LI B RAFLY OF THE U N I VERSITY or 1 LLl NOIS q9Z0.0773 M85b IlllNOIS HISTORICAL SDRVTY BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY PORTRAIT GALLERY REPRESENTATIVE MEN UNITED STATES ILLINOIS VOLUME EDITED BY HON. JOHN MOSES CHICAGO THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY 1896 v\?>^\^ PREFACE. S previously announced by the publishers, the primary object of this work, comprising;, as it does, one of a series of biographical dictionaries for each State, "is to make honorable mention and preserve the record in imperish- able letters, for reference and guidance, of representative citizens who have been influential in public or private life in shaping the institutions and destiny of their State and Nation." The controlling facts in the history of any State, relating to its growth and develop- ment, are largely found in the biographies of its leading citizens. This volume, for Illinois, includes the names of those who have become illustrious, either as pioneers in the formative period, . or as worthy successors to an inestimable heritage, who, taking up the work of their fathers, so well begun, have added to their renown, and advanced still higher those material, commercial and intellectual elements of progress which make a nation great and prosperous. As the present volume has already exceeded its limits without exhausting the material on hand, a second for Illinois will be issued soon. John Moses. ^21059 INDEX. Abend. Edward . . Addains, J. H Aiuswortli, H. A. . Aldiicli, C. H Altgeld, J. P Amlei-sou. Jobu... Armour, P. D. . . . Arnold, J. W Atkins, S. D Atkinson, Charles. Atkinson, J. T Atkinson, J. W.. . . 437 53(i 21.-) 38 7(i 257 42 97 21 o2.j 32;i 338 Bancroft. E. A. . . Kanning. Epbraiui . Barnard, H. A. . . Barnes, Win. A. . . Barrett, E. E BaiTott, Ricliard. . Bateman. Newton. Benjamin, R. M.. . Bennett, R. J Becker, • Cliailes. . . Bond, L. L Borden, Gail Bradley, E. A Bradley, L. M Br.idy. I., D BraTid. Michael. . . . Brownell, R. E Brownins, .T. T. . . Bryan. T. B Bnck, .J. P Bnddo, F. II Burchard. II. C. .. Burroughs, B. 1!.. . Burton, Joseph. . . . Cahle, H. r». .. Cady, M. Y. .. Caldwell, C. E. Caldwell, Wm. Camp, Apollos. Cannon. .T. O. . , 449 , 540 535 . 34 419 482 2(>7 205 . 70 211 . 40 329 445 477 240 530 529 249 2.33 384 545 408 450 510 4 OS 220 477 128 424 107 Carter, J. N Casey, N. R Catliu, George . . . . Catliu, T. D Caton, John D Chamberlin, M. I). Clark, James Colili. Emory Coc. A. L Colby. F. T Conger, A. L Connelly. II. C Connolly, J. A Cooper. F. 11 Corwitb. Ileniy. . . Corwith, J. E Craig, A. M Cullom, S. JI Cumins, Tlieron. . . Cunningham, J. o. 45 475 400 180 122 5(Xt 357 73 484 337 481 (!0 24 310 '2'}l I Davis. David is Deere, C. II r,-, Deere, John 51 De Wolf, Calvin 273 Dillon. Moses 200 Dimock, D. C 312 Doolittle, J. R 401 Dyer. R. F ^',4 Eberhart, J. F 295 Edcns. W. t! 50 1 Eells, Samuel C ;{o Elliott. Jr.. W. S .r,i([ Ellwtx)d. I. L i^s English. J. G 2I0 Enos. P. P 5;52 Knos. Rnger 3.J , Enos. Z. A 3.)2 Entrikin, W. J 336 Etheridge. J. II 523 Evaus, D. D gs Evans, II. II ic^ F pai;k Fiiirflckl, W. W U"-) Kai-RO, Cluu-lfs I'.il Felt, r.oiij. )•' ">i'« Forsyth, .Tiicul) -171 Fivstor. 'I'liouKis l-l I'laiik. Louis !>ii^> I'uess, Joseph o^'J Fuller, M. W M iMuik, I>. JI -I'J.S I'unk. r,. W 1-tt) Funk, Isaar Hi! G Case, J. N -T(l (;aj;e, Lyman .1 riii Gait, Thomas A liT^ Gardt, Heury ."no George, Alouzo 159 George, Bcnjaniin 3o0 George, Wm ITl Gore, G. W 50J Gillett, W. K 495 Glitlden, J. F o»r, Gorton, E. F -iTS Gould, J. M 212 Graham, N. U 301 Gray, Elisha Hi! Greene, M. T , 412 Grlswold, E. V 4.-,l) Gross, S. E 4'i Gros veuor, L. O I'J Groto, William •'■•'i' Guuther, C. F lo'.J H Maish, Jat-ob 2(;t Ilamiltou, J. H --'' llanua, William -'."«s Harding, A. C 278 Uarlcv, Allivd ^2;! Ilarliv, William 4l.>l Uarlev, William. .Jr 4l'3 Harrison, II. W I'x; Hai-vey, W. S 121! Hatch, O. M 110 HaAvley, II. W 442 Hayes, P. C 379 Heeuan, Daniel 253 Hesing, A. (.' 57 PAGE. Hill, Lysaudor 87 Hoes, James 234 Hogau, Daniel 41S Holmau, E. E ■. 391 Hopkins, A. J 271 Hopkins, J. P 3.50 Howard, W. I! 49C. Howell, (I. 1) 34S llurd, H. r. 114 T Islehart. N. G 294 lies, Elijali 435 J Jackson, William Ill Jacobs, B. F 79 Jansseu, John 4C0 Jones, A. 51 173 Judson, Edwin 100 K Kendrick, A. A 519 Kern, F. J 432 Kerns, William 304 Kimball, W. W 150 King, Charles P 400 Kingman, Martin 77 Kirk, John B 135 KC'Orner, Gustavus 147 Kranz, John 277 Kraus. Adoir 2S0 L Lake, Cliaumey .\ 405 Lane, K. P 393 Leonard, J. F 493 Lewis, Obed .' 192 Llbby, C. P 370 Lincoln, Abraliam 9 Loose, Jacob L 302 Low, J. E 313 Lowdeu. F. 514 M Marsh, C. W 112 Marsh, William 318 Mathews, M. W 200 Maver, Lew 470 PAGE. McCarty, Sanuiol 507 McBrooni. James 127 McCoruiick, C. II lsr> AliCk'lIau, U. II. . . ! 4(12 McGrath, J. J 3r>0 McIIvaiii, G. H . 85 Meaus, Arcliiliald 4-l:i Medill, JosL'pli i;; Milk, Lciuuel 427 Millikiu, Jaiuos 175 Mitchell, P. Jj .^ 4(11 Moore, C. H 4"J0 Moore, Gilpiu 252 Moore, W. R 315 Morgan, J. D .' 311 Morrisou, I. li 28 Mt)Sos, Adolpli 457 Muuroe, G. H 479 N Nasli, Joliu V 307 Nasou, C. () 43(! Neff, James 1 132 Newcomb, G. W 247 Noble. IT. T 193 O ( )Kl('sb.v, R. J 537 p rackaril, S. W 387 raddock, I). II 103 > I'addook, .T. W 1.53 Palmer, W. B 4(>2 Pease, James 239 I'cck, George R 522 Pinkertou, W. A 321 Plumb, Ralph 230 Porter, Washington 177 Powers, Orlando 110 Price, V. C 2(13 Prickett, John A .340 Prickott, Wni. R 378 a Randall, T. P 224 Reeves, Oweu T 44(; Reeves, Walter ' 347 Reynolds, P.. P 415 Ki.kcr. II. V. J IS'J P.VGE. Ridgely, Charles 19.-, Ridgely. N. II 2S7 Robinson. I>. I! 47s Robinson. T. .1 237 Rogers, G. M 130 Rogers, J. G oy Roseufield, M 41 1 Rothschild, A. M sor, Ro«ell. W. I) 52C, Rybmii. .1. S .f-,04 S Scaulau, Kicklinni 33-, Schneider, George 30 Schoeniuger, A -,21 IScott, James W is2 ►Scott, John M i(i7 Seaman, John A ].-,(; Sehring. Frederick 512 Semmelroth. George 420 Shaw, W. W ia5 Shoean, David 129 Sherwood, F. A yj Sherfy. C. M 297 Sho waiter, J. W oo Siegel, Henry 3jf) Simonds, E. F 34(; Skinner, Mark 401 Smith, Abuer 33;j Smith, George W 118 Snyder, AV. H 407 Stafford. John F 283 Stahl, Frederick 9.-^ Stavei-, II. C 3G1 Steele, D. A. K 270 Stevenson, A. E 453 Stoddard. J. A 125 Stolp, J. G 298 Stoskopf, Louis 390 Swan, R. K 198 Swift, E. C 489 Swift, M. H 489 Tanner, Joliu R 203 Taylor, W. F .533 Tliomau, Ij. D (12 Thornton, C. S 451 PAtiE. PA(1E. Tincher, J. L 245 Wateruiau, I>evi 375 Tipton, T. F 220 Wheaton, J. C 430 TniiiKir, .1. (• 54(1 Wheatou, W. L 433 Tripp. Kiibiiisdii 281 White, P. 4Sr. TiiiiuT. .rolin n 3(; Wildermau, A. S 505 TunuM-. V. C 134 Willoughby, J. A 4.58 Wilmartla, H. M 499 Wilson, Hiram 343 Wilson, J. 11 360 V Winlielmaun, Wni 382 Witliers, Allen 201 Woodruff, Gilbert 255 Wrenn, George L 371 Wright, A. S 310 U Ulcn, B. L 351 Velio, S. 11 81 Voliiil ino, D 289 W Y W;iili-. (icorsf E 518 \\Mni(M-, X'espa.sian 385 Wariiock, Hugh 288 Yerkes, T. P 5;!1 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY. ILLINOIS. ABRAHAM LINCOLN, SPRINGFIELD. ABRAHAM LINCOLN, the sixteenth presi- dent of the LTnited States, stands out con- spicuously in the category of illustrious Amer- ican heroes and statesmen, next to Washington. The one earned the distinguished appellation of "Father of his country," the other that of its "Savior," from the perils of a fratricidal war. By reason of his commanding position, of his un- equaled services, and especially from the fact that he was the most eminent son of the great com- monwealth of Illinois, his name and fame de- mands more than a mere cursory sketch in this volume. It was in Illinois that he began his career. Here he grew to manhood and her in- stitutions and laws bear the impress of his genius ; and so long as the flowers grow on her beautiful prairies will his name be cherished and honored. On the I2th of February, 1809, in Larue (then Hardin) county, Kentucky, in a cabin on Nolan creek, three miles west of Hodgensville, Abra- ham Lincoln was born. His parents were Thomas and Nancy (Hanks) Lincoln. Of his ancestry in early years the little that is known may best be given in his own language: "My parents were both born in Virginia, of undistinguished families, — second families, perhaps I should say. My mother, who died in my tenth year, was of a family by the name of Hanks, some of whom now remain in Adams, and others in Macon county, Illinois. My paternal grandfather, Abra- ham Lincoln, emigrated from Rockbridge county, Virginia, to Kentucky, in 1781 or 1782, where, a year or two later, he was killed by Indians, — not in battle, but by stealth when he was laboring to open a farm in the forest. His ancestors, who were Quakers, went to Virginia from Berks county, Pennsylvania. An effort to identify them with the New England family of the same name ended in nothing more definite than a similarity in Christian names in both families, such as Enoch, Levi, Mordecai, Solomon, Abraham and the like. My father, at the death of his father, was but six years of age, and he grew up, literally, without education. He removed from Kentucky to what is now Spencer county, Indiana, in my eighth year. We reached our new home about the time the State came into the Union. It was a wild region, with bears and other wild animals still in the woods. There I grew to manhood. "There were some schools, so called, but no qualification was ever required of the teacher be- yond 'readin', writin' and cipherin' to the rule of three.' If a straggler, supposed to understand Latin, happened to sojourn in the neighborhood, he was looked upon as a wizard. There was nothing to excite ambition for education. Of course when I came of age I did not know much. Still, somehow, I could read, write and cipher to the rule of three, and that was all. I have not been to school since. The little advance I now have upon this store of education I have picked up from time to time under the pressure of neces- sity. I was raised to farm work, which I con- tinued until I was twenty-two. At twenty-one I came to Illinois and passed the first year in Macon county. Then I got to New Salem, at that time in Sangamon, now in Menard, county, where I remained a year as a sort of clerk in a store. 10 nroOIlAPIIICdL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE " Tlicii caiiK' the Black Hawk war, and I was elected a captain of volunteers, — a success which gave me more pleasure than any I have had since. I went into the campaign: was elected; ran for the legislature the same year (1832) and was beaten, the only time I have ever been beaten by the people. The next and three succeeding bien- nial elections I was elected to the legislature and was never a candidate afterward. "During this legislative period I had studied law and removed to Springfield to practice it. In 1846 I was elected to the lower house of Con- gress ; was not a candidate for re-election. From 1849 until 1854, inclusive, I practiced the law more assiduously than ever before. Always a Whig in politics and generally on the Whig elec- toral tickets, making active canvasses, I was los- ing interest in politics when the repeal of the Mis- souri Compromise roused me again. What I have done since is pretty well known." The early residence of Lincoln in Indiana was sixteen miles north of the Ohio river, on Little Pigeon creek, one and a half miles east of Gentrv- ville, within the present township of Carter. Here his mother died October 5, 1818, and the next year his father married Mrs. Sallie (Bush) John- ston, of Elizabethtown, Kentucky. She was an affectionate foster-parent, to whom Abraham was indebted for his first encouragement to study. He became an eager reader, and the few books owned in the vicinity were many times perused. He worked frequently for the neighbors as a farm laborer; w-as for some time clerk in a store at Gentryville, and became famous throughout that region for his athletic powers, his fondness for argument, his inexhaustible fund of humorous anecdote, as well as for mock oratory and the composition of rude satirical verses. In 1828 he made a trading voyage to New Orleans as "bow hand" on a flatboat; removed to Illinois in 1830; helped his father build a log house and clear a farm on the north fork of Sangamon river, ten miles west of Decatur, and was for some time em- ployed in splitting rails for the fences — a fact which was prominently brought forward for a political purpose thirty years later. In the spring of 1831 he, with two of his rela- tives, was hired to build a flatboat on the San- gamon river and navigate it to New Orleans. The boat stuck on a milldam and was gotten ofT with great labor through an ingenious mechan- ical device which some years later led to Lincoln's taking out a patent for "an improved method of lifting vessels over shoals." This voyage was nienic Table for another reason, — the sightof slaves chained, maltreated and flogged at New Orleans, which was doubtless the origin of his deep con- victions upon the slavery question. Returning from his voyage, he became a resi- dent for several years of New Salem, a recently settled village on the Sangamon, where he was successively a clerk, grocer, surveyor and post- master, and acted as pilot to the first steamboat that ascended the Sangamon. Here he studied law, interested himself in local politics after his return from the Black Hawk war, and became known as an effective "stump speaker." The sub- ject of his first political speech was the improve- ment of the channel of the Sangamon, and the chief ground on which he announced himself (1832) a candidate for the legislature was his ad- vocacy of this popular measure, on which sub- ject his practical experience made him the highest authority. Elected to the legislature in 1834 as a "Henry Clay Whig," he rapidly acquired that command of language and that homely but forcible rhetoric, which, added to his intimate knowledge of the people from whom he sprang, made him more than a match in debate for his well-educated op- ponents. He was re-elected to the General As- sembly in 1836, 1838 and 1840, serving four con- secutive terms. Admitted to the bar in 1837, he soon established himself at Springfield, where the State capital was located in 1839, largely through his influence; became a successful pleader in the State, circuit and district courts; n\arried in 1842 Mary Todd, a lady belonging to a prominent family of Lexington, Kentucky; took an active part in the presidential campaigns of 1840 and 1844, as candidate for elector on the Harrison and Clay tickets, and in 1846 was elected to the LTnited States house of representatives over the celebrated Peter Cart^vright During his single term in Congress he frequently appeared in the debates and for a new member made a favorable impression as a rising statesman. He voted for the reception of anti-slavery petitions, for the REPRESEXTATIVE MEX OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. abolition of the slave trade in the District of Columbia, ami for the Wilmot Proviso; but was chiefly remembered for the stand he took against the Mexican war. For several years thereafter he took comparatively little interest in politics, but gained a leading position at the Springfield bar. Two or three non-political lectures and a eulogy on Henry Clay (1852) added nothing to his notoriety as a politician. In 1854 the repeal of the JMissouri Compromise by the Kansas-Nebraska act aroused Lincoln from his indilTerence, and in attacking that meas- ure he had the immense advantage of knowing perfectly well the motives and record of its author, Stephen A. Douglas, of Illinois, then popularly designated as the "Little Giant." The latter came to Springfield in October, 1854, on the oc- casion of the State fair, to vindicate his policy in the senate, and the "Anti-Nebraska'' Whigs, remembering that Lincoln had often measured his strength with Douglas in the Illinois legis- lature and before the Springfield courts, engaged him to make a reply. This speech, in the opinion of those who heard it, was one of the greatest efforts of Lincoln's life, — certainly one of the most effective in his whole career. It took the audience by storm, and from that moment it was felt that Douglas had met his match. Joint discussions were held by the distinguished disputants at Peo- ria and other points, the effect of which, with the fierce campaign against the repeal of the INIis- souri Compromise, resulted in the election of an anti-Nebraska legislature, and Lincoln was se- lected as the anti-Nebraska candidate for the United States senate to succeed General James Shields, whose term expired March 4, 1855, and led several ballots; but Lyman Trum- bull was ultimately chosen. The second conflict on the soil of Kansas, which Lincoln had pre- dicted, soon began. The result was the disrup- tion of the Whig and the formation of the Repub- lican party. At the Bloomington State Convention in 1856, where the new party first assumed form in Illinois, Lincoln made the greatest speech of his life, in which for the first time he took dis- tinctive grounds against slavery in itself. Thence- forth he became the leader of his party in the State. At the national Republican convention in Philadelphia, June 17, after the nomination of Fremont, Lincoln was put forward by the Illinois delegation for the vice-presidency, and received on the first ballot one hundred and ten votes against two hundred and fifty-nine for William L. Dayton. He took a prominent part in the can- vass of that year in this and other States. In 1859 Lincoln was unanimously nominated by the Republican State convention as its candidate for the United States senate in place of Douglas, and in his speech of acceptance used the cele- brated illustration of a " house divided again.st itself on the slavery question, which, while in the resulting argument it was made to conduce to his defeat, was so handled as to make impos- sible the nomination of his opponent as the Demo- cratic candidate for president, which was his ob- jective point. The seven great debates carried on at the principal towns of Illinois between Lincoln and Douglas as rival senatorial candidates, re- sulted at the time in the election of the latter; but being widely circulated as a campaign document, it fixed the attention of the country upon the former, as the clearest and most convincing ex- ponent of Republican doctrine. Early in 1859 he began to be named in Illinois as a suitable Republican candidate for the presi- dential campaign of the ensuing year, and a polit- ical address delivered at the Cooper Institute, New York, February 27, i860, followed by simi- lar speeches at New Haven, Hartford and else- where in New England, first made him known to the Eastern States in the light in which he had long been regarded at home. By the Republican State convention, which met at Decatur, Illinois, on the 9th and loth of May, Lincoln was unani- mously endorsed for the presidency. It was on this occasion that two rails, said to have been split by his hands thirty years before, were brought into the convention, and the incident con- tributed much to his popularity. The national Republican convention at Chicago, after spirited efforts made in favor of Seward, Chase and Bates, nominated Lincoln for the presidency, with Han- nibal Hamlin for vice-president, at the same time adopting a vigorous anti-slavery platform. The Democratic party having been disorgan- ized and presenting two candidates, Douglas and Breckenridge, and tlie remnant of the "American" 12 BIOORAPUICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE party having put forward John Bell of Tennessee, the RepubHcan victor}' was an easy one, Lincoln being elected November 6 by a large plurality, comprehending nearly all the Northern States, but none of the Southern. The secession of South Carolina and the Gulf States was the immediate result, followed a few months later by that of the border slave States and by the out- break of the great Civil war. The life of Abraham Lincoln became thence- forth merged in the history of his countr}'. None of the details of the vast conflict which filled the remainder of Lincoln's life can here be given. Narrowly escaping assassination by avoiding Baltimore on his way to the capital, he reached Washington February 23, ar.d was inaugurated president of the United States'March 4, 1861. In his inaugural address he said: "I hold that in contemplation of universal law and the consti- tution the union of these States is perpetual. Per- petuity is implied, if not expressed, in the funda- mental laws of all national governments. It is safe to assert that no government proper ever had a provision in its organic law for its own termina- tion. I therefore consider that in view of the constitution and the laws, the Union is unbroken, and to the extent of my ability I shall take care, as the constitution enjoins upon me, that the laws of the United States be extended in all the States. In doing this there need be no bloodshed or vio- lence, and there shall be none unless it be forced upon the national authority. The power con- ferred to me will be used to hold, occupy and possess the property and places belonging to the government and to collect the duties and imports; but beyond what may be necessary for these objects there will be no invasion, no using of force against or among the people anywhere. In your hands, my dissatisfied fellow countrymen, is the momentous issue of civil war. The govern- ment will not assail you. You can have no con- flict without being yourselves the aggressors. You have no oath registered in Heaven to de- stroy the government, while I shall have the most solemn one to preserve, protect and defend it." He called to his cabinet his principal rivals for the presidential nomination, — Seward, Chase, Cameron and Bates; secured the co-operation of the Union Democrats, headed by Douglas; called out seventy-five thousand militia from the several States upon the first tidings of the bombardment of Fort Sumter, April 15; proclaimed a blockade of the Southern ports, April 19; called an extra session of Congress for ]\.\\y 4, from which he asked and obtained four hundred thousand men and $400,000,000 for the war; placed McClellan at the head of the Federal army on General Scott's resignation, October 31; appointed Ed- win M. Stanton secretary of war, January 14, 1862, and September 22, 1862, issued a proclama- tion declaring the freedom of all slaves in the States and parts of States then in rebellion from and after January i, 1863. This was the crown- ing act of Lincoln's career — the act by which he will be chiefly known through all future time — and it decided the war. On the i6th of October, 1863, President Lin- coln called for three hundred thousand volunteers to replace those whose term of enlistment had expired; made a celebrated and touching, though brief, address at the dedication of the Gettysburg Military Cemetery, November 19, 1863; commis- sioned Ulysses S. Grant lieutenant-general and commander-in-chief of the armies of the United States, March 9, 1864; was re-elected president in November of the same year, by a large majority over General McClellan, with Andrew Johnson of Tennessee as vice-president; delivered a very remarkable address at his second inauguration, March 4, 1865 ; visited the army before Richmond the same month; entered the capital of the Con- federacy the day after its fall, and upon the sur- render of General Robert E. Lee's army April 9 was actively engaged in devising generous plans for the reconstruction of the Union, when on the evening of Good Friday, April 14, he was shot in his box at Ford's theater, Washington, by John Wilkes Booth, a fanatical actor, and ex- pired early on the following morning, April 15. Almost simultaneously a murderous attack was made upon William H. Seward, secretary of State. At noon on the isth of April Andrew Johnson assumed the presidency, and active measures were taken which resulted in the death of Booth and the execution of his principal ac- complices. The funeral of President Lincoln was con- ducted with unexampled solemnity and magnifi- y - liEPUESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES: ILLINOIS VOLUME. 13 cence. Impressive sen'ices were held in Wash- ington, after which the sad procession proceeded over the same route he had traveled four years before from Springfield to Washington. In Philadelphia his body lay in state in Independ- ence Hall, in which he had declared before his first inauguration that "I would sooner be as- sassinated than to give up the principles of the Declaration of Independence." He was buried at Oak Ridge Cemetery, near Springfield, Illi- nois, on the 4th of Alay, where a monument em- blematic of the emancipation of the slaves and the restoration of the Union marks his resting place. The leaders and citizens of the expiring Con- federacy expressed genuine indignation at the murder of a generous political adversary. For- eign nations took part in mourning the death of a. statesman who had proved himself a true rep- resentative of American nationality. The freed- men of the South almost worshiped the memory of their deliverer; and the general sentiment of the great nation he had saved awarded him a place in its affections second only to that held by Washington. The characteristics of Abraham Lincoln have been familiarly known throughout the civilized world. His tall, gaunt, though not imgainly figure, homely countenance and his shrewd mother wit, shown in his celebrated conversations overflowing in humorous and pointed anecdote, combined with an accurate, intuitive appreciation of the questions of the time, are recognized as forming the best type of a period of American his- tory in which the strength of the Union was tested and the ability of the people to maintain a free government in this country was fully established. As the years roll by from that stormy period of doubt and battle, the name of Lincoln looms up with increasing luster. His was the brain that shaped the policy of Congress and cabinet, his the unconquerable spirit which fed the flames of pa- triotism and kept them in a continuous glow of fervent heat. With unbending will and a pre- science which could pierce the future, the path of war was made the way to victor\', — the Union re- stored, a nation saved. His heart was as warm as his hand was strong, and when the great tri- umph came his was the voice first to proclaim amnesty and peace. JOSEPH MEDILL, MR. MEDILL is a son of Scotch-Irish par- ents, and was bom April 6, 1823, in the city of St. John, New Brunswick. His parents were William and Margaret Medill, and there the family remained tmtil 1832, when they emigrated to IMassillon, Stark county, Ohio, ^^■hile residing on a farm near there, Joseph acquired a good foundation of a prac- tical education, thorough grounding in the elementary branches of knowledge, especially in the use of his mother tongue. It is said that he showed his thirst for knowledge at the age of 16 by walking nine miles everj' Saturday after- noon in a winter and spring to get instruction in English grammar, Latin, logic and natural philos- ophy from Rev. Hawkins, a clergyman of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Canton, Ohio. He studied five or six months under that gentleman and later completed his education in the village academy of Massillon, graduating in 1843. The next year he marked the attainment of his major- ity by voting for Henry Clay, and, this important duty done, he began the study of law with the Hon. Hiram Griswold. Admitted to the bar in 1846, he was for some time the partner of George W. Mcllvaine, since chief justice of the supreme court of Ohio. After being engaged in the prac- tice of his profession for three years he dissolved his partnership with Mr. Mcllvaine and discon- tinued his work at the bar. His natural vehicle of expression was the pen and the versatility of his faculties sought a more natural outlet in journal- ism. The great questions which were already forc- ing themselves upon public attention and de- manding solution,— resistance to slavery aggres- 14 nTOGUAPITTCAL DlCTroyART AJSTD PnUTUAir nALLERY OF THE sion, the questions of national sovereignty over sectional pretension, — a doctrine to whicih he had become converted by reading a speech of Daniel Webster, delivered in 1833, — the question of rec- onciling the letter of the constitution to the spirit of American liberty, the question of substituting a protective tariff in place of the Democratic free- trade experiments, which the Southern cotton ex- porters were trying at the expense of the young industries of the country, and to the profit only of cotton-growing in the South and cotton-manu- facturing in England, — all these appealed more acutely to Mr. Medill's imagination than forming canons of common-law precedence and the in- creasing and conflicting statutes enacted in the young nation. His success in journalism was identified at the beginning with these questions. Another condi- tion that induced Mr. Medill at least to tempora- rily adopt journalism as a profession, was the fact that he had three younger brothers for whom he desired to find comgenial employment. The boys were aged respectively nineteen, fifteen and ten years. They became compositors and job printers and assisted most materially in the mechanical construction of the journal. In 1849 he became the proprietor of the Coshocton (Ohio) Whig, and changed its name to Coshocton Republican, stating in it that Republican and not Whig was the proper name for the party or its organs; and when chance came his way to reach a larger mass of his countrymen, he sold that print and in 1852 started the Daily Forest City at Cleveland, giving General Scott a strong support in the presidential campaign of that year. The overwhelming defeat of the Whig candidates, run- ning on the platform which Mr. Medill, who was a radical, considered cowardl)', convinced him that it was time to organize a new party to occupy more advanced grounds, in which the doctrines of free soil and anti-slavery would be the promi- nent features. From this same conception in the minds of others grew the national Republican party, which boldly took its stand on the platform of equal rights, anti-slavery, the sovereignty of the nation and protection to American industries. In 1853 Mr. Medill formed a business partner- ship with John C. Vaughn, an emancipationist from South Carolina, who was publishing the True Democrat, a free-soil organ in Cleveland, and Edwin Cowles, a job printer. The two pa- pers were combined in 1853 under the name he proposed, of the Cleveland Leader, and the con- solidated venture was highly successful. The movement for a new national party, which Mr. ]\Iedill and others originated in Ohio, began in 1853. In the spring and summer of that year he wrote and published in his Cleveland "Forest City" a series of editorials advocating the sub- stitution of the name "Republican" for that of "Whig," as the latter belonged to one of the Eng- lish parties. He argued that "Republican" meant a strong national, masterful government, while Democracy had for its model the weak, waning confederation of Grecian State sovereignty. As the Whig party had to be reoomstructed in its plat- form so as to attract liberal-minded people, he held that it should adopt a more descriptive name. He corresponded with Horace Greeley and othei" Whig leaders about changing the party name. Greeley replied: "Go ahead and get it adopted in Ohio: it is too soon for us in New York to ad- vocate the change of name. Wc must first suffer another bad defeat." The same year (1853) the anti-slavery wing of the Whig party in Ohio, which had become ripe for a change, cast nearly 60,000 votes for Samuel Lewis for governer, which caused the overwhelm- ing defeat of the conservative Whig candidate. Nelson Barrere, and that ended the "Whig" party in the Buckeye State. Mr. Medill's paper made a vigorous campaign for Lewis, the liberal candi- date. In April, 1854, a number of prominent anti-slavery Whigs, Democrats and Free-soilcrs met with Mr. Medill in the "Leader's" editorial rooms in Cleveland, and then, after discussion, organized a new party, which they cliristened "the National Republican party," with opposition to the aggressions of slavery as its corner-stone. The name and principles of the new party were speedily adopted in Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois and other States. The sequel is known. Important events in the country's history crowded this closely and the growth of the party was powerfully assisted by the perfidious repeal of the Missouri Compromise, the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska bill and the disgraceful Dred REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 15 Scott decision, wliich tended to disrupt the old parties. Chicago about this time was beginning to at- tract attention as a commercial and political cen- ter, and in January, 1855, Mr. Medill disposed of his paper in Cleveland to Edwin Cowles, and in company with his old partner, Mr. Vaughn, who remained in the firm only one year, and Dr. Ray of Galena, Illinois, (who continued in the firm till 1863), bought the Chicago Tribune, a paper which up to that time had been a losing enterprise. The individuality of Mr. Medill quickly permeated the Tribune. He at once assumed the business and editorial management and made the venture a successful one from the very start, and a few- years later succeeded Dr. Ray as editor-in-chief. When Mr. Medill became the managerial head of the Chicago Tribune, more than forty-one years ago, the telegraphic service was then in its in- fancy. The mail and railway equipment were crude and inadequate to the unforeseen develop- ment of the Northwest. The phenomenal vigor and raipidity with which Chicago itself became the great city of the interior as- tounded even the most sanguine jirophets of prosperity, and the field of journalism, local in color but national in tone, Western in sympathy but American in scope of political vision, was one in which an editor was without predecessors. Mr. Medill in those days watched every depart- ment of his paper with a scrutiny that never re- laxed, and, while always more occupied with great principles than small episodes, always more ab- sorbed in political conceptions of universal truth and national importance than with the evolution of the newspaper, made every column of the Tribune feel his personal touch. He had to invent methods of making the Tribune an adequate ex- ponent of this astounding growth. He had to create the machinery to make these methods prac- ticable. It was he, more than any hundreds of men of the Northwest, who brought Abraham Lincoln to the forefront of destiny. It was he who, long before the name of the Emancipator had been heard in the homes of New England or debated in the halls of New York, discerned those spiritual traits in the rugged exterior of the rail- splitter, which, with his genius for making the truths of Christianity sound politics for a free people, pointed him out to the few who knew him well in his obscurity as the man appointed by fate to override the shifty partisanship of the time and become the expounder before the world of the eternal maxims of human liberty and the con- servator of the Republic, bound to perpetuate equal political freedom or perish itself. Lincoln in those days was a tall, gawky, joke- telling, modest, ill dressed, astute country law- yer, who had some business in the courts of Chi- cago. He used to give a few hours now and then to Leonard Volk, the sculptor, whose studio was the star region of a dingy block on Randolph street; but he oftener climbed the stairs of the Tribune and with his log-rolling feet on the edge of Mr. Medill's desk would plainly state his grave convictions upon the paramount questions of the time. The ideas of the future president and the editor were substantially alike with the exception that Lincoln was more of an evolutionist than Medill, and believed that the great slavery ques- tion would in time evolve itself. Lincoln also at that time believed that slavery might be abol- ished by purchase. Mr. Medill has recently pub- lished portions of his reminiscences of Lincoln, and much of that mist which for years overhung his passage as a man from the margin of back- woods politics into the clear sunlight of national leadership has thereby been lifted. Meanwhile the terrible civil war was on; Lincoln was where Mr. Medill had foretold he would be, in Washington, at the national helm, and the part the Tribune had to perform was one of new and great responsibility. It was not enough that soldiers should go to the front; it was not enough that their physical wants should be carefully supplied ; it was not enough that the com- merce and industry should be sustained while they were in the field; it was necessary that party timidity and the connivance of treason should not defeat at the polls the pur- pose Unionists were achieving in battle. It was Joseph Medill who first suggested that the soldiers should not forfeit their right to cast a ballot while carrying a musket in the field; and the invaluable assistance the soldier vote gave to loyalty at home in those days of darkness and intrigue, history has not fully measured, so en- gaged has she been with the more fascinating 16 BIOGRArmCAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT OALLERT OF TIIR chronicle of military heroism and the story of the clash of armies. It was at Mr. Medill's sug- gestion that the soldiers in the field were given an opportunity to vote, and it was the result of the election in 1864 which sustained Mr. Lincoln in his conduct of the war and made success pos- sible. While on his vacation at White Bear Lake in Alinnesota in the summer of 1862, Mr. Medill saw at St. Paul thousands of young men leaving their homes as members of regiments bound for the front. Fear was expressed by many of the older Union men who remained behind that by sending the "true blue"' boys to war the peace-at- any-price Democrats would gain the ascendancy and through the ballot obtain control of Congress, the president and cabinet, and thus defeat the cause of liberty by a minority vote of the Union States. After reflection Mr. Medill conceived the idea of permitting the soldiers to vote while in the army. He immediately inspected the constitutions of various States and discovered tliat in the majority thereof provision could be made by act of legislature to permit a ballot to be taken in the field. The first action was in Minnesota. Mr. Medill explained his views to Governor Ram- sey, who after consulting the attorney general immediately called the legislature together and recommended that an act be passed to enable the governor to appoint commissioners to go to the front and to take the ballots which were to be de- posited and sealed, to be opened and counted in the district in which the voter resided. The plan of voting, which was an original one, was not only conceived by Mr. Medill, but its adoption by many State authorities was also due to the energetic manner in which he an- nounced and championed it in the Tribune. He also early and often insisted upon the emancipation of the slaves by the president, and advocated arming the freedmen to fight for their liberty, believing, in the language of private Miles O'Reily, "That a black man could stop bullets as well as a white man." The war over and the Union saved, still another era set in. The important work of reconstruc- tion was next in order. The editor employed all the force that his brain and paper gave him to assist in making such a reconstruction of the secession States as would seciu^e to the freedmen their Lincoln decree of emancipation, and pre- vent their re-enslavement in part or whole. Hence he fought for the constitutional amend- ments and the enfranchisement of the ex-slaves. After this great work of the Republican party had been accomplished, he turned his attention to the industrial problems as he had been in the right settlement of the war. As a student of economic data, he is microscopic, and to this minuteness of study he conjoins a memory of unusual reach and of phenomenal tenaciousness. He has a voracious appetite for statistics. Thirty-five years ago statistical publications were not the well arranged annuals any one can buy now on book shelves. Mr. Medill made his own almanacs and carried most of their matter in his head. There is not a phase of economics on which he is not ready, clear and accurate. His soundness in political ethics and his already well demonstrated capacity as a practical politician, willing to take no office but equipped better than any other man in the sight of the people for for- mulating sound modes of government, he was elected to the constitutional convention which gave Illinois the organic instrument that corrected many errors of the earlier advisers of the com- monwealth, and formulated many of the pro- visions which have proved particularly eftectual for the protection of the taxpayers, and that for the protection of the rights of minorities was written by his hand or inserted in the constitu- tion by the cogency of his arguments. Thus Mr. Medill's entrance into official life in Illinois was in 1869, when he was unanimously elected a member of the constitutional conven- tion. He was the only member of the conven- tion who was unanimously chosen, and he re- ceived a larger vote than was given any other member of that body and represented the largest constituency. He framed the provisions which secured representations to minorities in the leg- islature and in corporations, and was a leader in the general work of revision. In 1871 he was appointed by President Grant a member of the first civil-service commission, and in November of the same year he was elected mayor of Chi- cago by a three-fourths majority. When he as- sumed charge of the office the city was in ruins from the g^eat fire and disorder and destitution REPUESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 17 prevailed. It was Mr. IMedill's special work dur- ing the ensuing two years to restore order and put municipal affairs in proper condition, a task which he performed in a highly satisfactory and acceptable manner. The intense application to duty required of him in this laudable work un- dermined Mr. ]\Iedill's health and resigning his office in September, 1873, he went to Europe for a year's recreation. The time passed abroad was almost entirely spent in the study of social and civic conditions and in writing a series of letters thereon for the Tribune, which has made him an authority on public affairs in the Old World, and especially in Great Britain and Ireland. Upon his return to Chicago in November, 1874, Mr. Medill bought a controlling influence in the Trib- une, and took active charge of the editorial de- partment. Under his influence the paper rapidly regained the high position it had lost during the three years of his absence from its helm, and since then has become the recognized journalistic rep- resentative of the Republican party in the West. To Mr. Medill's efforts may the present high- license law of Illinois be credited. For years he advocated an increase in liquor licenses from $50 to $500, claiming that the increase would close many of the vile dens in which liquor was sold and would do much to regulate the traffic. The present law, which places the minimum license at $500 and gives to the municipalities the power to increase the amount, has had the effect which he prophesied, and the city of Chicago has already derived over $20,000,000 in additional revenue since the passage of the law. It makes little difference whether, as used to be the case, his own hand wrote a considerable por- tion of the daily well filled page, as he now dictates the aaiicles to his staff writers. At no time in the history of the Tribune of New York did that journal express the exclusive indi- viduality of Horace Greeley with more absolute unity than the Tribune of Chicago expresses the individuality of Mr. Medill. It is true that he em- ploys a half dozen persons upon editorial ^\'ork; but they all subordinate their powers to him with- out a vestige of personal mannerism, either m thought or expression. This is why the writing of the editorial page of the paper presents daily the ultimate of intellectual economy in literary form. The style is direct, ner\'ous, simple, forci- ble. There is rarely a line of mere literary adorn- ment. There is never a line bearing the impress of an effort for embellishment. The aim is ap- parent in the longest leader — which is never a long article — ^to tlie shortest paragraph, to say something tliat is to be said without any consciousness as to tlie man^ner of saying it beyond clearness, force and completeness. There is rarely a redundant word. There is never a superfluous sentence. Each article is devised to cover a specific idea: when that is done tlie article is at an end. In these quali- ties of simplicity without vulgarity, force with- out excitement, of precision without rigidity, the Tribune editorial page is a model. Every man who can read can understand it; and as Mr. Me- dill's aim is always to persuade by convincing, his diction is that of a plain, frank, well trained and powerful writer who knows how to reach the reason of readers by the shortest road. His persQiial habits inevitably create this per- sonal stamp upon his paper. He has no life which he considers higher than that of the editor; there are no recreations that absorb his facilities as happily as his duties; no pleasures tempt him from work with allurements equal to those it pos- sesses. His success enables him to indulge a loving and generous disposition toward his own household. In his elegant home on the north side, in what is called the "aristocratic" portion of Chicago, he has every comfort that intelligence, wealth and taste can supply. There, immediately after breakfast, his day's duties are assumed. Be- ing for several years somewhat deaf, he has more time for reading and reflects with less distraction. He reads everything, the newest books, the best magazines, the foreign periodicals. He keeps abreast with the thought of the day in every ad- vance. By the time he sets out for the office he has selected the editorial topics for the staff and digested clearly what he proposes to say about them. With the instinct of the tnie journalist he seizes daily upon those themes which are up- permost in the mind of the day, and to each gives that relative allotment of space to which it is in- trinsically entitled. Thus there are never ab- stract disquisitions upon the editorial page, no mere space-filling with literary g>'mnastics, no 18 DIOaRAPIIICAL DICTIOSART AXD POHTItAlT dALLERY OF THE message, no scattering of intellectual power. Even,' topic is of the instant and of large public interest. Each fresh aspect of a permanent inter- est is discussed within logical bounds. He bal- ances his daily quota of editorial with regard to the various phases of general concern. While pre-eminently a man of serious disposition and profoundly convinced that the world is most deeply involved in politics, commerce, manu- factures and the common, every-day materialism of existence, he always looks on the horizon for the new in human interest, and he gives to the arts, to literature and science to which he is a de- votee, and to social questions, ample recognition. When he has allotted his topics and outlines the treatment of them, he reads again; and his own scissors are quick to clip the pungent allu- sion, the pithy paragraph or the suggestive story. He is visited by scores of people ever\' day and is accessible and afifable to everybody. He listens, gives every man his attention and those he likes his tongue. But he forms his own conclusions upon every newspaper topic. When the day's editorial "copy" is handed in, he carefully goes over every line. Few lines, scarcely a para- graph, escape his discriminating and improv- ing pen. Sometimes he completely alters the aspect of an article, the treatment of which he had not sufficiently sketched to the writer. It is not uncommon for stafT writers to say that they scarcely recognize in print the articles which they had written : so, in every fair and reasonable sense, all the editorial articles are his, represent- ing his views on the important events of the day. DAVID DAVIS, BLOOM INGTON. BORN of good Welsh-American stock, on March 9, 1815, in Cecil county, Maryland, Judge Davis was naturally endowed with a hardy earnestness and a large-souled common sense which made him through life popular among all classes yet incapable of becoming arrogant to- ward those below him, as he rose to his great height of fame. By the death of his father, at an early age, he was enabled to follow the educa- tional bent of his mind without having his ener- gies divided between his studies and the problem how to secure the means of a livelihood. But although a considerable estate was left to him, so that he received a primary' education in the public schools of his native State, he attended Kenyon (Ohio) College, read law in the office of Judge Henry W. Bishop, of Lenox, Massachusetts, and afterward took a legal course in the New Haven law school. Although he was thus able to thor- oughly ground himself, intellectually and profes- sionally, he found, when he was ready to go out into the world, that his property had disappeared, and he was called upon to shift for himself with no capital but his character and his actiuirements. Fortunately, these proved all sufficient. Wise young man that he was, he had early taken his own measure, realizing that he was not to make a name as an advocate at the bar or a silver-tongued orator. From the date of his admission to the bar in 1835, and his emi- gration to Illinois during the same year, up to the time of his elevation to the Supreme Court of the United States, in 1862, Judge Davis con- tinually impressed upon the public, both as a law- yer and minor judge, the fact that his mind was f.f the rugged, large, philosophical type. As stated, he came to Illinois during the year of his admission to the bar in 1835, first settling at Pekin, but removing during the succeeding year to Bloomington, which place he called his residence for the following half a century. Two years later (in 1838) he married a lady whom he had met while studying his profession in Lenox, Massachusetts, Miss Sarah W. Walker, daughter of Judge Wm. I'. Walker of that town. Judge Davis had not been long settled in his new home before his fellows discovered his popu- lar as well as his substantial qualities, and, al- though his party was decidedly in the minority, in 1840 he was put forward by the Whigs as their candidate for State senator in the Bloomington district. He made an energetic canvass and a fm^- f4. i<.^'"VV- '"„ ^ ''''Vis' 'f. ^, ^^ ''7 ' >^' /d~~^z^ y~yQ^^^-^iy REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. ly good run, but, as was generally anticipated, was beaten by Governor John Moore, an experienced and most popular Democratic leader. Four years later (1844) he was elected to the lower house, declining a renomination. Here, as a legislator, Judge Davis added to the reputation which he had already earned as a lawyer, a repu- tation for the thorough examination and clear analysis of any matter entrusted to his charge, and for a judicial and impressive manner of pres- entation. His work in the legislature was so satisfactorj' to his constituents, and, although a young man of but thirty-two, his judgment was already ac- counted so mature, that he was elected to the con- vention which formed the State constitution of 1848. Although he expected no reward, his labors there in behalf of the establishment of a more uniform State judiciary were so valued by both the profession and the laity that he was chosen one of the circuit judges without opposi- tion, at the lirst election held under the provisions of the new constitution. In those days the posi- tion was far from a sinecure, if it ever approached it. Judge Davis' circuit consisted of fourteen counties, and, without the aid of a railroad, he was obliged to hold two sessions annually in each county. But the incumbent was at length in his element, and was fully equal to the emergency ; in order, however, to fulfill his duties to his own satisfaction he was obliged to bring into play ever)- fiber of the bodily strength and intellectual acumen for wuich he was noted. In this capacity he continually met his old associates of the bar. Air. Lincoln, Judge Douglas, Colonel Baker, Judge Trumbull, Colonel Hardin, Judge Logan and others; and it is the highest tribute to Judge Davis' sterling worth that none of his decisions ever aroused a feeling of personal antagonism, even among those with whom he was so long a fellow practitioner and several of whom were his acknowletlged superiors in brilliancy and versa- tility. But his honesty, his solid judicial quali- ties, and his remarkable industry and executive force were received by all as full compensation for the eloquence and magnetism which are indis- pensable to the successful advocate. At rare in- tervals in the world's history the judicial, the eloquent and the magnetic are combined, as in the personality of Abraham Lincoln, but Judge Davis was accepted at the standard which he had himself fixed and to which he adhered through life. During the fourteen years of his faithful service as circuit judge few appeals were taken from his decisions. Literally, he ci>nsidered him- self the serv'ant of the people, and had it not been for his admiration and love for Mr. Lincoln it is doubtful whether he would have entered so actively as he did into the campaign of 1858, which witnessed the Douglas-Lincoln debates and finally elevated his warm and great friend to the presidential chair. It was at Mr. Lincoln's personal request that Judge Davis attended the convention of Republicans which met at Chicago on May 16, i860, being a delegate at large and the chosen leader of the Lincoln forces. After he had assisted his friend to take the first step in his open ambition, he left the management of the campaign to others, and returned unassumingly to his judicial duties. In 1861, with Gen. Holt and Mr. Campbell, of St. Louis, Judge Davis was appointed by President Lincoln to adjudicate the conflicting and multitudinous claims against the quarter- master of tlie Department of the Missouri. The work involved an enormous amount of investiga- tion, legal acumen and business talent, but the nnunigs of tne coinnnssiun were ennnently satis- factory and have stood the test in the highest courts of the land. In November, 1862, a vacancy having occurred on the bench of the United States Supreme Court, in the circuit including his native State, Judge Davis was called by the president to as- sume the duties of that high office. It is needless to inform even the careless student of history that these were trying times — that to assume an of- fice, in the midst of war, the discharge of whose duties involved the interests of millions of people, was a responsibility which was almost terrible in its import. But for the succeeding fifteen years Judge Davis brought the most power of his mind to bear upon questions of personal lib- erty, the belligerent rights of enemies, tlie powers of military conxmissions and the financial policv of the Government. It was especially his stand after the war, in defense of the legal tender acts of 1862-3, that brought him into prominence 20 BIOORAPUICAL DICTIONAUT AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE before the people of the whole country. A ma- jority of the Supreme Court, iii the case of Hep- burn vs. Griswold, held that credit currency was not a legal tender in payment of debt. Judge Davis was of the dissenting- minority, and a short time afterward had the satisfaction of being with the majority which reversed the former decision, and held that "the acts of Congress known as the leg'al tender acts are constitutional when applied to contracts made before their passage, and are also applicable to contracts made since." Undoubtedly tlie position so firmly taken by Judge Davis, with the conviction, which for nearly forty years had been strengthening and expanding, that his was one of the stanchest, most svTnpathetic and popular personalities in the country — these considerations induced the so-called Labor-Refomi party to nominate him for the presidency in January, 1872. The finan- cial question .and the general wave of reform which swept the country during that year caused a portentous division in the Republican party and the secession of such leaders as Sumner and Greeley. This minority, with a large element of the Democracy, united in the so-called Liberal movement. At its convention, held in May, 1872, Judge Davis was submitted as a presiden- tial candidate, but as Senator Trumbull also had a strong following in the Illinois delegation he went before that body with only a divided sup- port from his own State. Although Horace Greeley was nominated by the Liberals for the presidency, the independent elements in Illinois kept him in mind, and in Ivlarch, 1876, to break the deadlock in the legislature over the selection of a United States senator, they united upon Judge Davis and elected him over John A. Logan. The contest had continued for two months, and the final choice was spontaneous, the term of service being for six years from March 4, 1877. Judge Davis entered upon his career in the United States senate when within a few days of his sixty-second birthday. Although he had passed twenty-nine years in judicial labors, his experience as a public legislator had been con- fined to one tenn in the lower house of the Illi- nois legislature before he had reached his thir- tieth year. In taking leave of his a'lifinrs on the supreme bench, therefore, it was no unmean- ing assertion when he said: "Having passed all the years of my active life at the bar or on the bench, it is not without serious misgivings that I enter upon a new sphere of public service." Nor was it a mere act of customary politeness whicli prompted the court to reply to his letter of resignation and his farewell address in the following strain: "We have received with sincere regret your letter announcing that your official connection with us is closed. During the fifteen years in which 3'ou have been a member of this court, questions of the gravest character have come before it for adjudication, and you have borne your full share of the labor and responsi- bility which their decision involved. We shall miss yon in the conference room, your wise judgment and your just appreciation of facts; in the reception room, your kind and courteous greetings. With the hope that your life in the future may be as useful as it has been in the past, and that the ties of personal friendship which now bind us to you may never be broken, we subscribe ourselves very sincerely your friends." ' But notwithstanding his natural misgivings Judge Davis not only served upon the judiciary committee witli such tacticians and statesmen as Conklin, Edmunds, Carpenter and Thurman, the equal of any, but was acting Vice-President for nearly two years; and although he had en- joyed little experience as a parliamentarian, not one of his decisions was ever reversed by the sen- ate. At the expiration of his term he devoted himself to his extensive business interests, but was not fated to enjoy the well-earned ease of old age, as his death occurred on the 26th of June, 1886, after an illness of several months. Judge Davis was twice married, his first wife dying at her home in Massachusetts, in Novem- ber, 1879. In March, 1883, upon the expiration of his senatorial term, he was married to Miss Adeline Burr, of Fayetteville, N. C. His sur- viving children were George Perrin Davis and Mrs. Sarah D. Swayne. But although a kind husband and father had been lost, the country and the country's history had gained a great and an honest fame. REPBEtSENTATIVE MEN OF TUB UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 21 SMITH D. ATKINS, FREEPORT. THE ancestors of General Atkins were of Eng- lish extraction, who, on coming to America, settled in the New Haven Colony, Connecticut. Their descendants emigrated thence to Orange county, New York, and later to Chemung county, same State. The father of General Atkins was a soldier in the war of 1812, and his grandfather in the Revolutionary war. General Smith D. Atkins was born on the 9th of June, 1836, near Elmira, in Chemung county, New York, and came with his fatlier's family to Illinois in 1846, where he lived on a farm until 1850. He was educated at Rock River Seminary, Mount Moms, Illinois. He became a printer's apprentice in the office of the ''Prairie Democrat" in 1850, continuing his studies during his spare hours, and in 1852 was made foreman of the Mount Morris Gazette, while he was yet a student in the seminary. In 1853 he became associated with C. C. Allen, who, during the war of the Re- bellion, was a major on the staff of Major-Gen- eral Schofield. They bought the "Mount Morris Gazette," and with the plant established the Reg- ister at Savanna, Carroll county. In the mean- time General Atkins had determined upon the law as a profession, and in 1854 he entered the office of Hiram Bright, in Freeport, as a student, and was admitted to practice June 27, 1855. After his admission to the bar, however, he con- tinued his law studies for some time in the office of Goodrich & Scoville at Chicago, and then entered upon practice in Freeport, September i, 1856. He early manifested a great interest in political matters, and in i860 made a spirited canvass as a candidate for prosecuting attorney for the Four- teenth Judicial Circuit, and one address which he delivered in that campaign, and which was a careful and thorough review of the Dred Scott decision, was published and went through sev- eral editions. In November, i860, General Atkins was elected State's attorney for the Fourteenth Judicial Cir- cuit of Illinois, and on the 17th of April, 1861, while trying a criminal case in the Stephenson county circuit court, a telegram was received stating that President Lincoln had issued his first call for troops to suppress the Rebellion. Gen- eral Atkins immediately, in the court-room, drew up an enlistment roll which he headed with his own name, being the first man to enlist as a pri- vate soldier in his county. Hastening out of the court-room, he went into the streets of Freeport, urging his fellow citizens to rally in defense of the Union cause. Before dusk 100 men had signed the roll, and in the evening a company organization was formed, with him as captain. He and his companions in arms went to Spring- field, where they were mustered in as Company A of the Eleventh Illinois Infantry. Before the expiration of his three-months service, he re-en- listed for three years as a private, but was again nuistered in, as captain of the company just men- tioned, at Bird's Point. At the battle of Fort Donelson he commanded his company, with an unexpired leave of absence, on account of sick- ness, in his pocket; he took sixty-one men into that desperate engagement and came out with but twenty-eight, having lost more than fifty per cent! For gallant service in this battle he was promoted to the position of major of that regi- ment, and by special assigmnent of General Grant went on the stafif of General Hurlbut, as acting assistant adjutant general. Fourth Division, Army of the Tennessee, and in that capacity was en- gaged in the battle of Pittsburg Landing. His service in that battle secured special mention in the general orders after that fight. Ill health com- pelled his resignation after the battle of Pitts- burg Landing, and he spent the two subsequent months on the' sea-coast. It was his intention to return to his command, but at the solicitation of Governor Yates he took the stump to try to recruit eight companies in the eight counties, composing what was then Washburn's Congressional district. He covered the territory, speaking often three times a day, morning, afternoon and evening, and put into camp at Rockford forty-four full companies, in- stead of the eight which had been the limit of lUOURAPlIICAL DlCTlOXAltY AM) PURTUAIT GALLEIiY OF TlIK Governor Yates' hopes. He was chosen colonel of the Ninety-second Illinois Volunteers, Septem- ber 4, 1862. He remained in command of that regiment imtil January 17, 1863, when he was placed in command of a demi-brigade. While the Ninety-second was at Mount Ster- ling, Kentucky, Colonel Atkins, commanding the post, a grave issue arose. It was the first Yankee regiment that had visited that section, and hundreds of slaves flocked to the camp beg- ging for protection and offering their services to fight for freedom. They refused to return to their masters, and when their owners demanded them as chattels Colonel Atkins declined to en- tertain the request, not feeling that his force should be used to drive them back. The owners appealed to the commander of the brigade, a Kentuckian, who ordered General Atkins to re- turn the slaves, but the latter persistently declined to do this, and never did, his reasons being that he was not responsible for the escape of the slaves, and that his men had not enlisted to act in the capacity of blood-hounds to hunt them down and drive them back. The order issued is worthy of preservation, and is as follows: He.'\dquarters Camp Dick Yates, ) Mt. Sterling, Ky., Nov. 2, 1862. j General Order No. 1. In compliance with general order Xo. i issued from the headquarters of the brigade, I hereby assume command of the post of Mt. Sterling and the vicinity. Loyal citizens will l)c protected as such, and the civil authorities assisted in the enforcement of the laws. All loyal citizens and soldiers of Mt. Sterling and the vicinity are commanded to give infor- mation of the whereabouts of any one who is now or has been in anv capacity in the Confederate service, and to arrest all such parties found in Mt. Sterling or the vicinity, and report them in custody to the commander of the post for further proceedings. All loyal citizens are commanded to give in- formation to the commander of the post of the whereabouts of any citizen who has at any time during hostilities given any aid or comfort to the common enemy. Farmers are invited to bring their products to the town and camp for sale, and will be gfranted protection in so doing. Dealers in intoxicating liquors are commanded not to sell or in any way dispose of any intoxi- cating liquors to any soldier. Any one so doing will for the first oi?ense have his stock in trade destroyed, and for the second ofTense be severely punished and confined. Loyal citizens who are the owners of slaves are respectfully notified to keep them at home, as no part of my command will in any way be used for the purpose of returning fugitive slaves. It is not necessary for Illinois soldiers to become slave hounds to demonstrate their loyalty. Their loyalty has been proven upon too many bloody battle-fields to require new proof. By command of Smith D. Atkins, Col. g2iid III. Vol. Com. Post. I. C. Lawyer, Adjt. With reference to the order the general edi- torially says: " The last paragraph of that order gave us no end of trouble. The colored people would flock into camp; at night all who were not employed in the ofificers' service would be turned out of camp; some of them would 'streak it' for the North Star, while others would return to their masters. Our own servant was a colored man, born at Elkhorn, Wisconsin. But we were held responsible for every one of our fellow citizens of African descent who disappeared from the plant- ations about Wi. Sterling. After the regiment was ordered away the judge of the circuit court convened a special grand jury, and we were duly indicted for stealing 'niggers.' We were not ar- rested, because the sherifif found it inconvenient to place us in custody, there being too many blue- coated soldiers around. Champ Furgusson, a reljel guerrilla, went to Mt. Sterling, and some of the citizens of Mt. Sterling being loyal people and belonging to the Episcopal church, Fur- gusson set fire to the Episcopal church, from which the courthouse caught fire and burned up, including the indictments. We have never heard anything of them since then. In the end the war freed all the colored people of Kentucky and of all the States where slavery existed. The South, when there was no danger of the abolition of slavery, took up the sword to save slavery and thereby lost slavery. Those who took up the sword perished by the sword." Colonel Atkins on June 17, 1863, was placed in command of the Second Brigade, Third Di- UEFHESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UXITED STATES; IlJjyolS VOLUME. 33 vision, Anny of Kentucky, which he commanded while in the Department of the Ohio. When the Ninety-second regiment was removed to the De- partment of the Cumberland he was placed in command of the First Brigade, First Division of Gordon Granger's corps, and when the regi- ment was mounted and transferred to Wilder's brigade of mounted infantry, he accompanied it and commanded it until transferred to Kilpat- rick's cavalry division. When General Kilpat- rick reformed his division, preparatory to the great march with Sherman, he assigned the com- mand of the Second Brigade to Colonel Atkins. When Sherman advanced southward he aimed to throw his army between the rebel forces and Sa- vannah. The task of deceiving the enemy and holding them while the movement was being ef- fected was given to Colonel Atkins by Kilpat- rick, and he skillfully accomplished it. At Clin- ton he charged the enemy and drove them four- teen miles to Macon. He assaulted their lines about the city, forced them into the works and held them there until Sherman swept to the east, leaving him with the enemy in his rear and notli- ing before him to impede his rapid progress. In all the engagements in which he partici- pated with his brigade. Colonel Atkins distin- guished himself, especially so at \\'aynesl)oro, where Wheeler and his cavalry were ovenvhelmed and defeated. \N'hile leading the charge of his troops against the rebel columns his color-bearer, Gede Scott, was shot down by his side, and his brigade flag attracted the attention of the enemy, who poured upon it their concentrated fire. In that storm of leaden hail he escaped injury, lead- ing prominently in the van and cheering on his troops to victory. At Savannah he was brevet- ted brigadier-general for gallantry, and was as- signed to duty under his commission as briga- dier-general by brevet by the special order of President Lincoln, and at the close of the war he was brevetted major-general. In all his stations as commanding ofificer he was popular w ith both rank and file. He was a perfect disciplinarian, but was kind and considerate to the men under him. His courage and judgment as a strategist won their confidence, and they read- ily and heartily supported him wherever he went. The military career of General Atkins was highly creditable and one of which his descendants may feel proud. After his military service was ended. General Atkins returned to Freeport. where he has since resided. For many years he has been, and is now, the editor of tlie Freeport Journal, a daily and weekly newspaper, and for nearly twenty-four years he held the office of postmaster of the city of Freeport. General Atkins is a thirty-second- degree Mason, and during the war the Smith D. Atkins Lodge, A. F. & A. M., under a dispensa- tion from the Grand Master of Illinois, was or- ganized in the Ninety-second Illinois regiment, of which he was colonel. He was very active in organizing the Stephenson County Soldiers' Mon- ument Association, and made speeches in every township in the county; and he drew the plans for the county soldiers' monument, of cut stone, nearly eighty feet high, now on the courthouse square in Freeport. He earnestly advocated the establishment of the free public library in Free- port, and when it was established he was elected the first president of the board of directors, has been annually re-elected, and is now serving in that capacity. He is also a member of the Free- port Board of Education, and is one of the Illi- nois commissioners of the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park. His life has been one of great activity, and whatever part he plaved in public affairs has been with great energy and fidelity. General Atkins stands to-day one of the re- spected and highly esteemed citizens of the city of his adoption. His friends are legion, as his genial courtesy and kindly bearing are calculated to win confidence, which his sterling integrity and unquestioned candor serve to maintain. 24 BIOORAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE SHELBY M. CULLOM, SPRINGFIELD. THE parents of Shelby M. Cullom, Richard Northcraft and EHzabeth (Coffey) Cullom, were both of Southern origin, the former having been bornin iNIarjdand and the latterin North Car- olina. The parents of both removed from their respective States to Kentucky, where in the course of time was consummated the marriage of our subject's parents. The Cullom family had its origin in Scotland, and its predominating char- acteristics, transmitted through one generation after another, were strong and rugged in physical constitution, sturdy rectitude of character and a willingness and capacity for labor. In this con- nection it is interesting to note that the father and his five brothers were each over six feet in height, — men who possessed sound minds and sound bodies. His grandfather Cullom died at the age of sixty-one or sixty-two, but his grand- mother lived to record in her days the lapse of nearly an entire century. The maternal ancestry was also one notable for longevity. Hon. Alvin Cullom and Hon. William Cullom, brothers of Richard N., were both prominent lawyers in Ten- nessee, the former having been for many years a judge on the bench, and for a time a member of the lower house of Congress; while the latter became attorney general of the State, and sub- sequently a member of Congress and clerk of the house of representatives; he is still living, having attained the venerable age of eighty-four years and standing as the only surviving repre- sentative of the original family. The name of Cullom, in both its lineal and collateral ramifi- cations, has ever been synonymous with strength, energy, courage and ability, and representatives of the family have in turn emerged from obscurity to occupy positions of high public honor. Thus it would seem that our subject has gained prestige by heredity as well as having won it through his personal endeavors. He is one of not a few of the men of the Cullom stock who have attained to distinguished position in public life. Shelby M. Cullom was born in Wayne county, Kentucky, November 22, 1829, and within the following year his parents removed to Illinois, settling in Tazewell county, where they passed the residue of their days and where they now sleep the sleep of the just. The father, Richard North- craft Cullom, was for many years a leading citi- zen of Illinois, and was well known by all the prominent men of his time throughout the State. He was a member of the State Legislature several times and was a close friend of Abraham Lin- coln, Stephen T. Logan, John T. Stuart, Benja- min S. Edwards and other representative Whig politicians and lawyers, his identfication with the old Whig party being a very active and intimate one from the time of its inception. . The son of a farmer, our subject became early accustomed to the hardy but plain fare and the laborious duties attaching to farm life, the dis- cipline being a valuable one during the form- ative period of his life, for those who live in so close sympathy with nature can scarce fail to absorb from her a spirit of honesty; can scarce fail to come to a realization of the fact that in all fields of endeavor, seed-time and har- vest maintain their regular alternation, and that the harvest, with its valued aftermath, comes alone to those who have labored for its securing. Young Shelby did his share of all kinds of farm work, making a full hand in the har\'est and hay fields, at feeding cattle, clearing land, splitting rails, etc. In those days educational facilities in the newer Western States were very limited in scope. Young Cullom had early in life decided to adopt the law as his chosen profession, and so realized the necessity of a broader and more liberal educa- tion than the country schools afforded. His am- bition and determination soon led him to the practical consultation of wa)'s and means; he prevailed upon his father to lend him a team of oxen and a plow, and with this primitive equip- ment he began the battle of life on his own re- sponsibility, engaging for several months in breaking prairie at two dollars per acre. He then taught a country school for six months, at a sal- ary of eighteen dollars per month for the first three months, and at twenty dollars for the re- maining three. The money thus earned enabled cl/6i rk/ty REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 25 him to attend school at the Rock River Seminary, Illinois, for two years. He was a hard and as- siduous student, and the magnificent physical strength which he had attained by following the plow and swinging the ax came into great use as the mental portion of his system was called upon for its more vigorous work. After return- ing from school he went to that city which was to figure as his future home, Springfield, Illi- nois, and there began the study of law, entering the office of Messrs. Stuart and Edwards, who constituted one of the strongest and best known law firms of that place and period, each of the members being a personal friend of the young student's father. In 1855, two years after he be- gan his legal studies, Mr. Cullom was admitted to the bar, and immediately thereafter came to him his first official preferment, that of city at- torney of Springfield. It was a year of excite- ment on the temperance question; the city had passed ordinances prohibiting the sale of liquor, and young Cullom did all in his power to en- force the laws, proving quite successful in his prosecutions. He soon, however, entered upon a broader field of practice, finding in the circuit court a higher plane for the exercise of his tal- ents, and meeting here, as antagonists, some of the foremost practitioners of the day. As a law- yer his presentation of a case was always logical and concise. His object was to explain, and not to clothe with doubt; to convince rather than to overwhelm with flights of orator}'. In judgment he showed himself to be keen and accurate, with that judicial ability which implied intuitive wis- dom. He is a man of inflexible principles and has never been known to sacrifice what he con- siders right to any rule of expediency. He soon gained a lucrative practice, and had he seen fit to remain in private life he might to-day have been counted among the men of wealth, instead of as one who has in a measure sacrificed personal ambition for the purpose of rendering service to the public. In 1856 he was nominated and elected a mem- ber of the house of representatives in the State legislature, was re-elected in i860, and was chosen speaker. Cullom was strongly arrayed in the support of the Republican party, but his election came, notwithstanding the dii¥erences in ])olitical creed between himself and the majority of his constituents in Sangamon county, thus showing that as a man he was held in highest esti- mation. At tlieelection in i860 the county gave the Douglas Democratic electors a small majority, but such was Cullom's personal popularity that he was elected to the house by a majority of sixty- two voles. The Republicans being now, for the first time, in the majority in the Legislature, and his pronounced eligibility being admitted, he was chosen speaker, and upon him fell the honor of being the youngest man upon whom this respon- sible position had been conferred in the State. In 1862 President Lincoln, who was, a warm per- sonal friend of our subject, appointed him, in connection with Governor Boutwell,' of Massa- chusetts, and Charles A. Dana, of New York, a commissioner ito'pass upon the accoimts of quar- termasters and commissary officers, — a trust of more importance than is indicated by a super- ficial glance, and one which demanded the^ ex- ercise of discriminating care and sound judgment. The able report, which was'in due time presented, shows the care and fidelity with which the inci- dental duties were performed. In the same year, Mr. Cullom was prevailed upon to become a can- didate for the State senate, but the feeling in his county was so intense at this crucial period and so opposed to the war, and to freeing the slaves that naturally, as the representative of a party pledged to the Union and to freedom, he was defeated. In 1864 he was nominated and elected by the Republicans of the old Eighth district for representative in the popular branch of Congress, his opponent being one of his former preceptors, Hon. John T.. Stuart. Two; years later he was re-elected to the same office, and again in 1868, on which occasion he found as his antagonist Hon. Benjamin S. Edwards, his other preceptor, who likewise met defeat at the hands of his former protege. Mr. Cullom entered into the national Congress during that interest- ing period of reconstruction when the best thoughts of the ablest men of the country were brought into constant requisition in the effort to effect a solution of the many perplexing ques- tions that presented themselves. The official rec- ords attest the fact that he was an active and ag- gressive member, even assuming his full share 26 BIOGUAPUfCAL DICTIONARY AND POUritAIT OALLKUY OF THE in the debates, the while maintaining a conserva- tive attitude, with decisive opinions adequately fortified. \\'ithin his last term in the house, he was made chairman of the committee on Ter- ritories and prepared a l)ill for the suppression of polygamv in Utah Territory, which passed the house but failed in the senate. This bill, which provided stringent measures for the suppression of that practice which constituted a foul blot on our national escutcheon, became the practical basis of subsequent legislation, the enforcement of which has effaced the dark spot and destroyed the institution of polygamy. After returning from Congress Mr. Cullom was urged by his neighbors and friends in Sangamon county to consent once more to enter the State legislature, and thus to aid in insuring what was deemed a very imperative measure, — the revision of the laws of the State, and also to lend his ef- fective co-operation in retaining the capital at Springfield, a spirited contest for its removal having been in progress for several years. He consented to become a candidate and was again elected to the lower house in 1872. and was once more chosen speaker by his party colleagues, who were in the majority. Nothing further was heard of the project for the removal of the capi- tal, and the legislature undertook and com- pleted the most eft'ective revision of the laws that has perhaps ever been made in the State. In 1874 our subject was for the fourth time elected representative of his county in the assembly, and became the choice of his party for speaker, but was defeated, owing to a successful combina- tion between the Democratic and independent members of the house. This assembly became notorious as the "Haines Legislature," which has passed into history as the worst the State ever had. It was at this juncture that the friends of Mr. Cullom began to put forward his name in con- nection with the candidacy for governor of the State, — a position for which he was admirably fitted by reason of his distinctive ability and his wide experience in public affairs. In 1876 he accordingly received the nomination at the Re- publican State convention, and was elected as governor over the combined forces of the Dem- ocrats and independents, the same coalition which had the year before defeated him for the speaker- ship. His administration as chief executive of the great commonwealth of Illinois was highly satisfactory to the people of the State, whose af- fairs were never in better condition than when he retired from office. At the end of his term not a word could be urged against his executive pol- icy, even by his political adversaries, and he was elected to serve a second consecutive term, — the first instance of the sort in the history of the State. Within the period of his administration the last of the State debt, which had hung over the State from its early history, was paid, as an example of the economic and judicious policies which the executive had insisted upon. In March, 1883, by the expiration of the term of United States Senator David Davis, there came up the matter of electing his successor; and though Governor Cullom was at this time but half way through his second term, the Republican caucus of the Thirt\'-third General Assembly nominated him to represent the State in the na- tional senate, and he was duly elected, — a fitting recognition of the meritorious ser\^ices rendered the State in various capacities. Mr. Cullom re- signed his office as governor in February, 1883, and his career as senator began March 4th of the same year. At the expiration of his first term, in 18S9, he was elected as his own successor; and was again elected in January, 1895, for a third term, which began March 4th, 1895. No pub- lic officer has been more faithful to public duty. In whatever position he has been placed he has been a man of work, one who has had no idle moments. As senator it is said that, before he took his seat, he determined to do all in his power to ac- complish three things: first, to prevail on the government to construct the waterway known as the Hennepin canal, commencing at or near Rock Island, on the Mississippi river, and terminating at Hennepin, on the Illinois river, thereby con- necting the upper Mississippi river with the Great Lakes, at Chicago; second, to bend every effort to carry forward to successful issue that endeavor which had enlisted his attention while a member of the lower house,- — the abolition of polygamy in Utah; and third, to vitalize the commercial clause of the constitution by an act of Congress, "regulating commerce among the several States," REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. etc., etc. What better criticism of his efforts can be offered than this: polygamy has been oblit- erated and Utah has been admitted into the Union as a State; the Hennepin canal is being con- structed; and an act of Congress was passed in 1887, known as the Cullom act, "regulating commerce among the several States." It is in connection with the last and most im- portant measure of this notable list that Senator Cullom has become most distinguished as a legis- lator. He was at the head of a committee which made an exhaustive investigation of the condition of inter-State commerce as conducted by the com- mon carriers of the country, and which finally brought about the passage of the act already men- tioned. This, the Cullom act, which was ap- proved in 1887, is regarded by very many of the ablest men of the country as the most important measure which has been enacted since the close of the war. While governor of Illinois, Mr. Cullom did all in his power to regulate commerce in the State over which he presided, and he then dis- covered that State regi-ilations without Congres- sional legislation would prove ineffectual and abortive so far as remedying existing evils was concerned. Therefore, when he was elected to the senate he determined that one of the first ef- forts he would make as a representative of his State in the great conservative body of the na- tional legislature, would be to secure the regu- lation of commerce among the several States by an act of Congress. He at once took hold of the question and pursued it with a degree of en- ergy and power that effectually overcame all re- sistance, and which eventuated in the speedy passage of the act which now stands as one of the most valued chapters of Congressional leg- islation. The provisions of this law were urged upon the attention of the common carriers of the country almost before they were made aware that justice had laid a summary hand upon their in- discrinnnate operations. While this act has been much criticised and abused and its author op- posed by men who were in certain lines of com- merce and transportation, yet the public have always believed that its provisions were right and just; and the longer it has remained upon the statute books and the more it has been tested by practical experience, the stronger has it be- come in the judgment of fair-minded people. Incidental to his services in Congress, Sena- ator Cullom has twice been designated as one of the visitors to the Militar}- Academy at West Point, and has for several years been a member of the board of regents of the Smithsonian In- stitution at Washington. Senator Cullom is a conservative man and nuist be regarded as a statesman, always striving to build up for the benefit of the people and to insure a continuous national progress, believing that nations, like men, cannot stamd still ; they must go forward or backward ; they cannot go back- ward without decay, therefore it is imperative that they go forward. He has become some- what conspicuous as a public officer who is al- ways at his post of duty and always at work. No man has ever represented Illinois, either as mem- ber of the State Legislature, as a representative in the lower house of Congress, as Governor of the State, or as a United States senator, who has been more faithful to the trust reposed in him by the people. His mental characteristics are of the solid and practical rather than of the os- tentatious and brilliant order. He is essentially strong in intellect and capable of reaching safe, reasonable and prudent conclusions. In person the Senator is tall and thin; his hair is black, tinged with gray; his forehead is high and mas- sive, indicating his intellectuality, and his features mobile and clearly cut. He has an ease of car- riage and a grace and courtesy of address which have in no slight degree contributed to his pop- ularity. "A strong man," mentally and physically, best describes the individual of our subject. In conclusion we turn briefly to the domestic life of Senator Cullom. In December. 1855, at Spring- field, Illinois, was consummated his marriage to Miss Hanna M. Fisher, who entered into eter- nal rest in 1861, leaving two little daughters, Ella and Catherine. Both grew to womanhood, re- ceiving the best of educational advantages and enjoying all the privileges of a cultured and re- fined home. Miss Ella became the wife of Mr. William Barrett Ridgely, a young successful busi- ness man of thorough education and practical at- tainments, resident in Springfield, Illinois, where she presides over an elegant home. She is de- 28 BIOORAPIIICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE servedly prominent in social and churcli matters in the city of her birtli. Miss Catherine married Mr. Robert Gordon Hardie, an artist of distinc- tion in New Yorl'C. Her untimely demise occurred May 17, 1894, bringing great sorrow to her de- voted husband, her honored father, and ail who had known and appreciated the beauty of her character. Of great personal attractions, accom- plished, and imbued with the abiding graces of true Christian character, she was a woman whose death leaves a void in many loving hearts. Some years after the death of his first wife, Mr. Cullom married her younger sister. Miss Julia Fisher. Two children were born of this union, but both died in infancy. Concerning Mrs. Cul- lom we cannot do better than to quote from a published article touching her individuality. She is spoken of as "one of the most modest and re- tiring women at the capital, but a woman of marked intelligence and sterling character in every sense of the word, as unbending as her Presbyte- rian faith. She is a most conscientious member of that church and is rarely absent from her place in the Church of the Covenant. In discharging the duties of her high position she is most affable and cordial to all. No one has ever heard her speak of another but to praise; if she has criti- cisms to make no one outside of the sacred circle of their happy home ever hears them. She was educated at the Young Ladies' Institute at Spring- field, Illinois. * * * Senator Cullom has oc- cupied most distinguished positions ever since their marriage and Mrs. Cullom has consequently known no reverses, and has been continuously most conspicuous, always filling her position with great credit to herself and fidelity to her hus- band's interests. * '^ * Her perfect equipoise of temperament is most attractive, and has made its reflex on her beautiful face, which is that of a much younger woman than we find her to be after consulting the calendar. Her influence has been for the betterment of mankind and the ele- vation of her sex. * * * Jn Springfield and Washington she has ever been most active in works of charity. At the capital she is a member of the board of managers of the Foundlings' Home, and of other organizations of a benevo- lent character." ISAAC LA FAYETTE MORRISON, JACKSONVILLE. ISAAC L. MORRISON, for more than forty years one of the leaders of the bar of Illinois, was born in Barren county, Kentucky, January 20, 1826. His father, John O. Morrison, was a native of Virginia, whither his father, Andrew- Morrison, had immigrated from the north of Ire- land. Andrew Morrison enlisted in the Conti- nental army during the Revolutionary war and was killed at the battle of Brandy wine. Mater- nally Mr. Morrison is a descendant of the Wel- born family of North Carolina. His maternal grandfather, Samuel Welborn, Avas also a Rev- olutionary soldier and served under General Na- thaniel Greene in his campaign in the Carolinas. Afterward he moved to what is now Monroe county, Kentucky, in which State John O. Mor- rison, who had immigrated thither in 1793, and Elizabeth Welborn were united in marriage. John O. Morrison was a farmer. He died when Isaac L. was fifteen years of age, and there- fore a great amount of responsibility rested upon the youthful shoulders of the latter. He attended the common schools during the winter months, and after his father's death a large share of the management of the farm devolved upon him, and for several years thereafter he was able to de- vote but little time to study. When the oppor- tunity offered itself he entered the Masonic Sem- inary located in La Grange, Kentucky, and later studied law in the office of Addison M. Gazelay, and was admitted to the bar in 1849. He began to practice his profession in La Grange, but clients being few and being an opponent of the insti- tution of slavery and its advocates, he determined to locate in a different section, where the oppor- tunities to advance were better and where slavery did not exist. In 185 1 he settled in Jacksonville, Illinois, and REPRESEXTATTVE MEX OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 20 although he liad no friends or acquaintances in the state he quickly gained an enviable reputa- tion as a lawyer of ability and as a man of un- doubted integrity. By constant application and honesty of action and purpose he soon earned for himself a prominent position in the front ranks of his profession, and his career at the bar of the State has been one long continued series of triumphs. His intellect is vigorous and acute, his judgment quick and compre- hensive, and his argument is close and rigid in logic, skillful in method, agreeable and forcible in manner. In legal learning, in what may be called the erudition of his profes- sion, he has no superior at the bar, and those qualities have given to him the eminent standing so readily accorded him. As a pleader at the bar he endeavors to make his argument so as to place the facts before the court without embellishment; but should occasion seem to reciuire force he can bring a flood of eloquence to bear upon the facts, and in some cases uses refined sarcasm with effect. He has not always practiced his profession alone but at various times has had partners. At the time of the Rebellion Herbert G. Whit- lock, then a student, left his office to enter the army. After his return from the war he was admitted by Mr. Morrison into a partnership, which continued for twenty-two years. For seven years, between 1861 and 1869, ^Ir. Morrison was associated with Cyrus Epler, now circuit judge. At present his son-in-law, Thomas Worthington, is his business partner. Mr. Morrison has never been a politician in the sense of office-seeking. His love of freedom and opposition to slavery naturally placed him in the ranks of the Whigs, and he was one of the active organizers of the Republican party. He was a delegate to the first Republican State con- vention in 1856, and also in i860. In 1864 he was a delegate to the Republican national con- vention at Baltimore, which renominated Lincoln for the presidency. He represented his district in the Illinois legislature for three terms and ren- dered valuable service to the people. In the ses- sion of 1883 the Republicans had but one ma- jority', and having organized the house were held responsible for the legislation. One of their num- ber was taken sick, and, being thus without the means for controlling the house, the services of a competent leader were badly needed, and Mr. Morrison naturally took command. His ability as a legislator was unquestioned, and his knowledge of the law and parliamentary usages made him a power in the deliberations and acts of the body. As chaimian of the ju- diciary committee he assisted in molding all the important measures of the session. The so-called Harper high-license bill, which v^'as introduced by Mr. Harper and given his name, was con- ceived and drafted by Air. Morrison and Major James A. Connolly, then United States attorney for the Southern District of Illinois. The law has been beneficial in many ways and has been the pattern after w-hich the various high-license laws of the several States which have adopted high license have been drawn. Mr. Morrison led the champions of high license in the house and carried it successfully. The opposition to the measure was great, and the vote was not entirely upon party lines. The final victory was largely due to the management of Mr. Morrison, and the ability that he displayed therein commanded the respect of most of his fellow members whether of his own party or of the opposition. An examina- tion of the full history of the proceedings of the legislature during the three months which were occupied by its deliberation of the bill would dis- close Mr. Morrison's name mentioned with honor on each page. In 1880 Mr. Morrison was nominated for Con- gress, and made a spirited canvass of his district, which consisted of Christian, Sangamon, Me- nard, Cass, Morgan and Scott counties. The dis- trict was overwhelmingly Democratic and he did not expect to be elected, but he succeeded in materially reducing the usual Democratic major- ity. For the past ten years Mr. Morrison has not been active in political matters, but has aided his party during its campaigns by public speak- ing in advocating the principles of the Repub- lican party. He was a delegate to the State con- vention in 1892 and as chairman of the commit- tee on resolutions drafted a resolution indorsing President Harrison for the presidential nomina- tion. However, he has devoted himself almost exclusively to the practice of his profession. He was general counsel for the Jacksonville 30 BIOORAPniCAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE Southeastern Railroad Line before it was placed in charge of a receiver, and is still counsel for some of the stockholders ; was also vice-presi- dent of the Chicago, Peoria & St. Louis road. Mr. Morrison was mamed in 1853 to Mrs. Anna R. Rapelje, mr Tucker, a native of New York city. They have two children: Miriam A., the daughter, is the wife of Thomas Worthington, who is a partner of Mr. Morrison in the law finn of Morrison & Worthington. The son, Alfred Tucker Morrison, resides at home. Mr. Morrison owes his success entirely to his own 'efforts. He has not feared that laborious application that his profession requires of all its successful members, and, combined with indus- trious habits, he possesses a mind which constant application has stored with a knowledge of the law and its adaptation. His career should serve as an inspiration to the young law student, and should induce him to exert himself to his fullest capacity and endeavor to emulate the example furnished. GEORGE SCHNEIDER, FEW persons unacquainted with his career would dream that the gray-haired president of the National Bank of Illinois, with his quiet manners, approaching almost to diffidence, and kindly benevolent features, has been an active revolutionist in two continents. Yet facts are stubborn things, and it is not likely that George Schneider, journalist, revolutionist, government official, banker and financier, will ever attempt to deny the impeachment. Nay, he is even proud of the record he established in the past and of the principles for which he made such a gallant fight, both in the old world and the new, as are also those of his friends who have an intimate knowledge of his honorable career. A native of Rhenish Bavaria, George Schneider was born in Pirmasens, December 13, 1823. A liberal education, received in the Latin school of his birthplace, amply equipped him for newspaper work, which chosen field he entered as soon as he attained his majority. It was while he was engaged in journalistic pursuits that he first be- came a revolutionist, taking an active part in the revolt of Rhenish Bavaria against the Bavarian government. As is well known, in 1848-9 an at- tempt was made to unite Germany, and a revo- lution broke out which had for its object the de- fense of the constitution promulgated at Frank- fort-on-the-Main and the unification of Germany. South Germany, and particularly Rhenish Ba- varia and Baden, was almost a unit in favor of a German parliament and against the numerous princes of Germany. An army was raised which took the field, but after a prolonged contest the patriots were defeated and the insurgents, who, as later events proved, were only a few years in advance of the times, were forced to flee the country. In this revolt the young editor, George Schneider, was a prominent leader, and his ef- ficient service for the cause he had at heart, and which he has lived to see successfully realized, made him a marked man. Escaping to France, Mr. Schneider remained there, vainly hoping for a renewal of the contest under better auspices; but finally, seeing the fu- tility of his desires, he sailed for the United States, arriving in New York in July, 1849. To a light purse was supplemented a dauntless courage, a good education, and a determination to succeed, — not a bad capital for any young man. From New York he drifted to Cleveland, thence to St. Louis, where, with his brother, he established the Neue Zeit, a German daily of liberal, anti-slavery tend- encies. At about the same time that George Schnei- der reached the new world came hundreds of his fellow sympathizers, the flower of the youth and intellect of Germany. Highly educated, full of ideal views and bursting with eloquence, it was natural that many of these should take kindly to the pen, and as a consequence in a short time, from New York to the far West and southward to New Orleans, the German press invaded the country and was presently established on a firm REPRESENTATIVE MEX OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 31 foundation. It was at this interesting period that the "Missouri Compromise" measures were being agitated, the spirit of which the German population by no means understood. Their news- papers had instilled into their receptive hearts a wholesome horror of slavery, and any compro- mise was intensely repugnant to their sentiments. They were naturally averse to the movement after reading the bitter attacks on slavery in the Ger- man newspapers, the editors of some of which were more violently outspoken than such noted abolitionists as Garrison, Lovejoy or Eastman, of the Chicago Western Citizen. It will be remembered that the state of the country, prior to the introduction of the Nebraska bill in the senate by Douglas, as chairman of the committee on Territories, was decidedly inimical to slavery, but after the election of Pierce, in 1852, the violent opposition of the Democratic party to slavery dwindled down to its acceptance of the "Compromise ^Measures." The commerce of the countr}-, even, was committed to slavery, and any attempt to impair existing conditions was considered revolutionary. This was the situa- tion when George Schneider was publishing his Xeue Zeit, at St. Louis. That his Democratic free-soil paper helped to instill into the hearts of his German readers an honest hatred for slavery is unquestioned, and, having become violently opposed to its institution in spite of the predic- tion in its favor evinced by the native population of Missouri, the Germans were ready at the out- break of the war to fight for the Union and the principles it represented. Grant, in his Memoirs, says that the Germans, through the capture of Camp Jackson and by their united opposition to slavery, undoubtedly kept that State in the Union. After the plant of the Xeue Zeit was destroyed by fire, in 1850. its homeless editor accepted a pro- fessorship of foreign languages and literature in a college not far from St. Louis, but the news- paper fever was in his veins and in a short time he resigned his chair and removed to Chicago, where, in 1851, he began the publication of the daily Illinois Staats Zeitung, which had previously been established as a weekly newspaper. At this time the feeling of the North was rather for up- holding the relations with the South, and the compromise measure passed Congress, includ ing the Inigitive Slave Law, to which, of course, some lingering opposition was kept up in dif- ferent portions of the countr)-. The Staats Zeit- ung prospered under the eiificient m.anagement of Mr. Schneider, and grew in favor, but although its politics were Democratic, its editor was op- posed to the Missouri Compromise and took such a decided stand against the measure in the columns of his paper that it aroused the wrath of some of his constituents, who were not among the faithful, and, in 1856, an unsuccessful attempt was made to wreck the office. iJut prior to this the agitation over the obnox- ious measure resulted in a meeting where was originated the anti-Xcbraska bill, which notable event took place January 29, 1854, at Warner's Hall, on Randolph street, near Clark. Editor Schneider was one of the small but courageous body of men that assembled for this purpose, and after the bill was framed a telegram was sent to John Wentworth, then Democratic represent- ative in Congress, notifying him of the result and urging him to vote against the Xebraska bill. He promptly responded that he would accede to the wishes of his constituents, especially as they coincided with his own views, and this conver- sion is all the more significant because of its be- ing the first Democratic vote pledged against the hated bill. This meeting, held at Warner's Hall, January 29, 1854, really marked the birth of the Repub- lican party. Thousands of Americans and Ger- mans, indignant and horrified at the violation of the compact, hastened to join the new movement, and of course in the Xorthern States this whole- sale secession influenced the Democratic party to such an extent that in large cities like Chicago it became almost free-soil in its tendencies, and as a result a large part of the best Democrats joined the Republican party. It was at this crit- ical juncture that Douglas and a few other Dem- ocratic leaders came to Chicago to try to check the disaffection in the party. By special appoint- ment Editor Schneider met the "Little Giant" at the Tremont House, and, in comi)any with Gen- eral Cameron and a few other friends, the situa- tion was discussed. Mr. Douglas used all his persuasive eloquence in the effort to convince the editor that he was in the wrong. He told the fear- 32 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONART AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE less advocate that he was only leading his friends into the woods, from which there was no pos- sible egress, and urged him to retreat before he was hopelessly entangled. But the German- American said the woods had no terrors for him, he was unalterably opposed to slavery and had cast his lot with the new party for better or worse. About this date a movement sprang up in the East, unfortunate in itself, which for some time threatened the disruption of the new party. This was the famous "Know Nothing" movement, which, in the New England States and at Chicago, attracted so many young Americans that it took the utmost moral courage of the free-soil Demo- cratic Germans to maintain their ground inside the new organization. Mr. Schneider and his friends found themselves in a difficult and trying position. Behind were the burned bridges that formerly connected them with the Democratic party under Douglas; ahead and right in their new camp was an element inimical to their inter- ests and to that of their countrymen. They had to determine to fight slavery and at the same time were forced to defend themselves against their allies. Of the greatest value in the new party to the German Republicans were such men as Lincoln, Lyman Trumbull, John M. Palmer and Governor Koerner, all of whom were ready to act with them inside the party against the spirit of the native- American organization. At the convention held at Decatur, in 1855, to which Mr. Schneider was a delegate, the sturdy editor introduced a resolu- tion so as to fortify his position, pledging the party against the impairing or changing of the then existing naturalization laws. This provis- ion in the new platform created consternation among the men who came from districts infected with the spirit of Know-Nothingism, but the greatest help at this trjing time came from Abra- ham Lincoln, who was at that period a leader in the Whig party and was trusted absolutely for his wisdom and discretion. The resolution, after a very stormy session, was referred to him, and he decided in favor of its adoption. It was then carried to the State convention of 1856, at Bloom- ington, where it had a similarly exciting experi- ence, but was finally passed. At the Bloomington convention delegates were elected to the national convention of 1856, at Philadelphia, and among them were John M. Palmer, Norman B. Judd and George Schneider — the last named as delegate at large. Contem- porary with the convention of 1856 was called the convention of the North American party, by which name the Know-Nothing organization was styled. At the Bloomington convention General Bissell was nominated for governor and Francis Hofifman for lieutenant governor, while among the electors was the gallant Frederick Hecker, who afterward was one of the famous captains of the Union army. At Philadelphia the North American party began to negotiate with the Republican convention and everything was done to prevent a coalition between the parties, for had it been known that the young Republican party had united with the North American party it would have been impossible to carry States like Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Missouri; even Ohio would have been in doubt. Such a union, in fact, meant certain death to the new party, which must have been strangled in its cradle. Think of the result! There never could have been a war for the Union because all the concessions possible would have been made to slavery. The delegates from Illinois, especially John M. Palmer, Norman B. Judd, George Schneider and a few others of like spirit, made a determined fight and forced the convention to adopt the res- olution to maintain unimpaired the naturaliza- tion laws, which in itself would kill the attempted fusion between the two conventions. To accom- plish this end a compromise was effected with the Indiana delegation under the lead of Governor Henry Lane, to whom was offered the chairman- ship of the Republican convention provided he would agree to appoint on the committee on res- olutions such men as would insure the adoption of their resolution. He expressed his willingness to do all that was fair and honorable and carried out his compact to the letter. When the resolu- tion was reported by the committee it created a tre- mendous sensation, raised the greatest excitement and evoked the stormiest scenes ever witnessed in the history of any public meeting. Thad. A. Stevens, who was known to be iden- tified with the North American party, rose in the convention and denounced the resolution as an insult to the American party of Pennsylvania REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF TUE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. m and moved to lay it on the table. Delegates from Illinois immediately rose to their feet and threat- ened to secede from the convention if this motion carried. Knowing that such a bolt would disrupt all the arrangements of the party and eternally damn the ticket previously nominated at Bloom- ington, — because Governor Hoffman and Fred- erick Hecker would have resigned at once, — amid indescribable confusion a vote was called, which Governor Lane declared carried. The new party was made on a Republican-Demo- cratic basis, and Fremont was nominated. En- thusiastic meetings were held all over the country, but the part>- was defeated, although it carried the great Western States. New history was made ; Lincoln arose on the scene; the war followed, and slavery received its death blow. In this spirit a writer not long ago remarked that Carl Schurz and George Schneider had done more to kill slavery than any other two men in the countn,-. If so, it was through the spirit devel- oped and described above. How the conven- tion, reviewed years after, would appear is best shown in a letter written by Governor (now Sen- ator) John AI. Palmer, who was then closing his term as Republican governor of Illinois. Dated at the executive chamber, Springfield, January 13, 1872, and addressed to George Schneider, it read as follows: IMy Dear Sir: — I am just leaving the executive rooms to make way for my successor, and avail myself of the last moment to thank you for your kind and friendly note. Among the most interest- ing of my memories are those that are connected with the events to which you refer (the conven- tion of 1856), and I shall hereafter make no friends to whom my affections cling so fondly as to those who encountered the storms of obloquy and the bitterness of party to initiate the great movement for the overthrow of slaven,- and the preservation of republican institutions upon this continent. You are entitled to a full share of the honors of this great revolution, for you aided to commit that great people, the Gennan Americans, to the movement, and their tongues and pens and swords have done noble service at all points, and in all fields where their contest was maintained. May God bless you and them for the noble service you and they have rendered! Respectfully, John M. Pal.mer. This is a noble tribute to the man who worked so faithfully and ardently in support of princi- ples he believed to be right; and who will say it is undeserved? In the Republican convention of i860, to which Mr. Schneider was a delegate, although a personal friend of Abraham Lincoln, he favored the nomination of William H. Seward for the presidency, believing him to be the most available candidate; but in the famous "wigwam," when he found himself in the minority, he yielded gracefully, and prompdy and heartily supported Abraham Lincoln, who later showed his esteem for Mr. Schneider by appointing him consul to Denmark, with the special mission of negotiating the placing of United States bonds abroad. He accomplished his mission satisfactorily, but, re- signing the consulship in 1862, he returned to Chicago, where, having sold his interest in the Staats Zeitung to Brentano, he was appointed col- lector of internal revenue by Lincoln. The duties of this oflice naturally brought him in close contact with financial interests, and at the close of his term Mr. Schneider engaged in the banking business. In 1871 he was elected president of the National Bank of Illinois, of which institution he was the founder and whose interests he has watched so closely and success- fully that to-day the bank ranks with the fore- most financial institutions of Chicago. As a busi- ness man he is discerning, conscientious and con- servative, doing many charitable acts of kindness in a quiet, unostentatious manner that is charac- teristic of the man. His domestic life has been a poem of happiness, and seven accomplished daughters have been the result of his marriage, which took place in June, 1853. He lives in a large, roomy mansion, which he built, on the cor- ner of Michigan avenue and Twentieth street, over a score of years ago. Passionately fond of flowers, his tables are seldom without a few rare orchids or roses, which he raises himself in his hothouse on the premises. All his daughters are happily mamed and live on the North Side, where his friends think he will some day follow them; but Mr. Schneider is fondly attached to his com- fortable home on the avenue and denies that he entertains any notions of moving. When President Harrison was forming his cab- inet, there was considerable talk of the treasury 34 nrOGHAPIIWAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE portfolio being offered Mr. Schneider, but the presidency of his bank was probably a more at- tractive position than a cabinet portfolio. A prominent member of the World's Fair Board of Directors, he was on three of the most impor- tant committees, viz., ways and means, press and printing, and agriculture, and was a valued and active worker in all. A member of the Union League, Germania and Press Clubs, of which latter organization he has long been the honored treasurer, Mr. Schneider has endeared himself to all his associates by his courtly demeanor, demo- cratic ways and kindliness of heart. WILLIAM A. BARNES, M. D., Go into any village, town or city in this great Northwest of ours; seek out the men who are the leaders in spirit, thought and action ; learn the history of their lives, and you will find that there is usually a striking similarity which leads to the inevitable conclusion that like conditions produce like results. The story usually begins, "Born in New England, parents poor, somewhat numerous family, self-made, etc." Now this fact, for fact it is, illustrates most aptly one of the salient features of our American civilization. There is an opportunity offered here under our emblem of liberty for every human being to work out and develop the best there is in him. The record of a self-made man, however, is al- ways of interest and profit, and the lessons learned therefrom are valuable ones. To this honored class belongs Dr. Barnes, who was born in Clare- mont, New Hampshire, on the 15th of March, 1824, and who numbers among his ancestors some of the best families among the early colo- nists. On the paternal side his ancestors were residents of Connecticut, locating there long be- fore the Revolution. The grandfather, "Bill Barnes," was born in Farmington, Connecticut, and when a young man emigrated to New Hamp- shire, becoming one of the first settlers of Clare- mont. He married Miss Esther Spaulding, lived on a farm adjoining the village, reared there a family and became one of the substantial and respected citizens of the community. His second son was Ira N. Barnes, who married Harriet Eastman, and had a family of five children, namely: William A., whose name heads this rec- ord; Joseph D., a prominent farmer and stock- raiser of Valparaiso, Indiana; George E., who was killed at the battle of Chapultepec, in the Mex- ican war; Dr. Ira N., who has been one of the leading physicians of Decatur for more than thirty years; and a daughter who died in infancy. William A. Barnes was only six years of age when his father died, and from that time on was practically reared by his grandparents. He pur- sued a course of study in the Claremont Academy, and at the age of fifteen removed to Dayton, Ohio, making his home with a cousin. General Phelps, while he continued his studies at the Day- ton Academy. When it became time to choose a work or profession which he wished to follow through life his tastes and inclinations led him to take up the study of medicine, and for three years he pursued a course of study in that direction under the supervision of Dr. \"an Harlengen, of Centerville, Ohio. Subsequently he attended lec- tures and w^as graduated at the University of Pennsylvania, in the class of 1850. Upon the completion of that course Dr. Barnes at once returned to Centerville, and continued in practice there until autumn, when he removed to \'alparaiso, Indiana, doing a successful business there in the line of his chosen work through the three succeeding years. In the fall of 1853 he came to Decatur, Illinois, then but a small vil- lage, and from that time to the present has been one of its most respected citizens. He had saved some money and having confidence in the future of this new country he invested his capital in farming lands near the village. Other business enterprises also claimed his attention, and in the fall of 1855 he embarked in the drug trade, which he continued for three or four years. Almost from the beginning of his residence REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 35 here, Dr. Barnes has been a prominent factor in pnbHc affairs. In 1861 he was appointed master in chancery of the circuit court for the county of Macon, which office he held for several years. Ever active and a true representative of American enterprise and versatility, he saw an opening for a manufacturing venture, and, in company with William Lintner, he established a plant for the manufacture of hay presses, pumps, agricultural implements, etc. Success attended the new un- dertaking and he continued his connection with it until some years later, when he disposed of his interest in the same to Messrs. Peddecord & Bur- rows, and the large works of the Decatur Furni- ture Company are the outgrowth of the plant of this establishment. The Doctor has always con- sidered investment in land as safe and profitable, and in ]\Iacon and adjoining counties owns many fertile and productive farms which yield to him a good income and thus prove the wisdom of his views. Since his retirement from active commercial business he has not devoted his entire attention to pastoral pursuits. Always an earnest advocate of the education of the masses, he was for many years a member of the board of education of De- catur, and for most of the time its president. He was one of the organizers of the Free Public Li- brary of the city, and has been for nearly twenty years president of the board. He has been twice a member of the board of supervisors and was the first mayor of Decatur under the present char- ter of the city. He was one of the organizers of the Republican party in the State of Illinois, and has always been an adherent of the principles of that party, though he has never sought official favor. Socially, he is connected with iMacon Lodge No. 65, F. & A. M. ' Dr. Barnes was married on the 30th of Octo- ber, 1849, to Eleanor Sawyer, a daughter of John Sawyer, of Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, and they became the parents of five children, but one son died in infancy. The others are: Albert, now a leading business man of Decatur; Charles M., who was a distinguished attorney of Boston, Massachusetts, and died March 9, 1893; Mary, wife of George R. Stanton, of the city of Mex- ico; and William, a prominent surgeon of De- catur. The mother of this family died April 22, 1886. The man who attempts to write of men as they are meets two difficulties on the very threshold of his undertaking. He is liable to say too much — he is liable to say not enough. This much may be truly said of Dr. Barnes, however: he presents a splendid type of our best American manhood. Although past the age of seventy years, he is stal- wart, vigorous, well preserved physically, men- tally and morally. He has so deported himself that he not only has the good will but the re- spect and love of the entire community in which he dwells. He is an honorable man whose repu- tation is above reproach, and his word is as good as his bond. He is a progressive man who has always sought to enlighten and elevate the peo- ple among whom he has lived ; he is a liberal and generous man, to which fact the community at large will testify; he is a philosophic man, for he has succeeded in getting the best out of life that there was in it. Since his retirement from active business pursuits he has traveled exten- sively in both the old world and new. His con- tact with his fellow men has broadened his na- ture and his views, if such were possible; and hale, hearty, erect and vigorous at three score years and ten, his faculties undimnied, his physique but little impaired by age, many years of undiminished usefulness yet seem before him. Such men are rare, and the world is not slow to appreciate them. It is safe to say no man in De- catur has more or warmer friends than Dr. William A. Barnes. 36 BIOGUAPIIICAL nrr'TIOXARr AXI> POIlTIiATT GALLERY OF THE JOHN BICE TURNER, CHICAGO. TIIF. man that has bridged over space and practically annihilated time by the work of his inventive and enterprising spirit, deserves to be numbered among the benefactors of the race. 