is the residence on Michigan avenue near Sixteenth, built for the late Washington Smith, now owned and occupied by Jacob Rosen- berg. Early in 1871 Mr. Rice withdrew from the firm of Foote & Rice, and for several months traveled in Europe. He reached home a few days before the great fire of 1871, which swept away his fortune, but left him Ins characteristic energy and undaunted courage. Another partnership was immediately formed between Mr. Rice and Mr. Foote and the mw firm was soon ready to do its part in raising the fallen city. The first brick building in the burnt district was erected by them at 23 Quincy street. This was followed bya building for the late Cyrus McCormick at the corner of Clark and Washington streets. They erected all the buildings for the Ira Couch estate, including the Commercial Hotel, which was finished in 1S7J. and the Tremont House, finished in 1s7.'j. Soon after the completion of this house, the partnership ex- isting between Mr. Foote and Mr. Rice was dis- solved, and a business as importer and dealer in foreign and American window glass was estab- lished at 80 and B2 Adams street. Mr. Foote owned an interest although his name never ap- peared as a partner in the firm. The business was conducted in Mr. Rice's name until January 1. 1881, when the present stock company was incor- porated under the name of the James H. Rice Company. Since its incorporation this house has taken a foremost place among the strong business enterprises for which Chicago is so famous, and in its special line is second to only one in the United States. It was the first exclusive glass house west of tin' Allegheny mountains and did a very large importation of French manufactured goods consisting of plate and window glass, but it now confines its business to American manufactured goods. It is located at 34, 36, 38 and 40 South Water street. Mr. Rice was married in Septem ber, 1876, to Miss Margaret Gilliland, of Das Moines, Iowa. Their home on Michigan avenue is one of quiet elegance, where they receive and entertain their friends in a most cordial and hoi - pitable manner. Mr. Rice is a typical self-made man. Fortunate, while young, in sell cting Chicago as the theatre of his efforts he did not fail to take advantage of its growing opportunities, and like many others enjoys a bountiful reward. While accumulating a fortune, or two fortunes, one before and one since the great fire, he has not neglected the development of the finer at- tributes of his nature. His business associates ever find in him a man who wins their esteem and confidence by his uprightness and keen sense of justice. The poor and needy find in him a friend of noble impulses, kind and generous. His many deeds of charity attest his real character. Mr. Rice is a modest, unostentatious man, who does nothing " to be seen of men." but whose daily life is rilled with acts of kindness to his friends and to the unfortunate that will keep his memory gre< n in the hearts of many long after he has passed away. 34- BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. JOHN (l. SHORTALL. When Horao I lre< ley, in 1854, uttered the now famous words, "Go west, \< ung man, go west," blsadvice was followed to good purpose bj at least one ambitious young lad. At that timeJohn G.Shortall was in Mr. Greeley's employ, an at- tache of the New York Tribune and had been for some time in daily association with that eminent American, and his associates, Charles A. Dana. Bayard Taylor, George Ripley, George M. Snow, and others, profiting by their friendly counsel and ripe experience, and unconsciously laying the foundation of a successful business and profes- sional life. Mr. Shortall, who is the eldest son of John Shortall, Esq.. of county Kilkenny, and Charlotte Towson, of county Dublin, Ireland, was born in Dublin. September 20, 1838. He was brought to America when six years old, the fam- ily settling in New York. While but a mere boy, Mr. Shortall's parents died, and he earned his own living in the service of the Tribune and Horace Greeley until he came west, in 1854. His first occupation in the West was in connection with the survey and completion of the Illinois Central Railway between Scale's Mound and Galena, after which he returned to Chicago and was employed on the Chicago Tribune, until he was engaged by the late J. Mason Parker to assist him in his com- pilation of the real estate abstracts or digests of the land records. In 1S5G. upon their com- pletion, Mr. Shortall leased the Parker abstract books or records, and began the making of ab- stracts of real estate titles, in which he continued after the expiration of his lease, with the firm of i ireenebaum & Guthmann, until his purchase of the property in April, 1861 — at the breaking out of our Civil War. In 1864 Mr. Shortall formed a partnership with L. D. Hoard, and the firm was known as Shortall & Hoard, until the merging of his firm's property with those of Chase Brothers and Jones & Sellers, in 1872; these being the prop- erties now of The Title Guarantee A; Trust Com- pany, of which Mr. Shortall is a director. The saving of these invaluable records and abstract books during the great tire in 1871, under the im- mediate direction of Mr. Shortall, constitutes one of the mosl exciting incidents of that memorable event and is well described in the history of the lire. Since his retirement from active business, in L872, Mr. Shortall has devoted himself mainly lo charitable, educational and humanitarian works. He is deeply interested in musical matters and has sei ved as a director of the early Chicago Philham ic Society, and for many years as 1, resident of the Beethoven Society. He has also been among the foremost in fostering the tine arts, and has taken a high position in literary cir- cles, as many of his writings in the best publica- tions of the clay attest. He is at this writing president of the board of directorsof the Chicago Public Library, elected in July, 1891, to succeed himself, and most deeply interested and energetic in securing the site for and the construction of the new Library Building on Dearborn Park. It is as a humanitarian and philanthropist, how- ever, that he has won his highest houors. For sixteen years Mr. Shortall has directed the imp ir- tant work of the Illinois Humane Society, and is still serving as president of the organization. The society, which is now the greatest organized force for the suppression of cruelty and oppression in the West, was formed in 1869, twenty-three years ago, and until Mr. Shortall took charge of its affairs, was an enthusiastic group of willing work- ers, but comparatively limited in scope and means. In lST'J.at Insurgent solicitation thesociety's work was extended to include the protection of children as well as of animals, and in this comprehensive di- rection it is now without a rival. Mr. Shortall is an honorary member of the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and has also been president of the American Humane As- sociation, organized at his suggestion in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1877. He is an independent in politics. and as a moving spirit in the Municipal Reform Club and the Citizens' Association, has accom- plished much in the way of securing a purifica- tion of the civil service. Patriotism is one of the distinguished characteristics of the Shortall fam- ily, and found an ardent example in Mr. Shortall's only brother. Pierce, who served for four years in the late Civil War. and was killed in the last bat- tle of that unfortunate and regretful rebellion. In everything that tends to the advancement of his fellowmen, and the liberalizing of society upon broad and benevolent principles, Mr. Shortall is a man of the world. Years of travel and observa- tion in both Europe and America, have broadened and improved a naturally liberal and cultured mind. In all matters pertaining to Christianity. Mr. Shortall is governed by the same uniformly liberal and just ideas. By birth and profession he is an Episcopalian, and constant in his support of the church, as of the highest educational value, and to be sustained upon economic as well as re- ligious ground. And yet so great is his admira- tion for the advanced liberalism and broad Chris- <7zYzzj^ unwwsTrtrfaA* 06, I5IOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS. 543 tianity of Prof. David Swing, that he was not only one nf the first men in Chicago to guarantee the support of the Central Church, but has been ever since its organization a constant attendant at its services. In all these relations, to hi. me. to socie- ty, to church and state, we may fairly designate Mr. Shortall as standing among the men of Chi- cago who have made it; who have so honorably acquitted themselves as to be entitled to distinc- tion as its representative men in the best ei of the term. As an expert in real estate values, his judgment is highly esteemed. He was called upon by the board of education, in 1880, to assist in the appraisal of the realty owned by the Chi cago school fund, and was afterwards selected by Mayor Harrison to represent the city in the readjustment of the leases of this property. Tt is tu Mr. Shortall. in conjunction with his associates, Missis. Mark Kimball and Enos Ayree, that Chi- cago is indebted for the adoption of the prin- ciple of basing the values of real property upon the income producing power of the land. These gentlemen were the first to apply this rule, representing the city in the school prop erty appraisals referred to, and to establish this fair and wise basis in the calculation of values. Mr. Shortall was married September 5,1861, to Mary Dunham Staples, eldest daughter of John X. Staples, nf Chicago, by whom he has one son, John Louis Shortall, who was born in 1865. For nineteen years Mrs. Slim-tall lived a life of unsel fish and affectionate devotion to her husband, her son, and the varied Fecial, religious and humani- tarian enterprises in which both were mutually interested. She died in August. 1880, beloved and mourned by all who knew her. CHARLES II. CIIArPELL. CHARLES HENRY CHAPPELL. general manager of the Chicago & Alton Railway, was burn in Du Page county. Illinois. March :>. 1841. His parents, Jason and Mary (Germaine) Chap- pell, were both natives of the Empire state. It was in 1836 that the elder Chappell removed to Illinois, where, for several years he fol- lowed the calling of country school teacher, an occupation he had pursued in his native place. In later years he was a merchant at Batavia, 111., and subsequently in Iowa and Nebraska. Know- ing the yalue nl' a good education, it was but natural that his children should have received the best educational advantages possible at that day and place, and thus. Charles acquired at the pub- lic schools such learning as was necessary to equip him for intelligent citizenship and for the proper performance of such duties as might eventually devolve upon him. It is quite customary in speak- ing of men who have developed exceptional ability or genius in any particular calling, to characterize him as a "bum general." a "born lawyer," a "born inventor," etc., and of Mr. Chappell it can be truly said that he was not only a born railroad man. but to become- one was his first ardent passion. Prom the moment he saw the first locomotive come steaming into the village of Batavia he became possessed of an irrepressible desire tu become a "railroad hand." It is said of him that even then In seemed to comprehend and understand the rules and regulations in train service: and from the first to the last position he has ever held in railway service, he seemingly had no need to learn his duties incident thereto. He knew them already. It was not long after that train arrived in Batavia before young Chappell, at the age of six- teen, had obtained a position as freight brakeman on the C, B. A Q. R. R.. and from that day in 1857 up to tin- present time, a period of thirty-five years, has he lived a day not rendered in railway service — years tilled with varied responsibilities and arduous toil. He did not remain long as brakeman. for shortly he was made conductor, and litth- later train-master. He seemed already quali- fied to fill any position connected with train ser- vice, and was soon promoted to the duties of train dispatcher, a position at this present day of grave responsibility. In 1865, when but twenty-four years of age. he was appointed the general agent of the eastern division of the C, B. & Q. road. In July, 1869. he was offered and accepted the super- intendency of the second division of the Union Pacific Railroad, which he held until the latter part of 1870. Returning again to his "first love," he became assistant superintendent of the eastern division, but in 1872 was made division superin- tendent at Burlington. Mr. Chappell's splendid abilities had not failed to attract the attention of managers of other corporations, so that in 1871 he was offered by the Missouri. Kansas & Texas Rail- road Company the position of general superin- tendent. This he accepted and for two years rendered invaluable service to that company. During 1877, '78 and '79 Mr. Chappell was super- intendent of the western division of the Wabash R. R„ with headquarters at Springfield, 111., but 544 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. in 1880 he was induced by Mr. T. B. Blackstone, president of the Chicago & Alton R. R.. who has always sought oul the highest order of talent for headsof departments, to accept the position of assistant general superintendent of that road. In one year he had been made general superintend- ent; five months later assistant general manager; in L882 acting general manager; and in 1883, gen- eral manager of the entire system. Mr. Chappell has now held this responsible position for nine years, and has during that time rendered most conspicuous services to the C. & A. Railroad. From every point of view Mr. Chappell is essen- tially a man of affairs, and those associated with railway interests wholly and entirely. Never for a moment has his mind been directed in other channels or been diverted from the one great and abiding ambition of his life — to become just what he is to-day, a potential force in the railway world. Personally he is one of those modest, unobtrusive men usually possessed with a latent power which manifests itself only when and where occasion suggestsor where duty demands its exercise. Mr. Chappell has had but one ambition in his life and to that he lias surrendered the fullest measure of intellectual and physical endeavor that nature has given him. He would rather be at the head of a great railway than to hold the most coveted public position. He is no more esteemed for his genius and abilities in his ehosen field than for his uncompromising honesty and purity of char- acter. His tastes and habits are plain and unos- tentatious, and whether in his official capacity or in social intercourse he is the same sincere and courteous gentleman. Mr. Chappell married Jan- uary 25, 1865, Miss Anna Ward, of Galesburg, 111., who has borne him two boys, aged seventeen and nineteen respectively. RICHARD YATES. EON. RICHARD YATES, the "War Governor" of Illinois, was born at Warsaw. Gallatin county, Kentucky, on the L8th of January. 1818. His great-grandfather. Dr. Michael Yates, emigrated from England to America before the Revolu- tion, settled in Virginia, and married Martha Marshall, sister of Chief Justice Marshall. Their son. Abner, had two children, Henry and Martha, lie moved to Payette county. Kentucky, in 17SS, and died there. After two or three removals the family settled in Gallatin county in 1804. Here, in after years, grew up Warsaw, which became the county scat. In 1809 Henry married his cousin, Millicent Yates, and had eleven children, of whom live died young. Six were living when they removed to Sangamon county, Illinois, in 1831. Richard was thirteen years old when his father came to this state. He had attended school at Warsaw, and was then sent to Miami University. Ohio, and afterwards to Georgetown College. Ken tucky. to continue his studies. On the opening of Illinois College, at Jacksonville, he was among the first students that entered, and was one of the two first graduates of that institution. During one of his vacations he went with some of his fellow- students to their homes in the vicinity of New Salem, 111., where he first made the acquaintance of Abraham Lincoln. The future president re- ceived the boys kindly, and soon made them feel quite at Imnie by telling them some of his inim- itable stories. After graduating. Mr. Yates en- tered the law office of Col. John J. Hardin, and finished his preparation for the liar by taking a course of lectures at Transylvania Law School. Lexington, Kentucky. He then returned to Jack sonville and commenced practice. Being gifted with ready speech, logical in argument, and care- ful in the study of his cases, he rapidly rose to distinction. In the canvass of 1810 he was an active campaigner on behalf of General Harrison. In 1812 he was elected to the legislature, and afterwards re-elected for three terms. "This suc- cessful legislative experience," says the author of "Fifty Years" Recollections," "paved the way for his nomination for his nomination for a seat in Congress in 1850. The counties comprising the district were the same that Hardin, Baker and Lincoln had represented from 1842 to 1848, and he made a personal canvass as they had done. The Democratic candidate was Major Thomas L. Har- ris, the sitting member. They made the canvass of the district in company; speaking alternately, and each arousing the enthusiasm of their friends. Both were good speakers, but Yates was the most fascinating and persuasive, and was elected over his military competitor." He was again elected in 1852, and during his second term took a very active part in the discussion on the repeal of the Missouri Compromise, which he vigorously and eloquently opposed. In several speeches during this term which was the period when the Repub- lican party was gradually taking organized shape and form Mr. Yates took an advanced position among the opponents of slavery, and acquired a BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 345 national reputation as one of the rising band of young politicians to whom the party of abolition looked with hope. Senator Douglas wae i I e of the strong advocates of the repeal of the Missouri Compromise. His influence was sufficient to cany the state of Illinois in 1854, and Mr. Yates shared the fate of his party, being defeated bj a small majority. From this time until 1860 he applied himself closely to professional business and to the promotion of the interests of the Tonica & Peters burg R. R. Co. (now the Chicago & Alton) of which company he was the president, only revis- iting the arena of politics to make some speeches on behalf of John C. Fremont as the presidential candidate in 1856, and taking the stump during the contest between Lincoln and Douglas in 1858, giving his aid toward reducing or overcoming Democratic majorities in central Illinois. The re- sults of the election of 1860 are historical. Illinois then declared herself to be a Republican state and has so continued ever since. At the same election by which Abraham Lincoln was placed in the chair as president of the United States, Richard Yates was promoted to that of governor of the state of Illinois. There were three com petitors for the honor in the state Republican convention Senator Norman B. Judd, of Cook county, Senator Leonard Swett. of McLean, and Richard Yates, of .Morgan. Judd led in the first balloting, presenting his full strength at the out- set. Swett's support came from the middle, northern, and the eastern and western parts of the state, with a few from southeastern Illinois who were sure to go for Yates if they failed to secure their first choice. The first ballots showed that the choice was between Yates and Judd. where- upon nearly all of Swett's friends voted for Yates, and before the announcement of the vote both Judd and Swett were withdrawn and the nomina- tion of Mr. Yates was made unanimous. The con- vention rose in a body to receive the successful candidate, who briefly expressed his faith in Re- publican principles ami in tin' great future that was before the country. Mr. Judd and Mr.Swett also made brief speeches, expressing their confi- dence in the nominee and their cordial acquies- cence in the result. A full state ticket having been nominated, John Hanks, of Macon county, presented to the convention two of the rails made by Abraham Lincoln the first year after lie came to the state. Mr. Lincoln was not in the hall, but was sent for and in a short time made his appear- ance, the delegates rising to cheer him as he en tered the hall. When quiet was restored. Richard J. Oglesby rose and addressing the presiding officer said: "An old citizen of Macon county wishes to make a presentation to the convention." On this announcement two old fence rails were borne forward to the stand, inscribed "Abraham Lincoln, the rail-splitters" candidate for the presi- dency in 1800. Two rails from a lot of three thou- sand, made in 1830 by Thomas Hanks and Abe Lincoln, whose father was the first pioneer of Ma- con county." After the cheering had subsided, Mr. Lincoln told in his happiest manner the cir- cumstances attending the making of the rails used in fencing a Held and building a cabin for his father, the first work he did in Illinois. The na- tional convention to nominate a candidate for the presidency was held at Chicago a few weeks later. Mr. Yates was not a member of that con- vention, lmt contributed as much as any individual man to the nomination of Abraham Lincoln. At the election in November he ran ahead of the en- tire state ticket, receiving ninety-one more votes than the presidential candidate himself, — Mr. Lincoln's majority being 12,852, and Mr. Yates', 12,943. He entered on his duties as governor on the 14th of January, 1861. In his inaugural ad- dress he anticipated the conflict that was impend- ing and soon to break out. insisted upon the per- petuity of the constitution and the government organized under it. and declared that "the whole material of the government, moral, political ami physical, if need lie, must lie employed to preserve. protect and defend the constitution of the United States." Fort Sumter surrendered on the 11th of April, and the President's first call for troops was reiterated to the people and the legislature by ( fovernor Yates. The country was in commotion, and the people rushed to arms in such numbers that all could not be received into the service. The governor, in a message to the Legislature con- vened April 23, 1861. said: "Party distinctions van ished as a mist in the night, as if by magicand party and party platforms were swept as a morning dream from the minds of men, and now men of all parties by thousands are begging for places in the ranks." Twice as many men as the state was called upon to furnish had offered their services within ten days after the governor's proclamation. Under the different calls made before tin- 1st of January, 1862, over 60,000 men were received into the service. More than 100,000 had offered them selves and Governor Yates uged the government to accept them. On the 6th of July, 1862, another call was made for 300,000 more, Illinois* quota of this to be nine regiments. Governor Yates is 546 BIOGEAPHY OF ILLINOIS. Bueda proclamation urging promptness in filling the call, in which fate recounted the successes already achieved bj the Union anus, and said: "The coming of the brave boys of Illinois will be nailed on the banks of the Potomac and James rivers with shouts of welcome. You will be hailed as the brothers of the men who have faced the storm of battle and gloriously triumphed at Don- elson, Pea Ridge, Shiloh and other memorable fields." He also paid a tribute to "the noble women of the state lor their assistance to our sol- diers in the field." This patriotic call was enthu- siastically responded to, and soon the enlistment rolls were filled. On the 11th of July Governor Yates wrote to President Lincoln, urging him to accept the services of all loyal men who offered themselves, and recommending the enlistment of " loyal blacks who offer us their labor and seek Bhelter beneath our flag." Within two years after the first call, Illinois had placed 135,440 men in the field. In his loyalty to the Constitution, and his devotion to the cause for which the armies of the Union were fighting, Governor Yates did not rest content with promoting measures for the ben- efit of the enlisted troops, but when a disaffected majority obtained control of the state legislature in 18C3, and used all their efforts to obstruct the passage of bills which he thought necessary, he promptly suppressed them by the exercise of his executive power. The Legislature met in January and had remained in session till June without paying any heed to the recommendations of the governor for the protection of the civil rights of the soldiers in the field. There were even expres- sions on the Moor of the house that the war was a failure and should be stopped at all hazards. The two houses being unable to concur on a motion for adjournment. Governor Yates availed himself of his executive right and suddenly appeared in person in the hall of .representatives and read his of- ficial message proroguing the legislature. Thesame message was read simultaneously in the senate chamber, and the obstructionists were sent adrift, ( lovernor Yates taking charge of the war operations of the state until tl lection of a loyal Legislature in the following year. In 1864 the Republicans carried their state and national ticket by an over- whelming majority. The constitution of Illinois Eorbade a governor being re-elected as his own successor, and Richard J. Oglesby was elected gover ■ t isucceed Mr. Yates. The Legislature which assembled the following January was pre- ponderating!