'Tis an age of progress, when vast commercial transactions involving millions of dollars depend upon rapid transportation. The revolution in business that the past half a century, or even less, has witnessed, has been brought about by the means of the railroads; and the man in whose brain originated the scheme of establishing the highway of travel throughout the Northwest was John Bice Turner. Through this means he opened up to civilization a vast region with un- limited resources, providing for every means of labor, giving homes to the miner, the farmer, the commercial man. The advent of railroads has marked the advancing civilization in all coun- tries, and has been the means of uniting the dififer- ent portions of America, making it one and an inseparable union. Mr. Turner was a great rail- road organizer, an important factor in uniting, expanding and consolidating the intersecting and co-operative lines of railway, which extend from coast to coast and from the Gulf to the cold border of British America. Mr. Turner began life almost with the century and spent the first half of his career in close touch with the interests of the East. He was then closely identified with Chicago until shortly before the great fire, when, on the 26th of February, 187 1, at the ripe age of seventy-two years, he passed away. Born in 1799, in Colchester, Delaware county. New York, he lost his father when but two years old, and at the age of fourteen became an orphan by the death of his mother. He was adopted by a j\Ir. Powers, with whom he re- mained until his twentieth year, assisting in the work of the farm and of the tan-yard, while in the winter season he attended school. He was always industrious and self-reliant and used every opportunity for attaining the high stand- ard which his ambition placed before him. In 1819 I\Ir. Turner married Miss Alartha Vol- untine, of Malta, Saratoga county. New York, who died in March, 1855. He aftenvard wedded Miss Adeline Williams, of Columbus, Georgia. Among his six children, three of whom are sons, the eldest, \^oluntine C. Turner, a well-known citizen and a man of scholarly attainments, is living a retired life in Chicago, but was long at the head of the North Chicago Street Railway. Soon after his first marriage Mr. Turner se- cured an interest in a farm, but in 1824 sold it and opened a store, mill and distillery at Malta- ville. Six years later reverses came and he lost much of his property. What then seemed a great misfortune proved otherwise, for it was the means of his turning his attention to railroading. Dur- ing the next five years of struggle to regain his lost wealth he was becoming more and more interested in the future possibilities of railroads as means of transportation, and in April, 1836, he contracted to build seven miles of the Troy & Saratoga Railroad, — a work done with such completeness and success that he was placed in charge of the road. The company purchased thirty horses, and barns were erected every ten miles, for most of the trains were drawn by horses. There was but one five-ton locomotive in the United States, and the second one, the Cham- plain, was placed on this road by Mr. Turner. His scrupulous honesty, which avoided even the appearance of speculation that might suggest personal profit, won him a reputation as great as did his services as a railway organizer. In November of the same year he joined a partner in constructing the Delaware division of the New York & Erie Railroad. When the panic of 1837 came on the road suiTered to some extent, be- ing affected by the general stagnation of busi- ness, but was soon again in a thriving and pros- perous condition. In connection with his broth- er-in-law, John Vernam, he constructed the Gen- esee Valley canal, which for a time promised to be a financial failure, but afterward yielded a rich return to its promoters. This and a section of the Troy & Schenectady Railroad were both finished by the spring of 1843. These enterprises placed ]\[r. Turner's affairs "^A^^ Ji3, REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. :}7 once more on a firm financial basis, and it was then that he determined to examine the great Mississippi valley. He was so impressed with its possibilities that he came to Chicago, then an insignificant town by the lake, and' here he was far-sighted enough to realize the favorable op- portunities of location and to see promises of future development. A man who had foreseen the advantages of uniting the lakes with the sea- board naturally thought to unite the lakes, the great water-way, with the interior. On the 15th of October, 1843, he established his family in the old Tremont House of Chicago. The following spring he purchased one thousand acres of land south of Blue Island and put upon it a great flock of Ohio sheep, that he might have some other business interests than railroad projection and construction, — then a somewhat uncertain venture. While Mr. Turner was engaged in his earlier railroad work in the East, the Galena, Chicago & Union Railroad had been surveyed (in 1837) and a small section constructed, but work was then suspended for ten years. On the 5th of April, 1847, ^Ii". Turner joined William B. Og- den in reviving the work and the latter became president of the company, while the former was made director of operations. A survey was made by Richard P. Morgan, and the officials began collecting subscriptions for the new concern. By December, 1850, the line had been extended be- yond Elgin, and the year 1852 saw it at Free- port, connecting there with the Illinois Central. Air. Turner became president of this company in 1850, and, in connection with the work before mentioned, completed, within the next few years, the Dixon Air Line and partly the trunk line across Iowa. In 1853 he organized the Beloit & Madison Railroad Company, and though he resigned the active presidency in 1858 he was equally influential with Mr. Ogden in the direc- tion of its affairs. In June, 1864, when the Ga- lena road was united with the Chicago & North- western in one system, he was made the chair- man of the managing committee. His mana- gerial and executive ability were of a high order, his energy and enterprise seemingly inexhausti- ble, and his resolute purpose carried forward to successful completion whatever he imdertook. As the city grew and there was a demand for local transportation, he became a director in the North Chicago Street Railroad. It was during the time of the war that an in- citlent occurred which showed the lofty regard in which he was held by the leaders of the country. There was a growing suspicion that the railways were defrauding the Government in the West and .Southwest. John B. Turner was the man whom the investigating committee chose to examine the situation and present to the Government fig- ures concerning the accounts, and his figures were accepted as final without alteration. All who knew Air. Turner or who knew of him had the utmost confidence in him, and his pub- lic and private life were alike above reproach. He retained connection with the great railway system which he had created until his death, and made it one of the most important in the country. Its lines were extended, its traffic increased and the enterprise became one of the paying indus- tries of the great Northwest, and success paved the way for other similar successes and demon- strated by what means the tidings of enlighten- ment and civilization were to come to the utter- most ends of the earth. His loss to railway cir- cles was irreparable; for, in the words of Gen- eral Manager Dunlap, he was a "judicious and faithful counselor, genial companion and Chris- tian gentleman. His devotion to the national interests of the country was excelled only by the patriotism which never lost sight of the highest duties of citizenship. His good works live after him and will keep his memory forever green. He was one of those far-sighted forefathers who laid deep and broad the foundations upon which the men of later days are building; and when the marvelous history of railroad development m America and of the world shall be written the name of John Bice Turner will occupy an hon- ored place as that of a great originator, con- structor, organizer and operator who dared when others dared not, and was modest in his claim to public notice when his small imitators were clam- oring for the credit of his work. He lived and labored and died like the truly great man that BIOORAPniCAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE CHARLES H. ALDRICH, AUGUST 26, 1850, in La Grange county, Indiana, is the date and place of Mr. Aid- rich's birth. He lived upon a farm until he was sixteen years of age, when his father removed to Orland, Steuben county, Indiana, for the purpose of sending his children to an excellent school then in existence in that village. The subject of this sketch was a delicate, fragile- looking boy, fond of reading and of studious habits, and when taken from the outdoor life of the farm to the more confined life of the school, his health became so uncertain that his father con- cluded that he could not survive the education which had been promised him, and that he would be unable to follow the profession of law to which he looked forward. The father therefore re- fused to send him to the university, whereupon the son left home and worked for his board until he finished his preparation for college and part of his college course. A kind friend became inter- ested in the ambitious and gifted youth, and in- sisted upon advancing as a loan the money re- quired to pay the expenses during the last half of the college course, and later made further ad- vances that the young man might go at once into the study and practice of his profession and not 1( se time in teaching. The record made by a youth pursuing his studies under such circum- stances was, of course, a highly creditable one. He was graduated at Michigan University, in the classical course, in 1875, and the university has since conferred upon him the honorary degree of Master of Arts. He commenced the practice of his profession at Fort Wayne, Indiana, and remained af that place until April, 1886, when he removed to Chicago It is safe to say that in these early years no man in the legal profession in Indiana of his age had a higher reputation as a lawyer and gentleman, or was more esteemed by the older lawyers and by the bench. He enjoyed the confidence and friend- ship of such men as Thomas A. Hendricks, Colonel Abram Hendricks, Benjamin Harrison, W. H. H. Miller, Joseph E. McDonald, John M. Butler, Oscar B. Hord, Noble E. Butler, W. P. Fishback, R. S. Taylor, Allen Zollars, etc., many of whom had then or have since acquired a national reputation. In Chicago, Mr. Aldrich soon took high rank as an able and successful lawyer. He is modest and retiring, adhering to the old views of profes- sional ethics, which discountenance all manner of advertising and self-adulation. He is a public- spirited citizen, always ready to support real re- forms of existing abuses in the law or its admin- istration and to encourage and support institutions calculated to aid his fellow men. He prefers to d) this modestly and no noise is ever made about his action. Tliere is no effort on his part to be- come a leader. His tastes lead him to choose a quiet life of work in his profession, study and reflection. His home, his profession and the questions of the day, covering a wide range of study, absorb him, and in these he finds his great- est enjoyment. Few men have a more intimate knowledge of the history of the country or its public men, or have devoted more time to the study of the social and economic questions of the times. Mr. Aldrich was appointed special counsel for the Unted States in its Pacific railroad litigations growing out of the so-called Anderson act in 1890. He was successful in both cases, which he argued in the circuit courts of the United States for Nebraska and California, and these successes, opposed as he was by some of the leading counsel of the United States, led to his selection as Solici- tor General of the United States, to succeed Wil- liam H. Taft, who was in 1891 appointed a judge of the United States Court of Appeals. He held the office of Solicitor General until June, 1893. There was but one opinion, irrespective of party, as to the manner in which he discharged his duties, and that was that the office was never more ably filled. In a brief time he impressed himself tipon the country as an able lawyer and a fearless and conservative administrative officer. The Chinese Exclusion, Hat Trimmings, the Cherokee and other cases gave evidence of his power as a lawyer; and while defeat came in one of these, a justice of the supreme court has said that the argument was one of the most masterly he had ever heard and iTie Cenlury ruiiishing ijingriviitg Co. CMoajo. ^^i ^■>s......_J^ ^k^'i-t^^i^^^''^^ / REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF TEE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 39 unfortunate precedents alone was responsible for the result. The opinion prepared by Mr. Aldrich upon the power of the national Government in matters of public health and quarantine regulation, also upon the scope and effect of the election law, showed a broad grasp and met the cordial approval of the legal profession conversant with the questions, while his opinion that the administration might issue bonds to maintain resumption and keep the money of the United States at a parity was prac- tically adopted and has been acted upon by ^Ir. Cleveland's second administration. Mr. Aldrich is an earnest Republican, a mem- ber and trustee of the First Presbyterian Church of Evanston, a member and first vice-president of the Union League Club of Chicago, and also a member of the University Club of Chicago, the Literary Club of Chicago, the Evanston Club and the Country Club of Evanston. He also belongs to the American Bar Association, the Illinois State Bar Association, of which he is first vice- president, and to the Chicago Bar Association and the Lawyers' Club of New York city. He is also a member of the Central Council of the Civic Federation of Chicago, and was chairman of the conuuittee which prepared a new charter for the city, which has met with the highest praise by those who have given much attention to the principles of municipal government, but which has not yet received the approval of the legisla- ture of this State. When asked what public act of his he regarded with the most satisfaction, he answered: "My attempt to put an end to what I regard as the oppressive and fraudulent telephone monopoly, and which I have faith will yet prove suc- cessful." He was married October 13, 1875, ^o Miss Helen Roberts, and three children bless their union. In vigorous health, enjoying a large and lucrative practice, esteemed by all who know him, blessed with a happy home and those temporal aids with which a home can be made beautiful, the subject of this sketch may well be called a successful man. SAMUEL C. EELLS, SAMUEL COOK EELLS wasbom in Walton, Delaware county. New York, Mardi 19, 1822. The Eells family is of New England origin, de- scending from one of the early Colonial families that emigrated from the old world. The paternal grandfather of the subject of this sketch, who also was named Samuel, was an independent farmer, and in 1800 became a pioneer of Delaware county. It was during the latter year that Nathaniel G. Eells, the father of our subject, was bom. He was brought up to the hardy occupa- tion of a farmer, and also engaged in the lumber business. He married Betty St. John, a native of Connecticut, whose grandfather and six of his sons serv^ed in the Revolutionary war. Nathaniel Eells died when a young man, and his wife was left in straitened circumstances, with four children to care for. Samuel, who was the second child and eldest son, was reared on a farm, assisting, as soon as he became able, in its cultivation. His primarj- education was such as he could obtain at the local school, supplemented by a course at an academy. Here he made rapid progress, and when he was sixteen years of age was amply qual- ified to teach, a profession that he at once entered upon. When nineteen years old he became a clerk in a general store in his native village and continued in that capacity until 1854. In that year he came to Dixon, at the solicitation of Mr. John S. Coleman, of the firm of Robertson & Coleman, of Rockford, who was interested in a bank at Dixon. Mr. Eells entered the employ of Robertson, Eastman & Company as bookkeeper; and a year later, when Mr. Eastman withdrew from the firm, he became his successor, the new title being Robertson, Eells & Company. In 1859 another change occurred, and the firm of Eells & Coleman conducted the business until 1865, when it became the Lee County National Bank, with Mr. Eells as cashier. This position he filled ably and creditably until the expiration of the bank's 40 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE charter in 1885, at which time the City National Bank was organized, with nearly the same stock- holders as the Lee County National. Mr. Eells continued as cashier until the death of President Joseph Crawford in 1891, and then became presi- dent. The capital stock of the bank is $100,000, with a surplus fund of $20,000 and an average deposit account of $250,000. Its career has been a most successful one and may be ascribed to the careful, conservative management of Mr. Eells and to his close attention to all the minute details of its affairs. In politics Mr. Eells is a strong Republican and was formerly a Whig. Before he came West he served as superintendent of schools in Delaware county for three or four years, but he has since then had no ambition for public office. The peaceful, quiet walks of business life, undisturbed by outside causes, ai^e far more to his liking, and here has been the true sphere of his usefulness and here he has ever been successful. In 1854 he was united in marriage to Aliss Anna More, of Delhi, Delaware countv, New York, and they have three children: Caroline W., Anna, now Mrs. Charles C. Upham, and Bessie Pauline. LESTER L. BOND, WHATEVER else may be said of the legal fraternity, it cannot be denied that mem- bers of the bar have been more prominent actors in public affairs than any other class of the Amer- ican people. This is but the natural result of causes which are manifest and require no expla- nation. The ability and training which qualify one to practice law also qualify him in many re- spects for duties which lie outside the sphere of his profession and which touch the general interests of society. The subject of this record is a man who has brought his keen discrimination and thorough wisdom to bear not alone in pro- fessional patlis but also for the benefit of the city which has so long been his home and with whose interests he has been thoroughly identified. He holds and merits a place among the repre- sentative legal practitioners and citizens of Chi- cago, and the story of his life, while not uramatic in action, is such an one as offers a typical ex- ample of that alert American spirit which has enabled many an individual to rise from obscurity to a position of influence and renown solely through native talent, indomitable perseverance and singleness of purpose. In making the record of such a life contemporar}' biography exercises its most consistent and important function. Lester L. Bond, son of Jonas and Elizabeth (Story) Bond, was bom at Ravenna, Ohio, on the 27th day of October, 1829. On the pater- nal side Mr. Bond is descended from John Bond, the original ancestor of the family in America, who settled in the colony of Massachusetts about the time of the landing of the Pilgrims, and from whom, in direct and collateral lines, are supposed to have descended the several branches of the Bond family now represented in divers sections of the Union. The family name is well known in this country, and many who bear the name aie to-day holding high positions in business and professional circles of the L^nited States. The old Bond homestead, which still stands, at Ips- wich, Massachusetts, is one of the historic land- marks of New England, its erection having taken place scarce more than a decade subsequent to the arrival in America of the Pilgrim Fathers. A volume might consistently be written on the New World history of this family, — indeed, there is one such, either published or in course of pub- lication, in which those represented claim John Bond as their common ancestor. On his moth- er's side jMr. Bond is connected with another family well known in American history, that is, the Story family, for his mother was the daughter of a cousin of the renowned Judge Joseph Story, of Massachusetts. The subject of this review acquired his early education in the public schools of his native town and later pursued an academic course. As he grew older and was able to make himself of value in the line of manual labor, he attended school during the winter only and in the summer was REPRESENTATIVE 3IEN OF THE UNITED STATES: ILLINOIS VOLUME. 4] employed at various times in a box factor)', a steam sawmill and in a machine shop, and it was this same experience whicli quickened his ambition and led him to determine upon the study of law as a profession. He was of de- termined character and was soon able to so shi-.pe. his affairs as to begin the study of law in the office of F. W. Tappan, completing his studies vmder the preceptorage of Messrs. Bierce & Jeffries, the latter of whom sub- sequently became comptroller of the currency under President Johnson. Mr. Bond was admit- ted to the bar on the 15th of October, 1853. He came to Chicago on the 28th day of May, 1854, and here commenced the practice of his profes- sion, continuing a common practice for a period of five years, and a mixed practice for about ten years, since which time he has devoted his at- tention exclusively to patent law. In this branch of the legal profession Mr. Bond is a recognized authority and his record is one of the highest or- der. His interest in mechanical and other inven- tions was early awakened in the shops and mills, and from thoughts of invention it was but in nat- ural sequence that professionally he should turn his attention to the protection of inventors and their work. At the outbreak of the war of the Rebellion Mr. Bond tendered his services to tlie Govern- ment, but owing to the fact that he had but re- cently passed through a severe illness, which left him somewhat impaired in constitutional vigor, the recruiting officers declined to receive his enlistment, and consequently he was not per- mitted to lend his aid to the Union cause on the field of battle, though his efforts in behalf of the same were not without result as exercised in a civic capacitj'. Reared an abolitionist, he has been a Republican since his first ballot was cast, and in his earlier manhood he frequently served his party in official capacities. Thus he served two terms in the common council of Chicago, from 1862 to 1866, and did good service for his constituents, being for two years chairman of the finance committee. In 1868 he was one of the presi- dential electors from Illinois, and in 1871 he was again elected to the city council, serving for two years, during a portion of which time he was acting mayor of Chicago. Mr. Bond was also a member of the State legislature for two terms, and it was within his second term that he brought to successful issue that measure which has since so greatly redounded to his credit and to the ad- vantage of that portion of Chicago lying west of the river. The issue during the campaign had been on the establishment of the South Side parks, and the West Side 1 delegation, con- sisting of Mr. Bond and two other gentlemen, was elected on the anti-park ticket, and went to Springfield with the intention of fighting to the bitter end the proposed legislation to establish the South Side park system. Early in the con- test Mr. Bond discerned the fact that they were entering upon a useless struggle, and being de- termined to at least secure as much considera- tion for the West Side as he could, he called his two coadjutors into his private room and laid before them his views on the matter. They con- curred with him, and after a conference with their late opponents they pushed through the South Side park bill, thus incidentally giving the West Side the magnificent parks with which it is now graced. INIr. Bond believed that this ac- tion would for a time place him under a cloud with his constituents, but he was willing to make the sacrifice, knowing that the wisdom of his course would not fail to be justified later. Sub- sequent events have proven the correctness of his views, and to him west Chicago largely owes the establishment of her magnificent park system. After serving his second term in the legisla- ture Mr. Bond saw that his political service was interfering too much with the business of his office, and so concluded to give up politics and devote his entire attention to his legal business. This decision he has never had cause to regret, for his business has shown a most gratifying in- crease from year to year, and to-day the firm of which he is the head is one of the best known patent-law firms in the Union. On the i2th day of October, 1856, Mr. Bond was united in marriage to Miss Amy S. Aspinwall, daughter of the Rev. N. W. Aspinwall, of Peacham, Vermont, and a lineal descendant of Peregrine White, celebrated as the first child of English parentage in New England. They have one daughter, Laura, who is now the wife of Mr. John L. Jackson, a member of the firm of law- yers of which Mr. Bond is the senior member. Mr. Bond has been for years identified with the 42 BWORAPIIICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE Methodist Episcopal Church, and has ever been a Hberal contributor to all objects tending to ad- vance the welfare of the church, and in his daily walk has shown himself to be consistent with the beliefs which he professes, being generous and charitable in answering the appeals of the dis- tressed. He has been a member of the Masonic fraternity for many years, having advanced to the tliirty-seoond degree of the Scottish rite, and is past commander of Chicago commandery of Knights Templar, No. 19. He has visited nearly every point of interest in the United States, having traveled over every State in the Union, excepting Oregon, and made tsvo voy- ages to Europe, where he visited the principal cities. In his social relations he is identified with the Union League and the Illinois Clubs, and is popular alike with the members of each. In personal appearance Mr. Bond is a magnificent specimen of physical manhood, being slightly over six feet in height and weighing about 270 pounds. In manner he is genial and courteous and his friends are in number as his acquaintances. He is deservedly popular with all classes, and only his decision, made many years ago and so strictly adhered to, has kept him out of public office. During the short time that he served the pub- lic in an official capacity he made an admirable record, giving equal satisfaction as alderman, member of the board of education — which latter office beheld for four years — and as a legislator. As a lawyer he stands high with the profession, while in his special branch he has no superior. He has sustained the honorable record made by the family, and the roster from the time of John Bond to the present day shows no truer man or better citizen than Lester L. Bond, the pioneer patent lawyer of the Northwest. PHILIP D. ARMOUR, MR. ARMOUR is distinctively American: so were his ancestors, both lineal and col- lateral, for generations. In the early history of the paternal wingof the family, special mention ismade of the ancestors as having "bright ideas, and noted for their clever acts." The maternal branch of the family is of old Puritan stock, and said to possess an unusual amount of good connnon sense. Such was the ancestry of Danforth Armour and Julianna Brooks, the father and mother. They left Union, Connecticut, September, 1825, and settled at Stockbridge, Madison county, New York, where Philip D. Armour was born, INIay 16, 1832. There were six broth- ers and two sisters. Farming was their oc- cupation. Habitual frugality and industry were the fundamental principles and charac- teristic features of the parents. These fam- ily tenets were laid down in their simplest forms and instilled with human sunshine into the life of each child. Their school days were the best the local red school-house could aflord. Some of the children were fortunate enough to attend the neighboring village seminary. This was the case with Philip, and many are the anec- dotes that are related of him. He was genial to a degree, healthy, resolute and strong; he held his own wherever events found him, — not a follower, but a leader, of his schoolmates, as later events \\ ere bound to make him among his fellow-men. During the winter of 1851-2, the excitement attending the gold discovery in California hav- ing spread over the country, a party was organ- ized to make the overland trip. Mr. Armour was invited to join them, and was influenced by a growing desire to get out into the world. A country life on Stockbridge hills was too obscure for one so tempered. He was entering his man- hood, and to go was only to satisfy his ambition. The party left Oneida, New York, in the spring of 1852, and reached California six months later. In making this trip they were not exempt from the trials and dangers attending similar journeys. A miner's life, as every one knows, has its pri- vations and uncomfortable surroundings. These were not to be endured in vain. The pitfalls and vices so common in a country that was turned over to so many adventurers could not find lodgment with one of so resolute a character and fixed a purpose. The vicissitudes of his early ex- perience rather tended to broaden his views and knit togetlier his dominant characteristics. ^^^^C(M^ of T^v^.,^-^..^.^ REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 43 In 1856 he returned to the East and visited his parents, whom he always held in reverential affection. He minutely laid before them all he had accomplished during his absence. To a few of the most intimate friends of the family the father whispered the fact of the young man hav- ing brought back some money with him. After remaining with them for a few weeks, he once more turned westward and finally located in Milwaukee, where he formed a co-partnership and entered the commission business with Frederick B. Miles. After a successful run they dissolved, in 1863. The dogmatic and persistent way in which he pursued his business, his characteristic manner in grasping out for new ideas, brought him prominently before his fellow townspeople. Tliough yet young, he was looked upon by many with almost envy at the prestige he had attained. In the spring of 1863, there occurred what later years proved the forerunner of a very successful business engagement in the partnership arrange- ment between John Plankinton and Philip Ar- mour. Mr. Plankinton had been for some years previously engaged in the pork-packing industry with Frederick Layton. This firm had dissolved, as that also of Miles & Armour before men- tioned. Mr. Plankinton was Mr. Armour's senior, and had been a resident of Milwaukee for a much longer period. He had established a most thriving business, which had been conducted with unerring judgment. He stood high as a mer- chant and commanded the respect of all as a public-spirited citizen. This was Mr. Armour's opportunity. How well he handled himself and the business that fell to him, the historj' of the commercial world is alone our witness. To the pork-packing business of Mr. Plankinton he brought that unremitting labor and concentration of thought that were so peculiarly his own. The fluctuations in the price of provisions at the closing scenes of the war left the firm with a fortune. This with the developments of the country gave them an opportunity of extending their growing business. At Chicago, in 1862, Mr. Armour's brother, Herman O. Armour, had established himself in the grain commission business, but was induced to surrender this to a younger brother, Joseph F. Armour, in 1865, and take charge of a new firm in New York, then organized under the name of Armour, Plankinton & Company. The organiza- tion of the New York house was most natural. The financial condition of the West at that period did not permit of large lines of credit necessary for the conducting of a business assuming such magnitude, and it was, therefore, as events proved, most fortunate that the duties devolving on the head of this house should fall to one so well qualified to handle them. He was not only equal to the emergency, but soon became favorably known as a man possessing" great financial ability, and was, in fact, the Eastern financial agent of all the Western houses. The firm name of H. O. Armour & Company was continued at Chicago until 1870. They con- tinued to handle grain, and commenced packing hogs in 1868. This part of the business, how- ever, was conducted under the firm name of Armour & Company, and in 1870 they assumed all the business transacted at Chicago. The business of all these houses, under their efficient management, grew to dimensions that were the marvel of the trade. Their brands became as well known in all the markets of the world as at home. ft became evident in 187 1 that the stock-pro- ducing power of the country was migrating west- ward, and in order to keep abreast of the times they established at Kansas City the firm known as Plankinton & Armours. This enterprise was under the immediate supervision of Mr. Simeon B. Armour, an elder brother. The failing health of Joseph, at Chicago, necessitated assistance, and Milwaukee, as we have already seen, had brains to spare: consequently Philip moved to Chicago in 1875, where he has since resided. The fraternal feelings manifested on every occa- sion for the welfare and prosperity of his own family were noticeable in the organization of the Armour Brothers Banking Company, at Kansas City, AIo., in 1879. ^^ that time there remained at the old homestead at Stockbridge, the last of the Armours, Andrew Watson. This new institution was created for this brother, and he assumed the presidency of its management, conducting its afifairs with signal ability. As an illustration of the acuteness and quick perception which is the fam- ily trait, we must be allowed to digress and relate 44 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT OALLERT OF THE an incident of this man. Soon after first having been installed in office, a member of a ^Montreal firm, who had enjoyed extensive transactions with the Chicago house, and stood high in commercial circles, while at Kansas City, on his way to a depot from his hotel, it occurred to him he had not sufficient money to procure the necessary transportation to a point in Texas to which he was bound. Looking around he noticed the bank- ing sign and thought of his relations with the Chicago house. It occurred to him that the bank might be induced to cash a draft on his Montreal house for twenty-five dollars, notwith- standing he was a total stranger. He applied to the teller and related his story, who promptly refused, but told him he had better see the cash- ier. He also declined, but told him to lay the matter before j\Ir. Armour. So, for the third time, he repeated his story to ]\Ir. Armour, who asked him if twenty-five dollars was not a pretty small amount, and if he would not be better pleased with fifty dollars. He replied in the nega- tive, and said twenty-five dollars was sufficient. As quick as a flash the former president told him he could have the money. If he had been a ras- cal he would have taken the fifty dollars. It is needless to say the draft was paid. It is not to be wondered at that the manage- ment of the many millions that were invested at the other points mentioned should take their cue and follow in the footsteps of the wise and in- trepid California pioneer at Chicago. This was done invariably with alacrity, and so harmoni- ously that it has made them all renowned. It is impossible to convey to one not familiar with the scope of the business its magnitude. The dis- tributive sales of the Chicago house alone are in excess of the gross receipts of any railroad cor- poration of the world. Even in a business of these dimensions there was nothing too great for Mr. Armour to handle, nothing so small that he could overlook. Mr. Armour's capacity for work is something wonderful. He is at his desk l)y 7 .\. m., and fre- quently before. Fatigue is an unknown term. He has traveled extensively, but wherever time has found him it has been among those who con- sumed his products, and where, necessarily, his agencies had been established: his mind would turn intuitively to his industries, and thus his recreation became a source by which he quali- fied himself as to the merits of his representatives as well as the requirements of the people and their condition. He is a close observer and can give as clear and accurate a forecast of the coming financial condition of the country as it is possible to do. At the earnest solicitation of the late Alex. Mitchell, he became one of the director)' of the St. Paul railway. This is the only office he has ever held. Political preferment is not the bent of his mind or his ambition. He was never known to occupy a public office. Mr. Armour was married to Belle Ogden, at Cincinnati, Ohio, in October, 1862. She was the only daughter of Jonathan Ogden. Their home life has been singularly happy. Domestic econ- omy was no more truly one of the hearthstones of Mr. Armour's inheritance than it was of Mrs. Armour's. These family precepts were laid down and fostered in every way. They have two sons, Jonathan Ogden and Philip D., both under thirty years of age and active partners with their father. He has made them millionaires. It can safely be said they will carry their honors gracefully and with becoming modesty. They are quiet in man- ner; nothing can agitate them, and it is pretty sure guessing that the name of Armour will never be tarnished by their acts. Their father, the most afTable of men, approachable, notwithstanding his great cares and responsibilities, leaves all of this at his office and enters his family circle to find that joy and contentment which alone springs from an administration of home life that is so simple, gracious, and of such an unostentatious character. In January, 1881, Joseph F. Armour died, and bequeathed one hundred thousand dollars for the founding of a charitable institution. He wisely directed that the carrying out of his benev- olent design should be chiefly entrusted to his brother, the subject of this sketch. In accept- ing the trust so imposed, he has given to it the same energetic and critical attention that he has given to his private afifairs, and has added a large amount to his brother's bequest; and it may also be said of Mr. Armour, that while he is disposed to be liberal in his religious views, his time on REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 45 the Sabbath day is mainly given to the churches of his choosing. In the afternoon of every Sun- day during the year this wonderful protege, founded by his brother and cherished by liimself, receives his individual care and attention, and it is the individuality of the patron that gives so much life to the institution. It is this combination of industrj-, untiring energy and philanthropy that has made the name of Philip D. Armour not only so potent in the West but also a recognized leader among the merchants of the world. Such is a brief histor\- of a man who, by his own energy, perseverance and indomitable strength of character, has achieved a reputation that entitles him to rank among the leading mer- chants of the world, due alone to his keen fore- sight and honesty of purpose, and a bright ex- ample to the rising generation of what can be accomplished by untiring energy and attention to business. His success has been trulv wonder- ful, and due alone to his individual efforts. One of the most active of men, never idle, and keep- ing his wealth in motion for the interests of the city he lives in, his name in commercial circles is a tower of strength, and with him there is no such word as "fail" in anything he undertakes. Of medium height, with a keen and expressive eye, he is to-day the embodi- ment of health, and it is to be hoped he may "live long" to enjoy the fruits of his industrious life. JOSEPH N. CARTER, QUIN'CV. JOSEPH NEWTON CARTER, associate jus- tice of the supreme court of Illinois, was born in Hardin county, Kentucky, March 12, 1843, being the fourth of the nine children of William P. and Martha (Mays) Carter, the former a son of James Carter, a Virginian of English ancestry and a farmer by occupation. The early days of our subject's career were spent upon his father's farm and at the village school, where he obtained a good education even under disadvantages. In the latter part of 1856 his parents removed to Charleston, Coles county, Illinois, arriving there on the first day of Janu- ary, 1857, and the following year removed to what is now Douglas county, where Mr. Carter, senior, had purchased several hundred acres of wild prairie land, which during the years 1858-g he improved and cultivated. Young Joseph continued to assist his father during the summers and continued his school- ing during the winter months. For four years he was a student at Tuscola and was then em- ployed for three terms as teacher of a country school. In 1863 he entered Illinois College, at Jacksonville, at which he graduated in 1866. Having long since determined to adopt the law as his profession he entered the law department of the University of ]\lichigan, at Ann Arbor, graduating in 1868, and returning to Illinois, began looking about for a location. He went to Ouincy, in July, 1869, and, be- ing pleased with the city and its people, resolved to make it his future home. He was admitted to practice at the Illinois bar the third day of the following November. In 1870 a part- nership with William H. Covert was established, which continued successfully for nine years, at which time Judge Joseph Sibley, who had just retired from twenty-four years' service on the circuit and appellate court benches, became a member of the firm and continued as such until 1884. In 1888 Theodore B. Pape was admitted to the partnership, the firm name becoming Car- ter, Govert & Pape, and ranking as one of the leading law firms, if not the leading, of the city of Ouincy. Certainly, hardly an important case came before the courts of that section in which the firm were not engaged. In 1878 Mr. Carter was chosen a member of the Thirty-first General Assembly, and in 1880 was re-elected to the Thirty-second, and also served in the called session of 1882, which was convened to redistrict the State into Congres- sional and senatorial districts. In 1882 he was 46 BIOORAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE the Republican candidate for State senator, and was defeated by a majority of only 500 in a dis- trict which ordinarily gave a Democratic ma- jority of 1,500. In 1892 he was a candidate for lieutenant governor, and in May, 1894, was nominated for justice of the supreme court to succeed Hon. Simeon P. Shope. The election was held the fourth of the following month and resulted in a victor)^ of Mr. Carter, he defeating his Democratic adversary, Hon. Oscar P. Bon- ney, by 4,207 votes. On the i6th of the same month he was sworn in ^nd took his seat as aissociate justice, being the youngest member of the tribunal. The Chicago Legal News, in its issue of De- cember 22, 1894, says: "An extended general practice throughout the central portion of the State for many years, together with the knowl- edge of men and things, acquired by mixing with the people, has peculiarly fitted Judge Carter for the judicial position he now occupies. He is pleasing in manner, writes a clear and concise opinion, and in arriving at conclusions shows that he is possessed of a great amount of com- mon sense. Although the youngest in commis- sion, he is considered by his brother judges as an able member of the court." While he has ever been devoted to his pro- fession. Judge Carter has taken a warm interest in the welfare of the city of his home, and is con- sidered one of her ablest citizens. Every enter- prise calculated to promote her interests finds cordial support at his hands, and he has been an invaluable factor in her prosperit)'. Though his application to his practice has been close and assiduous, he has nevertheless found time to travel extensively, and has visited almost every State in the Union. Judge Carter was married on the 3d of Decem- ber, 1879, to Miss Ellen Barrell, daughter of the late Captain George Barrell, of Springfield. Of this union have been born three children, — Henry Barrell, William Douglas and Josephine. The Carter residence in Quincy, erected in 1892, is delightfully located, and is one of the elegant mansions in that city of handsome homes. SAMUEL EBERLY GROSS, CHICAGO. SAMUEL E. GROSS was born on the nth of November, 1843, O''' the banks of the Sus- quehanna river, near the town of Dauphin, Penn- sylvania, and is a son of John C. and Elizabeth (Eberly) Gross. He is a descendant of Captain John Gross, of Huguenot ancestry, who won his title in the war of the Revolution, receiving his commission November 25, 1776. When the independence of America was achieved he located in Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, where he owned a large farm and some milling property. The first ancestor of whom we have record is Seigneur Jean de Gros, of Dijon, France (died 1456), married Peronette Le Roye; their eldest son, Jean, of Dijon, secretary of the Due de Bour- gogne, married Philliberte de Sourlan; their son. Ferry, of Dijon in 1521, married Phillipolte Wie- landt; their son, Jean, of Dijon (died 1548), mar- ried Catherine Laur}-m; their son, Jean, of Dijon in 1599, married Jacqueline de Berneincourt; their son, Jean, of Dijon in 1620, married Leo- nore de Briard; their son Jacob married Marie De Bar and removed from France at the time of the persecution of the Huguenots to the Pala- tinate, Germany, and later removed to Mannheim on the Rhine; their son, Johann, of Mannheim in 1665, married a daughter of Neihart; their son, Johann Christopher, of Mannheim in 1703, mar- ried Elizabeth JMetger; and their son Joseph in 1 719 accompanied ]\Iennonites from the Pala- tinate to America. He married and owned prop- erty in the neighborhood of the Trappe, Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, previous to 1726, and land in Philadelphia county, in 1728, and died in 1753; their son, John, mar- ried and lived in IMontgomery county, Pennsyl- vania, and died in 1788; their son, John, born in 1749, was a captain in the war of the Revolu- tion. In 1778 he married Rachel Sahler, and died in 1823; their son. Christian, born in 1788, ^'C.^y-yT^'^M^ REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLCME. Grosvcnor, it being the first full professorship in that department created by any college. For several years he has been on the executive board of the college and for twenty-five years a member of tlic Chicago Academy of Physicians and Sur- geons, having served for three terms as its presi- dent. He was for two years presidentof the Ameri- can Pasdological Society and for many years has been an honored meml)er of the- American Insti- tute of Homeopathy, in which he is now a "senior." During tlie great Ciiicago tire of 1871 Dr. Grosvenor performed a work for the city that should never be forgotten. He was the only physi- cian on the whole North Side whose house was not destroyed in the flames. With a labor that knew no tiring and a patience that knew no faltering, lie worked for the destitute and homeless, finding his patients in improvised shelters, in tents, school- houses, churches, police stations or wherever cover from the elements could lie found. The streets, blocked with debris, were impassable save to foot passengers, so he walked all over the neighborhood, administering with medicine a dose of clieerfulness in tlie form of encourag- ing, hopeful words, and it is difficult to sav which proved the more beneficial tonic. We have before made slight reference to the Doctor's work among young people. He enjoys nothing more than his class lectures, for therebv he reaches young men. Among his noted lec- tures are those on Character, Our Boys, X'alue of a Purpose, Stimulants and Narcotics, Brains, Our (lirls. How to be Beautiful, Roses without Cos- metics, and The Talent of Putting Things. He liokls a membership in the Lincoln Park Congre- gational Church and was for several years presi- dent of its board of trustees. He is also a char- ter member of the Chicago Congregational Club. In political sentiment he is a Republican. In tlie rush and hurry of business life the holier du- ties are often neglected, but with Dr. Grosvenor this has never been so. Kindliness and benevo- lence beam from his eye and sympathy and char- ily are shown forth in his bearing. Honored alike by young and old, rich and poor, humble and great, he is a man well worthy to be represented in the Biographical Dictionary and Portrait Gal- lery of Representative Men of the United States. JOHN DEERE, HONORABLE JOHN DEERE, one of the pioneer settlers of Moline, Illinois, ex-king plow manufacturer of the world, and third son of William Rinold and Sarah (Yates) Deere, was born at Rutland, V^erniont, February 7, 1804. His father was a native of England and his mother of Connecticut. His grandfather Yates came to this country as a captain in the British army during the Revolutionary war, and served his king right royally until the independence of the colonies was no longer a question, when he foresw(jre allegiance to all foreign powers, par- ticularly to that of King George, and lived there- after in strict loyalty to the stars and stripes. In 1805 the father of the subject of this sketch removed to Middlebur\-, \'ermont, and there car- ried on merchant tailoring for about seven years. He tlied in 1812, at the age of fifty-five years. while in England for the purpose of purchasing goods. His widow conducted the business left by her husband until her death, which occurred in 1826, at the age of about forty-six years. John Deere attended the common schools of \'ermont while a boy, and acquired a good or- dinary education. Without the knowledge of his mother he worked for a tanner at grinding bark, and earned a pair of shoes and a suit of clothes before he was si.xteen years of age. When sev- enteen years of age he apprenticed himself to Captain lienjamin Lawrence, of Middlebury, to learn the blacksmith's trade, which he fully mas- tered in four years, receiving in the meantime for iiis services, each year respectively, the sum of thirty, thirty-five, forty and forty-five dollars. .•\ftcr a year or two at "jour." work he removed to r.urlington, \'ermont, where he hammered BTOORAPniCAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT OALLKRY OF THE out by hand the iron work for a saw and oil mill, erected at the ncigfhboring town of Colchester, and acquired thereby quite a local reputation as a mechanic and iron-worker. After carrying on his trade for several years at various places in his native State, his shops and other property were twice burned in quick succession. He was a married man, with a small family to support, and profits were small, so he accumulated slowly; but by perseverance and economy the year 1837 found him ready and determined to try his fortune in the great West. V,\ canal and the lakes lie landed at the sickly little village of Chicago, a place opulent in chills and fever but frugal indeed in essential resource — at least so it appeared to Mr. Deere, and he at once transferred all his efTects to wagons, nor lingered he until he planted him- self at the village of Grand Detour, Ogle county, Illinois. An inventory of his material wealth at that time showed him the possessor of seventy- three dollars and seventy-three cents in cash, a good set of blacksmith's tools and a limited com- plement of household goods; but he had the mus- cles of a giant, brains enough to successfully com- mand an army, and a heart that never shrank within him. A good mechanic is alwa3S an important ac- cession to a new countrx', and his arrival was par- ticularly opportune for this settlement, and his mechanical ability was immediately brought into requisition to put into repair a sawmill which was standing idle from the breaking of a pitman shaft. There was no forge in readiness, but he at once set to work, and with stone from a neigh- boring hill constructed a rude forge and chimney, by digging a hole in clay soil and making the mortar of the clay; and within two days after his arrival the mill was running, thus saving the owners and customers many days that otherwise would have been occupied in procuring the work from far distant shops. Mr. Deere was an excellent mechanic, and the few people residing in his vicinity soon found it out. They piled upon the floor of his shop their broken trace chains and clevises, their worn-out "bull tongues" and worse worn shares; and while the young blacksmith hammered out lap rings for their chains, welded their clevises, "drew out" their "bull tongues" and laid their "shares," his mind dwelt upon the improvement of the plow, the implement of greatest importance to the pio- neer. J\Ir. Deere soon added the building of plows to his general work. He began to see, however, that the iron plow with w-ooden moldboard could not be made to do good service in the prairie soil. It entered the ground with difficulty, clogged up and failed to scour. Then began the series of experiments and improveme^its, which, not successful at first, to be sure, yet finally resulted in the present perfect steel plow; and John Deere lived to know that his name was familiarly spoken in every civilized tongue on the globe. With characteristic energy and will the battle was pushed until success came. There was a de- mand for a good plow, and the good plow must be made. The first one that did satisfactory work was made in this way: W'rought-iron landside and standard, steel share and moldboard cut from a sawmill saw, and bent over a log shaped for the purpose, and beam and handles of white-oak rails. In 1838 two of these plows were made, with which the farmers were well pleased, doing unusually good work for those days; and after these first plows he had a great deal of trouble experimenting, in getting a plow to scour satis- factorily in ground that had been plowed four or five times, especially on the bottom, black, sticky soil. He went to different farms to try his plows, in Ogle, Lee, Whiteside and other coun- ties, where farmers had never been able to make plows scour. During this year Air. Deere built a dwelling- house eighteen by twenty-four feet, and brought his wife and five children from the East. It was not then a few hours' ride in a moving parlor, as now, but a weary journey of six weeks by stage coach and lumber wagon. Settled in his little home, often shaking with the ague, the work was pushed, and in 1839 ten plows were built, and the entire iron works of a new saw and flouring mill made, with no help except that of an inexperienced man as blower and striker. In 1840 a second anvil was placed in the shop, a workman employed and forty plows made. His fame as a plowmaker was now rapidly ex- tending, and in 1841 he built seventy-five steel- REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 53 moldboard plows, and a brick shop thirty by forty-five was erected, and the year following one hundred new plows were added. The tide which was then set clearly in his favor afterward bore him steadily on to fortune. In 1843 '^^ too^^ Major Andrus into partnership, and, enlarging his buildings by erecting a brick shop two stories high, added horse power for the grindstone, es- tablished a small foundry, and turned out four hundred improved plows. In 1846 the annual product had increased to one thousand, and as time advanced improve- ments were made, but the difficulty of obtaining steel of proper dimensions and quality was found to be a great obstacle to the complete success of the business. Mr. Deere accordingly wrote to Nailor & Company, importers, of New York, explaining the demand of the growing agricul- tural States of the West for a good steel plow, and stated the size, thickness and quality of the steel plates he wanted. The reply was that no such steel could be had in America, but they would send to England and have rollers made for the purpose of producing the special sizes of steel. An order was sent and the steel made and shipped to Illinois. Within this same year, with the view of devel- oping a market nearer home where he could ob- tain material for his plows, Mr. Deere opened negotiations in Pittsburg for the manufacture of plow steel, as is shown by the following extract from Mr. James Swank's book, "Iron in All Ages," in which volume, page 297, occurs the following: "The first slab of cast plow steel ever rolled in the United States was rolled by William Woods, at the steel works of Jones & Quiggs, in 1846, and shipped to John Deere, Moline, Illi- nois, under whose direction it was made." In this connection it may be proper to say that it was in the shaping of the moldboard that Mr. Deere's ingenuity more particularly manifested itself. He was undoubtedly the first man to con- ceive and put in operation the idea that the suc- cessful self-scouring of a steel moldboard de- pended pre-eminently upon its shape. The idea was his and he worked upon it until the correct- ness of it was fr.iiy demonstrated. Mr. Deere's practical foresight enabled him to see that his location was not advantageous for growing business. Coal, iron and steel must be hauled from La Salle, a distance of forty miles, and his plows taken a long distance to market in the same slow and expensive manner. He therefore sold his interest in the business at Grand Detour to his partner, Mr. Andrus, and removed to Moline, Illinois, in 1847. Here was good water power, coal near in abundance, and cheap river transportation. A partnership was formed be- tween Mr. Deere, R. N. Tate and John M. Gould, shops built and work commenced, resulting the first year in the production of seven hundred plows. About this time the Englisii steel arrived and fifty plows were made from it and sent to differ- ent parts of the country where the soil was known to be most difficult for plowing. The test proved the success of the implement and the manufacture sprang at once to the enormous number of one thousand six hundred plows a year, which num- ber were made in 1850. In 1852 Messrs. Tate and Gould retired from the firm, Mr. Deere buying their interests. In 1853 the shops were enlarged, new machinery added and the sales continued to increase. Mr. Deere continued alone until 1857, which year he made ten thousand plows. In 1858 he took his son, Charles H., and Stephen H. Velie, one of his sons-in-law, into the business as partners, and the business continued under the name of Deere & Company until 1868, when it had assumed such proportions that a company was incorpo- rated under the general laws of the State, with John Deere as president, a position which he held until his death, Charles H. Deere being vice- president and manager, and Stephen H. Velie secretary. During all the subsequent years the business has had a steady and man-elous growth, requiring the annual addition of shop room, men and machinery. We can truthfully say that John Deere was the archiect of his own fortune. His great wealth was acquired by his individual effort and industry. From the time when Moline was a struggling and unimportant little village, Mr. Deere has been identified with its interests. The silent and unwritten history of her streets, her railroads and her public institutions is replete with his spirit and untiring energy. 54 nioauM'iiicM. Dicr/dy.inv .wn I'oitrHAir (iallehy of the It is conceded that John Deere, of tliis sketch, is the Oiic'inati'r of tne ^Icel plow. Wlieii he manufactured his first steel plows, there was not only no steel plows in America, but no steel man- ufactured of which to make them. The influence of this improvement in the manufacture of plows cannot be estimated. The name of John Deere is a familiar one throughout the West, and his plows are sent to Mexico, South America, the West Indies, New Zealand, the Sandwich Isl- ands, China, Japan. South Africa, France, Ger- many, Holland, Belgium, Russia, and the British possessions in America. They have been awarded medals at almost numberless covmty. State and national exhibitions in this country, and they re- ceived the highest award at the Paris exposition in 1878 in a field trial in which over fifty plows from all nations competed. Mr. Deere was twice married: In 1827, at Gran- ville. Vermont, to Miss Damaris Lamb, who died at Moline, February 17, 1865. Of the eight chil- dren she bore five now survive (1895): Charles H., Mrs. Jennette D. Chapman, Mrs. Ellen S. Webber, Mrs. Emma C. \'elie and Mrs. Alice M. Cady. His second marriage occurred in 1867, also at Granville, and to a younger sister of his first wife. Mr. Deere was elected mayor of the city of Moline and served two years. He was also pres- ident of the First National Bank of Moline, and a director to the day of his death. He was also a large contributor toward the founding of the public library, and a director of the same for many years. In personal appearance, Mr. Deere was large and well proportioned, and had strength capa- ble of almost unlimited endurance. In his better days he would stand at his anvil from five o'clock in the morning until nine o'clock at night, build- ing plows, shoeing horses and constructing ma- cl;ini.r\ for sawmills. His strong features indi- cated great power and decision of character. His frank and open face and his address generally bespoke him what he was — a man of tender so- cial nature and noble character. His feelings lay near the surface, and he was singularly sen- sitive to pathos, whether of sorrow or of joy. His sympathy and help quickly responded to the call of trouble or of misfortune, and he rejoiced in the prosperity of all about him. Absorbed in busi- ness, he had neither the desire nor time for the public offices which sought his services. He was, however, always in sympathy with public interests, and gave liberally of his means to ad- vance them. He was a Republican in politics from the organization of that party, an active member of the Congregational Church and a generous contributor to local and foreign ob- jects of benevolence. The religious, moral and educational interests of society had in him a friend and patron. A generous hospitality was always shown at his comfortable home, and few men were more entertaining in the social circle, or had a more happy faculty of making every one feel at home. Mr. Deere was active and strong until his last illness, which was of short duration, and which consisted more especially in a general giving out of the entire system than in any local malady. He passed away at his home in Moline, Illinois, on May 17. 1886, in the eighty-third year of his age, being gathered to his rest full of years and of good deeds. Suitable resolutions were passed by the various associations, business and other- wise, with which he was connected, show-ing the high appreciation m which he was held by all who knew him and were associated with him. His portrait, which is given in this connection, was taken from a photograph made in 1885, and is a remarkably faithful likeness. It shows at once the strength of his character, and indicates the kindhness of his disposition. REPRESESTATIVI-: MEX OF THE UNITED tiTATES- ILUNolS VOLUME. CHARLES H. DEERE, MOI.INE. CHARLES H. DEERE bears a name that is known throughout the countn' and is now at the head of an industry that has been a bless- ing to the agricultural class of this country, as well as a source of financial benefit to himself and family. He was born March 28, 1837, in Hancock, Addison county, Vermont, and is the only living son of the late Hon. John Deere. In the common schools of Grand Detour and Moline Charles Deere began his education, later attended Kno.x and Iowa Academics, and \\as afterward graduated at the Bell Commercial Col- lege, of Chicago, in 1854. He was now fitted for a business career and naturally became inter- ested in the extensive plow works of which his father was the originator and the controlling spirit. He was first assistant and then head bookkeeper, then traveler and purchaser for the firm. When the business was incorporated in 1868 he became vice-president and general man- ager, thus serving until his father's death, when he succeeded to the presidency, and has since been not only the nominal head but has been the power that has made this immense organiza- tion a financial success. He has the active part in building up and extending this, one of the chief and largest industries in its line developed in this country. He is also the founder of the Deere & Mansur Company 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 & Com- pany in Kansas City, Minneapolis, Des Moines, Council Bluffs and San Francisco, and in various other business enterprises. VoT several years Mr. Deere was the chairman of the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the State of Illinois, appointed by the governor, but re- cently he has resigned. He was the second man appointed as State Commissioner of the World's Columbian Exposition, and was a commis- sioner to the exposition in Vienna, in 1873, ^^^ the State of Illinois. He is, politically, an active Republican and was chosen an elector at large in the presidential campaign of 1888. He has freciuently 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 generous expenditure of time, money and energy for the success of the party. -Mr. Deere is a man of liberal ideas, having ex- tensively traveled in this country and abroad. Socially he is a pleasant companion, and many a "friend in need" has found him "a friend indeed." In 1862 ilr. Deere married Miss Mary Little Dickinson, of Chicago, where she was well known and much admired for her fine qualities of mind as well as for her unusual personal beauty. Go- ing to her new home a bride, Mrs. Deere identi- fied herself with the interests of the communitv in a thoroughly characteristic manner, where she is beloved for Jier generous, unostentatious char- ity, her ready sympathy with every movement for the benefit of any worthy object, and her un- swerving adherence to principle and duty. Added to a charming person mi ^ Mrs. Deere possesses distinct social talents which render her a most gracious hostess, and at their beautiful home, "Overlook," Mr. and Mrs. Deere have drawn about themfriendsand distinguished guests from every point of the compass, and all from far and near have been royally welcomed and en- tertained. The Misses Deere were educated in New York city, have traveled extensively, and are attractive, cultured young ladies, well known in society in New York, Chicago and Washing- ton. The elder daughter was married some time since to William Dwight Wiman, of New York city, and the second is now Mrs. William Butter- worth. Mr. and Mrs. Deere are especially fortu- nate in their daughters, whose many fine quali- ties — social and personal graces — reflect the influences of the charming atmosphere of cul- ture by which they have always been sur- rounded. 56 BIOORAPEICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE LYMAN J. GAGE, DURING a residence of four decades in Chi- cago the subject of this biography has gained distinctive recognition as one of the lead- ing financiers, not only of this city but also of the nation, having shown a marked capacity for the successful conduct of affairs of great breadth. It is not alone compatible but practically imper ative that there be incorporated in this Colum- bian memorial volume a review of his life, since few have been more conspicuous or have con- tributed a greater quota in insuring the magnifi- cent success of what has become recognized as the Chicago World's Fair. Lvman J. Gage is a native of Madison county. New York, having been bom in 1836, the son of Eli A. Gage, who was one of the pioneers of that county and a hatter by ficcupation. At the age of seventeen years our subject completed his studies in school and entered upon those studies which profit one by experience rather than by mere abstract reflection. Accepting a position in the Oneida Central Bank at Rome, New York, he began that business career which has eventu- ated in most laudable success, and in which he has attained a name honored among men. In 1855 he removed to Chicago, and for some three years was in the employ of a firm which con- ducted a lumber and planing-mill business at the corner of Canal and Adams streets. He had a natural liking and adaptability for the banking business, and, realizing that along this line laid the greatest measure of success for him, he made a change of occupation as soon as opportunity presented itself, and in 1858 he became a book- keeper for the Merchants' Loan and Trust Com- pany, of Chicago, at a salary of $500 per annum, retaining this position until 1863, when he be- came assistant cashier of the institution. During this time Mr. Gage made a careful study of the banking business, familiarizing himself with the most approved methods and with the minutest details. He thus soon gained ' recognition in local financial and commercial circles as a man of progressive yet conservative ideas and of unusual executive ability. A practical con- cession of this ability and fitness was that which came a few months later, when he was made cashier of the First National Bank of Chicago, which had been organized May i, 1863, with a capital of $100,000. The capital stock was in- creased within a short time to $1,000,000, the ex- ecutive corps of the institution being as follows: President, Mr. E. Aiken; vice-president, Mr. Samuel W. Allerton; cashier, Mr. E. E. Braisten; the directorate comprising Messrs. E. Aiken, S. W. Allerton, S. G. D. Howard, B. P. Hutchin- son, Samuel M. Nickerson, Tracy J. Brown, John B. Sherman, Byron Rice and E. G. Hale. Upon the death of Mr. Aiken, in 1867, Mr. Samuel M. Nickerson was elected president, and in August of the following year Mr. Gage was made cashier. At that time the bank was located at the south- west corner of Lake and Clark streets, but was afterward removed to the southwest corner of State and Washington streets. During the ever memorable fire of October 9, 1871, the safes and vaults of the bank escaped almost intact from the fiery ordeal, not one security or valuable being lost. After occupying temporary quarters for a time, January i, 1872, the bank was again es- tablished for business in its rebuilt structure on the same site. The capital remained $1,000,000 until the expiration of the charter in 1882, when the reserve or surplus fund over and above divi- dends was found to be over $1,800,000. In May of that year a new organization was efifected un- der the same corporate title and with a cash cap- ital of $3,000,000, the officers being as follows: President, Samuel M. Nickerson; vice-president, Lyman J. Gage; cashier, H. R. Symonds; assist- ant cashier, H. M. Kingman. At this time the business was removed to its present magnificent building at the northwest corner of Dearborn and Monroe streets. During the time since the re- organization I\Ir. Gage has been the general man- ager and chief executive officer of the institution, and has come to be recognized as one of the most discriminating financiers and one of the most dis- REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 57 ceming', broad-minded and substantial bankers of the time. He is now president of the institution, with which he has so long been identified. At the annual convention of the American Bankers' Association, held at Louisville, Ken- tucky, in 1883, Air. Gage was elected president of the organization, and was honored with a re-elec- tion the following year at the meeting held in Saratoga, New York. He was one of the prime movers in the economical conference of 1888-9, looking to the welfare and interest of wage- workers. From the time that the project was incepted for securing the World's Columbian E.xposition to Chicago Mr. Gage was indefatigable in his efforts toward insuring the success of the gigantic enter- prise, being foremost among its promoters. From his commanding position and by reason of his peculiar fitness, he was consistently chosen as pres- ident of the local board of directors, bringing to the ofifice, as he did, the maxinumi discernment resulting from a rich and varied experience in financial and business affairs. Though he re- signed the presidency after having seen the under- taking established upon a secure foundation, he did not abate his interest in the same, but continued as one of the most active members of the board of directors until the magnificent spectacle of the "White City'' had reached its culminating glory and passed into the realm of past achievements. ANTON C. HESING, THE name of Anton C. Hesing is familiar throughout America. His life and char- acter are known to the American people through his connection with journalism and as editor of the Staats-Zeitung, and he was one of the ac- knowledged leaders of the German citizens of this countr}'. Probably no man of his nationalit}- did more to mold public opinion among his coun- trymen, and all honor is due him, for his influ- ence was ever on the side of right and order, ad- vancing the true principles of American liberty and justice. When the final summons came his life labors were ended, but his memory will be a power long and strongly felt. Mr. Hesing was born in the village of Vechta, in the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg, the richest agricultural section of Germany, January 6, 1823. His father was a brewer and distiller, and to the son were given the common-school privileges of the region. His motlier died when he was nine years of age, and when a youth of fifteen he was left an orphan by the death of his father and thus thrown upon his own resources. He was obliged to lay aside his schoolbooks and earn a living, for his guardians seemed determined to get the most possible out of the boy at the least expense. He was apprenticed to a baker and brewer, but the work was very unpleasant, his employer ar- rogant and abusive, and he felt that he could no longer endure such treatment. This made him resolve that he would seek a home in the New World. His term of apprenticeship was expected to cover some years, but he at length obtained the consent of his guardians to carr>- out his plans, — a consent which was made to benefit them as well as him. Thus penniless he began his ca- reer in the world. In 1839, then sixteen years of age, he found himself in Baltimore, Maryland, with a cash cap- ital of five dollars. Cincinnati was then considered the promising metropolis of the West, and he made his way to that city. His mrney was then not onlyexhausted but he was also five dollars in debt. Yet he possessed what is better than capital — a resolute spirit, an honest purpose and a laudable ambition. He secured a clerkship in a retail grocery store, and within two years had saved money enough to engage again in business for himself. He opened a small grocery on Court street, which he carried on until 1848, when he changed his occupation. The year previous he had returned on a visit to his native land, where he became acquainted with j\Iiss Louisa Lam- ping, and, winning the hand and the heart of the young lady, brought her as a bride to his new home. He then sold his store and erected a hotel 58 ninallM'IIICM. DIcrKiyM'iY AM) I'iiIITHMT iiM.I.HUY "/•' 77/A' at the corner of Race and Court streets, which he managed until 1854, when his partner committed suicide, and he then sold out. In the meantime a city had sprung up at the southwest extremity of Lake Michigan, a city rapidly growing in population and importance, and Mr. Hesing, foreseeing its future greatness, resolved to make it his home. Believing that its advancement and growth would he rapid and that there would be a large demand for building materials in consequence, he purchased a patent brick dry-clay machine and opened a brickyard at Jefiferson, only a few miles from the center of the city. This proved an unprofitable experiment, for the clay was not of good quality and he had only one hundred and fifty dollars as the result of the season's labor! He felt, however, that the industrj' would be profitable if suitable material could be secured, and, forming a partnership with Charles S. Dole, began business at High- land Park, afterward called Port Clinton, near the lake shore, where good clay could be ob- tained. This time the venture proved more suc- cessful, and the old Adams House, the Milwau- kee railroad roundhouse, and many private resi- dences, as well as miles of sewer, were made from the Hesing-Dole brick; but again disaster over- took Mr. Hesing. The financial panic of 1837 came on, houses all over the country were forced into bankruptcy, building in the West was almost etirely suspended: and as there was little demand for their products the firm was forced to suspend business, and Mr. Hesing, paying ofif all debts, was reduced to penury. No prophetic bells rang out for him, "Turn, turn again, Whitington." Disheartening failure had come to him, such as would have over- thrown a less resolute or determined man, but "hope springs eternal in the human breast," and again he embarked in business, which w'as this time crowned with a well-merited success. The beginning was small. He rented a little store on Kinzie street, w'here he engaged in the commis- sion business, but gave that up in less than a year to accept the office of collector of water toll, with a salary of forty-five dollars per montli. He was afterward appointed deputy sherif? of Cook county under John Gray, and was elected sherifif in i860 upon the same ticket with Abraham Lincoln. He was the first German to hold an important elective office in the State and during his term of service he did much for his adopted countrj- in recruiting soldiers for the Union. Among the direct results of his labor was the organization of the Twenty-fourth and Eighty-second Infantry regiments and Shambeck's dragoons. He had before taken an active part in public aiifairs, aside from business interests, for while living in Ohio he joined the Whig party during the Harrison campaign and was an earnest and indefatigable supporter of its principles and candidates, al- though not then a voter. In recognition of his services he was made a member of the Hamilton county committee of the Whig party. At the be- ginning of the trying and troublous times of the Civil war he was again before the people as a leader and an advocate of reform. He studied closely the questions of the day, the attitude of the parties, the views of political leaders, and wise judgment and careful deliberation made his opinions of great weight. He warmly advo- cated the president's policy and put great confi- dence in ]\Ir. Lincoln as a pilot that could guide the ship of State to safe anchor and quiet harbor. When the work of reconstruction commenced he was found on the radical side of the question, and in 1866, during the Congressional campaign, labored earnestly in the interests of his party, his work being an important factor in bringing about the victorious result. He would never hold office himself, however, after he entered the field of journalism. At the time of the breaking out of the Rebellion the Staats-Zeitung was becoming a paper of much importance among the German-speaking people. In 1862 }ilr. Hesing purchased an in- terest in the paper and from that time on devoted liimself with tireless energy to journalism. In 1867 he became sole proprietor and made tliis the leading German paper in the countn,-. He spared neither time, labor nor expense in improving the paper. Having a clear and powerful and patri- otic purpose, and being careful withal to reflect as well as guide the public sentiment of his coun- trymen, all who knew him came to respect his opinions and heed his suggestions. One of his most important acts in connection with political measures was during the local up- rising in the fall of 1873, when an issuance of an ItErilESEyTATIVE MEN OF THE UXITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLCME. 59 order by the mayor elected on the "fire-proof ticket,'' which looked toward the enforcement of the Sunday Hquor ordinance, had injured the fcehngs of the Germans especially. A meeting- at Thiclman's theater, May 14, 1873, was addressed bv a number of prominent men, who advised or- ganization regardless of politics to uphold the constitutional rights of the citizens. Mr. Hesing was present and responding to repeated calls, made a stirring address and paved the way for a people's party. Meetings were continued into October, Mr. Hesing largely formulating the resolutions and platform, and when H. D. Colvin was named for mayor and a full city ticket put in the field it swept eversthing before it, with a majority of about 10,000. Having at length dis- posed of a portion of his stock in the Staats- Zeitung, he afterward turned the management of the paper over to his son Washington, his only child and the present postmaster of Chicago. On the 6tli of January, 1893, he celebrated his seventieth birthday, and hundreds of friends hon- ored him on that day, expressing their high re- gard by word and floral offerings. The force of the Staats-Zeitung sent to him most beautiful floral decorations, and the Schiller theater di- rectors and employes presented him with a souve- nir volume containing views of the many build- ings which were erected largely through his aid: but the feature of the occasion which pleased Mr. Hesing more than all others was the delegation from the Home for the Aged at Altenheim. of which institution he was the principal promoter, although he always preferred to give the credit to the ladies of the city. After the death of his wife in i886 he cared little for public life and de- voted more time tf) charitable and benevolent work, prunioting many worthy institutions; vet he never gave ostentatiously, and many more were the gifts of which only the recipients knew than those of which the world knew. His last days were not attended with weakening illness. Although he reached the age of seventy- two years his mental vigor was vmimpaired and he seemed to possess the physical vigor of a man some years his junior. On the morning of Sat- urday, March 30, 1895, he read with indignation of the act of the council in passing another boodle franchise ordinance and determined to write an appeal for publication in the Staats-Zeitimg over his own signature. This he did, and it was his last act. The manuscript which he completed late in the evening embodies the views which were his through life, and breathes a spirit of de- votion to American institutions and the divine right of liberty that is seldom equaled. In the ranks of Chicago's eminent journalists a place was left vacant that cannot be easily filled. One of the contemporary papers, speaking of the last article which came from his pen, said: "Like the glory that spreads upon cloud and sky after the sun has dropped behind the western line, so comes the words of Anton C. Hesing, penned a few hours before his life drifted into the shadow. .Strong in his own integrity, he appeals to his friends and countrymen to rise to the measure of true citizenship and refuse to subvert the sacred right of the ballot to improper ends. Writing at his desk late in the night, this indomitable man of seventy-two finishes what he has to say, signs his name and retires to the couch from which he never rises again. His words will fall deep into many hearts, not alone of his own nationality, but also of his countrymen, for we are all his countrvmcn." 60 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND POUTRAIT GALLERY OF THE JOHN W. SHOWALTER, JOHN W. SHOWALTER was born in Mason county, Kentucky, February 8, 1844, the son of B. Showaltcr, for many years a resident of Scott county, Kentuclcy. As a schoolboy his early instructor was I\'I. Durant, now of Centralia, Illinois, then a well-known educator in Kentucky. He was afterward sent to the school of Messrs. Rand and Richeson, at Maysville, Kentucky. Later he attended the Ohio University at Athens, that State, for one year. Still later he went to Yale, where he graduated in the class of 1867. In July, i86g, Mr. Showalter came to Chicago and became a law student in the office of Moore & Caulfield, a well-known Chicago law firm. In 1870 he was admitted to the bar of Illinois upon the certificate of Charles H. Reid, at that time State's attorney of Cook county. IMr. Showalter was permitted to continue in the office of Moore & Caulfield till the great fire of 1871, when he returned to Kentucky. In 1872, on the inyita- tion of Judge Moore, he returned to Chicago and became and remained an employe of the firm till it was dissolved some years later by the election of Judge Moore to the State bench. About 1879 ^^''- Showalter became a member of the law firm of Abbott, Oliver & Showalter, and so continued in the practice of the law till the death of Mr. Abbott in 1891, when the firm became Oliver & Showalter. This latter partner- ship was eventually dissolved in March, 1895, when President Cleveland appointed Mr. Sho- walter circuit judge of the L^nited States for the Seventh Judicial Circuit, which office he holds at the time of this notice. ALFRED M. CRAIG, GALESBURG. HON. ALFRED jM. CRAIG, of the supreme court of the State of Illinois, was bom Jan- uary 15, 1832, in Edgar count)-, this State, and is a son of David and Mintie (Ramey) Craig, who came from Philadelphia, \vhere the American branch of the family originated with the grand- father of our subject, who came hither from Ire- land. The father was a millwright in only mod- erate circumstances, but he gave his son good educational privileges. He attended the common schools and afterward entered Knox College, at which he was graduated in June, 1853. Immediately thereafter Mr. Craig began the study of law in Lewistown, Illinois, under the guidance of Hezekiah H. Weed and William C. Goudy, the late general counsel of the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad. In 1855 he was admit- ted to the bar and at once began practice in Knox- ville, then the county seat of Knox county. Suc- cess attended him from the start and clients be- came numerous. His cautious, deliberate meth- ods gained for him the reputation of a safe coun- selor, and he came to be regarded with a confi- dence rarely extended to a man so young, — a con- fidence which has steadily grown as the years have passed. On going to Knoxville he became a member of the law firm of ^Manning, Douglas & Craig, which at once acquired the greater part of the legal business of that place and the adjoining counties, and the partnership continued until Mr. Manning removed to Peoria, when the firm name of Douglas & Craig was assumed. In 1864 r\Ir. Craig was elected til the office of county judge, but contin- ued his general practice in the firm until 1868, when the connection was dissolved. Later our subject formed a partnership with C. K. Harvey, a brother of his wife, under the name of Craig & Harvey, and the\' worked together until the for- mer was elected to the supreme court in 1873. He was regarded as the ablest jurj' lawyer and most successful advocate in the State, and his wonderful strength in that line was largely due to the fact that he was personally acquainted with every family in Knox county. He was of that class of lawyers who always meet their clients REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 61 and witnesses on terms of exact equality, and thereby become familiar with the class of people from which jurors are usually drawn. He knew their feelings and could correctly estimate how any proposition would strike them. When a young man before inferior courts, whose knowledge of law is usually not very extensive, he could over- rule all objections and prove anything he wished, and therefore his clients were pretty sure of their case if it was pleaded by Mr. Craig. In 1869 he was retained in behalf of Knoxville in the great county- seat fight, and though he did not win his case he made a magnificent contest, which is still spoken of throughout Knox county. He was always employed as counsel on every important criminal case that came , before the courts of Knox county; was employed to prosecute in the noted Osborn case, and it was largely through his able arguments that the culprit was con- victed and hung, — the only man ever hung in tiie county. In 1873 the late Justice Charles B. Lawrence was a candidate for re-election on the Repub- lican ticket for justice of the supreme court. The district was Republican by eight thousand nia- JL.rity. Mr. Craig, nominally a Democrat, at the request of the people decided to be- come an independent candidate for that office, made a most brilliant canvass and was elected by a large majority, by what was known as the "Granger" element. Subsequently the laws enacted by the "Granger" legislature of Illinois came up to be passed upon by the su- preme court. Justice Craig threw his influence in behalf of the people and the court sustained what was known as the "Granger" laws. These cases were taken before the supreme court of the United States and the views of Justice Craig and his associates were sustained. In 1882 he was again a candidate for the ofifice, which he yet fills, and defeated the regular Republican nomi- nee, John Davis McCulloch. In 1891 he defeated Menry W. Wells, of the Republican ticket, for the third term of nine years, in a discricf where a Republican nomination was considered equal to an election, provided the opposing candidate is not the Democratic member of the supreme iicnch, Justice Alfred M. Craig. What higher testimonial can be given of his superior ability and the confidence which is reposed in him? He is now the oldest in years of continuous service in the supreme court of Illinois, and is the chief justice. .A.t the time Mr. Craig became a member of that court many questions of importance to the prosperity of the State and the people were being adjudicated. These were in a large part attrib- utable to the remarkable development of the rail- road interests in the Northwest. Chicago, also, with its complicated and diversified interests, its extraordinary and sudden growth and its many speculative schemes, made the supreme court of Illinois one of the most important of the high tribunals of the United States, and no other State in the Union presented a field more fruitful in legal contention than the State of Illinois. During the twenty-two years he has held this ofifice the legis- lation has been greater, more complicated and more important than in the fifty-five years which intervened from the admission of the State to the year 1873. The legal controversies have changed from the simple questions of law that were the subjects of judicial discussion and determination in the early part of the history of the State to questions more abstruse and difficult, depend- ing upon more enlarged, involved and complex conditions of fact. A supreme court of a State is much more diversified in 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. Sub- ject to the limited jurisdictien of the supreme court of the United States, it is the court of final resort which settles, by authority of law, the many contentions and disputes incident to men as they form society. His services in the supreme court cover a period which may be called forma- tive, as many new questions arose from which important litigation originated, as the park sys- tems of Chicago, the railroad and warehouse commission, the modified special-assessment methods and the many questions of corporation law growing out of and dependent upon the adop- tion of a new constitution. The decisions of Mr. Craig take high rank and are regarded as mod- els of brevity, conciseness and simplicity. He is regarded as the ablest judge on the bench on 62 luoanAPincAi, DfrrroxAiiv Axn poitTHAir gallhry of the real-estate law, and on business questions he is the superior of any of his associates in this branch of jurisprudence, owing to the fact that during all of his life he has closely identified himself with his business interests. Frequent attempts have been made to induce the judge to become a candidate for honors of a political nature, but he has steadily and per- sistently refused to do so. He has, however, been brought prominently before the people as one entitled to the highest political honors that his party could bestow. In 1892 he refused to permit his name to be used in connection with the governorship of Illinois, and in the National Democratic convention of that year his name re- ceived consideration in connection with the pres- idency. His name was presented to and seri- ously considered by President Cleveland as the successor of Chief Justice Waite of the United States supreme court. As a business man Justice Craig is considered one of the most successful in the State of.Illinois. He possesses large landed interests both in city property and country. He is president of the Bank of Galesburg, president of the Bank of Altona, and' a director of the First National r»ank of Knoxville. Conspicuous among the many good traits of Justice Craig's character is his fearless devotion to whatever he thinks comes within the pale of public or private duty. He has the moral courage that fits him for any emergency, and although he has always been a Democrat he is without partisan prejudice, and in his candidacy has had the enthusiastic support of many of the leaders of the opposition. His judicial term, extending over more than a quarter of a century of almost uninterrupted service, is an honor to the State, and his character as a man is well worthy of the admiration of the whole people. He was married August 4, 1857, to Miss Eliz- abeth Harvey, daughter of one of Kno.xville's oldest and most esteemed lawyers, Curtis K. Harvey. They are the parents of three children. Dr. A. J., Charles C, an attorney, and George H., who is engaged in the banking business in Cialesburg. LEROY DELANO THOMAN, IN the history of American government the name of Leroy Delano Thoman stands prom- inently forward on the question of civil service reform. The Buckeye State, which has produced so many eminent men, was the birthplace of Mr. Thoman. He was born July 31, 1851, in Salem, Columbiana county, and is of German lineage. His paternal ancestors located in Pennsylvania in 1680, and ten years later his maternal ancestry became residents of Virginia. His father, Jacob S. Thoman, was born in Ohio, descending from a family noted for both physical and mental power and devoted to Christianity and all meas- ures calculated to benefit the race. He was a man of good education, a thorough student, and his deep researches in various lines of study made him extremely well informed. He wedded Mary .^nn Soncdccker. a native of Ohio and a dausfhtcr of the Rev. Henry Sonedecker, a pioneer preacher of the German Reformed Church, who organized the first society of that denomination in Wayne county, Ohio. His fine mind, superior talents and Christian character were inherited by bis daughter, and thus, amid the surroundings of a refined and Christian home, Mr. Thoman spent his boyhood. His elementary education, ac- quired in the common schools, was supplemented by an academic course, but his inherited love of knowledge and the guidance of his parents in matters of reading probably did as much for him as school training. His father died in 1878, and from that time until her death, in June, 1892, his ihother, who was born in W'ooster, Ohio, in 1824, made her home with her son, Leroy. At the age of sixteen he turned his attention to the profession of teaching, which he successfully followed until his admission to the bar. He was n<^-py /V CentUrtfPuMi&hirt^ ££naran/u/ t REPRESENTATIVE MEX OF THE Vy'TTED STATES: II.USOIS VOLVME 68 principal of the public schools of Piper City, Illi- nois, for three years, and during that time devoted his leisure hours to the study of law. which, with one year's study with Hon. Joseph W. Adair, of Columbia Cit\, Indiana, prepared him for ad- mission to the bar, AugT.ist 13. 1872. Immedi- ately thereafter he was appointed deputy prose- cuting attorney for the Xinth Judicial District of Indiana. In January, 1873. 'le resigned, return- ing to his native State. During the two succeed- ing years he engaged in the general practice of law in Youngstown, and in 1875 was elected judge of the probate court of Mahoning county, and was re-elected in 1878, sen-ing in all for six years. On his retirement in Februar>-, 1882, he resumed private law practice and was the attorney of the Pittsburg & Lake Erie Railroad Company for the State of Ohio. It was during the years that had just passed that the Judge rose to prominence in political circles. He was active in tlie affairs of the Dem- ocratic party in Ohio, serving as a member of the State executive committee for several years. In 1880 he was chairman of the Ohio State Demo- cratic convention, and the same year was nomi- nated by his party for Congress, but was defeated by Hon. William McKinley. The suc- ceeding year he received a strong support for the office of governor before the Democratic State convention, but declined to become a candidate. In the meantime he began his labors as the champion of the civil ser\-ice reform. In 1880 lie purchased an interest in the \'indicator, the leading Democratic paper in northeastern Ohio, and through its columns were set forth the bene- fits that miglit be derived from the adoption of the measures which he championed. He was a mem- ber of the committee on resolutions in the State convention in 1882, and it was through his efiforts that a civil-serv'ice-reform plank was placed in the party platform. Throughout the country students of the political situation were realizing the injurious effects resulting from what is popu- larly known as the "spoils system." From the time of the Civil war measures were advanced as a cure for this evil, whereby merit alone should be the test and qualification of an office-seeker, and not what he had done to secure the success of his party. P.ut little, however, had resulted from these proposed measures, and he who held the power of appointment, however honest his intentions might be, could not withstand the im- portunities of political managers on behalf of their favorite candidates. At last Senator Pendle- ton, of Ohio, introduced a bill providing for stated examination of applicants for positions in the civil sen-ice, which in January, 1883, became a law. According to a provision contained there- in, a commission of three was appointed from representatives of both parties whose duty it was to prepare rules for the regulation of the civil service, provide for the examination of applicants for positions and prescribe a system of procedure in conducting such examinations. President .Arthur appointed Judge Thonian as the Demo- cratic member of the first United States civil ser- vice commission under the Pendleton law, and to the efiforts of the Judge as much as to any other one man is due the credit for putting into success- ful operation the new system and securing the benefits therefrom. "To the victors belong the spoils" was an old maxim fitted perhaps to the time when it originated, but not in keeping with this progressive age. A multitude will gather around a leader. In this case Judge Thoman was one of the leaders. A high compliment was paid to Judge Thoman l)y a leading citizen of Chicago, saying: "I was in Congress when President Arthur appointed Judge Thoman as the Demo- cratic member of the first United States civil service conmiission, and I know that to his good practical sense and judgment the successful in- auguration of that new feature of our govern- mental system was made possible. He had the confidence of President Arthur and the members of his cabinet, and enjoyed the respect of the pub- lic officials. He is a broad-gauged man, of posi- tive character." He ser\'ed on the commission for about three vears, resigning in Xovember, 1885. Since 1888 Judge Thoman has been a resident of Chicago and engaged in the practice of law. Both as an advocate and counselor he is among the ablest representatives of the bar of the West. He is a fine speaker, forcible in argument and winning as a rhetorician. \\ hen it was decided to hold in this countrv a centennial celebration of the discover)- of Amer- ica, Judge Thoman was an active factor to secure for Chicago the site of the World's Columbixm 64 BIOORAPnWAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE Exposition. lie was a mcnil^cr of the executive committee, and it was largely through his in- fluence that the Ohio Congressional vote was secured for this city. He was elected president of the "States Columbian Association,'' and in this important office exerted an influence in be- half of the World's Fair site that was valuable in securing the desired result. Judge Thonian has always taken a great inter- est in educational affairs and has acted as one of the judges of the literary and oratorical contests at Washington and Jefiferson College. He de- livered the annual address to the graduates at Oberlin in 1888. He has been a lecturer on medical jurisprudence at Bennett College and on private international law at the Northwestern Univer&ity. He has spoken on many public oc- casions and his speeches and writings always show an earnestness and care in preparation that denote sincerity. Judge Thoman is an esteemed member of vari- ous social organizations. He was president of the Ohio Society of Chicago for four years, is a member of the Union League, the Athletic, the Kvanston and the Country' Clubs, and is a Mason of high degree, being a Knight Templar and Scot- tish-rite Alason of the thirty-second degree, and also a Noble of the Alystic Shrine. In early manhood, Judge Thoman wedded Miss Mary E. Cartwright, of Youngstow-n, Ohio, but after a happy married life of less than a year she passed away. His home was then shared by his mother and sister until February, 1892, when he added to the household by his marriage to Miss I'lorence B., the accomplished daughter of Hon. James M. Smith, one of the judges of the circuit court of the First District of Ohio. This union has been blessed with a daughter. The Judge and his wife are adherents of the Presbyterian Church. They have a beautiful home in Evans- tion which indicates the refined and cultured taste of the inmates, and its hospitable doors are ever open for the reception of their many friends. MELVILLE W. FULLER, WASHINGTON, D. C. /^■"HIEF JUSTICE FULLER was born in the V_.' city of Augusta, Maine, on the nth of Feb- ruary, 1833. O" l^oth sides he comes of the best New England stock, his American ancestors hav- ing been among the pilgrims who came over on the Mayflower. For nearly three centuries some member of his family in each generation rose to eminence as a lawyer, statesman or divine. A succession of distinguished preachers were his ancestors on the paternal side. Thomas Weld, a Fellow of Cambridge University, came to this country in 1632, and was the first minister of the first church in Roxbury, now a part of Boston, Massachusetts. He was a contemporary of Eliot, the Indian apostle. A great-grandson of his, Habijah Weld, was settled for half a century at Attleborough, J\Iassachusetts, and was much be- loved by Cotton Mather. He is described in Dwight's Travels in New England as an orator of great virtue and power, a very Boanerges in the pulpit. His daughter, Hannah, became the wife of Rev. Caleb Fuller, son of Young Fuller, who was born at Barnstable in 1708. Another daughter, Elizabeth, married John Shaw, of Barn- stable, from w-hom the late Chief Justice Shaw, of the supreme court of Massachusetts, descended; so that Chief Justice Fuller and the late Chief Justice of Massachusetts are both descendants of the celebrated Puritan preacher. The Rev. Caleb Fuller graduated at Yale in 1758, and settled as minister for some time in Hanover, New Hampshire, where he died, in 1815, at a good old age. His son, Henry Weld Fuller, grandfather of the Chief Justice, was born in 1784 and was a classmate and intimate friend of Daniel Webster at Dartmouth College. He was a sound lawyer, and for many years and at the time of his death was judge of probate in Kennebec county, Maine. He resided at Au- gusta, and was noted for his public spirit and his REPRESENTATIVE MEX OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. ()0 keen interest in the progress and prosperity of his adopted State. He married Estlier Gould, a sister of tlie poetess, Hannali Flagg Gould, and died on the 29th of January, 1841. The father of the Chief Justice's paternal grandmother, Ben- jamin Gould, was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, was woimded at Lexington and struck twice at Bunker Hill. Her brother, Benjamin A. Gould, was master of the Boston Latin school, and an- other sister was the mother of the late Judge Rapallo, of the New York court of appeals. Fred- erick Augustus Fuller, son of Henry Weld Ful- ler and Esther Gould, and father of the chief justice, was born in Augusta, on the 5th of Oc- tober, 1806, studied law at Harvard law school and with his father, and was for a long time chairman of the board of commissioners of Penobscot county. Lie married Catherine M. Weston, daughter of Hon. Nathan Weston, who was chief justice of the common pleas of Mas- sachusetts, and, after Maine was admitted as a State, was a member of the supreme court of that State, being associate justice from 1820 to 1834, and chief justice from 1834 to 1841. Chief Justice Weston's mother was Elizabeth Bancroft, an aunt of the historian, George Bancroft, who had been previously married to Nathaniel Chee- ver, and two of whose grandchildren were the well known abolitionist divines. Rev. Dr. George B. Cheever and Rev. Henry T. Cheever. The mater- nal grandmother of the Chief Justice was Paulina Bass Cony, daughter of the Hon. Daniel Cony, of Augusta. She was a relative of Bishop Bass of Massachusetts and a descendant of John Bass, who married the daughter of Priscilla and John Alden. Her maternal grandfather was Rev. Philip Curtis, of Jamaica Plain. Judge Cony was a Revolutionary soldier, was present at the sur- render of Burgoyne, and was a leading man in the Kennebec valley during a long life. He had four daughters, — I\Irs. Rucl Williams, Mrs. Nathan Weston, Mrs. Samuel Cony and Mrs. John H. Ingraham, — familiar names to the people of Maine. The Chief Justice is connected througli the Welds with Chief Justice Shaw, through the Curtises with Benjamin R. Curtis, and through the Conys with Rufus Choate. His father and his father's two brothers, and his mother's four broth- ers, were all members of the bar. His father, grandfather and great-grandfather had all been distinguished citizens of the town in which he was born. The opinions of Chief Justice Weston, es- pecially upon commercial questions, are quoted even now as leading cases upon the topics dis- cussed. At the age of sixteen Mr. Fuller entered Bow- doin College, where he mastered the regular course, graduating in the class of 1853. On leaving college he began the study of law in the office of his uncle, George Melville Weston, at Bangor, toward the close of his preparatory course attending lectures at the Harvard law school. Having been called to the bar of his native State, he commenced the practice of his profession at Augusta in 1856, in partnership with his uncle, Hon. Benjamin G. Fuller, with whom he also at the same time edited The Age, then one of the leading Democratic newspapers in the State. While acting in this capacity he reported the pro- ceedings of the State legislature for the same paper, and thus made the acquaintance of James G. Blaine, who was then on the editorial staff of the Republican newspaper in Augusta. While yet on the threshold of his career, Mr. Fuller so favorably impressed his fellow citizens by his ability that in 1856 they elected him a member of the common council of Augusta, of which he became the president, performing also the duties of city solicitor. Although only twenty-three years of age, he had already developed remark- able qualities as a lawyer, and an enviable position at the bar of his native State was assured him. The wonderful reports of the prosperity of the new West, however, and especially of the growth of Chicago, had attracted his attention, and he made up his mind to follow the track — by this time pretty well trodden — of Chicago's early pioneers. He resigned his offices in Augusta, and before the year 1856 had closed he had settled in Chicago. Here his abilities were speedily recognized. He soon won for himself an honor- al)le position at the bar and built up a lucrative practice which continued to grow until he stood in the foremost ranks of the profession. Within two years after his arrival in Chicago we find him arguing a case before the supreme court of this State, — Beach vs. Derby, — reported in the 19th volume of the Illinois Reports. From that time 66 niOGRAPIIICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT OALLERY OF THE on until his elevation to the highest judicial office in this country he was engaged as counsel in nearly all the most important litigations that stand out as landmarks of the history of jurispru- dence in this State. His cases appear in more than one hundred volumes of the Illinois Reports. Several of them were of a character which at- tracted attention not only in this but also in other countries. The most celebrated of them, perhaps, was the famous Cheney case, which resulted in the organi- zation of a new episcopal church in the United States and Canada, with a branch in England. The Rev. Charles Edward Cheney, rectorof Christ Church in Chicago, was charged before the bishop of the Protestant Episcopal diocese of Illinois, Dr. Whitehouse, with omitting the word "regen- erate" from the baptismal service in violation of the rubric; and the bishop appointed an ecclesias- tical court to hear evidence and report their find- ings to him. This court, which consisted entirely of clergymen, met in the lecture room of the cathedral of SS. Peter and Paul, and was presided over by Rev. Dr. Chase principal of an Episcopal training college in central Illinois. The prosecu- tion was conducted by Mr. S. Corning Judd, chancellor of the diocese, and the accused clergy- man was defended by Mr. Fuller, who also is a member of the Protestant Episcopal communion. Mr. Cheney did not deny that the doctrine of absolute baptismal regeneration was repugnant to him, nor that he was accustomed to omit the word expressing it when reading the baptismal service. In common with a number of other clergymen who afterward seceded with him from the Protestant Episcopal Church, he claimed a larger spiritual liberty than was conceded to him by the strict ritualists who instigated the prosecu- tion, and maintained that he could still remain a loyal minister of the church, though eliminating from the service book what he held to be error. The writings of the church fathers were appealed to in support of this position, while the canon law was cited to uphold the theory that a clergy- man can do nothing but follow the rubric, ex- cept with the permission of his bishop, to whom he ovv'es absolute canonical obedience. Mr. Fuller met the case presented point by point, and astonished the doctors of divinity by his knowledge both of canon law and patristic literature. When it became evident that the decis- ion of the court would be against his client he sued out a writ of injunction, which was served upon the members of the court in open session by the sheriff of Cook county in person. But ]\lr. Fuller was defeated in the supreme court, when that court decided that the court of equity could not enjoin the ecclesiastical proceedings. Mr. Cheney was subsequently deposed for canon- ical disobedience, and formed a new church, with the aid of Rev. Dr. Cummins, assistant bishop of Kentucky, who conferred upon Mr. Cheney epis- copal orders, as I\Ir. Cheney, though discarding absolute baptismal regeneration, still clung to the dogma of apostolical succession. The new church became known as the Reformed Episco- pal Church, and ministers from the Alethodist Presbyterian and other denominations joined its ranks. The vestry and congregation of Christ Church followed Mr. Cheney in his secession, and another suit arose between them and the bishop with regard to the title to the church property. The cases were in liti- gation for a long time, and at all stages Mr. Fuller vigorously contested them, evincing a profound knowledge of ecclesiastical law rarely possessed by any lawyer except among those En- glish lawyers who are specially devoted to that line of practice. His argument in the first case before the Illinois supreme court was acknowl- edged to be a masterpiece of forensic skill and eloquence. The result of the second case was favorable to his clients, who still occupy Christ church under the ministrations of Bishop Cheney. This now historical case added greatly to Mr. Fuller's fame as an advocate; but he had long before been recognized as a thorough and pains- taking lawyer, and noted for his unswerving loyalty to the interests of his clients. His practice continued to grow until it was limited only by his ability and willingness to un- dertake new cases. A marked characteristic of all his appearances in court was the thorough- ness with which his cases were prepared. Al- though possessing quick perceptive faculties and working with facility and ease, he studied every case closely and carefully, not grudging the most prodigious labor, so that he might be master of REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. ()7 every detail; and lie always went into court fully armed for the contest. As a fluent, earnest and convincing advocate he had but few equals. Al- ways dignified and courteous, he commanded alike the respect of the court and the esteem of his associates at the bar. His practice embraced all branches of the law except criminal and ad- miralty. As an expounder of commercial law and the law of real property, he had no superior at the Chicago bar. In the later years of his forensic career he practiced more on the chancery than the law side of the court, but in both he shone as an eloquent and successful pleader. Latterly his practice was very extensive in the federal courts; and it is a curious coincidence that he was of counsel in the first case heard before the late Chief Justice \\^aite when he went upon the bench, — Tappan vs. The Merchants' National Bank. That was in 1874; and since that time, as well as for some years before, scarcely a term of that court passed in which he had not one or more cases on the docket. Among the more important of his later cases in the federal courts may be mentioned the Lake Front case, which involved a long protracted struggle between the city of Chicago and the Illinois Central Railroad Company for the con- trol of the lake front, along which the railroad's right of way extended. The litigation over this matter dragged its slow length along for many years, assuming in its course many new phases, which it would be tedious to de- scribe in detail even were it possible within any reasonable limits to recount a histon,' with which most of the older generation of Chicago citizens are familiar. In the whole of that litigation Mr. Fuller successfully represented the interests of the city of Chicago, while the most eminent counsel available at the Chicago bar were arrayed against him; but he fought them single- handed with wonderful pertinacity, and with ap- parently inexhaustible resources of argument, until at the final hearing before Justice Harlan and Judge Blodgctt, a year before Mr. Fuller's elevation to the federal bench, a result was arrived at which was essentially a triumph for the city, the credit of which was freely acknowledged to be due to the learning, research, and skill with which Mr. Fuller had conducted the litigation on the city's behalf. It was one of the most memorable legal battles that have ever been fought in the courts of the United States, — memorable alike for the magnitude of the issues involved, the eminence of the counsel engaged, and the length of time through which it lasted; and Mr. Fuller came out of it with honor and with a vastly enhanced pro- fessional reputation. A Democrat all his life, Mr. Fuller gave a loyal and earnest support to the cause of the Union during the war, believing the principles of the Jeflfersonian party to be not inconsistent witli the purest patriotism. Ardently desiring the triumph of the Union arms and the suppression of tJie rebellion, he yet saw no reason to change the political opinions which he had cherished from his earliest years, and has always been, through all vicissitudes of party fortune, a consistent and zealous member of the Democratic party. A thorough student of economic science, as well as of the principles of the law, he quickly discerned the fallacy of an attempt to increase the general prosperity by an inflation of the currency, and gave his firm support to the policy of resumption of specie payments and a return to what was popularly known as "hard money." He was a devoted personal friend of Stephen A. Douglas, and among the ablest adherents of that statesman. He welcomed Senator Douglas to Chicago in i860, in an address characterized both by elegance of diction and vigor of thought, and, in the following year, he delivered a commemora- tive oration which was widely praised for its style and matter. In 1861 he was a member of the convention called for the purpose of revising the constitution of the State of Illinois, and in that body his legal knowledge and abilities enabled him to render important service. In 1862 he was elected to the State legislature and scr\'ed one term. He was chosen as a delegate to the Demo- craticnationalconventionsof 1864, 1872, 1876 and 1880, and in 1876 was selected to nominate Mr. Hendricks for the vice presidency, which he did in a brilliant speech. In recent years, however, he has withdrawn himself from all active participa- tion in politics, though he still retains a warm in- terest in the success of his party and the principles which it represents, is a close observer of public events and as keen a student as ever of the public questions of the day. A thorough student from his college days, Mr. RS niOORAPlIICAI. DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE luillor has all his life been a man of scholarly habits, — not merely a /iMuc libioniin, though he is that, — but one who constantly exemplifies Bacon's maxim as to the right results of reading. His classical erudition tinctures his style on all oc- casions, in legal arguments, in public addresses, and even in lighter and less carefully prepared postprandial utterances, and oftentimes overflows with quotation. In the same way his wide ac- quaintance with the best modern literature is manifest not merely in the grace and polish of his diction, but also in the wealth of allusion and felicitous quotation with which it is embroidered. And above all, one rare clement of strengtli which pervades his more serious discourse, is his famil- iarity with the bible, the very phraseology of which, grand in its mere simplicity, crops out frequently in Mr. Fuller's speeches as though by an act of unconscious assimilation. By the mem- bers of his own profession he is held in the highest respect for the thoroughness of his legal learn- ing. He displays as complete a familiarity with fundamental principles as with precedents. A profound jurist as well as an accomplished scholar, he is moreover a singularly effective orator, a charm of his diction being enhanced by a graceful delivery and a dignified bearing which at once make a favorable impression upon an audience. On the 1st of May, 1888, Mr. Fuller was ap- pointed by President Cleveland to the high office of chief justice of the United States, made vacant by the death of Hon. Morrison R. Waite. His appointment was most favorably received by the legal profession throughout the country. Even his strongest political opponents were among the first to recognize his eminent fitness for the posi- tion. Called in the vigor of his manhood from the active practice of the bar, it was universally felt that Mr. Fuller, as a lawyer of wide experience and commanding position in his profession, and a citizen of the very highest personal character, would undoubtedly prove a worthy successor to Jay, Ellsworth, Marshall, Taney, Chase and Waite. His old college, Bowdoin, was among the foremost to greet the new chief justice with the highest honor in its gift, the degree of LL. D., which was conferred upon him on commencement day in July, 1888. Mr. Fuller was present in at- tendance on a meeting of his class, that of 1853, and at the commencement dinner, in response to the call of the president, he made a response which was characterized by all the felicities of diction which have already been enumerated. "Praise from those who have been crowned with praise,'' he said, "is necessarily gratifying; and it is delightful on returning from long absence to re- ceive the cordial welcome of the friends of one's youth and early manhood, and of the many with whom kinship has been created by the tender touch of the fair and gracious mother in letters of us all. I cannot escape if I would, and I would not if I could, the touch of vanquished hands and the sound of stilled voices." Speaking of his old teachers, he went on to say: "Though in the care- less gayety of youth I count myself as not having fully apprehended it, I have since appreciated, and profoundly appreciate, the value of the works which follow them, now that they rest from their labors. It was not learning merely, it was not mental discipline merely, that they sought to im- part, but, in addition to and above these, they labored to ground the student in that faith in the eternal verities which would enable him, when the rain descended and the winds blew and the floods came, to withstand the storm as he only finally can do whose feet are planted on that rock. Wherever the sons of Bowdoin have acquired dis- tinction — and what region of the earth is not full of their labors? — I think it will be found that their success is largely attributable to the integrity of character developed by the spirit of the teaching of their alma mater." His fellow citizens of Chicago were not slow to acknowledge the honor conferred upon this com- munity by the selection of one of its members for the highest judicial office in the land. His breth- ren of the Chicag'o bench and bar entertained him at a magnificent banquet, presided over by the venerable Thomas Drummond, Judge of the United States Circuit Court for the Northern Dis- trict of Illinois, himself a graduate of Bowdoin College. In proposing the health of the new chief justice. Judge Drummond referred to the attempted opposition to his confirmation by the senate. Characterizing Mr. Fuller as "one who has gone in and. out among us for more than thirty years with an untarnished name and with a REPRESENTATIVE MEN OP THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. m moral character which even malice could not sully," he said that the citizens of Chicago could commend Mr. Fuller "as one who, from the eminence he has occupied as a lawyer, from his learning, from his ability, and his integrity, will adorn the high office to which he has been ap- pointed." The earnest and feeling words with which Chief Justice Fuller responded will long echo in the memories of those who were present on that occasion, and a brief extract from them may fitly close this sketch: "It has come to pass," Mr. Fuller said, "that as the star of empire, moving westward, hangs fixed and resplendent above the glorious valley of the Mississippi, a member of this bar and citizen of Chicago has been designated to the headship of the mightiest tribunal upon earth. Of that tribunal, or the grave and weighty re- sponsibilities of that office, it does not become me now to speak, nor could I if it were otherwise ap- propriate; for I am oppressed with the sadness inevitable where one, after long years of battle, puts his armor oft and retires from the ranks of his comrades. Whatever the vicissitudes of these thirty-two years, they have never been marred bv personal estrangement from my brethren, and they have been happy years. Personally unam- bitious, I have not thought myself selfish in in- dulging my preference for the sweet habit of life rather than the struggle involved in prominent position. I have always been deeply impressed with the truth of the words of one of the wisest of mankind, that 'men in great place are thrice servants, — servants of the sovereign or State, sen^ants of fame, and sen'ants of business; so as they have no freedom, neither in their persons nor in their actions, nor in their times.' But I also know, of course, that the performance of duty is the true end of life; and I find consolation in the thought that, though in the efTort to prove worthy of the confidence of a great and common countrv. I must tread the w^ine-press alone, I shall be sustained by the sympathy, the friendship, and the good will of those with whom I have dwelt so long, and my affection for whom no office how- ever exalted, no eminence however .great, can im- pede or diminish." Mr. Fuller has been twice married: In 1858 to Calista O. Reynolds, and in 1866 to JNIarv Ellen Coolbaugh. He is the father of eight daughters and one son — two of the daughters being the issue of the first marriage. The biography of Chief Justice Fuller as it ap- pears above was prepared for and published in volume II of the Encyclopedia of Biography of Illinois. I 11: HON. JOHN G. ROGERS, CHICAGO. IN the last half century especially, it is seldom that one wins prominence in several lines. It is the tendency of the age to devote one's entire energies to a special line, continually working up- ward and concentrating his efforts toward ac- complishing a desired end ; yet in the case of John Gorin Rogers it is demonstrated that an exalted position may be reached in more than one line of action. He was an eminent jurist, an able judge and a leader in political circles. His long connection with the public life of Chicago and a reputation that extended beyond the confines of Illinois well entitle him to representation in this volume. Judge Rogers was born in Glasgow, Kentucky, December 28, 1818, descending from an old Vir- ginian family founded in America by English an- cestors more than two hundred years ago. The judge acquired his elementary education in the schools of his native county and in 1841 was graduated at the Transylvania University, at Lex- ington, Kentucky, with the degree of Bachelor of Laws. He was then admitted to the bar and at once opened an office in his native city, where he soon won prominence, for his abilities were such that they commanded recognition. Desiring a wider field of labor, in the year 1857 he came to Chicago, where within a short time he was ac- corded a foremost position among the ablest lawyers of the city. \Miilc still in Kentucky he 70 BIOORAPIIICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE twice served as presidential elector, first in 1848 and again in 1852. In 1871 he was elected associate jndge, and after eight years' service in that office became chief justice of the circuit court, in 1879. It is said if a man follows that pursuit for which nature intended him he cannot but win success; and nature evidently intended Mr. Rogers for a judge if success is any criterion. He was a fluent speaker, an able writer, clear and forcible, and the charge which he gave to a jury, while summing up the evidence in a concise and logical way, was always suited to his auditors. If the jurors were of the more cultured class, his lan- guage was chosen accordingly; if the men were illiterate his words were of a simple nature, yet brought in all the points of the case in their various bearings. Judge Rogers' knowledge of real-estate law has been seldom equaled, he being consid- ered authority on all such matters. He was an eloquent pleader, a keen debater and his remark- able memory furnished him with a wealth of cita- tion and precedent. In 1844, before leaving his native State, the Judge was united in marriage with IMiss Arabella E. Crenshaw, the eldest daugliter of B. Mills Crenshaw, late chief justice of Kentucky. A lady of gentle and refined manner, she shared in the high esteem in which her husband was held. She took great delight in her home and family, which numbered two sons and two daughters; and as the Judge was a man of domestic tastes a happy circle gathered round the fireside. In early life Judge Rogers was a supporter of the Whig party, and in i860 joined the Democ- racy, w-ith which he afterward continued in con- nection. He was by no means a politician, yet was a man of pronounced views on various ques- tions and never feared to give expression to his sentiments. He was a member of the national convention which nominated Millard Fillmore for the presidency. He first became a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows in 1849, joining Glasgow Lodge, No. 65. Upon his removal to Chicago he became a member of Excelsior Lodge, No. 22, and after several times representing it in the grand lodge he was, in 1863, elected grand master of Illinois, and in 1869 was chosen grand represent- ative to the grand lodge of the United States. In 1871 he was selected as one of the Chicago Re- lief Committee of the Odd Fellows' society, and being made its treasurer received and disbursed more than $100,000. That committee received the highest commendations, not only from tlie fraternity, the almoner of w'hose bounty it was, but also from the public, cognizant of its acts; and its admirable conduct of the delicate work assigned it shed new luster upon the name of the beneficent order. The Judge was modest and unassuming in disposition, courteous and suave in manner, self-poised and dignified in demeanor, thoughtful of the feelings and respectful toward the opinons of others, and aided his fellow men with a generous devotion that won him the highest re- gard of all with whom he was brought in contact. His death occurred in Chicago, January 10, 1887, and the community mourned the loss of one of its most valued and highly respected citizens, the bar one of its most able members and his associates a most loyal friend. ROBERT J. BENNETT, IN past ages the history of a country was the record of wars and conquests ; to-day it is the record of commercial activity, and those whose names are foremost in its annals are the leaders in business circles. The conquests now made are those of mind over matter, not of man over man, and the victor is he who can successfully establish, control and operate extensive commer- cial interests. Robert J. Bennett is one of the strong and influential men whose lives have be- come an essential part of the history of Chicago and of the West. Tireless energy, keen percep- tion, honesty of purpose, genius for devising and executing the right thing at the right time, joined to every-day common sense, guided by great will power, are the chief characteristics of the man. .rf"3i-:sf Brc-' .^^f^^^^^'^^^^ REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. n Connected with one of the leading wliolcsale grocerv' houses of Chicago, tlie place that he occu- pies in business circles is in the front rank. Mr. Bennett was born in Pulaski, Osweg'o county, New York, on the 9th of Februan,-, 1839, and descended from Illinois' pioneers. The Ben- netts are of Irish ancestn.-, the family having been founded in America by those of that name who left the Emerald Isle and took up their residence in this country during early Colonial days. His father, Reuben J. Bennett, was one of the pioneer settlers of Oswego county. New York, and mar- ried Alta Haskins, who was of the seventh gener- ation from Miles Standish, governor of the Mas- sachusetts Colony. When Robert w-as a child of five years, in 1844, the parents left their old home in the Empire State and started westward, their destination be- ing Lake county, Illinois. From the Govern- ment the father purchased a tract of land near Diamond Lake, and continued the cultivation and improvement of the same up to the time of his death, which occurred in 1883. His w-ife sur- vived him ten years and passed away in 1893, at the age of eighty-five. Upon the old homestead farm Robert J. Ben- nett spent his boyhood and youth, the outdoor life giving him the necessary physical training, while the schools of the neighborhood afforded him the means of mental development. He was an apt student and soon fitted himself for the pro- fession of teaching, which he followed to a limited extent during his earlier years, having charge of several district schools. A new life opened to him in 1863, when he came to Chicago. He de- sired a broader field of labor and usefulness and sought it in the rapidly growing city by the lake. He was at that time a young man of good gen- eral information, ambitious and enterprising, and at once secured the position of cashier and general bookkeeper for William M. Hoyt — a wholesale dealer in fruits and fancy groceries. He held that position for two years, and in 1865 joined A. AI. Fuller in the purchase of Mr. Hoji's interest in the store and business. Air. Hoyt then embarked in the wholesale grocery trade. This undertaking was prosperous. In tlie great fire of 1871 Bennett & Fuller lost their all and much more. Their creditors voluntarily signed an agreement to take fifty cents on the dollar, but these young men paid in full. Concerning this settlement Mr. Bennett wrote: "I worked fifteen to sixteen hours per day and had but one suit of clothes at a time until all of that great debt was paid one hundred cents on the dollar with interest from the day it was due. The time of final release was a proud day in my life." On the 1st of August, 1874, a connection was formed between the old house, of which Air. Hoyt was leading partner, and the firm of Bennett & Fuller. On the consolidation of the two houses Air. Bennett assumed financial direction of the new company's affairs, a position which has claimed his constant attention since. His share in shaping the policy of the house has had a marked influence in winning its phenomenal suc- cess. About this time the plan of selling goods through the medium of traveling salesmen was discontinued and that of winning customers through the medium of printed price lists adopted. The incorporation of the firm w'as recorded in 1882, under the title of the William AI. Hoyt Company, the capital stock being placed at $500,- 000, of which sixty per cent was paid at that date. The of^cers were William AI. Hoyt, president; A. AI. Fuller, vice-president; and R. J. Bennett, secretary and treasurer. The officers named, with A. C. Buttolph and Graeme Stewart, who were admitted in the company, formed the board of directors, and have sensed in their respective positions for the last twelve years. To-day the capital is entirely paid up and a surplus fund of over .$100,000 is recorded. Alany are the business houses, retail and whole- sale, located in Chicago, but none have a higher reputation as substantial and reliable concerns than that oi the William AI. Hoyt Company, which is primarily due to the untiring industry of the mem- bers of the firm and to the reputation they have won for honorable dealings throughout the en- tire territory tributary to Chicago. From the time when Air. Bennett entered the employ of Air: Hoyt as bookkeeper, the relations existing be- tween them have been of the most pleasant char- acter. It is seldom that one sees a firm where the members work together with such perfect harmony, the labors of one seeming to perfectly supplement and round out those of the other. 72 BIOORAPUICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE The interests of Mr. Bennett and Mr. Hoyt are as one, and two more honored business men cannot be found in the city of Chicago to-day than these gentlemen. The site of their large house is that on which stood Fort Dearborn, and upon a white marble tablet, which is inserted in the front of the build- ing, is a bas-relief of the old "block house," below which is the inscription: "This building occupies the site of Fort Dearborn, which extended a little across Michigan avenue and somewhat into the river as it now is. The fort was built in 1803 and 1804, forming our outmost defense. By order of General Hull it was evacuated August 15, 1812, after its stores and provisions had been distributed among the Indians. Very soon after, the Indians attacked and massacred about fifty of the troops and a number of citizens, including women and children, and next day burned the fort. In 1816 it was rebuilt; but after the Black Hawk war it went into gradual disuse, and in May, 1837, was abandoned by the army, but was occupied by var- ious Government ofifices until 1857, when it was torn down excepting a single building which stood upon the site until the great fire of October 9, 1871. At the suggestion of the Chicago His- torical Society this tablet was erected, Novem- ber, 1880, by W. M. Hoyt." This inscription was written by Mr. Bennett at the request of the Chi- cago Historical Society, and the plan of the tablet was drawn by him. It seems appropriate that one of the oldest and most reliable houses in Chi- cago should stand upon this historic ground, around which clusters the romance of the city. The attention of INIr. Bennett has by no means been limited to one line of enterprise, for he is a man of broad capabilities. He has been a director in the Atlas National Bank and the owner of con- siderable real estate in Ravenswood, which he has greatly improved, thereby adding to the beauty and prosperity of one of Chicago's most delight- ful suburbs. He to-day enjoys the reward of his painstaking and conscientious work. By his energy, perseverance and fine business ability he has been enabled to secure an ample fortune. Sys- tematic and metliodical, his sagacity, keen dis- crimination and sound judgment have made him one of the prosperous wholesale merchants of the city. It is not alone in the business world that Mr. Bennett is well known. The metropolis of the West, which for a third of a century has been his home, is indebted to him for the efforts he has put forth in her behalf. Social, educational and moral interests have been promoted by him, and anything that tends to uplift and benefit humanity secures his hearty co-operation. He is especially liberal in his donations to the Congregational Church, and was the principal contributor toward that church at Ravenswood, of which he and his wife are active members. He is a leader in the work of the Sunday-school, has been prominent in the advancement of the Young Men's Christian Association, and built and equipped the gym- nasium of the Ravenswood branch, at a cost of $15,000, which he gave to the society free of charge for five years. The cause of education finds in him a warm friend, and his deep and sin- cere interest in the welfare of his fellowmen prompts his support of various charities and en- terprises that are calculated to prove of general benefit. His political support is given to the Republican party, and he is one of the best in- formed men in the country on the subject of American politics. He ranks among the most honored counselors of the party, and his opin- ions and advice are continually sought on ques- tions of the greatest importance to the city. He has often been solicited to become a candidate for office, but has always declined all honors of a political character. Fond of travel, Mr. Bennett finds his chief source of recreation and rest in this way. He has made many visits to different parts of this countr>',fonningnew friendships and associations. In June, 1895, he returned after a six-months absence in the Old World, during which time he visited the Holy Land and Egj-pt, which were of great interest to him, not only on account of the difference in the life of the inhabitants of to- day, but also because of memories and associa- tions in connection with the scenes of Bible history. He has also traveled through continental Europe, has seen the ancient ruins of northern Africa, visited the old Byzantine empire and class- ic Greece, contrasting the present with the past civilization, has seen the Orient's extensive em- pire, China, has spent some time in the enterpris- ing and progressive empire of Japan, and has REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES: ILLINOIS VOLUME. 73 traveled in the land of Montezuma. In manner, Mr. Bennett is pleasant and genial, in disposition is kindly, and the high regard in which he is uni- versally held is well deserved. The domestic relations of Mr. Bennett have ever been of the most pleasant, and he finds in his home his greatest enjoyment. He was hap- pily married, in 1862, to Miss Electa M. Hovt, sister of William M. Hoyt, and to them were bom three children: Arthur G., connected with tlie wholesale house; Maude E., wife of Morri- son H. Vail, of Chicago, an architect; and Will- iam Hoyt Bennett, now an employee of the company. HENRY C. CONNELLY, ROCK ISLAND. THE gentleman whose name honors this page was born in the village of Petersburg, Som- .rrset county, Pennsylvania, December 22, 1831, the fourth in order of birth of the eight children of James and Maria (Hugus) Connelly, the former a contractor and heavy dealer in stock, who as- sisted in building the great National road. Our subject's maternal ancestors on both sides were Huguenots, who fled from France at the time of the massacre. Some of their descendants, Hugus and Ankeny by name, fought with Washington. Plis paternal grandfather, Bernard Connelly, came to this country from the north of Ireland mear the close of the last century and located in Philadelphia, where he met with financial success. In after years he located in Somerset county, where he purchased a large tract of land and engaged extensively in the rais- ing of live stock. He reared three sons and four daughters. One of the points he loved to dwell upon in his old age, was that he had given his children the best education the country afforded, in addition deeding each a farm. The early boyhood days of our subject, until the death of his father, were passed in his native village. Then his mother moved to the town of Somerset with her family, thus enabling her chil- dren to enjoy the superior educational advan- tages afiforded there. After leaving the Somer- set Academy he learned the trade of printing in the ofiice of the Somerset Visitor, whose editor was General A. H. Cofifroth, who has since be- come one of Pennsylvania's distinguished sons. When twenty years of age he became half owner and editor of the Beaver Star, a connection that continued for two years and a half, at the expi- ration of which period he disposed of his interest therein, and, forming a partnership with Eman- uel J. Pershing, brother of Judge Cyrus L. Per- shing, of Pennsylvania, moved to Rock Island, in February, 1855, and purchased the Rock Islander, which was soon afterward changed to a daily. In 1857 Messrs. Pershing & Connelly purchased the Argus and consolidated the two papers. Mr. Connelly's connection with the consolidated pa- per continued until 1859. In 1858 he began reading law, under the in- struction of Judge J. W. Drury, and was admit- ted to the bar in i860. He at once entered upon the practice of his profession, continuing suc- cessfully in his new vocation until September 12, 1862, when he entered the army. From the Chi- cago Inter Ocean of September 27, 1887, the fol- lowing outline of Major Connelly's military ca- reer is taken: Henry Clay Connelly is a member of General John Buford Post, No. 243, Rock Island, of which he was a charter member and its first commander. He was commissioned second lieutenant of Com- pany L, Fourteenth Illinois Cavaln', lanuarv 7, 1863. In the spring the regiment went to the front, its first headquarters being Glasgow, Kentucky. While here the regiment was active in scouting, and the Confederate forces at Celina and near Turkey Neck bend on the Cumberland river were attacked and routed. The next work was the pursuit of General Morgan for twenty-eight days and nights, the battle of Buffington Island, in Ohio, and the capture of Morgan. Lieutenant Connelly was present at the capture. In August, 74 BlOOliAPlIIUAL DICTIONARY AXD PORTRAIT OALLERY OF THE under General lUinisido, the Union forces went into cast Tennessee. With the advance guard Lieutenant Connelly entered Knoxville Septem- ber I, General Burnside taking formal posses- sion on the 3d. He heard the last toot of the last locomotive of General Buckner commanding the Confederates sounded in Knoxville. He was at the taking of Cumberland Gap, at Bristol, and at the numerous encounters in that locality, at the defense of Knoxville and its incidents, at Bean Station, at Dandridge, Fair Garden, Walk- er's Ford, Stra\vberry Plains, and at the fight with Thomas' Cherokee Indian Legion in North Car- olina. During the east Tennessee campaign he was placed in charge of a battery of artillery. On the Indian raid, after following a mountainous old Indian trail, the 2d of February the Chero- kees were surprised in their camp, attacked and the legion cut to pieces, many of them being killed and captured. Lieutenant Connelly had with him part of his battery. Herculean efforts were required to take the guns and caissons over the great mountains and through the deep ra- vines, but the work was successfully accomplished. General Grant, in a special dispatch, highly com- plimented the Fourteenth for this work. He received his commission as captain after this expedition and did duty at- brigade head- quarters as Assistant Adjutant General, and also as inspector. He participated in the Atlanta cam- paign. On the Macon raid his regiment, being in General Stoneman's command, shared the mis- fortune of this officer, and after it had cut its way out in a splendid charge. Being dismounted by reason of loss of horses on the Macon raid, the regiment did duty as infantry at the siege of At- lanta and was one of the first which entered the city after its fall. Being remounted and re- equipped about the ist of November, 1864, it took a position on the right of the Union army on the Tennessee river to watch General Hood's advance. From the river to Columbia ]\Iajor Con- nelly day and night was with the rear guard, being repeatedly surrounded. With splendid courage his command charged the Confederate lines with success. Near jSIount Pleasant, and also at Duck river, after dark, finding himself cut ofif and sur- rounded, he placed himself at the head of his command and carried his column through the Confederate lines with success. During the ad- vance of General Hood's great and aggressive army, including the battle at Franklin and the advance of tlie Union army at Nashville, his offi- cers and the men of his command speak in en- thusiastic terms of ^lajor Connelly's leadership and his great qualities as a soldier. From sec- ond lieutenant he was promoted captain over his first lieutenant, and by a vote of the officers of * I'lis regiment, who also voiced the sentiment of the rank and file, he was elected major over six captains who held commissions older than his! The Inter Ocean's article is brief, and does not give in detail the events leading to Captain Con- nelly's promotion, which are related in the next two paragraphs. Colonel F. i\I. Davidson, of the Fourteenth, wrote two letters to Governor Oglesby recommending the subject of our sketch for the position of major. These letters were written at Edgefield, Tennessee, the first bear- ing date I'ebruary 7, 1863, in which Colonel Da- vidson says: "In recommending Captain Connelly for this position (Major) it affords me much pleasure to bear witness to the gallant and successful man- ner in which he has conducted himself as a soldier whenever and wherever he has been called upon to face the enemy. His bearing on the Morgan raid to the day he (Morgan) was cap- tured; his skill through the entire campaign in east Tennessee under General Burnside, and par- ticularly on the 14th day of December, 1863, at the battle of Bean Station, fighting Longstreet's corps, in which he handled a battery with the coolest daring and most splendid success; his en- ergy on the North Carolina expedition in the month of February, 1864, commanded by my- self; his bravery and dash during the recent cam- paign in Tennessee under General Thomas, and particularly on the night of the 23d of November, 1864, when, being surrounded by General Forrest, after otlier officers failed in charging the enemy's lines, he placed himself at the head of the column, rallied the men and charged out without the loss of a man; and also on the 15th of December (at Nashville), when he rallied his regiment after being broken under a fearful cannonade from the enemy's batteries. In short his whole career as REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. a soldier proves him to be wortliy of prompt pro- motion." Governor Oglesby hesitated to commission a junior captain over so many seniors, and Colonel Davidson, being advised of this hesitation, on March 28, 1865, wrote again as follows: • * * "I can only repeat what I said of Captain Con- nelly in my communication to Governor Oglesby dated February 7, 1865. Aside from his being an officer of the first order (particular mention of some of his acts of bravery being therein set forth), his high tone as a gentleman and his acknowledged talent as a man loudly call for official recognition of his services to his countr}'. He has capacity for any position as field officer. Anything you may be able to do for him will be esteemed as a personal favor." Upon his return from the war Major Connelly resumed his practice. In 1866 he was elected police magistrate for a term of four years, and was city attorney of Rock Island during the years 1869-70-71. Januar}', 1894, his son, Bernard D., who is a graduate of the Iowa State University, and had been for five years associated with the law finn of Douthitt, Jones & Mason, of Topeka, Kansas, became associated mth him under the firm title of Connelly & Connelly. Their practice covers the various branches of the law, and the firm ranks as one of the leading law firms of Rock Island. Bailey Davenport in his lifetime was president and owner of the Rock Island & Moline Street railway. Major Connelly succeeded to the presi- dency of the company after Mr. Davenport's death. In August, 1869, the steamer Dubuque, plying on the Mississippi river between St. Louis and St. Paul, on an up-river trip, carried a large num- ber of han-cst hands. The employes on the boat were negroes. Some difficulty arose between a white man and a negro which resulted in a riot on the boat, when near Hampton, Rock Island county. About a dozen negroes lost their lives by being clubbed, and then thrown or driven into the river, in which they were drowned. Michael Lynch led the assault on the defenceless blacks. He and a dozen others were indicted for murder, all of them except Lynch taking a change of venue to Henry county. Lynch was captured in Arkansas and brought back a pris- oner to Rock Island, tried, convicted and sent to State's prison for ten years. A most intense hatred existed against Lynch among the people. Major Connelly ably defended him and procured a comparatively light verdict for Inm. The mass of the people thought he should have been hung. Major Connelly was one of the original stock- holders of both the Rock Island Buggy Com- pany and the Rock Island Savings Bank. He has always taken great interest in all matters per- taining to the advancement of the prosperity of Rock Island, and in 1861 labored many weeks with senators and members of the house at Wash- ington to secure the passage of the bill by Con- gress locating the great national arsenal at Rock Island. More recently he has been one of those who obtained the passage of a special bill through both branches of Congress authorizing the con- struction of an electric railroad across the Mis- sissippi between Rock Island and Davenport, Iowa. Major Connelly is a strong believer in and sup- porter of the doctrines of the Democratic party. In the Buchanan campaign of 1856, and the Douglas-Lincoln campaign of 1858, he was an active worker. The late Judge Jere S. Black, who was a personal friend of Mr. Connelly, and at that time a member of Buchanan's cabinet, gave him to understand that he could have the post- office at Rock Island. This appointment he re- spectfully declined. He was a firm friend of Sen- ator Douglas, and considered it inconsistent for him to accept office from Mr. Buchanan while he used the power of his administration in the State, — though unsuccessfully, — to defeat Sena- tor Douglas. President Johnson appointed him to the postmastership of Rock Island, but a Re- publican senate failed to confirm the nomination. At the Democratic Congressional convention which met at Monmouth in 1882, the late Hon. P. L. Cable placed Major Connelly in nomination in a strong speech. This was done in opposition to the latter's wishes. The Democratic State con- vention which met in Peoria in 1884 honored him by making him temporary chairman of the conven- tion. His severe campaign work in the army developed heart disease, and the excessive heat, 76 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTION-ART AXD PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE combined with the work he had done in the Con- gressional convention before taking his place in the State convention, produced an attack which prostrated him, and he was obliged to retire from the chair. He has been an indefatigable worker for the success of the Hennepin canal, and for nearly twenty years, as member and president of the Rock Island school board, and as member, sec- retary and president of the public library of the same city, has given his personal attention to their success. On the I2th day of May, 1857, Mr. Connelly was united in marriage to Miss Adelaide Mc- Call, a native of New York, whose grandfather fought in the war of 18 12 and other ancestors in the Revolutionary war. Of their children, Clark H. has for ten years past been with the First Na- tional Bank of Sioux City, Iowa; Alvin H. is a manufacturer of and wholesale dealer in hard- wood lumber in Kansas City; Mabel is the wife of Dr. C. W. McGavren, of Missouri Valley, Iowa; Bernard D. is associated with his father, and Miss Lucia is at home. Major Connelly has been a frequent contrib- utor to the National Tribune, of articles relating to personal experiences during the war, and has written several instructive and interesting papers for various law journals. His success in life may be ascribed to posi- tive, determined pursuit of business, and to the fact that he is a man of honesty and integrity. JOHN P. ALTGELD, JOHN P. ALTGELD, the present governor of Illinois, was born in Prussia, in 1848, and came to this country with his parents when a boy, his father settling on a farm near Mansfield, Ohio. At an early age he showed studious traits, applying himself to his books whenever he could steal a few moments from work on his father's farm. He attended the district school when the farm work was not pressing, but at the age of sixteen enlisted in Company C, One Hundred and Sixty-third Ohio Infantry, and went to the front, where he participated in the closing campaign of the Civil war. Returning home he spent the next few years in alternately teaching school, study and working as a farm hand. Then he went to St. Louis, where he read law in a desvdtory wiay, and afterward in a law ofKce at Savannah, Missouri. His industry and faculty for getting to the heart of a subject soon brought him clients and prosperity. In 1S74 he was elected prosecuting attorney of Andrew county, but in October of the succeeding year he resigned this office and removed to Chi- cago. Then he took little interest in politics for several years, but in i884he accepted anomination for Congress in an overwhelming Republican district, and was defeated, but by a much reduced Republican majority. In 1886, without his solici- tation, he was nominated for superior judge of Cook county, which at that time gave a Republi- can majority of about 12,000. He hesitated some time before accepting, but finally did so, and so thorough a canvass did he make, and so perfect was his organization, that notwithstanding defec- tions from the Democratic party and quarrels within its ranks, he was elected by a large major- ity, the laboring men being especially active in his interests. He was on the bench nearly five years, being chief justice of the superior court for one year. A multiplicitv of private interests compelled him to resign this position in August, 1891. He has become very wealthy, principally by the buy- ing and selling of real estate in Chicago and in- vestments in street railways. He designed and built a number of the finest business blocks in Chicago. He was nominated for Governor of Illinois on the first ballot in the Democratic convention of 1892, and made two efficient canvasses of the State, a preliminary one in which he visited every county to ascertain its political condition, and give instructions for organization, and another to ad- dress the people on the issues of the day. He was triumphantly elected, to the surprise of even his ct^idyt-^^^ ly^ u^?nA^^ /^^H^£^^ REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. own party. For over thirty years Illinois had been considered safe for 25.000 to 50,000 Repub- lican plurality. While Michigan, Iowa, Kansas, Wisconsin, Ohio and other Republican States had at times wandered from the path of Republican- ism, it was believed that nothing could affect Illi- nois. So the Democrats entered the campaigfu without hope; but ^Ir. Altgeld was sanguine of an election, and those nearest him predicted it with confidence. The energy, ability and talent for organization which he possessed in a great meas- ure decided the contest. His promise to the con- vention that his "would be a strictly business administration" is being fulfilled. He is a busi- ness man and he applies business principles to the discharge of his ofificial duties, and he demands qualifications other than party service from the men he appoints to office. He has filled the more important places with men of fit- ness and ability, and the press generally has indorsed his policy. Some years ago he published a book on the penal machiner\' of the State, and since then he has published "Live Questions." MARTIN KINGMAN, ONE of the ablest and l)cst known business men of Illinois is Alartin Kingman, of Peo- ria, who was born in Deer Creek, Tazewell county, this State, April i, 1844, the youngest of the four sons of Abel and Alary Ann (Bing- ham) Kingman, who were natives respectively of Massachusetts and Virginia. The Kingman family is of English origin, those of the name in America having descended from Henry and Joanna Kingman, who landed at Weymouth, Massachusetts, in May, 1622, at which point the former operated a ferry across Weymouth bay, — a fact which is commemorated in the family coat of arms adopted at the reunion four years since, at which time funds were sub- scribed to erect a monument to the founders of the family in America. The children of Henry Kingman located in North Bridgewater, Massachusetts, a short dis- tance from Weymouth, where the grandfather of the subject of this sketch was born. Abel Kingman, the father of Martin, was born at Pelham, Massachusetts, and in 1834 removed to Illinois, where he engaged in farm- ing, in Tazewell county. It was here that he formed the acquaintance of Mary Ann Bingham, to whom he was married in 1835. She was of English and French descent, and removed from Norfolk, ^'irginia, her birthplace, with her parents. The other sons of this worthy couple are all living, Charles residing in Cali- fornia, Cyrus at Delavan, and Henry in Kansas. When Alartin was but four years of age his father was accidentally drowned while crossing the AJackinaw river, and his mother was left with four children and the farm, upon which our sub- ject passed his early boyhood. He attended the local district school until his fifteenth year, when he entered the academy at Tremont, supplement- ing the instruction there received by a two-years course at the Washington Academy, attending school in the summers and teaching winters. While he was engaged in teaching the Civil war broke out, and his elder brother C)tus joined the Union army. Alartin was imbued with the spirit of patriotism, and upon the president's call for 300,000 troops in 1862, he, though but a youth of eighteen, enlisted as a private in the Eighty-sixth Illinois Volunteers. Upon the organization of his company — G — he was elected second lieu- tenant, being the youngest ofilicer in the regiment, brigade or division. Lieutenant Kingman par- ticipated with his regiment, which was a part of the Third Brigade, Second Division of the Fourteenth Army Corps, Army of the Cumber- land, in all battles from Perryville to the capture of Atlanta, also in Sherman's memorable march to the sea. From Savannah he marched through the Carolinas and Virginia to Washington and took part in the grand review of the army prior to its disbandment. During the last year and a half of his service he was on detached service, as acting 78 niOORAPHICAL niCTIONART AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE assistant quartermaster on tlic staff of Colfjnel Dan McCook — youngest of tire famous fighting McCooks — and liad cliarge of the ambulance train and army stores of the Third Brigade, Second Division, Fourteenth Army Corps, dur- ing the Atlanta campaign and until Washington was reached. After his return home he was ap- pointed by his regiment a member of a com- mittee to arrange for a regimental reunion at Peoria, August 27, 1865, and came to that city for that piu-posc. While in Peoria he began work as salesman in a flouring mill, an employment in which he con- tinued during the fall and winter of 1865, until the spring of 1866, at which time, having saved a snug sum of money from his army pay, he formed a partnership with a Mr. Clauson, under the title Clauson & Kingman, to carry on the grocery business. This connection continued for three months, at the expiration of wliich period he dis- posed of bis interest at a handsome profit, and engaged as a ti-aveling salesman for a wholesale boot and shoe house of Peoria. In January, 1867, he relinquished this position and established the present agricultural imple- ment business of Kingman & Company. For three years the firm was Kingman & Dunham, when Mr. Dvinliam,owingto ill health, disposed of his interest to Mr. Hotchkiss, and for three years the concern was known as Kingman, Hotchkiss & Company. In 1873 it became Kingman & Company and was ip'-orporated under that title in 1882. Of this corp jration, which has a capital stock of $600,000 and a surplus of $400,000, Mr. Kingman is president, — not merely in name, but also in reality, for his is the heart to resolve and the brain to direct all of its vast amount of busi- ness. Branch houses are operated at St. Louis, Kansas City, Omaha and Des Moines, with trans- fer houses at Detroit, Milwaukee, Sioux City and Teire Ilaute. Employment is given to two hun- dred and fifty people, — a vast number when one takes into consideration the fact that it is not a manufacturing concern. Forty traveling sales- men represent the house "on the road," and its goods find a market throughout the central West- ern States. It is a leader in its line. Mr. Kingman is also president of the Weir Plow Company, of Monmouth (of which his son Louis S. is manager), with a capital of half a mil- lion dollars and employing two hundred and fifty hands. Fie was the organizer and is the presi- dent of the Peoria Cordage Company, which has a capital of $200,000 and a surplus of $50,000, and employs about the same number of hands as does the plow company; and he is also a director and one of the largest stockholders of the Marseilles (Illinois) Manufacturing Company, manufacturers of cornshellers and windmills. Almost the entire product of these three great establishments is sold by Kingman & Company, and some idea of the magnitude of the company may be gathered from the fact that its sales for the year 1892 aggregated five millions of dollars. But Mr. Kingman has not confined tlie field of his usefulness to manufacturing alone. As a financier he is equally prominent, being presi- dent of the Peoria Saving, Loan & Trust Com- pany, capitalized for $200,000, and a director and the largest stockholder of the Central National Bank of Peoria (of which he was formerly presi- dent), whose capital and surplus approximate a quarter of a million. He was one of the organ- izers and original stockholders of the Peoria Gen- eral Electric Light Company, of which he is treas- urer. He also fills the presidency of the National Hotel Company of Peoria, as well as being one of its organizers and heaviest stockholders. Other enterprises of importance might be added to this list, but enough have been enumerated to show the versatility and scope of liis genius. Mr. Kinginan is a member of the Congrega- tional Church, of which for twenty years he has been a trustee, and was one of the largest in- dividual contributors toward the erection of its handsome edifice in Peoria. He is also a member of the Illinois Home Missionary Society; was the first president, and assisted in the organization, of the Young Men's Christian Association of Peoria, and gave largely to assist it in erecting its magnificent office building on Jefferson avenue. In political faith he is a strong Republican, and was for six years a member of the State Board of Canal Commissioners, having been appointed as such by Governor Cullom. He served on the board of supervisors of Peoria county, and was a member of the building committee of that body at the time the present courthouse was built. He REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 79 is also a member of the Grand Army of the Re- public, and of the Illinois Commandry of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion. Mr. Kingman was married May 21, 1867, to Miss Emeline T. Shelley, a native of Illinois. Of their five children there are living: Louis Shelley, previously mentioned; Walter Bingham, at the head of the bicycle department of Kingman & Company; and a daughter, Mabel Dunham. The Kingman residence, on Perry street, is one of the charming homes of Peoria, both in point of elegance and hospitality. Personally Mr. Kingman is the most genial of men, and though his time is fully occupied by the details of his vast business interests he always finds time and opportunity to devote to those of his friends whose calls are purely of a so- cial character. He is a thorough exempli- fication of the typical American business man an'i gentleman. BENJAMIN F. JACOBS, THERE are many men in Chicago — leaders in professional and commercial circles — who have acquired a national reputation as business men and are known to business men throughout the country, but in the homes of this land, as well as in the establishments devoted to commerce, the name of B. F. Jacobs is familiar. Amidst life's busy cares he has found time to devote to human- ity, and, recognizing the brotherhood of mankind, he has labored for the advancement of the human race and especially has devoted himself to the work of educating and preparing children for a higher moral life. Realizing the truth and wis- dom which Solomon expressed in the well-known words, "Train up a cliild in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it," Mr. Jacobs has devoted much of the best years of his manhood to Sunday-school work. He was born in Paterson, New Jersey, Septem- Ijcr 18, 1834, and is a son of Charles P. and EUza (Pelton) Jacobs. He is distinctively American, as were his ancestors for several generations back. His father's family lived in Rhode Island and came originally from England to this country. His mother was of French extract, a descendant of the Huguenots. The public schools afforded Mr. Jacobs his educational privileges, and he re- ceived his early buisness training in his father's store; but the ambitious young man desired a broader field of usefulness and sought it in the thriving city of Chicago, where he arrived in April, 1854. Here he secured a clerkship and continued in the employ of others until 1861, when he became a partner in a grocery, fruit and pro- vision store on South Water street. To the work in hand he ever devotes his earnest and thought- ful attention, and in business hours he is purely a business man, putting forth every legitimate effort to crown his undertakings with success, yet the accumulation of wealth has never been with him the important aim of his life. In 1868 he was joined in business by his brothers, and they continued operations on South Water street until the great fire of 1871, when they lost nearly all their property. In the meantiine, however, Mr. Jacobs began extending his operations to other fields of labor, and had already made some investments in real estate. In 1870 he ceased the personal management of the business on Water street in order to devote his entire time to real-estate dealing. After the fire of 1871 he engaged more extensively than ever in this pursuit and began building one of the sub- urbs of the city, but was overtaken by the financial panic of 1873. With others his business suffered, but he managed to meet every obligation, and from that time forward prosperity has attended his efforts. Considering his life from the finan- cial standpoint alone, it will be regarded as one of the greatest success, and demonstrates the truth of the old saying that "God helps him who helps himself." He is to-day numbered among the most successful and prominent real-estate dealers of Chicago, and the plans and methods which he has followed in his business transactions com- 80 BIOanAPIITCAL DWTIONAUr AND POItTHAir GALLERY OF THE mend themselves to the judgfiiient of all. He is a man of strong force of character, of great energy and perseverance, and his honorable, straight- forward dealings have brought to him a merited prosperity. JNIr. Jacobs has largely promoted the material welfare of Chicago by his real-estate dealings and has succeeded in establishing and improving some of the best suburban property of the city. If seen only in the hours of business, Mr. Jacobs might be said to be a typical business man of Chicago, possessing the characteristic enter- prise and indomitable perseverance of the city; yet instinctively in dealing with him one recog- nizes that they have met a man who is above the petty intrigues that characterize many in the fields of commerce, a man who would scorn to over- reach or take advantage of another. His Chris- tianity is a part of his life. Coming to Chicago in his twentieth year, he united with the First Baptist Church and entered the Sunday-school as a pupil, but was soon made a teacher. In 1856 he was elected superintendent of the first mission Sunday-school established by his denomination and the third mission school. Subsequently he became the superintendent of the home school, which made for itself a notable repu- tation throughout the country. At the same time he taught a class of adults numbering five hun- dred pupils. His thorough knowledge of the Bible, his deep undertaking of all knotty prob- lems and his entertaining and instructive manner of imparting his knowledge to others made his class very popular among intelligent people who were interested Bible students. After the fire of 1874 had destroyed the First Church, Mr. Jacobs organized a down-town mission, from which was developed the Newsboys' Mission, now called the Waifs' Mission. In 1881 he united with others in the organization of the Immanuel Baptist Church, and from the beginning has been super- intendent of its Sunday-school, his career as a Sunday-school superintendent covering a period of thirty-nine years. A spirit of helpfulness to young men has also characterized the life of Mr. Jacobs, and in iS.sS he was one of the organizers of the Young Men's Christian Association, of which he served as presi- dent in 1863 and 1864. He is also one of the life trustees. To help his fellowmen seems to be his motto. When the Civil war broke out in 1861 he was made one of the army committee and for four years was secretary- of the northwestern branch of the United States Christian Commission. In this capacity he was often on the battlefield from the time of the engagement at Fort Donelson in 1862 until after the battle of Nashville in De- cember, 1864. He also traveled over the North- west, holding meetings and raising money and supplies for the troops. When the war was over he again became deeply interested in Sunday- school work and joined Mr. Moody and others in the work of .Sunday-school organization. In 1868 he was made president of the State Sunday- school convention, five years later was made chair- man of the State executive committee, and at each general election has been chosen to the lat- ter position, so that he has now served in that capacity for more than twenty years. Along the line of Sunday-school work perhaps the great credit is due him for his efTorts in introducing what is now known as the international Sunday- school lessons. In 1867 he began to urge the plan of all Sunday-schools using uniform lessons. This was at length done, and the children to-day all over the length and breadth of the land are studying the same truths. Nothing has been of greater benefit in doing away with doctrinal prejudice and bringing together as a harmonious whole the Christian people who are working to- gether for the salvation of the world. The National Sunday-school Convention which met at Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1872, adopted the plan proposed by Mr. Jacobs and a committee was chosen to adopt the first course of lessons for seven years; in 1878 a second committee was named, at Atlanta, Georgia; in 1884 a third was named, at Louisville, Kentucky; and a fourth in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, in 1890, the term of service of the last to continue from 1894 until 1899. The founder of this movement has always been a member of the committee. In 1881 he was elected chairman of the executive committee of the International Sunday-school Convention, and was re-elected in 1884, 1887, 1890 and 1893 f^"' terms of three years each. He planned the World's Sunday-school Convention held in En- gland in 1889, and secured the attendance of four £^£^ REPRESENTATIVE MEN OP THE UNITED STATES: ILLINOIS VOLUME. 81 hundred and twenty-eight delegates from Amer- ica, a steamship being chartered to convey them across the Atlantic. Another labor in connec- tion with Sunday-school work which he has in charge is a teachers' meeting held in Farwell Hall each Saturday noon, which has an attendance of over five hundred active Sunday-school workers. His own denomination has claimed his services as president of the Chicago Baptist Social Union in 1887 and 1888, and as chairman of the Illi- nois Baptist Sunday-school Commission, having served in the latter capacity for several years. While perfectly true to his own church and un- tiringly devoted to its upbuilding, Mr. Jacobs is broad and liberal in his views and charitable toward the opinions of all others. He endeav- ors to make his life the embodiment of the true Christian spirit, which seeketh not evil and which bears one another's burdens. Although he claims not to be an orator nor has he made public speaking a part of his work, he is yet often before the public to advance the interests of the Sunday- school and the church, and is always entertaining and instructive. One cannot hear Mr. Jacobs without carrying away with him truths that will bear an influence on his life. He always satisfies the intellect while moving the hearts of men, and can hold spell-bound a great convention in the same way that he would perhaps half a dozen hearers. Webster has said that "True eloquence does not consist in words alone. It is action, noble, sublime, Godlike action": and such it is with Mr. Jacobs. We cannot better close this record of the life of this honored man than by quoting from Miss Frances E. Willard, who said of him: "Ours is a day in which each great movement has for its central figure some personality that incarcerates its method and idea. Organization being the watchword, there must be organizers; and it is safe to say that each of the guilds now so numer- ous is a success according to the vigor and de- votion of its chief. Men will not rally around vacancy but they will around the leader. He must be born, he cannot be made. He must have a hand of iron in a glove of velvet. He must be- lieve in and work for their best interests without haste and without rest. He must fling himself into the movement with it to sink or swim, and he must be loyal to the unfolding purpose of God as he understands it even unto death. A man who was to develop after this fashion until he be- came the central figure of the world's Sunday- school movement now lives in the electric city, otherwise Chicago, and his name is Benjamin F. Jacobs." On the i6th of April, 1854, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Jacobs and Miss Frances M. Eddy, daughter of Dr. John M. Eddy, of Naper- ville, Illinois, formerly a leading physician of Rochester, New York. Her mother was the daughter of Judge Benjamin Wiley, formerly of Rome, New York. Mrs. Jacobs is a lady of cul- ture, refinement and high education, and shares with her husband in his work for the interests of humanity. STEPHEN H. VELIE, No adequate memorial of Stephen H. Velie can be written until many of the useful en- terprises with which he was connected have com- pleted their full measure of good in the world, and until his personal influence and example shall have ceased their fruitage in the lives of those who were about him when he was yet an actor in the busy places of the world ; yet there is much concerning him that can with profit be set down here as an illustration of what can be done if a man with a clear brain and willing hands but sets himself seriously to the real labors and re- sponsibilities of life. Stephen Henry Velie was born April 21, 1830, at Hyde Park, Dutchess county. New York. His parents were Henry and Susan Velie, the former a farmer by occupation, and the subject of this sketch lived at home until he was fifteen years of age, passing those years after the fashion, so common at that time, of attending school during 82 DIOGnAPHTCAL DTCTIOXART ASD POnTRAIT GALLEIiT OF THE the winter months and working on the farm in the simimer. In 1845 he removed to New York city, where he made his home with his grandfather, Stephen Herrick, who was a commission merchant. For two years he was employed in Mr. Herrick's office, and then accompanied that gentleman to New Orleans, where he remained for a short time. He then retmned to New York and for a little while resided at Poughkeepsie, leaving there and going to St. Louis, where he was employed in the wholesale grocery house of Edward J. Gay & Company. Mr. Gay's residence was in Lou- isiana, and he was later elected to Congress from that State. For two years Mr. Velie made his home with Mr. Gray and managed a large plant- ation for him. In 1853 he came to Rock Island and entered the employ of C. C. Webber & Company as head of the office force. For two years he resided at Frinceton, Illinois, where he was engaged in the grocery business, and in 1863 became a partner with Hon. John Deere, of J\Ioline, in the manu- facture of plows. In 1868, when the concern was incorporated, he was elected its secretary, and was successively re-elected every year there- after until his death, which resulted from heart failure, superinduced by an attack of the grip, February 14, 1895. In addition to his interest with Deere & Com- pany, he also held stock in the Moline Water Power Company, the People's Power Company, the Sylvan Steel Company, the stone quarries 01 Le Claire, Iowa, the Moline Central Railway Company, of which he was president, and the First National Bank of Moline, being a member of the directory of that institution. He was also a member of the jMasonic and Odd Fellow^s fra- ternities. Mr. Velie was formerly a Whig, but when slaverj' became an issue he transferred his al- legiance to Republicanism, and ever afterward was loyal to tliat party. He was in no sense, however, a politician, and was content to let oth- ers seek the offices. Mr. Velie was united in marriage, on the loth day of May, i860, to Miss Emma Deere, daugh- ter of the late Hon. John Deere, and they have had five children, four of whom are living: Charles D., Stephen H., Jr., Willard L. and Grace, now Mrs. Stuart Harper, of Rock Island. To his children Mr. Velie was not only a devoted parent but a comrade in a literal sense as well, sharing all their games and sports with as much zest as he would have shown had he been their brother rather than their father. He was a man of do- mestic habits and loved his home and family with a loyal devotion. His tastes were also liter- ary, and from close reading and deep thought he had a vast fund upon which to draw when in social intercourse. The versatility of his studies was remarkable. Notwithstanding the multi- plicity of his business cares he was kind, unaf- fected and approachable. He considered that every comer, no matter what his station in life, had a claim upon his courteous attention, and it is something to say of him that among the sad- dest hearts his death has made are those whom he has left as partners and employes. His benevolence was unostentatious and gen- uine, and there is nothing in the story of his life to show that he ever for a moment sought to compass a given end for the purpose of exalting himself. He championed measures and aided men, and accepted as his reward that thrill of delight which always accompanies victories achieved. Endowed by nature with a sound judg- ment and an accurate, discriminating mind, he feared not that laborious attention to the details of business so necessary to achieve success, and this essential quality was ever guided by a sense of moral right which would tolerate the employ- ment only of those means that would bear the most rigid examination by a fairness of inten- tion that neither sought nor required disguise. It is but just and merited praise to say of Mr. \ elie, that as a business man he ranked with the ablest; as a citizen he was honorable, prompt and true to every engagement; as a man he held the honor and esteem of all classes of people, of all creeds and political proclivities; as a husband and father he was a model worthy of all imita- tion; unassuming" in his manner, sincere in his friendships, steadfast and unswerving in his loy- alty to the right. His memory will be a sacred inheritance to his children; it will be cherished by a multitude of friends. Throughout his career of continued and far-reaching usefulness, his du- (riL^^^ ^^^-^-"-^ <2-/. C>-ir-(^_ REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 83 ties were performed with the greatest care, and during a long life his personal honor and integrity were without blemish. Mr. Velie was a firm believer in the inexorable law of compensation, and one favorite quotation, frequently used, was, "As a man soweth, so shall he also reap." Upon these lines were his actions based through life. EMORY COBB, K.'\NKAKEE. THE Cobb family is one of the early and prominent Colonial families of America. The ancestry was originally English, and while there appears no absolutely authentic record of their first advent in America, yet it is known that there were two brothers, Morgan and Nathan Cobb, who came to this country early in the seventeenth century, and from them are de- scended many, if not all, of the name in this coun- try. The Rev. Sylvester Cobb, historian and novelist, is a descendant of Nathan in the seventh generation, which fact tends to confirm approxi- mately the time of the arrival of the two brothers in this country. On this subject William Cobb, of Warwick, Massachusetts, wrote to William Newell Cobb, May 17, 1844, as follows: "I have no one to consult on this subject except my mother, who resides in our family, and is now ninety-four years of age, but retains her mental faculties to a good degree. The most that I can learn is that two brothers by the name of Cobb emigrated from England to America, but at what time I cannot ascertain. One was named Mor- gan, the other Nathan. Our family is descended from Morgan Cobb. It has been said that we are tinctured with Scotch blood." Emoiy Cobb traces his ancestry back to Mor- gan Cobb in the following manner: His father, William Cobb, was a son of Elisha and a grand- son of William, whose father bore the name of Morgan, and was a grandson of Morgan, the original emigrant. In the Revolution this family, which had become quite numerous, was well rep- resented, and its members were active and prom- inent Whigs. Emory Cobb was born in Dryden, Tomnkins county, New York, August 20, 1831, and is a son of William and Achsah (Bradley) Cobb, the former a farmer, who also operated several mills on Fall creek in Tompkins county. New York. Here our subject spent his boyhood days until his twelfth year, when his father died and he went to live with his paternal grandfather, Lemi Brad- ley. He had the usual common-school advan- tages, and when sixteen years of age (1847) went to Ithaca, New York, to learn telegraphy. The following year he secured a position as operator at Fredonia, New York, on the Erie & Michigan telegraph line, which had just been constructed by Hon. Ezra Cornell and Colonel J. J. Speed be- tween Bufifalo and Milwaukee. His services gave such satisfaction that in 185 1 he was made bookkeeper of the company at Cleveland, Ohio, and in March of the following year became mana- ger of their office in Chicago. It was while he was occupying this position that the first telegraph pool ever formed in this country went into effect. There were at that time three telegraph companies doing business from Chicago to the East — the Erie & Michigan, the Ohio, Indiana & Illinois, and the Southern Michigan. In 1853 it occurred to the managers of these lines that they could unite their ofKces in Chicago and divide their earnings, thus avoiding the evil results of direct competi- tion and save much unnecessary expense. This was done under Mr. Cobb's supervision, and the experience proved so satisfactory that it was fol- lowed, in 1856, by the merging of the companies into the Western Union Telegraph Company, Mr. Cobb being retained in charge of the Chicago office, and his territory and powers enlarged by his appointment as superintendent of the western division. He held this important position until 1865, when his arduous duties began to under- mine his health and he was given a year's leave of absence, which he spent in foreign travel through Europe, Asia and Africa. On his return in 1866, Mr. Cobb was solicited 84 BIOGRAPUICAL DICTIONART AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF TEE to resume his former position, but fear of 2^\^^m breaking down under tlic growing cares and re- sponsibilities incident to the office led him to de- cline; afterward he served, however, as a member of the board of directors. During his connection with the company as western superintendent, he originated and introduced an innovation, which has since become one of the important features of the commercial system throughout the world, and the importance of which can hardly be overesti- mated, namely, the transmission of money by telegraph. When he proposed the measure the managers of the Western Union were doubtful of its feasibility and refused to adopt it, but gener- ously allowed j\Ir. Cobb to try the experiment on his own accoiuit, which he did. He established agencies throughout the Eastern cities and for ten yeai's, from 1857 until 1867, conducted the business as a personal venture, in the meantime so thoroughly establishing its practicability that in the last named year it was incorporated as a part of the system of the Western Union Telegraph Company, and has since been one of the leading features of its service. As early as 1861, Mr. Cobb had made invest- ments in real estate in Kankakee, Illinois, and when he retired from active connection with the telegraph business he determined to seek recre- ation and rest amid rural pursuits in Kankakee county; but to a man by nature so active, recre- ation and rest meant merely a change of base of operations. He soon became prominent as a breeder of shorthorn cattle ; and when the Ameri- can Shorthorn Breeders' Association was formed in 1 88 1 he was chosen as its first president, which position he has held most of the time since. This is perhaps the most important association of its kind in America, and conducts the official register for breeders of the various grades of shorthorn cattle in the United States and Canada. He was for many years a member of the State board of agriculture, serving as vice-president until 1882, when he declined re-election on account of a con- templated trip abroad with his family. He re- mained abroad aI)out two years, visiting in that time most of the important points of interest in the Old World. He was one of the original trus- tees of the Illinois Industrial University at Cham- paign, Illinois, now the University of Illinois, and was president of the board from 1873 until 1883. The beautiful and prosperous little city of Kankakee owes to Mr. Cobb more perhaps than to any other man the credit for its development in late years. He invested liberally in all kinds of enterprises to help build up the town. There is scarcely an important manufacturing venture undertaken in the city since he identified himself with Kankakee that he has not taken stock in and encouraged. In 1884 he erected the Arcade, the most modern, complete and unique office building in the cit)*. He was instrumental in erecting the hotel River Mew. It was mainly through his instrumentality that the Illinois East- ern Hospital for the Insane was located in Kan- kakee, and he donated thirty acres of land toward its original site. He is largely interested in tHe Kankakee Electric Railway Company, was its original promoter, and its existence is due almost errtirely to his efforts and financial support. The First National Bank of Kankakee owes its exist- ence to him; he was its president from its organi- zation until 1893, and is now the largest stock- holder. He has also been at various times ex- tensively interested in business enterprises in other parts of the country, and in short stands as a type of our best class of self-made, energetic, liberal and progresisve men of this pushing age. Mr. Cobb's investments have not been made from purely selfish motives. He had years ago amassed a competency; but, imbued with the spirit of progress and humanitarianism, he has used the means he had acquired for the benefit and up- building of the home of his choice, and like other men whose interests were extensive and diversi- fied, he suffered considerably in the financial panic which swept the countn,^ in 1893. With shrinkage of values the suspension of manufactories and the uncertainty and lack of confidence in business circles cost Mr. Cobb, as it did our most public- spirited and enterprising men throughout the country, many thousands of dollars; but we find him to-day undaunted and undismayed, calmly and persistently pushing forward his various en- terprises. He, like others of his class, will still be at the "head of affairs." Such men were not in- tended as failures. They may meet with reverses, they may suffer serious losses, but as inevitably as REPnESEXTATIV.'C MEN OF THE UNITED STATES.- II.I.IXOIS VOLUME. So the disturbed needle reverts to the pole so inevita- bly do men of his type res;ain the ascendency by virtue of superior ability. Mr. Cobb was niarriecl Fcliruary y, 1858, to Isabella, daughter of Aaron Haven, one of the pioneer merchants of Chicago. They have three children: Charles Haven, bom February 7, i860; William Walter, born November 14, 1862; Duwane Phillips, born November 14, 1867. Mr. Cobb is a genial, courteous gentleman, a good judge of men and measures, prompt, deci- sive, unselfish, broad-minded in his views, and lii)- cral and charitable toward others. He is on; of ih? most active members of the Episcopal church, and has l)cen a member of the vestry of St. Paul's Church of Kankakee since the parish was organ- ized in 1863, and a warden since 1865. While he is unusually liberal in support of all church work within the pale of his own religious creed, he is too fair-minded to confine his sympathies or chari- ties within the boundary lines of tenet or creed, and any deserving call for aicl outside his church meets with equally ready response. ' GEORGE H. MCILVAINE, GEORGE H. McILVAINE was born at East Liberty village, now the east end of the city of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, August 10, 1834. His parents were Rev. William B. and Elizabeth (Breading) Mcllvaine, both of Scotch- Irish descent, and both of whose grandfathers were commissioned officers in the same brigade at Valley Forge. William B. Mcllvaine's family resided in Lancaster county, and his wife's people in Allegheny county, for years. The last named gentleman died at Peoria, in 1892, at the ad- vanced age of eighty-six years, having been for over sixty of them a clergyman of the Presby- terian Church, and for forty pastor of the East End Church of Pittsburg. The subject of this sketch spent his boyhood in East Liberty, where he attended the East Lib- erty Academy. Later he pursued his studies at Washington (Pennsylvania) College, — the same institution at which the lamented James G. Blaine was educated, and of which it is said that it has sent out into the world more great men, in pro- portion to the number of its alumni, than any in- stitution of learning in the country. Upon graduating at Washington College in 1853, young Mcllvaine found that his health would not permit of his studying a profession, which had hitherto been his ambition, and he was constrained to seek other fields of labor. He therefore turned his face resolutely westward and set out for Illinois, where he engaged in farming, in Whiteside county, for a year. In the spring of 1855 he came to Peoria, and being possessed of some means purchased the interest of Hervey Lightncr in the wholesale and retail hardware and iron house of Walker & Lightner, Mr. Isaac Walker, the senior member of the firm, l:)eing his uncle. The new firm of Walker & Mcllvaine was a successful one, and Mr. Mcllvaine's connection therewith continued until 1872, at which time he disposed of his in- terest to the Walkers. Mr. Walker continued the business until his death, which occurred about thirteen years ago, and it has since been con- ducted by his children under the corporate title of The Isaac Walker Hardware Company. Mr. Mcllvaine was now free from business cares and anxiety, l)ut his health was not good, and he therefore availed himself of the oppor- tunity offered for rest and recreation. He spent the subsequent six months in Europe, passing a large portion of the time in Switzerland, and landed in New York on his return to America llie very day in 1872 that Jay Cooke & Company failed, precipitating the nation into what is known as the "panic of ^y^-^' r.eing interested as a stockholder and director in the Second National Bank of Peoria, he was naturally solicitous as to the welfare of that in- stitution, and his stay in the East was brief, he 86 BTOnRAPinCAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GAILERY OF THE feeling that Ik- mij^ht be of assistance at home. Nor (hd he conic too soon. Peoria was in the throes of the wildest excitement and every finan- cial institution was the ol)ject of concern. The cashier of the Second National lost his head in the turmoil and resigned his office, and Mr. Mo- ll vainc was chosen manager of the bank. As his health had been greatly benefited by his foreign trip, he accepted and at once entered upon the duties of his position, and carried the bank safely through the crisis. He continued as manager until the expiration of the bank's charter in 1883, at which time he wound up its affairs, and did it so well that he was able to pay the stockhold- ers seventy-six and one-half per cent, premiuin on their holdings. After the close of his successful career with the Second National, he became one of the prime movers in the organization of the Peoria Na- tional Bank, which was capitalized at $150,000, and shortly afterward increased to $200,000. Of this institution Mr. Mcllvaine, who is one of the largest stockholders, was chosen cashier, an of- fice which he ably filled till 1888, when failing health compelled its relinquishment. His serv- ices, however, were too valuable to be dispensed with, and he was elected vice-president, and con- tinued as such for four years, at the expiration of which period he succeeded the late C. P. King as president, which position he now fills in a manner that reflects credit not only on himself but also upon the bank as well. The surplus of the Peoria National is $55,000, and it is one of the soundest monetary institutions in Illinois. A sound Republican in politics, Mr. Mcllvaine has never allowed his name to be used in con- nection with a political office, though repeat- edly urged to do so. He has for the past twen- ty-five years been a member of the board of edu- cation, having been re-elected every two years during that entire period, and Peoria's excel- lent school system, than which there is no better in the State, may be ascribed to his efforts more than to those of any other one man. He also organized the Peoria Clearing House and Bank- ers' Association, of which he is the president, and for many years was a director of the Peoria Chamber of Conmierce and chairman of one of that body's most important connnittees, — that on arbitration. For many years he has been president of the Mercantile Library Board, and here as elsewhere his sterling sense and great executive ability have been of the greatest value. With the religious training instilled into his youthful mind by pious and loving parents, it was but natural that he should be a firm believer in the doctrine taught by the Presbyterian Church, an elder of which he has been for the past third of a century, and giving freely both of time and money to its advancement. He is and has been for twenty-five years the superin- tendent of its Grace mission Sunday-school, a position in which his marked individuality has en- abled him to do much good for the cause of Christianity. During the war he was a member of the Christian and Sanitan,' Commission in- stituted by the Young Men's Christian Associa- tion, and one of its most earnest members. ]Mr. Mcllvaine has traveled a great deal, hav- ing been all over the United States and passed several summers at both Atlantic and Pacific sea- side resorts, and winters in Florida. On the i8th day of August, 1857, ^Ir. Mcll- vaine was united in marriage to Miss Priscilla J. McClure, a member of an old and prominent family of Franklin county, Pennsylvania, and sister of Colonel J. D. McClure. Of this union have been born seven children, five of whom are living, namely: Elizabeth, the wife of Albert Johnson, who has been connected with the Peo- ria National Bank and its predecessors since boy- hood; William B., of the well-known law firm ot Wilson, Moore & Mcllvaine, of Chicago ; Emma. who resides at home with her parents: Priscilla, now Mrs. Glenn S. Allen, of Kalamazoo, Michi- gan; and George H., Jr., who is pursuing his studies in the Peoria high school. REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 87 LYSANDER HILL, CHICAGO. IT is said that the poet is ]Dorn, not made; but the successful lawyer has to be both born and made, — made by close application, earnest effort, by perseverance and resolute purpose. The abilities with which nature has endowed him must be strengthened and developed 'by useV, and only by merit can the lawyer gain a pre- eminent position. The study of biography yields in point of interest and profit to no other study, for it is here that we learn how success ha= been achieved, the plans that have been followed and methods that have been pursued. In the life record of Mr. Hill are contained many valuable lessons, showing what can be accomplished by the young men of this free country, though they have no capital with wliich to start out on life's journey. A native of Maine, Mr. Hill was born in Union, Lincoln county, on the 4th of July, 1834, and is a son of Isaac and Eliza M. (Hall) Hill. On both the paternal and matemal sides he descends from honored New England families that were founded on American soil during early Colo- nial days, settling with the Puritans in Massa- chusetts. The elementary education of the Judge was obtained in the common schools of his native town, and, entering Warren Academy, he pre- pared for college, for it was his desire to fit him- self for his life work by a thorough education. In 1854 he became a student of Bowdoin Col- lege, at which he was graduated in 1858, at the head of his class, on the completion of the regu- lar four years' course. Even before this time he had determined to enter the legal profession, and when his literary education was completed he entered the office of A. P. Gould, a prominent attorney of Thomaston, Maine, under whose di- rection he prosecuted his studies until admitted to the bar in i860. Immediately he opened an office in that city, forming a partnership with J. P. Cilley, under the firm name of Cilley & Hill, the connection existing until 1862, when Mr. Hill withdrew in order to give his services to his country. Immediately after the firing upon Fort Sumter, Mr. Hill aided in raising and equipping a battery of light artillery, in which he himself enlisted. This battery, fully equipped and armed at pri- vate expense, was offered to the Government for service in May, 1861, but was declined because General Scott thought the Government already had "more artillery than it knew what to do with." After the battle of Bull Run, Mr. Hill prevailed upon Governor Washburn to organize a regi- ment of cavalry and took an active part in rais- ing it, although business duties obliged him to decline a commission in it. This regiment was the celebrated First Maine cavalry, afterward conmianded by his law partner, General Cilley, which participated in more battles than any other regiment in the Army of the Potomac. In the early summer of 1862 he aided in raising the Eighth Maine Infantrs', and after the State quota was hill he prevailed upon Governor Washburn to raise an additional regiment, the Twentieth Maine Infantry, in which he accepted the com- mand of a company. Colonel Bacheldor, the historian of Gettysburg, credits this regiment with turning the tide of battle in that decisive fight. In 1863 Mr. Hill's health rendered fur- ther service in the field impossible, and he was honorably discharged. His health was so greatly impaired that his physician forbade his return to the North for several years. His loyalty as a citizen and his devotion to the country's inter- ests have ever been among his marked charac- teristics, and the community is fortunate that numbers him among its citizens. Upon leaving the army Judge Hill located in Alexandria, Virginia, wiiere he resumed the practice of law, also opening an office in Wash- ington, District of Columbia, dividing his time between the two points. In tlie former city he was associated with George Tucker, under the style of Hill & Tucker. While thus engaged, in 1867, he was made register in bankruptcy for the Eighth Judicial District of Virginia, a position which he resigned in 1869 upon his appointment as judge of the same district to fill an unexpired term. In 1874 he left his Virginia home and re- 88 BIOQRAPniCAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OP THE moved to Washington, where entering into part- nership with E. A. Ellsworth, under the firm name of Hill & Ellsworth, he began a success- ful business, which continued for many years. The firm connection existed until 1878, and Judge Hill was then alone in business in the Capital City until 1881. It has largely become a custom at the present day to devote one's attention not alone to one line of business, but to one single branch of the busi- ness: and while Mr. Hill is an able lawyer under any consideration and in any place, he has given his special attention to patent litigation. By degrees it superseded his general practice, and he became known as one of the most prominent patent lawyers in the city of Washington. Patent law is peculiar and demands peculiar talents and experience. The successful patent lawyer must be, naturally if not practically, enough of a me- chanic and scientist to discern the merits of any invention or discovery. To this qualification he must add a thorough knowledge of the law, an ingenuity that will compass any purpose, and an experience wide and varied enough to give him the most absolute confidence in his manage- ment of the case even when success seems farthest away. He must be a man of infinite resources, and such a man is Judge Hill, his success indi- cating that he possesses all requirements. He is regarded as authority on all matters pertaining to patent law, and to-day he stands among the foremost of those who are devoting their talents and energies to this specialty. In May, 1881, Judge Hill came to Chicago to make the Queen City of the West his home, and to-day he is in the front rank among the many able members of the bar of Cook county, where some of the finest minds of the land are found. He formed a partnership with T. S. E. Dixon, which continued for nine years, and since has been alone in business, enjoying a most extended clientage, which comes from all parts of the coun- try. In February, 1864, was celebrated the mar- riage of Mr. Hill and Miss Adelaide R. Cole, of Roxbury, Massachusetts. Their family numbers three children, and the Judge finds his chief source of pleasure in his home. In his political views he has always been a stalwart Republican, unwavering in his allegiance to the party whose principles he believes are best calculated to pro- mote the country's best interests. In earlier years, before his legal duties were so pressing, he devoted considerable attention to political af- fairs, and in 1868 was a delegate to the national convention which nominated General Grant for the presidency. He was also chairman of the Republican State central committee of Virginia for two years. Upright, reliable and honorable, his strict adherence to principle commands the respect of all. The place he has won in the legal profession is accorded him in recognition of his skill and ability, and the place which he occu- pies in the social world is a trbute to that geiuiine worth and true nobleness of char- acter which are universally recognized and honored. DAVID D. EVANS, ILLINOIS has always been distinguished for the high rank of her bench and bar. Perhaps none of the newer States can justly boast of abler jurists or attorneys. Many of them have been men of national fame, and among those whose lives have been passed on a quieter plane there is scarcely a town or city in the State but can boast of one or more lawyers capable of cross- ing swords in forensic combat with any of the distinguished legal lights of the United States. While the growth and development of the State in the last half century has been most marvelous, viewed from any standpoint, yet of no one class of her citizenship has she greater reason for just pride than her judges and attorneys. In Judge Evans we find united many of the rare qualities which go to make up the success- ful lawyer and jurist. He possesses perhaps few of those brilliant, dazzling, meteoric qualities which have sometimes flashed along the legal REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. horizon, riveting the gaze and blinding the vision for the moment, then disappearing, leaving little or no trace behind, but rather has those solid and more substantial qualities which shine with a constant luster, shedding light in the dark places with steadiness and continuity'. Judge Evans can scarcely be termed an orator, but he has in an eminent degree that rare ability of say- ing in a convincing way the right thing at the right time. His mind is analytical, logical and inductive. With a thorough and comprehensive knowledge of the fundamental principles of law, he combines a familiarity with statutory law and a sober, clear judgment, which makes him not only a formidable adversary in legal combat but has given him the distinction, while on the bench, of hafing fewer of his decisions revised or re- versed than any other judge in the State of Illinois. Judge Evans is a native of the Keystone State, but the family is of Welsh origin. His paternal grandfather was a native of north Wales, while his grandmother was from south Wales. They came to America when children and settled with their parents in Pennsylvania. The maternal grandfather of the Judge was named Lloyd, and was a man of prominence in his day. It was through his influence that a new county was formed in Pennsylvania, which he named Cam- bria, in honor of the land of his birth, Cambria having been the ancient name of Wales. He laid out and founded a town, the county seat of the new county, which he named for his son, calling it Ebensburg. He was a prominent min- ister of the gospel and a man of much note. Judge Evans is the son of David and Anna (Lloyd) Evans, and was bom at Ebensburg, Pennsylvania, April 17, 1829. His father was a stone-mason and contractor, and aided in the con- struction of the famous Portage road across the mountains in Pennsylvania. This was in the early days of railroading and the Portage road was considered a wonderful engineering achievement. With the money earned in the construction of this road, Mr. Evans purchased a farm and re- tired to rural pursuits. Judge Evans may in the strictest sense of the word be termed self-educated. He was never in a schoolroom until he was ten years of age, and then spent only abotit two winter months of each year in pursuing his studies there. He was, however, of a studious disposition, and by course of self-instruction became qualified to teach and taught one or two terms, after which he went to Hiram, Ohio, attending the institute at that place. During the summer months he worked in the hanest fields for the money to defray his expenses during a school term. After leaving Hiram he went to southern Ohio, where he taught for five or six years, and during the time attended the Normal Institute at Lebanon, Ohio, for one term. In the meantime, also, while en- gaged in teaching, he had taken up the study of law, and in i860 entered upon a course of study in the law department of the L^niversity of Mich- igan, at Ann Arbor, at which institution he grad- uated in 1863. After leaving Ann Arbor he en- listed in the army, but soon contracted typhoid fever and had to return home. In November, 1864, Judge Evans came to Danville, Illinois, and in partnership with John A. Kumler opened a law office. Clients not be- ing as plentiful at the start as he had hoped for, he resorted to his former profession of teaching, and for a }-ear conducted a prosperous school in this place. In company with Judge Clapp he then purchased the Chronicle and consoli- dated it with the Vermilion County Plaindealer, making the Danville Plaindealer, and became its editor. A year later. Judge Evans, dispos- ing of his interest, again returned to the prac- tice of law, this time in company with M. D. Hawes. Four years later Mr. Hawes abandoned the profession for that of the ministry and Judge Evans was alone for two years, when he asso- ciated with him Charles M. Swallow, the part- nership continuing four years. Judge Evans was then alone until 1881, when he was elected on the Republican ticket to the office of county judge: and this brings us to consider perhaps the most important work he has done. When Judge Evans came to the bench he found the afifairs of the court in a deplorable condi- tion, owing partly to the long-continued illness of his predecessor. Judge Hanford, and partly to the loose and wholly inefficient methods which had prevailed in the conduct of the office. When he entered upon his duties he found the office of 90 /iroaUAPIIWAL DICTWNART AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE the count) jiulj?eship of but little more importance than that of any ordinary justice of the peace. He found the afTairs of the ofSce a tangled skein, dif^ficult indeed to unravel and straighten out. He found cases on the docket ten, fifteen and even twenty years behind. Nothing had been attempted beyond probate adjustment, and even in this mat- ter grave abuses and neglect of duty were evi- dent, not the least of which was the practice of allowing guardians, executors and administra- tors to settle at such times as they might elect, with their wards out of court, and such settle- ments had been accepted by the court in direct violation of law, which requires such settlements to be made under oath, in court, with an item- ized account of all transactions pertaining to the estates or other property in trust. Judge Evans insisted upon changing all this. It is probable that the history of the entire State would fail to show such a complete and radical reformation and transformation in so short a time as was wrought by him during his first term in this of- fice. He radically revised the methods in vogue in probate matters, and, as rapidly as possible under the circumstances, took up, straightened out and disposed of the old cases which had so long been lingering on the docket; required all guardians, administrators, executors, assignees and conservators to account for their trusts in the manner prescribed by law; developed the common law term from practically nothing to three terms per year of several weeks each, or in short he made the county court of almost equal importance to the circuit court. He appointed over two hundred executors and administrators and about one hun- dred and fifty guardians and conservators, all of whom he required to account regularly in court as the law required. He gave his undivided at- tention to the duties of the position to which he had been chosen, and gave careful consideration to each case as it came up; and as a result of this care and as evidence of his knowledge of law and sound legal judgment he achieved the proud dis- tinction of having but one finding revised and but a single one reversed by the higher courts during his term of service. Upon the expiration of his first term. Judge Evans was again elected to the same position, and for four years more presided over the court, the standing of which lie had done so much to estab- lish and elevate. It must not be supposed that the methods adopted by Judge Evans met with the unqualified approval of all people in the community, although no one could speak aught against him personally, for in honor, integrity, ability and all that goes to constitute the ideal judge he was above reproach; yet there were many malcontents. There were those who had been thriving off the use of es- tates in trust who found their occupation gone; the machine politicians were not in love with him, for he was not the kind of man they could ap- proach, much less handle, for the furtherance of their schemes; and when it came time to nominate a candidate for the third term Judge Evans busied himself with the duties of his offlce instead cff wire- pulling for the nomination, with the result that he awoke one morning and found another Rich- mond in the field. Then it was that the better element of the other political party— the Demo- cratic — formed plans, and without consulting him and entirely without liis knowledge, and of course without his consent, either direct or indirect, placed his name on their ticket as their candidate for county judge. They justified their action in this matter partially by citing the fact that during his first candidacy for the office they had placed no candidate of their own in the field against him but had instead placed his name on their ticket, thus making him virtually the candidate of both political parties; and now, when the machine ele- ment in his own party had succeeded in getting him put aside, the Democrats placed his name on their ticket purely from consideration of the able and impartial manner in which he had for eight years conducted the afifairs of this important po- sition. This action of his friends — undoubtedly kindly meant — placed Judge Evans in an awk- ward position. He could not without wounding the feelings of his neighbors and friends peremp- torily spurn this indorsement, and in fact and truth he had no opportunity of "declining the honor,"' as he was never consulted in he matter; so he simply let matters take their course. His ene- mies worked persistently and desperately, while he made no move and gave no utterance in his own behalf. The result was that he was defeated at the polls by a small majority. This may have y^^^^K^7€i<^-2-^/^^^^^^ REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; IILINOIS VOLUME. 91 been poor "politics," and undoubtedly was from a practical standpoint, but Judge Evans was never a practical "politician" in the sense that term is used in the present day. He has none of that "all-things-to-all-men" sort of qualifica- tion which is the principal stock in trade of the average latter-day politician. He is modest, dig- nified and reserved, and scorned the practice of going into the field and actively soliciting votes for himself. The result was that his opponents called him an aristocrat without sympathy with the common people, and said he was a party turncoat because his name appeared on the Dem- ocratic ticket. By these and other like methods enough votes were secured to retire him from the office he had done so much to dignify and honor. He accepted his defeat gracefully, and at once took up again the practice of his profes- sion. In 1892 he became half owner of the Wabash Milling Company, and in 1894 the entire plant was destroyed by fire, and, it being only partially insured, a large loss was sustained. In 1867 Judge Evans was married to Mrs. Edwilda A. Sconce, nee Cromwell. Of three children born to them only one survives — Waldo Carl, now seventeen years of age. Judge Evans has been a member of the board of education and chairman of the Republican central committee. He was a delegate to the Republican national convention in 1876, which nominated Hayes for the presidency, and has repeatedly been a delegate to State conven- tions. As a citizen no man in Danville stands higher; his hospitality is unbounded, and he and Mrs. Evans have given many of the most successful and enjoyable entertainments ever held in that city. As a lawyer he ranks among the best inthe State. Above pettifogging orchicanery, he conducts his cases earnestly, honestly and skill- fully. He is an impressive and logical reasoner, well grounded in the principles of law, quick to grasp the points in the case and adroit in presenting them. Of his qualifications as a jurist we have already spoken at length. As a writer he is graphic, con- cise and remarkably forcible. Had he contin- ued in the fiewspaper field he would have un- doubtedly ranked as one of the ablest editors in the State. He is a man of broad views, and his religion is that of works, not faith alone. He believes that the universe is governed by general, not by partial, laws, and that the infraction of those laws brings its penalty regardless of faith or belief. His mind is of that logical type which cannot accept on trust any dogma or creed against which his common sense rebels. In this, as in other matters, he is liberal and char- itable, according to all the perfect right of free- dom and reserving the same right for himself. He has proved himself in all the relations of life an earnest, honest, upright man, and a citizen of whom any community might justly be proud. FREDERICK A. SHERWOOD, THE history of a State as well as that of a nation is chiefly the chronicle of the lives and deeds of those who have conferred honor and dignity upon society. The world judges the character of a community by that of its repre- sentative citzens, and yields its tributes of admi- ration and respect for the genius, learning or virtues of those whose works and actions con- .stitute the record of a State's prosperity and pride; and it is in their character, as exempli- fied in probity and benevolence, kindly virtues and integrity in the affairs of life, are ever af- fording worthy examples for emulation and valu- able lessons of incentive. To a student of biography there is nothing more interesting than to examine the life his- tory of a self-made man and to detect the ele- ments of character which have enabled him to pass on the highway of life many of the com- panions of his youth who at the outset of their careers were more advantageously equipped or endowed. The subject of this review has through 92 BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE his own exertions attained an honorable position and marked prestige among the representative men of the West, and witli signal consistency it may be said that he is the architect of his own fortunes and one whose success amply justifies the application of the somewhat hackneyed but most expressive title, "a self-made man." Frederick A. Sherwood was born on a farm near Rhinebeck, Dutchess county. New York, in 1837, the day of his nativity being that which marks the anniversary of our national independ- ence, — T"ly 4- H's parents, Walter C. and Eliz- abeth (Bloomer) Sherwood, had united their des- tinies while still in youthful years, and they were content to begin their married life in a modest vvav, sustained and encouraged by mutual af- fection and solicitude. The father finally be- came dissatisfied with the tardy and insufficient financial returns derived from agricultural oper- ations in the old Empire State, and, like many another, he was affected by the memorable gold excitement in California, in 1849, a"'' hoping to improve his opportunities for acquiring money, he joined the adventurous throng which that year plodded its weary and perilous way over mountain and plain to the land where the sunset gates are open wide. His was the lot of many another of the brave men, for he succumbed to the rav- ages of disease, and in the fall of the following year was consigned to his last resting place in the land where he had hoped to win a compe- tency for himself and his little family. Frederick attended the district school in the v.-mters and assisted in the work of the farm dur- ing the summer seasons until he had attained the age of fourteen years, the discipline being of the sort that developed in him that sturdy independence which has been characteristic of his entire life, while incidentally were gained the elements of that robust constitution and physical vitality which have made him a man of goodly parts — the possessor of not only the sound mind, but also the eminent prerequisite, the sound body. When he was fourteen years old his uncle, John D.Sherwood, took a kindly interest in the boy and granted him the privilege of attending for two years the excellent academy in the village of P'i'hkill, near that historic old Dutch Reformed church which was utilized by the American forces as a prison during the war of 1812. The young man remained on the farm until January, 1857, when he became imbued with the desire to go out in life on his own responsibility and to take ad- vantage of the opportunities which were so glowingly described as aw^aiting the youth who would follow Horace Greeley's advice to go West and grow up with the country. He was im- mature and inexperienced in the ways of the world, but he boldly sallied forth in quest of fame and fortune. With one hundred dollars in his pocket he left the old home in the East and in due time arrived in Centralia, Illinois. Flere he was not successful in obtaining employ- ment, and he proceeded to Ottawa, where, in May, 1857, his funds became exhausted, and, disheartened and discouragecf' at the frowns w-hich fortune had bestowed upon him in place of the radiant smiles which he had confidently expected, he finally sent to his mother for a re- mittance of twenty dollars to enable him to re- turn to his home in New York. Tliat the old adage, 'it is always darkest just before the dawn," has some foundation in fact was shown to him ere sufficient time had elapsed for him to secure tangible returns from his somewhat pathetic appeal to his mother. He succeeded in finding a situation which afforded a salary of twelve dollars a month with board and lodg- ing. This position he gladly accepted and he was ready to render the most faithful and effective service which it was in his power to accord. After receiving the twenty dollars from his mother he immediately returned the money to her, as she was then in very moderate circumstances. At the end of the first year he had, of the one hundred and forty-four dollars received as wages, saved the sum of one hundred dollars, showing that he had been signally frugal and indus- trious, and also that he thus early had apprecia- tion of the practical necessity of saving his money if he hoped to advance in life. It is interesting to revert to the fact that this nucleus of his pres- ent large fortune was secured in the locality where he has since risen to a position as one of tlie most substantial capitalists and honored citi- zen s^ — one who has undoubtedly done more to advance the material interests of the city of Ot- tawa than has any other one individual. The REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 98 second year his wages were doubled, and at its expiration he had accumulated sufficient funds to enable him to begin business opera- tions on his own responsibility. Such determi- nation and indomitable perseverance as were his needed only the opening wedge of opportunity to accomplish results. With definite ends in view, Mr. Shervvood allowed no incidental cir- cumstances to swerve him from his purpose, and he showed a thorough appreciation of the value of time by utilizing his spare moments in the study of law, instead of wasting his leisure as the average young man would do at his age. In i860 he was admitted to the bar by the su- preme court at Ottawa, and although he did not enter upon the active practice of his profession he found his knowledge of law of inestimable service to him in his business of loaning money upon real estate securities, an enterprise in which he engaged at this time as the agent for capital- ists in the East. For several years he invested largely in the wild lands of Illinois, Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska, his purchases in 1880 and 1881 amounting to over ten thousand acres, on which he realized large profits. Although he has made Ottawa his home and business headquarters, he has found it more profitable to invest money in lands farther west. Three-fourths of the money which he has used or loaned to be used in the building of over thirty business blocks, houses and churches in Ottawa, has been se- cured through investments outside that city. He has thus and in other ways lent aid and in- fluence toward the advancement and substan- tial upbuilding of Ottawa, and, as before sug- gested, has done more than any other one man to make the city what it is to-day, one of tiio most attractive and prosperous in the State of Illinois. On the 17th of September, 1879, ^^ New Lon- don, Connecticut, Mr. Sherwood was united in marriage to Miss Phoebe A. Anthony, who traces her lineage back to prominent old Revolution- ary families. Her ancestors were among the Platts who established the town of Plattsburg, New York, and she has descended in line from Lieutenant Zachariah Piatt, who went into camp at New York city, on May 11, 1776, holding a commission signed by John Hancock, then president of the Continental Congress. This ancestral association with the great w'ar for in- dependence entitles Mrs. Sherwood to member- ship in that noble organization, the Daughters of the Revolution, and in the same she now holds conspicuous preferment as regent for Ottawa. She is a woman of gentle refinement, gracious presence and high cultivation, taking a great in- terest in literature and society and presiding with dignity over her magnificent home. Our subject and his wife are the parents of t\vo sons: Frederick A. Sherwood, Jr., born September 11, 1881, and now a student in the Ottawa high school; and Everitt A. Sherwood, who is also attending the public schools of the city. Notwithstanding his wealth and high posi- tion Mr. Sherwood is of the thoroughly demo- cratic type which is the crowning honor of our republic. This is shown in the fact that he has not seen fit to isolate his children in private schools, but has gladly given them the privi- lege of winning their own way in competitive struggle with those of their own age in the ex- cellent public schools. Mr. Sherwood's financial interests in tlie city of Ottawa are of most extensive order. He main- tains here a private banking institution, which in its resources and scope of operations is one of the most important private banks in the State outside of Chicago. Tlie establishment has the duplicate function of a savings bank and a bank of deposit, and is provided with finely appointed counting-rooms and offices, with the only safety- deposit vaults in Ottawa. Mr. Sherwood is the ov\ner of the fine opera-house which adonis and furnishes exceptional privileges to the city, and ht stands as the largest tax-payer in the city. In his social relations he is identified with the Iroquois Club, of Chicago, the Ottawa Boat Club and the Knights of Pythias, and on the 2d day of July, 1895, he was appointed a di- rector of the Reddick Library of his city for three years. In August, 1895, he gave the city of Ot- tawa, for the use of the people thereof, a drink- ing fountain, ornamented with a statue of Hebe. It is eleven feet high aiul is supplied with ar- tesian water. It adorns Washington Park in said city. From May, 1889, until May, 1891, he served as mayor of Ottawa, having been 94 BIOORAPIIWAL DWTWNART AND PORTRAIT OALLERT OF THE elected on the Democratic ticket; and it is con- ceded that he gave Ottawa the only economical administration it has had since becoming a cit\'. He is a most genial man, easily approachable by all who may have occasion to seek an audi- ence with him, and is very hospitable and gen- erous, being sympathetic in nature and animated by a broad humanitarian spirit. Some of his char- acteristic tenets are that all children should be taught to think consecutively and to cultivate memory, which has so important an influence in the practical affairs of life. He holds that any young man who, beginning at the age of twenty- one, will save one-half his earnings, will have gained a comfortable competency by the time he is thirty-five. This he maintains is the true secret of financial success. Absolute truthful- ness and honesty, in thought, word and deed, he considers as not only cardinal virtues but as necessary adjuncts if one would realize the max- imum success of which he is capable. He urges also the value of perseverance, and believes also that He who wishes strong enough. He who works hard enough. He who vvaits long enough. Will get what he wishes, works and waits for. He believes that individual happiness and the only genuine measure of contentment and pleas- ure in life is gained as a reflex from kind actions to others. He says that he is a member of the "church universal," with the sky as its vaulted roof, the earth its floor and foundation, with the feathered songsters as its choir, the flowers of the field its incense, and nature's forces as sur- rounding influences, bringing to us sublime thoughts and reverent feelings akin to heaven. He believes that intrinsic goodness of heart which prompts love and kindness to one's fellow- men brings the fullest recompense of happiness in this life and insures as great a certainty of hap- p:ness hereafter as we can reasonably hope for. Our subject has recently completed one of the finest residences in the State, and this magnifi- cent stone castle, on the bluff overlooking the Illinois river and the city, on the edge of his park uf ninety acres, with its two miles of finely improved roadways, and its picturesque eleva- tion, is an object of interest and admiration to visitors for miles around and to all who may pass through or sojourn in the city. It will cer- tainly be appropriate to incorporate in this con- nection a brief description of this beautiful home, which was erected at a cost of more than one hundred thousand dollars and its completion having been effected after three years' constant labor. Mr. Sherwood personally superintended the erection of the building, so that many de- tails of the structure, both from an exterior and interior point of view, are of distinctively original design. As the owner terms it, the architecture is something of a "Colonial" type, the idea hav- ing been to blend the massive and the ancient with modern and unic|ue styles. The house is two stories and a half in height and built of buff Bedford oolitic limestone, with copings, caps and trimmings of Portage red sandstone. Of the two towers the taller is ninefy-two feet in height. The extreme length of the house is ninety-six feet, extreme width eighty-five feet. Tlie two big chimneys are of Bedford stone with terra-cotta trimmings. Entering the house from the west one passes under a large portico, resting upon sandstone pillars. Suspended from its roofs are large elec- tric lights, constructed after a special design by Mr. Sherwood. Going up the steps, one sees above the door the motto "Teneo amore et tcncor," wrought in French stained glass. En- tering the large hall, thirty feet in width, and ex- tending entirely through the house, it is seen that the interior is cheerful though massive. The woodwork is of light, oil-finished oak, finely carved. Flanking the walls are ten French plate mirrors, each about three to ten feet in dimen- sions. Rich Swiss tapestries, in Nile green and dark amber, drape the doorwavs to the various apartments that open off the hall, in an angle, just beyond the grand staircase, is the fireplace in Bedford stone, there being carved above the mantle in old English letters: "Welcome the coming, and speed the parting guest." On the first floor, finished in sycamore, cherry and birch are the reception, living, library and ofificc rooms, -and across the hall the dining room, thirl\'-eight by twenty-two feet, finished in oak, with oak floor bordered with walnut. The dining hall as well as the lower and upper halls have REPnESEyTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 95 panelled ceilings of oak. The firci)laces arc of fine Italian marble and the draperies of Swiss manufacture. Opening to the north of the dining hall are the butler's and servants" quarters. From the center of the large hall one can look up through an opening surrounded by an ornate oaken balustrade, in the second floor, to a hipped oaken skylight overhead, filled with stained glass in pale blue and pink tints. On this sec- ond floor are eleven sleeping rooms, done in oak, cherry, California redwood and Georgia pine. The third floor has a number of plain rooms finished in pine. Both gas and electricity arc provitled for light- ing the house. There are two hundred and sev- enty-five incandescent lamps and gas lights that can be put in use. They depend from diamond- shaped brasses of unique design and are shaded by variously made globes of light blue and pink. In the basement, wherein are also the children's play-room and a billiard hall, are four furnaces that do the heating. Indirect radiators con- structed under registers in the great hall above greatly assist ventilation in summer by permit- ting cold air to pass in. In conclusion it will be germane to revert to certain points touching the genealogy of om- subject. The Sherwoods trace their ancestry back to England, presumably to the bandits who made Sherwood forest so famous; certainly to the time of John Calvin, as the Sherwood and Calvin families intermarried, and maintained a joint family motto, "Teneo amore at teneor,'' which Mr. Sherwood utilizes with much consist- ency and of which he is justly proud. His moth- er's ancestors came from France, but of them but little is known in the way of authentic his- tory. She entered into eternal rest in Novem- ber, 1892, at the home of her^ daughter in New Jersey, having attained the venerable age of seventy-one years. John D. Sherwood, an uncle of Frederick, was a lawyer of considerable prom- inence in New York city from 1850 to 1875. He traveled extensively in Europe and contributed many articles to Harper's Magazine and other pe- riodicals. He also wrote a comic history of the United States and published other works of greater importance. The character and position of Frederick A. Sherwood illustrates, most happily for the pur- pose of this work, the fact that if a young man be possessed of the proper attributes of mind and heart he can unaided attain to a point of unmis- takable precedence and gain for himself a place among those men who are the foremost factors in shaping the destinies of the nation. His career proves that the only true success in life is that which is accomplished by personal effort and consecutive industry'. It proves that the road to success is open to all young men who have the courage to tread its pathway, and the life record of such a man should serve as inspira- tion to the young of this and future generations, and teach by incontrovertible facts that success is ambition's answer. FREDERICK STAHL, GALENA. MR. STAIiL was born at Baltimore, Mary- land, on the 28th day of Februar\% 1809, die seventh son of Jacob and Eva Barbara (Knoblc) Stahl, both of Stuttgart, Germany, and received his education in that city. At the age of twenty he removed to what is now the city of Ga- lena, where he ever afterward resided. He served as sergeant in Colonel Stephenson's company in the Black Hawk war, and at the decisive battle of Bad Axe achieved distinction. A few months prior to his death he attended a reunion of the survivors of that war, of whom there were but fourteen. Shortly after his arrival in Galena he formed a partnership with Arthur L. Johnson, a con- nection that continued till 1838, when the firm was dissolved and the business was continued by Mr. Stahl alone. He was actively engaged in this enterprise till 1852, when he was succeeded bv his brother Nicholas and Mr. Tliomas Fos- 96 BIOGRAPniCAL DICTIONAET AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE ter. In i83() lie Ix'came ]ircsident of the Galena branch of the Illinois State Bank, and continued in that capacity during the existence of that in- stitution. For a few years he retired from active business, but in 1857 became president of the Galena IMarine Insurance Company, and re- mained its chief officer until it was merged into the Merchants' National Bank in 1865. Of the latter named institution he was elected a director, and continued as such until his death, a period of nearly twenty-seven years. He was also presi- dent of the Galena & Southwestern Wisconsin Railroad Company until it became a part of the Chicago & Xorthwestern system. Politically Mr. Stahl was in early life a Whig, later he affiliated with the Democracy, and was chosen to fill a number of important offices by that party. He was a devoted churchman and one of the founders of Grace Episcopal Church, of Galena. For forty years prior to his death he was senior warden of the parish, and for a long period its treasurer and chief supporter. For forty-five consecutive years be represented his parish as lay delegate to the diocesan conven- tion, and was held in the highest esteem and ven- eration by both clergy and laity, being often chosen among the men to represent the diocese in general convention. The diocesan convention shortly prior to his death he was unable to at- tend, because of ill health, and that body paid him a fitting tribute, expressing appreciation of his past valuable services through a set of reso- lutions, in which the sentiment of the body was incorporated by unanimous vote. His counsel was always sought, and was ever on the side of peace and moderation. In December, 1839, Mr. Stahl was united in marriage to Miss Alice L. McLean, the eldest daughter of Samuel McLean, of Alexandria, Virginia. In connection with this may be men- tioned the fact that during the great Civil war the first battle — that of Bull Run — was fought upon McLean brother's home plantation, and in 1865 the terms of Lee's surrender were drawn up in the dining-room of his house at Appomattox; his table, upon which the signatures were written, having been carried off by General Sheridan, is now in Libby Prison Museum, Chicago. Mr. and Mrs. Stahl have three children living: Mrs. A. M. Lawvcr, of San Francisco; Mrs. W. W. Steele, of Ardmore, near Philadelphia; and Miss Alice B., who with her aged mother resides at the old homestead in Galena. Mr. Stahl's final illness was brief, the result of a cold, and he passed away on the 8th day of January, 1892. The following, written by Right Reverend W. B. McLaren, appeared in the "Diocese of Chicago" the month subsequent to ]\Ir. Stahl's death : "Mr. Stahl was a man of remarkably fine in- tellectual development. His reading was as wisely selected as it was widely extended. His memory was a retentive one, and enriched his conversation from its abundant stores. Although many years absorbed in business, he always found time to devote to the cultivation of his mind. Coupled with this was a winsome modesty which prevented him from any parade of his mental acquisitions. He was a man of very finely strung nature; his sensibilities were quick and his sym- pathies tender. He was withal cheerful and bright, very companionable and' always gov- erned by a judicious view of persons and things. Mr. Stahl was a home-loving man and had much to love there. A devoted wife and family of ac- complished daughters endeared him to the fire- side. Many must be the memories which they now enjoy of the happy years passed in his congenial presence. In his relations to the community he enjoyed the confidence which is always awar^led to steriijig integ- rity, and achieved the honor of a spotless name, which was more to him than the millions whose acquisition has brought to many the stigma of dishonor. He was a man who believed all the articles of the Christian faith without a doubt, and strove to practice them in his life. To him the church was a holy mother. He loved her ways, her courts, her progress with a filial reverence. * =■= * It was the writer's privilege to spend two days with him a few weeks ago. His hearty welcome, his bright sallies, his expressions of attachment can never be for- gotten. Feeble as his frame was, he walked twice to church on the Sunday, and oh the eagerness with which he listened to the blessed truth of Christ! At times tears rolled down his cheeks as though he were repeating to himself, liT. REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 97 for the theme was of Christ, and tlie joys of heaven. 'Jesus, the very thought of thee With sweetness fills my breast; But sweeter far thy face to see, And in thy presence rest.' "At parting a playful compact was proposed that we should wait until the dawn of the twen- tieth century before we would sing our Nunc Dimittis. He accepted it with a smile; but we scarcely dreamed that the expedient which was designed only to cheer him in the infirmities of age would so soon meet death's contradiction. At his burial, at which were gathered a multitude of those who loved and honored him, the services closed with the solemn chant, 'Now, Lord, lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace.' "The dear old parish at Galena has been sadly bereaved within a few years. One after another of the noble men and women have gone to their rest; and now, Mr. Stahl having joined them in Paradise, it can never be the same Galena again. But the vigil continues though the sentinels change. Others are there to follow in their steps; one generation comes as another goes, and all the living will be the better and the stronger for thinking of them who while here lived as those who seek a better country." JOHN W. ARNOLD, CHICAGO. THE man who was content to go through the war as a "high" private, doing his duty nobly and unflinchingly on the field of battle or in the camp, is the man who to-day is serving to the best of his ability — and that ability is of a superior order — as United States marshal for the Northern District of Illinois; the man who has ever been found in the foremost ranks of citizens who are devoted to their country's best interests and tO' the welfare of their fellow men ; in private life, in legislative halls, in official positions always laboring for others with an unselfish devotion that well entitles him to the respect which is so freely given him and to a place among the hon- ored and valued residents of the metropolis of the \Vest. John W. Arnold is a New York man by birth, but almost his entire life has been spent in the State of his adoption. He was born in Wash- ington county of the Empire State on the 14th of February, 1842, and is a son of John H. Arnold, a native of Vermont, who emigrated westward in the early '50s and for many years was a leading merchant of Lockport, Illinois, where he is now- living retired at the age of eighty-eight years, enjoying the rest which should always crown a v.'ell-spent life. In his young manhood he mar- ried Miss Lucretia M. Vail, who also was born in Vermont, and died at their home in Lockjiort in October, 1893, ^^ the age of seventy-five years. Mr. Arnold of this review is the fourth in a family of seven children, five of whom are still living. The first thirteen years of his life were passed in the East and he then came with his parents to northern Illinois, since which time he has been prominently identified with the best interests of the State. He was educated in Lock- port, graduating at the high school in i860, after which he engaged in clerking for a time in his father's store; but, when the war broke out and he felt that his country needed the services of all her loyal sons, he put aside the pursuits of civil life to follow the stars and stripes. In September, 1861, Mr. Arnold enrolled his name among the "boys in blue" of the Fourth Illinois Cavalry, as a member of company D, and as a private served throughout the stntggle, which preserved the Union and struck the shackles from three million slaves. A look at Mr. Arnold shows that he is fitted for leadership, but he cared not for the trappings of the official, doing his duty in the ranks with commendable fidelity. He was with the forces of General Grant at the battles of Fort Henry and Fort Donelson, Shiloh, Corinth and the battle of Hatcher's Run in Tennessee. About this time he was taken ill with typhoid fever and asked for a discharge, which was granted at Jackson, Tennessee, August 98 ISKKIUAPIIICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE I, 1862. He immediately returned home, where, with good nourishing he soon recovered, and in tlie same month lie again entered the service. Tlie strong right arm of this loyal son was found supporting his country from that time until the close of the war. He this time became a member of the Chicago Mercantile Battery and with that command participated in the battles of Oxford, Mississippi, Haines' Bluff, the battle of Arkansas Post, and was with the forces of General Grant at Magnolia Hills, Champion Hills, Black River Bridge and the siege of Vicksburg, which began on the 22d of INIay, 1863, and continued until the 4th of July, following. With others he volun- teered and took two guns up to the rebel breast- works. This hazardous position they held for two hours when, by the overwhelming numbers on the other side, they were repulsed. He then helped to drive Joe Johnston out of Jackson, Mississippi, and participated in the battle of Sabine Cross Roads, Louisiana, April 8, 1864, where the battery was captured and thirty-five of the men were killed and wounded. Mr. Arnold was one of twenty-two who. were made prisoners of war and sent to Camp Ford, Te.xas. There he was confined for fourteen months. In August, 1864, in company with three comrades, he suc- ceeded in making his escape, only to be re-cap- tured three weeks later; but after fourteen months passed in captivity he was exchanged at the mouth of Red river, May 27, 1865, and mustered out on the i6th of June, following. He was ever found at his post of duty, faithful to the old flag and the cause it represented. Amidst the rain- ing shot and shell, on the hard picket march or in the camp, he always willingly performed the task that was allotted to him. The country owes a debt of gratitude, that can never be repaid, to the brave privates who under any and every con- dition followed their leaders. Theirs was the hard task, theirs the fatiguing service, "Theirs not to question why. Theirs but to do and die;" and if their lives were spared they returned to their homes to become as loyal and true citizens in the days of peace as they had been in the hours of war. Upon his return Mr. Arnold engaged in mer- chandising in Lockport for many years, and the business is still carried on by his son. The former was a prosperous merchant. It is his custom to carry forward to successful completion whatever he undertakes, and his well-directed eflorts and scrupulous honesty and exactness won him the confidence and the patronage of the pub- lic. He has been quite prominent in political af- fairs and has always been a supporter of the Democracy. He has held various minor offices, and in 1888 was appointed postmaster of Lock- port, capably serving in that position until after the inauguration of President Harrison, when he resigned. In November, 1890, he was elected to the Illinois State senate from the Fifteenth Dis- trict, which is strongly Republican, his predeces- sor having been elected by a majority of thirteen hundred and fift}'. This he succeeded in over- coming and won the election by a majority of one hundred and seventy-two. This is certainly a high compliment to his superior qualifications, the confidence reposed in him and his personal popularity; but his election meant something more than the election of a Democratic senator; it meant the election of a L^nited States senator from Illinois. Previously his district had always elected a candidate of the opposing party. In the joint assembly there were now one hundred and one Democrats and one hundred Repub- licans. Had the district gone as it usually had done the Republicans woidd have had the ma- jority vote ; but Mr. Arnold was the famous "one" to make the ever-remembered "loi" that sent John M. Palmer to the United States senate, and broke the long continued deadlock. In the Sen- ate Chamber Mr. Arnold made for himself a record as a friend to the laboring man, working earnestly and untiringly for the interests of those who are forced to earn their own bread by the sweat of their brow. He opposed all measures that favored capital to the oppression of labor, and was instnunental in securing the passage of the anti-truck bill. He was chairman of the ccmmittee on waterways, drainage, military af- fairs and a member of all the important com- mittees. Mr. Arnold was married December 22, 1869, to Miss Abbie Mathewson, of Lockport, Illinois, who was born in Chicago, June 14, 1845, "^ daugh- ter of A. J. Mathewson. Their only living child. REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. '.)',) John W., Jr., was born in Lockport, December 29, 1870, and is now in business there. They lost two children: Julius J\I., who died lSIarch4, 1895, and Julia M., who died June 13, 1888. They were twins, born August 22, 1874. Mr. Arnold is a pleasant, genial and polished gentleman of high social qualities, and is very popular, having a most extensive circle of friends and acquaintances who esteem him highly for his genuine worth. Socially he is connected with E. L. Gooding Post, No. 401, G. A. R., of which he is past commander. On the 20th of February, 1894, by President Cleveland, Mr. Arnold was appointed to the re- sponsible position of United States marshal of the Northern District of Illinois, and is discharg- ing his duties with a promptness and fidelity which has won him the highest commendation. He is fearless in the discharge of his duties and his service has been very valuable, especially in connection with the suppression of the labor riots which centered in Chicago in the summer of 1894. He received many commendatory letters, one of v/hich we give, for it shows his fidelity and how it was regarded at headquarters. It reads as fol- lows : August 6, 1894. Hon. Richard Olnev, At/orni-y General United States, \\'ashington, D. C. : Dear Sir: — Mr. J. W. Arnold, the United States marshal for the Northern District of Illinois, has per- formed the trying and onerous duties of his of^ce during the recent railway strike with such marked ability and fidelity that the recei\'ers of this com- pany desire to express in a formal way their ap- preciation of his splendid service. During the two weeks following June 29, 1894, he was almost constantly engaged, day and night, in the recruiting, officering, equipping with arms, distributing and directing an army of special deputy United States marshals. The demand for them was so large and urgent that it was impos- sible to investigate, witii any thoroughness, the antecedents of the men who applied for commis- sions; yet Marshal Arnold, by his energy and care in selecting his deputies and in placing re- liable officers over them, succeeded in furnishing promptly a surprisingly effective guard for the threatened and obstructed railroads in Chicago. During much of the time he took charge per- s^'inally of the deputies at the points of gravest danger, and by his courage and activity added greatly to the strength of the force. From first to last, he performed his duty with exceptional courage and devotion. He is en- titled to the highest praise for his tireless and efficient action in checking the lawlessness of the mob, and in preserving from destruction the rail- road property in the custody of the United States court here and in keeping open the lines of the inter-State transportation. Very respectfully yours, E. A. Bancroft, Solicitor /or Illinois, For Atchison, Topeka 6^ Santa Fe Ry. \^''ell poised at all times, Mr. Arnold was cool and collected in the midst of the excitement which everywhere prevailed, and with a clear mind and discriminating judgment he was thus able to direct movements to the best advantage. It was his effort to save life, not to destroy it, and the policy which he followed won the approval of all unbiased persons. While possessing the qualities of a successful business man and a desirable social companion, perhaps ]\Ir. Arnold's most strongly marked characteristic is his unswerving fidelity to duty. His private interests must always give way to the public good, and thus he has become honored and esteemed by all who have the pleasure of his acquaintance or who have met him in a business way. 100 BIOORAPIITGAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE DR. EDWIN JUDSON, CHICAGO. THE subject of this review is one whose history touches the pioneer epoch in the annals of the State of IlHnois and whose days were an integral part of that indissoluble chain which linked the early, formative period with that of latter-day progress and prosperity. Not alone is there particular interest attaching to his career as one of the pioneers of Chicago, but in review- ing his genealogical record we find his lineage tracing back to the Colonial history of the nation and to that period which marked the inception of the grandest republic the world has ever known. Through such sources have we attained the true American type, and along this line must our in- vestigations proceed if we would learn of the steadfast and unyielding elements which consti- tute the basis upon which has been reared the lofty and magnificent superstructure of an en- lightened and favored commonwealth. Not many years ago the fiery element obliter- ated one of the famous old homesteads at East Hartford, Connecticut, — one known locally as the "Judson place." This time-honored and weather-beaten structure was one of no little his- torical interest, since it had been in the possession of the Judson family for nearly two hundred years and had been the birthplace of many eminently worthy citizens, who played well their part in the consecutive annals of national development. and where two of his nieces were murdered. The Judsons were very early settlers of New England, and the family had given some distinguished names to American history more than a century ago. It is with this particular branch of the family located at East Hartford that we have par- ticularly to do in this connection, since to it be- longed the honored Chicago pioneer to whom this memoir is dedicated. At the beginning of the present centur\' the old homestead mentioned was occupied by Deacon John Judson, who was one of the sub- stantial agriculturists of that section of the Nut- meg State, and who was held in high esteem locally, having been prominent as one of the pillars of the Congregational Church, of which he was a zealous and devoted adherent during the major portion of his long and useful life. He married a Miss Olcutt, who was also a descendant of a prominent pioneer family of Connecticut, and they reared a family of children, one of whose number was Dr. Edwin Judson, the subject of this review, — a man who for nearly a half centur)- was identified with the professional, business and social interests of Chicago, and who was one of the first dental practitioners to locate in the North- west, having been the first resident dentist in the city which now stands as the great and phenom- enal metropolis of the West. Dr. Judson was bom in the house under whose roof-tree had three or four generations of his ancestors found an abiding place, the date of his nativity having been February 22, 1809. He grew to manhood upon the old ancestral farm- stead, contributing his quota to carrying on the work of the farm and imbibing copious draughts of the spirit of independence, which is ever the concomitant of the life thus closely linked to nature. The discipline was one which also begot a lively appreciation of the nobility of honest toil and of the advantages which stretched far be- yond such a narrowed mental horizon. Our sub- ject was granted such educational advantages as the locality afforded, attending the public schools of East Hartford a portion of each year and sup- plementing this discipline by a course of study in the academy, where he acquired a good Eng- lish education. Now the ambition of the youth began to strain at its fetters, and he determined to prepare himself for a wider field of usefulness than that which is rounded up in the monotonous routine of the farm. His ambition was one of effort, and he bent his energies toward the ac- complishment of the desired ends. He went to New Haven, Connecticut, where he began and completed the study of dentistry under the effect- ive preceptorage of one of the old-time practi- tioners of that city. Having received in due time the requisite license or certificate which entitled him to practice, he turned his attention to pro- fessional work upon his own responsibility, and Q? dyj4.