^- Republican, and in grateful reeog n'l mm of ( lovernor Yates' services they elected him to the United States Senate for a term of six years, expiring March 4, 1871. During this period he touk part in the discussion of the reconstruc- tion measures of the government, the question of national sovereignty and state's rights, the home- stead law, and the bill for the construction of the Pacific Railway. He specially distinguished him- self by his speech on the impeachment of Andrew Johnson in favor of conviction. At the close of his term Mr. Yates returned to private life and re- sumed the practice of his profession until his death in 1873. Although he died eight years after the close of the war, he died a victim to the fear- ful strain of that awful struggle, with its sleepless nights, its terrible anxieties, its numberless emer- gencies, its anguish-laden days and all its under- mining tendencies. His wife, daughter, Catherine, and two sons, Henry and Richard, survived him. The daughter died in 1888. Henry, the elder son. was for years, deputy of the Jacksonville post- office, while Richard, the younger,is a lawyer, now- spoken of as a candidate for Congress. To recite in detail the many extreme difficulties Governor Yates experienced in managing the affairs in this border state, many of whose inhabitants were from the South and full of fight and disloyalty to the Union, would lay before the reader a story not wanting in dramatic action — a story replete with acts of heroism, of days, weeks and months of the most serious thought and contemplation of ques- tions fraught with the gravest consequences to the state and to the Union cause; all of which he met and mastered with a patriotism and sagacity of the highest order. Illinois was, as a state, loyal and patriotic; but, as in Indiana, there was much organized disloyalty that harassed the executive and weighed him clown with ever increasing diffi- culties. He held the reins of executive power in Illinois at a trying crisis in her history, and will be remembered with Morton, of Indiana, and Buckingham, of Connecticut, as worthy of the the highest honor for the help they afforded to President Lincoln and his administration when the fortunes of the American republic seemed to be at the lowest ebb. When the United States government at Washington failed to find the let- ter of U. S. Grant, offering his services to the gov- ernment which had educated him, and when his native state, Ohio, had failed to recognize the coming hero, Richard Yates attached his seal of state to the commission of U. S.Grant as colonel of the '.list regiment of Illinois volunteers in June. 1861, and first started that illustrious warrior upon his march down the history of the republic. LIBRA,;. OF THK DIVERSITY of ILLINOIS. BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 347 JOHN M. LOOM IS. COLI >NEL JOHN MASON LOOMIS, who was born at Windsor, Conn., January 5, 1825, is the de- scendant of an old English family, of which the pioneer in this country was Joseph Loomis, of Braintree, Essex county, England. He came to this country from London on the ship Susan and Ellen, reaching Boston, July 17, 1638. The rec- ords at Windsor show that he bought a piece of land at the confluence of the Farmington and Connecticut Rivers, in what is now Hartford county, February 24, 1010, and this estate is still in possession of the family. The father of John Mason Loomis was Colonel James Loomis, a na- tive of Windsor, who was a farmer, merchant and miller in that part of the state. He was for sev- eral years Colonel of the First Regiment of Con- n ■ctieut State militia, and was a great admirer of John Mason, a famous New England soldier, in admiration of whose prowess lie named his son. The mother of John Mason Loomis was in maiden life Abigail Sherwood Chaffe. She was a native of Greenfield Hill, Fairfield county, Conn., and the descendant of a family notedfor its high social standing, and the large number of successful practitioners it furnished to the medical profession. John Mason Loomis received his early education in the common schools and academies of Con- necticut, and he afterward had some practical business training in his father's store, il came of lighting stock, however, and the charms of mil- itary and naval life had more attraction for the resolute, high-spirited boy than did the mails of trade. The first recognition of his ability as a leader of men was in his selection, at the age of eighteen, as captain of a company of militia which in those days made "training day" an event of im- portance in Windsor. Before this, of his own voli- tion, he had been appointed a midshipman in the navy, but being on a list of supernumeraries, he became tired of waiting to be detailed for service, and shipped in the China tea trade, lie served in the various grades of a sailor until he be- came tired of the sea, and finding nothing in the way of business opportunities ia his natr- st it to satisfy his ambitious nature, he finally resolved to try his fortunes in the new West, and arrived at Chicago in the fall of 1S1G. Being unsuccess- ful in his search for employment he went to Mil- waukee. Here he finally found employment as clerk and bookkeeper in a lumber yard. He knew nothing of bookkeeping nor of the business, but it was a matter of necessity that he should have work and he soon mastered all obstacles. His first year's salary was $62. In 1818, at the sugges- tion of his employers, he bought their stock with- out a dollar of capital, giving his notes for the purchase. He prospered from the start, and with the exception of his army service during the war, has been in the lumber trade ever since. Mr. Lo imis was a very frugal man, and lived in his small office building until 1S49, when he was mar- ried to Miss Mary Hunt, daughter of Hon. Milo Hunt, of Chenango county. New York. A number of children were born to them, but all died in in- fancy. In 1S.V2 Mr. Loomis transferred his busi- ness to Chicago. He located at the corner of Madison and Market streets, and soon afterwards formed a partnership with the late James Lud- ington, of Milwaukee, the firm being Loomis &Lud- ington. From this beginning, a business was built up which at the outbreak of the war in 1861 was as extensive and profitable as the trade of any lumber firm in the Northwest. The first sound of war's alarms fired the patriotic and military spirit of Mr. Loomis, and he was eager for the fray. Soon after coming to Chicago he had joined the famous Light Guard. Of this organization Mr. Loomis was at one time first lieutenant, and his reputation as a skilled and able military leader caused Governor Yates to ask him to take com- mand of a regiment for service in the field. To this request, backed by the earnest appeals of in- fluential citizens of Chicago, Mr. Loomis re- sponded with a favorable answer, and in August 1861, he was placed in command of the i2Gth Illi- nois Infantry as colonel. The record of his ser- vice isb st told in the patriotic wordsof Governor Yates on the re-enlistment, for the war, of the reg- iment at Springfield, Illinois, at the close of its three years' service. "When I selected Colonel Loomis as the commanding officer of this regi- ment." Governor Yates said, "it was not because he raised it. I selected him for his ability to command, for his military talent, and for his devotion to his country; and I have not mistaken the man. He has been equal to the emergency. The names of New Madrid, of Island No. in. or Iuka, Corinth, Farmington, Yicksburg. Jackson. Tunnel Hill and Chattanooga, which are inscribed upon your battle-worn flags and upon those fields your valor won, afford ample evidence of the valuable service which you performed there. We have watched you through your long and tedious marches, through your sufferings and your trials. In that memorable battle of Tunnel Hill we saw you march undismayed at the head of the army and 348 DIodll.MMlV OF [LLINOIS. receive Eor your valor the praise of your command- ing generals Grant and Sherman, [nthename .if the people, and of every loyal near! in the state we welcome you, Colonel Loomis, and your men to- day." While in the field Colonel Loomis was in command of the brigade to which his regiment was attached, and while lie was known as a fighting colonel, rigid in discipline, and unyielding in his de- mand for honest, faithful service, the soldiers hon- oredandloved himas a father and trusted leader. Colonel Loomis was not a dashing, fiery, martial enthusiast. He was cool, tenacious and intrepid, and imbued Ids men so largely with like qualities that the regimen! reflected his chief characteris- tics. Then' was no march too long, no fatigue too great, no effort too supreme for the 26th Illi- nois Infantry so long as Colonel Loomis was at its head. On leaving the army in 1864, Colonel Loomis found his business affairs gone entirely into other hands and he was utterly without money. He describes his condition as that of a man who did not have cash enough to buy a suit of clothes. Grave as was the situation Colonel Loomis was undaunted and soon began in the lumber business anew as a commission merchant. His trade was small at first, but his efforts soon secured a good patronage and two or three years of close economy gave him capital enough to he- gin the purchase of pine lands in Michigan. Colo- nel L >omis organized the Pere Marquette Lumber Company and has directed its management from the day the corporation began business up to the present time. It has been a very prosperous company, and through this and his other lum- ber interests he has accumulated a large for- tune, much of which is invested in real estate in the business districts and fine residence quar- ters of ( 'li'n -a go. Colonel Loomis became a mem- ber of the board of directors of the Chicago Re lief and Aid Society after the great fire of 1871, and with his usual energy and vigor entered act- ively upon the work of distributing thegreat fund which had been raised to alleviate the sufferings of the thousands of homeless and destitute per- sons then thrown upon public charity. He served the s iciety as auditor in 1ST:! and was a member of the auditing committee from 1*71 to 1881. For nearly twenty years Colonel Loomis lias given freelj of his time and means in be- half of this great charity, lie became an active member of the Citizen's Association of Chi- cago soon after its organization in 1874. I 'pun the organization of the committee on military affairs, he became a member of that committee, and served as its chairman from 1*70 to IKS.'! when he resigned. The financial affairs of the National Guard of Illinois were at that time in a deplorable condition, owing to the lack of sufficient appro priations by the state. During Colonel Loomis' administration not less than $50,000 was raised by popular subscription under his direction, and applied to the purchase of arms, clothing and equipments for the National ( luard, and it is con- ceded by all that Colonel Loomis was the life of that organization during the period of his chair- manship. In the words of a prominent member of the Citizen's Association "he was just the man for the place. His practical knowledge of military affairs; his sound judgment and executive ability in business matters were fully equalled by the force and energy with which he executed his plans. He was solicited to retain the chairman- ship of this committee, but the state of his health at the time would not permit it." In connec- tion with other members of the Loomis family he, in 187S, incorporated the Loomis Insti- tute of Windsor, Connecticut, for the free edu cation of all persons (giving preference to those belonging to the Loomis family by name or con- sanguinity i, between the ages of twelve and twenty years who can read and write, and who understand the elementaries of arithmetic, gram- mar and geography. Under the provisions of an act of the Connecticut Legislature, the Loomis family is accumulating a fund for the endowment of the Institute, which will eventually amount to from $1,500,000 to 82.000,000. In addition to the monetary gifts and bequests made by will, and the investment of large funds in good-paying real estate for the benefit of the Institute, the five members of the family who are parties to the compact, have devised the old homestead at Wind sor for a building site. The trustees are author- ized p. select fifty acres of this estate for Insti- tute grounds, and provision is made for their per- manent maintenance. The generosity of this part of the noble gift can be better under- stood when it is known that this land, which is known as "the island." is not only of large nemey value, but possesses great historic attrac- tion especially to the Loomis family, in whose possession it has been ever since it was first bought by Joseph Loomis in 1640. Through ; even generations some member of the Loomis family has occupied it and tilled its soil with am- ple recompense for his labor. The present occu- pant is Hon. Thomas W. Loomis, who is a first cousin of Colonel Loomis. None of the living male £ £ St- S~J. ~~/J , /// ' r n *y& lilOOKAl'HY OF ILLINOIS. 549 members oE Colonel James Loomis' family have children living, and, wore it not for the bequest to the Institute, the land would soon pass to the female branch of the family and the place would lose its historic name and traditions. The com- pact between the m imbers of the family to thus provide for the p irp stuity of the name was made in 1874, but it was not until 1S7S that the legis- lature passed the act legalizing it. Colonel L lomis. by reason of his army experience, takes a deep interest in tlie veteran soldier organizations and is active in their support. He was one of the charter members of the L >yal Ei3gion, and 01 1 ssl sieve ■ I d ( i.oi Til Sheri la n as cu :n ma n ti- er of the Illinois C immandery. He is a member of George H. Thomas Post. (1. A. R., and holds the honorary position of colonel for life of the military association of the survivors of the 26th Illinois Infantry Veteran Volunteers. Colonel Loomis has been a member of Grace Episcopal Church since he first came to Chicago. He finds pleasure in associating with other bright men. and to that end is interested in the Chicago, Cal- umet, Union, Washington Park, Tolleston ami other clubs of which he is a. member. In polities lie is a strong Republican, and while not what can be called a politician he is active in the selec- tion of good men for office and the securing of good government. PATRICK A. FEEHAN. THE MOST REVEREND PATRICK \V (JUSTINE FEEHAN. I). D., Archbishop of ( Ihicago, was born in Springhill, county Tipperary, Ireland, August 29, 1829. His father was Patrick Feehan. and his mother's maiden name was Judith Cooney. They were both descendants from ancient and respectable families, and traced their lineage back to the early and heroic days of Ireland. The English laws deprived them, as it has thousands of others, of the right to own any part and parcel in the soil of the country, but the family had for many generations held, the same as landed proprietors, large tracts which they culti vated. They were of the class known as gentlemen farmers, who, in position and wealth were often in the lead of the nobility. Archbishop Feehan came to Chicago in 1330, ami has been instrumental in advancing the Catholic church in Illinois in.. re rap idly in the past twelve years than it had advanced in several previous decades. The church in Chicago at the time of bis advent, had not even recovered from tli" losses sustain" 1 at the time of the great tire, iiiel he made it his task to rebuild the edifices that had been destroyed, and to adopt measures best calculated to increase the Catholic population and the power and influence of the church at large. A reh bishop Feehan's life has been devoted not only to the advancement of Catholicism, but also to the cause of universal charity and to sell' sacrificing labors in behalf of his fellow creatines. Among the biographies of men in all countries and ages in which deeds of heroism have been rec nded, where the devotion to the cause of humanity, where patienc ■ ami endurance have been in -et led. where leal til an 1 life itself have been freely risked in the labor of saving human life and in contributing relief to human suffering, none can be found deserving a more emphatic record than Archbishop Feehan. It seems to have been his lot to ! ;ist in regions where the opportuni- ties f..r h.r .if action occurred with great fre- qu mcy, and he has never flinched from duty; he has hardly remembered that he himself was but human, and that human endurance has a limit, so unmindful has he been of self, in his desire to do good to his fellow creatures. He has been through the terrible ravages of cholera and yellow fever when they were epidemic in the S mth, and during which dreadful time thousands upon thousands of human beings were stricken down. Besides his acts of charity and devotion, Arch bishop Feehan has applied such excellent business methods and shown such marked executive ability in all his undertakings, that church societies have grown ami prospered under his fostering care. While a youth he was destined for the priest- hood, and no man could have been better fitted by nature to enter holy orders. His parents were in a position to give him a good education, and he received the most thorough training that could be obtained, under the best of teachers. He wa< sent, when sixteen years ..Id. to the Heel ssiastical Seminary at Castleknock, and two years later to St. Patrick's College. Maynooth. He was a natural student and gave such untiring attention to his books that at both the college and the seminary he distinguished himself, and won the highest encomiums from his masters, while he called out the respect ami admiration of his fellow students by his amiable characteristics. He was anxious to enter as soon as possible upon the duties of the priesthood, and in 1852, though he was fully en- titled to a place in the Dunboyne establishment, 3^ BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. he took upon himself the holy orders and was ordained a priest on November 1, of that year. He selected the Archdiocese of St. L mis, Missouri, as the field of his future labors, and he remained there and taught in the Ecclesiastical Seminary and preached in the Cathedral, alternately with Bishop Kenrick, and two young priests now in the Episcopate, until July, 1853. He was then appointed assistant at St. John's Church, St Louis, [t was about this time that the terrible cholera epidemic broke out in St. Louis, and raged with all its fierceness for weeks. It was a trying time, and called forth all the energy, bravery and heroism the citizens of the stricken city possessed. While many Hed for their lives and escaped, others- and I nave hearts they were remained to assist in caring for the sick and dying. There are alive to-day many who passed through that awful scourge, and who, but for the care, patience and self -sacrifice of a devoted band of good Samaritans would have died of that dread disease. The young priest, Father Feehan, was among the most ener- getic and fearless of the life-saving corps. Day after day and night after night he continued his work of mercy, now relieving the suffering of soinc stricken mortal, and later administering such last consolation as only a tender hearted priest can to the dying. Father Feehan, besides these acts often found it necessary to prepare for burial, the bodies of those whom friends and relatives had in the panic of fear, deserted. Terrible as was the scourge at St. Louis, and heavy as was the death rate during those fearful days of July, 1852, many lives were saved and much suffering averted by the kind offices, the zeal, the Christian conduct and humanity of young Father Feehan. In July, 1854, two years after the epidemic, he was appointed president of the Educational Semi- nary, a position which he filled with distinction for tour years, resigning it only to accept the pastorate of St. Michael's Church. Here he re- mained but a year, when he was promoted to the pastorate of the Church of the Immaculate Con- ception, and continued there until November, 1865. This was the end of Father Feehan's min- istrations in St. Louis. His course was onward and upward, and Ids abilities were such as must receive recognition. If he felt regret at leaving a place where lie had labored so long and to such good purpose, it was nothing to that felt by the I pie among whom he had labored and who loved him for his good deeds and venerated him for his high Christian character. The time had i ome,howi ver, for further advancement and he was under orders from Rome. He was consecrate,] Bishop of Nashville, Tenn., and at once removed to his new home. Fathers Riordan and Walsh of St. Louis, both accompanied the newly created bishop to the new field of labor, and with sorrow it is written, both fell victims to the yellow fever scourge at Memphis in 1S7S, where they went to minister to the suffering and the dying. Bishop Feehan found a great field for his energie3and am- bition in the advancement of the church in Nash ville. He found on looking into the condition of affairsin his diocese, that the Catholic community was small in numbers. The institutions consisted of a convent of sisters in Memphis, an academy and an orphan asylum conducted by the sisters of the same order, near Nashville, and the ministers in all the diocese consisted of a few Dominican fathers. The academy had been permitted to run down and was so heavily in debt that shortly after Bishop Feehan's arrival it was sold at auction. This was bought in by him for the sisters, thus securing their lasting gratitude and preventing a great loss to the Catholic community. By his un- tiring efforts and constant attention to duly, he brought the people to the sacraments; he in- structed and prepared the children for first com- munion and confirmation, and by his business talent won the confidence of public men. He was most assiduous in preaching and instructing the people, and many new Catholics were received in- to the church, some of whom were among the old settlers and wealthy citizens. By his zeal. his energy and untiring devotion to duty, Bishop Feehan succeeded in the short space of six months in bringing order out of chaos and in or- ganizing a perfect system throughout his entire diocese. Prosperity was evident on every hand, and the people, individually and as a community, began to show the good results of the Bishop's zeal. But a calamity was at hand, and Bishop Feehan was destined to again go through the ter- rible ordeal of a fearful epidemic. In August, 18GC, the cholera made its appearance in Nash- ville, raging there for weeks, creating dire havoc and distress. Homes and business were deserted and a general panic prevailed. As a bishop, as well as when a modest priest, this man whose heroism had no bounds, whose duty was his only guide, no matter into what dangers it led, and what de- gree of patience and endurance it entailed, again threw himself into the vortex of suffering and death, lending aid where he could, relieving suffer- ing where opportunity offered and administering consolation to the dying. He labored unceasingly BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 3 as he had previously done at St. Louis, and was rewarded by the knowledge that he had done his duty. At the close of the epidemic he did not seek for rest, but at once applied himself to the labor of re-establishing order and peace in the diocese so upset by the fearful scourge. He pur- chased a home on one of the finest sites in Nash- ville and established a community of the Sisters of Mercy from Providence, Rhode Island. The sun of prosperity was again shining brightly over the field where Bishop Feehan was laboring so faithfully, when again in 1877 the yellow fever scourge broke out in Memphis, and followed up its death-dealing work in 1878. During these years the scenes of distress were terrible and the suffering was something awful to contemplate. Twenty-three priests, who with love and charity in their hearts, wenl there to aid in the allevia- tion of suffering, fell victims to the scourge, and now till the graves of martyrs. The work of re- cuperation was once more entered into by Bishop Feehan with the same vim and energy that had characterized every act of his life, and again the diocese was enjoying health and prosperity. At this time the news came from Rome that he had been appointed first archbishop ot Chicago. The deatli of the Right Rsverend Thomas Foley, D.D. Administrator of Chicago, had created a vacancy in the hierarchy difficult to fill, but Bishop Fee- han was the choice made, and on September Id. L8S0, tlie appointment was given to the world. It was the occasion of great regret on the part of both the bishop and the people of Nashville. The ties which bound him there were very strong and his enforced going created a void in that diocese which saddened all hearts. But the mandate from Rime had been issued and Archbishop Fee- han again began his residence among strangers. They were not strangers long, however. His rep- utation had preceded him and the people among whom he was sent were prepared to welcome him and to honor him. His arrival in Chicago was the i cca ton ■■( a great demonstration. He found that his new charge comprised eighteen counties of the northern part of the state of Illinois. The needs of the Catholics in this arch-dk'cese were zealously looked after by one hundred and eighty priests, who had in charge one hundred and sixty churches. Affairs were generally in a fairly pros- perous condition. His predecessors had done mosl i scellent work to meet the wants of the times, but Chicago had not yet recovered from the great tire, which had destroyed nearly all the Catholic- churches and educational structures of importance in the city. The rapid growth in pop- ulation made it almost an impossibility to keep pace in the way of church edifices: they could hardly be erected fast enough. Here again Arch- bishop Feehan began the display of that»energy and business ability that had proved so valuable to the charges previously laid under his care. Under his administration there have been built in the areh-dioeese of Chicago, a large number of church edifices and parochial schools. Old ones have been enlarged and improved so that nearly one hundred thousand Catholic children are now- be- ing educated in these structures The same busi- ness instincts which have made it possible for Archbishop Feehan to build churches, schools, asylums and institutions of charity and learning, have led him to look, with assiduous care, after the financial interests of his arch-diocese, and it is to-daj one of the richest and most prosperous in tlie United States. There have been erected and are now in a prosperous condition, homes for the ispitals for the sick. Houses of Providence for young worn in, orphan asylums, and foundling asylums, all of which attest to the far seeing care of Archbishop Feehan to meet the man} a large center of population. He has so encour- aged a school for deaf mutes that it is now in ex- cellent condition, and is accomplishing a great work in helping this almost helpless portion of the human family to earn their own living. He lias given wise direction in the establishing of the Chicago Industrial School for girls: he has made munificent donations to St. Mary's Training School for boys at Feehanville, a town about fif- teen miles from Chicago, named after Archbishop Feehan. He has now the whole state of Illinois under his charge, with a Catholic population of nearly a million people. There is hardly a section of the City of Chicago or the arch-diocese that has not felt his zeal for religious charity and Christian education, while St. Patrick's Academy, the pastorate of the Holy Name Cathedral and his own archi-episcopal residence will always stand as monuments to his munificence and desire to have the ardent faith of his devoted and liberal people appear even in material structures. The latter stands not only superior to any other eccle siastical residence in Chicago, but has few equals, if any at all. on the continent. Archbishop Fee- han is a giant in works as he is in stature. He is a fluent orator, ami as a legislator he has been prudent and conservative. He participated in the pr clings of the Second Plenary Council of Baltimore in 1860; he took an active part in the 35- IJKHiltAPHY Ol' 1 ILLINOIS. general council of the Vatican; he was one of those summoned to Rome to formulate the Sche- mata of the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore, which took place in L884, and he is deserving of great c^dit for the pari taken in the deliberations of thai body. A writer in speaking of the ad- vancement made by the Catholic Church in Chi- cago said: " The material prosperity and progress of the great West finds an example in Chicago, and in -no other diocese perhaps can the church show such a proportional increase with the secu- lar advance in population ami in wealth. A half century ago Chicago had but one priest, one church, and about three hundred Catholics. To- day it has a Catholic population of over four hundred thousand, ministered to by over three hundred priests; and churches, colleges, schools and religious institutions abound in every section of the arch-diocese whose suffragan sees are mul- tiplying almost as fast as the churches did fifty years ago." NATHAN S. DAVIS. NATHAN SMITH DAVIS, M. D., LL.D., was bom on the 9th of January, 1817. Hisparents, Dow and Eleanor Smith Davis, were among the pioneer settlers in the northwestern part of Greene town- ship, Chenango county. New York, and Nathan was the youngest of seven children born in the primitive log house built in the forest. His mother died in 1824, but his father lived to the ripe old age of ninety years. From his childhood Nathan was of spare habit and active, nervous tempera- ment. His education was acquired in the com- mon school of the district during the winter mouths, and in summer he worked diligently on his father's farm until he was about sixteen years of age. This outdoor life and manual labor assisted much in the development of a healthy physical organization. His unusual aptitude for learning and inherent love of study determined his father tu procure for him the best education his means would afford, and with this view he was sent in his sixteenth year to Cazenovia seminary, New York, where he studied chemistry, natural phil- osophy, and the classics. In April, 1834, he com- menced the studj i if medicine in the office of Dr. Daniel Clark, of Smithville Plats, Chenango county. New York, ami in October Eollowing matriculated in the College of Physicians and Surgeons of the Western District of New York, located in Fairfield, Herkimer county. On his return from college he entered the office of Dr. Thomas Jackson at Binghamton, where he re- mained until he had completed the required three years of study, spending four months of each year in the medical college. He graduated with honor from the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Fairfield on the 31st of January, 1837. Shortly before the close of his third college term he was recommended by the faculty as assistant to Dr. Chatfield, of Vienna, Oneida county, who was in failing health, and commenced practice there in February, 1837. In July of the same year he re- moved to Binghamton and opened an office. Here he soon won the confidence of his professional brethren and the esteem of the community. On the 5th of March, 1838, he married Anna Maria, daughter of Hon. John Parker, of Vienna, to whom he had become attached during his brief residence in that town the previous year. During his resi- dence in Binghamton, while engrossed in a labori- ous practice, he sedulously pursued his scientific inquiries. Among the sciences that early engaged his special attention were practical chemistry, medical botany, geology, and political economy. In studying the last named science he embraced th«' most liberal views of free trade. He sought to perfect himself in surgical anatomy and at the same time instruct the resident medical students by dissecting one or two subjects each winter, and at the same time by special request gave lectures in the Binghamton academy and some of the larger district schools on topics connected with chemistry, botany, and physiology. He was one of the founders of the Lyceum debating society of Binghamton, and the frequent intellectual con- tests it afforded overcame his natural diffidence so effectually that his professional contemporaries only knew him as a ready and forcible speaker. Soon after he went to Binghamton he was elected a member of the Broome County Medical Society. in which he took an active part, holding the office of secretary during the years 1841. 