%.7^ycij:U^' -(L REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 101 was engaged in practice for several years in his native State, his efforts being attended with success. Prior to this, however, the Doctor had made a prospecting trip through several of the Western States, and though he was not at that time suffi- ciently impressed with this section of the Union to locate here, yet he had a prescience of the posi- bilities in store and of the ultimate conditions that would prevail when the steady march of progress and development should have set in this direc- tion. After he returned to his home in the East he maintained a watchful attitude in regard to the advancements made in tlie West; and when there came to him a realization that at last the era of substantial and permanent development, which he had anticipated, had been ushered in, he was not slow to identify himself with the new and growing section, though he retained a deep attachment for his New England home and its environments and associations. The strength and courage of those who thus became pioneers of the West and voluntarily resigned their claims to the conveniences, comforts and delectable sur- roundings of the older sections of the Union, can scarcely be realized by the end-of-the-century generation who are in the full enjoyment of the privileges which these organizers and institutors provided by denying the same to themselves in the early stages of development. Dr. Judson thus became one of the pioneers of the Northwest, and in coming here he was determined to make the best of every opportunity offered — to advance himself as much as might be by thrift, enterprise and honest endeavor and to aid in the work of permanent development, the while reaping such generous returns as were incidentally in store for those who thus valiantly laid the foundations of the empire of the West. His second journey to the West was therefore not one of investigation and observation, but he came hither with a clearly defined purpose and with a certain object in view. This prime object was to select a location for permanent residence and one where he might eventually gain a due measure of success in the practice of his profession. That he was favored by fortune or that his wisdom was far-reaching in his selection of the incipent metropolis, Chi- cago, as his headquarters and field of operations. can not be doubted, and that he was not denied the full harvest in its time is to be held as a just recompense for his well-directed and assiduous efforts. His name is one which the gigantic and wonderful city of the lake may well hold in per- petual honor, as placed upon the scroll which records the names of her pioneers of the early '40S. Dr. Judson arrived in Chicago in November of the vear 1840, and installed himself in the old Tremont House, of which Ira Couch, tlic famous pioneer boniface, was then proprietor. Soon after his arrival he entered upon the practice of liis profession, establishing a temporary office in the hotel, where the parlor had been arranged for his use until such time as he could secure eligible quarters. He soon established a permanent office at number 94 Lake street, and there he con- tinued his professional labors for the next nine- , teen years, gaining marked prestige as a skillful practitioner and as a man of unswerving honor and integrity. His practice far transcended local limitations, patients coming to him from all parts of the contiguous country, many of them travel- ing with ox teams for a distance of one hundred miles for the purpose of securing attention at his hands. The demands thus placed upon his at- tention led him eventually to a certain itinerancy in his professional work, since, in addition to re- ceiving at his office these patients from remote towns and settlements, he found it finally expe- dient to make visitations to these places at regular inter\-als, and thus he became widely known throughout a wide radius of territory contiguous to the city. His experiences in this pioneer prac- tice were necessarily attended with many incon- veniences and with much hard labor, for he had to traverse long stretches of unimproved country and to accept accommodations of the most primi- tive order; but his courage and zeal never flagged, and he incidentally gained a wide and valuable knowledge of this section of the West and its possibilities for growth and development, also forming a wide acquaintanceship with the pioneer settlers, many of whom subsc(|uently attained fortune and distinguished position. The first home of our subject in Chicago was a modest cottage at in State street, now in the very heart of the great retail district of the city, 102 DIOORAPIIICAL DICTIOXARY AND PORTRAIT GALLKRT OF THE and this property, which he acquired when its location was considered suburban, is still in the possession of the family, and of course represents a very high valuation. During the years of his active practice in Chicago he gained signal prec- edence and held the same against the active com- petition which eventually existed. He was fully conversant with both the theory and the practice of dentistry and was signally devoted to his pro- fession, keeping constantly in touch with the advancements made in the line and ever availing himself of the most modem and approved ap- pliances and accessories for facilitating his work and improving its character. The fact has al- ready been incidentally noted that at the time when Dr. Judson located in Chicago skilled den- tists in the West were very few in number. In the rural villages where there were medical prac- titioners these pioneer physicians were often called upon to transcend their normal professional functions by extracting teeth for those who suf- fered through this source, and in their hands the old^ime "turnkey" became often an instalment of torture, though effectual in its operations. The specific practice of dentistry was almost unknown, and it is not strange that when an able dentist visited these localities or administered to the wants of the people in his office in Chicago, utiliz- ing the most improved appliances of the day and standing ready to supplement the work of nature by supplying artificial teeth, that he should have been looked upon as a man of wonderful attain- ments and almost as a worker of miracles. Our subject made, by virtue of his professional ability, a profound impression upon the pioneer com- munities, and in exemplifpng in a practical way the science of dentistry he became verj' prominent both as a practitiou'cr and a citizen, and it is not to be wondered at that he should be one of the pioneers most distinctly remembered by a later generation as well as by his contemporaries. As the glorious nineteenth centur\- draws to its close and the magnificent Garden City lays stretched far and wide along the shores of Lake Michigan, Dr. Judson is remembered as one of the represent- atives of his profession in the inceptive period of its existence as a sepai-ate and distinct calling in the Western States, and in this connection there may be gained a distinctive idea of the conditions that prevailed in Chicago at the time of his com- ing here, when the statement is made, and abso- lutely vouched for, that the first piece of polished furniture manufactured in the city was the in- strument case which found a place in his office — this case still being in the possession of his widow. When we look at Chicago to-day and note her marvelous industrial activities, it almost passes belief that only one generation ago the facilities and conditions could have been so radi- cally difTerent. In 1857, after nearly two decades of close ap- plication to professional work, Dr. Judson felt constrained to retire from active service in the line, as his health had become somewhat se- riously impaired. With a view to recuperating his vital energies he removed, in that year, to the town of Geneva, in the picturesque Fox river valley, having undoubtedly been attracted thither by reason of the marked resemblance which the place bore to the New England villages so en- deared to him by the hallowed associations of his childhood and youth — this typical analogy hav- ing been accentuated in modern years, so that at the present time Geneva is in appearance and character more nearly like a New England town than is any other in the State of Illinois. Here he purchased a beautiful countn.- seat, in which he maintained his abode for ten years; after this he returned to Chicago and devoted his entire at- tention to the improvement of his city property, to the care of his private estate, which had grown and had greatly appreciated in valuation, and to comfortable proportions. For a score of years subsequent to his return to Chicago he retained his residence here, and it was terminated only by his death, which occurred on the 3d of March, 1889. Thus passed to his reward a man of noble character, one who had acted well his part in life, "wherein all honor lies," and who had gained and retained the confidence, respect and esteem of his fellow men. His character was beyond re- proach, while in his manners he was ever modest and unassuming, showing that gentle and refined courtesy which was typical of the "old school" and which has unfortunately fallen into a measure of decadence in these latter days. His acquaint- anceship was an extended one and his friendships many, and such of the pioneers of Chicago as are> REPRESEXTATIVE MEN OF THE UXITED STATES: ILLINOIS VOLUME. 103 vet living' remember him with a feeling of a^lmira- tion and almost reverence. Well may succeeding generations pay a tribute of honor to a noble name and to the memory of noble deeds. The religious affiliations of Dr. Judson were ahvays with the Presbyterian Church, and for manv years he was prominently identified with the Second Presbyterian Church of Chicago, hav- ing transferred his membership from the First Presbyterian in the year 1843. His was a kindlv and sympathetic nature, and there are many who can bear record to his generosity and his deep spirit of humanity in the daily walks of life. In 1832, prior to his coming to the West, Dr. Judson was united in marriage to Miss Julia L. Wheat, of Glastonbury, Connecticut, by whom he had one daughter, Julia Isabella, now the widow of F. W. Tourtelotte, of Chicago. Mrs. Judson died some time after their removal to the West, and in 1848 was consummated the union of our subject to ]\Iiss Mary M. Shattuck, a representative of the distinguished New England pioneer family of that name. Her original Ameri- can ancestors came hither on the Mayflower, in 1620, and some of them settled in Massachusetts, while, soon afterward, some of them took up their abode at Pepperell, New Hampshire. ]\Irs. Judson's paternal grandfather, as w^ell also as her maternal grandfather, Benjamin Swetland, entered the Continental army when mere lads and were active participants in the war of the Revolu- tion. The records bear evidence that more than fifty individuals bearing the name of Shattuck bore arms in the war for independence. Benja- min Swetland held the highest rank in the musical branch of the army, having been fife major, and he WoS in the battle of Burgoyne and was present at the surrender of Cornwallis, at the battle of Yorktown, as well as other batdes. He wrote his own musical scores and his roster is still extant. After the close of the war he became a resident of East Windsor, Connecticut, and removed from there to\\ aterville. New York, where he remained until his death. The paternal grandfather, Ebenezer Shattuck, removed after the war to Jerusalem, Yates county. New York, where he died in 1840, at the venerable age of seventy-eight years. He was a man of prominence and in- fluence in the community, and was conspicuous in the councils and work of the Presbyterian Church. John Hancock, well known in history and one of the signers of the Declaration of In- depenclence, was an uncle of Mrs. Judson's grand- mother on the mother's side. Ebenezer Shat- tuck, father of Mrs. Judson, w'as a man of high in- tellectuality, being a distinguished mathematician and having been for many years a teacher and prominent in the educational circles of the State of New York. Mrs. Judson is a member of that noble organization, the Daughters of the Revolu- lution. She still retains her residence in Chicago and is revered for her nobility of character and as one vi'hose memory traces the course which binds the early pioneer days to the present, with its electrical vitality and prosperit}'. She holds sacred the memory of the one who was her de- voted companion for so many years and whose name is deeply engraven upon the scroll of the honored pioneers of Chicago. DANIEL H. PADDOCK, KANK.AKEK HON. DANIEL HOOIES PADDOCK is a well-known and successful lawyer, having served three terms in the Illinois legislature as representative from the Sixteenth Senatorial Dis- trict, which comprises the counties of Kankakee and Iroquois. His birth occurred in Lockport, Illinois, on the lodi of April, 1852. He is a son of Colonel John Williams and Helen (Har\'ey) Paddock. The father was an eminent lawyer and a distinguished military man of eastern Illinois. Mr. Paddock came to Kankakee with his parents in 1853, while an infant, and has made that city his home since that time. At the early age of eleven years he was called upon to mourn the loss of his father. His primary education was received in the public schools, and when twelve years of age he com- menced learning the printer's trade in the office 104 BIOGRAPniCAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT OALLKRT OF THE of ihc Kankakee Gazette, where he spent one year. The succeeding six years were passed upon a farm during the summer and in attendance upon the scliools of the district during the winter season. He next took a year's course at the Soldiers' College at Fulton, Illinois, after which he accepted the position of deputy postmaster at Kankakee, where he served faithfully for two years. For the two years following this he served as deputy county clerk of Kankakee county. During the time of his ofificial service he had also been directing his attention toward the study of law, under the preceptorship of Thomas P. Bonfield, and in 1873 he entered the law de- jiartment of Union University, of Albany, New York, at which he was graduated in the spring of 1S74. In May, 1874, he was admitted to the bar at Albany. In September of that year he was admitted to the bar at Mount Vernon, Illinois, and at once entered upon the practice of his pro- fession at Kankakee, in partnership with T. P. Bonfield, which connection was continued until October, 1875, since which time our subject has been in practice alone. On the 1 8th of July, 1876, ]\fr. Paddock was united in marriage with Miss Kate Almira Barton, of Kankakee. The lady was born in the town of Marshall, Oneida county, New York, on the 5th of February, 1854, and is a daughter of William L. and Sarah (Lumbard) Barton, who also were natives of Oneida county. They removed to Kankakee in 1870, where they still reside. Mr. and Mrs. Paddock are the parents of seven chil- dren: Helen Barton, Shirley Barton, Emma Barton, Bessie B., Evelyn B., Catherine B. and Priscilla B. In politics Mr. Paddock has always been a Re- publican since old enough to form political opinions, and while but a youth took an active interest in politics. In 1876 he was elected State's attorney for Kankakee county, and was re-elected in 1880. He was city attorney for Kajikakee from 1878 to 1880. In 1883 he was made a master in chancery, which office he resigned on being again elected to the legislature. In 1885 he was chosen city attorney for the special pur- pose of defending the city in several long con- tested and important suits. Three years later he was elected on the Republican ticket to the Illi- nois legislature, was re-elected in 1890 and again in 1892. He was the attorney for the Illinois State Board of World's Fair Commissioners. In 1892 he was again chosen city attorney, from which time he has continued to hold that ofifice, having been elected for the term of two years be- ginning May I, 1895. Mr. and Mrs. Paddock are members of the Protestant Episcopal Church, of which the for- mer is vestryman. He is a Knight Templar Ma- son, holding membership in Kankakee Lodge, No. 389, A. F. & A. M.; in Kankakee Chapter, No. 78, R. A. M. ; and in Ivanhoe Commandery, No. 33, K. T., of vvhich he has been commander. He is an active member of Lieutenant-Colonel Paddock Camp, Sons of Veterans, which he was instrumental in organizing and of whicli he has been commander. In political campaigns Mr. Paddock has long l>ecn a potent factor in support of Republican principles, and, being a popular speaker, his services have been much in demand on the stump. His first political work was in the support of Hayes in 1876, and in the support of Garfield and Arthur in the presidential campaign of 1880, when he made a vigorous canvass and was greeted by large and appreciative audiences wherever he spoke. Since that time he has taken an active part in succeeding campaigns and has ripened into a finished and eloquent orator. In the practice of his profession Mr. Paddock has been eminently successful, and has won a foremost place in the bar of Kankakee county. As a trial lawyer he has shown unusual force and has developed great strength as well in the systematic and careful preparation of his cases and the shrewd and thorough examination of witnesses, as in the eloquent, logical and con- vincing manner of their presentation before court and jury. He possesses many of the traits that distinguish his illustrious father as a brilliant speaker, sound advocate and able lawyer. Mr. Paddock has one of the finest libraries to be found in Kankakee and has ever been a thorough student. Socially he is deservedly pop- ular, as lie is affable and courteous in manner and possesses that essential qualification to success in public life, — that of making friends readily and of strengthening the ties of all friendships as time advances. ^^^L^qMu. REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 105 WILLIAM WALDEN SHAW . WILLIAM WALDEN SHAW, more pop- ularly known as W. W. Shaw, was born at Swineshead, near the city of Boston, Lincoln- shire, England, on the 14th of December, 1832. He is the eldest son of Robert and Rebecca Shaw, his father being a prosperous farmer at that well- known historical place. He received a sound, practical education at home, and in the fall of 1853, being desirous of seeking a wider sphere for his energies than his native land afforded, he emigrated to the United States, selecting Cleveland, Ohio, as his first field. Shortly after his arrival he succeeded in obtaining employ- ment with a party surveying a railroad between Cleveland and Tififin, Ohio, with whom he re- mained for a season, and in March, 1854, he filled the position of clerk in the freight office of the Columbus & Cincinnati Railroad. This position did not appear to him to open a road to the higher ones, for which he felt himself fitted, and in August of that year he moved to Chicago, then, as now, a city of illimitable pos- sibilities. Financial depression and the cholera scourge (which was raging to an alarming ex- tent during that year) offered a cold welcome to the young visitor and his search for work was a cheerless task. His perseverance, however, was rewarded, for in the little flour and feed store of Potter & Vincent, then on the northwest corner of Canal and Randolph streets, he found a posi- tion, in which he remained for three years. It was the introduction to his successful career. Shortly afterward he mairied Miss Mary Ann Har- rison, also a native of Swineshead, England, who, in company with a relative, had previously emi- grated to this country and settled int Chicago. At her suggestion he resigned his position with Potter & Vincent and entered Bell's Commer- cial College as a student. After four months of hard study, turning the night into day, he grad- uated in that institution at the head of his class and obtained the position of bookkeeper in the Mechanical Bakery, the consideration for his labors being nine dollars per week. For twelve years he remained with that firm and saw his salary grow from nine dollars per week to two thousand dollars per annum. When Joseph M. Dake leased the Mechanical Bakery, in 1868, and transferred the employees to his own bakery, he placed Mr. Shaw in charge of his office, as he thoroughly understood his integrity and ability in that direction. Owing to the fact that the most important years of Mr. Shaw's business career have been connected with the Dake Bakery it will be appropriate here to make mention of that establishment. The origin of the Dake Bakery, which is now one. if not the principal, branch of the Amer- ican Biscuit & Manufacturing Company, dates back to 1861, when J. AT. Dake rented quarters in the rear of McVicker's theater and there laid ihe foundation of a great and useful industry in this Western city. Prior to that date he was a partner of O. Kendall & Sons, who owned a bakery on the southwest corner of Dearborn and Washington streets, the interests of whom he purchased, subsequently admitting C. L. Wood- man into partnership. This partnership contin- ued until Mr. Woodman retired to establish a bread, cake and pastry manufactory, leaving Mr. Dake to carry on the manufacture of crackers. In the fall of 1868, finding the Mechanical Bak- ery Company a formidable rival, Mr. Dake suc- ceeded in getting control of its works, thereby shutting off competition from that quarter. That company, in 1857 or 1858, erected a large build- ing on Clinton street, south of Lake street, and therein placed a $40,000 Berdan cracker oven, six connnon ovens and other valuable machin- er}-, which enabled them to do a very successful business during the Civil war. Some of the best citizens were connected with this enterprise, J. T. Ryerson, Rumsey brothers, B. W. Raymond, E. C. Earned and others, being the principal stock- holders. Henry C. Childs was the superintend- ent and W. W. Shaw (the subject of this memoir) was chief bookkeeper. The works were oper- ated by Mr. Dake for a short time, when they were finally closed down and the majority of the employees transferred to his own bakery, where 106 niOGUAPIIWAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE ihcy were found in 1871 by tlie great fire, — two years and four months after the death of its suc- cessful founder. The executors of the late Mr. Dake sold the bakery to a company composed of E. Nelson Blake, F. M. Herdman, Samuel B. Walker and Kilby Page, who carried on the business under the firm name of Blake, Herdman & Company until 1870, when F. M. Herdman retired and W. W. Shaw was admitted as a partner. The new firm name was to be decided by tossing up a cent, "heads" to favor Blake, Walker & Com- pany, the reverse, Blake, Shaw & Company. The former won and as Blake, Walker & Company it was known. On the morning of October 9, 1871 (a day never to be forgotten while Chicago lasts), their building, machinery and stock were destroyed by the great fire, which also swept away the branch factory on Dearborn and Illinois streets, their total losses amounting to over one hundred thousand dollars. The fire, how- ever, did not destroy the energy or reputation of the firm, and, leasing ground from C. B. Good- vear, on Clinton street, near Lake street, for a term of ten years, a building was erected, and on January i, 1872, the bakery was in full operation and doing a very extensive business. In April, 1875, C. H. Marshall, who had previously been one of their traveling salesmen, was admitted as as a partner of the firm, the progress and pros- perity of which, from the year 1872 to the year 1880, \vas phenomenal. About 1878 Mr. Walker retired; Mr. Shaw increased his interest to be on an equality with the senior partners, and the name and style of the firm was changed to Blake, Shaw & Company. In July, 1878, Mr. Marshall retired, and in 1881 the four-story and basement building, 80x200 feet, on Adams and Clinton streets, having been completed, was opened as one of the greatest biscuit manufactories in the United States. On i\Iarch i, 1884, Mr. Mar- shall repurchased an interest in the firm, which was followed in 1885 by the retirement of Kilby Page, who left E. Nelson Blake, W. W. Shaw and C. H. Marshall to carry on the industry. No ether change took place until 1889, when the Dake Bakery Company was incorporated with v.. Nelson Blake, president; C. H. Marshall, vice- president; and W. W. Shaw, secretary and treas- urer. On January i, 1890, .Mr. Shaw purchased the interest of Air. Blake in this company, and ii! June following, the American Biscuit & Man- ufacturing Company, having been incorporated with a capital stock of ten million dollars, the Dake Bakery Company was consolidated there- with. This great corporation embraces the lead- ing bakeries of the Western States. In addition to owning the largest cracker and biscuit manufacturing establishment of the West, the American Biscuit & IManufacturing Com- ]3any has erected a plant in New York city which is one of the largest and most thoroughly equipped cracker factories in the world, its plant having cost over half a million dollars. W. W. Shaw, in addition to being one of the largest stockholders, is treasurer of the company, a di- rector, a member of the executive committee, and manager of the Dake Bakery here. The Dake Bakery has confined its attention to the manufacture of fine crackers, cakes, etc., and consumes from forty thousand to forty-five thousand barrels of flour per annum, its sales extending all over the Central, Southern and Western States. This gjeat business has been developed chiefly through the sagacity and close attention to business of the old firm of Blake, Shaw & Company. W. W. Shaw has had the general charge of affairs (financially and other- wise) for a quarter of a century. In the manage- ment, however, he has been and is ably seconded by an efficient corps of assistants, many of whom have worked with him and the old firm for fully twenty years. Some of them have grown from boyhood to be lieads of families while in its em- ploy and could not be induced to sever their re- lations with this old reliable concern. Tliis speaks volumes for the generous treatment ac- corded the employees and could be pointed out to other cpncerns as a great object lesson. We now resume the personal history of Mr. Shaw. His wife died in 1859, and he, with his four-year-old son, William H. (now the owner of a valuable stock farm near Belvidere, Illinois, where he resides), visited England, and for six months studied the people and conditions of his native land. Four years after his return to Chi- cago, on March i, 1863, he married Miss Sarah Elizabeth, daughter of Eli Bogardus, the famous REPRESENTATIVE MEN OP THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. MTi broom-corn grower of Belvidere, Illinois. By luT he has three children, — Eli B., Robert and Walden W. The first two named are associated with their father in the management of his im- mense business, and the third and youngest is iiow attending school. Air. Shaw is of a very pronounced and positive nature, wonderfully frank, very energetic and persevering, and a straightforward, upright business man. He is generous and kind-hearted, one of the most genial and enjoyable of men, and altogether a striking example of the few representative men of Chicago who have carved out their fortunes by natural ability, steady application and indus- try. Mr. Shaw resides at 385 Ashland boule- vard, where he owns one of the handsomest Imnios on that popular street. In politics he is a most conservative Repuliliran, although at all times he advocates and supports in the distribiUion of his suffrage the prin- ciples he believes to be just, irrespective of party. Last but not least, this gentleman, whose ver>' successful business career has been too briefly narrated in these pages, can be fottnd every Sun- day morning with his family at the Second Bap- tist Church, on Monroe and Morgan streets, of which he has been a member the last twenty-five years, at all times rendering substantial aid to the Christian work which has been so successfully carried on in that well-known and prominent sanctuary by the popular preacher, the Rev. Dr. William j\I. Lawrence, of whom he is a great admirer. JOSEPH G. CANNON, JOSEPH GURNEY CANNON was born in New Garden, a Quaker settlement of Guil- ford county, near Greensboro, North Caro- lina, May 7, 1836. Maternally he traces his descent in a direct line to the earliest arrival of the Quakers at Nantucket. . His father, Horace I'". Cannon, M. D., was of Huguenot antecedents, and our subject has inherited the best qualities of those virile races. In 1840 Dr. Cannon, together with many other non-slaveholding residents of his State, jour- neyed across the mountains to find a habita- tion where he and his family would be re- moved from the distasteful surroundings of a slave-holding community. He found the loca- tuin he desired, on the banks of the Waliash river, at Bloomingdale, Parke county, Indiana, and there resumed the practice of his profes- sion., which he continued successfully until the time of his death, in 1851. At that time Joseph was fourteen years of age. He had attended the ordinary country school, and also the Bloomingdale Manual Labor School and Academy, founded by and conducted under tlie auspices of the Society of Friends. This in- stitution was imder the direct supervision of Pro- fessor B. C. Hobbs, later superintendent of pub- lic instruction. Shortly after his father's death the boy de- termined to earn his own livelihood, and in pur- suance of this determination, at the age of fif- teen, he becaime an employee in an ordinary country store, where he remained five years, fol- lowing the usual routine life incident to his po- sition, and performing the work allotted to him faithfully and conscientiously. For his services during this period he received an average an- nual compensation approximating one hundred and twenty-five dollars, in addition to his board. Having now practically attained his majority, he determined to study law and to make that profession his life work. In November, 1856, as a student he entered the office of Usher & Pattison, the senior member of which firm, Hon. Tohn P. Usher, afterward became a member of Lincoln's cabinet. Pie also attended a course of lectures at the Cincinnati Law School, at that time presided over by the late Judge Bellamy Storer, father of the present Congressman of the same name. He was admitted to the bar" in 1858, by Judge Hanna, of Terre Haute, and the following year came to Illinois and located at 108 BWORAPIHCAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE tlie town of Tuscola, in the county of Douglas, which had just been organized from a part of Coles county. He there entered upon the prac- tice of his profession, and being young, ambi- tious and energetic he soon became recognized as the peer of his brethren of the bar. He not only acquired the reputation of being a young man of ability, well versed in all that pertained to his profession, but also gained the admiration and esteem of those with whom he came in con- tact from day to day, professionally or other- wise. In those early days the old judicial circuit sys- tem was in vogue, and the practicing attorney became personally acquainted with a great num- ber of men, in the circuit with which his labors were associated. In 1861 Mr. Cannon was elected State's attorney for his district, and at the expira- tion of the four-years term for which he was elected was chosen his own successor. During his incumbency of this office he formed many warm and loyal attachments, as warmly and loy- ally reciprocated. In 1872, at the age of thirty- six, Mr. Cannon received the nomination for Con- gress from the Republicans of his district, and was elected a member of the Forty-third Con- gress, defeating W. E. Nelson, his Democratic competitor, by a majority of 3,300 votes. In 1874 he was re-nominated and defeated J. H. Pickerell, who was the candidate of both the Granger and Democratic parties. In 1876 the Democrats and the friends of fiat money in Mr. Cannon's district placed General John C. Black in nomination against him. He, too, was de- feated. In 1878, 1880, 1882, 1884, 1886 and 1888 he was regularly opposed each time by one of the most prominent Democrats of his district, but was uniformly successful in defeating all at the polls. In 1890 Mr. Cannon's opponent was Samuel F. Busey, of Urbana. The great Dem- ocratic wave that swept across the country caused the defeat of many of the most prominent Repub- licans in the land, and Mr. Cannon, for the first time, and after having served for nine consecu- tive terms, failed of re-election, by the small ma- jority of five hundred votes. In 1892 Mr. Busey was a candidate for re-election and was again opposed by our subject. This time the result was reversed, and Mr. Cannon, having received a majority of 1,500, once more took his seat in Congress. In 1894 his district had been changed, and his adversary was Mr. Donovan, of Kan- kakee. Again ]\Ir. Cannon was successful, and by a majority of over 9,000 votes, the greatest he had ever received. In 1892 he was chosen as delegate at large from Illinois to the Republican national con- vention at Minneapolis, and took an active and prominent part in the proceedings of that body. Together with a majority of his fellow delegates from Illinois he advocated, the renomination of President Harrison, and labored zealously and earnestly to accomplish that result. He was one of the most prominent members of that conven- tion, and was appointed one of the committee on resolutions, and he with ex-Governor Gear, of Iowa, Senator Jones, of Nevada, and Teller, of Colorado, as the sub-committee on currency, drafted and reported the financial plank, w'hich was adopted as a part of the platform for that year. A complete record of the Congressional ca- reer of Mr. Cannon would of itself fill a large volume and therefore but a few of the more salient points can be referred to here. At the time he entered the national legislature many of the laws that were considered necessary during the con- tinuance of the Civil war still remained upon the statutes, and the taxpayers of the country de- manded the enactment of such legislation as would relieve them of much of their burden. Mr. Cannon at once became an active member of the house. He decided to devote his entire time and attention to the duties of his office, and concluded to discontinue his professional career in order to be able to give such time and thought as the proper attention to his official position required. Upon the organization of the Fortj'-third Con- gress, of which James G. Blaine was speaker, he was placed upon the committee on post-offices and post roads, and for some six or eight years thereafter was an active member of that com- mittee. His labors in connection with this po- sition have had a most important bearing upon the postal laws of the nation. In the Forty- third Congress he was appointed by J. B. Packer, of Pennsylvania, who was chairman of this committee, chairman of the sub-committee ItEPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 109 in charge of tlie revision of tlie postal code, wliich was carefully revised under the lead of that sub- committee. Tlie most valuable of the alterations made at that time was the change of method of payment of postage on newspapers and period- icals by prepayment of the same according to weight. To Mr. Cannon individually is credit ilue for this beneficial and important change. Inuring his early boyhood books were a rare and almost unobtainable luxury to the inhab- itants of the West. The postal laws were such that the expense of obtaining them from the pub- lishers prohibited many from gratifying their tastes in that direction. Recollecting this fact, Mr. Cannon at the first opportunity altered the then existing condition, and by his actions in the sub-committee of which he was chairman em- bodied in the code above mentioned provision which practically gave the franking privilege to newspapers and serials on the supposition that they were the great public educators. Mr. Can- non is also the father of the parcel post. By ex- tending the postal system so as to include the carrying of small parcels at a minimum rate, he has saved to the mass of citizens an incalculable amount of money. Not only have the people been enabled to send small packages of merchan- dise, printed matter, etc., at small expense by mail, but the reduction in the tariff of the various express companies is directly attributable to the reduction in the rate of postage on that class of matter. Previous to this reduction the express companies discriminated against all non-compet- itive points. The introduction of the parcel post lias not only saved millions to the masses but has also increased the revenues of the post-office department Although ]\Ir. Cannon has not been a member of the committee on post-offices and post roads since 1880, he has been the champion on the floor of the house of all measures calculated to improve the postal system. From time to time vigorous onslaughts have been made against the continuation of pound rates on serial publica- tions, but all efforts in that direction have proved fruitless. .At the beginning of the administration of Pres- ident (jarfield Air. Cannon was made a member of the committee on appropriations, and has re- tained his membership on that committee through the various Congresses in which he has ser\^ed since that time. During the session of the Fifty- first Congress he acted as chairman of that com- mittee. All who followed the workings of our national legislature are well aware that the committee on appropriations is of all divisions of Congress the most important. Mr. Cannon has beeo for many years one of its most indefatigable members. An exhaustive account of Mr. Cannon's actions in connection with the committee on appropri- ations during the past fifteen years would of itself involve the publication of the records of that committee. In the Fiftieth Congress Air. Cannon was appointed a minority member of the conmiittee on rules by Speaker Carlisle, and upon the advent of Air. Reed to the speakership he continued as a member of that committee, and as such had charge of the code of rules and reported the same to the Fifty-first Congress. Although a zealous worker in the committee room, it must by no means be surmised that all of Air. Cannon's labor was directed in behalf of such measures as his committees reported. He has been an invaluable factor in smoothing the path for many of the worthiest measures passed by the house of representatives, and has invari- ably opposed all attempts at vicious legislation. The Fifty-first Congress deemed it necessary to revise the then existing revenue laws, and as the Republican party had always declared itself in favor of the principles of a protective tariff, it required no little ingenuity and hard work to draft a revenue measure that would reduce the revenue without withdrawing protection from the industries of the nation. Mr. Cannon favored the abolition of the import duty on sugar in ad- dition to other revenue reforms, and under his leadership, with the co-operation of his col- leagues, Lewis E. Payson and John II. Gear, of Iowa, a vigorous stand was taken for free sugar, with the result that, when the bill was finally acted upon, sugar was placed upon the free list. The foregoing is a brief outline of some of the more important events in Air. Cannon's Congres- sional career. By discontinuing his legal prac- tice in 1874 he has been enabled to devote his undivided time to the interests of his constitu- ents. In youth he displayed those qualities that no DIOOUAPIIICAL DICTIONARY AND POliTRAIT GALLERY OF THE have since made him one of the most valuable members of Congress, and with commendable foresight and prudence lie then invested the pro- ceeds derived from his profession in Illinois lands, the increased value of which has placed him, as he modestly and epigrammatically expresses it, "above want and below envy." He has also be- come interested in various financial institutions. and is a member of the board of directors of the Seconal National Bank of Danville, and the First National Bank of Tuscola. Mr. Cannon was married in January, 1862, to !\Jary P. Reed, of Canfield, Ohio. She died in December, 1889, sui-vived by two daughters: Mabel, now Mrs. E. X. Le Seure, of Danville, and Helen, who resides with her father. ORLANDO POWERS, THE subject of this sketch, Orlando Powers, was born May 21, 1812, near the village of Charlton, Saratoga county. New York. He re- mained at home assisting in the work on his father's farm and attending school until he was about sixteen years of age. An older brother, William, at that time in business in Havana, Cuba, sent for Orlando to come and assist him. He embarked upon the schooner Helen at New York, which, when three days out, encountering a storm of great severity, was wrecked. Mr. Powers, Captain Tucker of the vessel and three of the sailors drifted upon the open sea for eleven davs, — upon the disabled hulk, part of which was out of water, — subsisting upon a scanty supply of sea biscuit and raw potatoes, with a very short allowance of drinking water. At the end of that time, when nearly famished for food and crazed for drink, they were picked up by a French brig bound for Bordeaux and eventually landed at La Rochelle, and taken on to Bordeaux by land. He arrived penniless and even without a hat, an inexperienced youth in a strange land. Through the kindness of an English gentleman he was made comfortable in the city of Bordeaux, his immediate personal wants being liberally sup- plied, until opportunity offered to return home. Reaching New York, through the business ac- quaintance of Mr. Powers' older brother, he was enabled to promptly discharge his pecuniary ob- ligations, and went, by steamer, up the Hudson river to his home, where he had been long mourned as dead. An incident of his early life of more than ordi- nary interest was vividly called to his recollection during the Columbian Exposition. When pass- ing through the Transportation building he came upon the old engine, DeWitt Clinton, the first in use in this country, with the primitive car- riages behind it. When a very young man, Mr. Powers was one of the earliest passengers in a train drawn by that engine, — a fact which should have been made known to the public at that time, for he stood there a living witness to the entire development of the railroad system of the United States from its very beginning to the present. Within a short time after his return from France, he again sailed from New York, going this time to Mobile, Alabama. For several years he was engaged in business in Alabama and Miss- issippi at Mobile, Tuscaloosa, Prairie Bluff and Aberdeen, with his brothers and brother-in-law, Chauncey Wilkinson. During the time of his residence in the South, two of his brothers, George and Samuel, and his mother, had re- moved to Decatur, Illinois. He made several visits to the latter point, and eventually, in 1847, removed there, where all of his life since then has been spent, except a period of ten years, from 1874 to 1884, when, for the education of his chil- dren, he lived in Jacksonville, Illinois. After connng to Decatur, .Mr. Powers built and operated for some time, a saw and grist mill, and later established a boot and shoe store. He had for many years the only set of abstract books in Macon county. He was keenly alive from the first to the opportunities for investment and in- crease of wealth in central Illinois. Realizing the value of the fertile lands of the State, and the prospective growth of the city of his residence, Wr O-L-^c-^^l^ ji'^-^'-^-^} REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. Ill he became the owner of a large amount of farm land and city property which, during the middle and later years of his life, he has improved and developed. In 1889 he built in Decatur an opera house, which in size, completeness of arrangement and elegance of finish would be creditable to a much larger city, and, while not looked upon by him as a source of profit adequate to the investment, has been, by reason of the comfort and satisfaction which it has given to his townsmen, a great pleasure to him. His character has always been one of great sincerity and firmness. His integrity has become proverbial. Careful, painstaking, exact and con- scientious, he has prospered from year to year deservingly. So great was the confidence in his solidity and judgment, that, when during periods of the greatest financial depression, old and strong financial houses were threatened with disaster, the mere fact that Mr. Powers stood by them as a friend with confidence in their ability to take care of themselves, and readiness to aid if necessary, was sufficient to protect them from loss and ruin, the extent of which would be hard to estimate. He has alwa\s been a quiet and unassuming man, not demonstrative, but in the enjoyment of the highest esteem and the utmost trust and re- spect of all who knew him. He is a man of un- ostentatious and varied liberality, giving freely and constantly to objects of charitable interest. To the erection of the two successive edifices oc- cupied by the First Presbyterian Church of Decatur, of which for many years he has been a member, he gave many thousands of dollars. He founded a scholarship some years ago in the Presbyterian Theological Seminary of the North- west. While he has never taken an active part in public affairs, lie has always been deeply interested in and contributed freely to the further- ance of the parties and measures which he ap- proved. He was in early life a Whig and from the time of Mr. Lincoln's first nomination an earn- est Republican. By reason of his large success, his unblemished character, his just and liberal life, and the univer- sal esteem which he here enjoys, Mr. Powers might, without invidious distinction, be called the foremost citizen of Decatur. WILLIAM JACKSON, ROCK ISLAND. WILLIAM JACKSON was born in the city of Liverpool, England, August 14, 1834. His parents were William Jackson, orig- inally a farmer, and Ann, >ice Pott. Our subject passed his boyhood and obtained his education in his native city, and was then ap- prenticed to a grocer for a period of five years; but he did not remain the entire term of his ap- prenticeship, for, becoming imbued with a de- sire to come to America, where he had relatives, both in New York and Illinois, he relinquished his position after three years of service and sailed for New York, landing in that city July 3, 1851. He remained in New York but a short time, and then set out for Illinois, arriving in Rock Island county in August of the same year, where he at once sought employment which he ob- tained, and during the next few years served in a minor capacity in different stores and facto- ries in Moline. He continued to reside in Mo- line until 1862, during the latter part of which time he devoted himself to the study and practice of law. As a student he was at first in the office of H. L. Smith, of Graham & Webster and aftenvard upon being admitted to the bar in i860, he formed a partnership with James Chapman, under the firm title of Chapman & Jackson, which contin- ued until May, 1862, at which time our subject removed to Rock Island and practiced alone until January i, 1864, when he became asso- ciated with E. D. Sweeney, the firm being Swee- ney & Jackson. This fimi rapidly rose into prominence and continued to occupy a leading position in the legal field until August, 1883, at which time Mr. Jackson was compelled to retire wholly from practice, owing to nervous 112 BIOdnArJITCAL DICTIONAIIY AND POUTRAIT GALLERY OF THE prostration. After a rest from business cares, which lasted until May, 1885, he once more en- tered the field of jurisprudence, and practiced alone until March, 1890, when he took in as a partner Mr. Elmore W. Hurst, forming the firm of Jackson & Hurst, which ranks as one of the leading law fimis of the city. Their practice is a general one, and they are often connected with cases of local prominence. In fact Mr. Jackson has during his long legal career been couusel in many of the cases of importance that have been tried in Rock Island. In his political belief Mr. Jackson is a strong Republican. He was township collector of Mo- linc in 1859 and i860, and in 1873 was appointed by President Grant as postmaster at Rock Island, and served as such for three years. In 1880 he was an alternate delegate to the Chicago conven- tion that nominated Garfield for the presidency. But w liile he lias taken great interest in public matters he has never aspired to hold office. He gladly assists others, but has no ambition for him- self in that direction. As president of the Citizens' Improvement Association of Rock Island for three years and as park commissioner he has done jeoman service in advancing the interests and beautifying the surroundings of Rock Island. Spencer Square, which he, as park commissioner, laid out, is one of the prettiest and most ornamental parks in the West, and stands as a monument to his ability. Mr. Jackson was married on the 21st day of May, 1863, to Miss Jennie E. Sammis, of Moline. They have two daughters, both of whom are married, the eldest, Carrie, being Mrs. J. M. Barth; and the second, Hattie, is the wife of George M. Babcock. INIr. and Mrs. Jackson at- tend the Methodist church. CHARLES W. MARSH, ON a farm near Coburg, Ontario, on the 22d of March, 1834, C. W. Marsh was born,— a son of Samuel and Tamar Marsh. His Amer- ican ancestors on his father's side descended from William Marsh, who sought refuge in this country, fleeing from Kent county, England, in 1650, when the tide of the great civil war in that country turned against King Charles I. He was a royalist and in consequence was in danger of losing his life should he fall into the hands of the followers of Cromwell. Locating in Connecticut, he became the progenitor of a family that has won prominence in New England and has sent its members out into all parts of this country to take their places in the various callings of life and business. His youngest son went to Vermont and from this branch of the family the subject of this .sketch descends. The mother of C. W. Marsh was a descendant of the Schermerhoni family of New York. Thus from sturdy New England ancestors Charles W. Marsh inherited worthy character- istics. At an early age he began his education, and at the age of ten became a student in St. Andrew's school at Coburg and two years later entered Victoria College, where he remained for more than three years, when in 1849 '^^ accom- panied the family on their removal to Illinois. Notwithstanding his life has been devoted to agri- cultural interests largely, he has always been of a studious disposition and now spends his leisure hours in familiarizing himself with subjects that add to his large fund of general information. While in college he was specially fond of the study of languages and mastered Latin and French, and in late years he has acquired a good knowledge of Spanish. When the Marsh family came to Illinois, they settled on a farm in DeKalb county. There were the parents, two sons and a daughter, the father and sons successfully operating the land, making the farm very productive. The boys early mani- fested great aptitude for mechanics and were always improving the farni machinery introduced into that section of the country. They began buying and selling farm machinery, and in addi- tion to managing the home place they operated "breaking teams " and threshing-machines, and REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 113 also bought and sold land, under the firm name of C. W. & W. W. Marsh. During the '50s reapers were generally introduced through northern Illinois. The Marsh Brothers had been working with reapers for two or three seasons previous, but did not purchase a machine until 1856. With all the reapers of that period, whether hand-rake, self-rake or dropper, the grain was cut and delivered in gavels upon the ground, the machines saving labor only in the cutting, as the gavels had to be taken from the stubble and bound as before. Continually studying to improve machinen', during the harvesting season of 1857 C. W. and W. W. Marsh came to the conclusion that two binders, standing upon a machine so constructed as to carry them and to cut and deliver the grain to them at proper height in good shape, could bind as much as four or five men on the ground walking from gavel to gavel, stooping to the stubble and gathering the grain therefrom to bind. The result of their thought was that before the next harvest they had planned and built, with the aid of a country blacksmith, the first harvester, so constructed as to successfully and practically carry binders, whether manual or automatic, with which they cut and bound their harvests of 1858. With this machine the grain was cut, elevated and then delivered down an incline to the arms of the manual binders just the same as it is now cut, elevated and delivered down an incline to the arms of an automatic binder. The Marsh har- vester, carrying its two binders, effected as great a saving in the labor of binding as the reaper had in the labor of cutting. It did even more; for it furnished the foundation of the modern harvesting machine, as it was the first and only machine to which automatic binders could be successfully attached; but it was so entirely dif- ferent from other grain-cutting machinery of that period that its merits had to be demonstrated and established by general public use as a carrier of manual binders, before the idea of making it a carrier of an automatic binder was evolved, and many years elapsed before this was accomplished. The decade of the '70s had come before Locke, the Gordon Brothers, Whittington, Appleby and others began to attach their respective binders to the Marsh harvester. From 1858 until 1863 the firm of C. W. & W. W. Marsh, besides carrying on their farm and other business interests, were engaged in perfect- ing the details of their machine and endeavoring to interest capitalists in its manufacture. In 1863 theyarranged with the Stewardsof Piano, Illinois, and established there a manufactory and placed the harvester on the market. It was operated so successfully through the season of 1864 that others became interested in its manufacture and a license was granted to Easter & Gammon, who a few years later dissolved partnership and divided up their territory, the business being reorganized by the former under the name of J. D. Easter & Company and by the latter under the style of Ganmion & Deering. The shops at Piano were enlarged from year to year and there the harvest- ers were manufactured for the firm of Marsh, Steward & Company, and later for those just named. The firm of Gammon & Deering soon obtained an interest in the Piano shops, and finally the entire property. In 1869 the Marsh Brothers established the Sycamore Alarsh Harvester ^lanufactnring Com- pany at Sycamore, Illinois, and in 1876 sold a controlling interest therein to J.D.Easter & Com- pany, retiring from the business. The following year Easter & Company failed and deeply in- volved the Harvester Company. The Marsh Brothers then came to the rescue but undertook too much, with the result that in 1881 the Harvester Company was closed out land suc- ceeded by the Marsh Binder Manufacturing Com- pany. The debts of the old company and the provision of means for running the new so oc- cupied the time and thoughts of C. W. Marsh that he could give little or no attention to the operation of the factory. The company at- tempted unsuccessfully to establish a new binder, lost largely and in 1884 failed, dragging down the JMarsh Brothers, who were too hcavil}- loaded with the debts of the old concern. Meantime the Piano shops had become a great manufactur- ing plant, tuming out thousands of han'esters an- nuall\', with some automatic binder attachments as early as 1874 and more from year to year until 1879, when the firm of Gammon & Deering was dissolved and Mr. Deering removed his in- terests to Chicago. A vear or two later Mr. 114 niOGRAPIIICAL DICTlONAItY AND PORTKAIT OALLEBT OF THE Gammon, in connection with W. H. Jones, or- ganized the Piano IManufacturing Company, which occupied the Piano sliops. Under Mr. Jones' management, and guided by his long ex- perience ill the business and great executive abilitx', the company has acliieved a won- derful success, and has made the name of the old shops renowned throughout the agricul- tural world. In i88s the Farm Iin|)lcment News was estab- lished and C. W. INlarsh, being then out of the manufacturing business, became its editor in chief, which position he has held continuously since, making this journal of great interest and benefit to the implement industry. The paper was a success from the start and now has a wide circulation in this country and abroad, being one of the leading trade papers of the world. Though not strongly partisan or aggressive in politics, J\Ir. jMarsli has been a Republican since the organization of the party. He was elected to the lower house of the State legislature in 1868, and on tlie expiration of that term so acceptably had he filled the office that he was nominated and elected to the State senate. He proved a wise and able legislator, taking counsel of mature judgment and supporting measures only after careful deliberation. He served for twenty con- secutive years as trustee of the Northern Illinois Hospital for the Insane, leaving that position only wlicn the Democratic party came into control of tlie State. j\Ien of little merit may secure such a position, but cannot hold it, and his long con- tinued service is a high tribute to his fidelity and trust. In whatever relation of life we find Mr. Alarsli, whether in legislative halls, in public office, in the manufactory or at the head of one of the leading trade journals of the world, he is always the same honorable and honored gentle- man, whose worth well merits the high regard which is universally given him. On the 1st of January, i860, Mr. Marsh was united in marriage with Miss Frances Wait, by whom he had three children — George C, Mar)' F. and Fannie S., all of whom are yet living. The motlier died Alay 12, 1869, and on the loth of January. 18S1, INIr. ^Tarsh was joined in wedlock with Sue Rogers. HARVEY B. HURD, A POOR BOY, a newspaper employee, a lawyer, real-estate dealer, educator, an im- portant factor in the history of two States, a re- former, a benefactor, an honorable Christian gentleman, — in these few words are summed up the life and career of Harvey B. Hurd. He is a man not alone of Evanston — where he makes his home — not even of Chicago alone, but belongs to the entire West, by reason of the part that he has played in its history and in molding its destiny. The true Western spirit of progress and enterprise, combined with a desire for pure gov- ernment, are the strong elements in his character which have left their indelible impress on the Mississippi valley. Born in Huntington, Fairfield county, Connec- ticut, on the 14th of Febniary, 1828, Mr. Hurd is a son of Alanson Hurd, and on his father's side is of English lineage, while on his mother's side he is of Dutch and Irish descent. The energy of the first, the persistence of the second and the \ersatility of the third race seem to be combined in this product of those various bloods. The early life of Mr. Hurd was certainly a prosaic one, for he worked on his father's farm, under very limited circumstances, until fifteen years of age, and then started out in life for himself with all his earthly possessions tied in a handkerchief: and it is said that when he reached Chicago some years later his capital consisted of a single half dollar. His school privileges were only those that were afTorded by the district schools near his home, but experience has been his teacher and valuable are the lessons that he has learned under her instruction. Then, too, he possessed an observing eye and retentive memory and stored in the recesses of his mind much that he has turned to account in his varied business career ^ / / ' - __- , REPRESENTATIVK MEX OF THE UNITED STATES; Tl.LIXOIS VOLUME. 115 in early life. Those years of trial tested his char- acter, which stood the fire like pure gold. On leaving home ^Ir. Hard walked to Bridge- port, Connecticut, and obtained a position as apprentice in the office of the Bridgeport Stand- ard, a Whig newspaper. In the fall of 1844, in a company of ten young men, he came to Illinois and entered Jubilee College, in Peoria county, then presided over by Rev-. Samuel Chase; but after a year some disagreement occurred between him and his teacher and he left the school-room to seek employment in the city of Peoria, but failed in the attempt. What then seemed a hardship, however, turned out for his good, as it led him to Chicago to become in future years one of the leading citizens of this great metropolis of the West. He was first employed in the office of the Evening Journal and later the Prairie I'armer, after which he took up the study of law in the office of Calvin De Wolf, being admitted to the bar in 1848. He was first associated in legal business with Carlos Haven, afterward State's attorney, and then with Henry Snapp, later Con- gressman from the Joliet district. During his partnership with Andrew J. Brown, which ex- isted from 1850 to 1854, they dealt extensively in real estate, owning 248 acres of land, which they laid out as a part of the village of Evanston. Air. Hurd was one of the first to build in what is n(j\\- Chicago's most beautiful suburb, and his Evans- ton home was begun in the summer of 1854 and ready for occupancy in September, 1855. At that time it occupied a block of ground and to- day it is one of the most beautiful residences of the town. Mr. Hurd was honored with an elec- tion as the first president of the village, and from its earliest history his family has been prominently connected with its social life. In May, 1853, he married j\Iiss Cornelia A. Hilliard, daughter of the late Captain James Hilliard, of INIiddletown, Connecticut, and by this marriage were bom three children: Eda, wife of George S. Lord; Hettie, who died in 1884; and Xellie, wife of John A. Comstock. On November i, i860, he mar- ried Mrs. Sarah Collins, widow of George Collins, and her death occurred in January, i8go. In July, 1892, he married ]\lrs. Susannah M. \'an Wyck, a lady highly esteemed in social circles in this citv and Evanston. About the time of his removal to Evanston Mr. Hurd became prominent in public affairs, for in the year 1854 the Missouri compromise was re- pealed, and his actions had much to do with the settlement of Kan.sas, although he was never a resident of that State. This famous repeal made Kansas a contested ground, sought by the free pc'iple and the slavery men. The history of e\ents that followed is familiar to all, — how the border ruffians controlled the State, the slave- holders destroying the property of the "free" men and the latter retaliating, until the cry of '"bleed- ing Kansas" echoed through the North, where emigration societies were formed to aid, arm and protect free-State settiers. At a convention held In Bufifalo, New York, at which a national com- mittee was fomied, Mr. Hurd was made secretarv- of its executive committee, with headquarters at Chicago. From that time he took a very promi- nent part in the events that shaped die future destiny of Kansas, and principally through peace- able means succeeded in largely quieting the dis- turbance; and this was accomplished in a large measure by throwing into the Territory, in the spring of 1857, such large bodies of free-State settlers as to entirely outnumber the slave-State people, and cause them to exclaim, "These black caipet bags are too many for us," and retire from the contest. In 1856 the crops of the State were not sufficient to supply the ilcmand, owing to the depredations which had been carried on, and, as it was seen there would be a lack of seed for the planting in the coming spring, the committee which assembled in New York in Februan,', 1857, passed a resolution instructing the executive com- mittee in Chicago to purchase and forward the necessary seed, and at the same time appropriated five thousand dollars to John Brown for the or- ganization and equipment of the free-soil settlers into companies for self-protection. Mr. Hurd found on his return to Chicago that the treasurv would not meet both demands, and therefore de- cided to buy and send on the seed, purchasing and shipping one hundred tons of spring wheat, com, potatoes, barley and other seeds. Some fault was found with Mr. Hurd for his action in this matter, but it was soon seen that he had fol- lowed the wisest policy; for had not the settlers 116 BIOGHAPIHCAL DlCTIOyAUY AND VOllTUAIT GALLERY OF THE received the seeds and thus been enabled to raise crops, many would have been obliged to leave Kansas and the State would have been given over to the slavery men; but as it was the free-State settlers remained, many more came and the pro- slavery men, thus outnumbered, were forced to give up the contest. This action of Mr. Hurd largely influenced the future of the common- wealth. In 1862 Mr. Hurd formed a law partnership with Henry Booth, and at the same time accepted a position as lecturer in the law department of the University of Chicago, which Mr. Booth had helped to organize three years beifore and of which he was principal. The firm was dissolved on the retirement from active practice of Mr. Hurd in 1868. His knowledge of law and superior ability called him to other duties, and 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. His associates, Messrs. William E. Nelson, of Decatur, and Michael Schaeffer, of Salem, both withdrew in a short time, leaving the work to Mr. Hurd, who completed the task after the adjourn- ment of the Twenty-eighth General Assembly in April, 1874, and was appointed by that body to edit and supervise the publication of the statutes, which he accomplished to the entire satisfaction of the people of the State. The labor which he per- formed in this revision is such as only lawyers can fully appreciate. He had not only to com- pile into one homogeneous whole the various laws which from time to time had been enacted at the biennial meetings of the legislature, but to adapt them to tiie new State constitution of 1870, discarding old provisions which were in conflict with it and constructing new ones in conformity with it. The success of his work was immediate, the State edition of fifteen thousand copies was soon exhausted and Mr. Hurd has been called upon to edit eight editions since, all of which have received the vmqualified commendation of the bar; and now Hurd's Revised Statutes is an indis- l>ensable work in every law office and in many public offices throughout the United States. In the summer of 1874 Mr. Hurd was again elected to a chair in the law school which had be- come the Union College of Law of the University of Chicago and the Northwestern University. This work is thoroughly congenial to him, and for the work he is specially fitted for his knowl- edge of law is surpassed by few, his powers as an advocate are superior, and he has the happy faculty of imparting to others the knowledge which he possesses and of training his classes to systematic and methodical habits. He is a close student himself, investigating all with which he comes in contact, analyzing cause and efifect, and his whole time is now devoted to his academic work and his scholastic researches. He has in the meantime come once before the public as a candidate for public office, having been nominated by the Republicans for the office of judge of the supreme court of Illinois at the special election held on the nth of December, 1875, but a combination of causes resulted in his defeat. He was opposed by T. L. Dickey, one of the strongest members of the Democracy, who, being the corporation counsel of the city of Chicago, had not only the support of his party but also the influence of the city administration, and in addition to this an un- conquerable power in the railroad corporations, which took this means of avenging themselves on Mr. Hurd for the stringent measures of railroad legislation which the general assembly had enacted, and which were contained in Hurd's Revised Statutes, and with the framing of which he had much to do. This combination caused his defeat, and since that time he has been associated with no public office save on one oc- casion, when he was one of six gentlemen selected to fill the vacancy in the board of county com- missioners of Cook coimty, created by the con- viction of members of that board for defraud- ing the county. Never for an instant, however, has Mr. Hurd ceased his work in behalf of the city, its improve- ment and upbuilding, and no citizen has labored more earnestly to advance the material interests of Chicago than he. The existence of one of the most important improvements of the city of recent years is due to him, — the new- drainage system, by which the sew'age w ill no longer be discharged into the lake, the source ofthe water supply, but carried oiif into the Illinois river by means of a channel across what is known as the Chicago divide. BEPRESENTAriVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. W This channel had long been talked of, but it was the labor of Mr. Hurd and his plan of operations that made it possible. It was thought that there was no way of raising money for this purpose without altering the constitution by an amend- ment, — for Chicago had already reached the limit of its borrowing and taxing power, — and this would cause a long delay; but Mr. Hurd sug- gested the creation of a new municipality with power to raise the necessary funds by taxation, and the issue of bonds, and it was this suggestion that led immediately to the raising of the drainage and water supply commission known as the Hering commission. iSIr. Hurd was the friend and adviser of that commission, and was the author of the first bill on the subject introduced into the legis- lature in 1886, known as the Hurd bill, which re- sulted in a legislative commission to further in- vestigate the subject and present a bill. This bill, which was practically the same as the Hurd bill, was passed in 1887 and was supported before the legislature by Mr. Hurd and his friends, and he conducted the proceedings for its adoption by the people of the district. It was adopted at the November election in 1887 almost unanimously, and his plans are now becoming a thing of reality, the work being vigorously prosecuted; and the drainage canal is now considered one of the wonders of the age even in this period of great achie^'ements. Its value to this city can never be estimated, as it gives to Chicago an excellent system of drainage and pure water, and is the be- ginning of a magnificent waterway connecting the great lakes with the ^Mississippi river and tributaries and the gulf of Mexico. The question of capital — of the amount which may be possessed by a single individual, — the question which is agitating the country and which must some time come up for settlement, — has claimed some of the attention of Mr. Hurd. He has for several years been at the head of a com- mittee of law reform of the Illinois Bar Associa- tion, and the able reports of that committee are in favor of extending the American policy of breaking" up large estates through the operation of the lav.'s of descent and wills, by so amending tlie laws as to limit the amount one may take by descent or will from the same person, and in favor of a system of registration of titles which will make transfers of real estate as simple, inexpen- sive and secure as the transfers of personal prop- erty. The latter of these has already had its effect. A commission to consider the matter of trans- fer of titles was created by the action of the general assembly of 1891; of that commis- sion Mr. Hurd was chairman. It made it.-; report on December 10, 1892, reconuiiending a system of registering titles substantially embod\j- ing the essential principles of the Australian or Torrens system. The bill recommended by the commission was enacted into a law on the 13th of June, 1895. Mr. Kurd's efTorts in the line of charitable work have also borne much fruit. He is president of the Conference of Charities of Illinois, — an or- ganization composed of all charitable societies, — and holds the same office in the Children's Aid Society of Chicago, which has for its object the securing of comfortable homes for homeless little ones who would otherwise be thrown upon the cold charities of the world. These actions are known to the public, but many more are those which he quietly performs of which only the donor and the recipient have knowledge. He gives liberally of his means to the poor and needy, but it is after the spirit of the teaching which says, "Let not your left hand know what your right hand doeth." Viewed from any standpoint, his life may be said to be a success; and it is the success not merely of the man who prosecutes a prosperous commercial life, intent only on winning wealth, but that of the man who ad- vances public good in promoting individual pros- perity. The study of the character of the repre- sentative American never fails to offer much of pleasing interest and valuable instruction, and the life of Mr. Hurd certainly furnishes food for deep and profitable thought. 118 niiionM'iiicAL DicTioNAur AM) I'onruAir (iai.i.eiiy of thk GEORGE W. SMITH, THE ancestors uf General Smitli on tlie pater- nal side oanie to New England from old England in the last centur\- and his mother's family alx)nt the same time from the north of Ireland. He was the son of George Washington and Katherine (Wilder) Smith, and was born in Rrooklyn, New York, January 8, 1837. His great-grandfather was the provincial surveyor of New Hampshire, and his grandfather, also named Washington, was a native of that State, where, having lived to a good old age, he died in the same house in which he was born. Tlie General's father was a manufacturer of electro- plated ware, one of the first in this country, and became a shareholder and ofScer of the Meriden Britannia Company of Connecticut. His mother was a lineal descendant of Captain Ephraim W'il- der, who served as a member of the Massachusetts convention by which the constitution of the United States was ratified and accepted, and one of those who gave that instrument their cordial support. He had been a captain in the Revolution- ary army, and in 1775 married Lucretia, sister of Samuel Locke, who was afterward president of Harvard College. His father having removed to Albany, George, the subject of this sketch, secured his education in the schools of that cit\- and at the Albany Acad- emy. Before completing his scholastic course he engaged in the business of teaching, which he followed with successful results, and then re- turned to Albany, entering the law school of that city, at which he was graduated in 1856. Turn- ing his eye to the great West for a field in which to b€gin life for himself in the practice of his I)rofession, he at once, and wisely, decided that the grov^-ing and enterprising city of Chicago of- fered better opportunities than any other inviting locality, and accordingly, in October, 1858, he removed to this city and "hung out his shingle" at No. 10 South Clark street. The hindrances obstructing the success of a young lawyer in Chicago in 1856 were not so many or formidable as they have be- come since that lime. While there was much (■i)ni])etition there was not so much con- centration of business, and a young man of good address and qualifications had a bet- ter opportunity to become known, and access to a paying practice was more readily obtainable. The grooves were neither well formed nor much worn, and there was a larger division of clientage than now. Young Smith was not slow in mak- ing acquaintances among whom the impression made as to his ability was favorable, and busi- ness naturally increased, if slowly. The years passed quickly, and just as he be- gan to feel that he was established on a firm foot- ing the great Civil war broke out. The first calls of the government were issued and the quota rap- idly filled, and there was a surplus of volunteers; but this condition was of a very short duration, and the country soon awakened to the stubborn fact that it was confronted with an exigencv which demanded all its resources of men and money. The really trying time came in the sum- mer of 1862, up to which period the victories of our armies on the field did not overbalance their defeats, and the outlook for final success in put- ting down the rebellion was indeed gloomy. The president again called for three hundred thou- sand volunteers, to serve three j'ears, and a like number of militia to serve nine months; and the question presented itself in this turning point of the war. Will the response be favorable? Chicago was stirred as never before or since, and among the first to sign the enlistment rolls of the Eighty- eighth, or Board of Trade, Regiment, to serve during the war, was George W. Smith. One com- pany of this regiment was chiefly raised at Tonica and Amboy, where 'Mv. Smith went to secure volunteers, and partly at Chicago; and \vhen the company came to be organized, with- out any outside influence or combination in par- celing out the offices, as frequently occurred in such cases, he was elected captain of the com- pany, receiving the votes (one hundred and two) of every member. \\'hen the regiment was organ- ized, as if this expression was not sufficiently de- cisive, another election was ordered, when he was liEPRESENTATIVE MEy OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 119 again elected, receiving one hundred and one votes, — every one present. The regiment was ordered to tlie front the last of August, and in six weeks was under fire and pubhcly commended for its gallant conduct at the batde of Perryville, October 7. 1862. Of the many regiments raised under this call none can present a more patriotic record than the Eight}^- eighth. It was always at the front and never sent upon garrison duty. It was engaged in eleven [irincipal battles, besides minor conflicts and skir- mishes without number. At the bloody two-days battle of Stone river, which occurred on the last day of the year 1862 and January 2, 1863, the Eighty-eighth was in the thickest of the fight. The battle was lost and won on the first day and on the second day was finally won and the Confederates driven from the field. The terrific assault of Bragg on Rosecrans' left, on December 31, was not staid until it came in contact with Sheridan's division, containing the Thirty-sixth, Forty-fourth, Fifty-first and Eighty-eighth Illinois Regiments, against which thry hurled their victorious battalions in vain un- til after being three times repulsed, when, hav- ing lost their brigade commander and sixteen hundred and thirty men and officers, his ammuni- tion being exhausted, Sheridan slowly retired. Captain Smith w^s severely wounded, and being loft in a house on the field was taken prisoner. He remained in the enemy's hands only four days, when, by the assistance of a friendly colored man, he was enabled to make his escape to the I 'nion lines. After a brief absence he returned to his company. At Chickamauga Captain Smith acted as a line officer, and as reported by a correspondent from th;)t field of carnage, "he was in all places where the battle raged fiercest." In his report of the battle of ]\Iission Ridge the gallant Colonel Chandler, who commanded the regiment at that time, says, "Captain George W. Smith, acting field officer, was conspicuous for his bravery while urging on the men until about two-thirds of the way up the hill, when he fell severely wounded." The captain was promoted major October 14, 1863, and lieutenant-colonel June 22, 1864, and after the loss of Colonel Chandler, who glori- ously fell at Kcnesaw, he commanded the regi- ment. After doing good service in the Atlanta campaign, the regiment, with its division, was or- dered back to Chattanooga, and engaged in the campaign against Hood. The sanguinary l)attle of Franklin occurred November 30, 1864. Hood, with fifty thousand Confederates confronting a portion of Schofield's army, only ten thousand strong, behind hastily constructed defenses, upon the banks of the Har- peth river, riding in front of his men, shouted, 'Jjreak those lines and there is nothing more to withstand you this side of the Ohio river!" And such was the impetuosity and strength of the Con- federate charge that before the two brigades sta- tioned on the other side of the river could retire in order, as they had been commanded to do, they were hurled back in a tumultuous rout and driven through our defenses, carrj-ing many oth- ers \vith them. Our breastworks carried and the enemy forming within them to make their victory sure, the day seemed hopelessly lost. At this time a brigade in reserve, commanded by the gallant Cpdylrodc, who died leaving three children. In 1 86 1 he married Miss ]\Iary L. Hempstead, a direct descendant of Sir Robert Hempstead, who emigrated to America in 1645 and became as- sociated with Governor Winthrop. Sir Robert's eldest child, Mary Hempstead, was the first white child born in New London, Connecticut. Mr. and Mrs. Foster have four children: Mary Lisa, Augusta Hempstead, William Hempstead and Alfred Thomas. To the cause of education Mr. Foster is a warm friend. For fifteen years he has been a prominent director of the German Theo- logical Seminary at Dubuque, Iowa, and his wise counsels have done much toward the advance- ment of the prosperity of thi> noble institution of learning. JOHN DEAN CATON, WHEX Judge Caton passed away on the 30th of July, 1895, Chicago lost one of the most prominent citizens tliat the West has produced. From the time that the city had an existence as an incorporated town Judge Caton was inseparably connected with its history. He was the pioneer lawyer, an eminent jurist, an author and one of the most successful of business men. His profession was the law, but his capa- bilities were by no means limited to one line of action or undertaking. He was a man of broad resources and was almost equally prominent on the bench, at the bar or in commercial circles, while his character was one ever above reproach. He rose from a humble to an exalted position entirely through his own efforts and was a repre- sentative of our best type of American civiliza- tion and American chivalry. Judge Caton was born in Monroe, Orange county, New York, March 19, 1812. His father was three times married, and he was one of the four children of the third marriage and the twelfth son of the family. His grandfather was a British officer who settled in Maryland at the close of the Revolutionary war. Shortly after the birth of Judge Caton, his mother removed to Oneida county. New York, and there, at the age of nine years, he began work as a farm hand, continuing his labors through the summer months, while in the winter season he attended the district schools of the neighborhood. Re- alizing the value of an education he became, at the age of sixteen, a student in the academy at L'tica, and upon returning home a year later be- gan school teaching. He possessed a laudable ambition to improve his condition and make the most of his opportunities in life and during tlie era of school teaching also took up the study of Ir^M^- ^^^-^^^^^^A^- UKrUKSEXTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATE.S: ILLINOIS VOLUME. 1 '2:5 law and of civil fiiginceriiig. The former, how- ever, proved more atractive and he later read un- der the instruction of Bcardsley tSr IMattersoii, prominent attorneys of I'tica. He afterward continued his studies in the office of Wheeler I'larncs, of Rome, and with Janies H. Collins, cif \'ernon. In 1833. attracted by tlic almost limitless op- ])ortunitics of the A\'est, Judge Caton started for Michigan, but while traveling he learned of the little town of Chicago, which as yet had no mem- ber of the bar. He at length arrivetl at White Pigeon, ]\Iich., but he had determined to go to the future metropolis of the W'est, and on a raft made his -way to St. Joseph, whence he came to Chicago on the vessel, Ariadne, under conuuand of Cap- tain Pickering. In this latter part of the 19th cen- tury when Chicago is a metropolis rivaling in size and importance the old Knickerbocker citj' of the East, one can hardlv realize that a man who was present at its incorporation has just passed away. At the time of his arrival it contained about three hundred inhabitants. On the second day he se- cured a boarding place in a log house just north of Lake and east of Dearborn street, where he found and shook hands with Giles Spring, a law \cr who had reached Chicago just five days previous. The two became fast friends, although afterward pitted against each other in many cases. Mr. Caton looked over the field and at length concluded that perhaps business might be better on the north side of the river. Accord- ingly he moved to the office of Colonel R. I. 1 familton, a log building, partly occupied by the latter's family. Both the young lawyers were k)oking for a good place in which to begin busi- ness, but neither opened an office until the follow- ing December, when Dr. John T. Temple erected a small balloon building on South Water street near Franklin. The two young lawyers opened an office together with the agreement that when one had a client the other should leave the room, thus was established the first law office of the city. Mr. Caton prosecuted on the first criminal case ever tried in Cook county. The justice of the peace wrote out the warrant for arrest on his carpenter bench and then ^Ir. Caton proceeded to the l(5g cabinet shop of James ^^'. Reed, who was both the onl\ caliinet maker and the onl\ constable in the ti^iwn. Then began the search for the accused man who had stolen $46. He was at length found, taken l)efore the justice and Mr. Caton, who acted also in the capacity of detective, discovered the money in the prison- er's stocking. The culprit was defended by Mr. S])ring, the only other attorney in Chicago, but Mr. Caton secured a conviction and received $10 of the recovered money as his fee, which was just sufficient to pay his board bill. He however spoke of it as the greatest fee he ever received. On the 1 2th of July, 1834, when twenty-two years of age, he was elected a justice of the peace, the precinct taking in the whole of Cook county, and out of two hundred twenty-nine votes he received one hundred eighty-two. He was connected with the first murder case ever tried in Cook county, but just before the trial came off he was taken ill and his partner, Mr. Collins, who had come to the city six months after Mr. Caton, followed out the plan which he had mapped out and won the case, acquitting the client. In the spring of 1835 the Judge determined to extend his practice to Putnam county, the oldest settled ill the northeast part of the State, and started on horseback. There he succeeded in soon securing a liberal clientage and from that time on his suc- cess as a lawyer was assured. He applied him- self untiringly to any work that he began, and this application combined with his superior legal knowledge won him a position as one of the most eminent members of the bar of Cook county — a reputation which he maintained for many years thereafter. Judge Caton was inan-ied in July, 1S35, to Miss Laura Adelaide, daughter of Jacob Sherrill, of New Hartford, Oneida county. New \'ork. She was his faithful companion and helpmeet for more than half a century, sharing with him in the hopes and disappointment in his earlier years, the pros- perity and successes of his later life. She passed awa\- in 1892, and was laid to rest in the cemetery of Ottawa, Illinois. In the family were three children, but Mrs. Charles E. Townc died in 1891. The son, Arthur Caton, is a leading citizen of Chicago, and the daughter, Mrs. Norman Will- iams, at this date (August 7, 1895) '^ traveling abroad. fudge Caton had been in the \\'est fuit a short 124 BIOnilAPUICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT OALLERY OF THE time before he had left an impress of his ener- getic, sturdy young character on this section of the country. He was a member of the first poHti- cal convention ever held in Illinois. It met at Ottawa on the 4th of March, 1834, Dr. David Walker serving as president, while Mr. Caton acted as secretary. In 1836 he formed a law partnership with N. B. Judd, and the same year built the first dwelling within the school section on the west side at the southeast corner of Har- rison and Clinton streets. About this time there was an endeavor made to secure a charter for the thriving little Western city and the Judge was active in the movement. The following year, when the country became involved in a financial panic, he too lost most of his real estate, and be- coming broken down in health he removed, in 1838, to a farm near Plainfield that he had rented some years before and to which he removed his family in 1839. Judicial honors were early in life conferred upon Mr. Caton. When not yet thirty years of age Judge Carlin appointed him judge of the supreme court and not long afterward he was ap- pointed by Governor Ford to fill another vacancy. When the supreme court was reorganized under the new constitution he was chosen as one of the three judges of that court, his associates being Judges Tree and Trumbull. For twenty-one years he filled that responsible position, and dur- ing six months of the time presided as chief jus- tice. On the bench his decisions were ever fair and just. He possessed a judicial temperament of peculiar adaptability and acquired a broad and comprehensive grasp of law. Though devoted to his chosen profession he by no means confined his energies to that one calling. He was the first citizen of Illinois to cross the State with a tele- graph line. With a sagacity seldom equaled he seemed to realize the importance of Professor Morse's invention, and organized and became chief proprietor of the Illinois & Mississippi Tele- graph Company. The success of the telegraph made him extremely wealthy. At one time he controlled all the telegraph lines in Illinois, but he leased them to the Western Union when that company was organized, and thereafter enjoyed an enormous income from these leased lines. Judge Caton became interested in granite street paving. He was also a stockholder in a glass factory in Ottawa, and he was equally successful as a farmer and author. On his retirement from the bench. Judge Caton went to his beautiful farmstead near Plainfield and devoted much of his time to agricultural pur- suits. He also established in Ottawa a beautiful home in the midst of a fine park, where deer and wild fawn roam at will under magnificent forest trees. He also had a substantial and tasteful resi- dence in Chicago, located at 1900 Calumet ave- nue. He was a deep student of natural history and a lover of nature. A man of broad general information and ripe scholarship, he was a fluent and forcible speaker and able writer. He traveled extensively in Europe and was familiar with every part of America. He made a close and compara- tive study of the social and economic conditions of the country and published the results of his careful investigation in a peculiarly lucid and graceful style. He has been the autlior oi many able, entertaining and instructive articles, and among his better known works are "The Unset- ting Sun — A Summer in Norway," "The Ante- lope and Deer of America" and "Early Bench and Bar of Illinois." He held membership with the Second Presbyterian Church of the city and gave his support to all interests that were calcu- lated to uplift humanity. He was especially charitable and benevolent, and the needy never applied to him for aid in vain. In social life he was a true friend, and it is said that no man ever practiced before the bar of Illinois or sat upon its bench that was more highly respected or ad- mired as a lawyer or citizen. nEPRESEy^TATIVE ME IS' OF THE UNITED STATES: ILLINOIS VOLUME. 1-25 JAMES A. STODDARD, AAIOXG the prominent insurance men of America few names are better known than that of the subject of this sketch, the founder, chief builder and popular former secretary of the Northwestern Masonic Mutual Aid Association of Chicago. James Alonzo Stoddard comes of a family which traces its ancestry in a direct and unl)rokcn line to William Stoddard, knight, a cousin of Wil- liam the Conqueror, who came from Normandy to England with that illustrious gentleman A. D. 1066. The origin of the name of Stoddard is undoubtedly of Norman origin. All books of reference conclude that the name was a title given to standard-bearers during the middle and dark ages, and at first the name was spelled De La Standard. Of William Stoddard, our subject's remote ancestor, it is recorded that he fought bravely and was distinguished for his valor dur- ing the conquest of England by his cousin, Wil- liam the Conqueror. In the si.xteenth century one of his descendants in the fourth generation settled in London, which at that time was be- coming a city of commercial importance. In 1598 mention is made, in John Stow's Survey of London, of a George Stoddard who was a mem- ber of the previously mentioned family. He was a merchant of the parish of St. Olave, Tower street. He was well versed in the intricacies of the law, and by shrewd investments and merciless exactions became an exceedingly wealthy man. Though by occupation a grocer, he was some- wliat of a speculator and a lender of moneys to the nobility and needy country gentlemen. His transactions were respectable in their nature, and the afTection he displayed toward his brothers, and the hospitable manner in which he treated his neighbors, who it appears honored him most highly, proves that he was a man of more than ordinary prominence, who in his day and time lived a worthy life. From him descended Anthony Stoddard, who left England at the age of twenty-five, in 1638, and settled in the Alassa- chusctts colony. From him the Stoddards in America have descended. He was a merchant, — a dealer in linen. He married well, became ven,- wealthy and left sixteen children. His death oc- curred Alarch 16, 1686. He brought with him from England the family coat of arms which is still in the possession of some of the descendants of the family. This coat of arms is recorded as having been used by George Stoddard, gentle- man, of London, and his ancestor. Sir William Stoddard, before him. No other reference is made of the coat of arms being used previous to this time, but it is doubtless true that for many generations previous thereto this coat of arms was carried in battle by many a worthy squire. The coat of arms — sable, three stars within a bordure, gules, and the crest, a demi-unicorn, ermine issuing from a ducal coronet, or with the motto, "Festina lente" (Be in haste but not in a hurry) — was constantly used by Anthony Stod- dard of Boston, and in the "London Visitation" of 1658 this coat of arms was recognized as the property of George Stoddard, gentleman, of that city. The children of Anthony Stoddard and their descendants settled in various portions of New England, and some of the family were among the founders of Woodstock and Woodbury, Connec- ticut. The records show that in 1695 Simeon Stoddard of Boston secured a tract of land four miles square located at Pomfret, near Wood- stock, Connecticut. The land was secured by an execution of a judgment against a Major Fitch, who had become insolvent through convivial habits. In 1716 Anthony Stoddard, a descendant of this Simeon Stoddard, conveyed this land to his three sons — ^Anthony, David and William — upon the condition that they would pay to him sixty pounds in money on the first day of every June at his home in Boston. In 1739 another member of the family gave the village of Ashford in the same county a deed to two hundred acres of land upon condition that his title to land in Windham county, Connecticut, should not be disputed, and he thus received a clear title to nearly nine thou- sand acres in that countv. Previous to this time 126 BwnnAPHicAL DicrroNAnr and ponriiAiT oallkuy of the little effort had licen made to cultivate or im- prove the property in Woodstock, but in 1747 the Stoddards had taken possession of the Stoddard lands, which had been in the family for more than half a century previous, and Phineas Stoddard became a resident of Woodstock and was in- cluded within society limits. In 1776 Lemuel Stoddard of Woodstock became one of the crew of the schooner, Oliver Cromwell, which was ef[nipped for private service. Ebenezer Stoddard was one of the earliest lawyers in Woodstock and one of the most prominent in the State. He was elected to Congress for four years, and in 1833-5 was lieutenant governor of Connecticut. He also served in 1834 as a commissioner to locate the boundaries between Massachusetts and Con- necticut, which had been in dispute for gen- erations. The commission's laliors were highly successful. Abel Stoddard, the grandfather of our subject, was a member of the Woodstock (Connecticut) branch of the family. His son, Jeremiah Stod- dard, became a minister of the Universal'st Church. He married Mary A. Smith, a dir tt descendant of Peregrine White, one of the band of pilgrims who journeyed to their new home in the wilderness in the Mayflower. Rev. Jeremiah Stoddard resided for a time in Farmington, INIaine, where his son, James A. Stoddard, tlie subject of this biography, was born, on the i8th of April, 1827. Later in life he moved to JMilford, Massachusetts, where he lived for some years be- tween 1853 and 1865. The boyhood days of James A. Stoddard were passed in the New England common schools, where he obtained such education as was afforded by the facilities of the time. His father possessed but little means, and early in life it was de- termined that the boy should begin work in order to support himself and reduce a portion of the family expenses, which, although very small, were a burden that was almost impossible for the head of the family, whose health was failing, to support. At an early age James became an em- ployee of a farmer, for whom he labored faith- fully, receiving for his services but little more than his board and clothes. The little that he did obtain in wages he brought home to his par- ents, who highly appreciated the noble efforts prompted by filial love. Tn 1841 he attended school during the winter, but the following year again began work upon a farm, and by his meager earnings added most materially to the comfort and happiness of his father and mother. At the age of eighteen he went to Boston and worked as a clerk in a store. He then learned the piano- forte trade, but in 1851 he and his parents moved to Milford, Massachusetts, where in 1853 he was married to Marion Parkhurst, a daughter of Otis and Sarah (Jones) Parkhurst, of Milford. Mrs. Stoddard is a picmber of one of the oldest and most highly respected of the early families of New England. In 1735 Isaac and Jonas Park- hurst settled in ^Massachusetts. Their father, John Parkhurst, had endowed each of them with eighty and a half acres of land, which became the Parkhurst homestead. John Parkhurst's father also was named John, and his grandfather was George Parkhurst, who was a son of the original George Parkhurst of England, who settled in Watertown, Massachusetts, in the early part of the seventeenth century. Otis Parkhurst, whose father was Nathaniel, a son of Jonas, was born on the 20th of September, 1781, and was a native of Milford. He was a man who possessed a sti'ongly constituted mind and an energy capable of large enterprises. He did more than anv other to promote the success of the boot and shoe manufacture of New England, and was an active, responsible and highly respected citizen. He was a stanch Universalist and was one of the twelve men who in 1820 built the brick church in which the denomination worshiped, and he generously gave the society his most earnest sitp- poit. He died on the 5th of March, 1869, having been preceded by his devoted wife, Sarah Jones, the daughter of Nathaniel Alden and Lois (Claflin) Jones, who died Januarj' 14, 1843. ^'^' thaniel Alden Jones was a descendant of John Al- den, of Mayflower stock. In 1865 Mr. Stoddard removed to Chicago, where he engaged in the book-publishing busi- ness and also published and edited a magazine called The Western Home. The great fire of 187 1 swept away both his business and his home, and the utter hopelessness of his afTairs at that time forced him into the insurance business, wh.ich he entered with considerable reluctance; REPRESENrATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. ITi but the opportunity for developing' and utilizing his best powers and brilliant faculties soon pre- sented itself. The peculiar talent requisite to at- taining a high degree of success in the vast enter- prise of life-insurance business was a distinctive trait of his character. He has shown particular brilliancy in managing field work and in marshal- ing and handling thousands of agents: and to his remarkable energy, industry and executive ability is due the credit for the founding and upbuilding of the Northwestern Masonic Aid Association, which now numbers about forty thousand mem- bers and carries over one hundred and thirty-eight millions of insurance on the choicest risks obtain- able on human life. His success in his chosen line has been highly appreciated l\v his associates, for on the ist of January, 1S92, he was chosen vice-president and general manager of the associa- tion, and was succeeded to the responsible posi- tion of secretary by his son-in-law, Charles A. Capwell. The entire life of Mr. Stoddard has been one of unusual activity and industry, and he is a self- made man in the fullest sense of that so frequently misused word. Holding such an important posi- tion in the association controlling such vast in- terests, speaks louder than words of Mr. Stod- dard's executive and business ability. His meth- ods have always been in keeping with the highest prmciples of honorable and fair dealing and with conscious regard for the rights of others. He has a clear and comprehensive mind antl is able not only to conceive great projects but also to execute well-directed plans. Although he has been closely identified with this large enterprise, his time and attention have not been wholly given to it. He has rare social qualities, delights in good fellowship and lacks none of those personal traits of character which are indicative of the warm-hearted and high-minded gentleman. His life has for years been closely identified with the Masonic order, and he was a blaster Mason in Waubansia Lodge, No. 160, in Chicago in 1866, tilling successively the chairs of senior deacon, junior warden, senior warden and worshipful master. He was e.xalted in Englewood Chapter, R. A. M., No. 176, and knighted in Apollo Com- mandery, No. i, Chicago. The home life of Mr. Stoddard is particularl} happy and elevating. He is the father of five children, the eldest of whom, Irene, is the \\4fe of Mr. Charles A. Capwell. They have one child, Marion J-, born in Chicago, April 13, 1875. The second child of Mr. Stoddard, James N., died in infancy. The third, Adelaide .M., married Lee H. Daniels, now deceased, and had one child, Cora Jean, born May 17, 1888; Alice J., was the wife of Fred F. Aitkin, of St. Paul; she died, giving birth to Alison Stoddard, born jMarch 25, 1889; Herbert A. Stoddard is Mr. Stoddard's youngest child, married to Miss Bertha Gross; their chil- dren are: Dorothy, who was bom December 18, 1892; and Alice, born March 25, 1895. All of these were born at Milford, Massachusetts, with the exception of Herbert, who is a native of Chi- cago. JAMES MCBROOAl, MR. McBROOM was born in county Ar- magh, Ireland, October 5. 1827, and was the eldest son of William and ^lary (Harrison) McBroom, late of Rich Hill, in the above named county, and a landholder and an agriculturist. Our subject passed his boyhood in his native country until his eighteenth year, at which time he emigrated to New York, and for some time served an apprenticeship at the tanner's trade, near Pniffalo. The trade thus learned he followed until 1854, at which time he removed to Illinois. Arriving at Geneseo, he found the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad establishing its line across the State, and in company with Andrew Crawford he took a contract to construct a fence along the right-of-way of the road. At that time a Mr. Parmelee was operating a grain warehouse near the depot at Geneseo, and, recognizing in young McBroom a man not afraid of work, he engaged him as a workman abotu the ware- 128 BlOGRArinCAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE house, and later he was employed by A. Van Winkle in the same business. During the time he worked for the railroad company and for Mr. Parmelee he had a very intimate friend whose name was Isaac Newton Wilson, and who aftenvard moved to Munson and engaged in farming. Mr. Van Winkle, Mr. McBroom's employer, became financially in- volved to such an extent that he was necessi- tated to dispose of a grain elevator he owned. Our subject, with that keen foresight for which he was noted, saw an opportunity to enter what he believed would be a profitable venture, as grain at that time was seeking the Geneseo mar- ket from as far north as Prophetstowii, and as far south as Andover, there being no railroads through those towns at that period. Mr. ]\Ic- Broom at once wrote his friend Wilson, which after a short delay reached him, and proposed that they should purchase the elevator; and upon Wilson's acquiescing both young men journeyed to Cambridge, the county seat, to ascertain whether the title to the property was perfect. This being satisfactorily accomplished, the pur- chase was made, and in 1862 the new grain firm of McBroom & Wilson entered upon what has proven a most prosperous career. For about twenty years Mr. McBroom was president of the First National Bank of Geneseo, and its success and soundness is largely due to the fact of his having been the head of its affairs. For two terms he was mayor of the city, and gave the same careful, conscientious attention to the public weal as generously as he always has to his private business. In everything pertain- ing to the upbuilding of the city of his home he was a most energetic worker, and was one of the best beloved and popular of her citizens. In 1855 he was married to Miss Margritha Kaiser, of Annawan township, and of this union six sons have been born, — Alexander K., William J-, Frederick K., Charles Emmett, Isaac N. and James H. A. K. and J. H. are lawyers at Spo- kane Falls, Washington, and F. K. and C. E. are bankers at the same place; W. J. is with the First National Bank of Geneseo, and I. N. is and has for many years been in the grain office of McBroom & Wilson. Mr. McBroom's death occurred March 2, 1895, after an illness of several weeks' duration. In spite of the tender ministrations of a loving and devoted wife, he passed away, — secure in a fame that is part of the history of the city of Geneseo. Long a member of the Unitarian Church, the funeral service was conducted by his old- time friend. Rev. M. J- Miller, assisted by the pastor, and was one of the largest that ever oc- curred in the city. WILLIAM CALDWELL, ROCK ISLAND. WILLIAM CALDWELL was the son of Robert and Mary (Ball) Caldwell, who were natives of New Jersey. After they were mar- ried they settled in Ohio, where they lived to- gether, sharing each other's joys and sorrows, successes and reverses, for about twenty-eight years, when they moved to the State of Indiana, and there resided until their death. They had a family of thirteen children. William Caldwell, whose name heads this sketch, was the tenth child in order of birth of his parents' family. He was born in Butler county, Ohio, December 4, 1813. He assisted in the maintenance of the family, attending the common schools of his native county, and resided at home until he attained the age of fifteen years, when he accompanied his parents to Indiana. In the latter State he engaged to learn the cooper's trade, which he followed for some fifteen years, and which, in connection with his farming, occupied his time in Indiana, until 1851. In the spring of that year, hoping to better his financial condition in life, he came to this county and pur- chased a farm in what is now Rural township, located on section thirty-one, on which he settled and entered vigorously and energetically upon the task of its cultivation and improvement. He lived on this farm twelve years, and then pur- REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE USITED STATES: ILLINOIS VOLUME. 129 chased more land, in Mercer county, where he re- moved and resided twenty years, in the mean- time improving and cuhivating his land. In the spring of 1883 Mr. Caldwell purchased a place known as the James Donaldson farm, in Rural township, consisting of four hundred and forty- five acres, on which he settled and resided until his death, in 1885. He came to be ranked among the large land-owners of the county, being the proprietor of six hundred and sixt\--five acres in Rock Island county and two hundred and forty in Mercer county. He was a gentleman who started in life with nothing but his own indomitable cnerg)', and his accumulation of this world's goods is attrib- utable to his good judgiTient in predicting the future developments of the county and conse- quently the enhanced price of real estate, com- bined with the active co-operation of his life. His word in business transactions was considered as good as his bond, and he was justly recognized as one of the energetic and representative citizens of Rock Island county. As a citizen of the community in which Mr. Caldwell so long lived and was so active, he was highly respected, enjoyed the confidence of his neighbors, and was regarded a man of ex- cellent business judgment. Mr. Caldwell held several of the minor offices of the township. Politically he was identified with the Republican party. Mr. Caldwell was united in marriage, in Rural township, in i860, to Mrs. Lydia (Wilson) Halley, the accomplished daughter of William and Rachel Mills Wilson and widow of Henry Halley. Mrs. Caldwell had five children by her first marriage: ]\[ary C, Robert C, Hannah M., Isaac X., William H. ; and of her union with Mr. Cald- well two children were bom, namely: Jerome W., January 25, 1861 ; and Frank H., born August 5, 1862. Mrs. Caldwell died in Rural township August 16, 1884. DAVID SHEEAN, D.WID SHEEAX, the eldest of the five chil- dren of James and Marj- (Lorden) Sheean, was born in Boston, Massachusetts, July 3, 1833. When but three years of age he removed with his parents to Jo Daviess county, Illinois, where his father engaged in farming. Our subject's educa- tion was obtained in the common schools and local academy, and after finishing his studies he went to California, in 1851, where the subsequent four and a half years were spent in mining. Re- turning to Galena he began the study of law, and after his admission to the bar formed a partner- ship with John A. Rawlins, afterward so dis- tinguished as General Grant's chief of staff during the Civil war, and later as secretary of war. This connection lasted until 1862, when Rawlins en- tered the army and Mr. Sheean practiced alone until 1867, and then formed a partnership with his brother, T. J. Sheean. In 1893 J. M. Sheean, a nephew, now city attorney, became a member of the firm, which is conceded to be the leading law firm of Galena. Mr. Sheean's practice has been a general one, and during his long career he has participated in many important legal contests, among which may be mentioned the condemnation suit of the Chicago, Burlington & Xorthern Railroad Com- pany against the Illinois Central Railroad Com- pany, involving the right of way of the former company between Galena and Dubuque; the Galena Axle Grease Company versus the Frascr Axle Grease Company, which he argued in the .State supreme court; and a number of will cases, the more prominent of which are the Richardson estate and the Corman will cases, both of great in- terest, the former involving an amount of two hundred thousand dollars. One of his recent im- jiortant cases was that of John T. Davis versus John H. Schwartz et al., which was argued suc- cessfully by Mr. Sheean before the United States supreme court at Washington, against John W. X'oble, late ex-Secretary of the Interior. In addi- tion to the foregoing he has conducted a number of criminal cases of greater or less importance. 130 mnoRAririCAL dictioxary and roRTUAir gallery of the Mr. Sheean is a strong Democrat, and was elected by his party to the office of city attorney of Galena, which he filled most ably for a number of years. Later he was elected and served one term as mayor of the city. Socially he is a member of the Iroquois Club of Chicago. He was married in 1876 to ^Nliss Cora L. Spare of Galena. Mr. Sheean is a pleasant and affable gentle- man, and a stranger in his presence soon feels perfectly at ease. Constant study and close ap- plication to the details of his profession have en- abled him to reach the position — conceded to him by all — that he occupies, the leader of the Galena bar. GEORGE MILLS ROGERS, AMONG Chicago's business and professional men, none are more closely identified with the growth and best interests of the city than George Mills Rogers, who has made his home here for thirty-seven years, — a period within which Chicago has attained her present proud position, vying with the metropolis of the East for leader- ship in the world of commerce, science, art and letters. For many years he has been known for his sterling qualities, his fearless loyalty to his honest convictions, his sturdy opposition to mis- rule in municipal affairs, and his clear-headed- ness, discretion and tact as manager and leader. His career at the bar has been one of the greatest honor, and he has given some of the best efforts of his life to the purification and elevation of the municipal government. An eminent lawyer and the son of a great jurist, he has not only maintained the high standard of his name but has also added to it new luster. George Mills Rogers is a native of Glasgow, Kentucky, born April 16, 1854, a son of the late Judge John Gorin Rogers and Arabella E. (Crenshaw) Rogers, coming of a family which in both branches has been conspicuous in the learned professions for more than two centuries. His grandfather, George Rogers, was the leading physician in Glasgow and vicinity for a number of years, where his death occurred in i860. The maternal grandfather was the late Judge B. J^Iills Crenshaw, once chief justice of Kentucky. George Mills Rogers, one of a family of two sons and two daughters, was about four years old when his parents removed to this city, with the historv of which he has since been familiar. He has seen its rapid development, witnessed its destruction when visited by one of the most dis- astrous fires the world has ever known, and saw it rise from the ruins to develop into a city that has long been the metropolis of the West and is rapidly becoming the metropolis of the country. His elementary education acquired in the pub- lic schools was supplemented by a preparatory course in the Chicago University, after which he entered Yale College, where he \\as graduated, in the class of 1876. He had a predilection for the law, and entered upon its study in the office of Crawford & McConnell, later attending the Union College of Law, which is the law depart- ment of the Northwestern University. Admitted to the bar in 1878, he soon began the practice of his chosen profession as a partner of S. P. McConnell, who later became, and served until very recently, as one of the judges of the cir- cuit court. This connection continued until Mr. Rogers accepted the appointment of assistant city attorney, — a position for which he had demon- strated his fitness as attorney for the Citizens' Association. While a member of that associa- tion he took an active part in the preparation and passage of the first reform election law, and per- sonally drafted the first priniars' election law, which was later known as the Crawford law, from the fact that Senator Crawford had charge of the bill in the legislature. I>"or several years after his admission to the bar, Mr. Rogers took a prominent part in political afTairs as a leader of the Democratic party. About 1880 he was nominated by the Democracy for the position of State Seiiator; and the fact that REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 131 he reduced the usual RepubHcan majority of two thousand down to eight hundred indicates his personal popularity and the confidence reposed in him. His abilities, both natural and acquired, fit him for leadership, and for some time he served as vice-president of the Cook county Democratic LXjmmittee It was a glimpse behind the scenes, and the love of justice and purity in government as well as in private life led Mr. Rogers to attempt some reforms in party organi- zation and party methods; but the results were not very encouraging, as the "professional poli- ticians" had control and ran things after their own corrupt ideas. Mr. Rogers then became one of the organizers of the Iroquois Club, which took for its field of effort the domain of national politics, leaving local fights to those who might consider it to their interest to engage in them. He was elected one of the first vice-presidents of the club, representing the Third Congressional District of Illinois. Again he was called to pub- lic office when, early in 1886, he was appointed city prosecuting attorney, which position he re- signed in April, 1887, in order to travel with his wife, who was in ill health. He was married June 3, 1884, to Philippa Hone Anthon, of New York city, a member of . the Anthoin family so many of whom have been prominent in professional life in that city. ■ Mr. Rogers and his wife spent several months in travel, and upon his return home in November, 1887, he was appointed assistant United States attorney, and served in that capacity till the fol- lowing JMarch, when he resigned to engage in private law^ practice. He is quick to master all the intricacies in a case and grasp all details, at the same time losing sight of none of the essential points upon which the decision of every case finally turns. He has a ready flow of language and as a speaker is fluent, forcible, earnest, logical and convincing. His knowledge of the law, it must be conceded, is hardly second to that of any memlier of the bar of Cook county. On the first of February, 1889, he was ap- pointed master in chancery of the circuit court of Cook county, in which position he has, if pos- sible, added to the esteem in which he has long been held by his fellows at the bar. In 1893 't ^\^s deemed advisable by the lead- ing lawyers of Chicago to take some practical measure tending to the obliteration of political interests in the affairs of the courts, and to that end they decided to put in nomination for judicial honors eight lawyers of high character, — four Democrats and four Republicans. Mr. Rogers was chosen as one of the Democratic nominees. He received the largest number of votes of all the candidates: out of a total of 1,346 votes he received 1,222 votes. This nomination came to him without any action or solicitation on his part; and although the Democratic convention, under the machine rule by which it is dominated, did not endorse his selection for elevation to the bench, his flattering endorsement by the bar, uninfluenced by political considerations, and in furtherance of a wish to purify and elevate the administration of justice, was regarded as a greater compliment than could have been his election purely as the political candidate of any party, and, as an endorsement of his pre-eminent ability and integrity, more impressive than any that he could have received from any other source. In his social relations he is connected with the Illinois Club, a social organization, the Iroquois Club, the Law Club and the University Club. In the fall of 1888 he identified himself with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of which his father was such an eminent member, and has represented his lodge in the grand lodge of Illinois. In consequence of his prominence in political, professional and social life he has a wide acquaintance, and has gained a host of warm friends whose high and sincere regard, recogniz- ing his genuine worth, he fully possesses. His reading has been chiefly in the line of his profes- sion, yet he has given much study to political and economic questions; and, while inclined to be safely conservative, he yet holds many advanced ideas on questions of governmental policy. The soldier on the field of battle has displayed no greater loyalty than has Mr. Rogers in his sup- port of i\merican institutions, and his condemna- tion of political intrigue as practiced by both parties. There is no doubt that had he entered into the methods of many politicians he could have obtained almost any office he might desire; but with him pnnciple is above party, purity in municipal affairs above personal interest. i:« IlKXlUAflllcM. DICTKiXMiY AM) I'oirriiMr (tM.I.ICUY OF rillC JAMES IRVIN nV.VV, KKKi;i'OKI'. THE Ncft" family, of uhicli there are many dcscciKlants in various parts of the I'liiled States, t>riginated in Switzerland. The first of whom we have any authentic account was Adam Neff (or Naf as the name was originally spelled), of Wallenheid, near Cappel, who, in the war for the maintenance of the Protestant faith, with great bravery helped to rescue the banner of Zurich on the nth of October, 1531. On the nth of October, i88i, there was celebrated at Cappel, by a gathering of his descendants, the 350th amiiversiiry of that event. The first of the name to come to America were Rudolf and Jacob Naf, descendants of Adam, who sailed from Rotterdam, Holland, and ar- rived at Philadelphia, Pemisylvania, September II, 1749. These brothers located in the colony where now stands Frankford, near Philadelphia, married and spent the remainder of their lives there. From them have descended most if not all of the families of that name in this country. Hon. James Ir\'in Xeff was bom in Center county. Pennsylvania, October 5, 1839. His father was Josiah Xelf, a farmer and a man of many strong qualities and striking characteristics. He was highly respected as a citizen, and was a useful member of the community in which he lived. James I. XefFs mother was Mollie Em- mert, also a native of Pennsylvania. The boyhood and youth of young XefT was in no wise dissimilar to that of most farmers' lads in that locality. He assisted in the work on his father's farm during tlie summer months, and attended the district school during the winter, until he was prepared to enter Dickinson Semi- nary, at Williamsport. Pennsylvania, at which in- stitution he was graduated in 1861. Ambitious for a wider career than the opportunities of his native place afforded, he determined to come West, and in 1862 we find him located at Tiffin, Ohio, as a law student in the office of Colonel Le- ander Stem. The outbreak of the Civil war soon interrupted the prosecution of his studies, and, fired with patriotic ardor, he obeyed the call of his countrv for volunteers, and enlisted in the One llundred ;md h'irst Regiment of Ohio Infantry, \\l:icii had been organized and was commanded by his law preceptor, Colonel Stem. He was made second lieutenant of Company H, receiving his conunission before leaving the State. Tliis regiment was assigned to the First Brigade, First Division, Fourth Corps, of the Army of the Cuml)erlar.d. For gallant a/nd meritorious serv- ice Lieutenant XefT was promoted as first lieu- tenant, adjutant and finally as captain of Company 11. He gallantly led his comrades into action at the battles of PerrA'ville, Stone river, Chickamau- ga. Missionary Ridge, Resaca, and other minor engagements. He participated with his command in the Atlanta campaign, which lasted nearly one hundred rocure funds for piu-chasing the handsome statu- ary on the Lincoln Monument at Springfield, and on this mission his personal popularity, added to the magnetism of the genial ex-governor, was attended with flattering results. Mr. Hatch was a man of warm sympathies and charitable in- stincts. His disposition was kindly and genial and his manner cordial. His popularity was unbounded: wherever he went he made warm friends. Few State officers have received the confidence of the general public to so large an extent as he, and no one could have merited it better. In his death the State of Illinois lost one of its most able and patriotic public men, and the people one who was ardently in sympathy with every worthy cause. Mr. Hatch was married in i860 to Miss Julia R. Enos, daughter of Pascal P. Enos, who, with the assistance of Elijah lies, John Taylor and Thomas Cox, laid out the city of Springfield. This marriage identified him with one of the pioneer and honored families of the county. IMrs. Hatch survives her husband; also three of their children, — Ozias M. Hatch, Jr., Pascal E. Hatch and Frank I. Hatch, the last named a stu- dent at the Harvard Law School at the time of his father's death. One of Mr. Hatch's most intimate friends. Dr. William Jayne, of Springfield, writes of him as follows: "As a summary of the moral and in- tellectual organization of the mind and character of Mr. Hatch, I venture to assert that no living man could persuade him to say that good was evil, or evil good, contrary' to the convictions of his conscience. He was, from his early man- hood to the last days of his mature life, a man, not of impressions or opinions, but of convictions. As early as the days of the Alton riots, when Lovejoy was murdered in defense of the liberty of the press, Mr. Hatch was known far and wide as a decided anti-slavery man. Tliis proud po- sition he never yielded until slavery was abol- ished by constitutional enactment and the Union restored by the resounding tramp of a million armed men. "By birth and blood, by ancestry and educa- tion, Mr. Hatch was a gentleman, endowed by nature with a commanding presence, dignified deportment, refined manner and pleasing address. He possessed that happy gift of making friends, and that still more valuable tact of character of holding fast those made. Hence it came that the friends of his earlier years were the most attached friends of his mature and advanced days. His social and political associates were the lead- ing and most influential men of the State and nation. His true and tried friends were Lincoln, Trumbull, Yates, Oglesby, Palmer, Grimshaw, Taylor, Hurlburt, Du Bois, — and in fact all that coterie of public men who gave form, force, charm and prestige to that potent party which made Illinois a power for good for more than thirty years, and gave to our glorious common- w-ealth such a conspicuous part during those per- ilous years when liberty and civilization were trembling undecided in the balance. His per- sonal popularity in the most fiercely contested elections carried him far beyond a strict party vote. This fact is best illustrated by the sim- ple statement that in the presidential elections of 1856 and i860, when politics were at a white heat, running on the same ticket with the hero of Pjuena Vista, the gallant Bis- sell, in 1856, and with Lincoln and Yates in i860, Mr. Hatch led the ticket from 1,000 to 4,000 votes. "Though not a communicant of any Christian denomination, all churches had his respect and good will, and many received from his open purse substantial aid. In his private and public relations, his influence was given for social prog- ress and for the elevation and welfare of man- kind." REPRESEXTATIVE MEX OF THE UXITED STATES; ILLINOIS Vnil'ME. 143 ELISHA GRAY, LL.D., PH.D., CHICAGO. INDELIBLY engraved on the pages of history is tlie name of Elisha Gray. Within the last haU' century America has demonstrated her right to the leadership of the world in the realm of in- vention. She, at first, by the brilliancy of her achievements, won the attention of the old countries, then commanded a respect which rapidly developed into a wondering admiration. Though she cannot cope with the old masters in the fine arts, Europe has acknowledged her pre- eminence in science and useful invention. She has given to the world unexcelled labor-saving and cost-reducing machiner}-, rapid transit and the means of close and immediate communica- tion. She has annihilated space by giving the power of conversing with one who may be thou- sands of miles away, and time therefore is scarcely any longer a matter of consideration. Now an invention is attracting the attention of the world w hich is of great superiority over the old methods of communication, in that a message can be transmitted in entire privacy without the interven- tion of operators between the parties. One's private afTairs may still be his own; and this wonderful invention, — the telautograph, — which will undoubtedly revolutionize telegraphy, is the product of the brain and inventive genius of Pro- fessor Cray. This gentleman was born near Barnesville, in Belmont county, Ohio, on the 2d of August, 1835, and is the son of David Gray, who was a native of Pennsylvania and of Scotch-Irish ancestry. His mother, who had borne the maiden name of Ciiristiana Edgarton, was born in North Carolina, of English parentage. Mr. and IMrs. Gray were Quakers and lived quietly upon a farm in the Buckeye State, where their son Elisha was reared, acquiring his elementary education in the com- mon schools of the neighborhood, while his physical training came through work in the fields. His time was thus passed until after he had at- tained the age of twelve years, when his father died, and he was thus largely thrown upon his own resources for a living. At the age of four- teen he apprenticed himself to a blacksmith and partly mastered that trade, but the arduous work greatly overta.xcd his strength and he was obliged to give it up; so, accordingly, he joined his mother, who had removed to Brownsville, Penn- sylvania. The financial circumstances of the young man, however, did not permit of rest and recreation to any great extent, and he entered the employ of a boat-builder, serving an apprenticeship of three and a half years, learning the trade of ship-joiner. At the end of that time he was a first-class mechanic and began to give evidence of his in- ventive genius. He recognized, however, that his powers were limited by his meager education, and it was his great desire to acquire the funda- mental knowledge that would open the way to intelligent research, investigation and ultimate achievement. As each one is conscious, in a de- gree at least, of his own powers, so Mr. Gray felt that he had resources which, if properly used, would accomplish some impoitant work in life. One of the most hopeful indications of those early years was the fact that, added to his genius, which was then awakening into activity, there was a vast fund of practical common sense, for the lack of which so many men of talent have failed in their life work. He realized the need of educa- tion as a foundation for further work, and de- termined to secure the desired training. While working as an apprentice Mr. Gray formed the acquaintance of Prof. H. S. Bennett, recently of Fisk L'niversity and now deceased, but then a student at Oberlin College, Ohio, from whom he learned that at that institu- tion exceptional opportunities were afforded to students for self-education; and immedi- ately after he had completed his term of service he started for the college with barely money enough in his possession to carry him to his destination. It was in the sunnner of 1857 that he reached Oberlin, where he began work as a carpenter, and in this manner he supported him- self during a five-years college course. Eager to acquire a knowledge of the branches taught in that school, he applied himself diligently to his ]U BIOnRAPHICAL DICTWNART AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE Studies, manifesting that perseverance and patience wliich have characterized his career in later Hfe and been an important factor in his suc- cess as an inventor. ^^'hiIe in college he gave special attention to the physical sciences, in which he was exceptionally proficient, his ingenuity being strikingly manifest from time to time in the construction of the apparatus used in the class- room experiments, his cleverness in devising these various appliances making him a con- spicuous character among his fellow students. At this time he had not yet determined what line of work he should follow and at one time thought some of entering the ministry, but finally abandoned this idea. Seeming trifles often mold the lives of people; and a chance remark, Mr. Gray says, had much to do with his subsequent career. The lady who afterward became his mother-in-law remarked one day that "it would be a pity to spoil a good mechanic to make a poor minister!"' She certainly must have possessed a very sound and discriminating judgment thus to discover the hidden worth of the young man; and she, doubtless, more than anyone else in his earlier days, fanned the latent sparks of genius into the flame which in later days revealed to his brain the contrivances which have made his name famous, and which have proved of ines- timable value to civilization. The four years of continuous and earnest study left its impress on the healtli of Prof. Gray, and when the future seemed bright with promise, when indications were that his hopes of years were about to be realized, he was stricken with an ill- ness that incapacitated him for work during the five succeeding years. In 1862 he was married to Miss M. Delia Shep- ard,of Oberlin,andwiththe hope of improving his health he went to live upon a farm; but the out- door exercise did not bring the desired result, and he returned to his trade, working in Trumbull county, Ohio, until again prostrated by serious illness. His domestic relations have ever been of the most pleasant and happy character. His wife has proved not only the presiding genius of a happy home, but she has also shared in his hopes, sympathized with his efforts, and has ever been a source of inspiration and encouragement, urging and aiding him in the darker hours of his history to push forward. Both she and her mother had an abiding faith in his genius, and to her the Professor is always glad to attribute much of his success. For a time after his marriage the years were hard ones, checkered by difficulty, by success, and alternate hope and dispair. He found it difficult to pursue his investigations and experi- ments, for his means were very limited; yet time passed and at length success crowned his efforts. In 1867 he entered upon what proved a more prosperous epoch in his life. He invented a self- . adjusting telegraph relay, and although it proved of no practical value it served to make him known to the late Gen. Anson Stager, of Cleveland, gen- eral superintendent of the Western Union Tele- graph company, who at once became interested in him and furnished him facilities for experiment- ing on the company's lines. Prof. Gray then formed a partnership with E. M. Barton, of Cleve- land, for the manufacture of electrical appliances, Gen. Stager becoming associated with him in the business. Here he perfected the type-writing telegraph, the telegraphic repeater, telegraphic switch, the annunciator and many other inven- tions which have become famous within the short space of a few years. About 1872 he organized the Western Electric Manufacturing company, which is still in existence and is said to be the largest establishment of the kind in the world. In 1874 Prof. Gray retired from that company and began his researches in telephony, and within two years thereafter gave to the world that marvelous product of human genius, the speak- ing telephone. Noting one day, when a second- ary coil was connected with the zinc lining of the bath-tub — dry at the time — that when he held the other end of the coil in his left hand and rubbed the lining of the tub with his right it gave rise to a sound that had the same pitch and quality of the vibrating contact- breaker, he began a series of experiments which led first to the discovery that musical tones could be transmitted over an electric wire. Fitting up the necessary devices, he exhibited the invention to some of his friends, and the same year went abroad, where he made a special study of acoustics and gave further exhibitions of the in- vention, which he developed into the harmonic REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 145 and multiplex telegraph. While perfecting this device, in 1875, the idea of a speaking telephone suggested itself, and in 1876 he perfected this in- vention and filed his caveat in the patent ofifice at Washington. That another inventor suc- ceeded in incorporating into his own application for a telegraph patent an important feature of Prof. Gray's invention, and that the latter was thereby deprived of the benefits which he should have derived therefrom, is the practically unani- mous decision of many well informed as to the merits of the controversy to which conflicting claims gave rise; and the leading scientists and scientific organizations of the world — according to a certain peritxlical — have accredited him the honor of inventing the telephone. In recognition of his distinguished achievements he was made a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor at the close of the Paris Exposition of 1878, and American col- leges have conferred upon him the degrees of Doctor of Laws and Doctor of Science. For several years after his invention of the telephone he was connected with the Postal Tele- graph company, and brought the lines of this system into Chicago, laying them under ground. He also devised a general underground telegraph system for the city, and then turned his attention to the invention of the telautograph, a device with which the general public is becoming famil- iar through the published account of its opera- tion. On March 21, 1893, the first exhibitions of the practical and successful operation of this wonderful instrument were given simultaneously in New York and Chicago, and on the same day the first telautograph messages were passed over the wires from Highland Park to Waukegan, Illinois. The exhibitions were witnessed by a large number of electrical experts, scientists and representatives of the press, who were unanimous in their opinion that Professor Gray's invention is destined to bring about a revolution in teleg- raphy. One of the beauties of electrical science is the expressiveness of its nomenclature, and among the many significant names given to electrical in- ventions none expresses more clearly the use and purpose of the invention to which it is applied than the term "telautograph." As its name signi- fies, the instrument enables a person sitting at one 10 end of the wire to write a message or a letter which is reproduced simultaneously in fac simile at the other end of the wire. It is an instrument which takes the place of the skilled operator and the telegraphic alphabet. Any one who can write can transmit a message by this means, and the re- ceiving instrument does its work perfectly, with- out the aid of an operator. The sender of a message may be identified by the fac simile of his handwriting which reaches the recipient, and pen- and-ink portraits of persons may be as readily transmitted from one point to another as the written messages. In many respects the telauto- graph promises to be more satisfactorj- in its practical operations than the telephone. Com- munications can be carried on between persons at a distance from each other with absolute secrecy, and a message sent to a friend in his absence from his place of business may be found awaiting him on his return. These and many other advan- tages which the telautograph seems to possess warrant the prediction that in the not very distant future telautography will supplant in a measure both telephony and telegraphy. The transmitter and receiver of the telautograph system are deli- cately constructed pieces of mechanism, each con- tained in a box somewhat smaller than a type- writer. The two machines are necessarily at each end of the wire, and stand side by side. In trans- _ mitting a message an ordinary feed lead pencil is used, at the point of which is a small collar with two eyes in its rim. To each of these eyes a fine silk cord is attached, running ofif at right angles in two directions. Each of the two ends of this cord is carried around a small drum supported on a vertical shaft. Lender the drum and attached to the small shaft is a toothed wheel of steel, the teeth of which are so arranged that when either section of the cord winds on or off its drum a number of teeth will pass a given point cor- responding to the length of cord so wound or un- wcund. For instance, if the point of the pencil moves in the direction of one of the cords a dis- tance of one inch, fifty of the teeth will pass a certain point. Each one of the teeth and each space represent one impulse sent upon the line, so that when the pencil describes a motion one inch in length a hundred electrical impulses are sent upon the line. The receiving instrument is practically U6 lUOaHAPIirCSL DIcriOXARr and PORTRAir GALLERY OF THE a duplicate of the transmitter, the motions of which, however, are controlled by electrical mcxhanism. The perfected device exhibited by Prof. Gray and now in operation, is the result of six years of arduous labor, — an evolution to which the crude contrivance used in his earliest experiments bears little resemblance. The manu- facture of the instruments is carried on by the Gray Electric company, a corporation having offices in New York and Chicago and a large manufacturing establishment just outside the limits of the suburban village of Highland Park, Illinois, of which Prof. Gray has been for many years a resident. Here, in addition to his work- shop and laboratory, the renowned inventor has a beautiful home, and his domestic relations are of the ideal kind. In 1892 it was decided to hold international congresses of various kinds, making this a promi- nent incidental feature of the World's Columbian exposition; and accordingly a body, which be- came known as the World's Congress Auxiliary of the World's Columbian Exposition, was or- ganized for the purpose of promoting and making all necessary preparations for these gatherings. To Prof. Gray of Chicago this body assigned the task of organizing the "Congress of Electricians,'' and placed upon him the responsibility of formulating the plans and making all initiatory preparations for what was unquestionably the most important and interesting convention of electricians ever held in this or any other country. While the professor called to his assistance many distinguished members of his profession, by virtue of his official position, he was the central and most attractive figure in this great movement. When the World's Congress of Electricians as- sembled in the Art Institute of Chicago, August 2t, 1893, there were gathered there the most noted electricians of all parts of the world. The con- gress was divided into two sections, one of which, termed the official section, was composed of repre- sentatives designated by the governments of Europe and the Americas, and was authorized to consider and pass upon questions relating to elec- trical measurement, nomenclature and various othei matters of importance to the electrical world. To the other section of the congress were ad- mitted all professional electricians who came properly accredited, and they were permitted to attend the sessions and participate in the deliber- ations, although they were not allowed to vote on the technical questions which came before it. The career of Prof. Gray is marvelous in more than one particular. In his youth he was seen to possess the indomitable purpose, industry and resolution which are essential in the make-up of every successful business man. He began his inventive work, and in his earlier manhood gave to the public works which made him famous and for which he merited the gratitude of the civilized world; yet, unlike many men of talent, he did not then rest from his labors. Some of the best known inventors of the century have perfected theii' wonderful work in earlier life to then sit down and make no further progress. This may be due in part to the fact that as a man travels on in the journey of life mature judgment brings a coolness of deliberation and a slowness of action which is in many cases commendable; yet it per- mits the enthusiasm and daring of the more youth- ful man to take advantage of opportunities which he was considering. Prof. Gray, however, has not followed this plan. His deep research has continued up to the present time, and he has not only kept pace with, but has also been the leader in the progress and advancement which have mcrked the electrical world; and the more mature judgment and riper experience which have come with advancing years and which have been brought to bear upon newer problems, have in many cases resulted in inventions and improve- ments of the utmost importance to mankind and the cause of civilization. The professor is a member of the Union League Club of Chicago, and in his political views he is a stalwart Republican. He has traveled ex- tensively in this country and in Europe, and is a gentleman of fine personal appearance, pleasing address and commanding bearing, who will attract attention in any assembly. Although he has the appearance of the profound student, he has none of the eccentricities generally attributed to inventors; and when not in his work-shop or his laboratory, engaged with his experiments, he is a most genial and affable gentleman, whose pleasing manner has won him hosts of friends, while his great electrical skill and general scien- tific attainments command the adnn'ration and respect of the world. REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 147 GUSTAVUS KOERNER, BELLEVILLE. IN a brief sketch of any living citizen it is difficult to do him exact and impartial justice, — not so much, however from lack of space or words to set forth the familiar and passing events of his personal history as for want of the perfect and rounded conception of his whole life, which grows, develops and ripens, like fruit, to disclose its true and best flavor only when it is mellowed by time. Daily contact with the man so familiar- izes us with his many virtues that we ordinarily overlook them and commonly underestimate their possessor. Nevertheless, while the man passes away his deeds of virtue live on, and will in due time bear fruit and do him the justice which our pen fails to record. The Hon. Gustave Koerncr, of Bencville, was born November 20, 1S09, in the city of Frankfort, Germany. A fact worthy of notice is that this same year Lincoln, Gladstone and Tennyson also came into this world. The father of our subject, Bernhard Koerner, was a pub- lisher and bookseller and much esteemed as a man of great public spirit. He was extremely patriotic, an enemy of Napoleon; and before the .defeat of Napoleon published many war-songs of Ernst Amdt and Theodore Koerncr. After the war of Independence and the restoration of Frank- fort as a free city, he was repeatedly elected to the legislative assembly, in which he became con- spicuously known for his strong liberalism. He died in 1829, aged fifty-six, and his wife died in 1847, aged about seventy years. Gustavus Koerner received his first education at an elementary school established upon the system of Pestalozzi, called the Model school; and when about twelve years of age he was sent to college at Frankfort, where he remained about six years, pursuing a classical course, and perfect- ing himself in English, writing and reading. At the age of eighteen he attended the University of Jena, to study law, remaining for two years. He pursued his studies for one year at Munich and completed them at Heidelberg 1832, where he graduated and obtained the degree of LL. D. A law of his native citv. being a queer old law which ought to have been repealed long before, required him to take the degree of Doctor of Civil and Canon Law before he could be admit- ted to the bar. He received a diploma of Doctor of Law of a very high grade (insigni cum laude). The faculty of Heidelberg sent him a letter of congratulations on the fiftieth anniversary of the promotion, in which they gave him the highest degree, "Summa cum laude." His examination was in Latin, and he had to write two dissertations, one on civil law and one on common law. Li June, 1832, he underwent the State examination and was admitted to the bar at Frankfort by the judges of the highest courts. While a student he employed his leisure during vacation in visit- ing almost every part of Germany, familiarizing himself with the institutions and acquiring a thorough knowledge of the character of the people. During his residence in Munich, and while, in coinsec[uence of the excitement produced by the French revolution of July, disturbances of a serious nature had broken out in that place as well as many others in Germany, in which bloody conflicts between the military and civilians, very often students, took place, Koerner, with some forty other students, was charged with having forcibly attacked the armed troops of the king. For this he was closely confined in prison for five months, but was finally discharged of the com- plaint by the supreme court of Bavaria. In 1833, lie, with thousands of other young men, prin- cipally professional, joined in an attempt to break up the German Diet, which had rendered itself obno.xious and had by unconstitutional ordi- nances destroyed the liberty of the press and free- dom of teaching at the universities, and the rights of association and public meetings in the States of Germany. His activity along this line in- volved him in a rising at Frankfort on the 3d of April. 1833, and in conflict with the soldiery, while storming a militar}- post, he was disabled by a wound. After the failure of the movement he succeeded in escaping from the city to France. The French government did not permit him to us lUnORAPlIICAL DICTIONART AAD PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE stay and sent him under escort to Switzerland. However, he again made his way, in disguise, into France, went to Paris and finally to Havre, where he set sail for the United States and arrived at New York on the i8th of June, 1833, ^fte*" ^ seven-weeks journey. The second day after his arrival he took out first papers of citizenship. He then came with the family of the lady who afterward became his wife, to Illinois, the journey from New York to St. Louis being about four weeks. This family he knew in Germany, the father being master of forests with the rank of major in the army. Mr. Engel- mann (this being his friend's name) on his ar- rival purchased a farm and our subject spent one year there and pursued his studies. In the fall of 1834 he attended the law school at Lexington, Kentucky, principally to perfect his English, and was admitted to the bar by the supreme court, June, 1835. Ho selected Belleville, near St. Louis, as his home, and here married Miss Sophie Engelmann in 1836. To this union there were born eight children. Mrs. Koerner died March, 1888, aged seventy-two. iThey' had a golden wedding in 1886, when 500 people were present. She was a lad_\- of culture and refinement, whose main joy in life was to make her home and husband happy and the abode of good cheer. In 1836 Mr. Koerner formed a partnership with Adam W. Snyder, father of Judge William W. Snyder, who was then senator of the State and was elected to Congress the same year. This dis- sohed the partnership, and on the advice of Mr. Snyder he formed a partnership with General James Shields, who by the way held more offices than any other man known to the writer of this sketch. He was senator from three different States. Their intimacy existed until the death of General Shields. When the general was ap- pointed commissioner of the land ofifice Mr. Koerner became a partner of Judge Breese, while he was in the United States senate. In 1840 Mr. Koerner was appointed by the presidential electors of Illinois as the messenger to carry the vote to Washington, and while there he became acquainted with \^an Buren, and was introduced by Governor John Reynolds to Henry Cla;, He also became acquainted with J. O. Adams and others of equal importance, He heard speeches of Webster, Clay, Calhoun, Pres- ton of North Carolina, Benton and others. ] n 1 842 he was elected from St. Clair county to the legislature for two years, and in 1845 was appointed by Governor Ford to fill a vacancy on the supreme bench, to which he was shortly after- ward elected by the legislature. The office of judge having in 1849 been made elective by the people, and the new constitution reducing the court to three members, each with a small salary, he did not become a candidate, but returned to his law practice. In 1852 he was elected lieu- tenant governor of Illinois, for four years. He attended the convention which was held in Philadelphia in 1856, and which nominated Fre- mont and Dayton. In 1858 he was president of the convention where Lincoln was nominated a candidate for United States senator against Doug- las and where Lincoln made his celebrated speech, "A house divided against itself cannot stand." In 1856, owing to the Nebraska question, he, with Medill, Horace White, Palmer, Trum- bull and many otlier Democrats, voted for Fremont. He made no less than fifty speeches in each campaign, speaking English and German. In i860 he was appointed by the State con- vention as a delegate at large, with Nomian B. Judd, to the Republican national convention in Chicago. This was when Lincoln was nominated for president of the United States. He attended the inauguration of Lincoln at Washington. There were about five hundred Illinois men there, many armed in case of trouble, which was thought might happen. The war breaking out. Governor Koerner in the summer of 1861 raised an infantry regiment (the Forty-third), but before its organization was completed he received from Lincoln an appoint- ment as colonel of volunteers and was assigned to the staff of General Fremont and afterward to that of General Halleck. Severe illness compelled him to resign in 1862. In the June following the presi- dent appointed him minister to Spain, which he filled until 1865, when he resigned for financial reasons and returned to the United States. In 1868 he was appointed one of the electors for the State at large on the Grant ticket, and pre- sided over the electoral college of Illinois. In REPRESEyTATIVE MEN OF THE VXITED STATES; ILLIXOIS VOLUME. U9 1871 he was appointed by the governor one of the newly created Board of Railroad and Ware- house commissioners, of which he was elected chairman. The governor's well known statesman- ship and his large and liberal views on questions of public policy naturally indicated him as a leader in the political contest of 1872, and he be- came the nominee of the Liberal Republican and the Democratic parties as governor of Illinois; but he was defeated, though he ran 15,000 votes ahead of Greeley! Governor Palmer appointed him one of the board of directors to establish and or- ganize the Soldiers' Orphans' Home, to erect buildings and secure grounds. Since this time he has declined all public offices, giving his time to his practice. He was an active w'orker for Tilden for president, and took an active part in the Hancock-Garfield campaign. It would be trespassing on the domain of history to recount his attendance to many con- ventions and the speeches delivered, the public men with whom he has labored and the political issues he has originated and supported. It is only necessarj- to add that Governor Koemer's life has been busy, honorable and useful, and, as expressed by a friend of his, "like a clear limpid stream wherein you can see the form and color of the pebbles at the bottom, and through whose meandering course no sediment appears." He is a man with pleasing and expressive features. His voice is still strong. His language is clear, simple and graceful, and he leads his auditors along through an argumentative path, decked with classic allusions, that, like the flowers on the bor- ders of a stream, seem to be native there. After a pure, honorable and useful life, actuated by vmselfish motives, prompted by patriotism and guided by truth and justice. Governor Koerner may in old age rest assured that the [jeople of this country are not unmindful of those who have devoted themselves to their interests. "Palmam qui meruit ferat." GEORGE W. FUNK, HLOOMINGTOX. GEORGE W. FUNK, the eldest son of Isaac and Cassandra (Sharp) Funk, was born at Funk's Grove, McLean county, Illinois, May 14. 1827. He was reared upon his father's farm, and early taught those habits of industry which have had such an important bearing upon his entire life. He obtained his education in the district school, in the meantime assisting his fa- ther in such work as his age and strength would permit. He became interested in farming and stock-feeding wiien a boy, and has ever since fol- lowed that pursuit as his main business. Upon the death of his father, Isaac Funk, in 1865, a great amount of labor of settling up the estate devolved upon him. The estate was the most valuable ever divided in central Illinois; it included 27,000 acres of land and a large amount of stock and other property. By the unanimous consent of his brothers, he took charge of the lands, and that the estate was divided without a will and without any misunderstanding or con- tention speaks volumes for the undotibted integ- rity and honesty not only of our subject but of the entire family. In the year 1868 Mr. Funk moved to Mount Hope township, and he now operates farms amounting to 4.000 acres in McLean county: 1. 000 acres lie in West township, eastern part of McLean county, and include the site of the old Indian town and fort. He has also become in- terested in various banking institutious. among which are the First National Bank of Blooming- ton and banks in Lincoln and Springfield and the People's Bank of Atlanta, of which he is presi- dent. He has been twice married. His first wife. Susan Pumpelley, to whom he was married in 1868, died the following year, leaving an infant son. Isaac G., now a young man of twenty-seven years. In 1876 Mr. Funk w^as united in mar- riage to Rose Fitzwilliams. They are the parents of three children, one of whom is dead. The liv- ing are Madeline and Julius. Politically Mr. Funk is a stanch Republican, 150 lUnaUAI'IIICAL DICTIOXAUr AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF TILE and is ever ready to aid his party during its cam- paigns. While never seeking political office, he has been honored by his fellow-citizens by elec- tion to the State legislature in 1870. During tli:_> time he was a member of the assembly, a.i im- mense amount of work was performed by that body. It was the first session after the adoption of the new constitution, and it was an almost con- tinuous session for t^vo years. Mr. Funk did effective work as a legislator and served as a member of the committees on banking, fanning and agriculture. Mr. Funk has made good use of his op- portunities, he has prospered from year to year, and has conducted all business matters carefully and successfully, and in all his acts disjilays an aptitude for successful manage- nicnt. He lias not permitted the accumula- tion of a vast fortune to affect in any way his actions toward those less successful than he, and has always a cheerful word and pleas- ant smile for all with whom he comes in contact. WILLIAM W. KIMBALL, THE pioneers of a country, the founders of a business, the originators of any undertak- ing, that will promote the material welfare or ad- vance the educational, social and moral influence of a community, deserve the gratitude of human- ity. The name of Kimball at once suggests the music trade, and the subject of this review is the pioneer of this enterprise in the Northwest. He now has a reputation which extends throughout the country, and to-day is ranked among the most prominent business men of his adopted city. William Wallace Kimball was born in Oxford county, Maine, in 1828, and is a son of David Kimball, a native of the same place, which has been the ancestral abode of the family since the close of the Revolutionary war. Through the chronicles of early New England the direct line of ancestry of the Kimballs on American soil is traced back through some twelve generations to Richard Kimball, of Ipswich, Massachusetts, who emigrated 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 chapters of our country's history, coming to eminence in peace and war alike during all the earlier stages of colonial development and throug'i the subsequent era of rapid political transition, ending in the establishment of our present repub- lican government. The family furnished many representatives to the war for independence, in- cluding Moses Kimball, the grandfather of Will- iam W.: while in the war of 181 2 David Kimball served with equal distinction. The Revolutionary hero at the close of the war became a farmer, and removing to Maine settled in O.xford countv, which, two hundred years subsequent to the time of Richard, the Pilgrim of Ipswich, liecame the birthplace of W. W. Kimball. In the district and high schools of his native county the last named acquired his education, and at the age of eighteen entered upon his business career as a clerk in a store. Subsequently he en- gaged in teaching, but his tastes drew him toward commercial life, and upon attaining his majority he proceeded to Boston, where he secured em- ployment in connection with a mercantile estab- lishment. He soon went upon the road, his labors taking him first to New England, afterward to the Middle, Southern and Western States. In this way he acquired an intimate and comprehen- sive knowledge of Western mercantile geography, which proved of inestimable practical advantage to him later on, in supplying those various lati- tudes and communities with the product of his own manufacture. In 1857 Mr. Kimball visited Chicago, then a frontier city, in a comparatively isolated region. Finding something congenial to his own tempera- ment in the whirl of its traffic and in the vitality of its enterprise, he decided to locate permanently in the place, and, in the fall of the same year, com- REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 151 menced 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 Chicago 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 Morthwest, for the settlers were pioneers endeavoring to make homes, and were content if they could accomplish this and secure the necessities of life during those earlier years. It v.as often a struggle to obtain food and cloth- ing for their families, and musical instruments were luxuries not to be thought of; but Air. Kim- ball, with wonderful sagacity, looked forward to the future and saw the coming prosperity in the piano trade. Experience seemed also to dis- courage the project: all who had preceded him in that particvdar line of business had encoun- tered only discouragement and failure. Tlie young merchant seemed to realize the necessity of patient waiting, and so rested content with the local retail trade in the belief that the grow- ing requirements of the country would in time call for the establishment of a wide agency sys- tem and wholesale traffic connections with the larger opportunities thus implied. Nor did he miscalculate. In 1864 the wholesale trade in pianos, through his individual efTort, was established for the first time in Chicago, and the development of traffic became such as to justify his removal to the fain' us Crosby Opera House on Washington street. Here he opened fine warerooms, which remained the center of the polite trade of the Northwest until the general' conflagration of 1 87 1. From newspaper records of the period it appear? that W. W. Kimball, within forty-eight hours after the subsidence of that historic fire, had converted his private residence on Michigan avenue into a beautiful warehouse, with the bil- liard room for an office and the barn for a ship- ping department. The floorage, however, prov- ing inadeciuate for his business, a removal was made to larger quarters at the northwest corner of Wabash avenue and Thirteenth street, which served his purpose until the summer of 1873, when he took possession of the commodious buildinsr at the southeast corner of State and Adams streets, in the rebuilt central district. There in 1882 the business was reorganized, un- der the corporate name of the 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 mam- moth structure at the southeast corner of State and Jackson streets. In the spring of 1891 the final removal was made to the stately new edi- fice 243 to 253 Wabash avenue, which is elab- orately planned and constructed for the perfect accommodation of all the different parts of the business that has now come to be represented by a thousand branches and to cover all the wide territory tributary to Chicago. In the prosecution of his business there has been manifest one of the most sterling traits of his character, — his desire to carry forward to the highest perfection attainable anything that he undertakes. This has marked his social and business career and has been one of the most important factors in his almost phenomenal suc- cess. Not content with mediocrity in any line of life, he has given deep and earnest thought to the study of perfecting the musical instruments which he manufactures. His plan aimed at once to advance the mechanical principles of construc- tion and to so economize the industry as to fur- nish the highest grade of instruments at a greatly- reduced cost to the public. In pursuance of this plan he erected an extensive organ factory in the year 1881. The trade of the house now covered all the northwestern and western territory, and a careful review of the situation over a larger and more universal field indicated the time as opportune for inaugurating the industry. The experiment proved a wonderful success. In five vears' time the Kimball parlor organ was selling in every American market and forming an im- portant item in the national export trade. The manufacture of pianos was begun six years later (1887), when a factory, corresponding with the dimensions of the vast organ plant, was erected in juxtaposition to the latter and completed a vast two-fold manufacturing system, covering a floorage of over ten acres and being thus made jointly available to the two separate but related industries. The latter enterprise also proved very successful, a product being soon re- 152 niOQRAPiriCAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE alized, which, under the name of the new-scale Kimball piano, was at once accepted by the mu- sical authorities of this country and of Europe as among the foremost instruments of our time. Recently the manufacture of pipe organs has also been added to the enterprise. ]\'Ir. Kimball was married, in 1865, to Miss Evalyne J\I. Cone, daughter of Hubbell B. Cone, of Chicago. He is a valued and interested mem- ber of various social clubs of the city, and his great activity, combined with his genial, social disposition makes him thoroughly enjoy the higher class of amusements and entertainments, being especially fond of the drama. A man's business life seems in part at least a public possession, but around his home and private life there should be drawn a veil which shuts out the curious gaze of the world. Those, however, who have attained prominence in any line cannot hope for the freedom from general notice in the same degree as one who has never left the ranks of the common people. In former ages historj' was a record of war and warriors, of conquests and conquerors; to-day history is composed of accounts of commercial activity, of advancement in the lines of business, science, arts and letters. In learning of the inventions of printing, of cotton weaving, the inventions of the sewing machine and steamboat, who does not stop to inquire of the men in whose busy brains these things originated and learn of the life history of Gutteuburg, Arkwright, Howe and Fulton? Mr. Kimball is a man of modest and unostentatious demeanor, never seeking self- praise; but when the complete history of the Northwest shall be written the question will be asked. What of the founder of the piano and or- gan making industries in this section of the country? It is but just, therefore, in view of Ills brilliant success, to enter somewhat in detail concerning the plans and methods he has fol- lowed and the characteristics which he has man- ifested. In business affairs Mr. Kimball is energetic, prompt and notably reliable. Tireless energy, keen perception, honesty of purpose, a genius for de- vising and executing the right thing at the right time, joined to ever\'-day common sense, guided by resistless will power, are the chief character- istics of the man. His business has passed through the era of war, fire and financial panic undisturbed, owing to the reliability of the man at the head. Justice has ever been maintained in his relations to patrons and employes, and ni.-aiv of those who began with him at the com- mencement of his career are still in his service. He has not been slow to assist and encourage others who have left his employ to enter busi- ness for themselves, and in return he naturally has the loyal support of all the employes of the house. He has been watchful of all the details of his business and of all indications pointing toward prosperity, and from the beginning had an abiding faith in the ultimate success of his cnteiprise. He has gained wealth, yet it was not alone the goal for which he was striving, and he belongs to that class of representative Ameri- can citizens who promote the general prosperity while advancing individual interests. Charit- able and benevolent, he has given freely of his means in support of worthy charity, but one of his great qualities lies in his encouragement and material assistance to those who were willing to help themselves. Indiscriminate giving often fosters idleness and vagrancy on the part of the recipients, but aid given to those who are anxious to make the most of their op- portunities will develop self-reliance and hon- orable business men who become the bulwarks of the nation. REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 153 JOHN W. PADDOCK, KANKAKEE. JOHN W. PADDOCK was born in Camillus. Onondaga county, New York, February 14, 1815. His parents were James and Ann Paddock, his father being" a miller and a farmer. The Paddock family is one of the oldest in this country, their first settlements being made in the Plymouth Colony as early as 1630. The Plym- outh Colony records show that Robert Pad- dock was at that time a member of the colony, and subsequently recite the fact of the allotment of lands to him, and record that he was the con- stable of Duxbury about 164 _^, and show the (late I'f his death and the record of the menibcrs of his family. His descendants afterward emi- grated to Yarmouth, and from there to Dutchess county, New York ; thence to Washington county, from there to Onondaga, New York, and then to Illinois. David Paddock, the grandfather of John W. of this article, lived near West Point at the time of the Revolutionary war, was a soldier in Cap- tain Waterbury's company. Seventh New York Continental Volunteers, and was engaged in the campaigns up and down the Hudson and in the battle of Saratoga. Tiie father of John W., James, was a soldier in the war of 181 2: and the mother of John W., Ann T^IcClaury, was of .Scotch-Irish descent. Her parents emigrated to New York from the north of Ireland with the Clintons of Revolutionary fame, and were re- lated to that family. The David Williams, who was the captor of IMajor Andre, was related to the wife of David Paddock above spoken of, and the name of the subject of this article was John Williams Paddock, the Williams being in recognition of the relationship' to the Williams family. The origin of the Paddock family was ^\'e]sh. Windsor, in his history of Duxbury, states the fact that there was a tradition that RobiTt. one of the ancestors, was one of the minors who came over in the "Mayflower." P.e that so or not, it is certain that by blood and tiadiiion the subject of this article descended from a line of men who were thoroughly endowed with the spirit of liberty, and whose convictions of what was right had all through the years that have gone impelled them to brave every hard- ship and danger to maintain their principles. They were Puritans, Pilgrims, Federalists, \Vhigs and Nationalists. Colonel Paddock's preliminary education was acquired in the schools of his native place, whence he moved to Syracuse, New York, where he completed his academic course of studies. In the office of J. R. Hickox he studied law; from there in 1836, with his father, he removed to Lockport, Will county, Illinois, being the teacher of the first school in that village. He was admitted to the bar of this State and com- menced the practice of his profession in 1837. In June, 1853, he located in the city of Kanka- kee, then but a prospective town, and in the fall of that year he removed his family to this place. Previous to his settlement in this county he trav- eled and practiced at Middleport, Ottawa, Joliet and Chicago. After his establishment at Kanka- kee he was connected with all the important cases in both Kankakee and Iroquois counties. Per- haps the most celebrated cases with which his name was connected were those of the Chiniquv trials. He was occupied in the vigorous prose- cution of his professional duties until 1862, when he was elected to the constitutional convention as a Union man, and on the Union ticket. Fie re- fused to sign the new constitution and contrib- uted largely to its defeat by the people. In the fall of that year he entered the United States Army. In earlv life he was an old-line Whig, but upon the dissolution of that party became an ardent supporter of Douglas, was an ardent and eloquent speaker, and an effective and valu- able ally of that great Democratic leader. When the tocsin of war was sounded and the question arose of loyalty or disloxalty, he forsook a re- nnmerative practice, and at his own expense traveled his Congressional district, delivering stirring speeches in favor of the vigorous prose- cution of the war for the Union. He greatly aided Captain Vaughn in the or- ganization of the company of volunteers after- 154 BinOUArinOAL DTCTIOXARY and portrait gallery of lUK warcl assiijiitnl to the I'ifty -third Illinois Infantry, and projected the org-anization of the Seventy- sixth Illinois Infantry. With this regiment he proposed entering the service, but six compa- nies still remained after the Seventy-sixth was filled. He remained with them and subsequently went with them to Chicago, where they were in- corporated with the four companies of the then or- ganizing Third Board of Trade Regiment, and in October, 1862, he was commissioned Lieutenant- Colonel of the One Hundred and Thirteenth Illi- nois Infantry. Before leaving for the seat of war he was, in the presence of the regiment at Camp Hancock, presented with a superb sword by his fellow-townsman, James M. Perry, of Kanka- kee. The One Hundred and Thirteenth joined Sherman in his expedition against Vicksburg in the fall of 1862, and witnessed that terrible but unsuccessful struggle. Colonel Paddock- participated actively in the battles of Chickasaw Bayou and of Arkansas Post, after which the regiment was divided, part going to Springfield, Illinois, the remainder being assigned to Young's Point, Louisiana. They were also engaged in the movements which resulted in the capture of Vicksburg, July 4, 1863, Colonel Paddock being in command at the time. He was with General Sherman on the Rolling Fork expedition, and during the greater portion of the time consumed in the siege of Vicksburg commanded the force assigned to the protection of the landing of the Yazoo, whence Grant drew his supplies. In August, 1863, Colonel Paddock was ordered to report to General Hurlbut, at Memphis, an or- der which he at once prepared to obey in com- pany with his regiment, then badly stricken with disease. He reached Memphis, but owing to the return of that dreaded fever, contracted while on the field, he was sent to the officers' hospital located in that city. There, after lingering in great pain, he died Sunday evening, August 16, 1863, attended by the chaplain of the regiment. His remains were brought home and interred on the 24th of August, at Kankakee, followed to the grave by one of the largest funeral corteges in the history of the county. Colonel Paddock was a man of commanding presence; he stood six feet high, was well proportioned in his body, had long, flowing, black hair, large blue eyes and full, round face, and was of light and buoyant spirits. To him all men were equal and every man was to be treated as a man. He felt no con- descension in listening to the complaints of the poor and lowly, and to assert and defend their rights was always a gratification to him ; nor did lie feel any elevation in being associated with the wealthy or great. He was actuated through- out life with a broad spirit of charity, and was imbued with an intense love of his country and its institutions. The principles of the Declara- tion of Independence he exemplified in his life and his death. His funeral sermon was preached bythe Rev. C.B.Thomas, of the Unitarian Church, at Chicago, from which we take the following extracts : " We have met to do honor to the noble dead ; we have come here to the home which was so dear to him to pay to his memory this last trib- ute of respect and love. A generous, manly, hon- orable man has passed suddenly away from us, and gone out into solemn mystery. Another great heart, which beat with an intelligent, wise, determined love of his country, is stilled forever. I could not now recount the story of his noble life here among his neighbors and friends, who lEACE," sai-, 1894, he formed a partner- ship with V. D. Winslow, which continued till September 16, 1895, when the law firm of Hop- kins, Aldrich & Thatcher was dissolved and jNIr. Nathan J- Aldrich united with Winslow & George, forming the firm of Aldrich, Winslow & George. His large financial interests prevent his giving much time to his law practice, which how- ever is very important and extensive. He en- gages in general practice, but pays special atten- tion to corporation law, for which he is particularly well qualified. In him are combined an intimate knowledge of fundamental and statute law, natu- ral sagacity and constant scrupulous care, which methods have made his professional career one of success. His thorough knowledge of corpora- tion law is recognized wherever he is known, and his profesisonal services and advice are in con- stant demand as he possesses rare powers of or- ganization. In carrying on the important work- that his father began, he is perhaps best known in his native city. In 1891 he began taking charge of his father's business as the second vice-president of the Old Second National Bank. At the time of his fath- er's retirement from the presidency, which he had held for nearly a quarter of a century, William George entered upon the duties of that important position. This was in Jauuary, 1895, and his suc- cessful management of its affairs makes it a very profitable institution as well as one of the solid financial concerns of this section of the state. No special branch of business or any particular inter- est has any claim on this institution, and his policy is to cater to all regular legitimate inter- ests though it is essentially a bank for business men. The new president welcomes all depositors, though they have but a few dollars to deposit now ajid then, and is earnest in his endeavor to cultivate and encourage the spirit of economy and saving among the working men of Aurora. This safe and solid basis of transacting business raises the Old Second National Bank of Aurora above all fear of financial panic or depressions in trade. In addition to his professional and financial interests, Mr. George is a director in the Aurora Cotton Mills, the Aurora Silver Plate Manufac- turing Company, director and treasurer in the North Aurora Mill Company, attorney and direc- tor in the Fox River Valley Building and Loan Association, director in the Hercules Ice Machine Company, director in the Aurora Pure Ice Company and president of the Aurora Lumber Company. He is a man of broad capabilities, as his varied and extensive business interests indicate. He is at all times approachable and patiently listens to whatever a caller may have to say, always cour- teous and at all times a gentleman in the truest and best sense of the term. He cares not for noto- riety, nor is there about him the least shadow of mock modesty. He is a gentleman of fine ad- dress and thorough culture, occupying a first place in society as well as in the commercial cir- cles of northern Illinois. Mr. George usually ad- vocates the principles of the Republican party, but is independent in his voting and cares noth- ing for political preferment. At all times Mr. George is devoted to the wel- fare and interests of his family, and it seems that he cannot do too much to promote the happiness of his wife and daughter. On the nth of Octo- ber, 1887, he was united in marriage with Miss Alice Maude Lounsbury, daughter of Rev. E. W. Lounsbury, D. D., of Dayton, Ohio. They have one child — Alice j\Iav. REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF TEE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 178 ALFRED M. JONES, WAUKESHA, WISCONSIN. ALFRED MILES JOXES is a native of the Granite State, having been born at Xew Durham. New Hampshire, Febn.iar\- 5, 1837. His father, Alfred S. Jones, was a sturdy type of tlie New England farmer, whose wife Rebecca was a member of the old Miles family of Connecticut Alfred M. was their eldest child. Ten years after our subject's birth, his parents moved westward and lo- cated at Hebron, McHenry county, Illinois, and resumed their farming operations. Al- fred remained with his parents till he was sixteen years old, then struck out for himself and went to the Michigan pineries, remained there fi'r a time and then spent a year in rafting on the Mis- sissippi. He saved some money out of this venture and went to Rockford, Illinois, and at- tended for two winters the institute there, kept by H. P. Kimball, graduating in 1856. After this he returned to Hebron, working on his fath- er's farm in the summer and teaching school during the winter. After he had resided there for a short time his father disposed of his interests and moved to Warren in Jo Daviess count)^ and here, in 1857, our subject started in for himself in the book and jewelry business. In the follow'ing year the panic staggered the country, and Mr. Jones sold his stock of goods, which invoiced thirty dollars, and, being dependent on his own exertions, was forced to seek his livelihood in another direction. He decided to go to the Pike's Peak country, then in the zenith of its fame, and in company' with a friend, George Heafiford, left Warren and traveled by rail to St. Joseph, Missouri; at that point they crossed the river and met two Ger- mans in the town of Elwood, who had two wheel- barrows. They bought one, and Mr. Jones, who was the stronger of the two, got a surcingle, put it over his shoulders, strapped the ends to the handles of the wheelbarrow, and thus wheel- ing it made the entire journey to their destination, — a trip that occupied twenty days. After the first day there Mr. Jones left his partner. He remained for a short time, but, being disap- pointed in the prospects, decided to return East, and set out on foot for Kearney, Nebraska, five hundred and fifty-five miles dis- tant, which distance he covered in ten consecu- tive days, passing everything on the road except the pony express! Upon arriving at \\'arren, Mr. Jones, after resting but a day from his fatiguing trip, went to work laying sidewalks, for one dollar and twenty- five cents a day. From that day to this he has ever been busy, actively engaged in work of some sort. He was then employed in the sale of farm machinery, and this he continued for about five years. Giving that up, he engaged in the law and real-estate business. Shortly after his return home he was appointed constable, later he held the position of deputy sheriff and coroner, and was for eight years chair- man of the Republican county central committee. He was elected to the lower house of the Illinois legislature and served during the sessions of 1872-73-74, and in the latter session was his party's leader in the house. It was at this tin;e that he received the name of "Long" Jones, un- der which title he is known to almost every-body. It was given him to distinguish him from Mr. Jones, of Massac county, a member of the assem- bly at the same time; and as A. M. Jones is over six feet in height it stuck to him, and he has ever since been known as "Long" Jones. After his term of service in the legislature ex- pired he was appointed one of the Joliet peni- tentiary commissioners, and was for three years and six months secretary of the board. He was then appointed by President Hayes collector of internal revenue at Sterling, Illinois, and later President Garfield appointed him United States marshal of the Northern District of Illinois, with headquarters at Chicago. He continued in this office until June 30, 1885. During that time he was a member of the Republican State central com- mittee, and for twelve years of the fourteen that he was a member he filled the position of chair- man. One of the triumphs of which Mr. Jones and his friends are justifiably proud is that he 174 nionRAPIfTCAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE was chairman ol the State central committee in the year 1878, tliat broucrht about the election of General John A. Logan to the United States senate; and for this ser\'ice he was presented by his admirers with a handsome silver service as a token of their appreciation. The last two times that General Logan was elected to the senate, Mr. Jones, who was his warm personal friend, had charge of the campaign, successfully accom- plishing, as he always did, what he strove for. In 1892, at the Republican national conven- tion in IMinneapolis, he had charge of President Harrison's forces, with the result,, as is well re- membered, that that gentleman was renomi- nated to the highest office in the gift of the peo- ple. It was on that occasion that Mr. Jones was the recipient of a handsome cane from the mem- Ihts of the "low-water-mark"' committee of which he was chairman. On the first day of July, 1885, Mr. Jones took charge as manager of the noted Bethesda min- eral springs at Waukesha, which up to that time had not proved a paying investment. Under his management it was soon "on its feet." In 1888 he became president of the company, as well as its manager. These offices he still holds, and the affairs of the company are in a most flour- ishing condition. Mr. Jones has been a grad- ual purchaser of the stock of the Bethesda com- pany, and now holds about seventy-five per cent, of its issue. He was instrumental in organizing the Wauke.sha Beach Electric Railway Company, which is capitalized for seventy-five thousand dollars, and he was elected president of the cor- poration at its organization. The company has constructed a line of electric railway extending from Waukesha to Pew'aukee lake, a distance of five miles. After accepting the presidency of the above corporation he decided that, as his business enterprises were so extensive as to re- Cjuirc his home there, he would make that city his place of permanent residence; and accord- ingly, in the spring of 1894, not without regrets, he left his residence in Illinois and moved his family to Waukesna, where he has planned a magnificent dwelling which he hopes to enter next year. The handsome Terrace Hotel, lo- cated ju.st across the street from Bethesda Park, is owned by him. On October 13, 1857, ]\Ir. Jones was united in matrimony with Miss Emeline A. Wright, a native of New York State, and they have two children: Alfred Wirt, secretary of the Bethesda; and Ernie, now Mrs. J. L. Robinson. Mr. Jones is a member of the Baptist Church and a liberal contributor to its support; and he is also a member of the ^Masonic fraternity. It seems appropriate at this point to say a word or two regarding the Bethesda Spring. Its fame is so widespread that mention of it can with pro- priety be made even in a work devoted ex- clusively to biography, and especially so as the biographv of its president would be incomplete without it. There is but one other spring in the world so well known as the Bethesda, and that is the Carls- bad of Bohemia. To Colonel Richard Dunbar is due the credit of the discovery of the definite therapeutic properties of the Bethesda Spring, although for years previous to 1868, the date of Colonel Dunbar's discovery, the Indians had drank of its waters with marked benefit. Colonel Dunbar, who was by occupation a railroad con- tractor, and had spent many years in South Amer- ica, was considered a hopeless invalid, sufTering from a supposed incurable case of diabetes. His wife's mother, Mrs. William Clarke, a resident of Waukesha, was fatally ill at that village, and Colonel Dunbar and his wife were summoned to her bedside. The former was in a most de- spondent frame of mind, for the most noted physicians of the time had told him he had but a few months to live. His skin was like parch- ment, and no perspiration had come from its pores for months. On the 9th day of August, 1868, he was taken out for a drive, and upon passing the spring the Colonel, who was always thirsty, requested a cup of water, which was given him, — in fact he drank nine cupfuls. Al- most immediately he began to perspire. LTpon arriving home he was put to bed and fell asleep, — the first sleep he had obtained for a long time. L'pon awakening he called for more water, and he continued to drink it wdienever thirsty. From this time his recovery was rapid, and he lived for a long time afterward, and purchased an in- terest in the spring that prolonged his life. In the fall of 1868 the water was first sold for REPBESFXTATIVE MFX OF THE UXITED STATES.- ILIJXOIS VOLUME. 175 medicinal puqDoses, and ever since that time it has been on the market. The business of bot- tling and selling in large quantities was begun in 1878. It is now consumed in all parts of the United States and in many European and Cana- dian cities. During 1892 over one million bot- tles of the water were sold and the business is steadily increasing. The greatest care is taken that the consumers get the water in a pure and unadulterated state, and it is sold in bottles only, and bottled only at the springs with a sealed label over the cork. The supply is unlimited, and its efficacy is attested to, over their own sig- natures, by some of the most eminent physi- cians and citizens of our country, such as Vice- President Stevenson, ex-Secretary Rusk, ex-Sec- retary Foster, ex-Governor Foraker, Director General George R. Davis. President T. W. Palmer, United States Judge Jenkins, Dr. Shrady and others by the score. Bethesda Park, in which the spring is located, is the most beautiful spot in ^V'aukesha, as well as the most popular with the thousands of vis- itors to that noted resort. A handsome pavilion has been erected over the spring, and this is thronged continuously with young and old to drink the sparkling waters. During the sum- mer season, band concerts form an attractive feature of enjoyment, while tennis courts, cro- quet giounils, a row on Fox river, or a stroll among the grand trees of the park offer amuse- ment for those inclined to avail themselves thereof. All the attendants are uniformed in neat blue, with the word "Bethesda" in gilt letters on their caps, and an air of neatness and prosperity per- vades everything connected with Bethesda. ^^'ithin a hundred miles of Chicago, and less than twenty from Milwaukee, residents of those cities are always present in large numbers, while as a resort for Southerners it already rivals the reputation held by Saratoga in the days before the war. Mr. Jones has been the leading spirit in the advancement of Bethesda. His has been the mind to conceive and direct and the hand to exe- cute all of its many improvements, with the re- sult that he has placed Bethesda water within the reach of all, and has made Bethesda Park one of the greatest and best known summer resorts in the country. JAMES MILLIKIN, E\'ERYWHERE in our land are found men who have worked their own way from I'.umble beginnings to leadership in the commerce, the great productive industries, the management of financial affairs, and in controlling the veins and arteries of the traffic and exchanges of the country. It is one of the glories of our nation that it is so. It should be the strongest incentive and encouragement to the youth of the country that it is so. Prominent among the self-made men of Illi- nois is the subject of this sketch, — a man hon- ored, respected and esteemed wherever known, and most of all where he is best known. James Millikin was bom in Washington county, Penn- sylvania, August 2, 1830. His father, Abel Mil- likin, a prosperous farmer, was of Scotch-Amer- ican ancestry, his forefathers having emigrated from Scotland and settled in Pennsylvania in the middle of the eighteenth century. Other branches of the Millikin family settled in Maine and in the .South, — Titillikin's Bend on the Mississippi river having obtained its name frum some mem- ber of the family. Xancy (\'an Dyke) Millikin, mother of our subject, was of Dutch ancestry. Ifer ancestors were among the early Knicker- bocker settlers along the Hudson river. Her immediate progenitors were natives of New Jersey. The boyhood days of James Millikin were imeventful. He attended the di.strict school and later for some three years was a student in the W'ashington (Pennsylvania) College, an institution which at that time had few if any su- periors. There he was enabled to obtain a knowl- edge of certain subjects that have been a con- 176 BIoaiiAPlIICAI, DiCT/OXAUY AXD PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE stant source of i^leasurc to liini in later years and whicli ha\'c had a powerful influence in shap- ing his career. Several members of Mr. Millikin's family were practicing physicians, — three uncles and an elder brother being members of that profes- sion, — and although nothing positive had been decided upon, it was almost assured that when James should reach the proper age he should follow in the paths of his relatives and become a doctor of medicine. The study of medicine had but little attraction for him, and he deter- mined to exert himself in a different direction. In 1848 he came West to Illinois, locating at first in Danville, X'ermillion county, where he engaged in the live-stock business, purchasing, raising and trading in stock of all kinds. In this, his first venlnre, he showed remarkable business adaptability, and transacted a large and lucra- tive business. He rented farms which he operated to raise live stock, and he extended his business in several directions. He was suc- cessful and soon found himself upon the road to prosperity. The tide of immigration was then moving west- ward with great force, and to his observing mind were shown great possibilities for the increase of the value of farm lands. Consequently he be- gan to obtain possession of wild lands, entering some and purchasing others until he owned large tracts of land in Illinois and still larger in southwestern Iowa. Much of this land cost him from one dollar to one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre. He entered the lan^d on which the town of Bemcnt is located. As the territory west of Danville became more thickly populated, new towns sprang into existence. Mr. Millikin decided that Decatur had better natural advan- tages than Danville, and in 1856 he journeyed thither and since then has made this city his home. In Decatur he continued to deal in lands, real estate and live stock, and soon established himself among the progressive men of the pro- gressive little city. In i860 he organized the private banking house of J. Millikin & Company, and at once entered upon a successful career as a banker. The few years that he had passed among the citizens of Decatur had demonstrated the fact that he was a man t" be trusted, an; morning daily, the Chicago Times, established many years previous by the late Wilbur F. Storey. This combination of the two great dailies was eflfected March 4, 1895, with a result that the Times-Fferald became one of the most magnifi- cent news publications the world has ever known, Mr. Scott serving as editor-in-chief and manager. The Herald Building, which was retained as the headquarters of the consolidated papers, is ac- credited with being the finest newspaper build- ing in the Union, both in architectural design and perfection of equipments. It would be a work of supererogation to attempt in this con- nection to enter into details concerning the his- tory of the Herald or to note the specific points which have marked the growth of the enterprise C '- ' ^z^^-*-^-^ BEPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME 185 hulping the poor." Ih an editorial in the Times- Herald it was written: "To the wife, upon whom this shock comes with crushing weight, goes the heartfelt sympathy of all belonging to the staff of the Tinies-IIerald. A home life beautiful in the devotion of one to the other is shattered by this calamity. The thousands who knew Mr. Scott so well, who at different times and places have had opportunity to note how the lovable side of his nature was always foremost, will need no assurance that in his own home he was a tender and an ever thoughtful husband. The watchful care and unremitting attentions of the wife, who now mourns his loss, strengthened him ever for that constant activity in the world of affairs which was his most shining trait. No journalist was ever more popular with his fellows. Those who were associated with him on the paper he made will miss from his accustomed place the genial face, the bright welcome, the sound counselor, the disinterested friend. The entire community which, young as he was, had fully learned to value the intellectual power and to prove the civic de- votion of him whose death is a blow to Chicago as it is a disaster to American journalism, will mourn for him with those who have been his professional associates. The world is better for his having lived in it.'' CYRUS HALL MCCORMICK. To n^/V^ " ^c REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES: ILLINOIS VOLUME. 191 CHARLES FARGO, THE records of the lives of our forefathers are of interest to the modern citizen, not alone for their historical value but also for the inspiration and example they afford; yet we need not look to the past. Although surroundings may dififer the essential conditions of human life are ever the same, and a man can learn from the success of those around him if he will heed the obvious lessons contained in their history. Turn to the life record of Charles Fargo, study carefully the plans and methods he has followed, and you will leam of a managerial ability seldom equaled. A man of keen perception, of great sagacity, of unbounded enterprise, his power nevertheless lies to a great extent in tliat quality which enables him to successfully control men and affairs. The great American Express Company, scarcely second in importance to the postoffice de- partment of this country, embraces a volume of busuiess that has increased until its proportions are almost astonishing in their vastness. At the head of its entire Western department, which in- cludes all west of Buffalo, stands Mr. Fargo, one of the most prominent figures in the world of commerce. The Fargo name, or Ferigo, as it is sometimes spelled in the original tongue, springs from the sunny peninsula washed by the blue waters of the Mediterranean and the Adriatic seas. While Italy gave us the great discoverer of the Western Continent, she has given us comparatively few of our colonists; but among those few were the an- cestors of Mr. Fargo, who can without difficulty trace his lineage to the ancient seat of the empire of Rome, the land of Garibaldi and Cavour. Tlic American progenitors, of which Air. Fargo is a direct descendant, made a home in Connecticut, where his grandfather lived, and his father, Will- iam C. Fargo, was born. When William grew to manhood he became a corporal in the army of the war of 1812, and was stationed at Mackinaw, Micliigan. On his return he located in Onon- daga county. New York, and married Miss Tacey Strong. , In their home at Watervale, of that county, was l)orn their son, Charles, on the 15th of April, 1831. Spending his boyhood at home and in the public schools of his native town, his adventurous spirit led him to begin an independent career at the early age of fifteen years. Going to Buffalo he be- came a clerk in a book-store and held the position for two years. In June, 185 1, when he was twent>' years of age, he began his Western career at De- troit, and as a clerk for the American Express Company entered on a long and prosperous ser- vice, which as extended over forty years. Tliose ante-bellum days of service in the clerkship were the days of small things, not only for young Fargo but also for the company itself. The American Express Company's growth has been like that of the nation itself, so that this long service must be inteqjreted by that fact. In the course of the next fifteen years Air. Fargo's genius for the man- agement of tlie business of a great common car- rier caused his rapid promotion, so that he be- came the superintendent of the division covered by the State of Michigan. In January, 1865, Mr. Fargo's brother was promoted to the great general management of the whole company, with offices at New York, and Charles was sent to Chicago to replace him in the assistant management of the department of the Northwest. This position he held for the next sixteen years, and during all that period of vast extension in the \\'est keeping pace with the railroad development. In 18S3 he became man- ager of this division, which was now called the Western Department and included all west of the city of Buffalo. For over a decade of his manage- ment the growth of the country has led to a four- fold development of their business. He has led all the manifold ramifications that have spread it over forty-five thousand miles of railway all told, and added to its force until this department alone employs an army of nine thousand men. The power to keep pace with the stupendous growth of the West, the most marvelous re- corded in history, was in itself a mighty test of his generalsliip, and he has borne the test. Since 1875 he has also been a director of the company, and 192 moanAPincAL dwtiokart and PonrnAiT gallery of the since 1882 the second vice-president and a meni- l)er of the executive committee. His only son, Livingston Wells, who graduated at Williams Col- lege and spent a year in foreign travel as a pre- paration for it, has now become his father's as- sistant general manager of the Western Depart- ment of this great company. Mr. Fargo's capacity as an organizer and execu- tive have by no means been exhausted in the marvelous strides that the American Express Company has made under his leadership in the West. For twelve years he has also been a di- rector in the Elgin National Watch Company and also in the Northwestern Horse Nail Manufactur- ing Company of Chicago. The leaders in battle are extolled in story and song, yet praise is no less due to the leader in commercial circles, and the generalship displayed is no less commendable than that of him who leads his followers forth, per- chance to victory, perchance to death. One places before those whom he controls the means of death, the other the means of life. During a period of nearly twenty-eight years' residence in the metropolis of the West, Mr. Fargo has been prominently identified with its various public interests. He is a member of Christ Church, Reformed Episcopal, of which Bishop Charles Edward Cheney is the rector, and of the social clubs he has been an old member of the Commercial, the Chicago, the Calumet and the Washington Park, and charter member of some of them. Mr. Fargo is a Republican in his political con- victions, and is one of the broad-minded business men, organizers, who have made the name of Chicago a synonym of success. He was married in 1854 to Miss Mary J. Brad- ford, the daughter of Harvey Bradford, of Coop- erstown, Otsego county, New York. The forty years of their married life has been blessed by the presence of one son, who has already been referred to as a prominent official of the American Ex- press Company; and three daughters, — Irene, Adelaide P. and Florence B. OBED LEWIS, SPRINGFIELD. OBED LEWIS was bom in Gallagherville, Chester county, Pennsylvania, April 25, 1812. . His father, William Lewis, was a descend- ant in the sixth generation from the progenitor of the American branch of the family who emi- grated from Wales in 1692 and settled among the followers of William Penn in the province (now State) of Pennsylvania. For several genera- tions his descendants have lived in peace and contentment in the Quaker settlement in Chester county; and the old homestead in which William Lewis, father of our subject, was born in 1776, is still standing. Through his mother, Margaret Lewis, nee Cunningham, Lewis is connected with individual ancestors who ser\'ed patriotically in the war of the Revolution. His maternal great- grandfather, Colonel Robert Smith, was a mem- ber of the committee of safety and for a long time was colonel of light horse dragoons which he organized in Chester county, Pennsyl- vania. He built Fort Billingsport, and had a sword presented to him by the convention for de- fending the fort at the time of its capture. The early life of Obed was uneventful. He at- tended country school for two winters previous to reaching twelve years of age, when his father died; from that time until he was sixteen he worked at farm work. He was then bound as an apprentice to a carriage-maker in New Holland, Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, and received as a remuneration twenty dollars annually in ad- diton to his board and washing. He then worked as a journeyman in Philadelphia, Camden and Wilmington, Delaware, in Danville, \'irginia, and Milton, North Carolina. He then returned to Philadelphia and for three years worked at his trade. He was frugal and economical, and from his meagre earnings had accumulated a few hundred dollars. Being informed through Dr. Wallace, a physician of New Holland, who had purchased a drug store in Springfield, Illinois, and moved' ^l^ /.>^.^^/^/^^'^2^$^ liEPRESEyVATIVE MEN OP THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 193 thither, that splendid opportunities were offered to practical young men, he determined to move westward. With eight companions, Mr. Lewis arrived in Springfield, in May, 1838. He fovmd emplovnient at his trade in the service of Enos Hinkle. Before he had worked a year Mr. Hin- kle became financially involved and Mr. Lewis, associated with Henr\- Van Hoff, purchased the business. The partnership thus began continued until the death of 'Sh. \'an Hoff, sixteen years later. When Mr. Lewis and his partner purchased the business the entire amount of capital invested was $800, and the output was comparatively small. Mr. Lewis was an indefatigable worker, and under his care and supervision the business rapidly in- creased, and in 1868 he decided to discontinue. Since then Mr. Lewis has given his time and atten- tion to real estate and banking interests. He has erected many houses in Springfield and is inter- ested in real estate. For eight years he was treasurer of the water-works company and for twenty-three years was a member of the board of trustees of Oak Ridge cemetery. He is now and has been for several years vice-president of the Marine State Bank. Politically Mr. Lewis is allied with the Demo- cratic party, and since the time of Andrew Jack- son, for whom he cast his first vote, he has been a devoted adiierent of Democratic principles. He has been honored by his fellow citizens with posi- tions of honor and trust, and in all capacities has conducted his affairs in an honorable and worthy manner. In 1862 he was elected a mem- ber of the common council and served in that body for eight years. During the years 1874-5 he filled the mayor's chair and conducted the affairs of that position with ability and dignity. Mr. Lewis was united in marriage, on Septem- ber 23. 1851, to Aliss Cordelia M. lies, daughter of Washmgton lies. Mrs. Lewis' family is num- bered among the early settlers of Illinois. She died on the 24th of December, 1889, survived by her husband and three children. The youngest, Mary, resides with her father; the eldest, Will- iam T., is engaged in banking; and Kate is tlie wife of R. F. Herndon, a merchant of Spring- field. Mr. Lewis has now reached his eighty-second year and can look backward over a life well spent, and in his ripe old age he can truthfully state that what he has done he has done well, and that his life has been a success; his life has been what he has made it. He started out in the business world as poor as the poorest of boys, and that he has succeeded is due solely to ability, steadfast purpose and indefatigable industry. He has long since rounded the Psalmist's span of three-score years and ten, and with his mental and physical vigor unimpaired overcoming the customary and usual infirmities and weaknesses of age by active participation in the living issues and events of the day. Surrounded at his home by a circle of friends who appreciate his true worth, and admired and esteemed by the citizens of the community, his name will be honored for many generations as that of one of the most enterprising of the early settlers of Springfield — a man who has acted well his part and who has lived a worthy and honorable life. HENRY T. NOBLE, HENRY THEOPHILUS NOBLE was born May 3, 1829, at the village of Otis, Alassachuscts, and among the beautiful Berk- shire hills he grew to man's estate. His family was of New England stock, whose first Amer- ican ancestor, Thomas Noble, emigrated from England and settled in Boston prior to 1653, later removing to Springfield and thence to Westfield in the same State, where his declining years were passed and where his death occurred. To one of our subject's temperament and am- bition the drowsy existence afforded in a small Massachusetts village was far from congenial, and he resolved to follow the tide of emigration that was flowing westward. He broached the suljject to his father, and offered, as he was not yet of age, 11)4 lilOORAPniCAL DICTIONARY AND POUmAIT GALLEUY OF THE to buy his time, a ])rop()sition to which liis father finally consented, and tiie yoiuifj man sold his hfe insurance and with the proceeds made the pur- chase. It was in 1S50 that he came' to Dixon, not possessed of many of the world's goods, Ijiit rich in those rare possessions that only a hi£^h character can give — integrity and industry. Tor the subsequent two years his time was fully employed in teaching and as a clerk in the land office. In 1852 he went South and purchased land warrants of soldiers who had fought in the Mexican war, and in carrying out this enterprise he visited the States of Missouri, Texas, Alabama and Kentucky, making the venture very profit- able. On his return to Illinois he engaged with his uncle, Silas Noble, in the banking and real- estate business, a connection that continued until 1857- From bovhodil he had always been greatly interested in national affairs, and kept himself well informed regarding the government of the country and the living issues of the day. As soon as old enough he took part in local politics, throwing the weight of his influence on the side of the party he considered in the right. He watched with interest and anxiety the events that led up to the civil war; and, when hostilities were commenced and Lincoln issued his call for vol- imtcers to aid in suppressing the rel^ellion, Henry T. Noble's name was the first on the muster roll in Lee county, and in April 17, 1861, five days after the firing on Fort Sumter, he was enlisted under his country's flag. Three days later he was chosen lieutenant of Company A, Thirteenth Illinois Infantry, and on the 24th of the following month he became captain of his company. Throughout the entire period of the war, and until the fall of 1S66 he was in active service. During that time he took part in many impor- tant engagements, and his value as a leader was duly recognized by his promotion from the rank of captain to be successively major, lieutenant- colonel and colonel of his regiment. His ad- vancements in rank resulted fromi his intrepid daring and coolness in the face of the enemy, and his skill in handling his troops in the heat of battle. The Thirteenth Illinois was the first reg- iment to cross the Mississippi into the hostile regions of the State of Missouri, and the greater part of the time for the following two years it was on duty in Missouri and Arkansas, and did great execution among the rebels. Later it per- formed gallant service in the \'^icksburg cam- ]3aign, participating in all the important battles fought in the vicinity of that city, and in its siege and capture. Colonel Noble was appointed a member of General J. J. Reynolds' staff, and subsequently served on the staff of General E. O. C. Ord. In the spring of 1865 he was appointed to the important office of chief quar- termaster of the Department of Arkansas, and continued as such imtil his honorable discharge from the army, October 5, 1866. Many favorable comments were made by his superior officers upon his fitness for so responsible a position and upon the faithful manner in wdiich he dis- charged the duties pertaining thereto. Quar- termaster-General M. C. Meiggs said of him in his official comnuinication to the authorities at Washington: "Colonel Xoble has performed Hie duties of quartermaster to the entire satis- faction of all concerned, and has won the confi- dence and esteem of all who know him." Gen- eral J. N. Crittenden, in a communication to the War Department, bearing date December 10, 1866, says: "For the excellent order in which all books, papers, cash accounts, etc., have been kept, thanks are due to Colonel Noble's able man- agement of the duties devolving upon him, and to his luitiring devotion to his work. His stand- ing as a man of pure and incorruptible character is high with all who know him, and I deem him capable of carrying out any and all plans in the quartermaster's department." Upon his retirement from the army Colonel Noble returned to his home in Dixon, and resumed his business career. He purchased an interest in the Grand Detour Plow Company, and from that time until his death was a leading spirit in the affairs of the company. During all these years he aided every prospect calculated to enhance the best interests of the city of his home, and labored early and late in what- ever direction he could, to accomplish wished-for results. Some of the city's most prominent man- ufacturing establishments owe the fact of their being located at Dixon to the indefatigable energy displayed by Colonel Noble. No task REPRESEy^TATIVE .VE.X OF THE UXITED STATES; ILLISOIS VOLUME. 195 was too difficult for him to undertake, provid- ing its satisfactory completion promised another step forward for the city. In many instances it was uphill work, yet he did not give up, but persevered in the face of every discourage- ment, and never relaxed in his energv and his hope. In the affairs of the Grand Army of the Repub- lic Colonel Xoble took a deep interest. He was a member of Dixon Post, G. A. R., of the militan,^ order of the Loyal Legion, and March 31, 1873, he joined the Army of the Tennessee. He was also a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows. In politics he was ever a stanch and loyal Republican, and enjoyed a personal acquaintance and friendship with both I^incoln and Grant. He was twice a presidential elector on his party's ticket and in 1880, when a delegate to the Repub- lican national convention, did himself and his constituents honor as one of the immortal "306" that voted for Grant on ever>' ballot. He was also a member of the commission appointed to locate the State Soldiers' Home, and used his influence, though ineffectually, in favor of Dixon. In 1890 he was chosen mayor of Dixon, and it was but a few weeks after his retirement from that office that his final illness occurred. An attack of pneumonia was intensified by a pre- vious illness — with la grippe — and in spite of the best of medical skill he passed away on the 15th day of .April, 1891. Colonel Noble was twice married. His first wife, whose maiden name was Jane A. Herrick, died May 4, 1873. His second wife, who survives him, was formerly Miss Mary Augusta Hampton, a native of Xew York. The fiillowing estimate of Colonel Xoble's character is from the pen of Hon B. F. Shaw, of Di.xon, who was for many years his trusted and devoted friend: "As an enterprising business man and a patri- otic citizen. Colonel Noble was too well known to need a word from us. He but a few days since closed a term as mayor of our city, and it is gen- erally conceded that Dixon never had a more painstaking and efficient chief magistrate. So earnest was he in protecting the public interest that even his warm friendships would not swerve him from looking after the interests of the city. He was positive and decided for the right, and no power could be brought to change him from a line of duty. To Colonel Noble more than to any other one citizen are we indebted for the prosperity Dixon now enjoys. His manifest liberality, executive ability and indomitable energy gave this people what they would not have had without him, and now that he is no more the people will soon learn that his loss is an irreparable one for this connuunity. Having worked with him for days and weeks, at home and abroad, on behalf of Dixon, we know whereof we speak when we say Dixon never had a more loyal friend. "Colonel Noble's patriotism was not confined to this city nor the State. It was as broad and grand as the vast repul)lic, and it was not con- fined to the State lines. Neitlier was his kindly heart bound by race or even limits of a love for his fellow man, now that we recall the fact that he was the originator in our city of a society for the prevention of cruelty to animals, and was one of its most active members in protecting those who could not protect tlieniselves.'' CHARLES RIDGELY, SPRIXUFIELD. ONE of the busiest, most energetic and most enterprising men of Springfield, Illinois, is Charles Ridgely. He bears in his veins some of the best blood of our early colonists, and is in every way a splendid type of our best American citizenship. On the paternal side Mr. Ridgely traces his lineage in an unbroken line to Colonel Henry Ridgely, "Major of the Troop," who came to America and settled in Alaryland about 1658. He married Elizal)eth Howard. Their children were Henry, Charles and Sarah. Ilenn' Ridgely (2) married Katherine, eldest ', bridge, plank-road and turnpike companies; in the same manner as municipal authorities may regulate and limit the charges of hack, omnibus and drav lines; in the same manner as the tolls at gristmills, the charges of innkeepers, the fees of professional men, and interest on loaned money may be regulated and limited. These are govern- mental powers; and by the term "governmental," I here mean not judicial but legislative pow-ers. To declare what the law is, or has been, is a ju- dicial power; to declare whaf the law shall be, is legislative. The law is applied by the judicial de- partment, and made by the legislative. It is both the right and the duty of the legislature not to await the action of the judiciary, where the com- mon law has furnished no adequate remedies for existing evils, but to take the initiative and place limitations upon tolls and charges, and fees and interest, whenever such limitations are essential to the public good; provided, always, that the leg- islature has not bartered away, absolutely beyond recall, to extortioners, the governmental powers whereby it might otherwise jsrotect the people against their impositions. And this brings us di- rectlv to the question, whether or not the govem- mental powers entrusted to the legislature, to be exercised for the public good, as occasion may require, are the subject matter of contract, of mere bargain and sale. The following provision was incorporated in the constitution of 1818, and retained in that of 1848: The powers of the government of the State of Illinois shall be divided into three distinct depart- ments, and each of them be confided to a separate 208 nrocnAi'iiicAL nif'TrnN.\nr and ponrrtAir (iai.leuy of the body of magistracy, to-wit: those which are legis- lative to one; those which are executive to an- other; and those which are judicial to another. — Constitution of 1848, article 2, section i. I maintain that under this constitutional pro- vision, which has Ijcen in force ever since this State was org-anized, the legislature has had no power as a party to make a contract, the effect of which would be to control or embarrass its govern- mental powers and duties. To hold otherwise is to affirm that the legislature may abdicate the authority and relieve itself of the responsibility conferred and imposed upon this department of the government by the sovereign people of the State. "The people of the State of Illinois, grateful to Almighty God for civil, political and religious liberty confided" — that is the word — confided to the general assembly those powers of the gov- ernment of the State, which are legislative — for what purpose? "In order to promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to themselves and their posterity." At the same time they declared in the bill of rights that "all power is inherent in the people, and all free governments are founded on their authority and instituted for their peace, safety and happiness." The legisla- ture of a State is in no just sense the sovereign of the State, for sovereignty is the parent, not the offspring, of government. The sovereignty be- longs to the people of the State in their original character as an independent community. All po- litical power is inherent — remains in the people. In the language of Chief Justice Taney : "The powers of sovereignty confided to the leg- islative body of a State are undoubtedly a trust conmiitted to them, to be executed to the best of their judgment for the public good; and no one legislature can, by its own act, disarm their suc- cessors of any of the powers or rights of sov- ereignty confided by the people to the legislative body unless they are authorized to do so by the constitution under which they are elected. * * * And in every controversy on this subject, the question must depend on the constitution of the State, and the extent of the power thereby con- ferred on the legislative body." — Ohio Life Insur- ance and Trust Company v. Debolt, 16 Howard, 431- The power to regulate the reciprocal rights and duties of common carriers and private citizens who may desire to travel upon highways con- structed for the public use, is, as we have seen, a governmental power — one of the attributes of sovereignty confided to the legislature to be ex- ercised for the public good. And where is the provision of our State constitution which author- izes one legislature to disarm a succeeding legis- lature of this power, the proper exercise of which we have been taught by sad experience is so es- sential to the protection of the traveling public? In another case. Justice Woodbury says: "One of the highest attributes and duties of a legislature is to regulate puljlic matters with all public bodies, no less than the community, from time to time, in the manner which the public wel- fare may appear to demand. It can neither de- volve these duties permanently on other public bodies, nor permanently suspend or abandon them itself, without being usually regarded as unfaith- ful, and, indeed, attempting what is wholly beyond its constitutional competency." — East Hartford v. Hartford Bridge Company, 10 Howard, 534. Now, whether railroad corporations are to be regarded as quasi-public bodies, or as private bodies, forming a portion of the community, I maintain that the regulation of rates of toll for the conveyance of persons and property upon rail- roads — the public highways — as the public wel- fare may demand, is a legislative duty, the per- manent suspension or abandonment of which is wholly beyond the constitutional competency of the legislature. Moreover, a grant by a public agent bound in the most solemn manner not to throw away the governmental interest confided to it, is different from a grant by an individual who is master of the subject. The corporation which accepts from the legislature exemption from gov- ernmental control, knowing that it is dealing with an agent bound by duty not to impair a public right, does so at its peril. Nay, more; the cor- poration which accepts from the legislature a grant of any essential attril)ute of sovereignty, should be treated both in morals and in law as a party to a fraud upon the inherent rights of the people. The same constitutional provision confides leg- islative powers to one body, executive powers to another, and judicial powers to another. If leg- islative powers may be disposed of by contract, why may not executive and judicial powers be sold? We all recognize the principle that execu- tive and judicial powers are entrusted to the gov- ernor and the judges to be exercised by them while in office, and then turned over unimpaired to their successors. I believe that the day is not far distant when the courts of this country will settle down on the firm fundamental principle that no department of government, be it legislative, ex- ecutive, or judicial, can abandon, diminish or bar- gain away, for any consideration, or upon any pretense whatever, the governmental powers en- trusted to it by the sovereign people, to be ex- ercised for the promotion of the general welfare. When the people of this State, in 1818, and again in 1848, confided to the general assembly REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 209 the legislative powers of this State, was it contem- plated that the agents entrusted with these gov- ernmental powers should sell any portion of them to other organizations, or parcel them out by con- tract to private coqiorations? It is a well-settled principle that where a trust is confided to any class of persons, the trustees cannot transfer that trust to others. "What trust, what confidence is more sacred, more responsible than the power to make the laws of a free people? The power is not only delegated to the two branches of tiie legisla- ture, but there is an obligation — a duty imposed upon them to make all such laws as are necessary and proper for the interests of the people, and good order of the body politic." The language of our State Constitution, reason, and sound policy, all concur in bringing us to the conclusion that the law-making power being en- trusted to the legislature by the constitution, to be exercised as occasion may require, for the pro- motion of the general welfare, camiot be per- manently transferred to any other body. If the citurts will fall back upon this principle, we need not feel alarmed at the growth and power of cor- l)iirations. They are dangeri ms to the people only as they are allowed, under tlie pretense of a bar- gain, to appropriate to their own purposes the governmental powers confided to the legislature. "The great object of an incorporation," says Cliief Justice Marshall, "is to bestow the char- acter and properties of individuality on a col- lective and changing body of men." — Providence liank V. Hillings, 4 Peters, 562. The creation of private corporations — the be- stowal of the attributes of individuality upon these ideal creatures, — the placing them, as to legal rights, on the same footingwith natural persons, — are proper sul)jects of legislative action. And we readily concede that these ideal creatures — private corporations — cannot be arbitrarily destroyed by the legislature, and that the rights which they may possess by virtue of their individuality or exist- ence are protected by the same constitution, which is the Magna Charta of the whole people. Puit in the language of Justice Daniel: "The opinion seems to have obtained that the right of property in a chartered corporation was more sacred and intangible than the same right could possibly be in the person of the citizen ; an opinion which must be without any grounds to rest upon until it can be demonstrated either that the ideal creature is more than a person, or the corporeal being is less." — West River Bridge Company v. Dix, 6 Howard, 533. The legislature may irrevocably dispose of the lands and pul)lic buildings and other j)roperty of the .State. Tliese are the proper subjects of con- tract and sale. But a legislative contract to sur- render forever to a private corporation any por- tion of the governmental powers of this State is, in my opinion, unconstitutional and void. It is imconstitutional, because the constitutional pro- vision, which has been in force here ever since we have had a State organization, confides — intrusts — these powers to the legislature to be exercised for the promotion of the general welfare, not to be bartered away. It is void, because it is a con- tract in violation of public duty, and without a competent subject matter. The legislature can- not deal — cannot traffic — with a sovereign right as private property. Says Justice Daniel: "I never can believe in that, to myminil suicidal, doctrine, which confers upon one legislature, the creatures and limited agents of the sovereign ])eople, the power, by a breach of duty and by transcentling the commission with which they are clothed, to bind forever and irrevocably their crea- tor, for whose benefit and by whose authority alone they are delegated to act, to conseciuences however mischievous or destructive." — Ohio Life Insurance and Trust Company v. Debolt, 16 How- ard, 443. And, right here let me ask. From what one source have the people of this State sufTered more mischievous consequences than from the free ex- ercise of the assumed right, on the part of the leg- islature, to sell out to railroad cor[)orations the power of fixing and exacting from the com- munity rates of toll without Umitation? In resist- ing the usurpations of tliese wealthy and powerful corporations, we have turned our attention too nuich to that clause of the constitution of the United Slates which provides that no State shall pass any law impairing the obligation of contracts, and have not paid sufiicient attention to that sec- tion of our State constitution which confides, and only confides, the legislative powers of the gov- ernment to the general assembly, and to that sec- tion of the bill of rights which declares that "all power is inherent in the people." We must not forget that a legislative act or charter may con- tain unconstitutional provisions. The real ques- tion is not one of vested rights under a contract, but one of constitutional power to make the con- tract. The legislature cannot change the consti- tution, or make a new constitution, and yet it woidd be doing just this if it could limit the gov- ernmental powers of a future legislature. And, therefore, I maintain that corporations are sub- ject to governmental powers the same as individu- als — that tiie charges of railway corporations can be regulated and limited by legislative enactment, the same as the tolls of ferry, bridge, plank-road and turnpike companies; the same as the charges of hack, onniibus and dray lines; the same as the tolls of millers, the charges of innkeepers, the fees 210 TiioauAPincM. DfrridXAny AXT) poimiArr nALiEUY of the of professional men, and interest on loaned money. The powers to make these regulations and limita- tions are, unquestionably, legislative, governmen- tal powers, and neither these nor any other leg- islative powers of a governmental nature can be irrevocably disposed of by contract to any in- dividual or coqjoration. There are and can be no vested rights of governmental power in any individual or corporation except those conferred bv the constitution. ' Will any gentleman take the position that the legislature can endow any individual or corpora- tion with a vested right to commit crime, or per- petrate fraud, or practice imposition upon the public? I think not. One legislature cannot, by contract or otherwise, prohibit succeeding legis- latures from enacting laws for the prevention and punishment of crime, fraud and imposition. But railroad corporations declare that they have bought from the legislature the power to estab- lish and exact the exorbitant charges they are now every day extorting from the people. Under the claim of vested rights they bid defiance to — I was about to say — the government; but according to the conceit of these corporations, there is no gov- ernment that can control and regulate and limit their demands. Each claims to be, in this respect, a government unto itself — a sovereignty within a sovereignty. The people sooner or later will break away from the theory that a railroad, or any private corpora- tion, can have a vested right in any governmental power. Let the next legislature enact substan- tially the railway laws of England, regulating and limiting the rates of freight and passenger tarififs, and I firmly believe that the courts would hold that such re-assertion of governmental control over railroad rates is not an interference with vested rights. The time was when city and other municipal corporations claimed that, by virtue of their char- ters, they held vested rights in governmental pow- ers. Even now, the legislature cannot confiscate the private property of a municipal corporation, or change the uses of its private funds acquired under the public faith. I'ut the courts have long since held that the legislature cannot transfer to a municipal corporation irrevocable, vested rights in governmental powers. And, for one, I am ready to take the broad position that it is not, and never has been, in the power of the legislature of this State to bind its governmental capacities, by any arrangements or stipulations, with either pub- lic or private corporations, so as to disable itself from enacting any laws that may be deemed es- sential for the public good. The sovereign people, and the sovereign people alone, by the adoption of constitutional provisions, can restrict and bind the governmental capacities of the legislature. After Judge Benjamin had ceased speaking, it was apparent that his argument pleased the ma- jority of his colleagues, several of whom rose to their feet and sanctioned what he said in no un- certain terms. The following endorsements are copied from the reports: (Mr. Ross) — Mr. Chairman: I cheerfully sub- scribe to the views of the gentleman from McLean (Mr. Benjamin). I think the convention and the people of the State owe him a debt of gratitude. It has the true ring of the doctrine that should be inculcated by all our statesmen. (Mr. Bromwell) — Mr. Chairman: I am very much gratified to see the manner in which this dis- cussion starts in this convention. There have been doubts expressed whether this convention, upon coming to this subject, would take the proper stand to secure the rights of the people which have been so long trifled with, and trampled under foot, by the interi^retations of the law in this State; and I agree with the gentleman from Fulton (Mr. Ross), that the community at large owe the gentleman from ?\IcLean (Mr. Benjamin) thanks for the masterly manner in which he has demonstrated the right and the power of the people, inhering in, ever living, and ever present, to command in the name of and for the people, the creatures which they have put on foot, the corporations which they have organized, in re- spect to the terms upon which they shall enjoy those invaluable franchises which they are law- fully permitted to enjoy. IlEPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 211 CHARLES BECKER, BELLEVILLE. THERE is no clement which has entered into OUT composite national fabric that has been of more practical strength, value and utility than that furnished by the sturdy, persevering and honorable sons of Germany; and in the progress of our Union this element has played an im- portant part. Intensely practical, and ever hav- ing a clear comprehension of the ethics of life, the German contingent has wielded a powerful influence, and this service can not be held in light estimation by those who appreciate true civ- ilization and true advancement. The subject of this review comes from staunch German stock, and he was born in Rockenhausen, Rhenish Bavaria, Germany, on the 24th of June, 1840, being the son of I'rban and Mary (Spross) Becker. His father was a man of strong men- tality, and in the line of his profession, that of an architect and builder, was possessed of more than ordinary ability. Urban and Mary Becker be- came the parents of twelve children, of whom three are now living. In 1851, when our subject was a lad of eleven years, his parents emigrated from their native land to America, and soon after their arrival came to Belleville, where they remained until death sum- moned them into eternal rest. They were peo- ple of such sterling worth of character that they gained the esteem and friendship of all with whom they came in contact, and they were people of prominence in the community where they passed so many years and where they contributed in no small measure to the progress and substantial prosperity of the locality. The father died in 1874, his widow surviving him until 1881. (Jur subject received his preliminary educa- tional discipline in the common schools, and at the age of fifteen years he entered the Harrison ^^aclline Works, in Belleville, for the purpose of learning the trade of molder. He became an ex- pert workman in this line and continued to de- vote his attention thereto until he attained his majority. At this time his nature, which was essentially loyal and patriotic, was roused to ac- tive protest as the Union was threatened by foes from within its borders and the cloud of civil war obscured the national horizon. Accordingly he enlisted for service in the Federal army, as a mem- ber of Company B, Twelfth Missouri Infantry. On the 8th of March, 1862, he received a severe wound in the right thigh, and this injury eventu- ally necessitated the amputation of his leg at a point above the knee. Thus maimed for life as a result of his zealous and unflinching patriotism, there remained nothing for him to do on the stirring field of battle, and he accordingly re- turned to his home. For a short time he at- tended school, and then accepted once more a position with the Harrison Machine Works, be- coming a member of the office corps, inasmuch as his infirmity rendered it impossible for him to resume his former line of work. He retained this position for some time, but he was destined for higher honors, as his capabilities and unswerving honesty of purpose became known. Prior to the beginning of his official career he liad conducted a hotel in West Belleville, severing his connection therewith in 1866. He was then elected sheriff and collector of taxes of the county for a term of two years, and proved a most capable incumbent in that important and exacting office. After his term as sheriff and collector had expired he be- came associated with Mr. Erhardt in the brewing business and sold his interest to Mr. Erhardt in 1872. In 1872 Mr. Becker was elected circuit clerk and recorder of deeds, being the only successful candidate on the Republican ticket at that elec- tion, — a fact which conclusively gave evidence of his popularity and of the confidence reposed in him by his fellow townsmen. Again in 1876 was he elected to this double office, as his own suc- cessor, and on this occasion his party was de- feated by 1,187 votes, while he ran up to his credit at the polls the notable majority of 800 votes, — a circumstance whose significance is evident. He has been a most active and effective worker in the behalf of the Republican party, and has held marked precedence in the councils of its leaders in the State, having been for six years the in- 212 niOailAflllCAI. DICTIONAIIY A^n I'OUTUAIT OALLEHY OF TUB ouiiiljciit as chairnian (if tliu Ripuhlican county central committee. In 1888 there came to Mr. Becker a disting-iiished recognition, in his elec- tion to the responsible office as State treasurer. In this capacity he served with such signal ability and efficiency that his administration of the finan- cial affairs of the State conserved public interests and reflected to his credit. Mr. Becker has maintained a lively interest in the advancement of the industrial and popular interests of the city of his home, and has con- tributed largely to its progress and substantial upbuilding. He is president of the Pump and Skein Works, and the Belleville Stove Works, and has other financial interests of importance. A man of genial and social nature and one who is most appreciative of the amenities which go to make up the sum of human happiness, he has identified himself with several German social and musical societies, of which he is an honored mem- ber. For the past quarter of a century he has been one of the prominent members of the Phil- harmonic Society, whose influence in arousing and maintaining an interest in the study of the higher forms of musical composition has been very potent. On the 23d of January, 1864, was consum- mated the marriage of Mr. Becker to Miss Louisa Fleischbein, of Belleville, and they became the parents of six children, all of whom are living except one, Fred. The surviving children are by name as follows: Bertha, Casimir, Gustave, Ar- thur and Ray. A man of strong individuality and indubitable probity, one who has attained to a due measure of success in the affairs of life, and whose influ- ence has ever been exerted in the direction of the good, the true and the beautiful, this honored vet- eran of our late war assuredly demands represen- tation in this volume. JOHN M. GOULD, AS the river whose deep and steady current, winding among fair landscapes, past blos- soming fields and through busy towns, blessing millions of people, and enhancing the wealth of nations, affords little of that wild and romantic scenery which startles the traveler or delights the artist; so those lives which contribute most toward the improvement of a State and the well-being of a people are seldom the ones which furnish the most brilliant passages for the pen of the historian or biographer. There is, in the anxious and laborious struggle for an hcwiorable competence and a solid career of the business or professional man fighting the every-day battle of life, but little to attract the idle reader in search of a sensational chapter; but for a mind thoroughly awake to the reality and ireaning of human existence, there are noble and immortal lessons in the life of the man, who, with- out other means than a clear head, a strong arm, and a true heart, conquers adversity, and toiling on through the work-a-day years of a long career finds that he has won not only wealth but also something far greater and higher, — the deserved respect and esteem of those with whom his years of active life placed him in contact. Such a man, and one of the leading citizens of Moline, is John Maxfield Gould, who was bom at Piermont, New Hampshire, February 24, 1822, being the eldest of nine children of Amos and Nancy (Bartlett) Gould, the former a native of Massachusetts, the latter of New Hampshire. Amos Gould was by trade a tanner, but later be- came a farmer. Our subject passed his early boy- hood at his native town, attending the district school in the winter seasons, and assisting on the farm summers. The knowledge he obtained was later supplemented by a one year's course at each of the academies of Canaan and Lyme. Upon leaving the latter institution he taught for three winters in the district school, and continued to help on the farm the remainder of the year. For a short time he clerked in a general store, where he gained a practical knoavledge of business that was destined to prove of great benefit in later vears. nKPRESENTATlVK MICX OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. •ZVA The monotony of life in a New England village became irksome to young Gould, and he longed to go to that Western country of which he had heard so much, and where he beheved the possi- bilities of success were so much greater than where he then was. Capital he had none, with the exception of sixty-four dollars saved from his salary, but lie was young, full of energy, and am- bitious, and felt that the West was the field where- in he should labor. He accordingly set out, in 1844, for the country whose praises he had heard extolled, but he had no fixed purpose as to his destination, except that he would stop at Chicago, the <-iitr,-pct for that section. For four weeks he remained in Chicago, eagerly searching for em- ployment, but obtaining none, notwithstanding the fact that he had excellent recommendations. P«y chance he learned that the finii of Dana & Throop had purchased a stock of goods in New York, which were to be disposed of at Grand De- tour, and he solicited and obtained a clerkship with this firm, at a salary of twelve and one-half dollars a month and board, for the first year. He continued with Dana & Throop as a clerk for three years, his compensation being raised the second year to one hundred and seventy -five dol- lars and board per annum, and to two hundred and fifty dollars and board the third. The fourth year he was made a member of the firm, and drew one fourth of the profits. About this time the plow manufactory concern of Andrus & Deere, of Grand Detour, was dissolved, and one of its mem- bers, Mr. John Deere, in company with a Mr. Tate — both practical mechanics — came to Mo- line and organized the fimi of Deere & Tate, for the manufacture of plows. Mr. Deere's family re- mained at Grand Detour, where he frequently came to visit them. On these occasions he nearly always met Mr. Gould, to whom he talked freely regarding this new venture, and from whom he received many hints of practical value. Upon one of these visits he sent especially for Mr. Gould and told him that Mr. Tate and himself wished him to become a member of their firm and look after its financial matters. Mr. Gould replied that he had no money with which to purchase an in- terest; whereupon Mr. Deere said he would fur- nish the ca])ital — Mr. Gould to pay interest there- on, with which a third interest could be obtained. Taking time to consider this propositnn he sought Mr. Throop, and frankly told him of Mr. Deere's offer, and asked his advice. ]\Iuch as he disliked the idea of parting with one who had been so sat- isfactory a partner, Mr. Throop nevertheless re- plied that he thought it was a better opportunity than would ever present itself at Grand Detour, and that he ought to embrace it. Mr. Gould ac- cordingly came to Moline, and, after looking the ground over, entered into an agreement which re- sulted in the formation of the firm of Deere, Tate & Gould, and which has since become the great Deere Plow Company. Mr. Gould entered at once upon his new ven- ture, and opened and kept the first set of double- entry books in Rock Island county. These books were a source of much curiosity to merchants of Moline and adjacent towns. The connection with Messrs. Deere & Tate continued for four years, when Mr. Deere purchased the interests of the others, who retired from the firm. Our subject had frequently urged the estab- lishment of a woodenware factory at Moline, but it did not meet with a favorable reception until he talked with a Connecticut Yankee named D. C. Dimock, who had for several years been en- gaged in the furniture-manufacturing business. That gentleman became quite interested in the idea, and made a trip to the East, where he secured information, and arranged with a practical wood- enware man who was to come to Moline if wanted. Upon his return to Moline, he reported the re- sult of his observations to Mr. Gould, with the re- sult that a partnership was formed in 1852 under the firm name of Dimock & Gould. Land on the island was leased from the Government and a factory erected, which was operated with great profit. On the 6th of October, 1856, the plant was destroyed by fire, with no insurance, but in its place a new factory was at once built, and was in operation by January i, 1857. The business was continued most successfully until 1867, at which time the Government desired to use the land Dimock & Gould occupied, and the firm was obliged to move, which it did. Their sawing had previously been done at a saw- mill adjacent to their factory on the island, and their removal necessitated the making of new ar- rangements. They accordingly built a sawmill 214 niiXIHAl'IIICAL DICTloyAnr AND PORTItATT (lALLKHY OF THE of their own, and thus entored the lumber busi- ness, as they were obliged to manufacture lumber in addition to that used for woodenware. In Innc, 1875, their sawmill was struck by lightning and destroyed. This time, however, it was well insured, and they at once rebuilt, the plant being larger and more complete than ever. In 1868 the firm was incorporated, I\Ir. Dimock being president and Mr. Gould vice-president. On the death of Mr. Dimock, in 1886, l\Ir. Gould became president, which oflfice he still holds. In 1890 the woodenware branch of the business was sold to a syndicate of woodenware men, who re- moved the machinery, and since then Dimock, Gould & Company's entire business has been that of lumbering and manufacturing of paper pails. The company owns extensive tracts of pine land in Wisconsin, and the output of their mill averages about one hundred and twenty-five ihousand feet a day. The concern is one of the strong lumber companies of the Mississippi val- ley. In 1857, when there were no banking facilities in Moline, our subject, in company with Mr. Dimock and Mr. C. P. Ryder, of Connecticut, organized the banking house of Gould, Dimock & Company, which Mr. Gould managed entirely until 1863, when it was incorporated under the national banking act as the First National Bank of Moline. For four years, or until 1867, Mr. Gould was cashier of this institution, and then the increased business at the mill, which had just been moved from the island, made it necessary for him to devote his time to its afifairs. He there- upon resigned as cashier, and was elected presi- dent, in which executive capacity he has con- tinued both successively and successfully ever since. The bank's capital stock is $150,000, with a surplus of $33,500, and an average deposit ac- count of $200,000, — less now than formerly on account of the organization of the People's Sav- ings Bank, which naturally drew a considerable amount of the deposits. Of the latter named institution Mr. Gould is a stockholder. He is also secretary of the Moline Water Power Com- ])any. Mr. Gould is a strong Reiniblican, but lias held but one elective office, — that of county judge from 1853 to 1857, — and he in no wise sought for that, nor did he work to be elected. At that time the county judges, in addition to the probate busi- ness, performed the duties now performed by the supervisors, and it is a well attested fact that when our subject entered upon his judicial duties, county orders were worth but fifty cents on the dollar. \Mien he left the office they were worth par, and have remained so ever since. For thirty-three years continuously he has been township trustee of the Moline school district, succeeding himself at each successive election. From 1857 to 1861 our subject was postmaster of the city of Moline, and from 1876 to 1892 he was a commissioner of the State board of chari- ties by appointment of the governor. In 1876 he was a director and the treasurer of the St. Louis, Rock Island & Chicago Railroad Company, now a part of the Chicago, Burlington & Ouincy system. On the 9th day of August, 1850, ]Mr. Gould was united in marriage to Miss Hannah M. Dimock, a native of Willington, Connecticut, and sister of Mr. D. C. Dimock. Of this union have been born five children, three of whom are now living, Frank W., treasurer of Dimock, Gould & Company; Fred G., of the office corps of that com- pany; and Grace E., the wife of Sullivan M. Hill, treasurer of the Moline Plow Company. Mr. Gould and his wife attend the Baptist Church. REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES.- ILLINOIS VOLUME. 215 HENRY A. AINSWORTH, HENRY ALBIJEXCE AIXSWORTH is of New England origin, and comes of a long- lived race, both of his grandfathcrshavinglivcdto be over eighty years of age, while his father was a most active man up to the time of his death, which resulteil from an attack of pneumonia, when he was in his seventy-eighth year. Calvin Ainsworth, the father of our subject, was a native of New Hampshire, and his wife, who, prior to her marriage, was ]\Iiss Laura Lynde, was a member of an old Massachusetts family. The former was for fifty years a gen- eral merchant in Williamstown, \'ermont, and was a man who, for those days, was quite well ofT in this world's goods. He was a man of much prominence, and for a number of years was pres- ident of a bank at Northfield, Vermont. Henry A. Ainsworth was born in Williamstown, on the 28th day of September, 1833. and passed his boyhood in that village. He attended the local district school and two of the neighboring academies. He left school at the age of eighteen, and in 1853 started out for himself, going west- ward and locating at Gcneseo, Illinois, where he et'gaged in general merchandising on his own ac- count. His business prospered, and after con- tinuing until late in the '60s he disposed of it. But he was of too active a temperament to remain long idle, and when an opportunit\' presented itself of obtaining an interest in the manufactur- ing establishment of ^^'i^iams & White, of Mo- line, he accepted it and moved to the latter city in July, 1870. According to an agreement en- tered into with Mr. Ainsworth by Williams & White, the business was incorporated at the be- ginning of 1871, Mr. Ainsworth being elected sec- retary of the company, whose capital stock was fifty thousand dollars. He continued as secre- tary until seven years ago, when having pur- chased the interests of other stockholders, he be- came the owner of over three-quarters of tlie entire capital stock. He then became president of the corporation, and has since continued as such. Williams, White & Company are manufacturers of special tools, such as steam hanniicrs and the like, and their product finds a market in every State in the Union, while several shipments have been made to foreign countries. The business has developed under the personal supervision of Mr. Ainsworth during the quarter of a century that he has been connected with it, and it has grown to its present magnitude as much through his efforts as from any other cause, if not more. Every day finds him at his desk, where he labors with a zeal that knows no cessation. Eor several years Mr. Ainsworth has been a stockholder in the Moline National and Moline State Savings Banks, and served at the same time as vice president of both of those sound financial institutions. The stockholders of the National Bank, however, appreciating his ability as a finan- cier, and his general conservatism, elected him a year or so ago to the presidency of that bank, a position he fills with an ability that has won un- c|ualified commendation. Upon his election to the presidency of the National Bank, he resigned the vice presidency of the savings bank, of which, however, he still has a voice in the management as a director. The capital stock of the Jiloline National Bank is one hundred thousand dollars, w ith a surplus of twenty thousand dollars, and has an average deposit account of about one hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars. Mr. Ains- worth is also a stockholder in the well known lumber firm of Dimock. Could & Company, of Moline. In politics Mr. Ainsworth is a Republican, and has filled a number of offices of honor and trtist. He was a trustee of the village of Geneseo during his residence there, and was for six years a mem- ber of the State Board of Equalization. From 1882 until 1886 he was State senator from ^loline, and later was appointed by Governor Fifer as president of the State Bureau of Labor Statistics, which office he resigned when Mr. Altgeld be- came Governor. He is a prominent memljer of the Congrega- tional Church, and has always been one of the largest contributors toward its support. Though 216 jiioaiiM'incAh DicTioyAUY Ayn poiitrait OALfJciir of the essciitiall\' a 1iusy man, he has nevertheless found time to travel and has been in nearly all sections of this countPi'. On the 28th day of July, 1858, he married Miss Sarah Andrews, of Ashland, Ohio, sister of Mr. Andrews who was then president of Kenyon Col- let::e. lier death occurre' REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 217 Hicks, a native of Perrysville, and a descendant of New England ancestors. In 1844 Mr. English entered the mercantile business as a partner of his father-in-law, George Hicks. The firm of Hicks & English conducted a profitable business in dry goods, groceries, produce, grain, etc. Mer- chandise was then purchased and sold on a credit of twelve months, and, before railroads became the highways to the seaboard, produce found its way by the Ohio and Mississippi rivers and their tributaries to New Orleans, where it was exported. Hicks & English shipped their wheat, corn, pork, etc., on flathoats to New Orleans, and Mr. English pulled an oar on sevcr;d of these journeys. In 1S53 he disi)iisc(l nf his interest in Perrys- ville and located in Oanville, Tllimiis, where he farmed a ]iartnership with julni I.. Tincher, and under the name of 'rincher i& English oper- ated a general store with marked success until 1S36, when the firm became the assignees of the Stock Security Ba;nk, a "wild-cat" institution, which was forced into bankruptcy in the early days of the panic of 1856-7. They then sold their mercantile business and devoted themselves en- tirely to the duties that devolved upon them by virtue of the assignment. Through their ccwi- niction therewith they gradually began transact- ing a brokerage and exchange business, and virtually conducted a private banking establish- tnent. In February-, 1863, immediately after the passage of the bill that authorized the establish- ment of national banks, they were one of the earliest applicants for a charter to organize such an institution. The bank was organized with a capitalization of fifty thousand dollars; Mr. Eng- lish was at that time chosen president and has served in that capacity continuously since. In 1872, after the death of M. Tincher, the capital stock was increased to one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, and at the present time (May, 1805) its surplus is one hundred and forty thou- sand dollars. The bank's deposits average over six hundred thousand dollars and its officers arc: President, Joseph G. English; cashier, Charles L. English; assistant cashier, L. D. Gass; and second assistant cashier, J. C. English. As a financier Mr. English ranks with the ablest, and for more than a third of a century has been an earnest and constructive force in admin- istering the affairs of the strong and widely- known institution of which he is tlic head and over whose destinies he has presided. During all the troublous times and through all the financial w^hirlwinds the First National Bank of Danville was unscathed, for its founda- tions were laid upon the rocks of integrity and the principles of sound and conservative bank- ing. While Mr. English has made banking the main feature of his life work, he has also been one of the heaviest dealers in real estate in his section. He has dealt largely in farm lands and has platted several additions to the city of Dan- ville. He has also been interested in many en- terprises which were organized for the purpose of adding to the importance of Danville as a commercial center, and has devoted much of his time and means toward aiding all sound projects calculated to enhance the pro.sperity of the city of his home. For the past twenty years he has been a member of the board of directors of the Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad. Although Mr. English has twice been elected mayor of his jcity, and in 1872 was chosen a mem- ber of the first board of equalization of the State, yet it nuist not be assumed that he is in any sense a politician, — political condi- tionship or conquest are for him without charm. The peaceful, quiet walks of business life, un- disturbed by outside causes, are far more to his liking, and here has been the true sphere of his usefulness. Nevertheless he has always taken a deep interest as a citizen in political affairs. From the time of his majority until 1862 he af- filiated with the Democratic party, but when the Democratic State convention, in the latter year, inserted a "peace" plank in its platform, he re- nounced his allegiance thereto and joined the ranks of the Republicans. He was a strong Union man during the Rebellion, and in 1863 had charge of the suliscription list for filling the ciuota of men for the army from Danville township. Since 1856 Mr. English has been a member «f the Methodist Episcopal Church, and has been active in the various departments of church work. He is at present a member of the board of trus- tees, and for fifteen years occupied the position of superintendent of the Sunday-school. In 1872 he was selected by the lay delegates of the llli- 218 BIOdnAl'IUCM. DlCriONAHY AND POUTUAIT (lALI.KRY OF THE iiois conference as a delegate to the general con- ference of the church, which was held in Brook- lyn in that year, and has served once since that time in a similar capacity. He was also for many years a trustee of the Wesleyan Univer- sity at Bloomington. In 1864 Mr. English's wife, to whom he was married in 1844, as previously mentioned, passed away. She was the mother of seven children. Their names in order of birth are: George; Charles L. ; Harriet, who died in July, 1893, was the wife of William D. Lindsey ; Irene J., now Mrs. George W. Partlow, of Danville; John T.; Annie Martha, the deceased v/ife of Tabor Mathews, of Jack- sonville; and Edvv-ard. In 1865 Mr. English married Maria L. Part- low. She died in August, 1886. They were the parents of two children: J. C, and Otis Hardy, who died in infancy. Mr. English is a man to whom the most en- vious can scarcely grudge success, so well has he earned it, so admirably does he use it, so en- tirely does he lack pride of purse. He is kind, unafifected and approachable, and every comer has a claim upon his courteous attention. Tliere has been nothing sensational in his career, every step has been thoughtfully and deliberately made, and every advance has been at the cost of hard and self-denying labor. Born to lead, his great expLTicnce makes him a safe counselor and guide. He stands to-day in his mature years a strong man, strong in the consciousness of well-spent years, strong to plan and perform, strong in his credit and good name, and a worthy example for young men to pattern after. The institution that he founded, and at whose head he has been for so many years, will stand long after he has passed from the scene of his earthly labors, — a monument to his energy and a visible proof of what he was able to accomplish in a long and active career. Mr. English has rounded the psalmist's span of three-score years and ten with mental and physical vigor unim- paired, overcoming the ordinary and usual cares and weaknesses of age by active interest and par- ticipation in the living issues and affairs of the day. Surrounded at his home by those who without regard to party affiliations are his warm personal friends, and favorably known to hosts of men who h.ave transacted business with him during the past half century, his career is one that he can look back upon with just and pardonable pride. And in the years to come his name will be found enrolled foremost and lus- trous on the annals of Danville, — a city wherein he has labored so long, so faitlifully and so well, a city that has been enriched by that la- bor as well as by his character and his example. THOMAS A. GALT, STERLING. THOMAS ALEXANDER GALT, the most prominent citizen of Sterling, was born in the eastern part of Lancaster county, Pennsyl- vania, on the 13th day of January, 1828. He is of Scotch-Irish descent.' His first ancestor on his fathers side in this country emigrated to Lan- caster, Pennsylvania, in 17 10, and the entire fam- ily with the exception of our subject have since been farmers. Thomas A. is the eldest son of the six sons and four daughters of William and Mary Ann (Thomas) Gait, both natives of the Keystone State. Our subject's maternal grandfather was a distinguished citizen of that commonwealth, and at one time was president of the Bank of Mont- gomery County, who lived to the ripe age of ninety-six years. After Thomas was ten years of age he assisted on the farm during the summer months and at- tended school during the winters. Thus his life was occupied until he was fourteen years of age, at which time his father died and he was forced cut into the world to make his own living. As tlie eldest son he had the responsibility of caring for the younger children, and so well did he look after their welfare that he was enabled to give them all the blessing he denied himself, — a good sound education. He was rich in a stout heart and willing hands, and in an ambition that perse- REPRESENTATIVK MEX OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 219 vcred in the face of every discourag;eiiicnt and never permitted the flagging of his energy or his hfipe. When seventeen years of age he walked into the village of Strasburg, with no other earthly jKJSsession than the clothes he wore and a few small articles of necessity tied in a handkerchief wliich he carried in his hand. Applying at the village store he obtained a situation that paid the (to him) the magnificent sum of fifty dollars a year. He now had the opportunity to show his ability, and he improved it. He soon made himself so useful that he became almost indispensable to his employer, and was so courteous and obliging that the majority of the customers insisted that he should wait upon them. The result was that he soon acquired an interest in the business, and ultimately became its sole proprietor. While thus engaged his brother-in-law, who was in business in Philadelphia, urged him to come to that city and locate; but he refused to do so. Later he visited his sister in Sterling, Illinois, and became so impressed with the possibilities of success in that section of the country that he de- cided to make that city his home. He accord- ingly disposed of his store at Strasburg and re- moved to Sterling, which at that time was only a small but promising village. Owing to his push and energy he prospered in Sterling from the start, and soon became a leading spirit in a number of enterprises which aided greatly in developing that part of the country, and at the same time brought wealth to t!ie pro- jectors. Perhaps the one venture in which Air. Gait took the greatest interest was in a manufactory of ag- ricultural implements, which he drifted into in 1855, employing then but two workmen. Since that time it has increased in size until now it is the Keystone Manufacturing Company of Ster- ling and Rock Falls, one of the largest agricul- tural implement factories in the United States, with a capital stock of half a million dollars and a pay-roll that has reached as high as twenty-five thousand dollars a month! Ever since its humble beginning Mr. Gait has been the chief owner of the concern, and since its incorporation has been president of the companv. His son, E. Le Rov Gait, who has inherited from his father a high degree of business sagacity, is treasurer of the corporation. During all the years of its exist- ence Mr. Gait has been active in promoting its welfare, and for forty years his has been the heart to resolve, the brain to direct, and the hand to execute all of the varied and detailed minutiae of its affairs. To his vigorous will and splendid ability its prosperity may be ascribed. Mr. Gait is also connected with a number of other manufacturing establishments in this lo- cality, being a stockholder and director of the Sterling Manufacturing Company, manufactur- ers of farm machinery; of the Charter Gas En- gine Company, makers of the well-known gas engine of that name, and of the Rock Falls Man- ufacturing Company, manufacturers of burial caskets. He is also the sole (hmu'v in the Eu- reka Company, which turns out a tine line of carriages and other vehicles, and in the Eureka T'"urniture Company. The private bank of Thomas A. Gait & Son, at Sterling, with a branch at Rock Falls, known as Gait's bank, and a strong and safe institution, ably and conser%'atively managed, belongs to jNIr. Gait, and in the field of finance, •as well as in that of commerce, he has shown more than ordinary ability. Most men, with the multiplicity of business cares that Mr. Gait has, would be unable to give each and all of them proper attention, and yet Mr. Gait not only docs that, but carries in his head the most minute de- tails of their affairs, while his knowledge of the business of each is such that he directs their op- erations with seemingly less annoyance than many men show in managing the affairs of one company of less magnitude than any one of these. To give an idea of Mr. Gait's wonderful mem- ory we relate an instance that occurred a ?hort time ago. While speaking of the village of Stras- burg with a gentleman, Mr. Gait made a rough draft to represent its main streets, and then with his pencil marked off and named the occupant of each dwelling thereon as it was when he left there fifty years before. The gentleman who saw him do this was so amazed that he wrote to Stras- burg to see w-hether it were correct, and found that it was not only a correct list of those who occupied the buildings at the time, but also that not a person named, with but one exception, was 220 BIOORAPirrCAL DICTFONART AKD PORTRAIT CALLEHY OF THE now living, — thus showing that Mr. Gait's mem- orj' alone made the feat possible. While Mr. Gait has made for himself a vast fortune, he has at the same time added wonder- fully to the wealth of Sterling and Rock Falls, and has always been mindful of their interests. He has done a great deal of building, and some of the best and finest business blocks in Sterling give evidence of his public spirit. In political belief Mr. Gait is a strong Repub- lican. He ser\-ed as mayor of his city for one term, but though repeatedly urged to allow the use of his name in conection with other offices, he has invariably refused, preferring to attend to his own affairs and leave the self-seeking to oth- ers. During President Harrison's administra- tion he was appointed a member of the commis- sion who were to treat with certain tribes of In- dians in California. The tender of the appoint- ment came by telegraph, but Mr. Gait refused to accept it, feeling that he had too many of his own pnvate matters on hand to give it the at- tention it properly required. He takes a citi- zen's interest in good government, but political conductorship or conquest are for him without charm. The peaceful, quiet walks of business life are more to his liking, and here he has ever been successful, and here has been the true sphere of his usefulness. Mr. Gait has been twice married. His first wife, to whom he was united in Connecticut in 1850, was Miss Sallie Julina Jones. Of this union were bom two children, both of whom died in infancy. Mrs. Gait died at Strasburg in 1853. In 1856 I\Ir. Gait married Miss Catherine An- thony, a sister of Judge Elliott Anthony, of Chi- cago. Three children of this marriage are dead. One son, Elliott Le Roy, and four daughters are living. ISIr. Gait's son was married to j\Iiss An- nie Carter, of Worcester, Massachusetts. Her death occurred in December, 1894, and came as a personal sorrow to a large circle of friends and acquaintances. She is survived by four children. THOMAS F. TIPTON, BLOOMINGTON. THE glor}' of our republic is in the perpetua- tion of individuality and in the according of the utmost scope for individual accomplishment. Fostered under the most auspicious of surround- ings tliat can encompass one who has the will to dare and to do, our nation has almost spontane- ously produced men of finest mental calibre, of true virile strength and vigorous purpose. The cradle has not ever been one of pampered luxury, but tlie modest couch of infancy has often rocked future greatness. American biography thus be- comes, perhaps, one of more perfect individuality, in the general as well as the specific case, than does that of any other nation of the globe. Of America is the self-made man a product, and the record of accomplishments in this individual sense is the record which the true and loyal American holds in deepest regard and highest honor. In tracing the career of the subject of this review we are enabled to gain a recognition of this sort of a record, for he is a man of broadest intellectuality and one who has attained to distinguished honors. P'or this reason there is particular interest attach- ing to the points which mark his progress in life, and this sketch is amply justified. Thomas F. Tipton, the present incumbent as circuit judge of the eleventh judicial circuit of Illi- nois, was born near Harrisburg, Franklin county, Ohio, on the 29th of August, 1833. The Tiptons have been residents of America since the pre- Revolutionary period, and the representatives of the family as disseminated throughout the Union all trace their genealogical record back to the State of Maryland. The grandfather of our sub- ject, Sylvester Tipton, removed from ^Maryland to what is now central Ohio, about the year 1790, this section being at that time part of the North- western Territor}'. Here he followed the vocation of schoolteaching until he was nearly eighty years of age. He reared a family of eight children — four sons and four daughters. His youngest son, Hiram, was the father of the immediate subject of this review. Hiram Tipton was born in 1802, and devoted his ^ r)\ IlEPRESENTAriVE MEN OF TUE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 221 life to agricultural pursuits. In 1827 he was united in marriage to Deborah Ogden, a daughter of Al- bert Ogden, of Fayette county, Ohio. After his marriage he remained in Franklin county until 1837, when he removed to Pickaway county, Ohio, and tliere remained until the fall of 1844, when he left the Buckeye State and took up his abode in McLean county, Illinois, where he died on the 20th of March, 1845, leaving his widow and three small children, namely: Thomas F., subject of tliis sketch; John, now a resident of Saybrook, Illinois; and Jane, who is the wife of William S. Tuttle, who died September, 26, 1885, He also was a resident of Saybrook, where his widow still resides. Thomas F. Tipton began his individual eflforts in life at the early age of twelve years, living with his uncle, John Ogden, and devoting his time dur- ing the summer months to work on the fann, while in the winters he w-as enabled to attend the district schools. He continued in this routine un- til he had attained the age of sixteen years, after which he attended school for two years at Lex- ington, where he pursued his studies under the effective tutorage of Colonel William N. Color. After putting his acquirements to practical test by teaching school for a year, be made ready to pre- pare himself for that profession which his ambition had led him to adopt as his vocation in life. He entered the law ofifice of H. N. Keightley, a promi- nent attorney of Knoxville, Illinois, and \\'as licensed to practice law on the 6th of June, 1854, being then in his twenty-first year. He opened an office in Lexington, this State, and at once en- tered vigorously upon the practice of his profes- sion, retaining his residence in Lexington for a period of seven years and gaining no little pres- tige by reason of his ability and determined efforts. In January, 1862, he removed to Bloomington, and in the spring of the following year he here fiTined a professional association with Judge R. M. Benjamin, one of the framers of the State constitution of 1870. In 1868 Hon. Lawrence Wel- don, now one of the judges of the United States court of claims, became a meniljer of the firm, which gained recognition as one of the ablest le- gal associations in central Illinois. In 3866 Mr. Tipton was appointed by Gov- ernor Oglcsby as State's attorney of the old eighth judicial district, which incumbency he retained for two \ears. The firm of Weldon, Tipton & Ben- jamin continued until August, 1870, at w^hich time our subject was elected circuit judge of the eighth circuit, which then comprised the counties of McLean, Logan and DeWitt, and he accord- ingly retired from the finn. In 1873 the circuit was changed, and the new eighth comprised the counties of McLean and Ford. He was elected judge of the new circuit, and his tenure in that office continued until 1877. In the fall of the pre- ceding year he had been elected, as a Republican, to the Forty-fifth Congress, and his resignation of the office of circuit judge was tendered on the 1st of March, 1877. His service in the halls of Congress was characterized by that sterling wis- dom and practical judgment wdiich he had shown so perfectly in his professional career, and was of that discriminating and faithful order which not only gained to him the endorsement of his con- stituents, but which gained him recognition as an honest representative and a true statesman. Soon after the adoption of the State constitu- tion, in 1870, a case was brought before Judge Tipton which involved the question as to the right of railroad corporations to discriminate against localities in the charging more for a less than a greater distance for transportation on tlie same line and in the same division. His decision in that case fully sustained the position of the people and asserted the constitutional powers of the leg- islature to control the charges of railroad corpora- tions and to prevent extortions and unjust dis- criminations. This was the first of a series of cases that came before the courts of Illinois, and all were watched with absorbing interest, not only by the people of the State but by the whole country, until the constitutional powers of the legislature to regulate railroad and warehouse charges, and to thereby protect the public against imposition, were finally established by the su- preme court of tlie United States, in what are known as the Granger cases. After Judge Tipton returned from Congress he was again actively concerned in the practice of his profession until 1891, when he was agam elected one of the circuit judges for what is now the eleventh judicial circuit, composed of the coun- ties of McLean, Livingston, Kankakee, Iroquois 222 nroaiiAP/rroAL nrcrroyARY and portrait gallery of the and Ford, and he is still serving in this important office, for which he is so eminently qualified by both natural ability and long experienci- in the judicial functions. Judge Tipton is a man of broad intellectual cul- ture, and has ever maintained a lively interest in the higher forms of literature, his private liljrary being one of exceptionally comprehensive and se- lect order, as touching the purely literary pro- ductions, while his law library is considered as one of the best private collections in the State. While practicing at the bar he proposed and se- cured the organization of the Bloomington Law Library Association, which has full sets of all the State and Federal reports, besides most of the English reports. His services in this regard are not to be held in light estimation, for they have se- cured to Bloomington an accession which will be ' of lasting value and constant benefit. The marriage of Judge Tipton to Mary J. Strayer was consummated in Bloomington, in the year 1856. Mrs. Tipton is a native of Logan county, Ohio, being the daughter of Nicholas Strayer, whose demise occurred prior to her mar- riage. To Judge and Mrs. Tipton seven children have been bom, two of which number died in in- fancy. Harry V. died March 31, 1887, at the age of twenty-seven years. Belle E. is the wife of E. E. Van Schoick, of Hastings, Nebraska. Helen F. is the wife of William R. Bair, of Blooming- ton; and Laura B. and Thomas W. still abide beneath the parental roof. Judge Tipton is a man of distuictive ability and his character is one which is above a shadow of reproach. He has been faithful to the high offices in which he has been called to serve, and is widely known and respected by all who have been at all familiar with his honorable and useful career. ALBERT L. COE, AMONG the earnest men whose depth of character and strict adherence to principle excite the admiration of his contemporaries Mr. Coe is prominent. Banking institutions are the heart of the commercial body indicating the hcalthfulness of trade, and the bank that follows a safe, conservative business policy does more to establish public confidence in times of wide- spread financial depression than anything else. Such a course has the Royal Trust Company Bank followed under the able management of its president, the subject of this sketch. For forty-two years has he been one of the most active business men of the West. Chicago has be- come the commercial center of the New World, — ■ a result produced by the united efforts of many able men, but probably no single individual has done more for the development of the city than Mr. Coe, yet in a quiet, unostentatious way. Albert I^. Coe was bom in Talmage, Ohio, about thirty-five miles southeast of the city of Cleveland, and is a son of Rev. David Lyman and Polly (Hayes) Coe. The latter was a daugh- ter of Colonel Richard Hayes, who with his fam- ily left Hartford, Connecticut, in the spring of 1804 and led a colony of emigrants to Ohio, where in the then far West they secured homes. They settled in Hartford, Trumbull 'county, naming that town, together with a number of surrounding villages, after the various places in New England whence they had come. When the war of 1812 broke out that neighborhood was then but sparsely settled, yet Colonel H^yes managed to recruit a regiment of infantry for service. When the war was over he returned home and became a prosperous merchant, own- ing a large store, mills, stage line and other in- dustries, so that at the time of his death, in 1840, he left quite a large fortune. Rev. David Lyman Coe was a graduate of Williams College, Mas- sachusetts, and soon after completing that course he removed to the Western Reserve, the date of his settlement there being 1818. His death oc- curred in 1837, and in 1839 Mrs. Coe became the wife of Dr. Orestes Kent Hawley. Albert L. Coe acquired his early education in ^^H^^yUf iZi ^"^ REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 223 the district schools, then spent two years in an academy at Painesville, Ohio, and further pur- sued his studies in Grand River Institute, at Aus- tinburg, Ashtabula county, leaving there at the age of seventeen to enter upon an active business care' paper, even printing the same in the jail, where there happened to be print- ing facilities. This paper had a wide circulation, and the arrest and imprisonment of these thirty- seven men caused the wildest excitement in the county and State. They were anxious for and demanded a trial. The town, county, State and even tlie Federal Government did not know what to do with them: they were a veritable white elephant on the hands of the authorities. During his legislative career Mr. Plumb had introduced and secured the passage of a bill defining the crime of kidnaping, and of this the citizens of Oberlin took advantage at this time and had the two men who inveigled the slave into the hands of the officers arrested for kidnaping him. This was like a thunder-clap out of a clear sky to the authorities and brought them to time; and they opened negotiations with the prisoners for their release, being secretly glad to get rid of them. They were released in consideration of the kidnapers not being prosecuted. During these eighty-four days of incarceration the thirty- seven prisoners were the heroes of the hour. Their imprisonment was one series of receptions, people coming from all parts of the countrj' by the thousands to visit them and encourage them in the stand they had taken against oppression and injustice. At last the prison doors were opened with tr/at and the prisoners welcomed with a band of music and the salute of one hun- dred guns. On the outbreak of the war of the Rebellion Mr. Plumb received the appointment of assistant 232 nroanAPincAL nrcTroNAnr and portratt gallery of the quartermaster of division with the rank of captain. He was ((uartermaster on the staff of James A. Garfield, and'was one of Garfield's closest friends and warmest admirers and served with him throug-h the war. During the last part of the war he was quartermaster of Camp Dennison, and was brevetted colonel for bravery and meri- torious service. During his service as quartermaster he handled immense sums of money without the loss of a dollar to the Government. He returned home to Oberlin with full honors. In 1866 a large syndicate of capitalists selected Colouel Plumb as resident manager to go to Streator, Illinois, and purchase four thousand acres of coal lands. These mines he developed, and also built four hundred miles of railroad to handle the coal output, the venture proving ex- tremely profitable to the syndicate and himself. This territory was in those days nearly a wilder- ness; to-day it is one of the most thriving loca- tions in Illinois. Colonel Plumb founded and laid out what is now the city of Streator, person- ally giving every street its title. The city was named after Dr. Streator, who was president of the syndicate of which Colonel Plumb was manager. Col. Plumb was Streator's first mayor, holding that office for two terms, and to him more than any other citizen Streator owes her present pros- perity and importance. In his elections to the mayoralty Colonel Plumb was the vmanimous choice of the citizens, having no opposition. In politics he was and is a strong partisan Re- publican, and was elected to represent his district in Congress in 1884, being re-elected in 1886. After serving his second term he retired to private life. Colonel Plumb has been identified with the entire and consecutive growth and prosperity of Streator, and the opera house and best hotel bear his name. At his own expense he built one of the finest of high-school buildings, furnished with all modern conveniences for educational pur- poses, and presented it to the city. This building cost over forty thousand dollars and is a model in its line. Mrs. Plumb is as popular in Streator as is her honorable husband. She is a lady of beautiful character, in which the twin virtues of charity and benevolence shine with a light which has made life easier and happier for numbers of people. She is a patron of the Ladies' Library at Streator and for fourteen years has furnished it a home rent free in the Plumb opera-house block. She is in sympathy with her husband's anti-slavery principles and has done much for the colored race, donating liberally to Southern colleges, among which is the Frealmen's College and the Fisk University, at Nashville, Tennessee, and various other institutions of learning. So broad is the charity of this noble woman that she seeks to help the deserving poor even to the extent of giving pleasure as well as assistance. She has donated liberally to the college at Ober- lin, Ohio, where her daughters were educated, and is a staunch supporter of the Good Will Church of Streator, as its treasury will show. She is a member of no one church but a firm believer in all religions regardless of creeds. She is a womanly woman and much beloved by her own sex, and has hosts of friends among whom there are many who owe her a boundless debt of grati- tude for help and sympathy as well as financial aid given in times of trouble and distress. At the time of this writing (1895), notwith- standing that Colonel Plumb is seventy-nine years old, he has the habits and appearance of a nian not over sixty-five. He still takes an active and deep interest in all pertaining to the city he has helped to make, and though he has prac- tically retired from active business his time is largely employed in looking after and taking care of his property and investments, so that he leads a life by no means idle. Colonel Plumb is a genial and affable gentleman and a very entertaining conversationalist. He has a great fund of in- teresting anecdotes and relates many interesting episodes of early days in the West. He is a man of wide experiences and broad mind who has many friends all over the State, being one who is clearly entitled to be classed as one of nature's noblemen — a man whose strong mdividuality is the strength of integrity, virtue and deep human sympathy. REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 233 THOMAS B. BRYAN, ^T niEX tlie histon- cf the World's Colum- V V bian Exposition shall have been written for the gratification of succeeding generations, there is no name amongst the many prominent ones so closely connected with it that will stand cut more brilliantly, or command greater ad- miration, than will that of the Hon. Thomas B. riryan. 1 he citizens of Chicago arc deeply indebted to Mr. Bryan for the magnificent services he ren- dered, for his ceaseless and tireless work, and the great energy and devotion he displayed in ob- taining for this city the nuich-coveted prize — tlie Columbian Exposition. Mr. Bryan has been a leading spirit in the matter from the commence- ment. In fact, it was he who framed the resolu- tions presented at the first citizens' meeting, held in the common council chamber, the result of which was that Chicago became a candidate, and ultimately the victor, in one of the keenest competitions, probably, ever entered into by American cities. Mr. Brj-an's ardent championship of Chicago's claims, his eloquent appeals throughout the country, and his masterly and unanswerable reply to New York's advocate and champion, the great and only Chaunccy Depew, before the senate committee at W'ashington, will be long remembered, and un- doubtedly did more than anything else to secure the prize. His presentation of Chicago's claims was so effective and so adroitly put that the re- sult was electrical, and even New York, with all her boasted superiority of social distinction and commercial enterprise, was forced to yield, and to Mr. Bryan, beyond a doubt, is due the credit. He was bom at Alexandria, Mrginia, December 22, 1828; he is the son of Daniel and Alary (Bar- bour) Br) an. His parents, both on his father's and mother's side, were people of considerable cul- ture and influence. His father sei"ved in the senate of Virginia, and two of his mother's broth- ers, James and Philip Barbour, held the highest official positions under the government of that day as cabinet minister, speaker of the national house of representatives, judge of the United Slates supreme court, minister to England, and as governor of Virginia. Our subject graduated at the law school of Harvard University in 1848, and shortly after- ward entered upon the practice of law in Cincin- nati, Ohio, forming a partnership with Judge Hart of that city in 1849. In 1852 Mr. Bryan came West, settling in Chicago when the citv was little more than an overgrown village, and shortly afterward forming the law firm of Mather, Taft & Bryan, subsequently changed to Bryan & Borden, and still later to that cif Bryan & Hatch. He has made office coun- seling his specialty, and for forty years, more or less, Mr. Bryan has resided tlie greater part of his time in Chicago, with the exception of sev- eral years spent in Washington, Colorado and in European travel. He succeeded Governor Shep- herd as one of the commissioners (together with Governor Denison), as executive of the District of Columbia. Elis administration was marked bv the same ability, honesty and prudence in expen- diture that has always governed his actions. His withdrawal, voluntarily, from this office was made the signal for a spontaneous memorial from the citizens, headed by the philanthropist Corcoran, and signed by all the bankers and prominent business men of the capital, and this was pre- sented to him on his vacation of the office to re- sume his duties in his adopted city. The founder and promoter of many public enterprises, Mr. Bryan's work has always been crowned with suc- cess. A detailed list, even of his public enter- prises, would fill more space than we could devote to what is but, at the best, a general sketch. But while this is so, there are one or two which de- serve and require more than a mere passing notice. The originator and sole ]iroprietor (formerly) of Graceland cemetery, Mr. Bryan purchased this tract of land, having found that the population of the North Side was inevitably encroaching on the old cemetery (which now forms a part of Lincoln Park), and, if only from a sanitary point of view, this was extremely undesirable. Graceland alone 234 BIOGRAPinCAL DICTIONART AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE (with its hcat'.tifully laid-mit and well-kept walks and sluubs, etc.) would be a worthy memorial of his public enterprise and regard for the pros- perity and health of the community at large. He also built Bryan Hall, the site of which is now occupied by the Grand Opera House, and here many a memorable war meeting was held, and innumerable entertainments for patriotic objects. Mr. Bryan was president of the great North- western fair for the relief of soldiers of the Union ill 1S65, for, though a Southerner by birth, nil his affiliations and sympathies had ever been with the cause of the Union. As the direct result of his presidency, the fair yielded over three hun- dred thousand dollars to the invalid soldiers' fund — such was the repose placed in his integrity, and in his faculty of harmonizing the conflict- ing interests of the various officers and commit- tees. If still yet another monument to his patri- otism and loyalty were required, the Soldiers' Home, built under his direction and with money advanced by him, is that monument, and for many years its president, his work on its behalf was, and is, unflagging. In fact, his distinguished and arduous service during the war was such that no honors were esteemed too great; and amongst others accorded him was that of being elected a member of the Loyal Legion, etc. It was to Mr. Bryati's forethought and enterprise that Chi- cago owed the Fidelity Safe Depository, which passed, unscathed, through tlu' llaines of 1871, and was the means of saving many millions to the citizens. As a speaker, I\Ir. Bryan is vigorous, eloquent and convincing, one who controls his audience, and rarely fails to carry his point; and, in addi- tion, one who seldom speaks unless he has some- thing to say well worth the hearing. His ban- quet and other public speeches — unpremeditated as many of them are — bristle with eloquent l)hrases and happy allusions, while they are marked with that good sense and general culture which is, and always has been, so characteristic of Thomas B. Bryan. As first vice-president of the World's Colum- bian Exposition, unanimously elected to that office, he was the right man in the right place, and with him in this position, there was no fear for the success of such a fair; and to Thomas B. Bryan must be given the great credit, for in him Chicago has a citizen who is, and always has been, devoted to her welfare, and no man has worked more assiduously for her good, or with greater results, than has the subject of our sketch. Mr. Bryan married in 1850 Miss Byrd Page, of Mrginia, and they had a son, Charles P. Bryan, recently a member of the Illinois legislature, and formerly of that of Colorado, who by profession is a journalist and magazine writer of consider- able repute ; and a daughter. JAMES H. HOES, CHICAGO. JAMES H. HOES is one of the pioneers of the jewelry trade in the West, having for more than half a century been connected with this undertaking. A country has but one chief ruler, be he king, emperor or president. Comparatively few men can attain to the highest offices in civil or military life, but commerce offers a broad and almost limitless field in which one may exercise his powers unrestrained and gain a leadership as the head of a chosen calling. Drawing the les- sons which we do from the life of jNIr. Hoes, we learn that the qualifications necessary for success arc a high ambition and a resolute, honorable purpose to reach the exalted standard that has been set up. From the age of fourteen the gen- tleman whose name begins this review has de- pended upon his own resources. He was born at Kinderhook, Columbia county, New York, June 30, 1821, and descends on the paternal side from Holland ancestors. The fam- ily was founded in America during Colonial days, and the grandfather was an unwavering patriot who aided the colonies in their struggle to secure separation from the British crown, sacrificing his estate to the interests of American liberty. The father uf Tames H. Hoes was a farmer in REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF TUE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 235 comfortable circumstances who owned and oper- ated a small tract of land at Stuyvesant Landing on the banks of the Hudson river. His mother was a representative of an old, wealthy and prom- inent family of Connecticut. She was a careful and considerate mother who early instilled into the minds of her four children lessons of industry, honesty and morality. James H. Hoes was fortunate in his early sur- roundings of a cultured Christian home. In his youth he attended the common schools until four- teen years of age, when, wishing to earn his own living, he left the school-room and obtained a situation with a neighboring farmer, for whom he labored earnestly and conscientiously. Many of his friends thought him specially fitted for the ministr}' and urged him to go to New York and prepare tor that work ; but he did not wish to go far from home and parents, and in conseciuence always refused. In 1837 his father sold the little homestead on the Hudson to Martin \'an Burcn, who married a cousin of the former, and removed to Bradford county, Pennsylvania, where he pur- chased a large tract of land in order to give his children better opportunities. James was not physically very strong, but his mental powers were keen and comprehensive and he would readily see the best way of managing business interests, and would make and execute many plans for improving the farm, which made it the model home of the neighborhood; but his strength was not equal to the labors that fall to the lot of the agriculturist, and while working in tlie hay-field one day he suddenly came to the determination that he would enter some other calling. Communicating his views to his parents he met with some opposition, as they did not wish him to leave home; but they at length con- sented, and he left the parental roof. Like Franklin, he started oflf with his wardrobe in a handkerchief and on foot made his way to To- wanda, Pennsylvania. The long journey gave him ample time for thought, and on the way he determined to make the jewelry business his life work, a determination to which he strictly ad- hered. Arriving at his destination, Mr. Hoes sought a situation with the leading jeweler, l)ut was told his services were not needed. With a resolute purpose which could not be conquered by dis- appointment, he sought the proprietor and in a few simple words told him how he was dependent upon his own efforts, and that he had decided to follow the jeweler's trade. His straightforward, manly bearing impressed Mr. Langford, the jew- eler, who consented to give him a place on the terms that he was not to have any wages until he earned it. The young apprentice applied himself diligently to his task and was rapidly promoted, working his way upward by steady advances, until after a year he was ofifered an interest in the business, but this he declined until he should still further perfect himself in the trade. In the summer of 1840 Mr. Langford sold out, remov- ing to New York, where he proposed establishing a store, with Mr. Hoes as partner; but the latter then entered upon what proved to be a long and serious illness. Before he had recovered Mr. Langford removed to New Jersey, and Mr. Hoes then obtained a situation with a watchmaker in Owego, New York, who soon recognized the abilitv of his employe and made him superinten- dent of the works. Two years later, Mr. Hoes began business on his own account in Bingham- ton, meeting with good success from the start, but after a short time he bought out his old em- ployer, Mr. Wilson, and entered into possession of the finest establishment in that section of the country. The business prospered, and Mr. Hoes soon became the possesor of a hand- some competence. About the same time he was most happily married, and the lady who thus early started out on life's journey with him has since been his faithful companion and helpmeet. Leaving Owego, New York, Mr. Hoes re- moved with his family to Danville, Livingston countv, where for eight years he again carried on his business, with a success that equaled his for- mer prosperity, and added still more to his ac- cumulated possessions; but now the West attracted him, and he became a resident of Mil- waukee, Wisconsin, where he built up one of the largest jewelry- establishments in the city; but he desired a still broader field of usefulness and labor and the rapidly developing city of Chicago became his home. Here he purchased the busi- ness of Hoard & Avery, the establishment being 236 BIOaiiAPHICM, DICTinNARY AND rORTRATT GALLKRY OF THE located at No. 117 Lake street, which was then the center of trade. After a time he admitted Hon. Samuel Hoard to a partnership in the busi- ness and the connection continued for four years, or until the breaking out of the Rebellion. About this time there was an immense impetus given to business throughout the North which was felt by all lines of trade, and Mr. Hoes shared in the general prosperity. His patronage largely increased, and, needing the aid of an efficient person in the management of his business, Mr. Hoes formed a partnership with N. iMatson, his old partner in Milwaukee, under the firm name of Matson & Hoes, the business relation exist- ing between them until January, 1867, when Mr. Hoes retired. For thirty years he had been con- nected with the jewelry trade, and it now seemed impossible for him to entirely separate himself from business interests. Indolence formed no part of his character, and after a few months' rest he joined the Northwestern Silverware Company on its organization, and ke was made manager and superintendent of the establishment, in which capacity he continued until 1869. Long and continued application to business now made Mr. Hoes desirous of seeking rest and better health in the outdoor life of the farm. He therefore purchased a large tract of land in Win- nebago county, Illinois, near Rockford, and made the place one of the model farms of the county, for he had not forgotten the lessons he had learned in his youth. He soon again realized, however, that farming was an arduous task and that such a life deprived his family of some of the privileges which the city affords; so again he changed his place of residence, purchasing the leading jewelrj' store of Milwaukee, where he carried on business for several years, when the great financial panic of 1873 brought to him, as it did to many others, heavy losses. Mr. Hoes then paid his debts and returned to Chicago, accepting a position with N. Matson & Com- pany. He has been connected with the large jewelry house of Spaulding & Company since its incorporation, and no one is better known to the jewelry trade of the West than James H. Hoes. The thoroughness and persistency which he ap- plied himself while learning the trade has char- acterized his entire business career, and has been supplemented by careful attention to details and by honorable, straightfonvard effort, that has gained him a most excellent and enviable reputa- tion. Besides commercial interests, the life of Mr. Hoes has also been exemplary in many other respects. During the Civil war he was a stal- wart advocate of the Union cause and made many and liberal contributions for its support. At the time when the Sanitary Fair was held in Chicago, he made liberal donations to it and also offered to give through the managers a gold watch to the person making the most valuable donation to the fair. It happened that the Emancipation Proclamation presented by President Lincoln, realized $3,000, and was decided to be the most valuable donation received. When this was de- cided Mr. Hoes selected an elegant gold watch and forwarded it to the president through Hon. I. N. Arnold, then member of Congress from this district. Mr. Lincoln returned his thanks to the donor in a characteristic letter, which is preser\'ed as a precious memento of the martyred President. Mr. Hoes has ever been a loyal citi- zen, co-operating in all that is calculated to pro- mote the interests of city. State or countn'. His political support has been given to the Repub- lican party since its organization, and he has al- ways kept well informed on the issues and ques- tions of the day, but has never sought political preferment though often solicited to become a candidate for office. Mr. Hoes is a charitable and benevolent man, and from the poor and needy never withholds a helping hand. He is a member of the Episcopal Church, and was at one time a member of the Diocesan Convention of Wisconsin, was warden of St. Paul's Church of Milwaukee, treasurer of the Diocesan Council of Wisconsin, president of St. John's Home, of Milwaukee, and since lo- cating in Chicago has been a member of the vestry of St. James' Church, and at a meeting of the Diocesan Convention, was appointed a mem- ber of the missionary board of the State of Illi- nois. Mr. Hoes is a life member of the Amer- ican Bible Society, and also of the Academy of Sciences of Chicago. He was one of th-j incor- porators of, and assisted in organizing and es- tablishing upon a sure foundation, St. Luke's .#•"' ^'■^ REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 237 (free) Hospital, now one of the largest in the city, of which he was the first treasurer. In 1845 ^^^- Hoes was united in marriage with Miss Betsy Ann Abbott, of Binghamton, New York, and on the loth of July, 1895, ^^'''s cele- lirated their golden wedding. For half a century they had traveled life's journey together, sharing in the joys and sorrows, the adversities and pros- perities of life, their mutual love and confidence increasing as the years have gone by, until to-day they stand rich in each other's trust and the warm regard of many friends. They have two chil- dren living, — Julia A. and Armenia A., — four grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. Theirs is a l)eautiful home in Austin, and they are hon- oieil and esteemed members of the community, whose lives have been filled with good works, worthy the emulation of all. Endowed by nature with a strong character, Mr. Hoes was so sur- rounded in his childhood that his latent powers were developed and strengthened and he became a successful business man, also possessed of a broad sympathy and charity. To-day he is not more honored on account of the enviable posi- tion which he occupies in business circles than on account of the many kindly deeds of his life, which have ever been quietly and unostenta- tiously performed. THOMAS J. ROBINSON, ROCK ISLAND. THOMAS JEFFERSON ROBINSON was born in Appleton, Maine, July 28, 1818, being the son of John and Mary (Dillaway) Robinson. John Robinson was a farmer, and our subject's early life was passed in attending school and aiding on the farm. Later he for a time attended the Maine Wesleyan. University, at Kcnts' Hill, but left that institution when he was eighteen and engaged in teaching school tlie fol- lowing winter. During this time he heard much of the Western country and the chances of suc- cess oft'ered there, and decided to cast his lot in that section. He accordingly set out the follow- ing spring and journeyed to Illinois, locating in Greene county, where he taught school for the subsequent two years. During the next year he was clerk on a Mississippi river steamboat, re- turning afterward to Greene county^ where for three years he filled clerkships in the county treas- urer's and clerk's offices. When he arrived in Illinois from his New Eng- land home young Robinson had but two dollars, but his habits of economy were such that when he relinquished his position in the county clerk's office he had saved a considerable sum of money, with which he purchased a farm in Rock Island county, where he made his home for two seasons. In 1849 lie sold his farm and removed to Port Byron, where he engaged in milling and merchan- dising for the next four years, his efforts being attendetl with fair success. He then removed to the city of Rock Island and assumed control of the ferry plying between that city and Davenport, Iowa. In this enterprise he was associated with Judge Spencer, of Rock Island, and Judge Grant, of Davenport. This venture has been eminently successful, and the Rock Island and Davenport Ferry Company still operates between the two cities, our sul)ject being the president of this com- pany. Judge Grant's connection with the company was comparatively brief. He was by birth a North Carolinian, and during the war, when sectional animosities were most bitter, was outspoken in his friendship for the South and its cause. One day he came to Mr. Robinson, or Captain Robinson, as he is called, and told him he wished to sell to him his interest in the ferry company, giving as his reason therefor that his friends were in, and his sympathies with, the South, and he was liable to be arrested and his property confiscated. Captain Robinson replied that he had no money with which to make the purchase; whereupon Judge Grant replied that it would be satisfactory to him if Captain Robinson gave his notes for the amount to Mrs. Grant, so that in case Judge Grant was arrested she would have a means of support. This proposition was accepted, and the 238 niOORAPIIICAL DWTrOXART AND POnTIlAIT GALLEIiY OF THE notes duly executed, and made payable in gold — a stipulation which afforded the interesting part of the transaction. Gold soon commanded a high premium, and wlien one of the notes became due. Captain Robinson had to pay 280 for gold wherewith to meet it ! Our subject had not long been a resident of Rock Island before he was active in many enter- prises that were calcvdated to advance the city. He was active in the organization of the Rock Island Stove company; organized and was vice- president of the Rock Island Glass company; and was one of the prime movers in the establishment of the Moline & Rock Island Street railway, of which he was secretary and treasurer for several years. In fact he has always lent his aid and in- fluence to everything designed to build up Rock Island. When the Rock Island Watch company was formed, although he was firmly convinced that it would not be a success, and therefore dis- couraged the project: nevertheless he took a thousand dollars' worth of the stock, just to help it along. He was also interested, with other Rock Island capitalists, in a quilting factory, that manu- factured quilts under the superintendency of a Massachusetts man named Little. There was no sale for their product, and Mr. Robinson went East to endeavor to raise money upon the stock of quilts on hand. In this he was not successful. The stockholders became dissatisfied with Mr. Little's management, and an investigation was made. It was discovered that thirty-five looms which he had bought for the company, at $1,150 each, could have been purchased for three hun- dred dollars each; a fraud upon the company had been committed, amounting to almost thirty thousand dollars. When this discovery was made the company ceased operations, and its building is now occupied as a corn-planter fac- tory. This incident only goes to show that Captain Robinson is always ready to do his share even though his judgment tells him a project will prove unprofitable. In 1871 he organized tlie Rock Island National Bank, — one of the sound financial institutions of Illinois, — with a capital stock of one hundred thou- sand dollars. Its surplus is now eighty thousand dollars, while its deposits average about two hun- dred thousand dollars. Of this bank our subject is, and has always been, the president, and to his able management, and that of his son, who is cashier, may be ascribed its success. Captain Robinson is also a stockholder and director of the North Wisconsin Lumber company, of Hay- ward, Wisconsin, one of the well known concerns in its line in that section. In political adherency he is identified with the Republican party, but with the exception of serv- ing, many years ago, as county associate justice of Rock Island county for a term of four years, he has never held a public ofifice. He is a member of the Masonic order, and has advanced to the Knights Templar degree, but is not active in the fraternity. On the fifteenth day of January, 1846, J\Ir. Robinson was tmited in marriage to Miss Amy Ann Henderson, of Greene county, whose father settled in Illinois in 1818, wdien there w-ere but five other persons in Greene county and when the nearest postoffice and depot for supplies was St. Louis. Of the two children of Captain and Mrs. Robinson but one is living: J- Frank, — previously mentioned as cashier of the Rock Island National Bank, — who is married to Miss Rhoads, formerly of Pekin. Captain Robin- son and his son attend the Methodist church. Mrs. Robinson died June 18, 1895. REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 239 JAMES PEASE, CHICAGO is rapidly l^ccoming the center of the commercial, the art, the scientific and the political world, and each class furnishes rep- resentatives that take their place in the foremost ranks. When such is the case ability must win promotion and merit nuist gain advancement. One cannot depend upon outside aid or influence, l)ut must work his way upward, and if he attains the height of prominence it is because he is de- serving. In reviewing the record of Mr. Pease we notice the course he has followed and must give him our respect and admiration, for in com- parative obscurity he started out on life's journey for himself. Dominated by the progressive and enterprising spirit of the West, energy and in- dustry stood him instead of capital and crowned his efforts with prosperity. Mr. Pease has spent his entire life in the Mis- sissippi valley. He was born in Kenosha county, Wisconsin, on the 12th of July, 1851, and is the fifth in a family of six children, whose parents were Anson and Julia (Curtis W^ellington) Pease. He descends from an old New England family which was founded in America in 1634 by progenitors who settled in Connecticut. When the Colonies endeavored to throw ofif the yoke of British tyranny, its representatives aided in the struggle for independence, and in the Civil war a brother of our subject went to the defense of the Union which his ancestors had assisted in establishing almost a century before. In commercial life the members of the Pease family have been prom- inent ami have furnished to the country citizens of worth. John Pease, 1694, built the first sail- ing vessel constructed in America; all the pegs were of wood, instead of iron ; and the first church built in the Eastern colonies was by money sub- scribed by Marguerite Pease. James Pease acquired his education in the pub- lic schools of his native State, after which he was employed as a fami hand until 1865; but, not caring to devote his life to agricultural pursuits, he obtained a position as bookkeeper for the firm of McGlauchlin & Dean, wholesale dealers in Hour in Chicago. That position he acceptably filled until the fall of 1871, when in the great fire A\]iich swept over the city his employers were burned out and in consequence he was thrown out of employment. With no capital and de- pendent upon his own resources, he grasped the first opportunity which presented itself for earn- ing a livelihood, and began serving an apprentice- ship to the painter's trade, which he followed as a journeyman until 1876. lie had by this time, through his industry and economy, acquired some capital and resolved to embark in business for himself. He established a painting estab- lishment in Lake View, and as his trade increased and his facilities were enlarged he became the proprietor of the leading wall-paper and painting houses on the North Side. Conscientious in the discharge of the contracts which were awarded him, performing his work in a most able man- ner and putting forth every effort to please his customers, he was soon at the head of a paying business, and the penniless young man who came to Chicago in search of fortune found himself the possessor of a handsome competence. His sys- tematic business methods and his discrimination and enteqirise have been the factors in his suc- cess, and are characteristics which all might at- tain. His life is an example which should serve to encourage others, and he may truly be called a self-made man. He continued at the head of the business which he established until the 1st of January, 1895, when on accotmt of his pressing official duties he sold out. The principles of Republicanism receive the support of Ml'. Pease, for his judgment declares them to be the best calculated to advance the welfare of the country, and the best interests of his native land lie close to his heart. He is em- inently public-spirited and delights to give his aid to any enterprise calculated to benefit city. State or nation. For four years he served as a mem- ber of the board of education, and was assessor of I^akeview for nine years. In 1894 he was elected to the office of sheriff of Cook county by a majority of 35,000, and in the discharge of the arduous duties devolving upon him has won the 240 BWCnAPIIICAL DfCTION^Anr AND POUTUAIT OALLERY OF THE commendation of all concerned. His political career is without a blemish, and, though opposed on account of his political affiliations, those of the opposite party recognize his worth and fidel- ity. Fraternally he is connected with the Royal League, Royal Arcanum and the Knights of Pythias societies, also the National Union and the Independent order of Foresters. He is also a member of two social clubs, the Marquette and the Chicago Athletic, and is also a popular and esteemed member. Mr. Pease is a man of domestic tastes and haljits, and takes great delight in his family and home. He was happily married in 1884 to Miss Theresa Houlihan, of Chicago, and their union has been blessed with two children: George A., deceased, and Marguerite. On returning to his home he throws aside all business cares and finds in the midst of his little family the comfort and joy which is one of the best means of recreation that can be employed. Various lines of sport administer to his pleasure, and he is much inter- ested in hunting, fishing and yachting. He is a member of the Columbian Yachting Club and the Evanston Shooting Club, and is president of the Lake Poygan Gun Club. In manner he is free from all ostentation and display, but his intrinsic worth is recognized and his friendship is most prized by those who know him best, showing that his character will bear the scrutiny of close acquaintance. He is a gener- ous-spirited, broad-minded man, a true type of the American spirit and an embodiment of that progress which in the last few years has drawn to this country the admiring gaze of the nations of the world. LORENZO DOW BRADY, No State in the Union can boast of a more heroic band of pioneers than Illinois. In their intelligence, capability and genius they were far above the pioneers of the Eastern States and in their daring and heroism they were equal to the Missouri and California argonauts. Their privations, hardships and earnest labors have re- sulted in establishing one of the foremost com- monwealths in America, the possiliilities of which are far greater than those possessed by any of her sister States. The material advancement of the Prairie State is the wonder of the world, and it has been largely secured through the sturdy and intelligent manhood of descendants of Puri- tans with their moral, intellectual and physical stamina; but their work is nearly complete, and every year sees more new graves filled by those who helped to build an empire, and soon, too soon, will the last of those sturdy pioneers be laid away; but their memory will forever remain green among those who loved them and appre- ciated their efforts. The name of the late Lorenzo Dow Brady was perhaps more closely associated with the earlier history of Aurora and Illinois than any other, and iiis valuable counsel and the activities of his use- ful manhood of greater moment to the material advancement of his city and State. It is some- times believed that the name of Brady is of Irish origin, but in the ancestry of our subject any Irish connection is difficult to find. Scotch blood aiid characteristics are more prominent in the family, and their long residence in America and their intermarriage with the Dutch have obliterated all trace of the Celtic race. On his mother's side the connection is distinct and easily traced. Tlie name of Kipp was originally De Kype. The De Kype family lived for a long period near Alencon, in Bretagne, France. The first of whom there is any mention in history is Ruloff (or Roeloff) De Kype, born in Bretagne, France, in 15 10 or 1520. He was a wami adherent of the Guises in France, and took a prominent part in public matters in that section of the country, especially in the civil war between the Catholics and Protestants. On the triumph of the Protestants, under Conde, in the year 1562, his chateau was burned and he was forced to> leave the countr)-. With his three sons he sought refuge in the low countries of Holland, where they lived for several years under an assumed name. In the year 1569, with his son Henry, he re-entered France and joined the REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 241 arm_v of the Duke of Aiijou, and on !\rarch 13, 1569, fell in the fight on the banks of La Cha- rante, near Jarnac. (Dnyckinck's Encyclopedia of American Literature, volume II, page 551.) Dy the care of his son, Jean Baptiste, who was a priest, he was buried in a small church in the neighborliood of Jarnac, where was erected to iiis memory an altar tomb, which was destroyed with the church during the French Revolution at the close of the last century. The inscription on the tomb mentions him as "Rulofif De Kype, Ecyer (the title designates a gentleman who has the right to a coat of amis), and was surrounded by his coat of arms (Lossing's Eield Book of the Revolution, volume I, page 803), which was characterized by two crests, — one a game cock and the other a denii-grif?in holding a cross, — both of which crests have been used by different branches of the family in this country. He left three sons, namely: Henri De Kype, born about 1540; Jean Baptiste, bom about 1542; RiilcfT (spelled variously, as also RolofT, Roelofif, or Rucloff), born about 1544, — all of them mov- ing to Holland with their father in 1562. Henry died unmarried while serving in the army of an Italian jirince; Jean Baptiste was a priest of the clinrch of Rome; and Rulofif died at Amsterdam in the year 1596. He became a Protestant in I folland and seemed to have dropped the French prefix ''de." lie there married and left one son, llendrick Kype, bom in Amsterdam, Holland, in 1576. On arriving at manhood he took an active part in the Company of Foreign Countries, an association formed in the Netherlands, in 1588, for the purpose of obtaining access to the Indies t'y a route different from that pursued by Spain and Portugal. They first attempted to sail through the North sea between Europe and Asia in 1594, but were obliged to return home on ac- count of ice. In 1609 they employed Hcndrick (or Henry) Hudson to sail westward, with a hap- pier result (Duyckinck's Encyclopedia). Henry Ivype came to New Amsterdam in 1635 and in 1642 obtained a tract of land on the north side of Bridge street, New York. It was well known that in many cases members of distinguished families sought in America a field of enterprise and action denied them at home. Hcndrick Kype was one of these, and his coat of arms, 10 ci'Tved upon stone, was used by his son Jacobus, who built it firmly in the wall over the front door of the house at Kip's Bay in 1655, where it re- mained until it was torn down in 1851. (Lamb's History of New York City, volume I, page 137.) The arms of the Kip family, as now in use, are found in the windows of the First Dutch Church, (iarden street, now Exchange Place. It consists of a chevron in azure and gold. In chief, it con- tains two griffins, sejante in silver; in base, a sinister male hand displayed in gold. The crest is a dcmi-griffin, silver, holding in paws a red cross. Alotto, Vestigia nulla retrorsum (there is no going back). Hendrick's name was frequently mentioned in the early records of the colony as a proniiiient person. He was appointed by Governor Stuy- vesant's council, Se]5tembcr 25, ^C^/. one nf the board of "nine men'' selected from the most notable, honest and respectable of the citizens of the commonalty to assist the director appointed by the governor and coinicil. This office he held in 1649 and 1650. (O'Callahan's History of New Nolherlands, volume II, page 37.) The first ap- plication for a municipal form of government, made to the Lords of the States General of the United Netherlands, July 26, 1649, i" the name and behalf of the commonalty of the New Nether- lands, was signed by eleven leading citizens, among which was Hendrick Kype (Broadhead's History of the State of New York, volume I, page 505). In 1657, "in conformity to the laudable custom of the city of Amsterdam in Europe," the "Great Bourgeoisie" was introduced into New Amsterdam to govern it. It was the selection of aljout twenty families, who formed the great citizenship, the members of which alone were eligible to public office, while the other citizens were in inferior citizenship. Hendrick Kype was enrolled as a Great Burgher, April 11, 1657. These twenty names constituted the aristocracy of New York two hundred and nine years ago. (W. L. Stone's History of New York City, page 31.) In 1656 Hcndrick Kype was appointed "Schepen" (or alderman). His name appears April 19, 1665, in the list of citizens who were assessed to pay for the support of the city garri- son. Upon the surrender of New Amsterdam to the English in 1664 he took the oath of allegiance, 242 nmaiiAPiiWAL DTcrroyAnr A\n poutrait gallery of riiK in October of tliat year. The last mention of his name is in the "Register of the Members of the Dutch Church since 1649," where opposite to it is written in the writing of Dominie Selyus, "Obyt op Kippcnburg on the Hudson;"' but the date of his death is not given. (Calender's Dutch Histor- ical Manuscripts, page 263.) He was married in 1620, in Amsterdam, to Margaret de Marneil, and had three sons, all born in Amsterdam, Holland, namely: Hendric, born in 1625; Jacobus, bom May 15, 1631; and Isaac, born in 1633. Jacobus, the second son, came with his father and brothers to New Amsterdam in 1635. In December, 1649, he was acting clerk of Governor Stu_vvesant's council (O'Callaghan's Register of New Netherlands). On the 27th of Januan,-, 1653, he was appointed first secretary to the Council of New Netherlands, resigning June 12, 1657, and was a member of the board of schepens in 1659, 1662, 1663, 1665 and 1673, and was presi- dent of the board in 1674. (Holgate's Genealo- gies, page III.) He was thus described in con- temporary letters: "The newly appointed secre- tary of the province is a young man of spirit and intelligence, handsome and extremely popular." (Lamb's History of New York City, volume I, page 159.) He obtained from the Government a grant on the East river, which was known as Kip's , Bay Farm, where he erected in 1665 what was for the next two centuries the family residence and where five generations of the family were born. The house was destroyed in 1840, at which time it was the oldest on Manhattan island. In 1700 one of the ladies of the family planted near a rock in the rear of the house a pear-tree, which was still living in 1858 and bearing fruit. His house in the city was built in 1657, being situated on Garden street, the present Exchange Place, and he is re- corded as living in the present Broad street as late as 1684 (Paulding's Affairs and Men of New Amsterdam, page III). In 1686 he was residing "beyond the Fresh Waters," — the Kip's Bay Farm being the place alluded to. (Collections of the New York Historical Society, second series, volume I, page 398.) He was married to Marie de La Montaigne, a daughter of Hon. Johannes de La Montaigne, Huguenot, who was associated with Governor Keift in the government of the colony. She was born at sea off the island of Madeira, Jainiary 26, 1637, and was mairied in the fort at New Amsterdam, February 24, 1654, in her seventeenth year. Her father died in 1690, and the last notice found of his widow in the books of the Dutch Church where record is given as her acting as sponsor at a baptism, May 22, 1 70 1. Dr. Johannes de La Montaigne was a learned and highly bred Huguenot, who escaped from the rage of religious persecution and found his "Canaan" in the Dutch settlement on Man- liattan island. His parents belonged to the "An- cicnne Noblesse" of France, a fact which he took pains neither to promulgate nor conceal but which might have revealed itself in a thousand ways if his superior accomplishments and elegant manners had not won universal admiration. He was a widower with four children, upon whom he bestowed great care and attention. He gave them lessons daily and perfected their education in such a manner that his three daughters grew up to be the most attractive women of their day and province, and his son became a man of for- tune and position. His youngest daughter, Jvlarie, became the wife of Jacobus Kip (Lamb's History of New York, volume I, page 83), who left thirteen children, the eldest of whom was Johannes (John), so named for the maternal grandfather, Johannes de La Montaigne. He was bom February 3, 1655, and baptized on the 21st day of the same month. He was married September 4, 1681, to Catherine, daughter of Dr. William Hans Kierstedt, who was from ]\Iagdeburg, the capital of Saxony. He was one of the earliest physicians and surgeons who settled in New Amsterdam, and came with Governor William Keift in March, 1638. He was married June 29, 1642, to Sara Roelofs, who was born in New Amsterdam, and was a daughter of Anneke Jans (Bogardus), from whom Trinity Church in New York city derives its immense property. His wife attained a greater proficiency in the Indian languages than any other person in the colony, so that in May, 1664, she acted as in- t(.'ii')reter for Governor Stuyvesant at the great treaty made by him with the neighboring Indian tribes. She was presented with a large tract of land on the west side of Hudson river by Oritany, chief of the Hackensack and Tappan Indians. REPRESEXTATIVI-: .VEX oF THE CXITED STATES; ILLTXOfS VOLUME. !-18 (Broadhead's Ifistory of New York, volume I, page 731.) He took a leading part in public af- fairs and was common-councilman in 1684, and a member of the board of aldermen in 1685, 1687, 1691, 1692, 1693, 1696 and i6c)7. In 1699 and 1700 he was a member of the province assembly. The Earl of Belmont was then governor of New 'S'ork. Among the candidates was Johannes Kip, who was opposed to the governor, and in spite of the most determined eflfort on the part of the authorities he was elected as one of the members from the city. When some one said to Belmont, "The new members all seem to be Englishmen," he replied with a sarcastic smile, "There is Johannes Kip, Rip \zn Dam and Jacobus Van Cortland; their names speak Dutch and the men scarcely English." (Lamb's History of New York, volume I, page 731.) Benjamin and Blen- dina were twin children of Johannes Kip and wore born March 21, 1703. Benjamin moved to West- chester county in 1732, where he purchased a four-hundred-acre fami and was justice of the peace under the Colonial government. He mar- ried Dorothy Davenport, who died September 3, 1807. He died at Westchester, May 24, 18 . Their son Samuel was born December 16, 1753, n;arried Freelove Totten (or Tattan) and left one (laughter, Lydia, who became the wife of John B. ];rady, and the mother of our subject, Lorenzo Dmv Brady. John B. Brady removed to New York in 1822 when his eldest son, Lorenzo D., was twelve }'cars of age and where for many years he was em- ployed in banking institutions of that city. In 1842 he moved West and died at Marseilles, Illi- nois, February 8, 1859, aged seventy-six years. Lorenzo secured a common school education, partly in New Castle, Westchester county, New York, where he was born, January 19, 1810, and partly after he removed with his parents to New York. He soon entered a life of activity, how- ever, and obtained a situation as clerk in a store. At the age of nineteen he began business on his own account, and successfully conducted a grocery store on the northwest corner of Delancy and Cannon streets, — now Sixth avenue and Washington Place, — for a period of five years, lie then sold out and entered the wholesale busi- ness in paints and oils at No. 40 West street, and continued there until 1837, when he disposed of his Inisiness in order to come West to see for him- self whether the rose-colored reports of this region could be substantiated. L^^pon coming to Illinois I\rr. Brady located upon a seven-hundred-acre tract of land in Big Rock township, Kane county, and engaged in farming. His commercial incli- nation did not allow him to remain satisfied with the comparatively cpiiet life of a farmer, and in t840 he formed a partnership with George E. Peck, and they together went to Little Rock, Ken- dall county. The general store conducted by the firm of Peck & Brady was highly profitable and was continued by them until 1842, when Mr. Peck died. The business was then carried on by Mr. lirady alone until 1848, when he removed to Aurora. Here he formed a partnership with Edward R. Allen, under the firm name of Brady & Allen, in the general mercantile business, and now began an activity which came to be of ex- ceeding value to the entire community. In the fall of 1848 Mr. Brady was elected repre- sentative and sent to the Illinois legislature, where his services were of the greatest importance to Aurora and Illinois. He was the author and se- cured the passage of what was called the Aurora Branch Railroad act, and was largely instrumental in the building of the road thus chartered from Turner Junction to Aurora, a distance of twelve and three-fourths miles. Money in those days was exceedingly scarce, but the subscriptions to the railroad were made promptly when the books were opened, $25,000 being subscribed in twenty- four hours, and $40,000 was secured before spring opened in 1849. '^^'^^ promoters found it necessary, however, to cheapen the construction of the railroad and decided to use strap rails. These they secured on credit from the old Bufifalo & Niagara Falls Railroad company, which was then improving its road, and the ties were cut from the timber around Aurora and along the right of way of the road. Thus was built what was to become a section of the foundation of the great Chicago, Burlington & Quincy railroad. Seeing that railroad connection with Chicago v,as an assured fact and that warehouse facilities \\ould be in demand as long as Aurora remained the western terminus of the railroad running from Chicago, Messrs. Brady & Allen, in addition to 244 BIOGUM'IHCAL DICTIOXAUY AND POIlTIlArT (lALLEUT (iF Till': tlicir store, wliich they h:ul erected on the iKirlh- east corner of Broad way and Main streets, buiU a large warehouse on La Salle street, near Main, which was destroyed in 1887. The warehouse business was very profitable as was also the gen- eral store. In 1854 the firm dissolved partner- ship, Mr. Brady retaining the store and Mr. Allen the warehouse. Mr. Brady remained in mercantile business until 1871, in which year he sold out. He was the promoter and one of the organizers of the Aurora Fire Insurance company, which was formed in 1865 with a capital of $200,000. The company did an exceedingly successful and profitable business, but was driven into bank- ruptcy by the- greait Chicago fire in 1871, paying, however, forty-seven per cent, of its liabilities. When the banking firm of Albert Jeiiks & Com- pany failed in 1861 the banking firm of Brady, Hawkins & Allen was established, with sufificient capital and an excellent reputation. They did a very profitable business until the national banking system came into vogue. The firm organized the First National Bank of Aurora, of which Mr. Brady became a heavy stockholder and a director, and with which he continued until he transferred his interests to the Aurora National Bank, which to-day is probably the most popular bank in the city. J\Ir. Brady was the first to suggest the erection of the handsome Memorial Building in Aurora, and was president of the Memorial association. He served for many years as school trustee, and on account of his active interest in educational afifairs one of the largest edifices in the city, the Brady school, was named in his honor. In recog- nition of this he afterward contributed largely to perfect its equipment for educational instruction. He was largely instrumental in founding Spring Lake cemetery, gave much of his time and means toward beautifying its ground, and acted for many years as treasurer of the company. He was mayor of the city in 1880. At the time of his death Mr. Brady was an ardent and loyal Republican. He was formerly a free-soil Demo- crat, but at the birth of the new party he associ- ated himself with it. He was chairman of the first Congressional Republican convention ever held in Illinois, which convened in the Congrega- tional Church at Aurora in September, 1854, when it was claimed that the Republican party of the nation received its name. In religious matters, Mr. Brady was a Unitarian, was actively identified with the People's Church and contributed largely to the erection of its edifice. He was ever one of its chief promoters and was the largest contributor to the fund which was raised for its redecoration and remodeling. He retired to private life some year.s previous to his death, but his interests were constantly alive on all questions relating to the welfare of his adopted city. Mr. Brady was married in 1836 to Miss Susanna Fowler, wdio died in 1844. On the 20th of February, 1845, he was married, in Cincinnati, to ]\Iiss Caroline Kennon, a daughter of David and Sophia (Towsley) Kennon, of Plattsburg, New York. She died July 21, 1883. By the lat- ter marriage he had four daughters and one son : Sue, wife of J. J. Fishburn, of Aurora, Illinois; Julia, wife of W. S. Beaupre, who is vice-president of the Aurora National Bank; John L., of Port- land, Oregon; Lydia, wife of Dr. C. C. Smith, of Aurora; and Marion, wife of C. H. Haring, also of Aurora. ]\Ir. Brady's death occurred on Saturday, Feb- ruary 27, 1892, after he had been for a. few days prostrated with a stroke of paralysis, from which he was unable to recover owing to his advanced age. His demise closed the life record of one who honored the community in which he lived and who was universally honored and respected by all who knew him. Aurora mourned the death of this prominent man; flags were at half mast and the stores were closed during the funeral service. Expressions of regret were heard on every hand, for all felt that they had sustained a personal bereavement and the city an irreparable loss. He possessed to a full measure all the fine and ennobling qualities for which his ancestors were so noted, and his honesty, in- tegrity, gentleness and purity were a constant source of inspiration to his loving family and friends. Few men have left an example more to be desired than he, and his progressiveness, busi- ness ability and the part he took in public afTairs will long be felt in municipal business circles in Aurora; for without him that city could scarcely have hoped to attain to the position she now holds as one of the most important and progressive cities in Illinois. REPRESEyTATIVE MEX OF THE UNITED STATES: TLLIXOIS VOLUME. 245 JOHN L. TINCHER, So long as there are dwellers in this broad land of "Tlie Illinois," so long will the history of such men as John L. Tincher be read with inter- est. He belonged to that class, limited in numbers Init prodigious in strength, who were the leaders in s[)irit, thought and action in the formative period of our State's history. Perhaps every gathering or com- munity of men has in its midst some one who, when occasion requires, or the exigencies of the case demand, is looked to by the rest as a leader. These men possess that indescribable ciuality which commands respect, confidence and obedi- ence from others. Mr. Tincher possessed much of this inherent quality. He figured in a period when it took strong men to get to the front and re- main there; he helped to develop this section almost from the wilderness to the city he helped formulate the constitution and laws under which we live; and he helped build up and establish the strongest financial institution of which Danville can boast to-day. He was at various periods teacher, mer- chant, banker, statesman, preacher. His life, though spanning but half a century, was full of ac- tion: he was always a busy man. Though of large stature he was never a robust man physically, and his wonderful and incessant mental activity un- doubtedly shortened his life; the engine was too powerful for the craft ; but his life work was of that character that, though nearly a quarter of a cen- tury has elapsed since his untimely decease, his memory is as fresh in the minds of the people, and dierished as fondly, as though months in- stead of years marked the interval since his de- parture. It is well to perpetuate and preserve in the libraries of our land the life records of such men. John L. Tincher was bom in Kentucky, Octo- ber 1 8, 1 82 1. Eight years later he with his parents came to \'ermilion county, Indiana. His mother died when he was very young, and his father be- fore he had attained his majority. What school- ing he obtained was mainly through his own efforts. He qualified himself to teach in the dis- trict schools, and by teaching and attending school alternately he managed to secure a fair education. When he began casting about for some occupa- tion in life, the business of merchandising sug- gested itself to him. He was without capital and had to begin at the foot of the ladder. He went to Lafayette, Indiana, and obtained a clerkship in a dry-goods store; later he was employed in a like capacity at Newport, Indiana, in the store of Jones & Culbertson, and in 1843 'le came with J. At. Culbertson to Danville, Illinois, and clerked in his store till 1833. In the meantime he had met, wooed and won the lady who became his wife, and who still lives to cherish and honor his memory. On the iSth of April, 1850, he married Miss Caroline R. Hicks, a native of Indiana, whose mother and father were natives of New York State and Massachusetts, re- spectively. In 1853 he engaged in the dry-goods trade on his own account, in company with J. G. English. They prospered in their business venture and the ass'jciation proved congenial; so they de- temiined to engage in the banking and brokerage business, and the banking house of Tincher & English was established, afterward the First National Bank of Danville, and which is still con- ducted by Mr. English, the surviving partner. Although Mr. Tincher came to Danville in the humble capacity of clerk, it was not long until the strong qualities of the man compelled recognition, and from that time till his decease there was scarcely an enterprise of importance inaugurated in the city with which he was not prominently identified. He held many local positions of honor and trust, such as supervisor of the town, member of the school board, etc. He was one of the found- ers of the gas company; and early recognizing the important part railroads play in the development of a country he became an earnest advocate and promoter in that direction. He was one of the promoters and stockholders of the Chicago, Danville & Vincennes, now Chi- cago & Eastern Illinois, Railroad; also of the In- dianapolis, Urbana, Bloomington & Peoria, now Peoria I'v Eastern — a part of the "Big Four" sys- •incM. D'.cTwyMiy AM) runruMT callkut of the tein, and was one of the incoq)orators of the Paris & Danville, now Cairo branch of the "Big Four." In company with his partner, Mr. Enghsh, he owned and platted perhaps the major part of the present beautiful little city of Danville. It was not, however, as a business man alone that Mr. Tincher was prominent. He took an active part in political matters. He was a pleas- ant, forceful and effective public speaker, and his services were in constant demand in this field of action. In 1864 he was elected to the lower house of the general assembly of Illinois; in 1867 he was elected to the senate, and re-elected to the same important position in 1870. He was also in the latter year chosen as a member of the con- stitutional convention to revise the constitution and laws of the State, and was one of the most in- fluential members of this distinguished body. In 1845 he united with the Methodist Episcopal Church, and was soon afterward ordained as a local preacher in that denomination; and, not- withstanding the demands upon his time of con- stantly increasing business and official responsi- bilities, he, especially in the latter years of his life, often occupied the pulpit, and always with an ear- nestness, eloquence and zeal that carried convic- tion ; and was productive of much good. In what- ever field of labor he put forth effort, success at- tended him. Possessed of splendid presence, more than ordinary ability, a genial courtesy of man- ner which readily won and retained confi- dence and friendship, he used his remarkable powers wisely and well; and of him it may be truly said that he left the world better for his having lived in it. We find in his composition a rare combination of man's best qualities. He possessed in a high degree practical business sagacity, charity for the shortcomings of others, generosity to those less. favored than himself, and was withal the very soul of honor and honesty. He knew but one method in business or politics — straightforwardness ajid open dealing. He had no patience with subter- fuge or double dealing, and probably no man who knew- him had nenx enough to approach him with a dishonest proposition. He died in harness, and the action taken by his fellow legislators on the occasion of his death, the resolutions passed, the individual expressions of all the members of both houses, attested in the most unmistakable manner the high esteem in which he was held by both his political coadjutors and opponents. Some of the eulogiums seem ex- travagant, as though words were meaningless to express their grief at his loss; but there can be no question of their sincerity. His death was quite sudden, and occurred at the Revere House in Springfield, Illinois, December 17, 1871. He died of pleuro-pneumonia and was ill but a few days prior to his decease. In the earlier years of his residence in Danville he gave considerable attention to society matters. He was a member of Olive Branch Lodge, No. 38, F. & A. M., and w'as a charter member of Dan- ville Lodge, No. 69, 1. O. O. F. During the exciting period of our Civil war he was a strong Union man and took an acti^•e part in enlisting troops, and in the work of the relief committees, etc. The condition of his health for- bade his giving his own services in the field. In all matters of general or public interest Mr. Tincher was recognized as the controlling spirit in this commmiitv'. He Mt no one to charge him with circumvention, he left no taint upon his memory; but instead he left the results of a suc- cessful and well-spent life, and a record which must forever be a source of pride and satisfaction to his descendants. ^. f^. oVl^c.,r^^(. Lewis /hiiisJimf Co. REPRESENTATIVh: MEX OF THE CXITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 247 GEORGE \V. NEWCOMB, CHICAGO. MORE than forty-three )ears have passed since this gentleman arrived in Chicago, and lie is justly numbered among her honored pioneers and leading citizens. He has been prom- inently identified with her business interests as a member of the legal profession. His is an hon- orable record of a conscientious man, who by his upright life has won the confidence of all with whom he has come in contact. He has rounded the psalmist's span of three-score years and ten, and although the snows of several win- ters have whitened his hair, he has the vigor of a much younger man, and in spirit and interests seems yet in his prime. Old age is not necessarily a synonym of weakness or inactivity. It needs not suggest, as a matter of course, want of oc- cupation or helplessness. There is an old age that is a benediction to all that comes in con- tact with it, that gives out of its rich stores of learning and experience, and grows stronger in- tellectually and spiritually as the years pass. Such is the life of Mr. Xewcomb, an encouragement to his associates and an example well worthy of emulation to the young. George \\'hitfield Xewcomb was born in the little village of Putney, Windham county, Ver- mont, April 12, 1825, and is the youngest of the ten children of Asahel and Lucinda (Sykes) New- ccmb. In the sketch of his life printed in the Evening Post the following was written: " If America has an aristocracy of birth, George W. Newcomb may certainly lay claim to being an American of Americans, for his ancestry is di- rectly traceable to the historic William Bradford, first governor of IMassachusetts and a member of the Mayflower band of Pilgrims. His hue in- cludes many of the founders of this country and particularly of New England. The grandfather, William Ne\\comb, was a private soldier in the war of the American Revolution, and was with the army of Washington in Pennsylvania when several times it waded the Schuylkill river during a winter's night. He was with the party that rowed General Washington's boat through the icy waters of the Delaware river on the terrible night preceding the battle of Trenton. One of his early ancestors. Lieutenant Andrew Newcomb, was in command of the fortifications for a period during King William's war in the latter part of the seventeenth century ; another of his ancestors, John Ctmnabell, was a soldier in Captain Tur- ner's company atthePallsfight, which took place near the present to\\'n of Bernardston, Massachu- setts, in 1676; still another ancestor, whose name is not known to the writer, was engaged in the Falls fight; and one of the descendants received a grant of a lot in the Falls Fight township, above Deerfield, j\Iassachusetts, in consideration of his ser\'ices. The distinguished military services of Major \\'illiam Bradford, son of Governor Brad- ford, Mr. Xewcomb's ancestor, in the Colonial wars, are a matter of history. The family has ever been noted for loyalty and fidelity to any trust reposed in them, and these characteristics are among the most marked of the gentleman whose name introduces this sketch. When three years of age Mr. Newcomb removed with his parents to Whitestown, Oneida county. New York, where his boyhood days were passed and his education was begun. At the age of fourteen he entered Whitestown Academy, and the principal, Rev. Abner W. Henderson, taking an interest in his young pupil, awakened in the latter's mind an ambition to obtain a college education. With this end in view he attended \N'hitestown Seminar)-, a preparator}' school, which he left to enter the sophomore year of Hamilton College in 1846. He had scarcely n-.atriculated when he accepted an ofifer of twenty dollars per month and board to teach school at Sherburne, Chenango county, New York, as he was entirely dependent upon his own resources for the means of attending college. He had pre- viously taught in tliree of the district schools of Whitestown. He re-entered college at the third term of the sophomore year, having meanwhile kept pace with the studies of his class, and re- ceived the degree of Bachelor of Arts in June, 1849. He then served as principal of Ames Academy, of Montgomery county. New York, 2-48 BIOdRM'inCAL niVTinXART AND PO/lTh'A/T (lALLEHY OF THE and it was soon scc-n that he possessed ability of a liigh order as an educator, and he was elected to the principalship of the Utica Academy, of Utica, New York, but after serving in that po- sition for a few weeks his health failed and he was obliged to resign. After an illness of sev- eral months he regained his strength sufficiently to contemplate a change of climate. Two courses seemed open to him : one \vas to go into the South- ern States and accept an appointment as teacher, there being at that time considerable demand in the South for instructors; the other was to go into the new territory being developed in the West. The latter proved the more attractive and he resolved to seek a broader field of labor in the Mississippi valley. According! v, Mr. 'Newconib proceeded by rail to Bufifalo, where he took passage on a steamer for Detroit, Michigan, thence traveled over the new ]\Iichigan Central Railroad to Chi- cago, and arrived at the terminus of the line at the foot of Twelfth street on the lake shore in Julv, 1852. The first object which met his gaze on alighting from the train was a large frame building on which were letters about six feet long indicating that it was the "Southern Hotel," and to this led wagon tracks from difTerent directions over the unmown prairie grass and sand. j\Ir. Newcomb spent the night there, and the next morning started by rail for Elgin, where for a few- days he visited his cousin, John B. Newcomb, one of the early settlers of Kane county. He afterward visited friends in Waukesha, Wiscon- sin, and upon his return to Chicago found that he had exactly twenty dollars and fifty cents in his pocket. He saw a sign in an employment office, saying that a clerk who could speak Ger- man was wanted in a law office; but on entering he was told that the information as to the position would cost him fifty cents. At that time fifty cents seemed to him a large capital, but he finally paid it and was told that the law office was just across the street, and though a German-speaking clerk was preferred, one who could not speak that language would not be declined. Thus he be- came an employee in the office of Skinner & Hoyne, entering upon his duties as clerk and student at a salary of two dollars per week. It would have been impossible for him to meet his expenses had not Mr. Hoyne gone on a vacation about that time and asked the young clerk to room at his residence and protect his family. Chicago at that time was a small city just com- ing into prominence, but it was located advan- tageously for water communication and gave signs of future greatness. It accordingly was the choice of Mr. Newcomb for a home, and he began life here as stated above. The following year he was admitted to the bar, his license be- ing dated February 7, 1853. After practicing for a short time he was oflfered and accepted the position of cashier in a private bank estab- lished in Chicago by a Pennsylvania gentleman, and remained there for two years, when he en- tered upon an independent business career. He has given his time and attention mostly to pro- bate court work and to the real-estate branch of the law, such as examining titles, conveyanc- ing, settlement of estates, etc.; while the busi- ness of loaning money on real estate security gradually increased so that it occupied the greater portion of his time. The acquaintances which he made while in the bank placed money in his hands to loan after he had severed his connec- tion with the bank, and friends of theirs in the East also trusted Mr. Newcomb with large amounts of money to invest in mortgages. It was at this period that he formed friendships and gained the confidence of persons which endured throughout their lifetime and which prompted them to trust their estates for settlement after their decease to the hands of him whom they had trusted in life and had not found wanting. While thus engaged he formed the acquaint- ance of Dr. Swayne Wickersham, from which a friendship sprang that was of an ideal character and was terminated only by death. No one w-as better able to judge of the character and life of ]\Ir. Newcoml) than the Doctor, who knew him so long and intimately. The Doctor left a char- acteristically short and concise will, consisting of seventy-four words, divided into four clauses, the fourth clause reading as follows: 'T appoint my old friend, George W. Newcomb, of Chicago, my executor, and I direct that no bond be required of him; he is an honest man." Much that was laudatory might be justly written of I\Ir. New- comb. but what is more eloquent than this simple REPRESEXTArn'E MEN OF THE UXITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 249 tribute cf one who knew almost liis every thougcht and action? It expresses the general opinion, for all who know him have for him the utmost con- fidence and highest regard. The domestic relations of Mr. Xcwcomb have I)een most pleasant. On the i.st of February, i860, he wedded Man,- Eliza, eldest child of Aza- riah Eddy and Harriet M. (Hooker) Eddy, a di- rect descendant of Rev. Thomas Hooker, of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, one of the founders of Hartford, Connecticut, and the first pastor of the first Congregational Church of that place. She also was descended from Thomas Hart Hooker, a soldier of the Revolution, who before leaving for the war freed his only slave, saying, "I can- not fight for liberty and leave a sfavc behind." Mrs. Newcomb was a woman of great force of character, brilliant in conversation, energetic, vigorous, full of resources, and, as has been said of her, "a large woman," large in her capabilities, her thoughts and her aspirations, and withal kind and gentle, a devout Christian and perfectly devoted to her husband and chil- dren; she was a great sufferer for many years, and during the last years of her life she was an invalid, for the greater part of the time con- fined to her home, which she brightened by the cheer and happiness which she spread about her. "Perfected through suffering," she passed to the other side September 11. 1892, leaving her hus- band and six children to mourn her loss and to take encouragement and inspiration from the example of her devoted life. Since i860 Mr. Newcomb has occupied his comfortable resi- dence at No. 236 Warren avenue, and there his children have all been bom. The eldest, Mary Harriette, is the wife of Edward J- \'aughan, of Chicago, a nephew of Canon J. H. Knowles; George Edd\- is a well-known lawyer of Chi- cago; William Henderson was admitted to the bar in June, 1895; Helen Maria and Bes- sie Jeannette are at home; and Francis Herbert is a student in the Northwestern L'niversity at Evanston. IMr. Newcomli is an esteemed member of the old Tippecanoe Club, the Sons of Vermont, the Illinois Sons of the American Revolution, and in 1895 was made a member of the Society of Colonial Wars. In the days preceding the Civil war he was an ardent abolitionist, and when the Republican party was formed to prevent the fur- ther extension of slavery he joined its ranks and has since fought under its banner. He served as supervisor of Cook county under the early township organization, and in 1876 led the Re- publican ticket as the candidate for Cook county commissioners. How many a man would be wise if wisdom could be purchased, but it can only be obtained through hard labor and earnest ap- plication, and the man who wins prominence in any of the learned professions has secured it through merit. Mr. Newcomb is a man of broad general iniformation laaid ripe scholarship, and to this he has added a thorough knowledge of his branch of the law. Working earnestly for his clients' interests he has advanced his own; but whether it will be beneficial to him or other- wise, no trust reposed in him is ever slighted. A ripe old age, crowned with the fruits of his former toil and honored with the esteem of his fellow- men, — this, in brief, is the record of George W. Newcomb. JOHN T. BROWNING THE subject of this sketch, Hon. John Tillot- son Browning, is a native of the Empire State, having been born at Darien. Genesee county. New York, June 11, 1830. His parents were John L. and Lucy (Tillotson) Browning, the former being a farmer and stock dealer of that town. Young Browning passed his early boy- hood in his native town, where he attended the common schools, and later studied at Alexander Academy, in Genesee county. After leaving this institution he was employed as a teacher in the district schools in Wyoming and Livingston coun- ties, and then entered the academy at Charlottes- ville, Schoharie county, where he spent the sub- 250 lilOORAPIIlCAL niVTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE sequent year, leaving there in the spring of 1855. His resources being meager he necessarily was desirous of finding employment, and did so with a New York publishing house, in whose interest he canvassed Montreal and Quebec, selling books and maps. The following winter he entered the law office of Angle & Trimmer, at Rochester, as a student, and spent the ensuing three years in this capacity, part of which time he taught a select school at Moscow, in Livingston county. In the fall of 1S58, having passed the necessary examination, he was admitted to the bar, at Roch- ester, and in December of that year started for the West to enter upon the practice of his pro- fession. A former schoolmate, Robert H. Gra- ham, was living at Moline, where he published a paper, and to that city Mr. Browning went, after debating with himself whether he should go there or to Wisconsin, having been urged to locate in the latter State by another old friend, Charles G. Williams, afterward member of Congress from the Janesville district. Soon after his arrival at Moline a law partner- ship was formed between himself and Mr. Gra- ham, which lasted for about two years, or until the outbreak of the great Rebellion, when Mr. Graham entered the army. From that time till 1876 Mr. Browning practiced alone and rose rapidly in his profession. In the latter year he took a former student, W. J. Entrikin, into part- nership, and the firm of Browning & Entrikin became the leading law firm of Moline. In 1884, owing to poor health, our subject was obliged to retire from active practice, although the firm name was and still is unchanged. Since that time he has devoted himself to caring for his property interests, spending part of his time on one of his farms near Moline, where he in- dulges himself in what was so familiar to him as a boy, — the raising of horses. He is also the owner of other valuable real estate, and is a di- < rector anid vice-president of Moline's leading financial institution, the First National Bank, and a stockholder and director of the People's Savings Bank, also of the extensive lumber con- cern of Dimock, Gould & Company, of the same city. Mr. Browning has been a member of the Re- publican party since its organization, and active in its affairs. For many years he was attorney for the village of Moline, prior to its incorpora- tion as a city, and was afterward appointed its first city attorney. In 1874-6 he served as a mem- ber of the lower house of the Illinois legis- lature and ably represented his constituents in a body where personal influence counts for so much more than forensic display. He has also served as member of the Republican State cen- tral committee. In local affairs he is prominent and active and has done much toward the advancement of the prosperity of the city of his home, and for some time was one of the trustees of the ]\Ioline Public Library. J. O. CUNNINGHAM, FORTY-TWO years ago Judge J. O. Cun- ningham, then a young man, first came to Urbana. Since then, as journalist, attorney, jurist and citizen, he has been an important factor in tlie development of the town, and no man who has ever lived there has been or is more highly esteemed, or sincerely respected. He traces his ancestry back to our early colo- nists in New England. He was the eldest son and child of Hiram W. and Eunice (Brown) Cun- ningham, and was bom in Lancaster, Erie county. New York, December 12, 1830. His mothers people were from the Green Mountain State, and his maternal grandfather built and carried on the first carding and fulling mill in the then Col- ony of Vermont, before the Revolutionary war. His paternal ancestors were Connecticut people, where they first settled in America some time in the latter half of the seventeenth century. The Judge's father, Hiram W., came with his parents in 181 1 to what was known as the Holland Pur- chase, Erie county, New York. In 1833 he re- HEPRESENTATirE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. -•51 moved to Huron county, Ohio, where he resided till his decease in 1866. Judge Cunningham obtained his education at the district schools, at the Baldwin Institute, Berea, Ohio, and at Oberlin College. Like most young men of that period just out of school and not yet fully decided on a vocation in life, he took up teaching as the best pursuit for the time being, and was soon in charge of a school at Eugene, \'crmilion county, Indiana. In the mean- time, in 1852, he began also the study of law. About this time his attention was attracted to Urbana, largely tlirougli the medium of a bright and rather superior newspaper of its class pub- lished here. He came to Urbana, arriving June 18, 1853. He was practically without capital, but, entering into negotiations with the owner. Colonel W. L Coler, he purchased the news- pa])er which had attracted his notice on credit, and became proprietor and editor of the Urbana Union. He associated with him a practical printer named Benjamin A. Roney. Later on his part- ners were G. N. Richards and G. W. Flynn, both of wiiom were also printers. In the presidential campaign of 1856 he strongly supported Fremont and the Republican ticket. To be the editor and proprietor of a country ■newspaper, however, was not the ultima Tliule of Judge Cunningham's ambition. He had pros- ecuted his law studies while conducting his paper, and in 1858 disposed of his newspaper interests and attended the Union Law College at Cleve- land, Ohio, where he graduated the following year. Returning to Urbana, he formed a law partnership with J. \V. Sim, which continued about five years. As a writer he was \ngorous and versatile, and notwithstanding the demands of his law practice he felt attracted to newspaper work, and when Rev. William Munhall conducted the Patriot at Urbana he did more or less edito- rial work on that sheet; and when Flynn and Richards bought the Union and Gazette in 1864 he assumed editorial charge until 1866, when liis constantly increasing law practice forced him to abandon further work in the ncw-spaper field and devote himself exclusively to his profession. In 1861 he was elected judge of the county court, which office he held with dignity and dis- tinction four years. While occupying this posi- tion he saw the necessity for some well consid- ered and carefully prepared treatise on probate law, and a few years later he aided in editing and publishing the well-known work entitled, Prac- tice in the County Court, by Jones and Cun- ningham. From 1867 to 1873 he was a member of the board of trustees of the State University, in the location of which at Urbana he had taken a prom- inent and active part. From 1869 to 1876 his law partner was Hon. William B. Webber. His practice was then conducted alone till 1893, when he associated with him F. H. Boggs, of Urbana. He has devoted himself closely to his profes- sional work and never been a seeker for polit- ical honors. During the slavery agitation and war period he was a strong advocate of the prin- ciples of the Republican party, but he is too in- dependent in his methods of thought to accept as a dictum the dogmas of any political party further than they are endorsed by his own con- victions of right and wrong, and for many years he has been what might be termed independent in i)olitical matters. Twice he has been induced to lead the opposition in this county as an inde- pendent candidate for State senator, both times running ahead of his ticket and polling more than the full strength of the two opposing can- didates. These honors have come to him un- sought, as he has no aspirations in that direc- tion, and has been content to give his best ef- forts undivided to his chosen profession. He was for many years a director and is still a stockholder in the Illinois Printing Company, of Danville, a large concern which does most of the county printing throughout the State. He was married at Bainbridge, Ohio, October 13- 1853, to Miss Mary McConoughey, a most es- timable lady, who still survives; and while their ovvn hearthstone has not been gladdened by the presence of their own children, yet in the years to come many generations of children may have cause to cherish and bless their memory. Both Judge and Mrs. Cunningham have for many years been devoted members of the Meth- odist Episcopal Church, and when in 1894 the session of the Illinois conference was held at Champaign a board of nine persons was appointed charged with the duty of securing property suit- 252 BIoaitAl'tllCAL DlCTIONAnT AND POUTRAIT OALLEIiY OF TIIK able for a deacoiusscs' home, Judge and .Mrs. Cun- ningham went before the board antl tendered as a gift for that purpose their beautiful and commo- dioais home. The nature, intent and purpose of the gift is best set forth in the proposition which they made to the board in the following language: To the Conference Board of the Illinois Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, charged with the work of the establishment of a deaconess' home: Dear Brethren and Sisters:— We are the own- ers, in fee simple, free of incumbrance, of our home near Urbana, which consists of fifteen acres of land, upon which are situated a two-story brick house, with mansard story, the house having in all fourteen rooms, three halls, a bath room, sup- plied with hot and cold water, ample closets, with cellar and ice-house: also a brick gardener's cottage of three rooms and a cellar; both of which houses are under metal roofs, and have contigu- ous thereto ample barns with carriage room; also three wells, three cisterns, a steel windmill, pump and elevated tank from which the lawn and build- ings are supplied with water. This property we desire to give as a free gift to some benevolent purpose, where God's poor shall be the bene- ficiaries ; our preference favoring orphan and de- pendent children. In canvassing the question, who shall be the almoner of our humble bounty, our minds first turn to the church which bears our names upon its record as the most suitable agency to be se- lected. The purpose which called into existence your board also highly commends itself to our minds and judgment, and we see no reason why that devoted sisterhood which has lately been organized to meet the later needs of our civiliza- tion may not appropriately share a home with the poor waifs who by death or other casualty are cast upon the care of the church. We therefore first make you the offer to convey this property, our beloved home for a quarter of a century, as a free gift to the Woman's Home Missionary Society of the Methodist h^piscopal Church, to receive the title and administer the trust, without other conditions than these: That it shall forever be kept as a deaconess' and children's home; hoping and praying that it shall not only most abundantly meet these needs of the church, but that it shall in some degree turn the attention of the church and its members to the pressing demands made upon it in our day and in our midst, for the care and nurture of our own poor. J. O. Cunningham, Mary M. Cunningham. Thanksgiving Day, 1894. The interest of the charity itself, and the mo- tives that inspired the noble act, are too plainly evident to need comment. Many successful men and women have given bountifully of their sur- plus to others less fortunate; but how many have been willing to give up forever, without recom- pense other than the satisfaction of doing good; their home, around which cluster all the sacred memories belonging to that hallowed spot for a quarter of a century! Surely such people deserve a record on the pages of their country's history. Judge Cunningham has ahvays been a student of books and of human nature. He is broad in his views and liberal in his judgments, strong in his convictions and earnest in his views. He is a law3er of recognized ability, a citizen of unim- pugned morals and integrity. Self-willed but not obstinate, a strong, stalwart character whose life record will bear the closest scrutiny without suf- fering criticism, such men leave a lasting impress for good, and the story of their lives cannot fail to exert a beneficial influence on the youth of succeeding generations. GILPIN MOORE, ROCK ISLAND. GILPIN MOORE w^as born in Chester county, Pennsylvania, October 27, 1831, and is the son of Hibbard and Jane (Ganthrop) Moore, who were Quakers and of English and Scotch descent respectively. Our subject passed his early boyhood in his native state, where he at- tended the local school until he was fourteen years of age, when he removed to Rock Island, where his father, who was by occupation a blacksmith, had been for seven years. Here the young man continued hi^ schooling, and then entered his father's shop, where he remained until he was ^A:. ^^#^^^-L^ :/-^-^_^, REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE CNITED STATES; ILLlynlS VOLUME. 