1842, and 1843, and that of librarian from the last named year until 1S47, when he removed from the county. He was also a member of the board of censors several years. In 1843 he was appointed as a dele gate to represent the county society in the New- York State Medical Society, and faithfully dis- charged the duties of that office for the succeeding three years. He was already favorably known- to the members of the state society by his contribu- tions. In 1840, only three years after his gradua- tion, he was awarded the prize offered by the state 9, Li,'.. OF THE umvEBsmr of Illinois. BIOGRAPHY OF ILLIXi US. 353 society for the best essay "ii "the diseases of the spina] column, their causes, diagnosis, history, and mode of treal ment." In 1841 he received the prize offered for the besl "analysis of the discoi eries concerning the physiology of the nervous system, from the publications of Sir Charles Bell to the present time;" and in 1842 he contributed to the transactions of the society a Bupplementarj paper entitled "A Brief Review of Dr. Marshall Hall's Views on the Excito-Motary System of Nerves," for which he received the thanks of the society. In taking his seat in the annual meeting at Albanj for the first time in February, 1844, he offered a series of resolutions proposing a higher standard of medical education by lengthening the annual course of instruction in medical colleges, grading the branches of study, transfer) power of licensing practitioners from the colleges to an independent board of examiners, ami requir- ing a laii- standard of general education in students before entering upon the study of medicine. -olutions led to an interesting discussion, which was resumed at the next annual meeting in 1st",, at the closi of which a resolution offered by Dr. Davis was adopted bj the soci t; mending that a national convention representing all the medical societies and colleges in the coun- try be held in New York city in May, 1846, to adopt a concerted plan of action for the of the standard of medical education in the United States. A successful convention was held at the time and place designated, resulting in the forma- tion of the American Medical Association. When the time for winch he had been elected a delegate to the New Fork State Medical Society expired in 184U. he became a permanent member; and in 1866 was elected an honorary member. He was pres- ent at the organization of tic American Medical Association, and has only been absent from four of its annual meeting* during the forty-five years that have since passed away. In the summer of 1847 he removed with his family to New York city and entered upon general practice. In the follow- ing autumn and winter, at the solicitation of the demonstrator of anatomy in the College of Physi- cians and Surgeons of New fork, he took charge of the dissecting rooms and gave the instruction in practical anatomy, and by invitation of the fac- ulty he gave the spring course on medical .juris- prudence. Almost from the first year of his graduation he had been a frequent contributor to the leading medical journals, and in 1848 lie took editorial charge of the Annalist, a semi-monthly medical journal then commencing its third vol- ume, and continued his editorial work with ability until he removed from that city in August, 1849. He was elected to the chair of physiology and gen- eral pathology in Rush Medical College, Chicago, in July. 1849, and accepted the position. He ar- rived in the city which was henceforth to be his home in the latter part of September, and gave the introductory lecture at the opening of the college course in the first week of October. From that time until the present he has been actively identified not only with medical teaching, but with almost every important educational, scien- tific, and sanitary interest in Chicago. At the time of his arrival the population of the city was little more than 23,000, located on a lowandnearly level prairie, with a substratum of tenacious blue clay, for the most part obtaining water from shal- low wells, and no sewerage. They had suffered severely from the epidemic of cholera during the preceding summer, and the same disease recurred aree succeeding summers. T.i arouse pub- lic sentiment in favor of better sanitation, he delivered a course of six public lectures during the summer of 1850 in the old State street market. In these he pointed out the necessity of a more abundant supply of purer water from Lake Michi- gan and a general system of sewerage, and demon- strated by detailed illustrations tic feasibility of both. The lectures were well attended, and the money received from a small admission fee was expended for twelve beds, constituting the begin- ning of what is now known as the Mercy Hospital, the oldest and one of the most important hospitals in the city, accommodating 350 patients and j the most liberal facilities for clinical instruction. Dr. Davis is still one of the attend- ing physicians, and has been for forty years. At the close of his first course of instruction in the chair of physiology and pathology he was transferred to the chair of principles and practice of medicine in Bush College, and of clin- ical medicine in the hospital opened the following summer, which positions he held until 1859. Dr. Davis still continued to advocate a high standard of medical education, while Bush College adhered to the requirement of only two annual courses of four months each for graduation. A new college was organized in thespringof 1859, which is now known as the Chicago Medical College and med- ical department of the Northwestern University, on the plan of three annual courses of six months each, with a moderate standard of preliminary education and attendance on regular hospital clinical instruction: and Dr. Davis without hesita- 554 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. lii. n sacrificed the popular position he held in Rush College to accept a corresponding position in the new institution, which now ranks with the best of its kind inthe country. Finding on his arrival in Chicago no medical society and no state medical organization, he began to discuss the ad- vantages derived from closer professional inter- course, and before the close of 1850 he had assisted in organizing the Illinois Stat'' Medical Society and the Chicago Medical Society,in both of which he has remained an active member until the pres- ent time. He was elected president of the state society in 1855, and served as secretary of the same societj for twelve consecutive yearB. His contribu- tions to the transactions of both societies have been very numerous. He began writing for the Chi- cago Medical Journal soon after his arrival, and in 1855 became its editor. In 1859 he transferred the journal to Dr. Brainerd, president of Rush Medical College, who claimed that it had been established as an organ of that faculty; and in January, 1860, started a new magazi lalled tie' Chicago Medical Examiner, which he continued as an independent journal until 1873, when both publications were merged together under the title of the Chicago Medical Journal and Ex- aminer. He has twice been honored with elec- tion to the presidency of the national society, the American Medical Association, and has steadily kept in view the elevation of the standard of medical education, bringing over the faculties of most of the colleges and the profession at large to his views. At the annual meeting of the associa- tion in 1883, it was decided to publish its transac- tions in the form of a weekly journal instead of an annual volume, and he was chosen editor of the new publication, which is known as the Journal of the American Medical Association. He con- tinued its editorial management with the same ability and good judgment which had character- ized all his previous work until the 1st of Jan- uary. 1889. In 1884, the eighth International Med- ical Congress, then in session in Copenhagen, agreed to hold the ninth meeting in 1SST at Wash- ington, D. C. During 1885 an executive com mittee was organized to make arrangements for the meeting, of which Dr. Davis was secretary. While actively conducting the correspondence of this office, in addition to his editorial and profes- sional work, he awoke one morning in January. 1886, with complete hemiplegia of the right half of lie bod) "iel extremities. The paralysis, how- ever, proved temporary, and after a rest of three or four weeks lie was able to resume his duties. In August, 1S\?. the ninth International Medical Congress was held in Washington, and in point of attendance and amount of practical work done was fully equal to any of its predecessors. Dr. Davis presided over its deliberations, and dis- charged the duties of his high office with an ability and urbanity highly satisfactory to all concerned. In addition to his literary and educa- tional work, Dr. Davis has during his long life been unremitting in his devotion to the sick under his care. From six in the morning till noon his office has 1 n tilled with patients; visiting and lecturing at the college or hospital took up the rest of the day. and his labors generally occupied him until eleven or twelve o'clock at night. He has always been remarkably punctual in his en gagements with his patients and in consultation with his professional brethren. He lias taken an active part in many important educational and moral enterprises. He was one of the founders of the Northwestern University, the Chicago Acad- emy of Sciences, the Chicago Historical Society, the Illinois State Microscopical Society, the Union College of Law — in which he is a professorof tned ical jurisprudence — the Washingtonian Home for Inebriates, and one of his earliest organizations was for a systematic relief of the destitute. Ho has never used alcoholic drinks nor tobacco. Since his sixteenth year he has been a member of the Methodist church, and has given encourage- ment and help t" religious institutions. His pub- lic and private charities have been large and con- tinuous. With a practice larger than that of any other western physician, he never refuses the call of the sick poor. The Chicago tire of 1S71 con- sumed nearly all the accumulations of his profes- sional life, but with unwearying energy and patience he commenced anew . and soon was able to re-establish his household in affluence and comfort. In his declining years. Chicago has no more honored citizen. To make even a selection from the list of his published writings would ex- ceed our available space, bul tin' most important are a text-book on agricultural chemistry, used in district and public schools, for which a prize was awarded by the State Agricultural Society "I' New York in IStS; a "History of Medical Education and Institutions in the United States." from the first settlement of the British provinces to the year 1850; a lecture on the effects of alcoholic drinks on the human system, and the duties of medical men in relation thereto; and clinical lei' tures on various important diseases, published in 187o. UBR** Y umwT7ofVmo\s. S^n^*j BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 355 SAMUEL J. JONES. SAMUEL J. JONES, M. D., L.L. D., an emi nent physician of Chicago, professor of ophthal- mology and otology in the College of Medicine of Northwestern University (Chicago Medical Col- lege), was born at Bainbridge, Pennsylvania. March 22,1836. His father, the late Dr." Robert H. Jones, a native of Donegal, Ireland, was grad- uated from the medical department of the Uni- versity of Pennsylvania in 1830, and practiced his ii m in the Keystone State up to the date of his death in 1863. His mother, whose maiden name was Sarah M. Eke], is a daughter of .John Ekel, of Swiss descent, who was an old and re- s| ted citizen of Lebanon. Pennsylvania. In his boyhood the subject of this sketch enjoyed ex- ceptional educational advantages. He early de- veloped a taste tor study and in his seventeenth year entered Dickinson College, at Carlisle. Penn- sylvania. In 1S.T7 he was graduated from that in- stitution with the degree of Batchelor of Arts. During his course in college he began the study of medicine, and upon finishing the classical course, prosecuted his professional studies under the preceptorship of his father. In 1858 he en tend the medical department of the University of Pennsylvania. Here he completed the curri- culum and in 1860 received the degn f Doctor of Medicine. His alma mala- conferred upon him, t lie same year, the degree of Master of Arts. A career in the navy seemed to him at that time to present many attractions, and after submitting to a competitive examination he secured an ap- pointment therein as an assistant surgeon, and re- ceived his commission only a Eew months before the outbreak of the Civil War. In April, 1861,he was or dered to duty on the United States steam fi igate, Minnesota, which, with a crew composed of eight hundred officers and men. sailed from Boston on May S. L861, under sealed orders, as the flag-ship of the Atlantic blockading squadron. From tin- tine of her departure until the return to the same pori in February, 1S63, for repairs, the fires on the •■ Minnesota " were not allowed to go down, as the vessel was in active service during this entire period. Assistant Surgeon Jones participated in the naval battle which resulted in the capture of the Confederate forts at I la tt eras Inlet, in August, 1861, which put a stop to the troublesome block- ade-running at that point on the coast of North Carolina. At the opening of that engagement, whilst an effort was being made to land the com- bined military and naval forces on Hatteras Island, on which forts Hatteras and Henry were located, and when but a small contingent had ef- fected a lauding, a storm arose and the fleet was compelled to put to sea. leaving about three hun- dred men on shore, entirely unprotected because of the loss of arms and ammunition in their peril ous landing. Fortunately for them night was ap- proaching, and the Confederates, wdio numbered fifteen hundred, supposing that the whole force from the vessels had been landed, retired within their forts and made preparations for defense in the anticipated attack. Nor did they dis- cover their mistake until the following mora- ine;, when, after a night of anxious solicitude on board ship for the comrades and shipmates left on shore, the fleet had returned from sea and the engagement was renewed and continued until the surrender. Among those set ashore before the storm was Assistant Surgeon Jones, who still retains a vivid recollection of the landing on that stormy coast and of that night's experience of the handful of men. left on the sandy beach without food, arms or ammunition, in sight of the enemy, and in momentary expectation of capture. It may be mentioned in this connection that the Confederates, recognizing that their defeat had been compassed by the naval rather than the land forces, declined to surrender to the general commanding the latter who was the ranking of- ficer — until he had been specially delegated by the the flag officer of the fleet to receive the surrender in the name of the navy. It is also worthy of note that this was the first naval battle in history in which steamships were used ami kept in motion while in action. A few weeks previous to the deadly conflict with the Confederate ram "Merri- mac" in Hamilton Roads. March s. 1862, in which the " Minnesota " participated, and in which the United States vessels "Cumberland" and "Con- gress" fell victims to the rebel iron-clad, Assist- ant Surgeon Join's was detached temporarily, and ordered to accompany the Burnside and Golds- borough expedition against Roanoke Island, as tile medical officer of the staff of Plag-Officer Golds- borough, and participated in the capture of that island stronghold. After the battle, and on the return of Flag-Officer Goldsborough to the ■•Min- nesota." he was assigned to duty on the staff of Commander Rowan in the expedition which re- sulted in the capture of the formidable approaches to Newbern, and subsequently in the taking of Washington and other important points on the inner waters < if Ni nth Carolina. The W( irk of these expeditions having been accomplished he re- 356 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. Burned his duties on the " Minnesota," and during that time went with a special expedition under command of the intrepid Lieutenant Cushing .if "Albemarle" fame, and Lieutenant Lamson, a no less daring officer, in their operations on the Nansemond river, which were designed to relieve the Union forces under General Peek, then hemmed in by Longstreet's command, at Suffolk, Virginia, This latter service, performed with an extemporized flotilla, was about as perilous as any in which the naval forces took part during the war, and for which the officers engaged in it received special commendation from the Secretary of the Navy. In the spring of 1863 Assistant Surgeon Jones was assigned to duty at Philadel- phia, and there passed his second examination for promotion, and some months later was ad- vanced to the grade of surgeon. Subsequently he was transferred to the naval rendezvous at Chicago, and was detailed as examiner of those wishing to enter the medical corps for duly in con- nection with the Mississippi river squadron. He was also charged with the physical examination of a large number of Confederate prisoners of war confined at Gamp Douglas. Chicago, at Etocls Island and Alton. Illinois, and at Columbus, Ohio, who, having made representation to the United States authorities that they were forced into the rebel ranks but preferred to light for the Union and not against it, were permitted to enter the Federal service. Some three thousand of these men were passed upon favorably by Surgeon Jones, who vis ited the several military prisons named for this purpose, and were duly enlisted in the navy, and shipped aboard vessels sailing for for- eign ports, thereby releasing a corresponding number of tried and experienced men from duty at those ports, and allowing them to be brought back for active service in suppressing the Rebel lion. In the summer of 1861 Surgeon Jones was ordered to report to Admiral Farragut. then com- manding the W.st (bdf blockading squadron, and was assigned temporarily to the sloop of war ••Portsmouth." Later he was detached and as- signed to duty as surgeon of the New Orleans Naval Hospital and purveyor of medical supplies for the squadron. While on this duty he was brought into direct contact with yellow fever, as a number of sufferers from that disease were treated by him and his assistants at the hospital during the closing months of 1864. In tie' study of this disease made at that time by the United States military and naval medical men. Surgeon Jones took an active part, and shares the credit for the investigations made and suggestions put forth, which not only then but ever since have been productive of beneficial results in prevent ing the development and checking the spread of this dreadful Southern scourge. The war hav- ing ended, the naval hospital at New Orleans was closed in the fall of 1865, and Surgeon Jones was ordered to duty at the navy yard and naval hospital at Pensaeola, Florida, where he remained until 1866, when he was again assigned to duty at Chicago. Subsequently the marine rendezvous at that port, to which h«' was attached, was closed. After awaiting orders for a time he was assigned to duty as surgeon of the United States frigate "Sabine" — a practice ship for naval apprentices, then cruising on the Atlantic coast — on which he remained for some months. On March 1, 1868, after nearly eight years of active service in time of war. and during much of the time hazardous in character, he resigned from the navy to engage in private practice. Returning to his native state, he spent some little time in Philadelphia, and soon thereafter was accredited a delegate from tie- American .Medical Association — of which he had become a member— to the medical societies of Europe. At the same time he received from Governer Geary, of Pennsylvania, a commission to investigate and report upon hospital and sani tary matters in Great Britain and upon the conti- nent in the interest of that state. While abroad he attended important medical conventions at Oxford, Heidelberg and Dresden, and in the last- named city, in September, 18lis, was a member and participate,! in the deliberations of the first Otological Congress ever held. It was organized during the annual session of the Association of German Physicians and Naturalists, which was being held in that city. After investigation of matters pertaining to medical science, prosecuted in various parts of Europe, Dr. Jones returned to America. In December, 1868, he established himself in private practice in Chicago, making a specialty of diseases of theeyeandof the ear. to which for some years previously he had given particular attention. A few months later, hav- ing been appointed to the professional stall' of St. Luke's Hospital, he organize. 1 therein a de- partment for these diseases, and he has been actively connected with that hospital since that time. A portion of 1870 was devoted to a see- ond visit to Euroiie again as an accredited dele gate from the American Medical Association, making further researches and investigations, and everywhere received marked courtesy and LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY of ILLINOIS. BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 357 assistance in his labors. Shortly before his de- parture for Europe he was appointed to the newly-created chair of Ophthalmology and Otol- ogy in the College of Medicine of the North western University (Chicago Medical College). On his return from abroad he entered upon the duties of this professorship, and enlarged the fa- cilities for clinical instruction by providing an eye and ear department in Mercy Hospital, and also in the South Side Dispensary, both of which depart- ments he personally conductedfornearly ten years. During a portion of this period he was also a member of the surgical staff of the Illinois Chari- table Eye and Ear Infirmary. 'Since 1870 he has limited his work in active practice to diseases and defects of the eye and of the ear, although for some years he was a member and president of the board of examining surgeons for United States pensioners, at Chicago. The year he established himself in Chicago he became a member of the Ilinois State Medical Society, and in 1876, he was a delegate from that body f,. the Centennial In- ternational Medical Congress, held at Philadel- phia. In 1881 he was a delegate from the Amer- ican Medical Association and The American Academy of Medicine to the Seventh Interna- tional Medical Congress, held in London, and in 1887 he was president of the Section of Otol- ogy in the Ninth International Medical Congress, which met in Washington, and as such was ex- officio a member of the executive committee, charged with the preparations for the congress and the entertainment of the foreign dele- gates. Professor Jones was elected a member of the American Academy of Medicine in 1880, and in 1889, having then served two terms as one of its vice presidents, was chosen its president. The American Academy of Medicine is one of the most distinguished and representative organiza- tions of medical men in the Western Hemisphere, membership therein being confined to those who, previous to entering upon professional study, have received a literary degree, asevidenceof a lib- eral education. It was organized at Philadelphia in 1876, and embraces in its roll of fellows manj of the most prominent American physicians. Among those who have held the presidency have been some of the best-known physicians and surgeons of the country, and election to this office is probablj one of the highest honors that an American medi- cal man can receive at the hands of his colleagues, and is correspondingly esteemed. With the con- servatism characteristic of a large part of Amer- ican physicians, Professor Jones has always re trained from active participation in political life, feeling that his duty restricts him to the Held for which nature, education and experience have qualified him. Identified with medical science for more than thirty years, he has risen, by earn- est, enthusiastic and conscientious professional labor, to a leading position among the medical men of his native land, and he is not without honor abroad. In Chicago, where he has made his home for more than twenty years, and indeed through the entire West, he ranks with the most devoted and progressive members of his profes- sion, for the advancement of which he has con- stantly and industriously striven by all honorable means. His opportunities have been exceptional in many respects, and his experience unusually broad. There are few men of his age in the pro- fession who have in active practice and as a teacher and medical editor, come into closer con- tact with flic leaders of medical thought. In the field of his special work, as a member .if the American Ophthalmological and Otological so- cieties, he has been the associate of the prominent men in that specialty in this country. His attain- ments in general medicine are also noteworthy. and his culture is of the broadest description. In private life he is an exemplar of those qualities which in every age and country seem to stamp in an especial manner the educated man of science. In 1884, at the 101st commencement of Dickinson College, the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws was conferred on him by his nlmn mater. HENRY T. BYFORD. HENRY TURMAN BYFORD, M. D., Profes- sor of Gynaecology in the Chicago Post Graduate Medical School, and of Clinical Gynaecology in the Woman's Medical College of Chicago, and ex- president of the Chicago Gynaecological Society. was born in Evansville, Indiana. November 12, 1853. He is the second and only surviving son of the late Dr. William Heath Byford, of Chicago, and Mary Ann Byford, his wife, the latter a daugh- ter of Hezekiah Holland, a physician of Mt. Ver- non, Indiana. The father of the subject of this sketch was a man of high character, broad culture and extended observation and experience in his profession. Discerning in his sons those mental qualities which even in earliest life give promise of a successful future, he afforded them every facility S58 BIOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS. for improving their minds and increasing their store of know ledge, his hope being to tit them prop- erly for entrance into one or other of the learned professions. The foundation of Henry's education was laid in the excellent public and private schools of ( Ihicago which even in his boyhood had begun to rival those of the older and more populous cities of the Atlantic seaboard. Attheage of twelve years lie terminated his connection with these to accom- pany his elder brother to Europe, where he spent nearly four years in study and travel. Prom 1865 to 1863 he attended the high school of Berlin, Ger- many, and readily acquiring proficiency in the ( lerman tongue pursued the full, regular classical curriculum including Latin and Greek — side by side with the pupils of nativs birth, and m gradu- ating took the prizes in divinity and also in Ger- man composition. While abroad he also mastered the French language. Upon returning to Ameri- ca he entered the Chicago University, designing to take higher honors in the classics, but discov- ering after a brief experience that his tastes were inclining naturally to the sciences, he abandoned his original project, and entered the scientific department of Williston Seminary at East Hamp- ton, Mass.. while he was graduated in 1S70. He then entered the Chicago Medical College, took the three years' course, and was graduated in 1873, having the honor of being selected valedictorian of his class. A reference to the college records shows him to have been marked with the full one hundred per cent, in all branches of medicine taught, except in the specialty of diseases of the eye and ear— to which, at thattinie.it was not custom- ary to devote very much attention yet even in this lie was as high as t he average. During his second year, he attended of his own accord the lectures and demonstrations given to the senior class and at the end of that year successfully passed a com- petitive examination in all branches, and fairly won the position of interne at Mercy Hospital. He was prevented from finishing his hospital course, and from delivering his valedictory address bj reason of enforced absence from the city, occa- sioned by the sudden illness of his brother, who was in Louisiana, and in need of his fraternal ministrations. Notwithstanding his absence at the time of the commencement exercises of the college, the faculty granted him the degree and diploma of I >octor of Medicine without an exami- nation, being moved to this extraordinary act by the scarcely less extraordinary proficiency and ex- ceptional standing of the young student, then but hum teen and a half \ ears of age. Out of regard for the usual custom which discourages the practice of medicine by minors, however proficient, the fac- ulty attached a condition to the granting of the de- gree, viz.: that the young graduate was not to enter upon professional work until he became of age. Deeply concerned for the health of his brother. Dr. Byford now gave himself wholly to his service, spent a year with him in Colorado, and was hap- pily rewarded for his zeal and devotion by wit- nessing his recovery before the period of his own probation from practice had fully expired. When free to enter upon the active duties of his profes- sion, his father offered him the privilege of his of- fice and partnership, but these he respectfully de- clined, choosing to establish himself indepen- dently in a less fashionable quarter of the city, as the associate of his college friend. Dr. J. A. St. John. Energetic as well as competent, he enjoyed unusual prosperity from the first, and by the spring of 1879, he had saved enough to enable him to make an eighteen months' tour of Europe. Returning from his sojourn abroad, which had been about equally divided between travel and study in the hospitals of the capital cities, he asso- ciated himself in practice with his father, the prin- cipal share of his work being in the departments of obstetrics and diseases of children; but he steadily worked toward the goal of his life, viz.: diseases of women and abdominal surgery, to which lie has of late years confined his practice. Apart from his private practice, Dr. Byford has been extremely active in various official profes- sional capacities. He was at one time curator of the Museum of the Chicago Medical College; sub- sequently lecturer on Diseases of Children in that institution; and. still later, lecturer on Obstetrics in Rush Medical College; but each of these posi- tions was given up in turn in order to gain more time for the study of his chosen specialty. In December, 1888, he was appointed to the Chair of Gynaecology in the Chicago Post Graduate Medi- cal School, of which he was one of the founders. and in the following year was chosen professor of Clinical Gynaecology in the Woman's Medical Col- lege. For several years past he has been gynaecol- ogist to St. Luke's Hospital, and also surgeon to the Woman's Hospital. Dr. Byford is a member of the American Medical Association, of the Illi- nois State Medical Association, of the American Gynaecological Society, of the Chicago Medical Society, of the Chicago Medico-Legal Society. anil of the Chicago Gynaecological Society, and was president of the last named in 1887. He has the reputation of being one of the most original and IJTOORAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 359 progressive men in his specialty in the United States, and has invented a number of new opera- tions which have been very generally approved and adopted. Among these may be nai 1 inguinal suspension (it tin- bladder, shor- tening of the saero-uterine ligaments, bilateral elytrorrhaphy, subcutaneous perineal tenotomy, etc., etc. One of his methods, the vaginal fixation of the stump in abdominal hysterectomy, is said to have opened a new field for operation. Many new forms of instruments devised by him and ap- propriately called by his name, have I n found of greal utility, and are in daily use by surgeons. As a clinical lecturer, Dr. Byford has achieved great success and a wide repu tation. He is also a writer of marked ability, and a frequent contribu- tor to medical literature. He is one the editors of the last edition of Byford's " Diseases of Women." a work originally from the pen of Ids ; in plished father. In addition to his professional attainments. Dr. Byford is an artist of no mean skill having studied and practiced drawing of the human figure in the famous Art School of Julian at Paris, and landscape painting from nature un- der other European celebrities; and in the studies of art and literature he finds his favorite recrea- tions. He was married on November 9, 1882, to Mrs. Lucy L. Richard, daughter of Frederick Lamed, and has four children, two sons and two daughters. PERKY H. SMITH. One of the most notable of the many able men in the railway and legal fraternities in Chicago was Perry H. Smith, who was born in Augusta, Oneida county. New York, on March 18, 1828. His father was Timothy Smith, for many years prominent in the business circles of Watertown, Jefferson county. New York. Perry Smith's boy- hood was remarkable for studiousness, and il was his pride, at the age of eight years, to spell down the entire roll of students at the Clinton. N. Y.. Liberal Institute — the academy which has re cently been prominently noticed as the school which educated ex-President Cleveland. Perry Smith entered Hamilton College when he was only fourteen years old. and graduated when he was eighteen, standing second in his class. He entered the law office of N. S. Benton, at Little Falls, New York, and on coming of age, March 18, 1849, was admitted to practice by Judge Peckham, at Albany, by special commission. In the fall of the same year he started for Appleton. Wisconsin, which he thought was an inviting field for the practice of his profession. At that time Wist sin was without railways, and Appleton, which had just been platted, was .in one of the rapids of tin' Fox liver. To reach the young village Mr. Smith walked one hundred miles through a heav- ily-timbered country, which by treaty with the Indians, had jusl been opened to settlement. It was here that Amos Lawrence established the famous Lawrence University, the fame of which was one of the attractions which drew people to Appleton, and made ..I' it a thriving business ami educational centre. When the village became the county seat of the new county of Outagi Mr. Smith, then only twenty- three years old. was made the first judge of its courts of probate, equity and common law. and presided with marked ability ami dignity. He was shortly afterwards elected to the lower house of the State Legisla- ture by the Democrats, and later was sent to the State Senate by the same political constituency, and held that honorable position for live years. In 1855 he was chairman of the legislative com- mittee which investigated the charges of corrup- tionand fraud against the governor of tin- state. and wrote the able and decisive report on the final disposal of the ease. In 18.">(> Mr. Smith was made a member of tin.' special committee to which the subject of land grants made by the federal government to the state was referred. One of the first grants following the settlement of this matt it was made to the Chicago, St. Paul &Fond du Lac Railway Company, of which or- ganization Mr. Smith was, in ls."i7. when only twenty-nine years old. chosen vice president. ( )n anization of this company into the Chi- cago & North-Western Railway, Mr. Smith was made vice president of the new corporation, and held the office until his retirement from the road, in 1869. He had perfected plans for his election to the United States Senate from Wisconsin, but at the earnest solicitation of the Hon. Samuel J. Tildcn. ll.n. W. I!. < >yden and others, he surren dered his political ambition in order to devote his time and talents to the office of managing director of the Chicago & North-Western Railway, to which he had been named. Mr. Smith accumu- lated a fortune in Wisconsin, and in 1850 re- moved to Chicago, where he made his home up to tin- time of his death, retaining for two years his seat in the Wisconsin Senate, devoting his time 360 BIOCKAI'HY OF ILLINOIS. to the increasing interests of the Chicago & North- western Railway and to his own private business, which had assumed vasl proportions. He was very fortunate in his numerous ventures; and suc- cessful investments in western railroads, mines and other enterprises made him a very wealthy man. Liberal in his disposition and refined in his tastes, the accumulation of riches by Mr. Smith became a benefit t<» mankind. One of his great gifts is the Perry Smith Hall for the library of Hamilton College. His immense picture galleries and pri- vate library, not only before the tin' of 1871, but in their restored state, are see.. ml to none in Chi- cago, and are greatly admired by the thousands of visitors who see them yearly. Mr. Smith was a man of generous impulse; the destitute and needy always had a warm place in his heart, and his kindly, neighborly feelings were among the many good features of his character. One of Mr. Smith's great business enterprises was the build- ing of the North Shore Railroad of Canada, from Quebee to Montreal. The work was undertaken shortly after the Chicago tire, and was managed with so much ability and success, in tin Eace of serious obstacles, that Sir Hugh Allen paid Mr. Smith and bis associates $1,000,000 for the transfer of the worktohim. Still another great monument to his business ability and sagacity was the con struction of the Chicago division of the Wabash Railway, and the Wabash grain elevator in this city. with a capacity for storing 1,650,000 bushels of grain. Mr. Smith's success was due to sol id prepar- ation, based upon sound education, and a habit of accuracy in every detail, however trivial or complex. He possessed the power of absolute concentra- tion, and a grasp of mind which was as far-reaeh- ing as his subject. His memory retained the smallest circumstance, and he extended a broad and liberal fairness to any question or individual. It was a happy combination of these and other equally manly characteristics which attracted the respect and confidence of all who met him. Such names as Timothy O. Howe. General Grant, E. B. Washburne and other staunch Republicans occur as warmest among his friends. No one feared betrayal at his hands, and everyone sought the benefit of his accurate judgment. Xor was he less liberal in other matters than in politics— he believed in the largest charity, and always re- spected worth wherever found, among the laborers in the ditch as well as among those in highest sta tion. His acts, if liberality in politics, in religion, in the arts, and to innumerable personal friends, attested his generous heart and nobility of soul. While in Paris during the Commune the official journal one day published a decree to demolish the house of M. Thiers — President of France and scatter its rare contents to the winds. Our then minister to France, Mr. Washburne. writing of this incident in his memoirs, concludes: "And I might here mention incidentally that a distinguished and wealthy citizen of Chicago, Mr. Perry 11. Smith, who was in Paris at the time, mad.' everj effort to purchase these things himself in order that they might be saved for M. Theirs, but un- fortunately he was unable to accomplish the pur pose which did him so much honor." There are two excellent full length portraits of Mr. Smith one in Memorial Hall. Hamilton Coll.-.. the other in the Wisconsin Historical rooms, at the capitol in Madison. He was married in 1857 to Miss Emma A. Smith, daughter of the Rev. Reeder Smith, of Appleton, Wisconsin. Four children three sons and one daughter — were born to them. Mr. Smith was a life long Democrat, and was a great admirer of Samuel J. Tilden, whom he helped to bring out as a presi dential candidate in 1870. and whose chief per- sonal representative he was for the entire North- west, during the presidential campaign which fol- lowed. Mr. Smith was opposed to the formation of the Electoral Commission, and the handing over of the unfortunate dispute to that body for decis- ion was contrary to his advice and counsel. Mr. Smith was always a gentleman, very neat in his dress and elegant in speech, but was democratic to the core, and extended the same address to poor and rich alike. None were more punctilious than he, yet upon occasion, no man used mi .re cut ting satire, none more stinging rebuke. His man ners were polished, and in the drawing room he moved with grace ami gentleness, yet in the forum or uiion the platform, he stood unflinchingly, and knew well how to force success, and to insist upon the right. He attracted his auditors by his learn ing and judgment, and inspired confidence by his energy and integrity. He was genial in his busi- ness, princely in his entertainments, but never a courtier. He always led— never followed in any train. It is known that while abroad a friend, then representing this government at one of tin nit-. desired to present him to the king— a man of broad culture and liberal mind, and much inter ested in tin- commercial problems of all lands. But the court dress of gold braid, the sword, etc., were too theatrical for this plain democrat, and not until a private party was arranged at the palace, where he might wear his American dress suit. LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY of ILLINOIS. . , BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. .6 I would Mr. Smith consent to l'o. Once there he so impressed the kinu'. that in a discussion about American railroad policy, the latter in his enthu- siasm, graciously placed his hand upon Mr. Smith's shoulder, saying heartily, "I concur with you, Monsieur, as against these gentlemen." Death ended this too short life at the age of fifty-seven years, on Palm Sunday, 1885, after a lingering ill- ness, the seeds of which dated back to his earlier labors in behalf of thegreat railway whose founda- tions he so largely laid. One who for many years was the Wisconsin state agent at New York, and a life-long friend, is authority for the statement that in those days at the Wall streel office be both in vented the legislative and financial measures, and drafted with his own hand the voluminous legal papers necersary to perfeel the same, not taking the aecessary time to rest and recuperate, but de aying himself, in order to work out and perfeel the business in hand for the approval of his co- laborers. Nor did these officers in but rareexcep- tion, find it expedient to more than formally ap- prove his papers, so efficiently, and detail diet he ace plish his task. In returning from his office at the close of a busy daj it was his habit to talk on these subjects with his - with a mind surcharged with the daily routine of business of the railroad corporation, yet tore- call after twenty years the correct conjug Greek verbs. Nor was it merely an accomplish- ment of memory most unusual that commands our wonder, but the taste for the beautiful in thought and language which marked his whole career. One friend. Robert Rae, Esq., of the Chi- cago bar. once told the writer it was no uncommon thing for his friend to recite from memory extracts fri 'in Horace and i ither i if his favorite Latin poets. A distinguished citizen of Springfield, Illinois, a life-long friend of Mr. Smith, in writing of him, says language at his command could never con vey his high admiration for the g 1 qualities of his friend, and continues. "His was the brightest intellect I ever met — he was a courteous gentle- man, and thoroughly self-pos-osed. He had at instant command all his faculties, always Btriving and succeeding in surpassing others in generous acts and kindly attentions." GEORGE HOWLAND. GEORGE HOWLAND was born in Conway. Franklin county, in the state of Massachusetts. He is the son of William A. and Hannah Morton Howland. His father was a lineal descendant of John Howland, who came from England on the May Flower. His mother, too, came from a pil- grim ancestry, being a descendant of Clark. whose l b tone at Plymouth. Massachusetts. bears the information that he was mate of the May Flower. The family, with its several genera- tions, remained in Massachusetts until the sub- ject of this sketch and perhaps others of his immediate family left that state for the great West. It was, therefore, a family of Puritanic and New England firmness of character and sterling merit. The father was a carpenter by trade and also a farmer on a small scale. Young Howland spent his boyhood upon his father's farm, divid- ing much of his time bet ween assisting his father and attending the district school of his native town. He also attended, during some of the time, a select school which was under the management of Deacon John Clary. In the course of time he entered the Williston Seminary, at East Hamp- ton. Mass.. then under the principalship of Luther Wright. Having here prepared himself for col lege, he entered Amherst in 1846, continuing, withoul interruption through the course, he graduated in 1850, and delivered the salutatory of his class. After graduating he engaged in teach- ing in the schools of Massachusetts, and was thus employed for about two years. He then returned to Amherst and tilled the position of tutor for ars, when lie was appointed instructor in Latin, German, and French, and served in that capacity for two years. He then left the college and entered the law office of Beach & Bond, of Springfield, Mass.. where he remained until the autumn of Wo. when he came to Chicago, arriv- ing here in the month of December. In January of the following year he began his splendid career as an educator in Chicago, in which he developed one of the finest school a the world; won for himself a fame that is world-wide, and sent out into practical life thousands of men and women whose characters and minds have been in- delibly impressed by the influences of his methods as a teacher and superintendent, his scholarly at- tainments and high moral character. His first connection with the Chicago public scl Is was as assistant in the Chicago high school, which at the time was under the principalship of Mr. C. A. Dupee. who is now a prominent member of the Cook county bar. In I860 Mr. Dupee resigned ami Mr. Howland was elected principal of the school, a position which he filled for twenty years. In 1880 he was elected superintendent of the pub- 36: BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. lie schools of Chicago, which position he retained until his resignation in the summer i>l' 1891. The office of superintendenl of the Chicago schools is a highly important office and one thai is exceed- ingly difficu.11 1" fill. When Mr. Howland entered upon tlic discharge of the duties of assistant in the Chicago high school, the Dumber of schools, besides the high school, was only ten, and there wit.' l.ut eighty teachers. A.t the presenl time there are about two hundred schools and over twenty-six hundred teachers. To insure anything like efficiency in a system of education that em- braces such a number of schools and teachers, requires superior executive ability in its head. But under Mr. Hem-land's direction the entire system worked harmoniously and with the most perfect satisfaction to the public. Mr. Howland is an educator pure and simple. His life -work has been to educate the children of the city, and to that grand work he devoted all his energies and great abilities. He never paid the slightest atten- tion to the occasional side issues which people at- tempted to drag into the school system. For an applicant to obtain a position as teacher in the Chicago public schools, the only question to be settled to the satisfaction of the superintendent was the question of character and competency. Considering the many interests, prejudices and opinions in a city like Chicago, and the fact that there are those who believe that politics should be introduced wherever a public appointment is to be made, and that there arc others who insist that the public schools should be places for re- ligious instruction — provided, of course, that it should be of this kind or that, according to the different faiths — it borders on the wonderful that nobody seriously attempted to influence Mr. How- land with the advocacy of any of these peculiar notions. Mr. Howland is a tireless worker. Be- sides attending to the intricate details necessary for the management of a great school system, he has found time for considerable literary work of great merit. He prepared a translation of Virgil's ".Eneid," which was published in two volumes, about 1870 by D. Appleton & Co. He also pub lished a volume of poems, some years since, enti tied "Little Voices." a second edition of which was issued in 1891. In 1889, Appletons published a volume of ten papers by Mr. Howland on educa tional subjects, in the International Series, edited by \V. T. Harris of the Washington, I). C, Bureau of Education. He is also the author of an English grammar which was published by Geo. Sherwood A- Company. In addition to these he has trans- lated all the Odes of Horace, many of which have not yel been published. Pew lives have been more useful to the world than Mr. Rowland's. The public school system of Chicago has devel oped into its present perfection, seemingly without an effort, but it is largely the work of the modest, energetic educator who was so long at its head. Unostentatious, faithful to duty and practical in thought and method, this man has done a work for Chicago which will be felt as long as time lasts; and for the splendid work he accomplished the people of Chicago honor him. At the Sep tember ils'.di meeting of the principals of the Chicago schools the committee previously ap- pointed reported the following resolutions on Mr. Howland's resignation, which were adopted unani- mously: "For eleven years we, the principals of the < 'lii cago schools, have followed our trusted leader. We have trusted because we could trust. We have followed gladly, cheerfully, confidingly, be- cause our leader was easily Chief. It is written that the ehiefest of all is the servant of all. ••To whom of us has not our chief rendered mani- fold service? What one of us is not conscious that his life is enlarged, enriched, ennobled by the ministrations of this friend of ours'/ Had ever an association like this so genial a leader, teacher, and friend? "On the retirement of Ceo. Howland from the siiperinlcndency of the public schools of Chicago, the Principals' Association, in appreciation of his public service, voices its united sentiment in the following: "Be it recorded: That the eleven years of Mr. Howland's administration have been eleven years of continual and increasing prosperity to the pub- lic schools of Chicago. "That, called to the work of supervision after long experience as a teacher, Mr. Howland, as superintendent, never ceased to be a teacher. "Thai in the discharge of the manifold duties with which the Board of Education has invested the offices of the superintendent of schools Mr. Howland exercised power without ostentation; authority with quiet firmness, and without vacil- lation. His counsels were without dissimulation, and his decisions without shadow of turning. "Of Mr.Howland.it pleases us to record that Ids wide cult ure, broad and liberal scholarship set him free from all narrowness. "That his intensely poetic temperament allied him in closest sympathy with childhood; giving to him an unwavering faith in the possibilities of children; an absolute loyalty to them, and prompt- ing him to constant efforts for the promotion of t heir highest interests. "That in his high ideals, in his happy expression of Doble thought, and in Ids appreciation of worthy effort, he has afforded an inspiration to a in I tudc of co-workers in the educational field. "As ( in of letters. Ceorge Howland, discours- ing of every day school matters, maybe read at BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 563 the same sitting with George William Curtis' 'Easy Chair.' One's literary sensibility may not be shocked by the contiguity. Anything common- place is foreign to the pen of either. "We believe that Mr. Howland'e work is an- chored on so secure a basis that his fame as a worker in the educational Held will prove en- during. •'His annual reports to the Board of Education, and his 'Practical Hints to Teachers' breathe the spirit of his administration as superintended of the Chicago schools. "That spirit will outlive us all. "Mr. Howland's life record in Chicago is thai of the model teacher, the model principal, the model superintt ndent. "With grief and regret have we learned of Mr. Howland's severance of his recent relations with the ( Jhicagi 1 schools. "For marly two score of years he has walked in and out among us. and not a few of us have [earned to regard him as guide, philosopher and friend. "In whatever surroundings his lot may hence- forward lie cast. we earnestly bespeak for liim heaven's choicest blessings; blessings richly de- served by one who has spent the working years of his life for others. "May he live long to see tin •fruition of his labors in the advancement of our schools till they occupy tin' plane upon which it has been his endeavot to place them." RICHARD EDWARDS. Illinois takes high rank among its sister states in the number and character of its educational institutions. In no part of the Union is the school system better organized, more extensive, or so sat isfaetory in its results. Earnest desire and intelli- gent direction on the part of the men who have been entrusted with this great work, has been highly productive of good to the state. To tins end few men have labored more zealously than Dr. Richard Edwards, A.M., LL.D., now the president of Blackburn University, at Carlinville, Illinois. Km- thirty years Dr. Edwards has been actively identified with the schools of Illinois. He has been an instructor and director in the academies and colleges and. as state superintendent, an organizer and developer of the entire school system. At sev- enty years of age he is still doing his full share in everything that tends to improve the educational interests of the state. Dr. Edwards is of Welsh nativity and parentage. He was born near Ab- erystwith. in Cardiganshire. Wales. December 23, H'J'J. His father was a mechanic ami his mother was the daughter of a small farmer. The family came to America in 1833, and settled on a farm of fifty acres mar Portage, Ohio. At that time they all spoke the Welsh language and as educational facilities were rather crude, the acquirement of the English tongue was by no means an easy task. Dr. Edward's early years in the Ohio forests were ones of toil and privation. He labored hard to assist his father in "clearing" the farm and with thi 1 sception of a few weeks in the winter season had no opportunity to attend school. Before he was twenty two years old he had, by severe exer- tion, managed to get two terms of instruction at a village school and had also learned the trade of a carpenter. The lack of school training was in part made up by diligent reading, an occupation of which he was very fond and in which he passed every spare moment of his time. Young Edwards showed such aptitude in the acquisition of knowl- edge that he was urged to tit himself for a pro- fession, and with this object he went to Bridge- water, Massachusetts, in 1*44. where he attended tic state normal school. He had no money and Milled to live a life of extreme self-denial, teaching school at times to get the means for support while he was studying. In this way he completed the course, and by the same hard effort was enabled to pay his way through the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute at Troy, New York, from which he graduated with honor. During his course at the Uridgewater Normal School, he had attracted the attention of New England educators and when he had completed his studies at Troy there was a demand for his services as an instructor. He was first a teacher in the normal school at Bridgewater, and then principal of a similar institution at Salem. under state supervision, lb' next accepted a call to the principalship of the St. Louis (Mo.) Normal School and was afterward made principal of the St. Louis city high school. About that time the peo- ple of Illinois concluded that the) needed the ser- vices of Dr. Edwards, and in 1862 he was given charge of the state normal school at Normal. Illi- nois, when' he remained thirteen and one-half years. During his control of the school the num- ber of students was increased from '_'8(> to 777. and the fame of the institution as one of model control, economical management and beneficial results became wide spread. In addition to having di- rect charge of the normal school, Dr. Edwards took an active part in school interest throughout the state. His services as an organizer were always in request and he labored incessantly to build up the grand system of schools which Sh BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. is imiu such a source of just pride for the people of Illinois. In this grand work he was ably sus- tained by the state board of education with a unanimity that was surprising, considering the height to which political prejudicesat limes arose The announcement by Dr. Edwards in December, L875, of bis intention to resign the management of the normal school on January 1, 1876, brought out a strong protest from the board; Democrats and Republicans joined in a request that be would withdraw his resignation, but without avail, and they reluctantly consented to the separation. In the formal resolution of acceptance of Dr. Ed- wards' resignation it was put on record that the board endorsed his wise management and control of the school and gave him credit for making it the "best normal school on the continent." For the nine years, from 1S7G to 1885, Dr. Edwards was pastor of the Congregational Church at Princeton, 111., and his success in the pulpit was fully as great as at the teacher"s desk. During these nine years he kept up his educational work almost without interruption. He had no direct connection with any school or college, except for eighteen months when he acted as financial agent for Knox College, Galesburg. 