258 eighteen years old. At this time it became evi- dent that he was possessed of mnch more than ordinar}- mechanical ability, and he therefore ap- prenticed himself for a term of three years to a machinist in Rock Island. When his term of apprenticeship expired he was in entire charge of the shop as superintendent, a position he con- tinued to fill most acceptably until 1864, estab- lishing in the meantime a reputation as an in- ventor of ability. In the latter named year he became associated with the great plow factory of Deere & Company, with which he has been closely identified ever since. In 1868, when the concern was incorpo- rated, he became interested as a stockholder, and later one of the company's directors, an office he still holds. During this period he for some time was vice-president of the company. His duties are the general superintendency of the mechan- ical department of the works, and as such he has been an important factor in the prosperity of the establishment. His early training under his father, and the opportunities since afiforded him at the practical working of machiner}', his school- ing in mechanism, drafting and designing, all tended toward the development of the inventive genius which he possessed, and he has taken out a large mmiber of patents, one of the most noted of which is the Gilpin Sulky Plow, which is known in all parts of the world. Improvements in ex- isting agricultural implements have also been made by him, and his value to the great con- cern with which he has been identified cannot be overestimated. The scope of his genius ex- tends beyond the invention of plows and culti- vators, and he has given to the world en- gine improvements of all descriptions, and he also designs almost all of the machinery used by Deere & Company. He is a thor- ough worker and applies himself closely to his business. Politically Mr. Moore is a Republican. He has found time to travel extensively, and has been in even,- State in the Union excepting Maine and Oregon, and has spent some time in the various European countries. In religious belief he is a Presbyterian. Mr. Moore was married at Rock Island, March 3, 1853, to Miss Ludica Crisswell, a native of In- diana, and they have had four children, viz.: Trues- dale L., of Kansas City; Charles E., now on an extended tour abroad; Adah, now Mrs. W. H. Martin, of Davenport; and Anna, who resides at home. Mrs. Moore died on the i ith day of March. 1894, and her loss was a most severe blow to her husband, for she had been a helpmeet in all that the term implies. During their long and happy married life her sympathy ner\'ed his arm in the discharge of his duties, her smiles brightened his future prospects. Her in- telligence, refinement and accomplishments won for her loyal and devoted friends to whom her death came as a personal sorrow. Mr. Moore's residence is one of the handsomest in the tri- cities, and was erected in 1884. It is located in Rock Island, about midway Iietween the busi- ness centers of that city and Moline, situated well back from the avenue and surrounded by spacious and well-kept lawiis that add materially to its beauty. DANIEL HEENAN, CAXAD.\ has furnished to the United States many bright, enterprising young men who have left the Dominion to enter the business circles of this country with its more progressive methods, livelier competition and advancement more quickly secured. Among this number is Mr. Heenan. He inherited somewhat of the strong, rugged, persevering and plodding cliar- actcristics developed by his earlier environment, which coupled with the livelier impulses of his Celtic blood made him at an early day seek wider fields in which to give full scope to his ambition and industPi- — his dominate qualities. He found the opportunity he sought in the freedom and appreciation of the growing western portion of the country. Though bom across the border, 254 nfOGRAP/fWAJ. DTCTroXART AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF 'HIE lie is a thorough American in thought and feel- ing, and is patriotic and sincere in his love for the stars and stripes. His career is identifie lican party, and was an abolitionist through and thiough. Personally he knew the great leaders of the party, — Lincoln, Seward, Grant, Colfax, and Logan, — and still recalls vividly the picture of that great epoch with its strong characters. He has always been much interested in public questions, and has often acted as delegate to Re- publican conventions: but he has never been a candidate for a public ofifice. In spite of his restless energy and activity, Mr. Anderson is of a retiring disposition. But he has been tried by his fellow citizens and they know his worth. He was for three successive terms the president of the Old Time Printers" Association, an organization counting as members most of the leading newspaper men in Chicago; twice the president of the Norwegian Old Settlers' Associa- tion, and also president of the Leif Erikson Mem- orial Association. His mother, Mrs. Laura Anderson, is still living, hale and hearty. She is eighty-four years old. His father died in the cholera epidemic in 1849. In this year and in 1850 and 1852 he was suffer- ing from cholera himself, but pulled through ever>- time. He has been married twice. Of the two chil- dren of the first marriage only a son is living. By the second marriage he has had four children, of whom three, a daughter and two sons, are living. WILLIAM HANNA, MONMOUTH. PROMINENT among the energetic, far- seeing and successful business men of cen- tral Illinois is the subject of this sketch. His life history most happily illustrates what may be attained by faithful and continued effort in car- rying out an honest purpose. Integrity, activity and energy have been the crowning points of his success, and his connection with various busi- ness enterprises and industries have been a decided advantage to this section of Illinois, pro- moting its material welfare in no uncertain man- ner. William Hanna is a native of Fayette county, Indiana. He was bom on the 19th of June, 1827, and is a son of John and Sarah (Crawford) Hanna, the third in order of birth in their family of eleven children. Back to Ireland he traces his ancestry, and mingled with the blood of his ancestors was that of a Scotch family. His father was born in South Carolina, in January, 1799, and died at the age of sixty-four years, while his wife, who was born in Virginia, in 1802, died in 1852. In 1835 the family left the old home in the Hoosier State and came to Illinois, taking up their residence in Warren county, which was then an almost un- broken wilderness. They had the usual experi- ences and hardships of frontier life, and William, who was a youth of eight years at the time of their arrival, acquired his education in a primitive log schoolhouse. He continued his studies until eighteen years of age, pursuing his lessons through the winter season, while during the re- mainder of the year he aided his father in the cul- tivation of the old home farm, which was situated twelve miles northwest of Monmouth. Who would have thought that the boy trudging off to school and conning his lessons on a rude bench in a log building would one day become one of the most wealthy, successful and prominent business men of central Illinois? When Mr. Hanna was a young man of twenty- two he left the old home to seek a fortune in the West, driving an ox team across the "plains"' in 1849. Gold had been accidentally dis- covered in California, and there was a rush to that State by hundreds who anticipated securing a fortune with little labor and in a very short time. He carried on a ranch on Feather river, mined on the Yuba and American rivers, and after collecting a few thousand dollars in gold during his two years' residence on the Pacific slope he returned to Illinois in 1851, and engaged in farm- '-7-2^ -/^^"^d^^C. REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF TUE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 359 ing in liis own interests, following- that jiursnit nntil 1867. In July of that year the Weir Plow Company was incorporated and Mr. Hanna became one of its stockholders and was made its cashier, a position whicli he filled continuously until 1892. It had at first a paid-up capital of twenty-five thousand dollars, but the field proved a good one for such an undertaking and the business so rapidh" increased that within the first fourteen years the capital stock was enlarged to five hun- dred thousand dollars, and the surplus in August, 1875, to five huiulred and seventy-five thousand dollars. Prior to 1886 the company had paid in dividends two hundred and ninety thousand three hundred and seventy-five dollars. DIVIDENDS MADE KV THE WEIR PLOW CO.Ml'.ANV. 1875 $40,375 1876 25.000 1879 50,000 1880 25,000 1881 25,000 1883 25,000 1884 25,000 1886 75.000 Total dividends prior to Nov., i886..$290,375 In 1886 Mr. Haiina bought out Mr. Weir's interest in the business, became president and treasurer of the company and continued to serve in those capacities until 1892, when, w-ishing to retire in a degree from active business labors, he sold a three-fourths interest in the concern to Martin Kingman, C. A. Jamison, G. H. Schimpft and A. L. Carson, of Peoria, Illinois. He is now, however, one of its directors. The business has kept abreast of the times in every particular, im- provements being constantly added, and the Weir plow has ever been kept at its high position as one of the best farm implements on the market. Mr. Hanna has ever carried on to successful completion whatever he undertakes, and when he formed a connection with this business he went upon the road as its traveling representa- tive, continuing in the sales in this way for seven years. More than half a million dollars' worth of plows are turned out annually, and the business has become one of the most extensive and important industries in this section of the State, furnishing employment to nearly si.x hun- dred workmen, and thereby e.Ktensively promot- ing the material welfare of the city of Monmouth. The business aljility of Mr. Hanna has been by nc means limited to one line of undertaking. He demonstrated his powers as a successful finan- cier by his capable management of the Monmouth X'ational Bank, of which he became president in 1872, serving for ten years. He is president of the Monmouth Mining & Manufacturing Com- pany, which makes sewer pipe, drain tile, fire brick, etc., and employs about one hundred and thirty men now (1895). He is also president of the Monmouth Pottery Company, which owns the largest and best equipped pottery works in the world, the present capacity being six million gallons yearly, and also president of the Mon- motith Blanket and Saddlery Company. He is president of the Maple City Soaip Works, which were incorporated in 1890 by Mr. Hanna and his son. The present capacity is tw'elve thou- sand pounds daily, and the business is steadily increasing, a large demand now coming from the East for this commodity, and an order recently for fifty boxes to go to Honolulu. In providing railroad facilities he has also been an important factor. In company with a Mr. Phelps, a lawyer, he built the Iowa Central Rail- road from Peoria to Keithsburg. It furnishes additional shipping facilities to the city and therefore materially promotes the welfare of the country through which it passes by competi- tion in freights. Mr. Hanna was president of the road nntil after the work of construction was com- pleted, when he sold out to the Iowa Central Company. On the 26th of June, 185 1, Mr. Hanna was united in marriage with J\Iiss Sarah Finnley, of Warren county, daughter of James Finnley, a pioneer settler, who located here in 1832. Three children were boni to them, but one of them, Sarah F., died in infancy. The others are James Ross, who is now vice-president of the Sewer Pipe Company and also of the Monmouth Pot- tery Company, and, like his father, a leading busi- ness man of Monmouth; and Mary T. E., wife of W. D. Brereton, secretary and treasurer of the Monmouth Pottery Company. In his political views Mr. Hanna was born and 200 niOORAPIIWAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE iM-cd a Democrat, Init on account of "Graver's" views on the money question he left the ranks of that party and joined the Prohibition party. He held the office of mayor of Monmouth for two terms, and then dcchned further honors in that line. The cause of education has ever found in him a stalwart friend, ready to advance its inter- ests. He is a trustee of the Warren County Li- brary, also of Lombard University of Galesburg, Illinois, and is deeply interested in any public enterjirise calculated to benefit the city. He has been deeply interested in church work, and is a Universalist in faith; but as there is no Uni- versalist church in Monmouth, he is a liberal supporter of the United Presbyterian church, of which his wife has been a consistent member for fifty-eight years, and is active in the work of the home and foreign missionary societies. He has traveled extensively throughout the United States, visiting the principal cities, and through his varied business experience, travel and obser- vation he has become a man of broad general information and of liberal and progressive views. He has made an untarnished record aiid un- spotted reputation as a business man. In all places and under all circumstances he is loyal to truth, honor and right, justly valuing his own self-resipect as infinitely more preferable than wealth, fame and position. In those finer traits of character which combine to f(jrni that which we term friendship, which en- dear and attach man to man in bonds which nothing but the stain of dishonor can sever, which triumph and shine brightest in the hour of adversity,- — in those cjualities he is royally endowed. MILTON W. MATHEWS, UKBANA, ON Tuesday, May lo, 1892, there passed away at his home in Urbana, while yet in the prime of manhood, one of the brightest, strong- est, most gifted sons Illinois ever had, — teacher, lawyer, orator, editor, statesman, — a brilliant success in each field of endeavor. His won- derful ability and remarkable qualities were just beginning to be widely known and respected when his career was terminated by death. He stood just upon the threshold of national repu- tation, honors and achievement. Many men of worldwide fame possessed fewer of the qualities that command success and those in less degree than he. What may be termed the leading events of his life were, briefly, as follows: He was the son of John R.and Mary Mathews, natives of Ohio; was born in Clark county, Illi- nois, March i, 1846; was reared on a farm, and received a common-school and academic edu- cation. In April, 1865, he came to Champaign county and taught school at what is known as Yankee Ridge. He determined upon law as his profession, and while engaged in teaching employed his spare hours in the study of the law. This course of self-instruction he supple- mented by a course of study in the office of George W. Gere, Esq., of Champaign. He was the embodiment of activity and en- ergy, possessing a bright, quick mind, with re- tentive memory. He rapidly mastered the in- tricacies of the law and v\'as admitted to prac- tice in 1867. Soon thereafter he formed a co- partnership with his preceptor, whicli continued about two years. In connection with his law practice he also held a position under the gov- ernment in the internal revenue service. In 1873 he was appointed master in chancery, and held this office nine years in succession, during which time he was often called to pass upon legal questions of the most intricate character. As was his wont in all things he undertook, he gave every detail his most careful considera- tion, and discharged the duties of his office to the utmost satisfaction of the court and bar of the county. In 1876 he was nominated by the Republican party for State's attorney, and, though opposed by the combined vote of the Demo- cratic and independent parties concentrated in favor of the opposing candidate, was elected by a large majority. He proved a most effi- REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLl'.UE. 31)1 cicnt man for the place, and was a veri- table terror to evil-doers. In this position, as in all others in life, he was thoroughly in earnest, and with his knowledge of the law and his keen insight into the motives and actions of men he readily swept aside tlie fabrics of sojihistry woven as a cocoon around a criminal, and laid bare before the merciless gaze of justice the naked truth. The affairs of the county were never better managed in this direction than un- der his prosecution during his two terms of of- fice, for upon the expiration of his first term he was re-elected to another term of four years, retiring in 1884. In 188S he was noiuinated for .^tate senator and elected l)y a majority greater by several luindrcds than his party had been able to give any candidate since 1872. Here in the councils of State was the first great oppor- tunity that had come to him to exercise to their utmost the marvelous abilities with which na- ture had endowed him. He was a born leader of men, and in this august body his qualities were quickly recognized. He at once took first rank, and though only a 'new member in the body, was elected /;v tempore president of the senate, an honor almost unprecedented under the circumstances. The measures he advocated always met with warm and cordial support, and he proved a most able and efficient represent- ative of his district and especially of the great interests of the State University, an institution in which he has always taken much interest and pride, and which his efiforts had done so much to strengthen and build up. Early in his term as senator he was appointed by Governor Fifcr a member of his staff with the commission of colonel; and it may truly be said in passing that he won and retained the complete and unqualified confidence of the chief executive, and was one of his closest advisers and counselors. During all this period of active political life he maintained his leadership at the bar, and in 1879 added to his responsibilities and labors by purchasing and assuming edito- rial charge of the Champaign County Herald, thus adding to his other pursuits that of jour- nalist. In this field he met with the same pro- noiuiced success which had been vouchsafed him in other fields of labor. As editor of this paper he was a competitor of one of Illinois' brightest newspaper men, the late George Scroggs, and the test was a crucial one. Mr. Mathews proved himself fully equal to the emergency. Under his management and con- trol the Herald became perhaps the best and most successful county newspaper in the State. Newspaper men are themselves the best judges of merit in their profession, and as an evidence of their recognition and appreciation of this newcomer in the field of journalism they twice elected him president of the Illinois State Edi- torial Association, and twice sent him as their representative to the National Association. Mr. Mathews was a member of the Modern \Voodmen of America. The affairs of the order were in bad shape, dissensions had arisen, fac- tional troubles threatened the very life of the order. In this emergency the wiser heads be- gan casting about for a modem Moses to lead them out of the w-ildemess. At a national meet- ing of the order held at Springfield, Illinois, in 1890, he at once took a commanding position in the councils of the convention, and by his winning matmers, wise suggestions and splendid oratory succeeded in harmonizing the factions, bringing order out of chaos, winning the confi- dence of the delegates, and when the officers for the succeeding term were elected he was made one of the directors. At the first meeting of the board he was made chairman, and continued in this important position during all the sittings of the board. By his great business ability he suc- ceeded in straightening out the tangled aiifairs of the order and placing them upon a firm and solid business basis; and it may truly be said that the prosperous condition of this order to- day is due more to his efiforts than to those of any other one man. Soon after his advent in professional life, Oc- tober 21, 1869, he married Miss Julia R. Foote, of Urbana. The wife survives him with two chil- dren: Loueva ^Tae, born August 6. 1871; and Clyde M., born December 22, 1878. Mr. Mathews died, as before stated. May 10, 1892. He had been ailing for some time prior to his decease, suffering three severe attacks of inflamma- tory rheumatism. This finally affected his heart, and in the very prime of a vigorous and emi- nentlv useful manhood he was called awav. At 262 lUOaRAPITWAL DICTIONARY AND POIiTRAIT GALLERY OF TlIK the time of his death he was a member of the lUi- nois senate, president of the RepubUcan Editorial Association of Illinois, chairman of the board of directors of Modern Woodmen, editor and pro- prietor of the Champaign County Herald, and one of the most prominent attorneys of the state. It is difficult to write truthfully and justly of a man like Senator Mathews without being open to the charge of attempted eulogy, for whatever may be written must if truthful be eulogistic. In whatever relation or position in life he may be viewed he was more than an ordinary man. Pos- sessed of a fine physique, a noble and dignified bearing, a frank, open, intellectual countenance, with a genial, hearty manner, he was a man who in any company of men would at once attract and hold attention and command respect and homage. In whatever he undertook in life he proved suc- cessful. This is saying much, but in whatever he undertook he brought all the force, earnestness and ability of his nature to achieve. As a lawyer he understood thoroughly not only the statute enactments but also the basic underlying prin- ciples on which law is founded. As an advocate he was earnest, forcible, logical, eloquent. As an editorial writer he was graphic, brilliant and incisive. He was perhaps the leading orator of his State. He had a fund of apt anecdote, an inexhausti- ble and choice vocabulary, and that indescrib- able art of claiming the attention of an audience and swaying them as he chose. With all these remarkable powers there is not a man living who can accuse him of wielding his power for any other than pure and laudable ends. As a lawyer he was above pettifogging or intrigue. As a senator he was accorded the leadership by unani- mous and tacit consent immediately upon his appearance in that body. There was not a petty or narrow^ trait in his character. His home life was an ideal one. He was thoroughly devoted to his family, and they to him, and in the home circle his happiest hours were spent. One who knew him long and wxU says of him, "He was the most perfect specimen of noble manhood I ever saw." The esteem in which he was held by all men wherever he was known was amply attested at his death. Telegrams of condolence poured in from all directions. The funeral services were held in the Military Hall, at the University of Illinois, and was attended by the largest con- course of people that ever assembled on such an occasion in this part of the State, and this not- withstanding there was a steady downpour of rain and whosoever paid this last tribute of re- spect Idid so at gre'at personal inconvenience. The governor of the State with his stafif and the chief officers of State attended in a body. Dis- tinguished citizens from all parts of Illinois and from surrounding States were present. Resolutions of sympathy, respect and condo- lence were passed by the senate and house, by the city councils of Urbana and Champaign, by the Bar Association and Press Association; and during the session of the head camps of the Order of Woodmen held at Omaha an evening was set apart with the special object of allowing the mem- bers of his beloved order to give expression to their sentiments with reference to his life and ser- vices as a member of that order. Resolutions were passed. An eulogium was pronounced by Di- rector J. G. Johnson truly epic in its grandeur of language and sentiment, while numerous other brethren who had known and loved him added their tribute to his great worth in unstinted terms. Truly such a life is worth having been lived, and such lives deserve permanent record on the pages of their countr)''s history, that others, see- ing their good works, may follow in their foot- steps. 'UMU-- REPRESEyTATIVE MEX OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLIXOIS VOLUME. •i(W JOHN R. TANNER, IN the affairs of state, as taken aside from the extraordiiian- conditions of warfare, there are demanded men whose mental ken is as wide and whose generalship is as effective as those which insure successful maneuvering of armed forces by the skilled commander on the field of battle. The nation's welfare and prosperity may be said to hinge as heavily upon individual dis- crimination and executive ability in the one case as the other. It requires a master mind to mar- shal and organize the forces for political purposes and produce the best results by concerted effort. Such a leader is found in John R. Tanner, who may well be called one of the commanders of the Republican army of Illinois, and the victory of the party in 1894 was due to him in a greater degree than to any other indiviilual. Mr. Tanner is a native of \\"arrick county, In- diana, born April 4, 1844, and a son of John and Eliza (Downs) Tanner. Tlie family was founded at an early day in Norfolk, Virginia, and Tanner's creek, which empties into the bay at that poi'it, derives its name from this family. Our subject can trace his ancestr>' back through five genera- tic^ns, all of whom bore the name of John Tanner. His mother was the daughter of the Rev. Thomas Downs, a Baptist preacher of prominence in Ken- tucky. His father was a farmer by occupation, and during the late war responded to the countr\'s call for troops. He gave his life in defense of the country, dying in a rebel prison in Columbus, Mississippi, in 1862. His wife survived him only a short time, passing away in Carbondale. Illinois, in January, 1863. John R. Tanner spent the days of his boyhood and youth on the old home farm and acquired his education in a log schoolhouse. His very unfamil- iarity with what are termed the luxuries of life de- veloped in him a force of character and self-reli- ance which have proven of incalculable benefit to him in his later career. After his mother's death, although only nineteen years of age, he en- tered his country's service as a member ol the Xinety-eighth Illinois Infantry, in which he re- mained until June, 1865. when he was transferred to Company B of the Sixty-first Illinois Regiment, and was mustered out in November following. He participated in the campaigns in Tennessee and Georgia, with the amiy of the Cumberland, and saw some severe service. When the war was over he returned to Clay county, Illinois, and engaged in farming, but was soon called from private to public life by fellow- townsmen who recognized his worth and ability. In 1870 Mr. Tanner was elected sheriff of Clay county, two years later was elected clerk of the circuit court, and in 1880 took his seat in the legis- lative halls of Illinois as a member of the State senate. In 1883 he was made United States mar- shal for the Southern District of Illinois and sen-ed until December, 1884. Steadilv he was gaining a place among the foremost members of the Republican party in the State, and still further honors were conferred upon him in 1886, by his election to the responsible position of State Treasurer, in which he served for one term of two years. In 1892 he was appointed Assist- ant Treasurer of the United States at Chicago, filling that office until December, 1893. His straightforward, honorable course in public life has ever justified the confidence of his friends in his ability and trustworthiness, and has com- manded the respect of the opposition, who ac- knowledge his merit. Perhaps his greatest achievement in the line of politics was the management of the Republican campaign in 1894, as chaimian of the Republican State central committee. Under the perfect or- ganization of that committee and their system- atic and well-directed efforts the Republicans car- ried the State by the phenomenal and unprece- dented majority of one hundred and thirty-five thousand. The work of political leadership re- quires tart, a sagacity and the delicate adjust- ment of forces that are not absolutely necessarv in the leaders of armed hosts, where commands are given and must be obeyed. Mr. Tanner first became a member of the Republican State cen- tral committee in 1874, and was associated with that able organization until 1S84, when he re- 264 DIOaiiArillCAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE signed to accept the nfficc of United States mar- shal. Ten years later he again became a memlier of the committee, and was elected chairman of that body by acclamation. He looked with a broad view over the field, studied closely every question bearing upon public afifairs and the issues of the day, and in his planning of the campaign showed himself a master of the situa- tion that has been unequaled. In early years Mr. Tanner served for some time as master in chan- cery- for Clay county, Illinois, and in 1891 he was appointed railroad commissioner for this State, but early in the following year he resigned. On the 2Sth of December, 1866, was celebrated the marriage of John R. Tanner and Miss Lau- retta Ingrahani, of Clay county, Illinois, who died October 23, 1877, leaving two children, a daughter and a son. The former, Lucinda J., is now the wife of J. A. Barnes, of Louisville, Illinois; the latter, J. Mac Tanner, resides in Chi- cago. Mr. Tanner is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic and the Odd Fellows order. Always courteous and genial, he pos- sesses a social disposition that well fits him for the the important part he has taken in political afifairs. JACOB HAISH, AMAX"S reputation is the property of the world. The laws of nature have forbidden isolation. Ever}' human being submits to the controlling influence of others, or as a master spirit wields a power either for good or evil on the masses of mankind. There can be no im- propriety in justly scanning the acts of any man as they affect his public and business relations. If he is honest and eminent in his chosen field of labor investigation will brighten his fame and point the path that others may follow with like success. From among the ranks of quiet, per- severing yet prominent citizens — prominent on account of what he has done in commercial cir- cles — there is no one more deserving of mention in a volume of this character than Jacob Haish. He stands at the head of the barb-wire industry as its inventor and manufacturer. His business interests have materially promoted the welfare of this section of the State. Jacob Haish was born on the 9th of March, 1827, in Bandische, near Carlsruhe, Germany, and is a son of Christian and Christina (Laman) Haish. When he was nine years of age his parents came to America, locating in Crawford county, Ohio, where he acquired his education, consisting of one season's instruction in the branches taught in common 'schools; but his training at farm labor was not meager. He as- sisted in clearing and cultivating a farm and de- veloped that sturdy manhood and self-reliance which are found in our best citizens. Honest, industrious and courageous, he remained at home until he reached the age of nineteen, when, with a desire to try his fortune in the West, he bade adieu to his parents and started for Naperville, Du Page county, Illinois. For one season he worked as a farm hand in that locality and then came to De Kalb county, where he secured pos- session of a few acres of land. Failing health compelled his removal to the town, and here he began working at the carpenter's trade, having great mechanical genius. At length he accumu- lated $100 in addition to his modest home, and desiring to enter the lumber trade he began oper- ations on a small scale, having as his chief com- petitor a man of considerable means and the owner of a large lumber-yard in De Kalb and extensive mills elsewhere. By paying his bills promptly and treating his creditors fairly he won the public confidence and gained many patrons by his universal courtesy and help- fulness. He would frequently do odd jobs for his cus- tomers when they most needed help, and the policy which he thus followed soon secured him a large business and he therefore accumulated some money. His knowledge of carpentering also enabled him to figure closely and advanta- geously, and as time passed and his trade as- REPUESENTAriVB MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. ■JfiS sullied extensive proportions he accumulated consideral)Ie wealth. It was about 1873 that Mr. Haish first gave his attention to the question of providing ma- terial for fences. Illinois farmers were con- stantly endeavoring to secure proper fences for their extensive prairie farms. There was neither wood nor stone in this section of the country from which to construct them, and Mr. Haish after considerable thought on the subject suc- ceeded in producing three rods of barb-wire fence. For three months this lay unused and unnoticed arovuid his shop, except when he would remove it from a pile of rubbish to ponder over its utility. He did not, however, think it of practical commercial value and did not pay much attention to it. One day a farmer, named F. W. Pierce, came into his shop and seeing the wire lying there inquired what Mr. Haish would take for it. Fifty cents was the price asked and given, and the farmer taking home his purchase stopped up a gap in a willow fence with it. Sev- eral years passed and the incident entirely slipped from the mind of Mr. Haish, for it seemed a trivial thing at the time; but "trifles light as air" often mold human destiny, and in this incident of that little sale has largely controlled the barb- wire industry in America. Mr. Haish continued his experiments, trying various plans for the manufacture of the wire, sometimes abandoning and sometimes improv- ing on these. He at one time experimented with a plain wire on which were fastened the barbs. These, however, all pointed in one way and he did not wish this, but could think of no method which would place the barbs at different angles. It was thought, however, that the wire would look better if it was twisted, and an at- tempt to do this was made, when lo! the barbs were turned in every direction and the difificulty was removed. Improvement after improvement was attf-mptcd and after much experimenting what is known as the S wire was made. Mr. Haish built his first factory in 1874, a humble and unpretending structure, which, how- ever, was enlarged from year to year. In 1881 he erected a building 100x300 feet and two stories in height, where employment was furnished to one lumdred men, and thirty tons of steel barb wire was produced daily. Mr. Haisli secured his first patent January 20, 1874, and his improve- ments made from year to year entitle him to be classed among the great inventors of the nine- teenth century. His famous S wire met with marvelous success, and the demand for it comes from all parts of this country and from other countries as well. Previous to 1873 other apjilications for patents on barb had been made, and one as early as 1S67, but none had proven successful. About the same time tliat Mr. Haish completed his in- vention T- F. Glidden also secured a patent on barb wire, which he successfully manufactured for some years in connection with I. L. Ellwood. I p to 1876 there had been no discord between inaiiufacturers and all were reaping the just re- ward of their own enterprise and progressive- ness: but in 1876 Mr. Glidden's interest was pur- chased by the Washburn-Moen Manufacturing Company of Worcester, Massachusetts, which made an attempt to monopolize the business bv proving that every other manufacturer was in- fringing on Mr. Glidden's patent, and Mr. Haish, being their most formidable competitor, received the brunt of the attack. The matter was taken into court and at times affairs looked particularly discouraging to Mr. Haish, for though satisfied in his own mind that he was the first to success- fully apply the barb to a wire and demonstrate its commercial value, he did not have the evi- dence at hand to prove this in the higher courts. He had in the earlier period of his invention gone about his work so quietly that he attracted little attention. By the tactics known to lawyers the final trial of the case was delayed from time to time until the year 1881 was reached and thousands of dollars had been expended on both sides. At length it was thought that the trial would be lirought to a close unless Mr. Haish could produce some conclusive evidence that the bent barb on the wire had been successfully produced and made of commercial value previous to the invention of Mr. Glidden. One day our subject was talking with Mr. Pierce, a farmer, who in the course of the conversation mentioned that he thought he was the first purchaser of barb wire. Mr. Haish had all these years forgotten about 26(5 BIOIIUM'IIK'AL DICTIOXAIIY AND POUTIIMT flMLKUY OF Till-: tin- tliivo rods (if wiiv that he had sold to Mr. Pierce, but here was tlie purchaser before him; so he secured a part of the old wire and went into court with it, where he established the fact that his invention was as early as that of Mr. Glidden, and also that he was the first to prove its com- mercial value. A compromise beneficial to Mr. Haish was therefore effected. The factory which he erected was the finest and best equipped in existence, its chimney, tak- ing the form of an obelisk one hundred and twenty-five feet high, being both useful and or- namental. The building covers forty thousand feet of floor space, is steam heated, lighted by electricity and cost over one hundred thousand dollars. Mr. Haish is not u\\\y the practical originator of the barb wire but also made the first model for the automatic barb-wire machine, and its fundamental principles have been used in all machines manufactured since. He was the first to make and use the spool around which the wire is now wound, and was the first one that coated and painted the wire in order to preserve it from rust. He also made the first shipments of the wire by railroad and by water. Like almost every inventor who has given to the world an article of utility or beauty, he has had a struggle to defend his rights and to intro- duce his invention, but tlie fact that he was in the right, combined with his indomitable energy and perseverance, have at length secured to him a handsome competence, and he is to-day enjoy- ing the reward of his own labor and talent. Mr. Haish was married May 24, 1847, to Miss Sophia A. Brown, who is an accomplished and intelligent lady, sharing with her husband in the high regard in which he is held. They have no children of their own, but have been most liberal in giving aid to the children of others, being es- pecially interested in the education of the young. They have erected several schools at their own expense and have assisted many church organ- izations, especially of the Methodist denomina- tion, of which Mrs. Haish is a member. They have an elegant home in De Kalb, where the comforts and quiet elegance that wealth can se- cure may be seen. In 1886 Mr. Haish founded the Barb City Bank, one of the most substantial financial in- stitutions of northern Illinois, of which he is yet the owner. He also erected the opera house of De Kalb, which is a finely appointed structure, lighted by electricity and supplied with all the conveniences for spending a pleasant evening there. In connection with others he secured the location of the State Normal School, and he alone pledged ten thousand dollars to the insti- tution. It is probable that no one in this section of the State has done more for its development and promotion than Mr. Haish, yet no ostenta- tion accompanies his gifts and many more are his charities that are unknown to the public than those of which others learned. The career of Mr. Haish seems almost phe- nomenal, yet his success has been by no means the result of fortunate circumstances. It has come to him through energy, labor and perse- verance, directed by an evenly balanced mind and by honorable business principles. From early life he made it his plan to spend less than his income. He has made the most of his op- portunities and could never justly be called ex- travagant unless it was in the land of his benevo- lences. In manner he is quiet and straightfor- ward,, saying exactly what he means without the addition of useless compliment. He is not slow to condemn injustice and dishonesty, nor is he slow to reward faithfulness. He finds his great- est social enjoyment at his own fireside, where his wife and a few intimate friends know him to be a delightful companion with an immense fund of humor. Although rather retired and conservative before the public, he commands the respect of all with whom he comes in con- tact and his successful career excites their ad- miration. ^v^ C^\^i_ »-^-t * t'^i^ REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. NEWTON BATEMAN, A. M., LL.D., GALESBURG. AMONG the foremost American educators of the nineteenth century^ stands the Hon. Newton Bateman, A. ^l., LL. D., late president of Knox College. He was boni in Fairfield, Cumberland county, New Jersey, ]\x\y 27, 1822. His ancestors were English and Scotch. Anglo-Saxon detennina- tion, blended with the lofty ideals of the Scotch Presbyterian, have ever been among the promi- nent traits of his character. His parents, Burgin and Ruth (Bower) Bateman, of northern England and southern Scotland, moved to Illinois in 1833, where, in spite of the meager educational advan- tages of the times, by hard work and strict econ- omy, lie was al)lc to overcome obstacles insur- mountable liy the ordinary man. and he gradu- ated from Illinois College, in Jacksonville, at the age of twenty-one. Having the Christian min- istry in view, he spent a year in Lane Theological Seminary, when he was obliged to withdraw on account of ill health. He finished his education by an extensive tour in the United States. He then commenced work in his chosen field of education, as principal of an English and classical school in St. Louis. After two years' work in this position, he spent four years as pro- fessor of mathematics in St. Charles College, in i^lissouri, when he became superintendent of schtjols and principal of the high school in Jack- sonville, Illinois. Seven years bear witness to the faithfulness with w-hich he performed his work at this post, during three years of which he was also county superintendent of schools of Morgan county. He then, for one year, was principal of the Jacksonville Female Academy, when, in 1858, he was elected State Superintendent of Public Instruction of Illinois, and held that position for fourteen years. Not only do we see the results of his executive ability in the excellent condition of the public schools of Illinois, but also in many other States, which followed the standard adopted by this State. He was one of the committee of three who prepared the bill for the act of Congress creating our National Bureau of Education. In 1875, having retired from the office of Superin- tendent of Public Instruction, he accepted the presidency of Knox College, and held that place eighteen years. That institution immediately en- tered upon a new era of growth and prosperity. New students were attracted by his wide-spread reputation; and, having once labored under the direct inspiration of his life and example, were ever afterward glad to recommend Knox College to friends and associates. What this influence has done for the college can be appreciated only by those who have felt it; and the material growth is too well known to the public to require notice here. While it would seem that the many positions already mentioned would have furnished sufticient employment for an ordinary man. Dr. Bateman has found time for much other work in connec- tion with them, thereby demonstrating his extraor- dinary qualities. He was editor of the Illinois Teacher three years. As superintendent of public instruction he was the author of seven volumes of Biennial Reports, some of the articles of which were republished in Europe in five different languages, and of a book entitled Common - School Decisions, which was published by author- ity of the General Assembly; and by the same authority a copy was placed in the hands of ever)' board of township trustees and of school directors in the State. That volume, of which several edi- tions have been issued, is still authoritative throughout the State. For fourteen years, from 1877, he was a mem- ber of the State Board of Health, during four of which he was president of the board. Such is an outline of an exceedingly busy life — the life of one who considered "work not a duty but a privilege; not a curse but a blessing." During the last few years Dr. Bateman has felt it his duty to give w^ay to a younger man for the position of president of Knox College; but its board of trustees would never accept his resigna- tion until in June, 1893, when he insisted on re- tiring from this office. The regard in which Dr. Bateman is held is best illustrated in the following rcj)ort of the committee appointed by the trustees 208 BioauArnwAL dict/onart and portrait gallery of the to draft resolutions relative to his resignation: To the Honorable Board of Trustees 'of Knox College: Your committee to prepare a suitalsle expression of our appreciation of the invaluable services of our retiring President, Hon. Newton Bateman, LL.D., would respectfully report: That our honored and greatly beloved Presi- dent Bateman ever has been and still is highly esteemed by the board of trustees of Knox Col- lege is not enough to express all that we recog- nize is due him in his official relations to this board and the college we represent. Ilis career as an educator has been a remark- able one, and it is fitting to say that the crowning work of his life has been that in connection with Knox College. As teacher, professor and super- intendent of public instruction he had few if any equals. As a college president he has displayed rare gifts. Assuming the responsibilities of the presi- dency of Knox College at a time optical in her history, and most important in the educational interests of our countn*-, he has at no time been found wanting. Indeed, he has ever risen to a true estimate of the situation, and proved himself to be the right man in the right place. That Knox College has had marked success during the eighteen years of the ofificial relation of Dr. Bate- man with it is universally admitted ; that this mar- velous success is largely due to the personality of Dr. Bateman must certainly be recognized. He had a very high ideal of what was desirable and possible as President of Knox College. He had a broad conception of the work to be done. In his scholarly acquirements and ofificial character, his life has been a model. Nature, education and grace have made him what he is. His rare natu- ral gifts, his faithful application and thorough consecration of himself to his life work, have crowned his labors with an abundant success. The grand purpose of his life has been to in- struct and help others. Every one in and out of the college has been his friend, because he was the friend of all. So thoroughly unselfish in all his relations in life, he has gathered about him an innumerable company of followers. He has always been respectful to those with whom he came in contact in his official relation. His mod- est humility, high self-respect, and his tender con- sideration for others, his disposition to see every character in tlie fairest light, his fidelity to truth and righteousness have placed Dr. Bateman in the front rank of college presidents in the evening of the nineteenth century. In the class room and on the platform he has always been firm in declaring his own convictions, but he never allowed it to drift into a petty and factions personality. He has always been finn in what he thought to be essential, but gentle, un- obtrusive and ever diffident in all that is merely incidental. He has been peculiarly gifted in meet- ing and rebuking intentional disrespect and yet he was always accessible. It has been his disposi- tion to deal tenderly with the erring and he has been patient toward all. But in this placing on record our estimation of the serviceof Dr. Ijatenian we need no flattering word. His life and life work tell the story. Knox College of 1893, relatively considered with what she was eighteen years ago, brings glory enough to the name of Newton Bateman. Such a combination of gifts and graces is rare. Such a life is an instructive chapter in the great book that Providence is making in the educational and Christian circles of the day. How truly does his life and work illustrate tlie fact that God will recognize and honor fidelity, love and obedience. The members of the Board of Trustees are most hearty in this expression of delight, that, though Dr. Bateman is so soon to retire from the active duties of the presidency of the college, he is to remain as one of the faculty and of the board. That he may spend many years in this new relation is our earnest desire and most sincere prayer. John Hood, W. Selden Gale. Dr. Bateman has done more for Knox College than any other man since its founding; and it is a pleasure to the many friends of both the Doctor and the college to know that his principles, en- ergv, foresight and care, exercised for the insti- tution, will remain in the person of one of his most promising pupils, Dr. J. H. Finley. It is, however, far more pleasant to know that the be- loved personality of the venerable president will also remain, and that his genial countenance and words of wisdom and encouragement may be seen and heard daily in that little college world. At a meeting of the board of trustees the unusual honor of President Emeritus was conferred upon the Doctor by a unanimous vote. This act of courtesy and appreciation was the more pleasing to the recipient for the reason that it was wholly unexpected and unlooked for. The beauty of the character of Dr. Bateman is best illustrated by his intercourse with his hun- dreds of students, whose welfare he is constantly having at heart and whose unreserved love and respect is his to an unusual degree. The Doctor's eighteenth and last baccalaureate REPRESENTATIVE MEX OP THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 269 address was delivered in the Old First Church on the public square, which was packed to the doors on that memorable Sunday afternoon. He took for his text part of the eighth verse of the fourth Chapter of Philippians: "Finally." brethren, what- soever things are true, think on these things." In developing his theme Dr. Bateman made evi- dent four great truths: First, that no calamity can l)efall a righteous man more detrimental than the loss of faith in God ; second, that one of the greatest of moral bulwarks is an inmiov- able faith in regard to the future life, and in regard to Christ and his gospel; third, that lx;lief determines character: "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he"; and fourth, that Chris- tianity and science, instead of being opposed to one another, are rather co-ordinate forces, tending to lift the soul tO' higher and nobler aims. Following the exposition of these thoughts. Dr. Bateman addressed the following remarks to the Senior Class: Ladies and Gentlemen of the Graduating Class: — The record that closes with this hour, and my part therein, and responsibility therefor, — this is the reflection which overmasters all others, as I stand before you this afternoon. If only I could feel that I had done for you all that I had hoped to do and might have done — that my words to you and my life before you, as teacher and friend, had all been such as I shall wish they had been in tliat apocalyptic hour when all the books of mem- ory shall be opened. \\'hen I think of my in- debtedness to my own venerated teachers, when I recall the seed-truths that so often fell from their lips in chapel and class-room, and how much they did to uplift and broaden and enrich my life ; when above all, I remember how they lived and walked with God, — how silently but mightily they stirretl and quickened all that was best in my mind and heart l)y their simple, beautiful, consecrated lives, — 1 am at once filled with gratitude and awed by a sense of responsibility as I look into your faces and utter these last words of counsel as your teacher. The fields of memor\' are ever widening, the landscapes of the earthly future are ever narrow- ing. I am sure that the blended light of retrospec- tion and hope is in all of your hearts this quiet Sabbath afternoon. It can hardly be but that }our thoughts wander from what has been to what may be — from scenes that are ended, to those which are beginning — from life books for- ever closed, to others now to be opened. If there be those who make light of a parting hour like this, I do not think that anv of vou are of that number. And now, what word can I utter, what admonition can I speak, what prayer can 1 breathe, the memory of which you may lovingly and profitably bear with you from this hallowed place. Before you is this wide and unknown sea of life civer which you must go, with what of wisdom and courage vou may, till the anchor drops iqion the shoresof the silent land. What, oh what, my pupils, shall your voyage be? As, one by one you near those outer shores, shall the light of heaven be upon your faces, shall heavenly music break softly upon your ears, shall the peace of God be in your hearts, shall "well done" be the saluta- tion that greets you, or shall the nameless woes of memory and conscience be yours, in view of ill-spent or mis-spent lives? God knowetli. And you, too, may know. All your way may be in the light; foresplendors of the everlasting glory may be ever about you ; invisible helpers may be ever near you; all your conflicts and sorrows may be but angel convoys to lead and lift you heavenward; all your lives may be conquest and victory. It will depend upon yourselves, upon your own solemn generic volitions, upon the ends you choose, the ideals you cherish, the prizes for which you strive, the motives that stir you, the aims and purposes for which you live — upon your fidelity to the immutable principles of rectitude, upon your quick and loving loyalty to the voice and regency of conscience, your ready response to the calls of duty and the claims of benevolence, your acceptance and practice of the precepts of Christian ethics, and your heartfelt l)elief in the divine declaration that "the life is more than meat." You are all hoping for success and dreading failure. Much that is called success is failure, utter and irretrievable; and yet a successful life, as God counts success, is within the reach of you all. Honors may be yours, the luster of which will abide when crowns and coronets and the heads that wear them are alike in the dust. For above all earthly greatness is that of a good and true life : a life that the poorest and humblest may live, a life that bravely and faithfully stands in its lot. be it lofty or lowly; that gratefully accepts and wisely uses whatever of good Providence be- stows ; that makes the most and the best of passing opportunities, and finds it sufficient reward in the consciousness of useful burdens cheerfully borne and daily duties faithfully performed. May yours be the honors that crown and glorify the one who helps to make the world purer and bet- ter; mav yours be the garlands which entwine with immortal beauty the brow of him who re- members the poor, who lifts up the fallen and bears the cup of cold water to the little ones who are ready to perish: may it be yours to hear the songs that float out from the towers of the 270 BWanAPniCAL dictionary and PORTHAIT gallery of THE city of God when the good man goes down into the last shadow. Millions have achieved such honors, success and victories, whose lives were as modest as the daisies and violets of the lowly vales in which they dwelt. And so we have come to "the parting of the way." Very pleasant will be my memories of the class of '93 ; and may I not hope that I have been permitted to be of some help to some of you in some way; that some word or act of mine of counsel or encouragement, or sympathy or love, may be remembered by you in the com- ing years, and help you in your yearnings and strivings after the better life? Finally, my dear pupils, "whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatso- ever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, if there be any praise," I beseech you to "think on these things'' and do them. "Fight the good fight of faith; lay hold on eternal life"; and whatever our separations here, let us resolve that we will all meet at last, no wanderer lost, in our Father's house. With this hope and prayer, I now bid you all a loving farewell. The entire life of Dr. Bateman has been as pure as it has been earnest. He is a man to cling to in times of joy or sorrow. His intense religious feeling has 'been developed to a de- gree most beautiful to behold, and he is ven- erated as one of the last of the group of great Illinoisans which includes Abraham Lincoln, U. S. Grant, Stephen A. Douglas, Richard J- Oglesby, David Davis and Stephen T. Logan. It is universally conceded, that Dr. Bateman, though one of the last, is by no means one of the least. He was the firm friend and faithful ad- viser of our martyr president, and inexhaustible are his recollections of that great man, who in many emergencies sought Dr. Bateman's faith- ful friendship and advice. For -many months their offices opened into each other, and their daily intercourse only tended to make their mutual regard and friendship stronger and more enduring. The memory of Abraham Lincoln is one of the special delights of Dr. Bateman's life; l.nit which of these two men was the higher honored by this intimacy is ven- difficult to de- termine. The Doctor is now (1895) in his seventy- third year; but as the seasons come and go he verily grows younger. He has never missed but one day of college work on account of ill- health during the twenty years of his connec- tion with the institution. He may daily be seen wending his way toward the college when the chapel bell calls to morning devotion at nine o'clock. He is an exceedingly hard worker and generally works far into the night, as thougli his zenith were yet to be reached. His life has had a guiding mind wise enough to know the right and strong enough to do it. May his rugged, vigorous manhood continue for many years, as a valuable example to younger men. The Grand Old ]\Ian of Knox is still active in instructing the students )of the college, where he is professor of mental and moral philoso- phy and aesthetics. At the presidential inauguration of the suc- cessor to Dr. Bateman, Professor Finley, in his inaugural address^ said: "Eighteen years ago he who now resigns, with the afifection of thou- sands, with the laurels of achievement and the universal respect, the labors of the office he then entered upon with hope, said to his associates: T believe the dawn is not far distant. I think I see the flush of a new day already deepening in the East.' His vision was not an illusion. Today I stand at his side, in a brighter light, — a light which is to him God's benediction ; to me God's promise.'' Dr. Bateman has been married twice. The first time, August 13, 1850, he wedded Miss Sarah Dayton, and by this marriage there were three children, namely: Newton, the eldest, who died in infancy. The next child was Clifford Rush, who died February 6, 1883. He was a promising young man, a graduate of Amherst College, and later also of Columbia College Law School, and he pursued studies in Berlin, Heidelberg and Paris. On his return to Amer- ica a professorship in the chair of administra- tive law and government was created for him in Columbia College, which he filled brilliantly until his death. The third child, Sarah Dayton, became the wife of Rev. Wiley K. Wright, of Traverse City, i\lichigan. Mrs. Bateman died in 1857, and in October, 1859, Mi". Bateman married Miss Annie N. Tyler, of Massachusetts, and by this marriage there were two children, REPnESEXTATTVE MEX OF THE VNITED STATES: ILLiyOTS VOLUME. 271 viz.: Annie Tyler, the wife of Rev. John Y. Ewart, of Pittsburg, Crawford county, Kan- sas; and Ehzabeth Newell, the wife of Rev. Da- vid H. Geissinger, pastor of the First Evangel- ical Lutheran Church, of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. Dr. Bateman is a member of the Masonic or- der, being a Knight Templar, and in politics he was originally a Henry Clay Whig, and since the fonnation of the Republican party he has been a member of that great organization. ALBERT J. HOPKINS, A HISTORY of Illinois during the last decade would be incomplete without a sketch of the life and work of Hon. Albert J. Hopkins, at present (1895) and for ten years past a member of Congress from his native State. At the bar he has been a brilliant advocate; in the halls of legislation a wise and pru- dent counsellor and able debater; on the ros- trum an impressive orator; and in every field a controller of the minds of men. Fitted by native courage and intellectual ability to direct affairs and to assume responsibility, he has steadily won his way to a position among the leaders in thought and action in Illinois. Ill his youth he received the sturdy discipline and lived the free open life of the farm ; and the re- sult has been that a naturally strong individuality has developed into a degree of self-reliance rare even in the ablest men. He was born on his fa- ther's fann, near Cortland, De Kalb county, Illi- nois, August 15, 1846. His parents, Cyrus B. and Fannie (Larkin) Hopkins, were natives of New York, and were among the pioneer settlers of northern Illinois, having established their home in DeKalb county about 1838. The conditions of life in Illinois during the boyhood of their son Albert have been so often described that it is un- necessary to refer to them in detail now. The life of young Hopkins was the life of the average farmer boy. In the summer he worked in the corn-field and in the potato "patch," milked the cows and did the chores about the house and the bam; and in the winter, rosy-cheeked and full of youthful vitality, he was duly made acquainted with the diree R's, tlie foundation of the country school-house education in those days. Though endowed to an unusual degree with animal spirits and love of boyish sports, he was assiduous in his studies, eager to learn, always ambitious to "get on." At the age of seventeen he induced his parents to allow him to attend the public schools at Sycamore, the county seat of DeKalb county, and there he was so diligent in his studies that at the end of the year he was sufficiently advanced to enter the preparaton,- department of Hillsdale College, at Hillsdale, Michigan. Tlie next year he began the regular collegiate course at that in- stitution, at which he graduated as a member of the class of 1870. Long before his graduation his mind had turned toward the law as his vocation in life and it is in- teresting to note that even at this early day so firmly had his choice been made that tempting offers of immediate employment in an honorable and lucrative position failed to swerve him from the course he had marked out for himself. Shortly after his graduation at Hillsdale College he re- ceived a most flattering offer to take charge of an academy in Maine. The proffered position would have made his future assured, and it was a strong temptation for the young student to step from the class-room into a well-salaried, dignified and hon- orable sphere of work. But his aims were too well settled, his purpose too firmly fixed to be di- verted even by such an oft'er. He preferred the sacrifice of temporal advancement rather than give up or even postpone his entrance upon his chosen work, and his subsequent career has fully justified that decision. Coming to Aurora in 1870 he entered the law office of C. J. ^letzner as a student. Mr. ^letzner proved an able preceptor, being recognized at that time as one of the leading attorneys of Kane county; and such was the diligence, zeal and nat- ural aptitude of young Hopkins that in 1871 he was admitted to the bar. 272 nionuM'iiWAL DTcrrnyARr AND pnirntATT OALLEnr of the Then imkcd began the \\x)i-k for which all the previous years of study had been preparation. At that time the Kane county bar numbered amongf its members some of the ablest lawyers in the Slate; and with them, as oneof them expressed it, a lawsuit was a fight; sham reputations and empty pretense were of no avail in those fierce struggles. There, indeed, the fittest survived, and only the very fit did survive. The young lawyer found it a hard school, for an enterprising young- ster often had to bear what a weakling would have been spared or an older man would have evaded. But it afforded good training; and as Hopkins measured strength with the best, his mind was developed, his intellectual powers were quickened and strengthened, and he acquired a readiness in action, a fertility of resource, and a courage under stress that could have been gained in no other school. He took to politics as a matter of course, and was early a prominent figure in the local conven- tions of the Republican party. In 1872 he re- ceived the Republican nomination for State's at- torney of Kane county, and was elected by one of those big majorities which it is the habit of old Kane to roll up for worthy Republican candidates. His term covered a period of four years, and the same untiring zeal and unflagging industry that characterized him as a student and a lawyer dis- tinguished his course as a public prosecutor. No criminal escaped through fault or negligence on his part. At the end of his temi he declined a re- nornination, and thenceforth devoted himself to building up what in after years became perhaps the largest law business in northern Illinois out- side of Chicago. As a lawyer he has had the suc- cess that might naturally be looked for where close application and immense power for work are united to mental strength and quickness, an ex- traordinary memory, and an unappeasable appe- tite for the activities of the profession. He has never been a man of much leisure, and it is fortu- nate for him that he can make business itself a source of enjoyment. Absolute fidelity to the in- terests of his clients has ever been his rule and guide. Mr. Hopkins' career in politics beyond Kane county began soon after he left the office of State's attorney. In 1878 he became a member of the Republican State committee, and in 1884 he was nominated bv the Republican State convention as a presidential elector, and as such he helped to cast the electoral vote of Illinois for James G. Blaine and John A. Logan. In 1882 ardent friends brought him forward as a candidate for Congress, and he failed by only a narrow margin to secura the Republican nomination. Hon. Reu- ben Ellwood, who carried ofif the prize in that year, was renominated in 1884, but died during the summer of 1885, and a special election was called to fill the vacancy. The Republican nomination went to Mr. Hopkins, without effort on his part, and he was elected by a majority that was pro- digious for an off year, and phenomenal for a special election. He served the unexpired term by making a thorough study of the duties of his new position. He determined at the outset of his Congressional career to be in fact as well as in name the representative of the people of his dis- trict. Whatever he could do for them, whether collectively or individually, he did with all his might. At every successive election since 1885 he has been returned to Congress by majorities always large, and sometimes enormous. The Demo- cratic tidal waves of 1890 and 1892 left him un- touched and the Republican tidal wave of 1894 simply carried him back to Congress by a larger majority than ever. In the house of representatives he at first served on the committees on election and militia. In the Fifty-first Congress, the only one where the Republicans liave had a majority since his Con- gressional service began. Speaker Reed placed him on the committees on post-offices and post roads, civil service, and merchant marine and fisheries. In the Fifty-second Congress, Speaker Crisp placed him on the ways and means and civil service committees. It is unnecessary to say here that the ways and means committee is the most important committee of the House. A position upon that committee is more sought after and carries with it greater influence than the chair- manship of almost any other committee, that on appropriations being perhaps the only exception. It is worthy of note that Mr. Hopkins is the only Republican Congressman from Illinois who has had a position on the committee on ways and means for more than a generation. In his Congressional career Mr. Hopkins has ^/^ /)e^tL^ REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF TUE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 273 shown himself to be a man of broad mental grasp. He has a comprehensive understanding of the leading questions that divide parties, and on whose decision hang the destinies of the Republic. He is a logical and convincing speaker. His public utterances have the ring of truth. His service on the ways and means committee has made him especially familiar with the tariff policy of the countr)', and his discussions of that question have a peculiar value in consequence of that fact. That lie is destined for still greater honors is shown by the favor with which the mention of his name in connection w-ith a seat in the United States senate and the governorship of the State of Illinois has been received by the Republican press all over the State. Throughout his professional career, Mr. Hop- kins has been frequently called upon for political addresses in State and national campaigns, and he has thus come to be considered one of the most eloquent and forcible speakers in the State. It was but consistent recognition of his position and reputation in this respect that he should have been selected to respond to the toast, "Republican Illinois," at the annual banquet of the Marquette Club, given at the Grand Pacific Hotel on Octo- ber 9, 1894. This speech, abounding in elo- (|uent passages on the political history of the State and its dedication to freedom, was wannly commended by the press of Chicago and of the State generally, and was a notable ef- fort on an occasion distinguished for brilliant oratory. This brief sketch may fitly close with a refer- ence to another phase of Mr. Hopkins' character. A man of spotless integrity in all his social and business relations, he has carried and maintained the same high standard of morality in all his official relations. Political power to him is not a thing to be sought for its own sake; it is simply a means to an end, — that end being good gov- ernment, the greatest good to the greatest number. While making no canting professions of superi- ority to his fellows, his life expresses his belief that a good official is all the better for being a good man. Mr. Hopkins was married on the 9th of Sep- tember, 1873, to Miss Emma Stolp, daughter of James B. Stolp, one of the early settlers of Aurora. Two strains of good old pioneer stock were thus joined in a union which has been fruitful of happi- ness, of nmtual help and companionship far be- yond even the usual happy marriage. Four chil- dren have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Hopkins: Fannie M.; James S. ; Albert J., Jr.; and Mark. In his home life Mr. Hopkins finds his chief and most abiding source of enjoyment. In the pleas- ures that have their root in family affection he spends the hours spared from official and profes- sional duties, and in the home circle he obtains the needed rest and relaxation from the stress and strain of public life. CALVIN DE WOLF, THERE are few men whose lives are crowned with the honor and respect which is univer- sallyaccorded Calvin DeWolf; but through more than half a century's connection with Chicago's history his has been an unblemished character. With him success in life has been reached by his sterling qualities of mind and a heart true to every manly principle; he has never deviated from what his judgment would indicate to be right and hon- orable between his fellow men and himself; he has never swerved from the path of duty, and now after a long and eventful career he can look back IS over the past with pride and enjoy the remaining years of his earthly pilgrimage with a conscious- ness of having gained for himself by his honor- able, straightfonvard career the confidence and respect of the entire community in which he lives. We read of the lives of the heroes of the past, and they not only prove of historical interest but serve to inspire and encourage us; yet we need not go to former ages for examples that are worthy of emulation. The men of to-day who have won dis- tinction and honor, equal in exemplary traits of character, those who have passed away, and the 274 luoauAnncAL DirrioxAnr and portrait ciallert of the life record of Calvin Do Wolf may well prove of great benefit if he will but heed the obvious lessons which it contains. A native of Pennsylvania, he was born in I'rain- trim, Luzerne county, February 18, 1815, and traces his ancestry back to French refugees that were driven from their home on account of their religious views. They fled to Holland, where they might worship according to the dictates of their consciences, and in the early days of New England histon- became identified with the Colonies. His grandfather was born in Pomfret, Connecticut, which was also the place of birth of his father, Giles AI. DeWolf. His mother, who bore the maiden name of Anna Spaulding, was born in Cavendish, Vermont, and was a lineal descendant of Edward Spaulding, who lived at Chelmsford, ^fassachusetts, in 1633. Mr. and Mrs. De Wolf were the parents of thirteen children, and soon after the birth of Calvin, their eldest son, who survived childhood, they removed to Cavendish, Vermont, where they spent about five years. Returning again to Braintrim, their residence continued there for four years, when they went to Pike, Bradford county, Pennsylvania. The father was a well educated man, and under his direction INIr. De Wolf of this review acquired his education in the common English branches of learning and in mathematics, while in Latin he was instructed by a private tutor. Farm work afforded him physical training, and from early life he was familiar with the various duties that fall to the lot of the agriculturist, as well as with the arduous task of clearing a wooded tract. He could not hope to inherit wealth or to receive financial aid in starting out upon his business career. He must depend upon his own efforts and resources, and so, leaving home when he had attained his ma- jority, he engaged in teaching. He afterward re- ceived a short course in the Grand River Institute of Manual Labor, at Austinburg, Ashtabula county, Ohio, and then sought upon the broad prairies of the West a better field of labor. Chicago was his destination, and he paid his way to this place by assisting a trader who was bringing a cargo of fruit to sell in the new town. The name Chicago is to-day synonymous with leadership in all the various lines of commercial activity. In that year it was a little village upon a v,ct prairie. It was the year of its incorporation, and other towns in the State far exceeded it in pop- ularity and promise. Mr. De Wolf arrived on the 31st of October, 1837, without capital save a young man's bright hope of Tlie future and a de- termination to succeed that has carried him for- ward over difficulties and obstacles which would have utterly discouraged most other men. His business experience was limited to school-teaching and farming, and he could obtain employment at neither in this city. He accordingly started across the prairie in search of employment and made his way on foot to Hadley, Will county, Illinois, where he was given charge of a school for the winter term. In the spring of 1838 he was employed as a teacher in the schools of Chicago, and devoted his leisure hours to reading law, for he had formed a determination to enter the legal profession. He has never been content with mediocrity and there- fore he thoroughly prepared himself for the new field of labor by earnest and systematic study. Lender the direction of Giles Spring and Grant Goodrich, both distinguished lawyers of Chicago in an early day, he continued his studies, and, suc- cessfully passing an examination before the judges of the supreme court of the State, he was admitted to the bar in 1843 ^"d entered upon a successful practice, which has grown in importance continu- ously up to the present time. In the meantime Mr. De Wolf was becoming known throughout this section of the State as the champion of the cause of freedom. A quarter of a century before the question of slavery brought on the Civil war, he advocated the abolition move- ment and fearlessly defended his principles, al- though the expression of such sentiment brought down upon him harsh condemnation and threats. The North then was not an undivided section, for here slavery had its champions as strong as those of the South. In 1838 Mr. De Wolf took part in a historic little meeting which was held at the corner of Clark and Lake streets in the Saloon Building, for the purjDOse of declaring against the mob and deploring tlie murder of Lovejoy at Al- ton. Thiswas Chicago's first abolition meeting. A guard had to be placed on watch to give warning if the mob should discover the place where they were convened. On the i6th of Januarv-, 1840, the Chicaeo Aiiti-slavcrv .Society was formed, and Mr. REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME De Wolf was made its secretary. He subsequently became one of the founders of the Western Citizen, a paper published in the interest of abolition, and wastreasurerof the committee that raised the funds for this purpose. Z. Eastman assumed editorial charge of the publication, which became a recog- nized power in the anti-slavery movement. That its influence was permanent and lasting was shown by the increase of the Free-soil party, whose Chicago's vote in 1844 was only two hundred and nine, while in 1848 it was fifteen hundred and forty-three. Untiringly did Mr. De Wolf continue his labors on the side of right, justice and freedom. Many a fugitive slave escaping to Canada has received assistance from him, and not until after the Eman- cipation Proclamation had stricken the shackles from three millions bondsmen did he discon- tinue his efforts in behalf of the oppressed race. In i860 he was indicted with others for assisting on her way to Canada a young negro woman who had escaped from her mas- ter in Nebraska. He gave bond in the sum of two thousand five hundred dollars, but was never brought to trial, and the case was dis- missed by President Lincoln's attorney-general in 1S61. Through all these years, from the time of his admission to the bar, Mr. De Wolf was engaged in the prosecution of his chosen profession and was brought into contact with some of the bright- est legal minds of the West, including Thomas Hoyne, J. Young Scannnon, Norman B. Judd, afterward appointed minister to Prussia' by Presi- dent Lincoln, John D. Caton, w^io became emi- nent as a judge of the Illinois supreme court, and Edward G. Ryan, afterward on the supreme bench of Iowa. He has a fine legal mind, analytical, of keen perceptions and broad comprehensive pow- ers. The earnest purpose of the man has ever sliown through his legal work, giving force to his arguments and carrying weight with judge and jury. In 1854 he was elected justice of the peace and served in that position for twenty-five consecutive years, during a period when it was most lucrative. Within that time he heard and disposed of more than ninety thousand cases, a number at that time unprecedented in judicial records. As a member of the city council he has advo- cated many measures that have proved of great benefit to Chicago. He served as alderman from 1856 until 1858, and was chairman of the commit- tee that revised the city ordinances and really de- vised the system of government now existing; he was again elected in 1868; and he has also served on the board of supervisors of Cook county for two terms. He has had many young men in his oftlce as law students, and among those who have since become prominent at the bar is Harvey B. Hurd, who is represented on another page of this volume. From the time of the first acquaintance the warmest friendship has existed between them, and no one could speak in higher terms of another than Mr. Hurd does of his former preceptor. Mr. De Wolf has always been especially interested in young men and has done much to aid them in starting in life. In his own business career he has not only won success as a lawyer but has also made extensive investments which have yielded to him a handsome income that is the merit of reward of honorable toil and sound business judg- ment. A man of domestic tastes, Mr. De Wolf has ever found his greatest happiness in his home. In 1841 he was united in marriage with Miss Frances Kimball, and they became the parents of five chil- dren, of whom three are now living. One daugh- ter went South to teach the negro children and died at Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, in 1878. The keynote of his character is contained in the word helpfulness. His life has been devoted to his family, his friends, to young men who start out in life dependent upon their own efforts and to the support of those principles which he believed to be right. His unswerving purpose, his un- questioned fidelity, his unfaltering honesty and his unchanging will have commanded the highest re- spect of all. He has been a leader in the cause of liberty, of freedom and of progress, and his hearty co-operation has ever been given to that which tends to elevate mankind. 270) niOORAPiIICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE D. A. K. STEELE, M. D., DANIEL ATKINSON KING STEELE was born in Eden, Delaware county, Ohio, March 29, 1852, and comes of sturdy ancestry of the Emerald Isle. His father. Rev. Daniel Steele, was born in Cookstown, county Tyrone, Ireland, in the ancient country seat known as Steele's Rock, where his ancestors had lived for over a hundred years. lie was a minister of the Pres- byterian faith and for some years did missionary work in his native land. He wedded Mary Leatham Anderson, and with his young- wife sought a home beyond the Atlantic, locating in the town where the birth of the Doctor occurred. In 1854 he removed with his family to a fami near Pinckneyville, Perry county, Illinois, and Daniel began his education in the old log school- house on Grand Cote Prairie. His physical train- ing was not neg-lected, for he aided in the labors of the home farm and in the open air attained a vigor and developed a strong constitution which has proved of inestimable benefit to him in later vears. He became a student in an academy at bakdale at the age of fifteen, and on the removal of the family to Rantoul he embarked on a suc- cessful career as a teacher. Wishing to prepare himself for a life work he determined to enter the medical fraternity and began studying under the direction of Dr. D. P. McClure, of Rantoul, at the same time acting as clerk in a drug store. In 1870 he came to Chi- cago and entered upon a three-years course at the Chicago Medical College, at which he was grad- uated in 1873. During his senior year he was pre- ceptor of anatomy in the college and on the com- pletion of the course he was made demonstrator of anatomy at the Chicago School of Anatomy. Especially interested in the study of surgery and desiring to make himself ver>' proficient in that branch of science, he took a competitive examin- ation for the position of iiiicriie in the Cook County Hospital, and won, as the result, the po- sition of house siu-geon, serving thus for two years. Dr. Steele now entered upon general prac- tice and also served as clinical assistant to the celebrated Dr. Moses Gunn, of Rush ^.ledical Col- lege. With the interests of medical education he has since been prominently identified. In 1875 he was made attending surgeon at the South Side Free Dispensary and in 1876 lecturer on surgery at the Chicago Medical College, with which he continued until 1882. His abilities now found an increased field of usefulness, for with several other prominent physicians he was instru- mental in founding the Chicago College of Physi- cians and Surgeons, which was soon recognized as a most valuable addition to the medical insti- tutions of the city. Therein he acted as professor of orthopaedic surgery until 1886, when he was called to the chair of principles and practice of surgery and clinical surger>' to succeed Dr. Nich- olas Seiui, who had resigned. He was younger by ten years than those who had formerly been called to fill the chair, but his abilities were equal to his duties. In 1893, upon the death of Dr. Charles Warrington Earle, he was unanimously elected to the presidency thus left vacant, and is now at the head of a medical institution which has few equals in the countr\f. Dr. Steele was one of the originators of the Chicago Biological Society, since become the Pathological Society, and is a charter member of the Chicago Medical Club, a very select organ- ization designed for social as well as professional purposes. He was the first president of the Chicago Medico-Legal Society, and in 1887 and again in 1890 was made president of the medical board of the Cook County Hospital, where for eight years he was attending surgeon. In 1886 he became president of the Chicago Medical So- ciety, and in the State and National Medical As- sociations stands in the foremost ranks. His position may be shown by the fact that in 1888 he was sent by the American Medical Associa- tion as a delegate to the British Medical Associa- tion, at its annual convention then held in Glas- gow, Scotland. \Miile abroad he visited the leading medical institutions of France, Germany, England and Switzerland and made many im- portant investigations, gaining a knowledge wl-.ic'i he afterward crystallized and embodied in REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. a paper entitled "A Chicago Physician's Impres- sions and Observations of European Surgery." He formed the acquaintance of such eminent members of the profession as Lister, McCormick and Heath, of London: Martin, of BerHn; and McEwan, of Glasgow; and, recognizing the abil- ity of their American colleague they took pains to show and describe to him any differences in practice and theory between the two continents. This visit afterward led to a correspondence on ctic|nctte between Dr. Steele and a well-known physician of England, which attracted much at- tention at home and abroad. He also combined pleasure and business and viewed many places of historical interest and visited the noted art gal- leries of Vienna, Rome, Florence and Munich. Whatever tends to promote the interests of his profession and place before man the key to the niysterv^ of that complex problem which we call life at once attracts the interest and co-operation of Dr. Steele, and this led to his connection with what is now one of the most notable institutions of the citA', — ^the Public Medical Library of Chi- cago, — of which he was one of the founders. As a writer Dr. Steele is known throughout the coun- try, — yea, his reputation extends beyond the con- fines of the United States and his contributions to medical literature are profound and most valuable. In 1876 Dr. Steele was united in marriage with Miss Alice L. Tomlinson, daughter of Sheldon Tomlinson, Esq., an old and prominent citizen of Champaign county, Illinois. She is a lady of superior intellectual attainments, is deeply inter- ested in her husband's work, and over the home she presides with a grace and ease of the most accomplished hostess, thus making her residence a favorite resort with her many friends. The Doctor's political connections make him a supporter of the men and measures of the Re- publican paa-t}-, and in his religious views he is a Presbyterian. We cannot better end this review of his life than by quoting the words spoken of him by one of his colleagues, a foremost physi- cian of Chicago, who said: "Dr. Steele is an extremely busy and successful practitioner, constantly overburdened by demands ff)r his services, both professionally and socially. He is a man of the highest and purest character, an industrious and ambitious student, and a gifted teacher of surgery. Genial in disposition, unob- trusive and unassuming, he is patient under ad- verse criticism, and in his expressions concerning brother practitioners is friendly and indulgent." JOHN KRANZ, AMONG those who have come from foreign lands to become prominent in business cir- cles of Chicago is John Kranz, the well-known confectioner. His success in all his undertak- ings has been so marked that his methods are of interest to the commercial world. He has based liis business principles and actions upon strict adherence to the ndes which govern industry, economy and strict, unswerving integrity. His etUerprise and progressive spirit have made him a typical Chicagoan in every sense of the word and he well descr\-cs mention in her history. What he is to-day he has made himself, for he began in the world with nothing but his own energ)- and willing hands to aid him. By con- stant exertion, associated witii good judgment, he has raised himself to the prominent position which he now holds, having the friendship of many and the respect of all who know him. Mr. Kranz was bom in Germany, in 1841, and is an only son of Alichael and Margurette (Nuegel) Kranz. His father was also an only son. Our subject, however, had three sisters, of whom one is now living, a resident of London, England. John Kranz attended the public schools near his home and secured an excellent education, for the schools of that locality are among the best in the world. In i860, when but nineteen years of age, he left the Fatherland for the United States, hoping to benefit his financial condition thereby. The hope of ac- quiring a fortune here has been ampl\- fultilled. 278 n/naiiAriffCAL DicrioxARY and poiitrait galleuy of the and his life (k-nmnstratcs what can be accom- plished by industry and talent in the land un- hampered by caste or class. Arrivin.? at Philadelphia, Mr. Kranz appren- ticed himself to a confectioner in order to learn the trade. He was in a new country where the manners and customs of the people were very dif- ferent from those of his own country, and he often longed for the " Little German home across the sea."' However, he was brave and determined and faithfully pursued his work, remaining with his first employer for eight years, during which time he mastered the business in every detail. Through careful industry and frugal living, he succeeded in saving a sum of money, with which he decided to engage in business for himself. He sought the West with its almost limitless opportunities and rightly believed that Chicago would prove a good opening for his undertakings. Mr. Kranz dates his arrival in this city from 1868. Here he was offered a good situation with a confectionery firm and accepted it, being in the employ of others for a year. He then em- barked in business for himself, beginning opera- tions on a small scale. Prosperity attended his efiforts from the start and at the end of two years his quarters on Madison street were too small to accommodate his rapidly increasing business, and he removed to 115 Blue Island avenue. His confectionery was made of the best material and put up with taste and neatness. This soon gained him an enviable reputation and a popularity that caused such an increase in his business as to compel him to add yearly to the number of his employees. For two years he remained on Blue Island avenue, and then removed to his present commodious establishment at 78 and 80 State street. After renting his store for a few years he purchased the building, and in addition owns a large wholesale house on Ran- dolph street, just around the corner from the retail establishment. His trade has assumed such extensive proportions that he now employs a large force of men and women to carry on the business. The Kranz ice cream and confectionery parlors equal if not surpass any in the city. The interior of the building is most beautifully and tastefully adorned, and is in the highest degree artistic. Mr. Kranz ships his goods into nearly every State of the Union, and his out-of-town trade is immense, while from the Chicago public he receives a most liberal patronage, the su- perior quality of his confections winning him the handsome trade that has made him one of the most substantial citizens of northeast- ern Illinois. In 1869 Mr. Kranz was united in marriage with Miss Flora Bunte, and they now have five daughters, intelligent and interesting young ladies who add life and light to their parents' home. It is a favorite resort with young people, and Mrs. Kranz and her daughters take ereat delicrht in entertaining their manv friends. ABNER C. HARDING, MONMOUTH. ABNER C. HARDING was born at East Hampton, Connecticut, on the loth of Feb- ruary, 1807, having removed with his parents to the State of New York in 181 5. He received his educational discipline in the public schools of Herkimer county, New York, and graduated at Hamilton College, same State; and when still a youth became an operative in a wool-carding manufacton-. At the age of fifteen years he had so far advanced in his studies as to be able to qualify for a schoolteacher, in which line of occupation he was successful. In 182 1 he enlisted as a midshipman in the United States Navy, but was rejected on account of his stature not being up to the requirements of that branch of the nation's service. For a number of years he devoted himself to various lines of business, in connection with his work as a teacher. He was engaged in peddling tinware and later conducted operations quite successfully as a stage driver. In 1826-7 he devoted himself to the reading of law, having determined to make that profession .^-^/^.€ REPRESENTATIVE MEX OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 279 liis vdcatinn iti life. His removal to Pcnnsxlvania occurred in 1828. He read law with Mr. Ruger, and the same year he secured admission to the bar of that State. Januar}- 30, 1829, he was united in marriage to Mrs. Rebecca L. Beyers, who died in 1833, leaving two children: George F. and Mary R. Mr. Harding soon gained prestige in his pro- fession and recognition as a man of high ability. He was elected to the constitutional convention of Pennsylvania in 1835. Within this year was consummated his second marriage, the lady of his choice being Miss Susan Ickes, a native of Bloomfield, Perr)- county, Pennsylvania, and the daughter of Dr. Jonas Ickes, a man of much prominence and influence in the Keystone State, where he passed nearly his entire life. The Ickes faniilv had its original American representatives among a colony of about three thousand persons who came to Pennsylvania about the beginning of the seventeenth centurj-, from the upper por- tion of the kingdom of Saxony, under the con- trol of Frederick the Great, this emigration having been made under the guidance of William Penn. The emigration of this family was on account of the persecutions which they had endured at the hands of the Roman Catholics. The colony came from Eisleben, near where Luther was born. There being a constant war between the Catholics and Protestants in that locality, Penn came there to secure fanners who would aid in his scheme of American colonization, and the people, tired and disheartened by the unequal struggle, were glad to come with him. There was a family of Coblents in the colony, and the father of this family was called the baron of the city of Coblentz, M. Ickes having married one of his daughters. Frederick the Great confiscated the property of Coblents, and thereupon he came tc America and took up his abode in Albany, New York, where some of his descendants still live. Later he removed to Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, where he assumed the name of Copeland. The baron lived to attain the patri- archal age of one hundred and twelve years. The Ickes family comprised four sons and three daughters, the colony having been located in Montgomery- county, northwest of Perkiomen creek, the township being named Limerick. Mr. Ickes located one thousand acres of land, and gave to each of his four sons two hundri.d and fifty acres. The old family homestead, which was erected in 1717, was still standing in 1880. Michael Ickes, the father of Nicholas Ickes, re- ceived the northeast comer as his portion, and in the house which he there erected were born to him four children, one of whom was the father of the wife of the subject of this review. In June, 1838, ^Ir. Harding came to Mon- mouth, Illinois, for the purpose of prosecuting the practice of law here, and he became a prom- inent politician in the Whig party, wielding a wide influence. He continued in the practice of his profession in 1847-8-9, and within this time be- came interested in railroading, and built that portion of the Chicago, Burlington cS: Quincy railroad extending between Peoria and Burling- ton. In 1848 he was a delegate to the constitu- tional convention, and was a member of the State senate in 1848-49-50. He again became active in railroad extensions in 1851, and by reason of the failure of his eyesight he abandoned the practice of law. From 1852 until i860 he traveled for the benefit of his health. In 1851 he had formed a partnership with Chauncy Harding and Judge Ivory Quinby, and built what is known as the Peoria & Oquawka railroad. Having procured the charter, the original route was changed some- what, and the line was built from Burlington to Knoxville, and continued from the latter point by Kellv, Moss & Company, who were unable to complete the work. General Harding pur- chased their contract and completed the line in 1856. In 1862 our subject enlisted as a member of the Eighty-third Illinois Volunteer Infantry, of which he was made Colonel, being mustered into service in August of the year mentioned. In March, 1863, he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General of volunteers, ser\'ing with rare distinction and honor. In 1864 he became the Republican candidate as representative of his district in Congress, serving in the Thirty-ninth and Fortieth Congresses, and being re-elected in 1866. In the Thirty-ninth Congress he served as a member of the unportant committee on man- ufacturing and militia, and in the Fortieth on the committees of Indian prisoners, claims and mi- 280 niOORAPinCAL DICrrnXARY AND PORTRAIT GALLEHT OF TIIK litia. Ill his own name he secured the charter to build the railroad bridge over the Mississippi river in Ijurlington, Iowa. This charter proved to be a very valuable property, and he sold the same to the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Company, who erected the bridge. In 1869 the health of General Harding became seriously impaired and in May, 1871, he went to Europe in the hope of securing relief. He re turned to his home in the following August and here remained in invalidism until death summoned him into eternal rest, at nine o'clock on the evening of Jnlv 19, 1874. His life had been one of excep- tional activity and usefulness and had been char- acterized by the most unswerving integrity and honor. He began life as a poor boy and his financial valuation at death represented more than a million dollars. This great fortune he had accumulated by judicious investments in real estate, and throughout his entire career there had been no action on his part that could have called forth adverse criticism. As a real-estate and title lawyer there were none who could excel him, while as a pleader his distinction was equally marked. He was concerned in some of the most celebrated cases which shed luster on the jurisprudence of Illinois, and his efiforts in behalf of Warren county transcended in impor- tance and results those of any other man who has ever lived. High on the scroll of the honored and illustrious men of the State will be inscribed for all time to come the name of General Abner Clark Harding, the subject of this altogether too brief memoir. ADOLF KRAUS, ADOLF KRAUS was born in Bohemia in 1850. He acquired his early education in the common schools and was graduated at the '■Real Schule," which corresponds to the high schools of this countr}'. At the age of fifteen he sailed for the new world, landing in New York. He was young to start out in life for himself in this manner, but he had to earn his own living, and like many of his countrymen believed that he might have better advantages beyond the At- lantic. For a year after his arrival he worked in the factories of New York city and then secured a position as a salesman in a mercantile establish- ment, traveling over the country to a considerable extent while thus engaged. In the meantime he took up the study of law, reading books in the evening. Air. l\raus came to Chicago in 1871, and con- tinued the study of law until 1874, when he spent two years abroad in Europe. It was an excel- lent preparation for his future business, as there is nothing that so broadens one's mind and stores it with general information, for which one would seek in vain in books, as travel. On again coming to the United States in 1876, Mr. Kraus was admitted to the bar by the su- preme court at Ottawa, Illinois, in 1877. He has always engaged in practice in Chicago. The yeai" following his establishment in business as a mem- ber of the bar of Cook county, he formed a part- nership with Mr. Wm. S. Brackett, under the firm name of Kraus & Brackett, from 1878 until 1881, when the junior member of the firm left the city and was succeeded by Mr. Levy Mayer. In 1884 Judge Stein also became a member of the firm and the business was carried on under the style of Kraus, Mayer 8l Stein until the election of the last named to the bench, when Judge Moran en- tered the firm. Among those occupying a fore- most place at the bar of Chicago is the firm of Moran, Kraus & Mayer, which is now doing a large business, enjoying a most extensive clientage. During his first two years of practice Mr. Kraus defended five murder cases, and each time the man was acquitted. He has since refused all criminal cases. He has gained for himself a lead- ing place among corporation lawyers, and the firm of which he is a member has been connected with every litigation of importance that has come up for settlement in this city \\itliin the last decade. REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOL CUE. 28] In his political views Mr. Kraus is a stalwart Democrat, and served as a member of the Chi- cago school board from 1881 until 1887. During the last two years of his service he was president of the board, and his administration of affairs won him the commendation of all concerned. In 1893, on the request of Mayor Carter Harrison, he ac- cepted the position of corporation counsel, with the provision that he could resign as soon as the business was well organized and in working or- der. When this was completed he resigned, in November, 1893, wishing to devote his entire at- tention to his private practice. He has been prom- inently identified with public affairs since his ar- rival here, and is deeply interested in all that per- tains to the welfare of the city. At one time he was the owner of the Chicago Times and greatly advanced the standard of that paper, which he edited until selling out to James Scott. He is connected with several social organizations, being a member of the Iroquois Club, the Chicago Athletic Club, the Lakeside Club, the Chicago Clubs. Although of foreign birth he is now a topical American, whose energy and enterprise are in accordance with the dominant spirit of Chi- cago, and to his industry and perseverance he owes his success. In 1877 Mr. Kraus was united in marriage with Miss Matilda Hirsh, of Chicago, whose fa- ther was a chemist of prominence. They have four children, namely: Paula, Albert, Harry and Milton. Their beautiful home is located at No. 4315 Drexel boulevard, where evidences of a refined and cultured taste abound and where they have an excellent library, including many hun- dreds of volumes. The firm of which he is a member has the largest i>ri\ate law library in the citv. DR. ROPTNSON TRIPP, FOR more than sixty years this gentleman has been a resident of Chicago. He has been identified with the growth of the city since it was in its infancy, when the now populous districts were waste prairies or swamp lands, and the most far-sighted could not have dreamed, much less realized, that the hamlet was within a compara- tively few years to become the second city of America, the commercial center of the country and the wonder and admiration of the world, worthy to be ranked with the celebrated "Seven Wonders." The Doctor is not only one of the oldest in years of continuous residence here, but is to-day the oldest in years of its honored inhab- itants, the snows of ninety winters having fallen upon his head. He is nearly the end of life's pilgrimage, yet retains an active and commend- able interest in the affairs of the present and is indeed a valued and honored citizen of the "West- ern Metropolis."' Dr. Tripp was born in Rutland county, Ver- mont, on the 6th of April, 1805, and is the seventli in order of birth in a family of eight children, whose parents were William and Hannah (Ben- nett) Tripp. On the paternal side his ancestry came from Wales, while his mother's ancestry were Rhode Island people. The father, vvho was a tanner and currier, settled in \^ermont in 1797. His death occurred in March, 181 5, and on the loth of April of the same year his wife passed away, at the age of seventy-one. Thus, at the earl\- age of ten years, the r)octor was left an orphan and thrown upon his own resources. He went to live with the father of Hon. Levi P. Mor- ton, the present governor of New York, then a resident of Shoreham, Vermont, and continued with that gentleman for about four years. During that time he attended the public schools, which was about the only educational privileges he re- ceived. At the age of fourteen he secured em- ployment at the tanner's trade and to that work and farming devoted his energies during the suc- ceeding two years, his employer owning a tannery and thirty acres of land, which he aided in culti- vating. After that gentleman's death, Dr. Tripp worked elsewhere as a farm hand until eighteen years of age, when he went to Syracuse, New York, and for three months engaged in 282 liloaitAPincAL DICTIONARY AND POUTHAIT GALLERY OF THE loading- woud (mi canalboats and hauling salt for shipment in the same way. He had been indus- trious and frugal, and had saved some of his earnings, which his brother, who was his guardian, advised him to invest in a boatload of wood. He did this and then l)egan making salt at his brothers works. Affairs were working smoothly, but after two weeks he was taken ill, and fifteen days later it was thought that life was extinct; but he rallied: yet for more than six weeks lay ill with typhoid fever. For five years afterward he was sick each spring. Subsequently he followed the carpenter's trade for a time and was always busy, leading an industrious and useful life. Dr. Tripp was married March 25, 1830, to Miss Margaret D. Bronson, who was born in Amster- dam" New York, November 11, 1808, and died August 14, 1894, at the age of eighty-five. For sixty-three years they traveled life's journey to- o-ether, their mutual love and confidence increas- ing with the passing of time, sharing with each other the joys and sorrows, the adversity and prosperity which checker all earthly careers. Ten days after their marriage Dr. Tripp was taken sick, and feeling that a change of climate would prove beneficial the young couple sailed on a canalboat — the Rock Mountain— to Buf- falo, where they boarded the schooner Atlanta bound for Chicago. They started on the 4th of June, 1834, and reached their destination on the 1st of July, taking rooms at the Mansion House, conducted by Messrs. Graves & Haddock, just opposite the site of the Tremont House, on Lake street. In his new home the Doctor began w^ork at his trade of carpentering, and built the first board sidewalk in the city. He was told at the time that Chicago then had six hundred inhab- itants and would be quite a town some day! How this prediction has been fulfilled many real- ized in the summer of 1893, as they passed through the streets of America's second city and gazed on the triumph of Chicago genius and en- terprise, — the World's Columbian Exposition. In 1836 Dr. Tripp embarked in merchandising at 132 Lake street, two doors west of Clark street, where he leased fifty feet of ground. Upon half of this he built a store and then rented the other half for what the entire property cost him. For two years he carried on business there, with ex- cellent success, after which he resumed work at his trade, which he continued for five years. Dur- ing this time he studied medicine in the office of Dr. David F. Smith, the honored founder and president of Hahnemann Medical College, and when not able to work looked after the books and accounts of his preceptor. When the law was passed requiring all physicians who had not practiced for ten years to pass an examination, he secured papers of recommendation signed by Rev. Dr. Hitchcock, Orrington Lunt, Judge Goodrich and Lewis Nowlan, and was told that his were the best recommendations handed in. In 1849 he became interested in patent braces introduced by Dr. Banning, and is still connected with the line of business, carrying in stock the finest makes of braces manufactured. As old age crept upon him he felt the need of some one to aid him in his work, and four years since ad- mitted to partnership his grandnephew, Dr. Will- iam A. I'uller, who has become an expert in fitting braces. He is a refined, educated gentleman, who closely applies himself to his business, and operations are now carried on under the firm name of Tripp & Fuller. Dr. Tripp and wife were active members of the Methodist Episcopal Church and contributed lib- erally to its support. The Doctor united with the church more than seventy years ago and for many years has been recording steward of the Clark .Street Church! His long Christian life, full of good deeds and kindly acts, is well worthy of emulation. He is charitable, benevolent and kindhearted, and is an advocate of temperance principles, never using spirituous liquor as a bev- erage. He has always been a deep student of the Bible, and since 1864 has read it through no less than eighty times, reading often fifty or sixty chapters on a Sunday. In early life he supported the Democracy, but on the organization of the Republican party he joined its ranks, supported John C. Fremont for the presidency and has since been a stalwart advocate of the party principles. In 1842 he was elected city collector of Chicago. On the 6th of April, 1895, Dr. Tripp celebrated his ninetieth birthday at his residence, 2030 In- diana avenue, and the same day there were bap- tized his great-great-grandnephew and niece, Dr. Bolton ofTiciating. He had married their parents REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 283 August 20, 1887, namely, A. J- Deuistry and Marc^aret, "cc Fuller. In all the relations of life Dr. Tripp has been honorable and upright, and speaking of his career a Christian friend said of him, "It is like a clear, limpid stream wherein you can see the form and color of the pebbles at the bottom and through whose meandering course no sediment appears." JOHN FRANCIS STAFFORD, As the progress or prosperity of a nation is the result of the aggregate endeavor of its individual citizens, so the history of a nation is the record of the aggregate achievements of its licople. Biography thus becomes the very foun- dation upon which must rest all general history of mankind. The importance nf making perma- nent record oi tlie life work of men who arc worthy such distinction cannot be overestimated. The mere acquisition of wealth is, in itself, a fact scarcely deserving mention by the historian. It is in the distribution of wealth that its power for good or evil lies. Money is power, and the individual who has the faculty and ability to gar- ner wealth, and who applies his acquisitions to tlie betterment of man.kind, is a public benefactor whose memory should be preserved and honored. Again, to the individual whom nature has en- dowed with a keen perception of that which is beautiful, noble and grand, and who by all means in his power seeks to cultivate and inspire in others such appreciation, — to such a man or woman the world owes a debt which it can never discharge. The evolution of the human race from barbar- ism to the present advanced civilization has been slow, and the man who in his day and generation has helped elevate the tastes of those with whom he comes in contact, does a work the results oi which will be cumulative in generations to come. We are led to the above train of reflections by contemplating the life-work of one of the old citizens of Chicago, now and for many years re- tired from active pursuits, but who has left his impress not only on his contemporaries but also through them on later generations. The story of Captain John F. Stafford's life is not thrilling or romantic. In fact, to the super- ficial reader or obser\'er, it is quite as prosaic and commonplace as that of the average successful Chicagoan. He began the battle of life when but a lad, without friends, influence or capital, and after some vicissitudes conciuered adverse fate and actpiired a comfortable fortune. Then, not caring for wealth beyond his needs, retired from the cares f'f business, and has spent much of his time in later years in travel. He was always noted among his acquaintances for shrewd business judgment, strong common sense, sterling integrity, unyield- ing preseverance in pursuance of a plan or pur- pose, a genial bonhomie and warm-heartedness which won and retained friendship. For these and other good qualities he was credited; but there was another side to his character which, less understood by the multitude, was infinitely more rare than any or all the traits above enumerated, and of this we shall speak later. The life of Captain Stafford may be briefly sum- marized as follows: He was born in Dublin, Ireland, August 12, 1S20. His parents were John and Sarah (Mellon") StafTord. His ancestors were prominent Irish patriots, and more than one of them were martyrs t'j the cause of libert}'. Captain Stafford's father was a provision merchant in Dublin and was also engaged in packing bacon and hams for the Eng- lish market. In 1828 the elder Stafford emigrated with his family to America. Landing at Quebec, they took passage on what was known as a Durham boat to Port Hope, Canada West, — now the province of Ontario, — and here he purchased a farm sixteen miles back in the country from Port Hope. On this farm was a saw and grist mill and a carding- niill. The following winter was very severe and Mr. Stafford on one occasion, having gone to the village to purchase supplies, was frozen to death on the return trip home. This left the mother with two small children, a stranger in a strange ^84 niOnUAl'lIICM. DICriOXARY AND rOUTUAIT GALLERY OF THE land. She sold the farm and moved to Rochester, New York, where better faciHties were offered for rearing and cducatingf licr children. When the younger son, Owen A., was thirteen years of age, he was apprenticed to a famous printer, Henry O'Reilly, to learn the printers' trade. He after- ward became prominent in the newspaper world, \yas for many years associated with Redfield, the celebrated publisher, and later on purchased a fruit-farm in California, where he now resides, on one of the most beautiful estates in that won- derful country. John F. had the choice offered him by his moth- er of three professions, — the ministry, law or medi- cine. He chose the latter and took up the study of medicine in the ofifice of Drs. Elwood and Tobey, of Rochester, and proved so apt a pupil that after the first month he was intrusted with the compounding of all the medicines used in the practice of his preceptors, it being the custom in those days for all physicians to compound and furnish the medicines they prescribed. In about a vear Mr. Stafford's mother died suddenly of cholera, which was then epidemic, and the young lad then being adrift in the world without guardian or counselor, and free to follow the bent of his own inclinations, determined to give up the study cf medicine and gratify a long cherished desire of becoming a sailor. His first embarkation was as cabin and general utility boy on a small schooner. The "Brown" of Port Hope, plying be- tween ports on Lake Ontario. The following winter the vessel lay up at Ogdensburg, New Yf)rk, and young Stafford here fonned the ac- quaintance of a carpenter residing at Brockville, Ontario, and was induced to go with him as an apprentice to learn carpentering. His experience in this line soon proved unsatisfactory, as instead of the carpenter instructing him in the mysteries of the craft the carpenter's wife kept the lad busy most of the time caring for her baby. Not relish- ing this employment, young Stafford ran away and returned to his former home at Rochester. Here, upon his arrival, he learned that his brother had gone to Buffalo and obtained employment in the office of the Commercial and Journal of that city. Thither he repaired and secured employ- ment as a "printer's devil" in the same ofifice. When navigation opened the following spring he again sought the lakes, and this year (1837) he made his first visit to Chicago, on board the shij) Tnlia Palmer, one of the first two full rigged ships that ever sailed the lakes. He continued on this vessel, and working in the printing ofifice winters, till the spring of 1841, when he purchased of Thomas Foster the Buffalo Coffee and Spice l\Iills and conducted the preparation of coffee and spices till 1848, doing a profitable busi- ness. In the fall of 1847 'le purchased the brig Uncle Sam, loaded her with lumber at Saginaw, and started her for Buffalo. On the first trip a storm was encountered and the vessel wrecked. The following winter the machinery of the steamer City of Buffalo was transferred by the owners to a larger vessel, and Captain Stafford purchased the hull of this vessel, and with rigging which had been recovered from the Uncle Sam fitted her out as a bark, and again embarked in the lumber trade. This vessel met with the same fate as his former one, and was wrecked on the Manitou islands on her first voyage. After this second mis- fortune he sold his Spice and Coffee Mills, and with the money thus obtained and from the insur- ance on his vessel he proceeded to discharge all the indebtedness he had incurred in fitting out the vessel. This done, he had but a few hundred dollars left. With the small capital he had, how- ever, he ^vent to Memphis, Tennessee, purchased a flatboat, loaded it with corn, went down the river to Natchez and Grand Gulf, where he dis- posed of boat and cargo. He spent a few days in New Orleans and then came up the river to Cairo with the intention of buying another load of corn to ship down the river. Not being suc- cessful in this, he took passage on a boat for New Orleans. On this trip he formed the acquaint- ance of a passenger who had aboard the boat a large shipment of chickens and turkeys bound for the New Orleans market. About this time the news reached them that cholera was raging in New Orleans. This so frightened the poultry speculator that he sold his cargo of poultry to Captain Stafford at a nominal figure, and the Captain, braving the dangers of the dread dis- ease, succeeded in disposing of his poultry after reaching the Crescent City, at an enormous profit. This venture gave him a working capital REPRESEyTATIVE MEX OF THE UNITED STATES: ILLINOIS VOLUME. 285 and proved the nucleus aroun-, in addition to eggs and other products in proportion. During the latter years of Mr. Volin- tine's business career his territory extended further West until he purchased wool in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri, and was at the time of his death the oldest as well as the leading wool mer- chant in the West. His reputation for honesty, which did not lean upon the weak support of business being business, but upon the memorial brotherhood of man, was the same among the farmers, from whom he purchased his supplies, as It was among the merchant princes of the East His word was not only as good as his bond, but it was law and as inflexible as time. He did not carry- his church into his business, for they were one and the same. He did not have one kind of conduct for his daily life and one for his Sabbath, but his private and public efforts were alike. Tlie ability for making money, clean money, was his to a wonderful degree, and he used his accumula- tions as liberally and inoffensively as he made them. He was, in 1871, one of die founders of tlie Second National Bank, and served as its presi- dent, but his many and varied business enter- prises justified him in resigning; he then accepted the vice-presidency, and also was a director, until the time of his death. His banking experience did not begin with the Second National Bank, as he was one of the founders and the principal mem- 292 niOGiiAPirirAL dictionary and ronriiAiT gallery of the her of the private haiikhig house of VoHntiiic, WiUiams & lioyd, cstaljlished in 1868. He was also one of tlie founders of the Aurora Silver Plate Manufacturing Company, which has met with universal success, and was its president dur- ing the most profitable period of its existence. He was during his entire business life among the foremost business men wherever he happened to be engaged in business. His retail business in Aurora covered over sixteen years, during which he was connected with the firms of Volintine & Hurd, Volintine & Stockwell and Volintine, Law- rence & Company. In 1870 he retired from the mercantile business and gave his entire attention to the wool trade. In politics he was a thorough Democrat, but never desired public office. In 1875 he was in- duced to accept the nomination for mayor of Aurora, and was elected. He gave the city a thorough business administration, but absolutely refused re-election. His religious connections were Baptist, and of the most cordial and en- joyable kind. He was a member of the First Baptist Church of Aurora, and his contribu- tions to it and to the University of Chicago were generous, tlunigh in a high degree unos- tentatious. He was married on March 17, 1841, to Miss Sarah J. Ruste, a daughter of Samuel Ruste, Esq., and Harriet (Fairchild) Ruste, of Cambridge, New York. Their living children are Hattie A., the widow of William S. Bininger, of Milwaukee: and William J. \'olintine, who married i\Iiss May Anderson, both residents of Aurora. Though Mr. ^'olintine's health had suffered con- siderable on account of his exceeding activity, he nevertheless passed the Psalmist's span of time by several years, possessing his mental and physical power unimpaired until his last illness, which overtook him a few days before his death, which occurred Thursday, February 9, 1888. The immediate cause of death was pneumonia. Mr. Volintine possessed deep convictions and was most just and generous, a true friend whose friendship did not consist of words alone. His will-power was remarkable. While his health had steadily deteriorated for several years previous to his death, and his once robust form had become emaciated, he would at times straitrhten himself to his full height and assure his friends that he was as strong as ever. The esteem in which Mr. Volintine was held is best illustrated by the following resolution and memorial, presented the bereaved family soon after his death : "Whereas, In the mysterious dispensation of an all-wise Providence death has removed our esteemed and cherished friend and brother, Daniel Volintine, late of Aurora, Illinois, a former mem- ber of this church, and while we bow with sub- mission of the divine will, we desire to add our testimony to his high character as a citizen and a Christian man, which made his name one to be respected and venerated by all; and — "Whereas, In fraternal appreciation of his former relations with this church, and the interest manifested by him in its spiritual and temporal welfare, ever ready with a generous heart and liberal hand to aid in its spiritual advancement and material prosperity, therefore — "Resolved, That in his death the church has been bereft of an earnest, able and useful worker, the city of his adoption an upright and active citizen and his family a loving husband and a kind father. "Resolved, That we loved and respected him in life and revere his name and memory in our hearts, as we commemorate them with a sorrow- ing tribute of speech, and can say that our loss is liis eternal gain, but he rests from his labors and his works do follow him. Life's tide sets in toward the heavenly shore. On its blessed wave we trust he has reached the highlands and has been welcomed to the green fields beyontl. The fruition is his, the promise is ours. "Resolved, That to his bereaved family we tender our Christian and heartfelt sympathy in this their hour of deep affliction and sorrow, assuring them that their loss is our loss, and we can only turn them for comfort and consolation to 'Him who doeth all things well' "Resolved, That the Clerk of the Church be directed to transmit a copy of this preamble and resolutions to the family of the deceased, and to the Washington County Post and Aurora Beacon for publication, and that the same be engrossed on the records of this Church'' (Baptist Church of Shushan, New York). (A true copy.) "D. V. T. Qua, Church Clerk:' "in MEMORIA-M. "Whereas, God in his inscrutable Providence has seen best to take from our midst by death our beloved brother and friend, Daniel Volintine; therefore . "Resolved, That while we humbly bow in sub- mission to the divine will of our heavenlv father, REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED .STATES: ILLINOIS VOLUME. 