111., but he was con- stantly addressing teachers' institutes, giving ad- vice to school boards and counselling with young instructors and students. In 188G Dr. Edwards was elected by the Republicans as superintendent of public instruction for the state of Illinois. He was in office four years and in that time the school law was revised and codified under his per- sonal direction. A syllabus of work for teachers' institutes was prepared, and a course of study for country schools mapped out. a committee of the county superintendents assisting in the task. The energetic manner in which the office was admin- istered convinced the Legislature that the state superintendent of schools was an important mem- ber of the government and a law was passed, en- larging his duties and powers. By the same act he was made a member of the boards of trustees for the State University at Champaign, and tin- state normal school at Carbondale, and did much to bring both of these institutions to a high state of perfection. Dr. Edwards was renominated in L890, but it was a year of Republican defeats, and as a strong feeling against the compulsory edu- cation law. of which he was one of the support- ers, had been worked up by the politicians, he was not re-elected. At the expiration of his term in 1891, Dr. Edwards waselected to the presidencj of Blackburn University at Carlinville, where he now is. in the prime of a vigorous manhood, labor ing not alone for the benefit of his immediate charge, but for tin' general advancement of the cause of education. Dr. Edwards' attainments as a scholar and his efforts as an instructor have ignized in the bestowal of the degree of Master of Arts by Harvard University and of Doctor of Laws by Shurtleff College. He is in many ways a remarkable man. Strong and con- vincing as a public speaker, and familiar with everj detail. if t lie public school problem; quick of thought and resolute in action. Dr. Edwards has had unbounded success where a man of less ability would have failed. DAVID S. SMITH. PROFESSOR D. S. SMITH, M. D., late presi- dent of the Hahnemann Medical College of Chi- cago, was born in Camden. New Jersey. April 28, 1816. His parents were both natives of New Jer- sey. His father. Isaac Smith, was born in Salem county of that state. His mother's family name was Wheaton, a family of Welsh extraction. The sturdy, manly principles which mark the career of Professor Smith are largely due to the character- istics inherited from his parents. They were botl ted for great force of character and they trained their children in ways of strict righteous- . ness and integrity. Besides this training. David received from his parents a nature full of energy and perseverance, attributes which were strong factors in leading him to a grand success in the field of labor he eventually chose as his. life work. From his mother, particularly, he received a taste for learning that led him to become a most dili- gent student. He made rapid progress in his studies and early evinced a strong inclination bli- the study of medicine. In this he was encouraged and, when only seventeen became a medical student in the office of Dr. Isaac Mulford, of Cam den, N.J. He was given excellent opportunities, to,- he was permitted to attend three full terms of lectures at the Jefferson Medical College in Phila- delphia and from then- he graduated in 1836. This college was then, as it is now, one of the foremost medical schools on the continent, and its diploma could only be earned by a thorough mas tery of the science of medicine. Just about this time the great Wist began to attract the enter prisingand energetic youth of theolder East. The LIBHAHY BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 565 young doctor was allured to this spot that prom- ised so well, and with his diploma as his reference began practice in Chicago. His tirst year was far more successful than he could have hoped, and in 1837 he went Lack to Camden to visit his parents. It was a momentous visit, as it was then Dr. Smith obtained the first insight into the then new doctrine of homoeopathy. So interested did he be emne in the subject that he resolved to investigate it thoroughly. He bought all the books he could find in the English language, treating upon the mat- ter, and brought them with him when he returned to the West. Circumstances led him to remove to Joliet for a time, and there he studied assidu- ously the doctrine of Hahnemann. Theworldof medicine today knows the result of his researches. Dr. Smith brought the new science to the front to such purpose that he has been called the "Father of Western Homoeopathy." He procured from the Illinois Legislature, in 1854-55, the char- ter of Hahnemann Medical College of Chicago. The original draft of this charter was written by Dr. Smith in the law office of Abraham Lincoln. at Springfield. Illinois. The achievemenl of con ceiving and establishing this college gave to Dr. Smith great honor and credit. The young physi- cian did not accept the teachings of his books without the closest investigation. In fact, com ic tionof the t lion. ugh reliability of homoeopathy did not reach him until it was brought to him in his own practice and in his own family. While in Philadelphia his Hist child was taken seriously ill, and as the case would not yield to allopathic treatment, he resorted to homoeopathy and with very gratifying results. From that time his eon fidence in the doctrines of Hahnemann became thoroughly established. Dr. Smith remained in Joliet until 1S42. whin he returned to Chicago. He retained the old form of practice for a short time. hut. although he met with average sueeess. the disinclination to practice it grew stronger and stronger upon him. He again went east in 1843, where he procured more books upon his favorite subject. When he returned to Chicago in the spring of that year he had fully determined to adopt the new system in his practice. He was thus the hist physician to introduce homoeopathic practice west of the' great lakes, a region that now has six medical schools, twiee as many hospitals and more than two thousand practitioners to represent what he stood for singly and alone. He himself was surprised but gratified at the favor with which the new system was received by the public. He soon had more calls than he could respond to. and other practitioners were attracted to his side. So rapidly did the new school increase in members that a medical body was soon formed whose power has kept pace with the other great factors in the growth of the Western metropolis. Dr. Smith was naturally elected president of the board of trustees of Hahnemann Medical College when it was organized. He held that position until 1871, when he resigned in favor of the late Dr. A. E. Small. At the death of the latter, he was again elected president and held the office up to the time of his death. Dr. Smith was ever a most inde- fatigable worker and his arduous duties at length overtaxed his strength and he was obliged to seek rest. In L856 he went to Waukegan. III., for this purpose. I'Ut as soon as he felt able he returned and at once resumed his labors. In 1866 he was again obliged to desist on account of failing-health and went to Europe, where lie spent a year in travel. His reputation had preceded him and he was received at the various hospitals and colleges which he visited with the friendliest attention and consideration from the distinguished members of his profession. When he returned home in 1867 he felt that he was in full possession of his health and strength and he at once entered upon his pro- fessional duties, and from that time they were in- terrupted only by his last illness and death. Through the influence of his mother, in early life. Dr. Smith became imbued with deep religious' convictions. He was an attendant of the Meth- odist Episcopal church. He was a man of sterling integrity and unflinching uprightness, simple in his habits, dignified, urbane and generous. His noble efforts and humane spirit were recognized when tin- cholera epidemic fell upon the city from ISIS to 1854. Instances of his devotion to the wants of the suffering poor at that time can be re- lated which place him in the ranks of the most noted benefactors of the human race. He was hospitable in the extreme and an attentive listener to all who sought his ear for counsel. Thoroughly accurate in his own habits, he was a strict disci plinarian and demanded the same adhesion to duty which he rendered himself. In recognition of his ability and in appreciation of his services to the cause of homoeopathy, an honorary degree was conferred upon him in 1856 by the Homoeo- pathic Medical College of Cleveland, Ohio. In 1857 he was elected general secretary of the Amer- ican Institute of Homoeopathy, in 18.74 was chosen president and in 1865 treasurer of this national association. Naturally, with his many pro- fessional duties Dr. Smith never sought polit- ;66 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. ieal honors, but he lived and died a stalwart Republican. He was president of the Second Ward Republican Club in its palmiest 'lays during the Eayes campaign. He was at tin' time of his death the honored and popular president of the old Tippecanoe Club of Chi- cago, which was organized in July, lssv. bj those who had voted for General Harrison in 1840. It can hardly be estimated how important a Eactor, the various organizations of Tippecanoe Clubs throughout the country were in the election of General Benjamin Harrison to the Presidency of tin- United States. Dr. Smith was married in 1837 to Miss Rebecca Ann Dennis, a native of Salem. New Jersey, who survives him. She cametoChi- cago in IS.'!.") with her uncle, E. H. Mulford, in whose family she resided until her marriage. Four children blessed this union, two of whom survive. The eldest. Mrs. Whitehead is thewidow of the late Major F. F. Whitehead, of the United States Army, who died in Washington, in October, 1888, and Caroline, wife of J. L. Ely, of New York City. In alluding to his marriage once, before a class of students, the doctor naively remarked: ■•Yes. we have spent fifty years of married life in Chicago and neither one of us has ever applied for a divorce, I think it is due to Chicago's fair name that sueh records be published." Chicago lias certainly reason to congratulate herself that fate led the steps of this young anil energetic physician to her threshold. He achieved honor Eor the city of his adoption, he gained honor for himself. Sueh talents as his would have won their reward wherever fortune might have east his lot. Dr Smith di 3d at his home in Chicago, after a long illness, April 29, 1891. The following resolu- tions were adopted bj the faculty of the Hahne- mann Medical College and Hospital of Chicago, and the members of the hospital staff: "Inasmuch as we have been deeply grieved by the death of our worthy and venerable colleague. I >r. I >a\ id S. Smith, we as a faculty, in expression of deep sorrow, and in acknowledgement of his inestimable service, do hereby adopt the fol- li iv, ii . resolutions: "Resolvi 'I, That we recognize flrstof all, the loss to the profession at large, in which as the firs! representative of our school of practice in this locality, Ins undaunted energy and marked ability duringthe pioneer days have given the imprint of success and of character to the modern standard of medicine. What he knew to he right he faith- fully prescribed. What he honestly believed he bravely defended and earnestly applied. To his ability and his faithfulness the followers of I inane opatln owe a debl of gratitude, and the genera- tions in come will how in reverence to his name. "Resolved, That as the President of our College and Hospital, we shall miss his guiding spirit and his encouraging presej In all our workhe has ever been a willing helper and a good adviser, lbs life was consecrated to the college he estab- lished and loved, ami his pride was centered in her prosperity. The joy of his last days was the realization that 'old Hahnemann' had fulfilled the desire of his heart and had become the largest llom pathic College in the world. To everj student his words were an encouragement to hon- est ambition. To every graduate he gave the in- spiration of hope. "Resolved, That more than all we admire the manly quality and llie Christian character of his life. In all tilings he was ennobling. At all times the silent dignity of his faith gave a strength to his work. His absence will ever be mourned and his memory forever honored. In our losswe shall sacredly prize the record he leaves us. "Resolved, Thattohis bereaved family we tender our sincere sj mpai hy, and offer the token of love we bore our departed friend and associate in their sorrow." The funeral services were held at his late resi- dence. No. L255 Michigan boulevard. The floral tributes were numerous ami beautiful, and the sen ices conducted by the Rev. Dr. F. M. Bristol, pastor of the Trinity M. E. Church, assisted by the Rev. Lewis P. Mercer, of the Swedenborgian Church, were most simple and impressive. The Tippecanoe Club attended iii a body, as did also the faculty of the Hahnemann College. The ad- dress by Rev. Dr. Bristol was a just and fitting tribute to the memory of the deceased. He said ill part: "Asa citizen Dr. Smith was widely known. For lil'ty-live years he walked these streets with the legitimate pride of a thorough Chicagoan, even from the tirst believing that this city was to he one of the greatest commercial centres of the world. He has seen its growth for more than half a century, and has been identified with its marvelous development. He had the satisfaction, which was to him a most genuine satisfaction, of being one of that highly honored company known as the Old Settlers of Chicago. * * _.* * "AH wlio knew him in professional, religious or social life, will agree that Dr. Smith was a most genial, social, hospitable man a true gentleman of the old school. With all his seventy-five years he never grew old. He was young to tin' last. In the church, of which he was an official member, in tin- old Tippecanoe Club, of which he was the lion,. red president, and in the other societies with which he was connected he always bore him self with a cheerfulness that made his presence as welcome as the mellow sunshine. * * * * "Many have taken sweet council with this good man and found in his advice the secret of success. He was the friend of the young physician and the young minister and shared in the joy and honor ill' their progress and success. From my first ex- Linn* UNIV£«#iTir of ILLINOIS. * C^L. CPC<^e^c)^0^ BIOGRAPHY OP ILLINOIS. 367 perience as a minister in this city I have felt the helpful and inspiring influence of his friendship and if my words were ;is beautiful as these Mow- ers, yet could I not repay in language my debt of gratitude for that friendship. A must beautiful expression of a loving and generous Providence was given to him ami to us all in tin- close of this good life. The doctor had expressed the desire to live until he had reached the ripe age of seventy- five years. His birthday came to him on the 28th of April. He had his desire realized. He was seventy-five years old. The next day, April 29, ' God's finger touched him and he slept.' * *" KEUBEN LUDLAM. REUBEN LUDLAM, M. D., a distinguished physician of Chicago, president of the Hahne- mann Medical College and Hospital in that city, and widely known throughout this country and Europe as one of the leading educators ami authors of the homoeo- pathic school of medicine, was horn in Cam- den, New Jersey, October 7, 1831. His father, tin- late Dr. Jacob W. Ludlam, who was also a native of New Jersey, took his medical degree at the University of Pennsylvania. In early manhood he married Miss Mary Dennis, a native of Phila- delphia. This lady's parents wen- members of the Society of Friends, otherwise known as Quakers. Dr. Jacob W. Ludlam was a high minded gentleman and skillful practitioner. His active labors as a physician covered more than thirty years, ami he attained to a position of emi- nence in his profession. Tin- later years of his long, honorable and useful life were spent amid the most refined surroundings at Evanston, Illi- nois, where he died in l^os. His, esteemed widow. who still resides at Evanston, is now (1892) in the eighty-fourth year of her age. The youthful edu- cation of the subject of this sketch, who was trained largely under the personal supervision of his parents, included the branches commonly taught at that time as a preparation for profes sional study. Quite early in youth he manifested the most extraordinary interest in his father's labors; and the latter, who playfully alluded p. him as "the young Hippocrates," kindly and cleverly fostered his predilection for medicine, recognizing that his tastes therefor were inher- ited ami thus likely to lead to thorough work and ultimate success, possibly to eminence. Ration- ally encouraged, the son grew up in close contact with his father as a professional man and may be said to have imbibed, almost unconsciously, the essentials of a medical education through this congenial association. So eager was the lad in his desire to begin actual professional work that he voluntarily turned his hack upon nearly all the ordinary . time consuming diversions of youth and, at the age of fifteen, began, under his father's preeeptorship, the systematic study of medicine, to which he devoted himself with unfaltering persistence until he won his diploma. His studies were thorough ami exhaustive ami included at tendance at three full courses of medical lectures at the University of Pennsylvania and a some- what extensive hospital training, which was less common in those days than now. In LS.VJ he re ceived the degree of Doctor of Medicine from the University of Pennsylvania, the medical depart ment of which is the oldest ami in some respects the most renowned in this country. It was in this famous school that his father had won his medical degree many years previously, and this fact added greatly to the pleasure which the sou and pupil experienced when he found himself en- rolled among its alumni. The young physician's student career had been one of remarkable prom- ise, and upon obtaining his degree he applied himself diligently to the task of realizing the hopes of his father and preceptor and the predic- tions of his professors ami friends. How success- ful he was in this laudable endeavor is set forth to some extent in this biographical sketch, the necessary brevity of which prevents more than a passing allusion to the principal incidents and achievements of his busy life. Selecting Chicago as the theatre of his efforts, he settled in that city soon after his graduation and at once engaged in professional work. At the time he began to practice, the teachings of Hahnemann, the found er of homoeopathy, who had died in the previous decade, were receiving renewed attention at tin- hands of scientific physicians generally, many of whom, after a thorough investigation, unhesitat- ingly adopted them and thenceforth practiced in accordance therewith. Dr. Ludlam, whose train ing had been too broad to admit of his entertain - ing any prejudice against an imperfectly tested doctrine, especially in medicine, investigated those put forth by Hahnemann and his disciples, and becoming irresistibly convinced of their general correctness joined the ranks of the- hoi pathists, with whom he has ever since remained identified. Being a highly cultured man and in consequence very liberal in his views, he does not pretend that 3 68 lUOOKAl'HY OF ILLINOIS. "infallibility has been attained in the practice of medicine, or that his own or any other school should lay claim to a monopoly of knowledge of the healing art." In his opinion all medical men -whatever their creed " should labor conscien- tiously to discharge their duties to mankind, al- lowing themselves to be judged by the results of their efforts to alleviate human suffering." At times when controversy has been verj bitter tie has always ranged himself on the side of modera- tion, and has counselled an avoidance of any- thing approximating to acrimony in purely scien- tific discussions. His pacific and thoughtful ut- terances have had a profound influence in pro- moting harmony and mutual respeel between practitioners of all schools, particularly in Chicago, where, by reason of his strong personality, his winds have hail more than ordinary weight. Dr. Ludlam was eminently successful almost from the beginning of his career. In the seventh year of his practice he was elected to the first profes sorshipof physiology, pathology and clinical med- icine, in the Hahnemann Medical College of Chi- cago, then just established. Four years later he was transferred to the chair of obstetrics and the diseases of women and children in the same insti- tution, which he tilled with distinction andability. In 1870 he was chosen professor of the medical and surgical diseases of women, and dean of the college faculty. He now holds the chair of the surgical diseases of women exclusively, and has been promoted to the presidency of the institu- tion. Uncontradicted testimony is to the effect that to no one who has ever been connected with it, is this college under greater obligation than to Dr. Ludlam for its high standing among the med ical schools of the country. "A watchful guar- dian of its interests and a liberal contributor to its resources, he has labored constantly to elevate its standard to the highest available plane and to increase its usefulness to the fullest possible extent." To the mastery of his spec- ialty Dr. Ludlam has given many years of close Btudy, consulting all available authorities in America and repeatedly visiting the hospitals of Europe in his diligent search for information bearing upon it. In the department of uterine and ovarian surgery he has developed an extra- ordinary degree of skill, has had an almost phenom- enal success, and has earned a national reputa- tion. His great work entitled "Clinical and Didactic Lectures on tie- Diseases of Women," an octavo volume of over one thousand pages, was first published in 1871. and is now in its seventh edition. This valuable work is used as a text book in all homoeopathic colleges, and is accepted by homoeopathic physicians in this and other countries as a standard work of reference on the subject of which it treats. It has been translate, 1 into French and published by Delahaye. of Paris. Partly in recognition of this high compliment to his own production, but with a full sense of the greal value of a volume of clinical lectures by Dr. Jousset, of Paris, he translated the latter into English, and the excellent manner in which he performed this task, adding many original and valuable notes, called forth the most favorable eminent. The translation met with a large sale both in this country and England. Another very important work from his pen. entitled "A Course of Clinical Lectures on Diphtheria," was issued in 1863, and has the honor of being the first strictly medical work ever published in Chicago and the Northwest. Its sale was very large. Dr. Ludlam's connection with periodical medical lit- erature lias been exhaustive and of long duration. Beginning as far back as 1860, he served for six years as associate editor of tie' North American Journal of Homoeopathy, a quarterly, still pub- lished in Xew York; and for nine years as one of the principal editors of the United statcx Medical ami 'Surgical Journal, published in Chicago. The American Homoeopathic Review and other lead- ing periodicals of his school have frequently pub- lished valuable and highly interesting contri- butions from his pen. As a general editor of The i Uinique, a monthly abstract of the clinics and of the proceedings of the Clinical Society of the Hahnemann Hospital of Chicago, now in the thir- teenth year of its publication, he has been a very large contributor to the medical literature of America. One of his more recent contributions to this monthly is entitled ••Clinical Observations Based on Four Hundred Abdominal Sections." These major operations were all performed by Dr. Ludlam between 1S7'2 and 1890; and notwith- standing that they were begun "at a period when peritoneal surgery was imperfectly developed. and that many of them were performed under the most trying and adverse conditions, and with a technique that was neither aseptic nor satisfac- tory." they were attended with a success which has never been excelled. As a medical lecturer Dr. Ludlam is distinguished for lucidity of ex planation and the intensely practical nature of his teachings. As a public speaker he has few superiors, his manner being graceful and his How of language easy and fluent. Many honors have UNlVERSiir of ILUNOIS. t^ivv c«-«^ BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. )69 been conferred upon him by leading societies and associations of medical men, local and national, in reci ignition of his eminent ability and important services and valuable contributions to medical science. Among these may be named the presi- dency of the Chicago Academy of Medicine,of the Illinois Homoeopathic Medical Society, of the Western Institute of Homoeopathy, and of the American Institute of Homoeopathy. For the past fifteen years, or from its first organization, he has also served with distinction as a member of the Illinois State Board of Health. Dr. Lud- lam was married in I860 to Harriet G. Parvin, of New York city. His only son, Dr. Reuben Lud- lam, Jr., was graduated at the Hahnemann Med- ical College of Chicago in the class of 1886. Sub- sequently he spent a year in Eoreign travel and in study in the famous hospitals of London and Paris. On his return to America he became asso- ciated with his father in general practice and hospital work. He is now (1892) in the Berlin hospitals fitting himself for his duties as clinical assistant to the chair of surgical gyntecology in the Hahnemann Medical College and Hospital of Chicago. JOHN E. OILMAN. JOHN E. OILMAN. M. D.. a distinguished physician and public spirited citizen of Chicago, professor of physiology, sanitary science and hy- giene in the Hahnemann Medical College of thai city, and widely known through his devoted labors in connection with the work of the Relief and Aid Society, was born at Harniar. a suburb of Marietta, Ohio. July 24,1841. He belongs to an old and noted Puritan family, which, from a period long antece- dent to the Revolution ami for many years there- after, exercised a marked influence upon the po- litical, ecclesiastical, financial and social history of New Hampshire. The progenitor of the fam- ily. John Oilman, came from England in 1638 and settled at Exeter. He rose to considerable promi- nence in the colony, and in 1630, when New Hampshire was separated from Massachusetts, he was appointed one of the royal commissioners. Nicholas Oilman, his great-great-grandson, was a leading spirit in political affairs during the Revo lution, and subsequently became treasurer of New Hampshire. Two sons of the latter likewise achieved high distinction iu public affairs. John Taylor Oilman, the elder, born in New Hamp shire in 1753, joined the patriot forces on the morning after the battles of Concord and Lexing- ton, and served in the held until called to assist his father in administering the finances of his native state. Later he sat in the Continental Congress as one of its representatives, and afterwards suc- ceeded Ins lather as state treasurer. He filled several other offices with signal ability, and was finally elected governor of New Hampshire. His popularity was so great that he was retained in this office fourteen years. Nicholas Gilman, the younger son. served in the patriot army until the close of the Revolution, and was for a time a member of the military family of Washington. He was also elected to the Continental Congress. After pi ai i a member of the United States House of Representatives, and from 1805 until his death, in 1814, was a member of the United States Senate. He was a promi- nent member of the convention which met at Philadelphia to forma constitution for the United States. In later generations the Oilman family has distinguished itself in the field of science and letters. Among its more prominent members in recent times may be mentioned the Rev. Samuel Gilman, D. D., a well-known divine and author; Professor Chandler Robbins Gilman, M. D., a medical teacher and author of high repute, and the distinguished educator, Daniel Coit Gilman, LL. D.. the first president of Johns Hopkins Uni- versity. The grandfather of the subject of this sketch. Bartholomew Oilman, a hardy pioneer, was among the first to settle in the unbroken wilderness on the banks of the Ohio, taking up land at Belpre, opposite Blennerhassett Island, in the state of Ohio. He married Elizabeth, the daughter of Col. Daniel Fisher, of Exeter. N. H.. who was an officer in the Continental army, and who fitted out a company of cavalry at his own expense. Afterwards he removed to Kentucky, where some of his descendants still reside. His two sons, George and John Calvin, adopted the profession of medicine. The first was for many years a prominent physician of Lexington. Ken- tucky. The last named, who was the father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Massachu- setts in 1811. He married Miss Elizabeth C. Fay. of Westborough, Mass., daughter of William Fay — a veteran of the War of 1812— and sister of Cath- erine Fay. the well-known philanthropist, whose devoted labors in behalf of the Indians, and later of the orphan children of Ohio, have made her name honored throughout the West. In 1846 Dr. John C. Gilman returned to Westborough Mass.. 37° BIOGRAPHY OF [LLINOIS. taking wife Him his wife and family. Be died there in L857. It was his intention to make phy- sicians of bis three sons. William L„ John E. and George A.., bul the last-named engaged in the railroad business, and the first, after mastering the profession and practicing i1 for some years, gave it up to enter the Christian ministry, and is now tin- esteemed pastor of a flourishing church in Denver, Colorado. John Ellis Oilman, the sub- ject of this sketch, carried ou1 the design of his father. As a boj he cl rfullj assisted him in his surgical practice, and took a keen interest in the work. He read as many I ks on medicine as were accessible, and looked forward with high anticipation to the time when he should be quali- fied to engage in practice. When he was seven- teen years old his father died. John then studied under his elder brother, at that time practicing in Marietta. Ohio. He was also a year or so under the tuition of Dr. George Hartwell, an able physician of Toledo, Ohio, lie finished his course of study at the Hahnemann Medical College, in Chicago, and immediately after receiving the de- gree of doctor of medicine, entered upon practice in that city. Or. Gilman seems to have inherited his father's profound love for the science of medi- cine. From the day he began professional work he devoted himself to his duties with rare en- thusiasm, neglecting no available means of in- creasing his scientific knowledge and improving his skill, or of adding to his fund of general in- formation. The usual result followed: within a decade he became known as one of most able and successful of the younger generation of medical men in that city, and when the great fire of 1S71 took place he ranked among the Eoremosl local practitioners of the homoeopathic school. In the face of this dreadful calamity, which within twenty four hours swept away nearly three and one-third square miles of the densely populated part of the city, destroying the homes of about one hundred thousand people and entailing a loss of not less than 1190,000,000, Dr. Gilman exhib- ited a marvellous degree of calmness and fore sight. Realizing to the fullest extent the gravity of the situation, and that many of the sufferers would be in sore need of medical attendance, he came at once to the front, offering his personal services to tin- authorities, without thought of other tie or reward than the consciousness of serving his distressed fellow citizens. This gener- ous act, coming in an hour when the city was rap- idly melting ma conflagration so fierce and appall- ing as to carry consternation to the stoutest hearts, was gratefully appreciated by the city authorities, who accepted Dr. Gilman's proffered services, without a moment's hesitation, and placed him in charge of the medical work then projected to be performed under its auspices. It is worthy of record here that Dr. Gilman was the first physi- cian in Chicago thus to offer his services for the relief of sufferers by this now historic fire. On the daj following that on which he took the field, the Chicago board of health took up the work of relief and thenceforward its labors were con- ducted conjointly with those of the Citizens' Coin mittee known as The Relief and A id Society. The late Dr. Hosmer A. Johnson was elected chairman of the commit tee on sick and hospitals of this soci ety.and Dr. Oilman became its secretary. These two gentlemen, representing different schools of medicine, labored together with the most perfect harmony in their humane work, and it is said that the good fellowship born of this intermingling of the rival schools has continued unbroken down to the present day, with the happiest results to the cause of medicine. The first step taken by thecommittee on sick and hospitals was to establish temporary hospitals and dispensaries, and to arrange for a corps of physicians to attend them day and night. It is impossible to estimate too highly the services rendered by Dr. Gilman in this work. While it was in progress he labored twenty hours out of the twenty-four, daily: and kept at his post unfal- teringly for upwards of two weeks. The splendid exampleset by Dr. Johnson and himself was nobly followed by their professional brethren, irrespeel ive of '-school." and although the work in hand was prosecuted under great difficulties, it was ac- complished witli excellent success. "It was the untiring efforts, the never-flagging zeal of Dr. Gilman in this work," says a contemporary writer, •■which brought him prominently before the pub- lic, won for him the kind regard of his brother practitioners, without regard to the school to which they happened to belong, and at the same time secured to him that large measure of confi- dence in his skill and ability as a physician and surgeon, which laid the foundation for the splen- did practice he has since built up." Dr. Oilman has always been noted for his diligence and indus- try, lb- possesses a remarkable capacity for con centration of thought and energy, and there an' few men in any profession able to accomplish more in a given time. He is one of those men who never seem to be unprepared and as events have abundantly proved on many occasions, he rises equal to any emergency. His eminent professional unwary of "illjnois. BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 57' attainments and general scholarship and ability are widely acknowledged and have brought to him many honors, among them bi intment, early in 18S4. to the chair of physiology, sanitary science and hygiene in the Hahnemann Medical College of Chicago, an establishment which has been appropriately described as "the mo of all the homoeopathic educational institutions west of the Allegheny mountains.'" Beside being a practitioner and teacher of rare skill, Dr. Gilman has won an extended reputation as a writer and educator. His contributions to current periodical literature cover a wide range of subjects, anil ex- hibit literary talent of a high order. As an art critic he has been identified with the Chicago a number of years, and his ability in this held also is undoubti d. if leading part in building up and maintaii Opera House Art Gallery— one of the finest in tlie West. While engaged in this work In- not only attended to his practice, but also ed- ited, in company with Mr. Joseph Wri il. Dr. Gilman was married in 1860, to Miss Mary I). Johnson, a native of irough, Massachusetts, ami daughter of William Johnson, an old and respected n that place. Like her husband. Mrs. Gilman is of Puritan origin, and it is not without interest to add that the farm upon which she was born was acquired by purchase from the Indians, early in the seventeenth century, and remained in tin- Johnson family down to within the present gen- eration. Dr. and Mrs. Gilman have one child, a son. William T. Gilman. who resides in I JOHN W. STREETER. One of the most eminent and successful physi- cians in the West is Dr. John W. Streeter, of < !hi cago. He was born at Austinburg, Ohio, Septem ber IT. 1841, and is a worthy son of that p the famous state which has given to American politics and literature such men as Benjamin F. Wade. Joshua E. Giddings. James A. Garfield and W. D. Howells. Dr. Streeter's father was Rev. Sereno W. Streeter. a clergyman of the Congrega- tional faith, who came from one of the oli cal families of Massachusetts. His mother was Mary (Williams Stricter, a descendant of Roger Williams, the founder of the Rhode Island colony. The parents of Dr. Streeter were both graduates of the university at Oberlin. Ohio, his father be- ing one of a party of students who went there in 1837 from Lane Theological Seminary at Cincin- nati, where their pronounced anti-slavery views had brought them into disfavor. In 1847 Rev. Mr. : lied to the pasti irate of a church in Henrietta, near Rochester, New York, and removed to that village with his family. His son, John W.. i lit thie sketch, who was then six years of age. soon began attending the village school. Ten years later he had acquired a fair academic education, and his father, with the object of giv- ing him the advantage of a collegiate training. ip at Otterbein University. at Westerville, Ohio, and removed to that place. The son was quick to realize that the scanty sala- ry of a professor in a small college in those 'lays was hardly suffii of a col- lege course, and after some months of study. young Streeter left the college in 1858, and went to Indi- ana, where he taught school and worked on a farm until the spring of 1862. In July of that year, while on a visit to his father, who had ac- cepted the pastorate of a church a' Uni Michigan, young Mr. Street, ri nlisted as a private ii: tic Firsl Michigan Light Artillery, which was known as the celebrated "Loomis Battery." With this command Mr. Streeter took part in the cam- paigns in Kentucky. Tennessee. Alabama and Georgia. He participated in the battles fought by the Army of the Cumberland, and was mustered out of thi first lieutenant at the end of the war in September, 1865. His first promotion was to a second lieutenancy for bravery at the bat tie of Chickamauga, in which engagement the gun in _> was the only one in the battery not cap- tured by the Confederates. He was offered an appointment on the staff of General Carlin, but declined it in order that he might remain with the battery. On leaving the army in 1865, Mr. Streeter began the study of medicine with Dr. Morse, at Union City. Michigan, and in the fall of that year went to Ann Arbor University, where he attended if lectures. This was followed by a close reading of medical works under the guidance of Dr. D. C. Powers, of Coldwater, Michigan, and later under Dr. Goodwin, of Toledo. Ohio. Dr. Streeter. after three years of study in this line, car 50 and entered Hahnemann Medical College, from which he graduated in 1868. In order to get the training of active practice. Dr. Streeter took charge of the Hahnemann College dispensary. and for two years gave his timealmost exclusively to charity patients. He was at that time 372 BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. in rat tier straitened financial circumstances, having expended all his means in obtaining an education, so thai ii was a greal acl of sell' denial on his part to give his time and skill to dispensary work when he needed all the money he could earn for his own sustenance. Even after Dr. Streeter had begun practice on his own account, he had a pro- longed struggle with poverty. He had one warm friend in Mr. A. J. Willard, of Chicago, who, from long and intimate acquaintance with his lather, took a very substantia] interest in the young phy- sician. He advanced him some money at a time when it was greatly needed, and with the under- standing that it could be repaid out of Dr. Streeter's professional earnings. After a hard struggle Dr. Streeter established his reputation as a skillful practitioner, and in time acquired a very profitable clientage, his income being now fully as huge as that of the average bank or rail- way president. Dr. Streeter, despite his large practice, has been active in the advancement of the interests of his profession by an extension of its medical colleges and the proper training of students. In 1S77 he assisted in founding the Chicago Homoeopathic College, in which he was professor of diseases of women and children. Two years later he was given the chair of the medical and surgical diseases of women, which he now holds. While very successful as a general practitioner, Dr. Streeter is recognized as an ex- pert in gynaecology. He lias been connected with the Cook county hospital for several years iu this particular line of practice, and on the completion of the new hospital now being erected by the Chicago Homoeopathic college, he will have charge of all cases coming under this head. He is an ex- pert operator in pelvic and abdominal surgery and maintains a large private hospital for the treat- ment of the diseases of women. Dr. Streeter finds an agreeable relaxation from professional labor iu his connection with the Illinois National Guard, in which, as an ex-soldier of the war. he takes a strong interest. He has been active in the building up of the state militia, and for the past ten years has been surgeon of the First Brigade. He has also been identified with the military order of the Loyal Legion ever since its organization in Illinois. Dr. Streeter was mar- ried in 1869 to Miss Mary Clark, a daughter of Israel W. Clark, now a wealthy and philanthropic citizen of Union City, Michigan, but in early- life a prominent merchant of New York city. They have three children — one son and two daughters. CHARLES H. DEERE. CHARLES H. DEERE was born March -JS, 18:57, in Hancock, Addison county, Vermont, and is the only living son of the late Hon. John Deere, the pioneer plow maker, whose parents were William Rinold and Sarah (Yates) Deere; the former, a native of England, the latter of Con- necticut, of English parentage, her father having come to this country as an officer in the British army during the Revolutionary war. Captain Yates served his king faithfully until the inde- pendence of the colonies was no longer a question, when he foreswore allegiance to all foreign powers and thereafter lived in strict loyalty to his adopted country. John Deere, the founder of the works which bear his name at Moline, was born in Middle- bury, Vermont, February 7, 1801. At an early age he fully mastered the blacksmiths trade, his chosen occupation, and engaged therein until 1S38, in his native state, having in the meantime married Miss Damarius Lamb, of good old New England stock, and became the father of several children. De- siring greater scope for his powers he determined to come to the great, new West, and settled in Grand Detour. Illinois. Ten years later he re- moved to Moline. and there founded the celebrated plow shops of Deere & Company, of which, from 1868 until his death in 1SSG, he was president. Charles H. Deere received his education in the village schools of Grand Detour and Moline, and later, in Iowa and Knox academies, and as further preparation for his business life graduated at Bell Commercial College in Chicago in 1854. Mr. Deere became successively the assistant and head book keeper, traveler and purchaser for the firm of Deere & Company, plow makers. When the plow works were incorporated in 1S68 he was made vice-president and general manager, a posi- tion which he held until his father's death in 1886 when he was elected to the presidency of the com- pany. He has had the active part in building up and extending this, one of the chief and largest industries in its line developed in this country. Mr. Deere is founder of the Deere & Mansur Com- pany, corn planter works, president of the Moline Water Power Company, director in various other works in Moline, as well as in the large branch houses of Deere & Company in Kansas City, Min- neapolis, Des Moines, Council Bluffs and San Francisco, and in various other business enter- prises. For several years he held the chairman- ship of the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the state of Illinois by appointment of the gov- UhiVtrtalUtfW-"* ^ BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 5 »7 -3 3 / 3 ernor, but has recently resigned from thai posi tion. His present appointment as Btate c mis- sionerof the World's Columbian Exposition is the second he has received of that character, having been appointed a commissioner t<> the exposition at Vienna in 1873 for the state of Illinois. Mr. Deere is. politically, an active Republican, and was chosen an elector-at large in the presidential campaign of 1888. He has frequently been urged to accept nominations for important political offices, but has persistently refused to allow his name to be used, though never failing in a gener- ous expenditure of time, money and energy for the success of the party. Air. Deere is a man of liberal ideas, having travelled extensively in this country and abroad. Socially, he is a | companion, and many a "friend in need" has found him a " friend indeed." His family consists of a wife and two daughters. Mr. Deere was married in 1862 to Miss Mary Little Dickinson, of Chi- cago, vhere she was well known and much ad- mired for her tine qualities of mind as well as for her unusual personal beauty. Going to her new home a bride, Mrs. Deere identified herself with the interests of the community in a th characteristic manner, where she is beloved for her generous, unostentatious charity, her ready sympathy with every movement fur the benefit of any worthy object and her unswerving adherence to principle and duty. Added to a charming per- sonnel, Mrs. Deere possesses distinct social talents which render her a most gracious hostess and at their beautiful home, " Overlook," Mr. and Mrs. I lei re I ave drawn about them friends and dis- tinguished guests from every point of the © impass, and all from far and near have been royally wel- comed and entertained. Tie' Misses Deere were educated in New York City, have travelled ex- tensively and are attractive, cultured young ladies, well known in society in New York, Chic: Washington. The elder daughter was married some time since to Mr. William Dwight Wiman, of New York City. Mr. and Mrs. Deere are specially fortunate in their daughters, whose many tine qualities, social and personal graces re- tire! i In- influence of the charming atmosphere of culture by which they have always been sur- rounded. LEWIS H. BISBEE. There seems to be a certain leaven of intellect- ual and moral power born in the mind or after- wards mysteriously infused into it, in some way too subtle and hidden to be successfully inquired for. which is largely determinative of the kind and success attainable in life. Of course in- dustry and perseverance must inevitably lead to success in any particular department; but what is it that impels to industry and perseverance? i maybe its origin or nature there is a utial quality, a principle behind every- thing else, which fires the powers of the youth, and impels the energies of manhood, in every well marked, successful career. Lewis H. Bi- subjeel of this sketch, one of the gifted and prom- inent members of the Chicago bar. a bar that is excelled in the proportion of hs brilliant, scholarly and thoroughly learned lawyers, was born, and reared through boyhood, on a farm. It is not true that the broad, stimulating and intense conditions of wealth and citj life are necessarily suppressive of marked individual force and char- acter. It is time, however, that much of the brawn and muscle, the life and brain, the refine- ment and energy which lead and govern the real forces of society are developed uniler the more quiet and rugged condi untry life. It is a most happy and valuable fact that the real strength and virtue of society are being constantly replenished from the rural and agri- cultural forces of the country. And there is probably no source from which is derived a stronger and better reinforcement of manners and social refinement. The home of Mr. Bisl Hyde Park. It is one of the most ntined and ele- gant in the country, and is a prominent center of healthful anil refining social influence on a moral and intellectual plane as high as social develop merit has anywhere attained. Mr. Bisbee was born March 28, 1839, at Derby, Orleans county. Vermont. His advantages in the common schools while a lad were good. But he early conceived the idea of obtaining the higher and broader edu- cation atforded in the college and university. In summers he worked on the farm, attending school in the winters until the age of sixteen. At this age he fell back on his own resources, and proved himself possessed of the energy and tenacity of purpose requisite to overcome the obstacles natu- rally in his way. He prepared himself for college in the academies at Glover, Derby and Morrisville, in northern Vermont, and entered St. Hyacinth College, near Montreal. Canada, when nineteen years of age, and graduated from that institution at the age of twenty-one. The course of instruc- tion there being conducted in the French Ian guage, he became a thorough French scholar. 574 BIOG R APHY OF ILLINOIS. Subsequently he read law with J. L. Edwards, a prominenl practitioner al Derby, paying his way mainly l>y teaching French, and was admitted to practice in June, 1862. The same month he was admitted to the bar he enlisted as a private in Company E 9th Vermont Infantry, and was afterward promoted to the captaincy of Com- pany H of the same regiment. During his military service his conduct was marked by gallantry and faithfulness. Through all the hardships of war he was found resolute and cheerful, and in battle always at the front. In 1864 he re- signed <>n account of sickness and returned to Newport. Vermont, and engaged in the practice of the law, soon building up an extensive and lucra- tive business. Inl865Mr. Bisbee was elected states- attorney of Orleans county, where he then lived, and was re-elected in 1867 but soon after resigned to accept the position of deputy collector of cus- toms, which office he filled until 1869, when he was elected to the Legislature of the state. He was again elected to the Legislature in 1870. He proved a most valuable and efficient member of that body, was the leader of his party in the legislative debates, and member of important com- mittees. In extempore debate, when theoccasion was important, he was considered the most vigor- ous and effective speaker on the floor. From 1865 to 1S70 he was United States commissioner from Newport under the extradition treaty. It was in May. 1871. that Mr. Bisbee moved to Chicago, but scarcely had he become well started in business when the great tire occurred. In the rebuilding of the city, the reorganization and re-establish- ment of order and business. Mr. Bisbee came naturally and directly to the front of affairs. He had unwavering faith in the future of Chicago, and also the ability to seize and hold the front posi- tion which he has ever since occupied. Mr. Bisbee is one of the most successful jury and chancery lawyers in the Northwest. His practice is of the highest and most lucrative order. His manage- ment of the case known as the " B. F. Allen blanket-mortgage case," for Hoyt Sherman, espe- cially, was conducted with extraordinary ability, and was highly complimented by courts and bar; also the noted Sturges case with many others, might be adduced as continuing his high reputa- tion as a lawyer. In 1S7S he was elected to the Legislature of Illinois, receiving nearly the unan- imous vote of his district, one of the most popu- lous and intelligent in the state. In that body he was one of the most prominent leaders as a ready and able debater, and an influential and judicious legislator. He is a graceful and impressiv 'ator, an incisive and logical thinker; and being possessed of a tine ami commanding presence few men are his equal in the legal or legislative debating arena. In politics lie isan ardent Republican, and in cam- paigns, when the principles of the party are at stake, his voice and eloquence are always eon spieiiotis. Since serving in the Legislature Mr. Bisbee lias devoted himself exclusively to his pro Cession. In 1SS7 he was very largely instrumental in securing the annexation of Hyde Park to thecity of Chicago, and that territory was then made the twenty-fifth ward. He was at once almost unani- mously elected one of the aldermen for that large and populous ward, and in that capacity served until the Supreme Court of the State of Illinois declared the law under which Hyde Park had been annexed to be unconstitutional, While a member of the city council Mr. Bisbee was de- servedly very popular, both wit lithe other members of that body, and with his constituents whose in- terests he so carefully regarded. During the ab- sence of the mayor he was almost always called upon to preside, and whether in the chairor upon the floor he showed the same marked ability which has characterized all his public work. After leaving the council Mr. Bisbee set to work and secured the pasage of a new law, and in the summer of 1889 not only the town of Hyde Park, but also the towns of Lake View. Jefferson and a portion of Cicero became annexed, adding ■J.-'k 000 to the population of the city of Chicago. So great a result was not accomplished without a great effort, and to Mr. Bisbee more than to any- other man is due the credit which attaches to its attainment. From the beginning to the end he gave the movement his untiring effort and through his persistency and diplomacy a work was accomplished which has added new pride to every citizen of Chicago. In 1864 Mr. Bisbee married Miss Jane B. Hinman, daughter of Aaron Hinman, of Derby. Vt.. an interesting and accom- plished lady and a descendant of good old New England ancestry. They have two children, a son and a daughter — Hattie and Benjamin H. Personally, Mr. Bisbee is a genial and affable gentleman of broad and generous nature, digni- fied, courteous and obliging. In his profession he is conscientious, painstaking and laborious. Of robust and hardy nature, aggressive, yet refined and learned, he is in the true sense of the term a self made man. And the most of his life, as the lives of strong men generally run, is still before him. LIBRAE OF THE UMlVERSiTY of ILLINOIS. BIOGKAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 375 ELLIOTT ANTHONY. It is.-i well attested maxim thai the greatness of a Btate lies no! in its machinery of government, in)t even in its institutions, but in the sterling qualities of its individual citizens, in their capac- ity for high and unselfish effort and their devotion to the public good. Among those who are justly en- titled to be enrolled among the makers of I eon wealth of Illinois and the city of ( 'Idea go, is Judge Elliott Anthony, whose more than forty years residence among us has left its impress upon the state and nation. Although born in central New York and surrounded by all the at- tractions which that charming and picturesque reel, ,n affords, in its hills and valleys, and beauti- ful lakes, he saw the greatest possibilities in the lands of the setting sun. and as a consequence left his home and native state within one month after he had been admitted to the bar, at Oswego, New York, on the 7th day of May, 1851, with only a small sum of money in his pocket, which was barely sufficient to defray the expenses of his journey to his place of destination in Illinois: and took up his abode, first in the Rock River country at Sterling, the county seat of Whiteside county, where an elder brother, who had preceded him was at that time living: and in the next autumn took up his residence in Chicago, where he has remained ever since. He possessed no rich inher itanee or influential friends to aid and assist him in establishing himself in business, but he was tilled with high hopes, a laudable ambition to suc- ceed, and a volition which shrank from no obsta- cles or difficulties that presented themselves to bar his progress. His life has been one of cease- less toil and labor, and Ins success has been com- mensurate with his labors. A more worthy and exemplary citizen never lived within the borders of our commonwealth — and it is to such men as Judge Anthony, that the city of Chicago ami the state of Illinois owe their rapid advancement and enlightened development. He came at that for- tunate period when everything was in the forma tive state, when the city contained not more than thirty or forty thousand inhabitants, and when there wen- not more than fifty lawyers all told, who were struggling up from the ranks to the higher positions which force, fitness and ability enable their possessors to ever reach or fill. If his ambition was great, his rise was rapid, and in less than three years he was known as among the most promising young lawyers at the bar. He became imbued at a very early period with the idea that Chicago was destined to be a great city, and there is scarcely any great public en- terprise which has been projected hut what lie has in some way been identified with. Although not among the earliest settlers, yet he was a typical pioneer, and his career forms a part of the history of Chicago: for he has seen it grow from a bustling frontier town to that of a metropolis. "If a general diffusion of learn ing, science and the arts, at this time is desirable," said he. "then the Mississippi Valley is the chosen spot for their cultivation. The generations are increasing, and the career of duty and usefulness which is to lie seen by our children will lie under constantly increasing excitement, and the voice which in the morning of life shall awaken a large and patriotic sympathy will he echoed hack by a community vastly swelled in its proportions before that voice shall he hushed in death." Judge Anthony's forefathers were Quakers who. early in the 17th century, made their appearance in the land to which le r Williams was exiled, and from that day to this the family history has been illustrated by some of the brightest examples in all the walks of life, in the annals of this country. The father of Elliott Anthony was Isaac Anthony, who was born on the island of Rhode Island, eight miles from Newport. His grandmother on his father's side was a Chase, and was connected with the well known Chase family of which the late Chief Justice Chase was so distinguished a member. The mother of Elliott was a Phelps, ami belongs to the Phelps family of Vermont, who at an early period occupied portions of Con- necticut and Massachusetts, and who are now scattered widely over various portions of the United States. The grandfather of Elliott and his family were residents of Rhode Island when the Hessians held it during the Revolutionary war and when all felt the exactions of British tyr- anny. At this time the whole state was placed un- der martial law, and for some infraction of the reg- ulations which hail been adopted by the Hessian and British forces, which at that time constituted the army of occupation, the grandfather of Elliott and a younger brother were taken prisoners and held for some time at headquarters and compelled io perform various menial duties which greatly embittered them against the British nation, and which has lasted through all succeeding genera tions. Allot' the inhabitants at that da\ were filled with high and lofty patriotic feelings, and there was scarcely one of the Anthony family hut what were in one capacity or another connected 376 BIOGRAPHY OK ILLINOIS. with the Revolutionarj war, some as officers arid some as privates and some as sailors on our men- of-war. The consequence of this was thai al the i 'lose of the Ke\ olutionary war the number of vet- erans was quite large, and the traditions of that great struggle, told around the fireside became as familiar as household words. Elliott's father was an able historian, thoroughly familiar with the facts concerning all the Indian wars and the uprising of l lie colonies against the mother coun- try, having obtained them from his own father and grandfather, and the incidents connected with wars and over the struggle for independence ame the common topic anions the friends and neighbors, and in the family cii cle; and the young and rising generation soon acquired a good linowl- of those stirring events in our history which has had a most lasting effect on all of the descendants of the family. Their sympathies have always and everywhere been on the side of the oppressed and down trodden as far as it can be traced either in the male or female line. Those who belive in the doctrine of heredity have -I striking example of the old adage that '•blood will tell." Shortly after the close of the Revolutionary war word reached the inhabitants of the New England states of the boundless re- sources of the West and of the great opportunities which were afforded to the enterprising young men and women who should take up their abode in the regions lying beyond the Green mountains in Eastern and Western New York, and in the country which had begun to be developed near Troy and Albany and along the Valley of the Mohawk as far west as what is now known as cen- tral New York. Elliott's grandfather, on his father's side, and his grandfather on his mother's side, almost simultaneously joined that great westward moving throng and set out for tin 1 west. and after weeks of toil and hardship found them- selves in Washington county, and purchased lands in the town of Cambridge, some twenty miles from Albany, where they commenced to fell the forests and prepare the soil for crops, and where of their descendants can be found to this day. Here in this agricultural community the father of Judge Anthony first met Parmelia Phelps as married to her -her father having moved hither from Vermont with all their househ ild onlj a few years before. One daughter and three sons were the fruil of this union, when the father, having heard the most glowing ace its of the region of country lying west of Syracuse, re- to 1 mil country. Following up the beaten paths of the Mohawk valley he finally penetrated the wilderness by way of Cherrj valley, to the south - western town in Onondaga county. ca 11: 'il SpafFord, and commenced felling the Eoresl a typical pioneer of those times. There on the 10th day of dune. 1S'27. tin- subjed of this sketch was born. This country was in the very center of the Iroquois Confederation, and Indians abounded on every hand. The country round and about was then an almost unbroken wilder- ness, there being but few settlers between Utica and Buffalo. His early years were spent in cut- ting down and clearing the forests and assisting in every way in work on the farm. Three sisters v. ere born while the family reside. I iii this locality, so that there were in all four brothers and four sisiei-s who grew to man and womanhood. At this time books were few and hard to be obtained, but everything which came within their reach was read with avidity. The energj and determination of the father was such as to soon place him in the foremost rank among his friends and neighbors and he became the leading and most progressive farmer in all that region. The children attended the country schools and attained a considerable proficiency iu thecommon branches; but that was not satisfactory. The leading academy and pre- paratory school in that vicinity at that time was Cortlandt Academy, located at Homer, and one after the other the sons and daughters were sent there to complete their education. At the age of eighteen Elliott, who was the fourth son, left the farm to pursue a classical course preparatory to his entrance upon a collegiate career. Cortlandt Academy was at that time under the charge of Samuel B. Woolworth, a great educator, who sub- sequently became one of the regents of the Slate University at Albany and for many years its sec- retary. Here he remained for two years studying Creek and Latin and some of the higher branches of mathematics, and in the fall of 1S1T entered the Sophomore class of Hamilton College, of Clin- ton, N. Y\. and graduated with high honors in 1850. Prof. Theodore W. Dwight, afterwards so distinguished, was at that time professor of Law and Political Economy, and commenced giving private lessons to a few students who chose to avail themselves of his services. A class having been formed for the year 1850-51, Elliott returned to Clinton and pursued his studies most diligently, and was admitted to the bar at Oswego on the 7th of May, 1851. It was during this period that he and a class-mate by the name of Joseph D. Hub- hard had charge of the academy located in the BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 377 village of Clinton, and he had for one of hispupils Grover Cleveland, afterwards president of the United States. Soon after his admission to the bar he came West and stopped for a short time at Sterling, Whiteside county. Illinois, where he commenced the practi t law and where he tried his first case in a court of record. He returned East in the following year and was on the 11th of July. 1852, married to Mary Dwight, the sister of his law preceptor, who was a granddaughter of President Dwight, so well known in connection with Vale College. In the fall of that year he came to Chicago and from that time until elected to the bench in 1880 he has pursued his profession with a zeal and success rarely equalled. He had no ad- ventitious aids when he set out on his legal career, but reiving alone upon his individual resources, he gradually, by the exertion of his superior tal- ents and tireless energy, rose to a position which has brought to him a competency and the honor of a name respected by all. During his first year's residence in Chicago, he compiled, with the aid of his devoted wife, " A Digest of the Illinois Re- ports," which was soon after published and re- ceived with great favor by the profession through- out the state. In 1858 he was elected city attorney for Chicago, and distinguished his administration of that responsible office by the energy and ability with which he conducted the legal business of the city. He became an expert upon all subjects of municipal corporation law and was tor several years specially retained by the city authorities to conduct many important cases in the local courts, in the Supreme Court of the state and in the United States Supreme Court at Washington. While acting for the city he established several new and interesting law points, among which was that the collection of special assessments could not be enjoined by a COUrl of chancery: next, that the city of Chicago could not be garnish 1 to col lect the salary or wages of any of its officers or employes, and lastly, that no execution could issue against the city to collect a judgment: and at a later period, that the city could not tie up its legislative powers by making contracts with the gas companies for the supply of gas so as to inter- fere with its legislative prerogatives. These po- sitions were at the time so novel that they were for a time gravely doubted by the most eminent members of the legal profession and many of the newspapers subjected him to the severest ridicule. but he was upheld by the highest tribunal in the state on every point, and they arc now fixed and settle.! as the law of the state. About this time anotherqueste.n arose which attracted a great deal of attention, and that was the liability of a property-holder, who. in making improvements upon his premises, leaves open an excavation in the street where he is about to lay a sidewalk and use the space underneath for coal vaults and other purposes — and a person falls into the same in the night time, and is injured, and brings suit against the city and thepropertj holder is notified of the pendency of the suit and asked to defend and he refuses to do so and a recovery is had against the city- whether said property holder is liable and whetherthe city can on payment of the judgment and costs recover the entire amount. This ques- tion came up in the United States Court in the well known case of Robbins against the city, and was argued twice in the United States Supreme Court by Judge Anthony and the liability of the property owner fully established. The brief which Judge Anthony made in that case v. as a very exhaustive one and the case is to-day tin leading authority in this country. The case was originally tried before the late Thomas Drumiuond. who decided adversely to Judge Anthony— but he took the case to the Supreme Court of the United States and it was there reversed, and the next trial took place before the late Judge David Davis. In 18C,:: he was appointed the general attorney and solici- tor of the Galena Union Railroad Company and all its branches, then the leading railroad corpo- ration in the Northwest, and for many years held that position, until, in fact, the consolidation of that company with the Chicago a- Northwestern Railway Company was effected. A contest arose over this consolidation and he was shortly after retained by a number of the bondholders and non-consenting stockholders to test the validity of the consolidation, and in connection with that case prepared and printed a most remarkable ar- gument upon the law of the case, which grew into a treatise which he entitled "The Law Pertaining to the Consolidation of Railroads." which is un- questionably the most complete and exhaustive treatise upon that subject ever made. It is a marvel of legal research and of acute reasoning and is a most learned and clear statement of the rights and duties of directors of corporations and the rights of minority stockholders which called forth the admiration of corporation lawyers throughout the country. The late Samuel J. Tilden was directly interested in the questions involved as well as many of the leading capitalists and railway magnates in New York, and the array 37« BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. of legal talent was formidable, the late Judge Beckwith leading on behalf of the consolidation- ists, and Judge Anthony leading on behalf of the minority bondholders and minority stockholders. The ease was a chancery ease and was tried before Judge David Davis of the United States Supreme Court then on the circuit, who associated with him the late Samuel J. Treat. United States Dis- trict Judge for the southern district of Illinois, and the positions assumed by Mr. Anthonj were upheld and affirmed in almost every particular. Soon after this the parties interested in the liti gation met and settled up their differences to the satisfaction of all. as the eonsolidationists found that it would he disastrous to them if they con- tinued the same. At this time Mr. Anthony re- ceived numerous letters from some of the most distinguished lawyers and judges in this country, complimenting him upon his masterly exposition of the law, among them was the late Josiah Quincy, and Sidney Bartlett, of Boston, Mr. Jus- tice Swayne of the United States Supreme Court, the late Thomas A. Ewing, of Ohio and many others. His brief, which was in the shape of a bound volume of several hundred pages, was in great demand in this country and in Europe and was most kindly reviewed by several of the lead- ing legal periodicals and journals in Great Britain. The State of Illinois has since its organization as a state and admission into the Union, held four Con- stitutional Conventions, the first in 1818, to frame a constitution, the others, to revise and amend the same, and it has fallen to the lot of Judge An- thony to be a member of two of them — the first one in 18G2 and the last in 1870, which framed the present constitution. The convention of 1862 was presided over by the late William A. Hacker; and Hon. William M. Springer now, and for many years a distinguished member of Congress, was tie- secretary. Many of the delegates were men of distinction and had been connected with pub- lic affairs almost from the time the state had been admitted into the Union. The colleagues of Judge Anthony in that convention were Henry Muhlke, and Melville W. Fuller, the present Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, and Hon. John Wentworth. The convention of 1870 was in many respects the most remarkable assemblage of public men ever brought together in the state and they promulgated a constitution which was well adapted to the exigencies of the times and which attracted great at tent ion through out the country. In both of these conventions Judge Anthony took a leading part, and was re- garded in many respects as the greatest expert u pen constitutional questions and methods of proceedure that there was in the convention. He was made chairman of the executive committee and reported the article as it now appears in the constitution relating to the executive department. He served also upon the judiciary committee, and the committee upon railroads and many of the pro- visions in the judiciary article, and most of those in regard to railroads, arc the work of his hands. He was instrumental in providing for the organi- zation of appellate courts and for additional judges to be added to the circuit and superior courts of Cook county as the population should increase and the public business required it. His speeches in the convention were always thorough- ly prepared and he never spoke without com- manding the attention of the entire body. He took part in the formation of the Republican party in this state and was a delegate to the first Republican convention ever held in Cook county, and was for years most active in everything relat- ing to the welfare and success of that party. In lsso when the third term question came up he took a most conspicuous part in that movement, was elected chairman of the Cook county conven- tion, at which a portion of the delegates withdrew, was elected a delegate to the state convention, and was then selected as a contesting delegate to tlie national convention at Chicago; was, after one of the stormiest debates on record, and after addressing the convention in opposition to Gen- eral Green B. Baum. General Logan and the late Emory Storrs admitted as a delegate and par- ticipated iD all of the proceedings which resulted in the nomination of General Garfield for presi- dent. In the fall of that year he was nominated and elected to the office of Judge of the Superior Court of the City of Chicago and was re-elected to the same position six years after, which posi- tion he occupies at the present time. One of the most marked traits in Judge Anthony's character is his indomitable industry and his devotion to business which, coupled with great executive abil- ity, enables him to try and dispose of cases with great promptness and celerity. Judge Anthony pcissesses a most retentive memory and his knowl- edge of cases and points of practice are unsur passed. As an investigator he has no superior and there is scarcely a department of the law but what he has at some time or other explored and is more or less familiar with. I fe is a most accom- plished and finished writer and his contributions to the various legal magazines and periodicals BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 379 would, if collected, till volumes. He has written several hooks of a historical character which are of a very high order, among which are his recenl works on " The Constitutional History of Illinois."' "The Story of the Empire State." and one of local interest upon "Sanitation and Navigation," which has special reference to the disposition of the sew age of the City of Chicago and the construction of a ship canal to unite the waters of Lake Michigan with those of the Mississippi river. While acting as corporation counsel of the city of Chicago in 187G he wrote a most interesting work upon taxation and the rules which had been established regarding the levy and collect ioi. of the same, in which he collected all of the cases which had at that time been de- cided by the Supreme Court of Illinois bearing upon that subject, and set forth at length the points involved. This work was one which in- volved great labor and research and was a most useful and timely contribution to the general sub- ject and is very frequently referred to. In 1887, while holding the criminal court of Cook county. which includes the city of Chicago he wrote a most interesting work on the "Law of Self-De- fense, Trial by Jury in Criminal Cases and New Trials in Criminal Cases." which attracted a great deal of attention in this country and is the first bold stand ever taken by any jurist of distinction against the wanton abuses which have arisen by invoking the doctrines of self- defense. In this work he reviewed all of the Illinois cases bearing upon this subject and showed how great had been the departure in many of them from the original incep- tion of the law of self-defense, when it was declared to be a law of necessity and only to be invoked to ward off a felony or great bodily injury. In discussing this question he. among other things, said that it was getting so that a quarrel need only be engaged in and the motion of the hand or the glance of an eye were all that w ere re quired to justify a party in drawing his pistol and shooting down his foe. " Indeed, so lax has the rule in regard to self-defense become, that every threat, act, fear or apprehension which can be invented i >r conjured up is allowed to pass as a justification for the taking of human life, even when the deceased meant nothing by what is termed threat or overt act." This work has done great good and served to arrest for a time at least, the many loose utter- ances which were being put forth in our courts relating to this matter. Soon after this Judge Anthony wrote for the Legal Advisor, at that time published by the late Elijah M. Haines, a sketch of all of the courtsof England- and also a distinct treatise upon the '■ Law of Arrest in ( 'i\ il I !asi which is probably the most complete and exhaust ive treatise upon that subject ever written. He wrote along and most interesting Eeries of articles upon "Old Virginia "in the Western Magazineof History, now known as the National Historical Magazine, in which he showed the connection of Illinois to that ancient commonwealth. Illinois being at onetime a part of Virginia and the fron- tier county of that state. By special invitation of the State Bar Association he delivered a most memorable address before that association at their annual meeting in January. 1891, upon "TheCon- stitutional History of Illinois." ami another in the following year, entitled " Remember the Pioneers," which is replete with the most interesting remi- niscences. Judge Anthony was the founder of the Chicago Eaw Institute, having drawn its charter and at his own expense visited Spring- field twice in one winter while the legislature was in session, to urge upon the members of that bod) its passage, and has for several terms been its president. He was one of its incorporators and the bar of the city of Chicago owe him a debt of grat- itude for his great services which they cannot easily repay. He was also one of the founders of the Chicago Public Library and was one of its first board of directors and was connected with it for a number of years. Judge Anthony has from his youth been a most omniverous reader, and had at the time of the great Chicago fire one of the largest private libraries in the city and has at the present time one of the largest prob- ably in the state. He has cultivated his mind not only by reading but extensive travel in foreign lands, having made several trips to Europe, during the last of which lie visited most of the countries on the continent, including Denmark, Sweden, Russia, Turkey, Greece, Italy, Spain and all the regions along the Mediterranean and southern France. Many of his letters relat- ing to these countries were published and were real 1 with great interest. Those from Russia described at length the organization of the government, the Greek church, the condition of the Serfs and the organization of the courts of law and the adminis- tration of the law in that country and were es- pecially interesting. In 1889 Judge Anthony was honored by the degree of Doctor of Laws bj his alma mater, which was not only well dcservcl. but was greatly appreciated. From all that has been stated herein it will be readily seen that i8o BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. Judge Anthony has led a busy life and his capacity for work has rarely been equaled by any public man in this country. His attainments are of a very high order and there is scarcely a subject which lies outside the range of his study and ob- servation. His mind runs to historical and philo- sophical subjects as well as those which relate to the law and jurisprudence. As a judge, he is prompt, painstaking and conscientious and his ability and integrity unquestioned. His trans- action of the public business has received the highest praise, and he has won the distinction of being not only a most learned and accomplished jurist but a most worthy and exemplary citizen. Judge Anthony is an ornament to the bench and the bar of this state and of the United States. It is often said that the fame of all great lawyers and advocates is written in water, and there is a good deal of truth in it. Society in these modern days makes scarcely any distinction between the shows, the shallow and solid acquirements of men. The struggles and the efforts of the most conscientious for the benefit of their fellows are often overshadowed by the merest pretenders, and their superficial qualities pass for wisdom, and when they die they are classed as among the im- mortals. Notoriety is not. however, renown, and sterling worth does no.t, we trust, pass wholly un- appreciated. A lawyer may be known and re- spected by the people of his city or county when he edifies in the court room, but when he dies he is usually forgotten within the lapse of a genera- tion. If a man would be remembered beyond the period that the bell rings and the widow weeps, says Shakespeare, he must erect his own tomb. If this be not an axiom, there is certainly philos- ophy in it. The most learned and astute lawyers of the last generation are hardly heard of beyond the immediate precincts of the neighborhood in which they lived. "Those whom by patriotism and wise counsel have given the world a direction toward the good may have their names inscribed on the bright page of history, and be enduring." It is toward that goal that Judge Anthony has been hastening through all his years of toil and labor. He has devoted his life not only to the law but to literature; and in closing this sketch of his most useful and successful career, we cannot do better than to quote his own words which he made use of, a few years since, in com- memorating the virtues and achievements of a brother judge and co-laborer, which re- veal most clearly the lofty ideal that he has always pursued and the bright example that he wished to set. " May our successors," said he, " in the profession look back upon our times, not without some kind regrets and some tender recollections. May they cherish our memories with that gentle reverence which belongs to those who have labored earnestly, though it may be humbly, for the advancement of the law. May they catch a holy enthusiasm from the review of our attainments, however limited they may be, which shall make them aspire after the loftiest possessions of human learning. And thus may they he enabled to advance our jurisprudence to that degree of perfection which shall make it a blessing and protection to our own country, and excite the just admiration of mankind." FRANCIS H. KALES. FRANCIS H. KALES was born in Broome county, N. Y., March 23, 1833. His grandfather came from the north of Ireland about the year 1809, when his father was three years of age. The family soon after settled in Chenango county, N. Y., near the place of his birth. The father of Mr. Kales was a member of the New York Legis- lature, and held several offices of trust in Che- nango county. Francis was fitted for college at Oxford Academy, in the state of New York, and in 1851 entered the sophomore class of 1854 at Yale. Ill health obliged him to give up his col- lege course, and in 1852 he entered the law office of Daniel S. Dickinson, renowned as a lawyer and orator. He completed his law studies with Mr. Dickinson at Binghamton, and was admitted to the New York bar in May, 1855. In the following June he came to Chicago and entered the office of Higgins, Beckwith & Strother. He very quickly secured a general practice in the different branches of the law. He was associated for a time with Norman Williams, and in 1SIJC became a member of the firm of Beckwith, Aver & Kales. In 1873 Judge Beckwith retired from the firm to accept the position of general solicitor of the Chicago & Alton Railroad Company, and Mr. Kales continued the partnership with Mr. Ayer until that gentle man withdrew to become solicitor of the Illinois Central Railroad Company. Mr. Kales then con- tinued his practice alone until his death, although alter the year 1879 there existed certain business relations between him and Perry H. Smith. Jr. Mr. Kales' practice was very general in its scope, Z^i^t^iyC^O/ LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY of ILLINOIS. BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. embracing cases involving property, banking ami corporation affairs. He was profoundly versed in the learning of his profession, and skilled in its practice; but it was the acuteness and subtlety of ' his mind that rendered him remarkable and afforded him inexhaustible resources under all circumstances of difficulty. He was successfully identified with many of the largest property lit- igations in Chicago during a period of active prac- tice covering almost thirty years. He had pre- eminently a judicial mind, being distinguished for his ability to analyze a case and for an un- usual quickness of perception. As a speaker he was convincing and ready, possessing a clearness of statement and facility for logical and concise expression. The flavor of exact thought per- meated his conversation as well as his arguments. His scholarly instinct had decorated the hard knowledge of the law with a thorough knowl- edge of English and classical literature, which he never ceased to cultivate during intervals of rest or recreation. Mr. Kales was recognized as one of the ablest lawyers at the Chicago bar, ranking high by reason of his brilliant legal talents and his unswerving integrity. As a man, he had the unbounded respect of the community, and his social qualities were highly appreciated. He was appointed Lincoln Park commissioner by the Governor, but never sought or held a political office. In 1863 he married the daughter of Dr. X. S. Davis, dean of the Chicago Medical College, and since I860 had resided on the North Side, where his family of four sons and two daughters grew up around him. His home, which was de- stroyed by the great fire of 1871, he rebuilt and occupied until his death, which occurred Novem- ber 9. 1883. CORYDON RECKWITH. HOX. CORYDOX BECKWITH was born in Caledonia county, Vermont, on the 24th of July, 1823. He attended the common schools in the vicinity, where he attained great proficiency, and later took a classical and scientific course at Provi- dence, Rhode Island, and Wrentham, Massachu- setts. Of robust constitution, and fond from his boyhood of athletic sports, he developed into a strong and vigorous man, and throughout his busy life was distinguished for powers of endur- ance and capacity for hard work which on several occasions proved of signal advantage to him pro fessionally. After three years of study he was admitted to the bar at St. Albans. Vermont, in 1844. He practiced law in his native state for two years, and then moved to Frederick City. Mary- land, where he remained one year. In 1847 he returned to St. Albans and formed a partnership with Frederick A.Schley, then a distinguished practitioner at the bar of Vermont. In the spring of 1853 he removed to Chicago, and in that year entered into partnership with Van H. Higgins and Bolton P. Strother, under the firm name of Hig- gins. Beckwith & Strother. He continued the practice of his profession with marked ability and success until 1864, when upon the resignation of Hon. John D. Caton as one of the judges of the Supreme Court of Illinois he was appointed by Governor Yates to fill the unexpired term. On the expiration of this term he was succeeded by Judge Lawrence. During the short period of his service on the bench, he gained the respect of the entire bar of the state, his decisions being re- garded as models of brevity and clearnessof state- ment. This was the only office he ever held, his preference being for the practice of his profession, to which he was devoted. In 1866 he associated with himself as partners, Hon. Benjamin F. Aver, now the general counsel of the Illinois Central railroad, and Mr. F. H. Kales, who died some years ago. He had been appointed two years previously, counsel for the Chicago it Alton railroad, and the firm of Beckwith, Aver & Kales had charge of the legal business of that road until 1873, when Judge Beckwith was made its general solicitor, and re- tired from the firm. This appointment did not prevent him from engaging in general practice, and he was consulted in many important cases. He was remarkable as a lawyer fen- the strength of his logical powers, his quickness to grasp the essential points involved in his cases, and his clearness and plainness of statement. His style of address was impressive and convincing; he never sought to embellish his arguments with rhetorical ornaments, but always stated his points in such clear, terse English that there was no misunderstanding them. His knowledge of the law was profound, his command of professional resources inexhaustible, and his industry uncon- querable. With such equipments he was a for- midable opponent, and in important cases he was conspicuous for his able generalship, leaving the execution of details to his trusted associates, who were inspired with confidence by his leadership. He was continually engaged in cases involving RTOCRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. corporate rights and liabilities, and in rases of this class he had no equal at the bar, either in Chicago or the West. His characteristics have been well summed up by his former partner, Mr. .\yei-. in an interview had with him after Judge Beckwith's death: "I never saw a man more fertile in resources," says Mr. Aver. "His judgment was sound, his powers of discrimination great, and his capacity for work unlimited. He never had a ease that he did not examine thoroughly in all its aspects, and lie had a capacity for seizing almost instinctively the vital points in a ease, and the power to im- press his own ideas on others in their strongtst aspect. There is not a lawyer whom I have known so eminent in all respects, or a lawyer whose judgment was more respected by the courts and other lawyers. His thoroughness was re- markable. Nothing escaped him. He discovered all there was in a ease, and his mind moved with equal rapidity and accuracy. His greatest strength lay in arguing upon the law before a court. He was particularly adapted to the practice of real- estate law, and was well versed in commercial law. Among his early cases of great importance were the South Park cases, involving important constitutional questions. He went to Mount Ver- non and argued for the constitutionality of the law. which was sustained by the Supreme Court. He had a great deal of practice in the Supreme Court of Illinois, in the federal courts, and in the Supreme Court of the United States. He was re- markably successful, and was rarely beaten. If he found he was on the wrong side he would ad- vise a settlement. He was never willing to u" to trial and expose his clients' interests where the chances were strongly against him. The judges respected his opinion because he was careful never to mislead the court. He tried first to satisfy himself, and then the court. Scarcely any lawyer had so many cases in the Supreme Court of this state." Similar testimony is borne to him by Mr. Henry S. Monroe, who was associated with him in impor- tant cases: ■'In some particular branches of the law," he says, "he was the ablest lawyer in my estimation, not only in this state but in the United States. In all important questions not established by precedent, questions that required to be solved by tie- elementary principles of the law, he had no equal. His methods in a complex case were always original, and he was wonderfully fertile in resources. He liked to lay his plans and call to his assistance men, who in his judgment, were specially qualified for the particular places they were to occupy in the management of the case in hand. This was demonstrated in the management of tin- Sag Bridge disaster case forthe Alton road. In that disaster many were killed and many more wounded. Judge Beckwith employed the best surgeons, spared no expense in earing for the dis- abled, and settled every case but one without going before a jury. The exception was the case of a man who had been stealing a ride and was killed, and whose relatives brought suit for dam- ages, but lost their case." As an illustration of his powers of endurance. among many which have been told of him. Mr. Monroe recalls a suit against the Chicago & Alton railroad involving a large sum of money, in which Judge Lawrence and several other able lawyers were his opponents. The ease required laborious preparation, and Judge Beckwith had little time to prepare. He took rooms in the Grand Pacific hotel, shut himself up there with a stenographer from Friday afternoon till two o'clock on Sunday morning, working all the time. He had his case ready when it was called on Monday morning, and won it. This is only one of several stories of the kind which have been told of him. It is said that he earned more money by his legal practice than any other Illinois lawyer, but he spent it as freely as he earned it. He enjoyed good living, but sel- dom took a vacation, and might have prolonged his life had his passion for work been less intense. About a year before his death symptoms of heart disease began to show themselves, and his visits to his office became gradually rarer. He died from enlargement of the arteries of the heart at his home near Hinsdale on the 18th of August, 1890, in the sixty-seventh year of his age. In politics Judge Beckwith was a Democrat, usually voting with his party in national matters, but in state and city affairs he voted for the man whom he considered the fittest, without regard to party affiliations. His advice was often sought in the management of a campaign, and many a Repub- lican friend had the full benefit of his judgment, for he was always ready to help his friends, no matter how much he might differ from them in opinion. He left a widow, nee Mary Ann Smith, of St. Albans, Vt, whom he married in 18-18, and three children. One of his sons, Henry W. Beckwith, was. until his death just one year after his father's-*death, United States consul in Ber- muda. John William, the youngest son, admitted to the bar in the spring of 1892, is engaged pro- fessionally with the Chicago & Alton road. A daughter, Mrs. Edward P. Cutter, lives in Cin- cinnati. O. WILLIAM HENRY BRADLEY. WILLIAM HENRY BRADLEY was born in Ridgefield, Fairfield county, Connecticut, on the 29th of November. 1S1G. For four generations the family from which he was descended have LlbriAu, OF THE UNIVEHSiT IT of ILLINOIS. BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. \S: lived in the same town, in good old conservative New England fashion. His grandfather, Philip Burr Bradley, was a native of Ridgefleld, a grad- uate of Vale, ami a lawyer by profession. During the war of the Revolution he was a colonel in active servive, and his commission is still pre- served. He was a warm and trusted personal friend of George Washington, one of whose official acts as President of the United States was the appointment of Colonel Bradley to be marshal of the district of Connecticut— an appointment re- newed in Washington"s second term and also un- der President Adams. His son. Jesse Smith Bradley, was also a graduate of Yale, and highly esteemed as a classical scholar. He was elected by the Connecticut Legislature one of the judges of Fairfield county, an office which he retained until his death in May. 1833. His wife, Elizabeth Baker, was also born in Ridgefleld, the daughter of a physician of some note. Dr. Amos Baker. William H. Bradley was the fifth son of Jesse S. and Elizabeth Bradley. Having completed his rudimentary education in Ridgefleld Academy, he was prepared to enter Yale College at the time of his father's death. Soon after that event, he went to New Haven, and was employed as teller in the City Bank. He remained in New Haven four years, and in the fall of 1837, at the suggestion of his elder brother, removed to Galena, Illinois, then the most considerable town of the Northwest. Among his contemporaries there were a good many bright young men from different Eastern and Southern states, who were one and all attracted to Galena as the growing city of the West, and have since become, like Mr. Bradley, leading citizens of Chicago. But at time Galena was considerably ahead of Chicago in population and business, and was apparently in a fair way to keep the lead for years to come. Mr. Bradley's lirst employment in Galena may be said to have decided the course of his future career. He was ottered the position of clerk of the county court, then an appointive office, and accepted the ap- pointment. From that time he was almost con- tinuously connected with courts in a clerical ca- pacity. While discharging the duties of this po- sition he studied law in the office of Hon. Thomas Drummond. then a prominent lawyer in Galena. In 1840 he was appointed clerk of the circuit court of Jo Daviess county. On the adoption of the new constitution of Illinois in ISIS, he was elected by the people to the same office, and reelected in 1852. ••The large majorities by which he was successively elected," say6 a local historian, "not- withstanding the intensity of partisan feeling oc- casioned by a presidential campaign, the nearly equal political division of the county between the two parties, and his active identification with one of them, sufficiently attest the public appreciation of him as a man and as a faithful and efficient officer." Mr. Bradley held the public offices to which he was first appointed and afterwards repeatedly elected in Galena for a period of eighteen years, his connection with the courts of that county being only terminated by his removal to Chicago on his being appointed to the office he still held at the time of his death. In 1855, ('on gress divided the state of Illinois into two judicial districts, and the Hon. Thomas Drummond, who was at that time judge of the United States dis- trict court for Illinois, was assigned to the north em district. With the concurrence of Mr. Jus- tice M'Lean. Judge Drummond called Mr. Brad ley to be clerk of the new court. Mr. Bradley ac- cepted the appointment, resigned his clerkship at Galena, and removed to Chicago, entering upon his new duties on the 22d of March. 1855. He was admitted to the bar on the usual examination, but was never actively engaged in the practice of his profession. For a period of thirty-seven years Mr. Bradley performed his duties as clerk of the United States court and during all that time with the same quiet and unfailing industry and exemplary fidelity that won for him the confidence of the people in his early years. His promptness, accuracy and efficiency in disposing of the large and constantly increasing business of his office gained for him a rare and honorable measure of respect and trust, such as falls to the lot of few- men to achieve. He was respected not only as a faithful and efficient public officer, but also for his personal qualities as a citizen. Soon after coming to Chicago, he took a deep interest in what was then known as the Young Men's Asso ciation. of which he was elected president in 1800. This organization was not identical with the Young Men's Christian Association which still exists, but was similar in its aims and purposes. It possessed an excellent library which was de- stroyed by tin- great fire of 1871. The privileges of this library could be enjoyed by others than members of the association on payment of a mod- erate yearly subscription, and it was the only popular circulating library that Chicago possessed before the fire. As is well known, it was the knowledge of the existence of this library that led Mr. Thomas Hughes, author of ••Tom Brown's School Days," to start the movement in England 3§4 UlOOKAPIIY OF ILLINOIS. which resulted in the establishment of the present free public library of Chicago. Mr. Bradley was for twentj five years a director of the West Side City Railway Company, rice-president for several years, and president of the company tor six years. Ee resigned this last position in 1875, owing to the laborious and exacting duties incident to the position, and the increasing amount of business in the court. Ee was one of the organizers of the National Bank of Illinois in 1871, and was a director and viee president "I" that insti tution from its organization. In June. 1871, he was appointed, under the will of the late Walter L. Newberry, one of the testamentary trustees of the \V« berry estate. to till the vacancy occasioned by the resignation of Hon. Mark Skin- ner: and with his assoeiate. Mr. E. W. Blatchford. continued to discharge the duties of that trust to the day .if his death. By his will, Mr. Newberry directed that his estate should be divided into two equal parts, one-half to beset apart for his col- lateral heirs, and the remaining half to be retained by the trustees for the purpose of founding a free public library in the North Division of the city of Chicago. This division was not to be made until the death of both Mr. Newberry's daughters with- out leaving lawful issue, and until the death of his widow if she should survive the daughters. These conditions were fulfilled by the deaths of the two daughters without issue, and also of the widow of Mr. Newberry. In pursuanceof this trust, which involved delicate as well as responsi- ble duties, the trustees then made an inventory of all the property belonging to the estate, and divided it equally between the heirs and the library. By the inventory of the property made by the exe- cutors in 1868. its total value amounted to some- what less than two million dollars. By the wise and judicious investments made by the trustees, and the increase in the value of the real estate. its value had grown in the fifteen years, to December. 1885, to about $4,700,000. At that time the last one of the direct heirs died, and the trustees then pro ceeded to make a settlement with the collateral heirs and begin operation for the establishment of the library. It is now in successful operation, Dr. W. F. Poole, the librarian of the city free library, having been chosen by the trustees librarian of the Newberry library, and a col- lection of nearly 100,000 volumes and IlUXX) pam- phlets are now shelved and open to the public in a temporary building on the corner of Oak and State streets. The permanent building is in pro- cess of erection on the Ogden block, so-called. which is remembered as the location on which the frame residence of the late Mahlon D. Ogden w as situated, which was the only building in that section of the city which escaped the great fire of 1871. Mr. Bradley was a member of the Congre- gational church. As early as 1831 he made pro fission of his faith by joining the Congregational church at Ridgefield. and again in 1833, when he went to New Haven. There being no church of that denomination in Galena, he joined the Pres- byterian church in that town in 1839. and served as a ruling elder for eleven years. On removing to Chicago he became a member of the New England church, of which he was a deacon. He married in May, 1842, Miss Idea Sophronia Strong, daughter of Erastus Strong, of North Branford. Connecticut. Mr. Bradley died in Chicago. March 1. L892. His death, caused by apoplexy, and com ing so suddenly and unexpectedly, was a great shock to his family and friends. He was appar- ently in excellent health when he left his office a short time before. Although past seventy-five years of age and not robust, he was seldom ill and attended to the duties of his office regularly to the day. and even to the hour, of his death. No honor which love and admiration could suggest was spared by the great concourse assembled at the New England Congregational Church on Sunday, March 6th, to attend the funeral ceremonies over the remains of William H. Bradley. The most notable citizens of Chicago were seen side by side with the humblest. The remains were received at the church by a delegation from the Bar Asso- ciation, selected by Judge Blodgett. The hon- orary pall-bearers were: Judge W. Q. Gresham, Judge H. W. Blodgett. E. W. Blatchford, William P. Poole, George Schneider. John P. Wilson, Gen. Joseph B. Leake. Lyman Baird. J. Russell Jones, Edward S. Isham. Philip A. Hoyne and John X. Jewett. The casket was borne by O. B. Green, William Dickinson. Richard I. Field. William A. Hammond, Frederick A. Root. William B. Wirt. George B. Carpenter and George K. Dauchy, all of whom were long-time friends of Mr. Bradley. There were many floral tributes from friends of the deceased. The obsequies were conducted by the Rev. Dr. G. S. F. Savage, assisted by the lev. Dr. James Gibson Johnson. In delivering the funeral address Dr. Savage said, in part: •■ We are assembled in the house of God under the shadow of a sudden and unexpected grief. Without warning and in a moment this honored servant of God has been taken from earth to enter the unseen workL-this beloved father, brother, friend and associate has entered into eternity. BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS 3 s 5 There was no time for farewells or for a parting benediction, for he had behind him the benedic- tion of a long and useful life. He was called away suddenly, as he hail wished to be; ami he died after the manner of his oft-expressed wish. " in the harness." In earlyyouth he gave himself to Christ, ami for sixty years his life was one of fidelity and devotion. The life of such a man is very precious to us, but " precious to God is the death of his saints." We have gathered hereto pay the last sail tributes of humanity to the pre cious bodj of our friend, which is still precious to us, though its soul has flown. But it is not for me to speak at length of him who has gone. As a citizen he was spirited and energetic; as a law- yer, able and true: as a man. loyal and faithful to the end of his life. If I were to express all that I feel of him it might seem like eulogy,and, if those silent lips could bul Bpeak, they would forbid such eulogy. The wife knew his love and care for almost fifty years. His children have from him the best of legacies, the memory of a Chris- tian life; his pastors knew his fidelity and devo tion. He will he sadly missed from his wonted place in yonder chapel, where his voice was often heard in praise and in prayer, and he will be sadly misseed in the pew where he was always a devout worshiper." Dr. Johnson then delivered a short address of an eulogistic nature, concluding with an eloquent prayer. The burial was at Rosehill and was pri- vate. To the family and relatives were extended many expressions of sincere sympathy and sorrow in the form of resolutions passed by the directors of the National Bank of Illinois, trustees of tin- New England Congregational Church, the clerical tope of the Newberry library, the Chicago Bar Association- and others. At a special meetii the Chicago bar, held in the rooms of Judge H. \Y. Blodgett, Hon. E. Ii. Sherman. J. L. High. ex- Judge Brad well, Judge R. S. Tuthill and H. W. Bishop were selected a committee to draw up a suit- able expression of the loss the bar had sustained. and the committee submitted the following me nmrial: "An estimable man. an exemplary and public- spirited citizen, has suddenly passed away. In the midst of a career of more than ordinary promise and usefulness, without a moment's warning, he was summoned to stand before the Judge "f all the earth. * * * "Mr. Bradley was a worthy descendant of a distinguished ancestry. He was surrounded in youth and early manhood by what is more val- uable than classic training or scientific research— the subtle but powerful influence which con- tributes tht» res gestce of a typical New England home. He possessed the sterling virtues, tin- tin faltering courage, tin- patient persistence and the wise caution which always and everywhere insure success. Industry, integrity and a high sense of h rwere wrought into the very fiber of his being. He was absolutely incapable of injustice. While he had a natural dignity which forbade undue familiarity, his life was full of gentleness, sweet curtesy and gracious deeds. His heart was a perennial fountain of kindness. He was full of generous impulses and his charities were abun- dant and unobtrusive. He was an ardent patriot, a true friend, and a devoted Christian. But his rugged uprightness, his transparent candor, sim- plicity and sincerity were the chief charm and crowning glory of his character, lb- was riot am- bitious, but he never shrank from duty or respon sihility. "He never sought place or preferment, bul when, because of his eminent fitness, they were a irded him. lie assumed and discharged their duties with conspicuous fidelity. Every import ant step was considered in advance, and he was never compelled to retrace his way. Self-poised and self reliant, he illustrated most admirably the beautiful epigram of Bishop Hall: 'Moderation is the silken string running through the pearl chain of all the virtues.' Firm in his conviction of right, brave enough to express his honest senti- ments on all occasions, he was yet so frank, so fair. so considerate of the opinions of ..tlnrs that he won the high esteem and warm regard of all who knew him. "Standing to-day in the somber shadow of his tomb, we need not invoke the aid of the friendly maxim. 'A// mortuis nisi bonum,' as an excuse for discreet speech or more discreet silence, for there was nothing in his public career or private life which charity would fain conceal. We can recall no unjust act. no unkind word, no look which could wound tin- most sensitive soul. His life was an open book up. m whose fair pages are recorded only gracious words and worthy deeds. when is found no disgraceful stain, do careless l.lot. His character was the incarnation of the golden rule, his life its beautiful exemplification. It is of such men that Emerson says: 'The world is upheld by tin- veracity of good men: they make the earth wholesome. They who live with them find life glad and nutritious." Having tilled the full measure of a noble and useful life. 'God's finger touched him and he slept.' ■He will be greatly missed in t!ie city he has done so much to improve and beautify: in the church where he has so long and faithfully wrought and sincerely worshipped; by the friends to whom his companionship has been so precious; the members of the bar. whose relations to him were so pleasant and who entertained for him such sincere respect, w ill miss his genial greeting. his earnest words, his responsive sympathy, and will sorrow most of all that they shall see his face no m. .re •Tilt the son grows cold, And the stars are old, And tlie leaves of the judgement hunk untold. •On tlie shining heights beyond the river. In the beautiful Ian. I. Whose skies are not like earthly skies. ■ With varying hues of shade ami light, Which Initli ti. i in-.'. i of suns t.. rise Tn dissipate the gloom of night.' I'.KHIKAl'HY OK ILLINOIS. "He has entered upon an immortal life. There he awaits our tardier footsteps." Mr. Bradley is survived by bis widow, who for some time past lias been in delicate health, and throe children William Harrison Bradley, the American Consul at Nice, Italy, Mrs. Victor K. Lawson, of Chicago, and Miss Anna M.Bradley. HENRY W. BLODGETT. JUDGE HENRY WILLIAMS BLODGETT was I. urn in 1821, in the town of Amherst. Massa- chusetts, where his father was in business as a blacksmith. Hismotherwas a woman of superior education and refinement, and both his parents were sincere and earnest people, and devoted them- selves to the correct training and development of their children. They removed to Illinois when Henry was about ten years of age. Here the boy received a public school education, and at the age of seventeen went to Amherst Academy for one year. Returning to Illinois, he engaged in teach ing school, and subsequently in land surveying until he reached his twenty-first year. In 1842 he commenced the study of law in the office of J. Y. Scammon and Norman B. Judd, in Chicago, and was admitted to the bar in 184."), when h m menced practice at Waukegan. Illinois. He had from boyhood been impressed with a strong sense of the iniquity of slavery, which had become a source of burning contention in the councils of the nation, destined to grow fiercer and fiercer until it culminated in rebellion and civil war. The party who were known as Abolitionists had just formed their national organization, and their advocates pursued their agitation in the face of the bitterest opposition and persecution on the part of the friends of slavery. This agitation was just beginning when Judge Blodgett was a boy, and he espoused the cause of the anti-slavery party, of which he remained a firm and loyal ad- herent until its principles were triumphant. In 1811 he voted the anti slavery ticket at the most closely contested presidential election in our history, except that of 1876. In 1852 he was elected to the General Assembly of Illi- nois, being the first avowed anti-slavery mem ber who ever occupied a seat in that body, and in the following year was elected to the State Sen ate. \s a legislator he was largely instrumental in promoting the development of the resources of Illinois by internal improvements, and otherwise assisted in shaping the legislative history of the commonwealth. In 1855, and for a number of years subsequently, he was associated with the legal department of the Chicago and Northwest- ern Railway, of which he was one of the project ors. He was a pioneer in the building of the railway, originally known as the Chicago and Milwaukee Railroad, along the lake shore from Chicago to Milwaukee, and was identified with it in the several capacities of attorney, director and president. He procured the charter for the road, and to his efforts and personal influence was mainly due the securing of the money necessary for its construction. A few years later tie was solicitor of the Michigan Southern, Fort Wayne. Rock Island and Northwestern railroads, and the volume of business which passed under his care while thus engaged in the employ of these four roads was something enormous. He only retired when the business reached such proportions that it was impossible for one man to attend to it. As a railroad solicitor he was regarded as the peer, if not the superior of anyone in the Northwest. During all these years he had been industrious and studious, and formed habits of patient atten- tion to details and of minute investigation which have characterized him throughout his subse- quent career. Judge Blodgett married, on the 29th of April. 1850, MissAlathea Crocker, daughter of Hon. Amos Crocker, of Hamilton, Madison county. New Y'ork. Mr. Crocker was one of the oldest merchants of that town, and a member of both branches of the Legislature of the state of New York. He died there in 1857. Five children wen- born of this marriage, only two of whom survive Mrs. Lansing Warren and Caroline A lathea, unmarried. Mrs. Blodgett died in Octo- ber, 1886. In 1870 Judge Blodgett was appointed by President Grant judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. He still holds that position, although the period of sen ice which would entitle him to be placed on the retired list with a pension expired over a year ago. but as his health is still firm and his capacity for work unimpaired; he has. by the advice 'of his associates. Justice Harlan and Judge Gresham, decided not to resign for thepresent. During the twenty years and over that he has occupied a seat on the federal bench many and various litigations have been conducted before him, involving issues of great importance, in which the most distin- guished lawyers of this and other states have been engaged as counsel. The retrospect must BIOGRAPHY OF ILLINOIS. 587 be full of interest to the Judge himself, but it isnot less so to the student of the hist my of Western ju- risprudence. To mention only a few of the emi- nent lawyers who have pleaded their cases before him Lssufflcient to carry the mi ml back to days and events that have now become historical, and to a generation that has almost passed away. Roscoe Conkling came here from New York to argue a great corporation case; Col. Robert G. Ingersoll has many times been an advocate in Judge Blodgett's court l>i«th before and since his removal to New York City; in a long list of important controversies. Chief Justice l'ul ler was a familiar figure in the same forum; Lyman Trumbull and James R. Doolittle were frequent pleaders before him; Senator Matt Car- penter, of Wisconsin, and many others from other states, who were prominent actors in the history of this country during and since the Civil War. in ■ . 1 i and hi the Held, have appeared as advo- cates and conducted trials in the court presided over bj Judge Blodgett. Every Chicago lawyer of high standing, and the leading lawyers from the interior of the state, have practiced in his court during that period. After the panic of 1873, an enormous mass of business was thrown into the federal court of Chicago in consequence of the embarrassment of railroads and other corporations that were obliged to take advantage of the pro- visions of the then existing bankruptcy law. and with all of these cases Judge Blodgett was called upon to deal in his judicial capacity. The prose- cution of the distillers and government officers charged with a conspiracy to defraud the revenue in 1876 still further increased the pressure of work that was imposed upon the judge during the first decade of his services. In the disposition of all these litigations, many of which were voluminous and protracted, and keenly contested by the brightest and ablest lawyers of the day. Judge Blodgett so comported himself as to win the gen- eral respect and admiration of the bar. All were struck by the laborious industry with which he strove t aster the minutest detail of every case, the acuteness and penetration with which he grasped their essential points, the clearness of his logic in applying the law, and the general fair- ness of his decisions. Considering the variety of the issues which have been tried before him for he sits as a criminal as well as a common law, admiralty, and chancery judge, and was for several years a judge in bankruptcy as well. Judge Blod- gett has been for over twenty years one of tin- hardest working judges in the country. It would he surprising if in all that time there were not some who, whether as suitors or as advocates before him. were dissatisfied with his rulings, hut the general sentiment of the bar towards him is that of unqualified respect as an upright, conscientious and painstaking judge. In his charges to juries, he is guided solely by the facts in evidence, and the law applicable to them. His derisions are stated in perspicuous and simple language, with- out any ornament of style, and in such a manner as not to he misunderstood. They are always terse anil concise, and embody just tin' exact words necessary to express clearly and unmistak- ably his meaning. One feature of his career on the bench must not pass unnoticed. He has al- ways taken a lively interest in mechanical inven- tions of all kinds, and has made himself thor- oughly familiar with the patent laws. So satis factory has been his disposition of the numerous patent cases which have come before him, that the lawyers practicing in his court who devote themselves to patent law as a specialty have for- mally expressed their regret at his approaching retirement, and urged upon the President and Senate of the United States the desirableness of appointing as his successor a judge who has some knowledge of patent law. On the organization of the United States Circuit Court of Appeals for" the seventh circuit, in June. 1891, Judge Blod- gett was designated by Justice Harlan and Judge Gresham to act as the third judge in that court, and he is still a member of it. UStfTY OF .LL1M01S-UHBJW* ■ft farm