293 wc can but feci that tlie cause of Christ as well as the church has hereby sustained a great loss. ''Resolved, That we tenderly remember him as a self-denying modest Christian Ijrother, as was manifested in his church as well as in his private life, wherein he exemplified the nobility and genu- ineness of a true Christian character. "Any extended eulogy from us of his life and character would be needless; neither would we ofTend his characteristic humility by enlarging upon the same ; but we may be permitted to, nay, we must, magnify the grace of God in him which was seen anti felt by all who knew him. "Resolved, That it is with devout thankfulness to God that we can call to our memories so many delightful associations. He is not lost, but gone lieforc; and the memory of his de- voted life will be his best and most enduring nmn- ument. "Resolved, That the sympathies of the chiu-ch are herebv cordially extended to the bereaved familv, and we most earnestly conmiend them to the kind care of Him that doeth all things well and tempers the storm to the shorn lambs of his flock. "Resolved, That the foregoing preamble and resolutions be spread upon the records of the church, and that a copy thereof be sent to the be- reaved family. "Adopted by the First Baptist Church of Aurora, Illinois, February 12, A. D. 1888. ■' LvMAN Baldwin, Clerk." Following is the memorial of respect adopted by the board of directors of the Second National Rank of Aurora, to the late vice-president and director, Hon. Daniel Volintine: "The directors of the Second National Bank of Aurora, at the banking office, February 11, 1888, each with sorrow and a deep sense of personal loss, record the death of Hon. Daniel Volintine, a director of this Bank from its organization until his death, February 9, 1888. "It is our desire to add our testimony here to the honorable record he has made during the many years that he has been associated with this bank and its directors, whether in the capacity of president, vice-president or director. He was sound in judgment, keen and discriminating on all subjects, a prudent, safe adviser. "In his personal friendship, and with his as- sociate directors, he was ever genial and cordial. "To his wife and family we extend our heartfelt sympathy and direct that this testimony be spread on the records of this bank, and a copy of the same sent to the family. F. B. Rice, Benjamin George, V Committee. Frank L. ICE, i IN George, >( L. YouxG, S "IN MEMORIAM. "\Miereas, We have heard with mingled feelings of sorrow and regret of the death of the Hon. Daniel \'olintine, ex-mayor of the city of Aurora, therefore be it "Resolved, That in his death we are called upon to mourn the loss of one of our most prominent, influential and worthy citizens. "Resolved, As a token of sincere regret and deep sympathy with his family, and with the people of this conmumitv in their sad bereave- ment, that these resolutions be spread upon our records as a mark of respect and esteem for the memory of the deceased, and that a copy thereof be sent to his family. "Adopted by the City Council of the cih" of Aurora, February 25. A. D. 1888. George Meredith, Mayor. J. M. Kennedy, City Clerk." The funeral, which was private in character, was the largest and most notable ever held in Aurora. People within a radius of fifty miles came to pay their last tribute to his memory and all evinced a deep sorrow over the loss of a loved and faithful friend. There are in every community men who with- out any particular effort on their part leave an impress upon the community which can never be effaced. Mr. Volintine was one of these. What- ever he did for his own financial benefit would be certain to confer pennanent and valuable results upon the entire community. No man did more for his city than he, and no man took less credit for his acts than he. With his own hand he shaped his destiny. While his was a beneficent existence for many years, it seems to the vision of man that he died before his time. He was a perfect type of a noble American citizen, and manliness, patri- otism, sincerity and friendship are instructively associated with his name. The common testi- mony of him is that he was a man of remarkable sagacity, a quality in the human mind that we can scarcely overestimate in business and many re- lations in life; a man who saw much sooner than he spoke; a man who was careful, prudent and honest; a man therefore favored not by chance but by the due exercise of his own good qualities. His honesty was the root of honor, which is one and the same thing, something sweeter, nobler and more far-reaching than square dealing. He possessed in a marked degree, unselfishness, an eagerness and willingness to see that all men had opportunities and a desire to favor all. 294 niOCIiM'lIIVAh DICTIONAUY AND PuUTItAIT OALl.HUr UF THE NICHOLAS (;. IGLEHART, CHICAGO. NICHOLAS G. IGLEHART is a son of Nicholas P. ami Frances Mary (Gano) Iglc- liart, and was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on the 28th of February, 1841. When he was a lad of ten years the parents removed to Chicago, in which city and in Evanston he has since resided. On the paternal side he is a direct descendant of John Iglehart, who emigrated from Germany to America about the year 1735; and on the maternal side traces his ancestry back to Fran- cis Gerneaux, a Huguenot, who came to the New World about 1666. The line of ances- try is as follows: Nicholas G. Iglehart is the son of Nicholas P. Iglehart, who was born July 29, 181 1, and was married July 18, 1837, to Miss Frances Mary Gano, of Cincinnati, Ohio, daugh- ter of Lieutenant Aaron G. Gano, one of the earliest graduates of West Point Academy, hav- ing completed the prescribed course of study and training in that institution in the year 1818. He was a lieutenant in the Third Artillery', United States army. The paternal grandfather of the gentleman whose name begins this review, William Iglehart, was born in Howard county, Maryland, October 3, 1778, and died on the loth of October, 1831. He was a soldier in the war of 18 12, and was married to Miss Jane Smith, of Maryland. John Iglehart, the father of William, was a farmer who lived in Prince George county, INIaryland, and married Mary De Noon. The maternal ancestrj' of Nicholas G. Igle- hart is traced back through Lieutenant Aaron G. Gano, before mentioned, who was a son of Major General John S. Gano. The latter was born July 14, 1766, and was the son of the Rev. John Gano, who was born in New Jersey, July 23, 1727, and served in the French and Indian wars and in the Colonial wars. He resigned his commission as an officer in the former in 1760, and the following year removed to New York city, where he was engaged in the work of the ministry until the beginning of the struggle for independence. He then entered the army as chaplain of the Nineteenth Continental Infantry and discharged the duties of that positiun and as chaplain of the Fifth New York Infantry, com- mencing November 21, 1776. On the 17th of August, 1778, he was made brigade chaplain, con- tinuing his labors until May, 1780, in what was known as General Clinton's brigade. He con- tinued with the Continental Army until the close of the Revolution and then removed to Ken- tucky, where he again engaged in ministerial labors until his death in 1804. Rev. John Gano was a son of Daniel Gano and Sarah Britton, and the former was a son of Stephen Gano and Ann Walton, while Stephen's father was Francis Ger- neaux, a native of Guernsey, a town on the Island of Jersey in the English Channel. The last named was a Huguenot and a man of consid- erable wealth, who during the edict of Nantes chartered a vessel for himself and crossed the Atlantic to America about the year 1666, settling in the town of New Rochelle, New York. Nicholas G. Iglehart, whose name introduces tliis review, acquired his preparatory education in Niles, Michigan, after which he entered the Wis- consin State University at Madison, pursuing his studies in that institution for four years, and is to-day a member of the Alumni Association of Wisconsin. On leaving the university, Mr. Iglehart joined his father in the real-estate business and continued operations in that line until 1879, when he accepted a position in the freight department of the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad. There his superior business ability won him promotion, and by steady advances he at- tained to prominent position in railroad circles. He was appointed secretary of the classification committee of the western roads, and for four years prepared and issued all the classification and rate sheets used by the committee. He was appointed commissioner of the Chicago Freight Bureau in September, 1887, and has proven a most efficient and popular officer. To him is due the credit of having placed Chicago on an equality with outside points in regard to freisrht rates to the towns of southern Illinois. ^ REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 2'jr) His success in tliis particular lias done more within the last twelve months than any other cause or any other half dozen causes to extend Chicago's trade and enrich its merchants. This is not the first time by any means that he has rendered similar service and service equally beneficial. A few years ago Chicago's packing trade was threatened with extinction on account of the Western roads making cheaper rates on packing house products than on live hogs from the Missouri river to this city. The conse- quence was that the packing trade of the country was being transferred to Western points. Com- missioner Iglehart carried the matter to the Inter- State Commerce Commission and secured an order from that body prohibiting for all time tlie making of any higher rates on live hogs than on the manufactured pork product. The first year after that decision was rendered tlie trade at the stock-yards increased by over $9,000,000. Mr. Iglehart is now working industriously to break down the Chinese wall which the Southern roads have built up against Chicago trade by their rate discriminations. He has already secured an order from the Inter-State Commerce Commission on that matter, but the roads re- fuse to obev this, and the case is now in the courts. Tlicre can be no doubt, however, of the final decision in this matter; Chicago has right and justice on her side and must win. As well as being a successful man of affairs, Mr. Iglehart is a verj- popular society man. He is a thirty-second-degree Mason, a life member of Oriental Consistory, a Knight Templar, a mem- ber of the Mystic Shrine, a Veteran Odd Fellow and Veteran Mason. He is also one of the Sons of the American Revolution, treasurer and director of the Country Club, of Evanston, a director of the Evanston Club, and a member of the Evans- ton Boat Club. Mr. Iglehart was united in marriage June 7, 1865, to Miss Ella Gano, daughter of Colonel Charles L. Gano, of Butler county, Ohio. Mr. Iglehart is a genial and polished gentleman, a man of ripe scholarship and broad general infor- mation, and is highly esteemed in railroad < circles notwithstanding his keenness in oppos- ing discriminating rates made by the officials. Socially he is held in the warmest regard by many friends who delight in doing him honor. Merit and ability have gained him the respon- sible position which he to-day occupies, and his influence is a power in connnercial circles that is broadly felt. JOHN F. EBERHART, EDUCATOR, lecturer, editor, real-estate dealer, benefactor and the "father of the Cook county public schools," is John F. Eber- hart. Probably to no man in the State do the schools of Illinois owe more than to him; and their development and promotion to their present ad- vanced position has resulted largely from the im- petus which he gave to the work in the two de- cades that followed 1850. On tlie lecture plat- form he inspired and enthused his audience to greater efforts; through the columns of his paper he encouraged and aided; in business he has fur- nished an example of honorable, straightforward dealing; and this, in brief, is the record of a long, useful and honored life on which falls no shadow of wrong or suspicion of evil. I\Ir. Eberhart was born on the 21st of January, 1829, in Hickory township, Mercer county, Penn- sylvania, and is a son of Abraliam and Esther (Amend) Eberhart. His father was one of the early settlers of Mercer county, locating there in 1821, and was the builder of the first sawmill in the countr>'. John Eberhart spent the first eight years of his life on his father's farm in his native county, and then the family removed to Big Bend in Venango county. During the summer he aided in the labors of the farm and in the winter attended district schools until sixteen years of age, when he began teaching, thus entering upon a work to which he has devoted many of the best years of his life. His first school, at the mouth of Oil Creek, where Oil City now stands, he taught 290 DIOGnAPlIICAL DICTIONARY AXD POHTHAIT OALLEET OF THE for $8.50 a month and "boarded around" amonp his pupils. In the succeeding: summer he took lessons in writing, drawing and pen-and-ink flourishing, and as soon as his course was finished he began teaching tliose branches. Being desirous, however, of obtaining a Ijettcr education, he spent two terms in Cottage Hill Academy in Ellsworth, Ohio, and then, in the spring of 1849, entered Alleghany College, gradu- ating there July 2, 1853. He met the expenses of the course by teaching in the spring and fall and working in the harvest fields during the summer; and so he obtained physical training while provid- ing the means for mental training. The laudable ambition which prompted him to secure an edu- cation, even though he had to provide the means himself, has colored his entire career, and has been an impetus for progressive work through life. On the 1st of Scptemlicr, 1853, "Mr. Eberhart became principal of Albright Seminary in Berlin, Somerset county, Pennsylvania, the first educa- tional institution founded in Pennsylvania by the Evangelical Association. It was then his inten- tion to make teaching his life work, and to fit him- self he studied zealously night and day; but imder the strain his health gave way and he was forced to abandon his long cherished plans. On the 15th of April, 1855, he arrived in Chi- cago, and soon aftenvard went to Dixon, Illinois. Plis physician had given him little hope of recov- ery, but he thought perhaps a change of climate might prove beneficial ; and so it did. In Dixon he became editor and publisher of the Dixon Transcript; but during the winter of 1855-6 he disposed of it and began delivering courses of scientific lectures before various institutions of learning. These soon became very popular and drew large audiences. His zeal in his younger days to scitc the world as an educator was such that when sickness unfitted him for work in the school-room as a teacher he turned his efforts into the broader channels of teaching the teachers through his educational publications and the lec- ture platform. On the completion of his lecture tour he spent a year in traveling as the represent- ative of two New York publishing houses, — Ivison & Phinney and A. S. Barnes & Company. His next work was the establishment of the North- western Home and School Journal, of Chicago, which he purchased and edited for three years, and also conducted many teachers' institutes and delivered many lectures on educational topics in Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois. He thoroughly en- joyed this work, as it gave him, besides a valu- able experience, a much larger acquaintance with men engaged in educational work, and assisted him materially in forming and perfecting his vievv's on educational topics. In the autumn of 1859 Mr. Eberhart was elected school commissioner of Cook county, which atthat time was only a business and commission office, new to the people, little understood, and its la- liors but little appreciated by the people of the county. Through his efforts and the assistance of Hon. Newton Bateman, State Superintendent of public instruction, the office was changed to that of county superintendent of schools; and for the succeeding ten years he performed the duties of that office and won the gratitude of a people who appreciated the value of education and its im- portance to a community; for he greatly advanced the standard of the schools, secured better teach- ers and introduced more advanccnstructed of stone in the style of workman- ship known as rock-faced ashlar. The building 300 r,i(>(ii!.\PincM- fi/cTKiNAjn- AM> rouruMT calleuy of the was erected east of tlK' city hall, on ground donated by Mr. Stolp. In 1870, when the Young Men's Christian Association decided to erect a Iniilding for their own special use, they concluded that the island Nvas the central ground upon which they could erect it. By going to Mr. Stolp for assistance in their purpose, he immediately donated the necessary ground, and the association now owns a fine building, free of debt. This island has always been a sort of "neutral" or "compromise" ground upon which East and West Aurora could meet and settle their differ- ences. Even the United States Government seemed to recognize this fact when, in 1891, it placed on this island the Federal building, to cost $100,000. While part of the island is improved with ex- ceedingly valuable and important buildings, Mr. Stolp has with great foresight and shrewdness refused to part with such portions of the island as were not in the way of actual need and improvement, and to-day still owns a large por- tion, which is constantly increasing in value. For a great many years Mr. Stolp has been one of the most enterprising men of Aurora. He owns and has owned a large amount of property in both East and West Aurora, and is one of the heaviest tax-payers in the city. He was one of the promoters of, and the largest stockholder in, the Aurora Silver Plate Works, one of the most successful manufacturing concerns in Aurora, and has been its president for a great number of years. The First National Bank is also indebted to him for its existence, as he was one of its original stockholders and for several years one of its directors. June 6, 1839, is the date of Mr. Stolp's mar- riage to Temperance Dustin, a daughter of Ebenezer Dustin, of Plattsburg, New York. She died in June, 1855, lamented by five chil- dren, namely: Allen W., who died January, 1893; Myron G., a prominent business man of Aurora; Elnora O., now the wife of Samuel B. Sherer; Cleora A., the wife of James Murray, of Evanston, Illinois; and Caroline T., the wife of J. F. Johnson, of Philadelphia , Pennsylvania. Mr. Stolp was afterward married, in the winter of 1858, to Isabella INIiller, who died February 19, 1883, leaving no children. While Mr. Stolp has passed his four-score years he is still actively engaged in attending to his affairs. He is hale and hearty, with his mental and physical powers unimpaired. Being of a literary turn of mind, he is now constantly de- voting a part of each day to the writing of his early experiences when starting in life in the "New West," and he is also recording on his- tory's pages many of the events of later days. Occasionally on his birthday, he gathers to- gether all the older citizens in his spacious res- idence, to talk over old times and to refresh each other's memories. When leaving, each visitor signs his name and age in books kept by Mr. Stolp for that purpose, thus preserving an indel- ible evidence of their existence. Each year sees more and more empty chairs at Mr. Stolp's gatherings. From the day he trudged afoot from Chicago to Aurora, now nearly sixtyyears ago, he has seen the State of Illinois become the most important part of the great West. Temperate in all things, he has wonderfully advanced temperance in others, and has never allowed liquor to be sold on ground belonging to him, nor has he ever sold any ground upon which liquors were to be sold. In his political principles he has ever been a Republican, and has always raised his voice for the good men in all parties. I"or himself he could have had any office within the gift of the citizens of Aurora, but has always preferred to help his friends rather than to accept office for himself. His pure life is undoubtedly the cause of his healthy longevity. Though not a mem- ber of any church, he has for many years been a constant attendant at the Congregational church, and has been a liberal contributor to its material needs. Of a charming nature and disposition, he is always endeavoring to help some one or something; and he can be looked upon as everybody's patron, to whom particu- larily the young men and those in distress can freely apply with reasonable certainty of instant assistance if their cause be worthy. Being a man of considerable wealth, j\Ir. Stolp is able to indulge in those charities which are of prac- tical benefit to the recipient. No man is better known in northern Illinois than Joseph G. Stolp. and no man has done more for the individual prosperity of the citizens than he, and his life REPnE^^EXTATTVE MES OF THE FXITED STATES: ILLTXOIS VOLUME. 301 will always be a most important example of what is possible for the young man to ac- complish if he but possess those characteris- tics which go so far to make perfect manhood, honesty, honor, integrity, courage and econ- omy. Mr. Stolp has lived during the days of all the presidents of the United States, with the excep- tion of Washington, who died before the birth of Mr. Stolp. He has had the novel experience, at one time in his life, of looking around to find none of his early associates alive, many of whom lived to an old age. In his four- score years he has lived to see the nation grow from six millions to sixty-five millions of people, to see slavery abolished and the Republic tried by the greatest civil war that history records, and emerge from it strong and more firmly rooted in the hearts of the people than ever before. NICHOLAS R. GRAHAM, cmc.vGO. THE late Judge Graham was a representa- tive of that rare element in modem life, which, although an invaluable part o£ it, yet rests upon a basis of something ideal and philo- sojihical. In the worldly sense he certainly made his mark, serving most creditably in his native State of New York as one of the youngest judges of th.e country, and being recognized both in that commonwealth and the home of his adoption as an astute lawyer, politician and statesman. Whenever he came in contact with men of note, not only was he valued as an equal of practical strength and resources, but also as one whose integrity was beyond question. Judge Graham was not only practical, drawing to himself the strongest minds of his profession, but was im- bued with the best scientific and philosophical thought of the day, being often a co-w'orker with those whose entire lives were thus absorbed. Bom in Homer, Cortland county. New York, in 1818, the Judge w^as educated at the academy of his native town and subsequently took up the study of law in the office of Edward Ouinn, a famous barrister and one time friend of the cele- !)ratcd Irish patriot, O'Connor. He had as a fellow-student Francis Keraan, who subsequently arose to prominence as United States senator. In 1843 Mr. Graham was admitted to the bar in Chemung county. New York, and was soon after elected district judge, being then but thirty-five years of age, and the youngest incumbent of that position on the Hudson river. During the Civil war he raised a regiment and was otherwise of invaluable service to his country. Judge Gra- ham, in fact, was a war Democrat of the most enthusiastic stamp and his standing even at that early day may be inferred from the fact that he was the intimate and trusted supporter of Gov- ernor Horatio Seymour, Senator Kernan and others of like type. It is also worthy of note that his political w-isdom was treasured by such ris- ing lights as David B. Hill. Judge Graham did not come West until during the war — 1862. He was especially prominent in the Greeley campaign of 1872. As a member of the State committee which directed the canvass he was associated with Cyrus H. McCormick, John M. Palmer, James R. Doolittle and others of the national organization who had been resi- dents of the West during most of their manhood, but who nevertheless heartily welcomed so stal- wart a supporter to their cause as he. For a short time after coming to Chicago Judge Graham was associated in the practice of his profession with facob Newman, whom he first met as a law stu- dent in the oflice of ex-Senator Doolittle. Sub- sequently he was a member of the Illinois legis- lature, being eamest in his support of the World's Fair appropriation and the drainage bill, both of which measures are proving to be so far-reach- ing in their influence for good upon the future of Chicago. As stated, however. Judge Graham had an- other side to his character than that which brought him into prominence as a politician, a legislator. a judge, a lawyer and a broad-minded statesman. 302 r,ronnApnrc.\r. victioxauy and ponTitATT gallery of the In Chica.Efo the profoundly philosopliical tcn- ckMicy of his mind, as well as the huinaiiity of his nature, was ilhistrated by his friendship with such men as Dr. Thomas and the late Professor Swing. Associated with them he founded the first philo- sophical society of this city, acting upon the oc- casion of its organization as president pro tern. Rut although to the last Judge Graham was abreast of the best thought of the day, during several of the last years of his life he was obliged to withdraw himself from society on account of the steadily advancing paralysis of the throat which made conversation an impossibility. Al- tliough he received all relief that the best medical skill could devise, combined with the devoted at- tentions of wife and daughter, the disease finally brought his useful life to an end on the gth of July, 1895. The funeral took place at the residence of Mrs. John H. Snitzler, his only daughter, and in ac- cordance with a request of the deceased his close friend, James R. Doolittle, made a few simple, manly and expressive remarks in memory of one whom he had learned to admire and love. This tribute cannot be brought to a more ap- propriate close than by repeating some of the words there uttered: "My friends," said Judge Doolittle, "the request of the deceased, coming to me through his wife and daughter, that I should make a few remarks at his funeral, comes to me as a command which I could not refuse to obey if I would, and I would not if I could; for he was my friend, a friend of many years, — a personal, professional and polit- ical friend. Let me say, in a very few words, that a great and good man has left us. He was not only an able lawyer and a jurist, but a most profound and philosophical thinker, quite abreast, if not in advance, of most men; and while my public career during the administrations of Bu- chanan, Lincoln and Johnson brought me in contact with many men that the world call great, such as generals in the army, statesmen, sena- tors and presidents, yet I do not go too far when I say that Judge Graham would be regarded as a great man among the greatest. I repeat, there- fore, a great man has left us; but as the highest tribute to his memory let me say that he was not only a great man, but perfectly sincere, upright and honest. He always meant what he said and said what he meant. He was by nature endowed with the greatest of all human faculties, integ- rity, which wealth could not purchase, power could not intimidate, or dying men bequeath, and which is stamped upon those natures, whether born in a palace or a manger, the impress of God's nobility, for 'an honest man is the noblest work of God.' He was indeed a true man, a kind and generous husband and father, loving and beloved." JACOB L. LOOSE, JACOB L. LOOSE, the well-known president of the American Biscuit & Manufacturing Company, was bom in Franklin county, Penn- sylvania, June 17, 1850, and is a son of Isaac and Eliza (Scholl) Loose, both of German lineage, the mother being a daughter of a German Re- formed minister of Pennsylvania, in whose veins flowed the blood of the Huguenot and Hol- lander. The father carried on farming and stock- raising with success, and in the '40s made ex- tensive investments in real estate, buying wild land in Illinois and Iowa. Upon one tract in Sangamon county, Illinois, he located in i860, taking with him his family, including Jacob, then a lad of (en summers. The spirit of the West, whether inherent or ac- quired after his arrival in the Mississippi valley, was early manifest in the gentleman whose name introduces this review. He was the youngest in a family of eight children and in the schools near his Western home began his education, but as the educational facilities of Illinois were then infe- rior to those of the East he was sent back to Pennsylvania, in 1862, to be educated under tlie supervision of his sister, Mrs. Lizzie M. Brown, of Merccrsburg, Pennsylvania, wife of a German Reformed minister. This was the time of the Civil war and the Soutliem army had made its way into Northern territory. In consequence, studies were often interrupted, and in 1863 he re- ^.^r^^n^C^^ REPRESEKTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 303 turned to Illinois and completed his education in the high school of Decatur. Mr. Loose at once entered upon his business career. Unaided, financially, he started out for himself, securing a clerkship in a dry-goods house in Decatur; but after a short time, at the age of twenty, he went to Kansas and became a sales- man in the drj-goods house owned by two of his brothers, the firm being known as D. A. Liiose & Company. He soon acquired an inter- est in the business, which by that time was con- ducted under the name of D. A. & J. L. Loose. It was at that time, early in the '70s, that the financial depression was beginning to be felt, a depression that ended in the panic of 1873, yet the Loose firm managed affairs so wisely and well that when others were failing they were pros- pering. They were located in the town of Che- tojia, and the condition of the place had to be taken into consideration as well as the times. Chetopa was a typical border settlement formed of all classes o( people, — the cool, conservative business man of the East, the desperado of the West, the cowboy of the plains, the adventurer, scout and speculator. It was in this community that Mr. Loose studied human nature and gained a knowledge of men and affairs that has been of incalculable benefit to him in his career. He studied people and their motives, and judged of men with a keenness that looked beyond external appearance to the real character of the individ- ual. In this motley community the firm of Loose Brothers carried on a constantly increasing busi- ness, conducting their concern on a strictly cash basis. When monetary values were uncertain, when liouse after house of supposed financial stability went down in the general crash, they watched indications, and, with a managerial ability sel- dom equaled, controlled their affairs until their business became too extensive for the town in which they were located. In 1877 they estab- lished a branch house in Joplin, Missouri, which was at that time becoming known as an impor- tant mining center and was a good field for mer- cantile operations. Two years later the brothers dissolved partnership, the elder becoming sole proprietor of the new and thriving enterprise while Jacob L. became the owner of the older house in Kansas. But at this time the confines of Chetopa were too narrow for the volume of trade which came to the Loose mercantile house, and Jacob L. turned his energies into another channel. He opened a lumber yard, and in addition invested considerable capital in farming land, thus becom- ing interested in agriculture and stock-raising. He did much to improve the grades of stock, and was especially interested in the importation of Norman horses. For long ages the farmer was considered, socially, on a scale below the professional man, but Mr. Loose is one of those broad-minded men who have been largely in- strumental in removing the old prejudice, con- sidering the supervision of the cultivation of the soil not beneath the notice of a man able to con- trol the most extensive corporations. From early youth Mr. Loose possessed a laudable ambition, tempered with a safe conservatism, and his in- vestments of capital, when others were waiting the turn of affairs, undoubtedly led to much of his success. He had the wisdom to invest judi- ciously, yet realized the truth of the old proverb, "Nothing venture, nothing have." Thus he laid the foundation of his reputation for successful and honorable business conduct. In the autumn of 1882 a broader field of use- fulness and labor was sought and obtained in Kansas City, Missouri, where, in connection with his brother, J. S. Loose, he bought a controlling interest in the Corle Cracker & Confectionery Company, and in the spring of 1883 he removed to the place of his new enterprise after having closed his various interests in Kansas, a task which was successfully accomplished within ninetv days. Experience had never made him familiar with the new undertaking, but he had learned to investigate and study thoroughly any thing with which he became connected, and the lead- ing features were soon known to him, and only a short period elapsed until he had mastered all the details necessar}- for the successful manage- ment of such a concern. The company was soon at the head of its line of trade along the Mis- souri river, but Mr. Loose possesses a spirit which contents itself not with mediocrity, never resting until it has attained the highest position, and from the time of his connection with the cracker company it grew in importance. He is quick to sec an opportunity and grasp an advantage, yet 304 niOGRAPIIICAL DICTrONARY AND POIiTRAIT OALLEltY OF THE has never been known to infrinfifc on tlic rights of others. In 1889 the name of the corporation was changed to Loose Brothers Manufacturing Company and a large trade was enjoyed over a large tract of territory. His strong and aggress- ive business qualities led him, between the years 1884 and 1890, to attempt to increase the con- sumption of the company's commodities by the formation of several associations of bakers in the West. The result was highly gratifying, both as to increased products and improved quality. This advanced step and manifest improvement led Mr. Loose in 1890 to the determination to con- solidate the interests of Western cracker bakers for purposes of mutual protection, mutual econ- omy and mutual advantages. This was an ac- complishment of much difficulty, owing to the divergent interests and views, but was carried to a successful issue. His efiforts thus led to the formation of the American Biscuit & Manufactur- ing Company, May 15, 1890, with headquarters in Chicago, and he was made the first president of the company, to which position he has been continuously re-elected. It is not difficult to conjecture what manner of man is Mr. Loose. In a republican country, where merit must win, we can tell much of his life. Wealth may secure a start but it cannot maintain one in a position where brains and ex- ecutive ability are required. Mr. Loose did not have wealth to aid him in the beginning of his business career. His reliance has been placed in the more substantial qualities of perseverance, untiring enterprise, resolute purpose and com- mendable zeal, and withal his actions have been guided by an honesty of purpose that none have questioned. He is a true type of Western progress and enterprise, the embodiment of the spirit which has produced the phenomenal growth of Chicago. His intellectual energy, profes- sional integrity, prudent business methods and reliable sagacity have all combined to make one of the ablest business men of the great West. The public career of such a man is often quite well known while that of his private life is an unread page. There is and should be a de- gree of what might be termed secrecy attending the sacredness of home relations, yet it is often pleasant to learn that the man who controls such extensive business interests as Mr. Loose finds time for the pleasures and companionships of the home and fireside. He was married in 1878 to Miss Ella Clark, daughter of Jones Clark, of Car- thage, Missouri, and the great-great-granddaugh- ter of Abram Clark, one of the signers of the Dec- laration of Independence. Two children were born to them, but both have been called to the home beyond this life. Mr. Loose is a member of some of the best clubs in Kansas City and Chicago, and his genial disposition makes him a social fa- vorite. He is a member of the Masonic frater- nity, holds membership in the Presbyterian Church, and in his political connection is a Re- publican. Yet in the prime of life, he probably has before him a career of usefulness that will equal the marvelous development of the metrop- olis with which he is now identified, and his mem- ory will be cherished for the maintenance of those industries which ' have advanced the material prosperity of the city and afforded to an army of workers the means of livelihood. REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 30E JOSEPH F. GLIDDEN, DE kali;. " ' I "HERE is nothing extemporaneous," said JL one of Chicago's eminent divines: "every- thing results from some previous condition or labor." This truth is especiajlly manifest in the life of the inventor. He may perfect in a few weeks or perhaps days an invention, but it is the outgrowth of years of thought, study and experi- ment. Mr. Glidden, as the inventor of the barb wire, may be numbered among the truly great men of this country. True greatness is found in the spirit of the man, and those who know Joseph Farwcll Glidden recognize his fidelity to principle, his faithfulness to all that is honorable in public or private life, his broad sympathy and warm-hearted hospitality. IMore than half a cen- tury ago he came to De Kalb county and identi- fied himself with its agricultural interests. Mr. Glidden was born in Charleston, Sullivan county. New Hampshire, January i8, 1813, and is a son of David and Polly (Hurd) Glidden, both of whom were natives of the Granite State and were there married. During his infancy they re- moved to Orleans county, New York, locating up- on a farm in the town of Clarendon, where they rcsidcil until 1844, when they came to Illinois. Living in Ogle county for a short time they came to De Kalb county, spending the remaining years of their lives in the home of their son, Joseph P., who did all in his power to make their last years pleasant and to repay them in part for their care of him during his childhood and youth. In their family were six children, the others being Betsy, Eunice, Willard J., Abigail and Stephen H. Joseph F. Glidden was reared upon the old home farm in the Empire State, acquiring a tliorough and practical knowledge of its details through the summer months, while in the winter season he attended school. In addition to the branches usually taught in district schools he also studied algebra and the classics with the inten- tion of pursuing a collegiate course, but finally abandoned that plan. He, however, was a stu- dent in Middlebury Academy, in Genesee county, and in the seminary at Lima, Livingston county. New York. He engaged in teaching school for 20 some terms, but the more active life of the farm had for him great attractions, and he engaged in renting land, for in those days he had no money with which to purchase property. Land values were high in the Empire State and there seemed little hope of acquiring a farm of his own in that scotioiu of the country; but upon the broad prairies of the West, where the settlements were few and there was little demand for farms, he thought that he might obtain control of a tract that could be developed into good fanning property. Government had not sold land when he caime. The first land sale for the Chicago district was in 1843. So in the fall of 1842 he proceeded to Detroit, with two threshing machines, of the primitive con- struction then in use, and spent thirty days on the wheat farms of Michigan, operating his threshers, with the assistance of his brother Wil- lard and two other men. He subsequently shipped his machines to Chicago and came thence to De Kalb county, where he followed the same busmess for two years. In the winter after his arrival he purchased six hundred acres of land on section 22, De Kalb township, of his cousin, Russell Huntley; it is pleasantly located a mile west of the village, and this property he still owns, and his labors and enterprise have made it one of the finest fanns in the State. Its boundaries have been extended until it now comprises more than eight hundred acres, the greater part of which is under a high state of cultivation, while all the buildings, machinery and other improvements of a model farm are found there. As his financial resources have increased he has judiciously in- vested his capital in other property, and is to-day the owner of more than fifteen hundred acres of valuable farming lands. He has always been interested in the raising of fine stock, and in connection with H. B. Sanborn is the owner of a cattle ranch in northwestern Texas, where they are herding about sixteen thousand head of cattle. They own two hundred and eighty sections of land, covering two hundred and eighty square miles of territory and requiring one hundred and HOfi niooHAPiircxL DicrioNAnr and poiitrait oallert of the fifty miles of fencing. This has now Ijccn turned over to Mrs. Bush, his daughter, who now owns one hundred thousand acres. For many years the question of fencing material was one which agitated the minds of those en- gaged in agricultural pursuits upon the broad prairies w here timber was obtainable only at high prices on account of its having to be shipped in. To obviate this difficulty was a problem to which various men gave their attention, and as early as 1867 barb wire had been invented, but it was imperfect, and further study and labor was re- quired to make it a marketable commodity. J\Ir. Glidden was a practical agriculturist. His own broad acres required fencing, and occasioned his study of the subject. Careful thought, investiga- tion and experiment resulted, in October, 1873, in his application for a patent, which was issued' the next spring. He did not here end his labors, but continued the work of improvement and tested the utilitv of his invention by the use of his fenc- ing upon his own farm. In those early days the process of manufacture was crude in the extreme. The barbs were cut by hand, and afterward the parts of an old coffee-mill were extemporized as a machine for coiling them about the wire. When a piece twenty or thirty feet long had been barbed, a smooth wire was placed beside it and one pair of ends fastened to a tree and the others attached to the axle of a grindstone, which by turning with a crank gave it the required twist. Having secured his patents, Mr. Glidden en- tered into partnership with I. L. Ellwood, a hard- ware merchant of De Kalb, who had also given much time to the study of the fence problem. His biography and portrait appear elsewhere in this volume. Mr. Ellwood, being a practical man of affairs, was placed in charge of the busi- ness management, and operations were begun, under the firm name of Glidden & Ellwood. There is no doubt, however, that Mr. Glidden was the real inventor of the perfected barb wire now in use. He applied for his patent in 1873, his claim was acknowledged and he secured it. He sold his interest in 1876, but continued to draw his royalties until 1891. He has been the inven- tor of all the essential features of barb-wire ma- chines now in use, and to him is due the great credit for bringing to the people of the West a cheap and serviceable substitute for the stone, rail or wooden fences once in use. As time passed the business grew and was removed from the farm to the village, where a small factory was estab- lished, and here the improvement was made of using horse power to do the twisting, the barbs being slipped on to one end of the wire and then placed the proper distance apart by hand. In 1875 the company built the first part of the old brick shop, put in a small steam engine which was made to do the twisting, and Mr Glidden and T. W. Vaughn obtained a patent for some devices for barbing and spooling that proved of efficient aid to the workmen. In 1876 Mr. Glidden sold his interest in the business to the Washbum & Moen Manufactur- ing Company of Worcester, Massachusetts, and tlie effectiveness and usefulness of the new inven- tion having been fully demonstrated the business increased with astounding rapidity. From his invention Mr. Glidden has made a fortune. He obtained a large royalty per year until 1891, but success has not changed the level-headed, un- pretentious man of sound judgment. The life of Mr. Glidden has been a very busy and useful one. Though he has become a millionaire he has never laid aside business cares, and is to-day the proprietor of the Glidden House, of De Kalb. He owns the De Kalb Roller ^lills, a fine flouring- mill in this city, and since its organization in 1883 has been vice-president of the De Kalb National Bank, an institution which is unsur- passed for financial soundness. His affairs have always been conducted on strict business princi- ples, conducted with fairness to himself and those with whom he has business dealings. He is a man of excellent executive ability, quick to recog- nize and reward faithfulness on the part of em- ployes, and he has the confidence and regard of all with whom he has been brought in contact. He has never entered tlie alluring field of spec- ulation, but through the legitimate channels of business, and as the result of indefatigable indus- try and superior ability, has gained his marvelous success. When De Kalb made an earnest effort to get the Normal School located within its limits Mr. Glidden at once donated for the institution six- tv-four acres of his old homestead on Main street, REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 301 entered from tlie Government as early as 1850, when Indians were still wearing- trails through the original grass upon his land. This dona- tion was made for the benefit of coming genera- tions. At the suggestion of the poetic Jacob Haish, and in the presence of about one hun- dred and fifty citizens, Mr. Glidden broke the soil (preparatory to building) with a lead pencil, as tliis little utensil was considered emblematic of literature and education. It is in the home that Mr. Glidden's true life shines out. He has ever been devoted to the interests of his family with an unselfishness that indicates his beneficent nature. He was first married in Clarendon, New York, in 18,^7. tlie lady of his choice being Clarissa l-"oster. W'licn he started westward he left his wife and two children in New York, but both of the latter died ere Mrs. Glidden came to Illinois. She died in Ogle county, in June, 1843, "I'lfl '^ (laughter lx3rn at that time died in early infancy. The children born of that marriage were named \irgil, Homer and Clarissa. In October, 1851, in Kane county, Illinois, Mr. Glidden married Lucinda Warne, daughter of Henry Warne, and they have one daughter, Elva Frances, who is now the wife of W. H. Bush, a merchant of Chicago. The political sup])ort of Mr. Glidden has al- ways been given to the Democracy, and he has the distinction of being the last Demo- cratic official of the county, having been elected sherifif in 1852. He has always been prom- inent in public affairs, and no one has been more actively or commendably interested in the welfare and development of this section of the State. He is a man of enterprise, pos- itive character, indomitable energy, strict in- tegrity and liberal views, and has been fully iden- tified with the growth and prosperity of the State of his adoption. He has persevered in the pur- suit of a persistent purpose and gained a most satisfactory reward. He is a man of fine per- sonal appearance, and his kindliness, sympathy and generosity beam forth in his eye and are substantially manifest in his actions. His life is exemplary in many respects and he has the esteem of his friends and the confidence of those who have had Inisiness relations with JOHN F. NASH, JOHN F. NASH was born in Williamsburg, Massachusetts, December 16, 1824, the son of Almerin and Mandana (Warner) Nash, and is a direct descendant of Thomas Nash, wdio came from England and settled in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1637; from him all the American Kashes have sprung. John was educated in the public schools, and fitted fur college at an academy in Granville, Put- nam county, Illinois. He taught school in win- ter and worked on a farm during the sunnner until 1847, when he came to Ottaw-a and entered the law office of Judge T. Lyle Dickey, to study law, and was admitted to the bar in November, 1849. He went into the office of the circuit clerk of La Salle county and served as deputy till April, 1855. 'Ti*' from 1855 to i860 was clerk and re- corder of deeds for the countv. In 1861 he was first assistant secretary of the Illinois State senate. In 1862 he commenced the practice of law and followed it in all the courts of La Salle county till 1865. At the general session of the Illinois legis- lature for 1865 he sen'ed as secretary of the senate. In June, 1865, he abandoned the practice of law and assisted in organizing the First National I'ank of Ottawa, becoming its first cashier, in which position he has remained for thirty years. He is looked upon as a sound financier, standing high in banking circles, and has made the First National Bank what it is to-day, one of the first banks of the State. In politics Air. Nash is a Republican, and ha? taken an active part in the politics of the town, county and State. He was a member of the board of education for the years 1875-6-7. He is 308 IJlOilItAPJ/ICAr. DICTIONAHY AND rORTRAIT OALLKIIY OF THE a niaiilxT of the Masonic order, and was grand commander of the Grand Commandery of Illi- nois in 1877. In religion he is an Episcopalian. November 5, 1849, ^^ married Miss Laura M. Pennell, of Vermont, and they have three chil- dren, — a son and two daughters, — all married and living in Ottawa. Mr. Nash is one of Ottawa's solid men and has done a great deal for his adopted city and home. He is a most genial man to meet. He is a fine illustration of a self-made man, and his career should serve as a lesson to the young. He began his career under adverse circumstances, be- ing compelled to make his own way and his suc- cess in life illustrates most forcibly the power of patient and persistent effort and self-reliance. He has so conducted all affairs, whether of pri- vate interests or of public trusts, as to merit the esteem of all classes of citizens; and no word of reproach is ever uttered against him. As a man and citizen he enjoys the added prosperity which comes to those genial spirits who have a hearty shake of the hand for all those with whom they come in contact from day to day, and who seem to throw around them in consequence so much of the sunshine of life. BENJAMIN F. FELT, BENJAMIN F. FELT was bom at Platts- burg. New York, January' 3, 1821, and passed his boyhood days in the limits of his native town, where he attended the common schools, un- til his father became paralyzed, which misfortune was followed within a year by the mother's death. He then worked the family farm until he was twenty-one years of age, after which he removed to Galena, Illinois, and entered the employ of his brother (who had moved West in 1837), ^s clerk, • — a position he occupied for the ensuing four years, earning in this time one thousand and fifty dollars, seven hundred dollars of which he saved. His theory has been that any one receiving one dollar a day can save money if he spends but ninety cents of it, — and to the adoption of this theory in practical form may be ascribed Mr. Felt's later success. In 1846, he was enabled with his savings to engage in the grocery business for himself, which he did, and continued therein for forty-five years, or until 1891, — with unvarying success. For the last thirty-five years of this period he occupied the same store continuously. In 1891 Mr. Felt re- tired from active business and devoted himself to caring for the various interests that he possessed, as the result of long years of industry. Mr. Felt has been a stockholder of Galena's leading financial institution. The Merchants' Na- tional Bank, since its organization, thirty years ago, and a member of its board of directors since the death of his brother, whom he succeeded, in 1876. He was at one time interested in a bank in Iowa, but withdrew from that some time since. He is the owner of consideraljle real estate, though not to so great an extent as formerly, he having sold the major portion of such holdings. He has traveled quite extensively, visiting, among other places, the Pacific coast several times. During all the years of his residence in Galena, Mr. Felt has been foremost in advancing that city's prosperity. Two years ago he formed the idea of founding a free public library for the benefit of his fellow citizens, — a project in which he was strongly encouraged by his daughter, Anna. He at first tried to interest other citizens, offering to be one of ten who should contribute the necessary funds: there was no one his equal in liberality and generosity, and he was compelled to abandon that mode of procedure. Mr. Felt, however, had decided that Galena was to have a public library, and he did just what might have been expected of a large-hearted, generous man, — offered to pay the entire expense himself. Having come to this conclusion he, in the fall of 1894, sent the following to the city council of Galena : To the Honorable City Council of the City of Galena: — When a petition was presented bv the leading taxpayers of the city of Galena to ^././^- REPJiESEJVTATIVB MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLVMi:. 3()<) the city council in May, 1892, asking that a public library and reading-room be established, in ac- cordance with the Illinois statutes, the ground upon which the city council placed its refusal to establish such libran.' was that the fund which could legally be raised by taxation in any one year would be wholly inadequate to establish a library suitable to the needs of the city. Be- lieving that the fund which can be annually raised bv taxation will be sufficient to maintain suitably a library if once established, as evidencing my desire that a libran,' be established and main- tained, I make the following offer to you : Upon your establishing a public library and reading-room, in accordance with the provisions of the statutes of the State, I will donate to the board of directors for such public librarv' and reading-room one thousand volumes; I will fur- nish the room or rooms wdiere such liljrary and reading-room is established with all the modern equipments; pay for the leading ]''eriodicals and newspapers for the reading-room for a term of two years; rent a suitable room on Main street and pay all the expenses of maintain- ing the same as a librarv' and reading-room for the period of two years, upon the following terms and conditions: The city of Galena shall annually levy a tax of two mills on the dollar on all the taxable property in said city, in accordance with the first section of an act authorizing cities to establish and maintain free public libraries and reading-rooms, the first levy of such tax to be made at the time of the annual tax levy next following the acceptance of tliis proposition. Among the by-laws, rules and regulations adopted by the board of directors of such library for the government of the librarj' and reading-room there shall be the following: The name shall be the Galena Public Library and Reading-Room. .\o anarchistic, atheistic or inmioral book shall be tolerated in the librarv". ( )f the nine directors required by tlie Illinois law, four shall be women. Very respectfully, B. F. Felt. The council accepted the proposition and promised to maintain the library after two years, .'ind the following nine trustees were appointed and confirmed: ]\[rs. R. H. McClellan, Mrs. John V. Hcllman, Mrs. Charles Merrick, Miss Anna E. Felt, Rev. David Clark, James B.Brown, Dr. H. T. Godfrey, M. H. Bermingham, David Sheean. Miss Felt will doubtless have a great deal to do with the management of the library, as she had about its establishment. She was born in Galena and graduated at Wells College in 1880. She was president of the Wells College Students' As- sociation at the same time that Airs. Grover Cleve- land was the head of the eastern association. Miss Felt held the position six years and then resigned to go abroad. She traveled in Europe for some time, and on returning home was elected Western vice-president of the Wells College Alumni Asso- ciation and secretary of the Illinois Christian En- deavor Union. She is a woman of broad culture and has done considerable literary work. Her love of books has not only made her labor for the library a pleasant task but has made her sen-ices of great value. She knew what she was about when she began the work of se- lecting the one thousand volumes her father donated, and her judgment has been approved by some of the most noted librarians of the country. Notwithstanding the fact that I\Ir. Felt has al- ways been a liberal contributor to the best inter- ests of the city of his home, and is one of her most popular citizens, yet he has never allowed his name to be used in connection with any public office, — although he could unquestionably be elected to any position within the gift of his towns- men. He has no desire for political preferment, his only interest in politics being that of a citizen desirous of good government: with this end in view he votes the Republican ticket. On the nth day of September, 1854, he was married to Miss Ann Elizabeth Piatt, of Platts- burg. Three children of this union are now liv- ing, Z. C, a graduate of Princeton College, now of the brokerage firm of Baker & Felt, of Denver; Anna E., previously mentioned, and B. F., Jr., whose education was obtained at Bcloit and Lake Forest, and who is now engaged in farming at Everly, Clay county, Iowa. Mrs. Felt is one of the best known ladies in western Illinois, and is prominently identified with the church and charity work of Galena, where her intelligence, refinement and accomplishments have always won for her loyal and devoted friends. Mr. Felfs success is due to economy and pru- dence, and his career forcibly illustrates what mav be accomplished by determination and energy, in a land where all avenues are open and exertion is untrammelcd. :!i() niocuM-jrifM. DicTioxAnr Axn poirruMT galleht of thr ARTHUR S. WRIGHT, ARTHUR ST. CLAIR WRIGHT is the eld- est son of Calvin J. and Hannah N. (Moore) Wright, both members of old New England fami- ilies whose ancestors came to America long be- fore the Revolution, and members of both fam- ilies served afterward in the Continental army. Calvin J- Wright was a cabinetmaker in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, in which place the subject of this sketch was born October 17, 1832. His early years were passed in that town, where he attended the local district school and acad- emy, when not assisting his father in his shop. He also attended the Newbury Academy, but when he was seventeen years of age he began service as an apprentice in carpentry and joining, and followed this occupation for the subsequent four years. Being desirous of bettering himself he started for the West and arrived at Moline, May ID, 1856, where he obtained employment in John Deere's plow factory, but remained there only a short time. He then went to work in what is now the wood shop of the Moline Pump Com- ]iany and made a hundred bureaus, after wliich lie worked on a new schoolhouse and the resi- dence of Hon. J. M. Gould. Soon after this work was completed he went by boat to St. Louis and thence in like manner to Omaha, the trip be- tween the latter two cities occupying seventeen days. He reached Omaha April 7, 1857, and be- gan working at his trade, also assisting the county surveyor, whose principal business at that time was the location of claims. He remained in Omaha until the panic of 1857, and then like every one else was left completely without fimds. In search of employment he drifted to Craw- ford county, Iowa, and at what is now the town of Denison secured employment in the erection of sixty buildings under process of construction by the Providence (Rhode Island) Western Land Company. A month later that company failed, and he was again penniless. Though disheart- ened he did not despair, and soon was able to obtain work from the county, — which was just being organized and had no court-house or bridges, — in Iniilding a number of bridges at various points. L^pon completing this work he took the con- tract for erecting the court-house, which he did successfully. The only means that the farmers had for cleaning their grain was to toss it into the air and let the wind blow through it. There- fore Mr. Wright built twenty-five fanning-mills, buying the screenery and castings in Indiana and shipping them by way of St. Louis and Coun- cil Bluffs, and then by team to Denison. These mills he sold very readily to the farmers, who sometimes came seventy-five miles for them. In the fall of i860 he returned to Moline, where he engaged in the manufacture of fan- ning-mills, in company with i\Ir. Ezra Smith, with whom lie cnntinued until January I, 1863. From that time until 1865 Mr. Wright conducted the business alone, at which time he purchased the interest of H. E. Barber in a pump-finishing business, and with Mr. Barber's former partner, L. T. Harper, contin- ued that line of manufacturing. Tlie material had been coming from Erie, Pennsylvania, fin- ished at Moline, and then peddled by team through the surrounding countr}\ Upon Mr. Wright's advent into the concern, new machinery was purchased and used to manufacture the pumps entirely. Owing to the lack of water dur- ing the day sufficient to furnish power, they were compelled to operate their plant solely at night. The following fall a site was purchased in Moline proper, and a new partner, Walter Hillhouse, was taken into the firm, it now becoming Wright, Hillhouse & Company. Under this title the busi- ness was continued until 1872, when it was in- corporated as the Moline Pump Company, with Mr. Wright as president of the corporation, and under this title it is still known. Its product consists of over two hundred kinds and sizes of iron and wood pumps, and finds a m;u-ket in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Minnesota and Wisconsin. In addition to all kinds of pumps, the company manufactures windmills, fire apparatus and builds water works. They are also extensive jobbers in iron pipe, well macliin- ery, and all goods used for the supplying of water. nn^lWiy\J~L ^i^^/- ^ liEPUESENTATlVK MEN OF THE I'XITEl) STATES; IIJANOIS VOLUME. 811 Mr. Wrig-ht is an (ild-tiinc l^cmocrat and a strong believer in free trade. He was a mcnihcr of the board of trustees of Moline, prior to the municipal organization, and has served as a mem- ber of the board of supervisors. He has also been one of the board of the Moline Public Li- brary, and for twenty years has been a member of the cemetery association. Socially he is a nieni- i)cr of tile -Masiinic order. lie has tra\Tle(l nearly all over the country, l)Ut almost entirely upon business. Mr. Wright was married February 9, 1864, to Miss Harriet A. Brett, of Rockville. Con- necticut. They have one cliild, a daughter, Eluvia E. ; and lost one child, Edith W., in infancy. JAMES D. MORGAN, GENERAL JAMES D. MORGAN was b.nn in Boston, Massachusetts, Augu.st i, 18 10, and is the son of James and Margaret (Patch) Morgan, the former being a native of Brimfield, Massachusetts, where he was born in 1780, and was by occupation a sea captain and a foreign trader in the East Indies. During the war of 181 2 he held a captain's conmiission and was captured and imprisoned for a time by the Spanish author- ities. The founders of the Morgan family in America were three brothers of that name who emigrated from Wales and settled respectively in Massachusetts, New York and Virginia. It is from the Massachusetts branch of the family that the subject of this sketch is a descendant. His mother's family was of English origin. She her- self, however, was born in Dublin, Massachusetts, in 1782. Our subject passed his early youth in his native city of Boston, where he attended school for a very short time. His schooling ceased when he was nine years of age, and he went out to work by the day among strangers. At the age of six- teen he began to learn the trade of coopering, which he mastered and followed for several years. In the year 1826 he went to sea in the sailing vessel Beverly, which was burned on the 17th day of October in that year, when fifteen hundred miles from land. With others of the crew he took refuge in one of the small boats, and for fourteen days drifted helplessly on the water, suffering the agonies of hunger, their daily allowance consist- ing of one-half a gill of water and one and a half biscuits! At the end of that time they reached the coast of South America and thus escaped what would have been a most horrible death. In 1834 the ("icneral removed with his family to (juincy, then a village of but a few hundred inhabitants, antl here he soon afterward opened a cooper-shop in partnership with Edward Wells. This venture proved successful and was continued for five years, or until i83(), when he started a confectionery and bakery, which he conducted, however, but a short time, and then engaged in the grocery business. Afterward he became a member of the firm of C. M. Pomeroy & Com- pany, pork packers, in which business he remained for twenty-five years, at the expiration of which period the partnership was dissolved and he re- tired from active business. General Morgan has always had a strong liking for military matters, and as early as 1837 was con- nected with the Ouincy Grays, a famous military organization of that day. In 1845 he was com- mander of a corps of fifty mounted riflemen, which served as military police in Hancock county dur- ing the Mormon war. In 1846 he participated in the Mexican war, and commanded a company of one hundred men, which afterward became Con-.- pany A of the First Illinois Infantry, John J. Hardin being the colonel commanding, acting under orders of General John E. Wool. Com- panies A and E formed an independent battalion, which our subject commanded during his term of service. He was present at the battle of Buena Msta and took a prominent part in other conflicts. When the great Civil war broke out and the im- mortal Lincoln issued his call for troops. General Morgan was suffering from a broken leg; but his patriotism and ardor were unquenched, and as soon as he was able he entered the service of his •M2 i!i(i(!i:.\riiirM. nicTioyMiv ASi> i'(nrrn.\ir callhiiv ah' the LH>uiitr\- to di.'fcinl the honor of that starry banner under whose folds he had before won distinction. In 1861 he was ai)i>ointed lieutenant colonel of the Tenth Illinois Infantry, and in August, 1862, was made brigadier-general. For gallant and nuritorious conduct on the field of battle at Ben- tonville, North Carolina, he was promoted to be brevet major-general of volunteers, — an honor fittingly and worthily bestowed. He served under Generals Pope, Rosecrans, Thomas and Sherman, and participated in numerous battles, among them being those of Island No. 10, New Madrid, Corinth, and those of the Atlanta campaign, ac- companying General Sherman on his ever mem- orable march to the sea. From the time he en- tered the service in April, 1861, till he was mus- tered out in August, 1865, he served continuously, and never during that time received a furlough. At the battle of Bentonville, North Carolina, General Morgan was in command of the Second Division of the Fourteentli Army Corps, and as such displayed such tact and skill as to show him to be the possessor of great ability as a com- mander. It is a matter of historical record that this division under General Morgan saved the left wing of Sherman's army. General Morgan was honorably discharged from service at Louisville, Kentucky, at the close of the war, and returned to his home in Quincy, which he had not visited in four years. Here he has since resided, secure in a fame that is a lustrous page in his country's history, and held in esteem, veneration and afTection by his fellow-citizens. Thougli not actively engaged in business for many years, General Morgan has been fnuuicially in- terested in many of Quincy 's most prominent industries. For years he w-as a director, and part of the time vice-president, of the First National Bank, one of the sound financial institutions of the city. He has also been a director of the Whitney & Holmes Organ Company, and the Omaha & Kansas City Railroad Company; was one of the incorporators of the Quincy Gas Light & Coke Company and was for many years treas- urer and subseciuently president of the corpora- tion; also a director in the Quincy Electric Light & Power Company and a stockholder in the Quincv Hotel Company, which owns the magnifi- cent Hotel Newcomb. As vice-president of the Society of the Army of the Cumberland of Illinois he has been a prominent figure at the gatherings of the association, and as treasurer of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Home at Quincy — a position he has held since its organization — he has done much toward alleviating the poverty of many of the veterans of the war. Politically the General is independent; has no desire for public ofifice, but is content to do his duty as a private citizen and leave office-seeking for others. General IMorgan has been twice married. His first wife, whose maiden name was Jane Strachan, died in 1855, leaving two sons: William, w-ho re- sides in Quincy, and James, of Everett, Massachu- setts. On the 14th day of June, 1869, he was united to his present wife, formerly Miss Harriet Evans, a native of Massachusetts, and daughter of Cajitain Robert G. Evans. UEWITT C. DIMOCK, MOLINE. DEWITT CLINTON DIMOCK was born in Willington, Connecticut, October i, 1820, and found his origin in a strong and hardy stock. His early days were uneventful, and were spent in his native State. In 1840 he removed from his Eastern home to Geneseo, Illinois, and in 1843 came to Moline, where he follow-ed his trade, that of wood-tuming. He first became associated with a Mr. Sears, in the manufacture of bedsteads, and later formed a partnership with Gilbert Pitts, under the firm !'ame of Dimock & Pitts. In 1852 John j\I. Gould, who aftenvard married Mr. Dimock's sister, became his partner in the manufacture of woodenware, and thus was organ- ized the now great lumber concern of Dimock, Gould & Company. A factory was erected on the island, which was operated with great profit until 1867, at which time, the government requiring the use of the ground they occupied, the firm was REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. ;ii:{ compelled to move to the main land. Here they put up more substantial buildings, including a sawmill, and continued on in their prosperous career. In 1875 fire destroyed the sawmill, but it was at once rebuilt, larger and more complete than ever. When the business was incorporated, Mr. Uimock was chosen president of the new com- pany, which office he held until 1884, when he declined to serve longer. Later he was elected treasurer, and continued as such until his death, which occurred May 23, 1886. In 1857 Mr. Dimock and Mr. Gould organized the banking house of Gould, Dimock & Company, which in 1863 became the First National Bank of Moline. Of this strong financial institution he was for many years a stockholder and director. While making no ostentatious parade of his religious views, Mr. Dimock was a firm believer in the doctrines of Christianity as taught by the Congregational Church, of which he was one of the founders and most liberal contributors in Moline. He was a strong Republican, but never held a political office, nor allowed his name to be used in connection therewith. On the 17th day of June, 1843, Mr. Dimock was united in marriage to Miss Alaria H. Hubbard, daughter of Rufus Hubbard land a native of Bergen, New York. Of the two children bom to Mr. and Mrs. Dimock, one daughter, Nellie, died in infancy; the other, Florence, grew to woman- hood, and became the wife of Edward H. Sleight of Moline. In the spring of 1S86 Mr. Dimock was attacked with congestion of the nerves, which incapaci- tated him for business. Early in May other com- plications set in, which caused his illness to termi- nate fatally. His death was mourned far beyond his inmicdiate family circle, for he was esteemed by a large circle of friends and acciuaintances. JAMES E. LOW, D. D. S., THIS is an age of progress, and America h the exponent of the spirit of the age. In the beginning of the present century our countiy was in its infancy, and historyshows no parallel for its growth and achievements. No other country has made as great advancement in the lines of science and mechanical invention and the su- periority of her inventions has been widely recog- nized, — acknowledged in that triumph of Ameri- can art and genius, the World's Columbian Ex- position, which only Chicago could have pro- duced. In this steady growth and development which has characterized the age, the science of dentistry has kept pace with the general progress, and in that profession Dr. Low stands among the foremost. The progress which has been made in dentistry is largely due to him, and in future ages the world will recognize him as a benefactor of the race. The old lines of usage and prejudice he has broken down, and in broader fields of usefulness and practice he has led a large following. Dr. Low was born in Otsego county. New York, in 1837, and is a son of Rinald and Susan (Haywood) Low. He was only six years old when his father died, and the family was then left in somewhat limited circumstances. This neces- sarily made his educational privileges meager and forced him early in life to earn his own livelihood and aid in support of the family. Thus he soon developed a self-reliance and force of character that has made him '"a man among men." He overcame the obstacles in his path, steadily worked his way upward, and though his difficulties were numerous he entertained the ambition of securing an education which would fit him for a profes- sional career. With this end in view he studied night and day, when not occupied with his fami labors, and thus laid the foundation for a thorough education along the line of the profession which he chose as his life work. Not content with a humble, obscure career, as a youth he was pos- sessed of a laudable ambition which has led him onward and upward. From his meager earnings he at length saved a sufficient capital to enable him to pursue further his studies, in Cooperstown Scnu'nary, in his native county. There he ap- 314 nwoHAPinrAL DwrioNAiiY AXD rouruAjr oallkry of tuk l)lio(l liiiHsi-lf (liligi-iilly to his work and soon mastered the branches to which he was giving his attention. In the meantime he had determined to take u]) the study of dentistry, and upon leaving tlie academy he commenced his professional studies, being connected with some of the leading dental institutions of the East for several years. As in everything else with which he has been con- nected he was not content with a superficial knowledge of the subject and through his entire career as a dentist he has also been a student. Dr. Low dates his arrival in Chicago in 1865. He opened an ofifice and his skill and ability soon won recognition in a large and lucrative practice, and also gained him the respect of his profes- sional brethren who recognized in him a rival that would be formidable on account of the high ex- cellence of his workmanship. In 1870 he became a member of the Illinois State Dental Society, and in 1873 joined the American Dental Society. He was also a member of the Chicago Dental Society, but withdrew from all of these on ac- count of the differences of opinion regarding his invention, many dentists being too unprogressive to acknowledge the superiority of his excellent work. What has gained Dr. Low his great, well- merited and enviable notoriety and placed him in the lead of the dental fraternity are results of his untiring and unremitting study. In former years dentistry was largely the practice of extracting teeth, and this was often done in an almost bar- barous manner. Dr. Low rebelled against such practices, believing something better could take the place of those cruel methods. If a set of teeth became decayed and troublesome they were extracted, and in their place was put a cumber- some set of false teeth. To the old system and its usages he was directly opposed, and for years gave his time and attention, his thought and labor, to provide a substitute for extracted teeth which would be more after nature's methods. In the first place Dr. Low does not believe that a troublesome tooth is fit only for the forceps ; on the contrary he thinks that every possible effort should be put forth to save and restore to a healthful con- dition this diseased organ. If this cannot be done and a tooth must be removed, he then believes in replacing it with an artificial one, but not to put this in on a cumbersome plate which occupies too nuich space in the moutli entirely and often affects the speech and taste. He gave to the sub- ject his earnest attention, and as the result of long and earnest thought he invented a process, called the "no-plate method," by which artificial teeth are attached to the natural teeth or roots by im- movable gold bands or crowns. This was cer- tainly an innovation in the profession and at- tracted the attention of dentists throughout the country. Many soon recognized the merits of the invention, acknowledged its superiority over old methods and Dr. Low- soon had a large following; yet much opposition was also aroused and blinded prejudice had to be overcome; but the unwaver- ing perseverance and resolute purpose which have characterized his entire life overcame this, as well as other obstacles, and to-day the profession ac- cedes his right to the prominence which his work has won for him. The Doctor is devoting a large share of his time to perfecting processes by which the teeth and the natural conditions of the mouth may be preserved. He believes that one's teeth were made to last while life lasts, and has long since supported the truth, which is now widely ac- cepted, that the health of an individual depends largely upon the condition of the teeth. This trath he continually tries to impress upon the public, urging upon the people the care and pres- en'ation of this part of their anatomy, even though it should lessen his patronage. Yet there is no fear that Dr. Low will not always be a busy man as long as he cares to continue his w^ork. His reputation is too well and too firmly established for him ever to find idle moments, — when his services ai^e not required professionally. It is only when he compels himself to take rest and recreation that his office is not filled with patients. Not long since there has been established in Chicago, by a company representing large cap- ital, a school for the instruction of his methods, and there he spends considerable time, — the ex- ponent of his advanced and progressive views. He has also given much time to the manufacture of dental appliances of his own invention and has given to the profession many valuable instruments and other appliances which simplify the work and lessen the pain to the patient. The increased demand for these by the public led him to man- ufacture on an extensive scale, and the finest ma- RKPREfiENTATIVE MEX OF THE rXITED STATES: ILLIXOTS VOL^^fE. 315 cliinerv and equipment have been obtained for t!ie purpose. In connection with tlie Other work, the manufacture of porcelain teeth lias also been added, this being the first and only manufactoPt- of teeth in the West. The business has grown in volume and importance, and is now a leading industry of the city. Tliis became a necessity to work out the more improved methods, as teeth manufactured by the old processes cannot be used. The domestic relations of Dr. Low have been most pleasant. He was married in Milford, Xew York, to Roena Knapp, a lady of varied attainments and abilities, whose many charms liave made her as popular in society as she is with her own intimate friends. Their children are Maud, born July 24, 184S. and Mabel, born Sep- tember 20, 1861. The Doctor has devoted himself to that which he loves, — his family and his profession. Hi.s pleasant, genial manner wins him friends wher- ever he goes, haughtiness and ostentation finding no part in his composition. His years rest lightly upon him and the fine physique which he devel- oped in his earlier days has the vigor of a man many years his junior. He is a typical represent- ative of the age in which he lives and of the city which is his home, and truly his life may be termed a success, for the principles for which he has lived he has seen adopted and hon- ored, — a success which is above that of the millionaire. WILLIAM R. MOORE, MR. MOORE was born in Pittsburg, Penn- sylvania, June 26, 1852, and is the second of the eight children of John and Catherine (Foy) Moore, the former for a number of years a mer- chant ofMoline but now retired from active busi- ness. In 1857 our subject removed with his parents to Moline, in which city he attended the common schools, supplementing the instruction received there with a course at a commercial school in Daveni>ort, Iowa, at which he graduated. His first eniployment after finishing his educa- tion was as clerk in a grocery store in Moline, where he remained about two years: but, deciding to make the law his profession, he abandoned that situation and entered the law office of J. T. Brown- ing as a student, in 1870. On the 13th of Sep- tember, 1873, he was admitted to the bar, but did not leave Mr. Browning until a year later, when he formed a partnership with W. J. Entrikin, the firm name being Entrikin & Moore. This con- nection continued for the ensuing year and a half and was then dissolved, since which time Mr. Moore has practiced alone. He is recognized as one of the most prominent lawyers of his city, and has been connected with many of the most important cases that have been before the local courts. In the spring of 1894 he was employed to assist the city attorney of Moline in an action against tlie Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific, and the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Companies, which had been in the courts previously, and had always resulted in a victory for the railroads ; with Mr. Moore in the case the result was different, and the railroad com- panies were defeated, — a significant fact of itself as an indication of his legal ability. Following this, in April, 1895, after the elec- tion of Gustaf Swensson mayor, the city council created the office of corporation counsel, and Mr. Moore was appointed by the mayor to fill the office thus created for the first time; and his ap- pointment was unanimously confirmed by the council. The legal department of the city now consists of the corporation counsel and the city attorney, the latter being elected by the people. In political belief our subject was for many years a Republican and a great admirer of the lamented Blaine; but, becoming dissatisfied with that party's policy on the tarifif question, lie trans- ferred his allegiance to the DemcKracy. While he was reading law he served as town clerk of Moline, and in January, 1884, was appointed city attorney by Mayor E. B. Knox, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of E. J. Dalims, which 316 inOdllAPIliaAL DICTIONARY AND POltniAJT CALLEllT OF TIIIC office liL IkIiI fnr a war and a half. Tie was also elected in 1S76 to the office of city attorney, and served ably and faithfully during the term for which he was chosen. W'lun any new cnteiprise is proposed which promises benefit to his city Mr. Moore is always on hand ready to help with his means and influ- ence. In October, 1884, he organized the Moline Central Street Railway Company, and was secre- tary of the company until 1888, and after that its president until iSgi. He was the principal mover in equijiping the road with electricity, it being the second street railroad in the State to adopt that power. At the same time, not only was electricity added, but three times as much road as was previ- ously built was added to the system. He also su- perintended the laying out and beautifying of Prospect Park, and was one of the original mem- l)ers of the famous Sylvan Boat Club, of which •he was secretary and president for a number of years. For two years he was president of the Mississippi Valley Amateur Rowing Association, and during his administration the association be- came free from debt for the first time in its history. When Rock Island and Moline decided to put a base-ball team into the field Mr.Moorewas chosen as one of the trustees of the organization, and did much toward its support and advancement. He is also interested in silver mining in Colorado, being secretary of the Georgetown Tunnel and Mining Company of that State. In company with Messrs. E. H. Guyer, of Rock Island, and T. A. Murphy, of Davenport, Mr. Aloore is interested in the Tri-City Electric Sprinkler Company, a cor- poration formed for the purpose of sprinkling the streets of the three cities. As may be inferred from the name, the sprinklers' motive power is electricity. Its operation has been attended with great success. Socially he is a member of the Societies of Modern Woodmen and Knights of the Globe, though not an active member in either order. THERON CUMINS T HERON CUMINS was born in Tun- bridge, Orange covmty, Vermont. July 12, 1825, and was the youngest of the seven children of Joseph and Hannah (Converse) Cumins, both of whom also were natives of that State. In 1840 the father of our subject removed to CMiio, making the journey by team and canal to Buffalo, and thence on Lake Erie to Fairport, Ohio, where he engaged in the mercantile busi- ness, which had been his vocation in the East. Later he removed to Illinois and made his home at Grand Detour, where he remained until his death, in 185 1. As a boy young Thcron received but a meager education at the local district school and a neigh- boring academy. Since leaving these institu- tions, however, he has acquired a most thorough practical knowledge in the great school of ex- perience. At the age of fifteen he became a clerk in his father's store, and two years later, in 1842, made his first visit to Illinois, going to Chicago by the Great Lakes, and making the journey from that city to Grand Detour, then a small but prom- ising village, by stage. Though poor in purse, he was rich in industry and ambition, and soon after his arrival obtained a clerical position in a general store. Here he remained three years, and at the expiration of that period returned East as far as Newark, Ohio, where he passed the subsequent four years. He then returned to Grand Detour and entered into partnership with his brother, Solon, and carried on a dry-goods business for a couple of years. Again he went to Ohio, where he became a railroad contractor, and as such built a portion of the line of the Ohio & Indiana Railroad, which is now a part of the great Pennsylvania system. In this he was suc- cessful and thus laid the foundation of his later success. When his contract was completed he returned to Grand Detour and formed a partner- ship with Major I-eonard Andrus in the plow- manufacturing business, which had been founded by Major Andrus and John Deere, late of Mo- BEPEESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. •AY, line. A disastrous fire a few years previous to this time had badly crippled the business and its affairs were not in a prosperous condition. IMr. Cumins had traveled and attended to the routine work of the office for a year, when one day in August, 1863, Major Andrus told him that his physician had said he must rest from active busi- ness and the attendant anxiety. He thereupon tendered Mr. Cumins an interest in the firm, which was accepted, and the latter entered upon the career in whicli he has been so successful. Major Andrus went East in search of health, and ]\Ir. Gumins was in full charge of the busi- ness, into which he threw his entire energy, with a result that the prosperity of the establishment became an assured fact. He made every detail of the business his careful study and soon became thoroughly conversant with all the intricacies of their most minute phases. In 1867 Major Andrus died, and until i86g Mr. Cumins continued the business alone. Owing to inadequate shipping facilities at Grand Detour, Mr. Cumins had for a long time been desirous of moving the plant to Dixon, and had in his mind a most advantageous location selected in that city. In June of the last named year he took in as a partner Colonel Henry T. Noble, and the works were then removed to their present location, on the land that Mr. Cumins had so long had in view, and adjacent to the tracks of the Chicago & Northwestern and the Illinois Central Railroads. The firm then became known as T. Cumins & Company. In June, 1874, O. B. Dodge was admitted to the firm, which was changed to Cumins, Noble & Dodge. In June, 1879, it was incorporated as the Grand Detour Plow Company, and as such continues on its prosperous career. Ever since its incorporation Mr. Cumins has been its prcsie of the war. Having thus lent effective aid in defending his 322 juoanAPincAL Dirr/oxAnr A.XD ponrnAir gallery of the country, Air. l^iiikertoii received his discharge and again made preparations for usefuhiess in "the piping times of peace." In 1865 he entered the Bryant & Stratton Business College, where he pursued his studies for some time, after which he secured employment with his father's detective agency, where in a short time, through consecu- tive promotions, he was advanced to the position of superintendent of the Chicago office. Upon the death of his father, in 1884, he and his brother assumed control of the famous detective agency, our subject retaining the management of the Western division, and his brother, Robert A., assvmving a similar executive office in the Eastern division. The latter division has supervision of the offices located in New York, Boston and Phil- adelphia; while the Western division maintains control over the offices at Chicago, Saint Paul, St. Louis, Kansas City, Denver, Portland and San Francisco. The agency retains in its employ an aggregate corps of about one thousand men, and in addi- tion to its operations in the United States, branches arc maintained in Europe, and these are operated under the direction of the Eastern di- vision. To enter into details concerning the work of the Pinkerton detective agency would practically include a recapitulation of a large pro- portion of the most celebrated cases in the annals of crime for many years past, — and this indul- gence would scarcely be compatible in an article of this nature. However, it will not be malapro- pos to mention a few of the more important cases which have been ferreted out by the agency, and in the list we select the following as designating the success which the Pinkertons have had in bringing criminals to the bar of justice: The capturing of the thieves who defrauded the Bank of England, in 1873; the apprehension of the Far- rington-Barton-Taylor gang of train robbers in Tennessee; the Kewanee bank robbers, of Illi- nois; the Tiskilwa bank robbers, Bureau county, Illinois; robbers of the Union National Bank, of Duluth, Minnesota; of the Merchants' Na- tional Bank, of Saint Paul; and the Bank of the Republic, Chicago; the Brockway and the Jack Bush gangs of forgers; the arrest and conviction of Schwartz and Watt for the murder and rob- bery of Nicols, the United States Express messen- ger on the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific rail- road; arrest of the Palmer House jewelry rob- bers and also the Clifton House jewelry robbers, Chicago; and the arrest and conviction of Fritz Dhien, who made away with twenty thousand dollars' worth of jewelry at Dayton, Ohio. The Pinkertons are police agents for tlie Jew- elers' Protective Union (for the protection of their traveling salesmen), and the Jewelers' Security Alliance, whose object is to secure protection of located stocks of jewelry. These two associations comprise in their membership nearly every jew- eler of any importance in the United States. The services of this agency are also retained by the American Bankers' Association, representing nearly every bank in the Union. It is scarcely necessary to say that our subject is a man endowed with the strongest individuality, intrepid bravery when in the face of most desper- ate situations, and a phenomenal coolness and presence of mind under all circumstances. His record is such as clearly demonstrates these facts, and his career in its success shows that he has not orily been endowed by nature with a vigorous mind and great physical courage, but that these attributes have been accentuated by the many thrilling experiences which have been his in tread- ing the dark and devious paths where crime up- lifts its sullen and desperate front. Master of himself in every particvdar, he has in his work only to gain the mastery of others, and such is his intimate knowledge of human nature and its vagaries, and such his results under given cir- cumstances, that he is enabled to make many a desperate man play directly into his hands. That he is feared and hated by many in the criminal class is but a natural sequence, and several at- tempts upon his life have been made, without success. As a man among men Mr. Pinkerton holds the confidence and esteem of those with whom he comes in contact in either a business or social way, and his strongly individual face, with its keen and penetrating eyes, is recognized in Hiany of the leading associations of Chicago busi- ness men. He is a member of the Chicago Ath- letic Club, the Washington Park Club, and at one time had charge of all race tracks in Chicago, selling and receiving all tickets and maintaining a lively interest in the afl'airs of each association REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 328 represented. This incumbency he retained for many years, and does yet. He is largely inter- ested in the detective work on all railroad sys- tems, and has been employed to some extent by every railroad company in the Union. Politic- ally he supports the Republican party and its policies, and fraternally he is prominently iden- tified with the Knights of Pythias, of which order he became a member in 1870, being initiated in Cosmopolitan Lodge, No. 6, of Chicago, and be- ing later demitted to DelMolay Lodge, No. 13. He has passed all the degrees known to this order. He is much interested in higher lines of accom- plishment wliich tend to educate and entertain the public, and is a contributor to that noble organ- ization, the Chicago Art Institute. He is public- spirited, liberal and of social nature, is easily ap- proachable and has a wide circle of friends in the Garden Citv. Domestic in his tastes, he is de- voted to his home, and in the midst of the exact- ing cares of his business he there finds his great- est solace and happiness. Of the ten children born to Allan Pinkerton and wife only three are now living: William A., subject of this sketch ; Robert A., manager of the Eastern division of their great agency; and Joan, wife of \\'illiam J. Chalmers, president of the Fraser & Chalmers Alanufacturing Company, of Chicago. On the 13th of December, 1866, Mr. Pinkerton was united in marriage to I\Iiss Marguerite S. Ashling, daughter of a prominent citizen of Adrian, Michigan, and to them two chiklren have been born: Isabella J., and Marguerite A., wife of William C. Pullman, of this city. Mrs. Pinker- ton is a member of the Third Presbyterian Church, of whose able and renowned pastor, Dr. Withrow, our subject is a great admirer. JOSHUA T. ATKINSON, JOSHUA T. ATKINSON, one of the promi- nent early settlers of northwestern Illinois, was bom February 9, 1810, of New England Puritan ancestn,', his parents being William and Anna (Little) Atkinson, of Newburyport, Massa- chusetts. He was one of a familj^ of seven broth- ers and one sister, all of whom lived to middle or old age and were active and influential citi- zens of the various States, from Massachusetts to Oregon, in which they made their homes. On account of his father's entire loss of prop- erty twice by fire, he was when about three years of age given to his grandfather. Colonel Josiah Little, of Newburyport, a man of large wealth anil active in the business, political and military af- fairs of his State. The family w'as of the severe Puritan type, and here under such influences Joshua grew to manhood, gaining the strength of character that served him so well and made him so marked in after life. In his early 'teens he be- came the trusted manager of one of his grand- father's large farms. When seventeen his health failed, and, showing signs of consumption, he spent one summer on a tri]) on a fishing schooner to the Labrador coast. Returning much im- proved, he resumed his former place in his grand- father's family and in care of his business until he was twenty-one. His grandfather dying sud- deidy through an accident, and w^ithout a will, the property went to his children, and Joshua was thrown on his own resources with but little. After tw^o years of mercantile business in Bos- ton and Lowell, rumors of the great new West reaching him, he decided to visit it, which he did in 1834, coming with letters of introduction to business men in Detroit. Failing to find busi- ness there, he walked to Chicago, and no satis- factory opening presenting itself there, he bought a horse and rode over much of northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin. Deciding to cast his lot in the new country, he returned East to pre- pare for it. Among other things, he bought four freight wagons, with which he planned starting a freight line from Chicago to Ottawa, the head of navigation on the Illinois river. Returning West the next spring by New York, his brother Charles decided to accompany him, their route being bv j'liiladelphia. Harrisburg, Pittsburg, and by 324 luoauAPiircAL niCTroxAnr and pouTUAir gallery of the river to Alton, Illiiniis, where tliey bonoht horses and rode over iinich of Illinois and Indiana. On Charles' deciding also to make the West his home, he returned East for their wives, Joshua remain- ing to prepare for the winter at Prophetstovvn, Illi- nois. Here they all came and occupied part of a cabin with John \V. Stakes and family. Not- withstanding their limited quarters, they passed a pleasant winter, the only drawback being now and then a short allowance of provisions, which would necessitate a journey to Fox river, or to Knox county or Rock Island. In one of these latter trips his brother had the misfortune to crip- ple his hand,, which led to his spending part of the winter with Dr. Baker near Rock Island, and finally locating at Cleveland, in that county. Re- peated trips to Chicago and many inquiries were made for the freight wagons, but they could not be found. Finally he found they had come, and without his receiving any notice, after a little delay, they had been sold for freight to prominent early settlers in Chicago, who used them in then- city business. Thus, the freight line failing, he decided to turn his attention to farming. In the spring of 1836 he went to Round Grove, which, by the way, received its name from him and Mr. Stakes, with the in- tention of settling there, and, in accordance with one of the rules in vogue at that day, "jack- knifed" a claim. As soon as this was done he started to Henry or Rock Island county to get a team for breaking purposes, and on his return found that he had been ousted by Messrs. Pil- grim, Nance, Jones and others, who had broken patches all arotmd the grove during his absence. There was nothing to do but submit. He left there, and in company with J. W. Stakes made claims to a large amount of land on both sides of Rock creek, in what is now Union Grove and Mount Pleasant townships. After leaving Round Grove, he, that summer, broke the first seven or eight acres where Morrison now stands. As the claim, or rather claims, made by Messrs. Atkinson and Stakes covered considerable terri- tory, a division was made in June, 1836, Mr. At- kinson taking the part on the west side of Rock creek, and Mr. Stakes the part on the east side. Mr. Atkinson commenced making improvements on his claim. Incated in what is now Union Grove township, in the sunnner and winter of TS35, and built the first cabin in the township, and from the fifth to the eighth in the county. In July, 1836, he moved his family to the claim and continued to reside there until his removal to Geneseo, Henry county, in 1875. He made the first prairie- breaking plow in the township, and perhaps in Whiteside county. He was assisted in the iron work by Mr. Hubbard, brother of Alexis Hubbard, of Lyndon, and in the woodwork by C. G. Woodruff, of the same place. The timber for the plow was cut in Union Grove, and con- siderable trouble occasioned in finding a tree of the right twist for the moldboard. The land- side bar of the plow was between four and five feet long, and the share between three and four feet, the plow turning a furrow from thirty -two to thirty-six inches! This unique implement of husbandry was constructed in 1836. Mr. At- kinson also brought the first reaper into the country. It was one of McCormick's first manu- facture, and was bought in 1847 or 1848. At the election held in the fall of 1836, the first one held in the county after its preliminary organ- ization by the general assembly, Mr. Atkinson was elected justice of the peace, and James Heaton constable. Mr. Atkinson was ordered to take the returns of the election to Galena, Jo Daviess county, a trip which consumed about four days' time, at a cost of eight to ten dollars, for the customary fee of one dollar and fifty cents! He had to qualify as justice of the peace also at that place, Whiteside county being then yet attached to Jo Daviess county for judicial pur- poses. Mr. Atkinson was ahvays one of the first to assist in pushing forward any enterprise which looked to the development of the township and coimty of his adoption, and when the project of building a railroad through the county from Dixon to Fulton was started, he entered at once heartily into the work, and used all of his influence to obtain aid to construct it. He was elected one of the first directors of the company, which was then known as the Mississippi & Rock River Junction Railroad Company. The efforts of this com- pany, strange to say, met with strong opposition from many along the proposed line, some urging one objection, and some another, while still others REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME 825 contented themselves with throwing ridicule upon it. One settler of influence said the road would not help to raise any more corn, pork or beef, and another that it would be time enough fifty vears afterward to talk about building railroads. These objectors are now beneficiaries of the road to a large extent, and would gladly give their thousands rather than have it destroyed or have the track moved to a different location. Mr. At- kinson took a ver\' prominent part in township and county afifairs from the time he first became a resident of Whiteside, and being a man of more than ordinary ability and activity wielded a wide influence in shaping them for the best interests of the people. After the organizatiim of the town- ship under the township organization law, he rep- resented Union Grove in the Board of Super- visors for seven successive terms, and has also held other township offices. In 1874 he sold his farm and moved to Gene- sco, Illinois, where he spent the remainder of his life. Here, as in his Whiteside home, he became interested in whatever was for the public welfare, and among other things was mainly influential in securing the location of the Geneseo Collegiate Institute, — an institution devoted to Christian ed- ucation, which he always advocated and assisted, and which he believed was to be the saving factor in the solution of all the vexing c|uestions crowd- ing ujjon us, and the only hope of the perma- nence and endurance of our government. He was manied in 183 1 to Miss Emeline Little, of Plymouth, \ew Hampshire, who was, like himself, of Puritan Xew England stock, and who was his etTicient, faithful helper in the hardships of a pioneer's life and in founding Christian so- ciety and schools, and who died "Februar}' 7, 1892. Their children have been: Anna E., James W., Sarah L.. Josiah L. and George L. Of these Jo- siah L. died in Union Grove in 1849, ^nd George L. died in Colorado in 1876; Anna E. married E. P. Keyes and lives in Newbury, V'ermont; James W. married Miss Sarah M. Savage, daugh- ter of the late W. J. Savage, of Morrison, and lives in Moline; Sarah L. resides in Geneseo, Henry county. Mr. Atkinson died on May 28. i8(j4, as he had lived, an advocate and supporter of all that is good and useful in society and an exponent of the highest type of Christian patriotic citizenship. CHARLES ATKINSON, HO.\. CHARLES ATK1XS(~»X. prominent as a founder of the original town of M(5linc, continued until his death, April 27, 1887, a con- spicuous promoter not only of prosperity built upon that foundation but also of the whole region of which it is a center. His career was one peculiarly characteristic of those strong quali- ties of character which have given to the Missis- sippi valley its solid growth and sterling cul- ture. He was born in Xewburyport, Massachusetts, May 18, 1808. His parents, William and Nancy (Little) Atkinson, were of pure English ancestry, v.'ho settled in old Newbury prior to 1635. He was the second of eight children, seven sons and one daughter. The sister became the wife of Mr. G. D. Dickenson, and mother of Mrs. Charles H. Deere, of Moline. The six brothers all achieved unusual success; William as an officer of the Atlantic Mutual Marine Insurance Com- pany of New York City ; Joshua as a farmer and prominent citizen of Whiteside and Henry coun- ties, Illinois; Joseph as a farmer and prominent citizen of Newbury, Vermont; Moses as a leading physician at Lawrence, Massachusetts; George as the superintendent of the American Home Missionary Society for Oregon and Washington Territory ; and Josiah as a real-estate dealer in Portland, Oregon. When Charles was but three years of age all his father's property was destroyed by the great Newburyport fire of 181 1. As a result he received only the common school education of the winter months, his summers being spent in work on the farm. Already in boyhood there were evidences of the courage, tenacity and dauntless confidence 326 BioaiiM'incAi. DicrioyAUY AXD pohthmt gallery of the ill tin- winning qualities of hard, honest work which afterward distinguished his Hfe. At the age of sixteen he began life for himself as a clerk in a general store at Nashua, New Hampshire. In 1829, with his brother William, he opened a dry-goods and hatter's store in Nashua, but in the same year sold out, and re- moving to Lowell, Massachusetts, engaged in the business of real estate and hat manufacturing. On January 4, 1830, at Suncook, New Hamp- shire, he married .Miss Ann Eliza Bates, born at Nashua, that State, May 20, 1809, the daughter of Stephen and Naiicy (Thurston) Bates. To the rare qualities which were thus brought to his side, and which brightened during all the years of their childless home, is largely due not only the success of his own life l:)Ut also the happiness of many others. The real-estate venture at Lowell resulted, after two years, in the loss of all, so that in 1832, turning over the business to his brother William, he wait to Newbury, Vermont, and there as- sumed the management of a hotel. Two years here showed a saving of one thousand dollars, which being invested in a patent right was sunk. In 1S34 ^Ir. Atkinson began once more at the foot of the ladder as a clerk in the office of the Commercial Marine Insurance Company of New York city. Herp, his health becoming impaired, he set out, in the spring of 1835, in company with his brother Joshua, by way of Pittsburg and the Ohio river, for St. Louis. Thence they journeyed bv stage, horse and on foot northward through Illinois, carefully prospecting this sparsely settled country as far as Grundy county, near where the city of Morris is located, and here these brothers separated, Joshua remaining to further recon- noitre, and Charles journeying on alone to Chicago and thence to Detroit on horseback. In the fall of the same year he brought Mrs. Atkinson and his brother's wife west to Detroit and thence by wagon to Prophetstown, on Rock river, where they arrived October 8, 1835. A week's survey of the new country and the difficulties they must encounter in a region still freely traversed by the Indians, decided them to make their new beginning in the then incipient city of Chicago. To secure supplies for food for their immediate wants Mr. Atkinson went with his brother to the little settlement of Rock Island. Returning, they were overtaken by one of the fierce prairie fires incident to that early day. In the el'fort to secure a retreat by setting a "back- fire," a powder flask burst and so terribly burned and mutilated Mr. Atkinson's right hand as to deform it for life. It was two months or more before the wound was healed, and then there re- mained of his money but tw-elve dollars and fifty cents. Thus the Chicago plan was vetoed by ne- cessity; and although such repeated misfortune, together with physical injun,-, would have dis- heartened most men, he braced up with deter- mined purpose to succeed, and entered a claim of farm land in Henry county, upon which he soon constructed a log cabin. Early in 1836 another small tract was pur- chased on credit, which was in part platted as the town of Cleveland. Lpon this site he began in 1836 and finished in 1837 the first frame house in Henry county, the siding of which was split out of logs shaved down and pressed straight; all the studding, braces and rafters were also split and hew-n. In this house and on his farni Mr. and Mrs. Atkinson lived seven years with varied ex- periences of abundance and scarcity. Going sixteen miles to Rock Island for a pair of boots, but finding his credit insufficient and having no money, he returned home, worked till the amount was earned and again made the ex- pedition, this time successful. It was thus, by indomitable perseverance in a hard struggle with reverses and hard times, that he gained in these years the victory, and here was developed the necessary economy on which hinged all his future success. As a citizen of Henry county he was most en- ergetic in the pushing of every good interest both secular, moral and religious. As early as July 4, 1837, the best people of the count}- fortified tliem- selves against the arch enemy of homes, by a tem- perance celebration at his house. He was the county's first probate judge, in 1837-8, and was for five years justice of the peace. His property and life were openly threatened by the lawless band of horse thieves and counterfeiters then in- festing the borders, vi'ho found in him however a fearless opponent. In 1S43 the great distance of the market for his REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS V< I r.i'ME. ■^•11 produce, t.\q:(.tlicr with the low prices it afforded, induced hini to find a new home on the ground nC'W occupied by the city of iNIoline, but where was then only a mill and a half dozen houses, con- stituting the settlement of "Rock Island Mills." In company with D. Ij. Scars and others, Mr. .Atkinson purchased a portion of the farm of Huntington Wells and laid out the town plat of Moline. To this he later added a first and sub- sc(iuently a second addition. From that date until his death he was a commanding figure and a potent factor in all Moline's business, educational and religious welfare. In 1844 he joined with his wife and sixteen others in organizing the First Onigregational Church of Moline, of which he was ever a leading member and sujjporter. To the erection of each of the church edifices, as well as to those of other denominations, he was a large contributor. In 1877 he erected and pre- sented to his church a commodious parsonage, at a cost of two thousand and five hundred dollars. This is but one item of the many benevolences for religious and educational work at home and else- where, which have mounted up in the aggregate to many thousands of dollars. From the first Mr. Atkinson was largely in- terested in real estate, both at home and in Henry county, where in 1857 he purchased a third inter- est in forty-four thousand acres of land. In 1846 he built the second sawmill, and afterward set in motion the first planing machine above St. Louis. During several years of the war ]\Ir. Atkinson was the town supervisor. He was one of the or- ganizers of the First National Bank of Moline, of which for ten or twelve years he was vice- president. Of the Deere & Mansur Corn-Planter Works, now one of the largest and most popular concerns of the city, as well as of the world-famous Deere Plow Works, he was formerly a part pro- prietor. But that for which the comnuniity stands chiefly indebted to Mr. Atkinson is the remark- able executive ability, combined with an accurate, far-sighted knowledge of men and affairs, which constituted him a natural and eminent assistant in great enterprises. F'rom his first arrival he recognized the strategic characteristics of IMoline as the natural and certain center of vast industrj-. As one of the first trustees of the town, he then and ever after bent himself with tireless energy to the encouragement and personal assistance of what could aid substantial growth. Hardly a bus- iness of large proportions exists in the city to-day which, either in its conception or at some critical point of its progress, has not been strengthened, or tided over financial shallows, by his timely aid. I-'ew, save those who are cognizant of the business history of a growing city, can estimate the value to every business of strong, resolute conservative men upon whom others may lean. Such a man Mr. Atkinson was, in many respects a general, wise to counsel and stnmg to lead. Up to about 1851 the only passenger transit from Chicago to Rock Island was by stage to .Albany, Illinois, and down the river road to Rock Island, or otherwise l>y canal to La Salle, and steamboat to St. Louis, and thence up the Mis- sissippi to Rock Island. Mr. .Atkinson, discern- ing the imperative need of a direct stage route between Rock Island and La Salle, applied for the establishment of such a route to Messrs. Frink & Walker, of Chicago, the great stage proprietors of the Northwest. Upon their refusal, he went direct to Columbus, Ohio, and made a similar proposition to the Ohio Stage Company, who at once assented and entered upon the preliminary' arrangements. Messrs. Frink & Walker, learn- ing of the decision, anticipated its execution by putting on a daily stage themselves from La Salle to Rock Island, which was continued until the completion of the Chicago & Rock Island Rail- road. Prior to the organization of the last named company, Mr. Atkinson, with others, had been actively engaged in the project of a railroad from La .Salle to Rock Island, and for such a road a charter had been secured. Consultation as to this enterprise with Messrs. Sheffield and Farnham, of New Haven, Connecticut, who were then build- ing the Michigan .Southern road into Chicago, de- veloped the thought of a road from Chicago to Rock Island, instead of from La Salle to Rock Island, which culminated in an examination of the route by these gentlemen. The result was so satisfactory that they made a definite proposition to build and equip the entire road from Chicago to Rock Island, provided the proper amendment could be obtained to the existing charter, and a local subscription of six hundred thousand dollars 828 nronnAPincAL vrrrrnxAnv axd poutiiait galleiiy of the be secured to the stock on the tlirough line. Mr. Atkinson was an indcfatisahlo worker in securing the fulfihnent of the conditions and so in the ac- quisition to this region of one of these grandest and modern civiHzing and developing agencies, the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad. And here may be noted one of these iteins of history on which hung the whole future of Moline. Elected at the outset a director o." the road, it was bv his sagacious and timely action at the verj' nick of opportunity that a policy was averted, whose aim was to bring the road into Rock Island by way of Rock River valley, thus leaving Moline completely out "in the cold;" but they who plotted so deliberate a thrust at Moline's prosperity did not count on the keen alacrity with which the man to whom Moline's prosperity was dear would sig- nally foil the attempt. So again, when in 1861 the committee of the Tri-Cities of which he was an active an enthu- siastic member, visited Washington to urge the locating of a general arsenal on Rock Island, they were met with spirited opposition, not only from the regions already equipped and coveting enlargement, but also from able statesmen like Zachariah Chandler, Timothy O. Howe, O. H. Browning and others, who persistently urged the claims of other points. When some of the com- mittee were discouragetl and seemed ready to give up the effort, the difficulties only sei-ved to strengthen Mr. Atkinson's faith and persistence. He proposed the immediate and careful prepara- tion of a map, which would show at a glance the proof beyond dispute to every Congressman the immensely superior advantages of Rock Island over every other locality suggested for a national arsenal. Nerved by his courage, the plan was adopted, the map was completed, and with a memorial laid on the desk of each member of Congress. The result was a final decision for Rock Lsland, and the appropriation of one hun- dred thousand dollars on July 11, 1862. From the organization of the Moline Water Power Company Mr. Atkinson was its president and manager. He was chiefly instrumental in perfecting the contract by which, in 1867, the Gov- ernment agreed, by virtue of the company's cession of its water-power interest, to develop and maintain the power at its own cost, and give the company the use in perpetuity of one-fourth of the whole, free from rent, repairs and expense of every kind. As is well known, the agreement between the water-powder company and the United States was made at the earnest solicitation of high Government officials and sanctioned by Congress; yet the Government has utterly failed to cafry out its agreement, and, in consequence, the value of the water power through the manufacturing interests of Moline has not been realized. It is difficult to believe that the Government of this great country will continue to ignore its solemn obligations and withliold the justice so clearly due to its loyal citizens. When such justice is done and the work completed Moline will pos- sess, as a monument to the sagacity and unremit- ting toil of Mr. Atkinson, one of the first water powers in the world. It is thus seen that, measured by a length of service and magnitude of advantages secured to the city of his founding the subject of our sketch stands pre-eminent. The best thoughts and ef- forts of his life are wTought into ]\Ioline"s pros- perity. He stood in his old age, wdien clothed with the honor of wealth and host of friends his life-work has won, just where he stood fifty years before, when, a poor young man beset w"ith dif- ficulties, for the best elements of Christian prog- ress, for education, for temperance, for absolute justice, for the dignity of manual labor, for the bible, the church and the widest spread of the gospel. Such lives are well worth a study. Though his early education was meager, yet ho achieved for himself, by conflict with obstacles and continuous interest in every great question of the age, an education which the profoundest student might covet, and which the thoughtful lines of his face and the simplicity of his bearing at once revealed. As one of the first trustees of Iowa College, and by assistance at many points, he showed his deep appreciation for the best educational facili- ties. The strong qualities which made him so useful in one locality would have insured his emi- nence anywhere. Though never a seeker for political honors, he exerted, by his wide ac- quaintance with the leaders of political and bus- iness life, an influence exceeding that of many whose names were familiar in public affairs. ^^-"^-^/c ^^ REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 329 Thoroughly in sympathy with the sentiments which gave the Repnhhcan party being, he was ever its devoted supporter. Keen and clear- headed, always busy, always careful and con- ser\-ative in financial matters, moving slowly but surely in every transaction, he had few superiors in the steady progress which invariably reaches the objective point. On January 4, 1880, the golden wedding of Mr. and ^Irs. Atkinson was celebrated, at which two were present, ]\Irs. S. 1'. Head, sister of ^Irs. Atkinson, and Aliss Mary Bergin, of Concord, New Hampshire, who congratu- lated thcni on their marriage fifty years be- fore. Mr. Atkinson left no children to in- herit his success: but the story of his achieve- ments, through many reverses and great ob- stacles, must inspire all young men who read it with a truer estimate of the value and sure rewards of character. GAIL BORDEN, NONE of the famous men of America whose energy and genius have left an impress upon its rapidly developing civilization arc more deserving the gratitude of mankind than (iail Rorden, v.hose inventive genius brought to him a world-wide reputation and proved of material advantage to every civilized nation on the face of the globe. Expeditions have failed because of an inadequate supply of food with which to sustain the lives of those participating therein, and through all ages the cjuestion of preserving foods has been a momentous and much consid- ered one. After deep research and study Mr. Borden solved this problem and by close research and investigation has given to the world articles of nourishment which can be taken into even-- region and to every clime. Every important discoven,- isattended with more or less contest by claimants appropriating to them- selves sole credit for its origin or perfection. The period innnediatcly following the discovery and practical working of the vacuum principle as a means of condensing milk for preservation was no exception to the general rule, but it soon be- came established as an indisputable fact that the late Gail Borden was entitled to all the credit attached to this invention. The principal author- ity, the Encyclopedia Hritannica so awards the credit. The United States granted him patents on the following dates: August 19, 1856: May 13, 1862: February 10, 1863: November 14, 1865: and April 17, 1866. Complete foreign patents were not taken out: consequently parties abroad early attempted to appropriate Gail Borden's in- vention. Accurate statistics upon this branch of the dairy business have never been compiled : therefore estimated figures are the onlv availalile ones. From a small beginning, in 1856 and 1857, it has grown to be one of the most important branches of dairy industry. As nearly as can be estimated the aggregate quantity of milk used during the past year (1894) by the condensing companies now located in the United States was four hundred and twenty-five million pounds. Tens of thousands of cows are required to pro- duce this milk and thousands of persons are di- rectly and indirectly interested in the feeding of cattle, care of milk, the process of manufacture and distribution of product, — the New York Condensed Milk Company doing by far the largest business of all condensing companies in the United States, while the Gail Borden Eagle brand, of its manufacture, is known favorably in all countries and is the leading brand used in the majority of them. It has stood the test of all climates. As an infant food it is without an equal and the hundreds of thousands of children successfully raised on it and equipped with good health for life's long battle constitute testimonials of merit which are available everywhere. While Mr. Borden did not belong to the State of Illinois, he is nevertheless entitled to represen- tation in this volume, for no man has done more for the advancement of this State than he. His career is one of the most remarkable for diversi- fied endeavor of all ever recorded, and none of 330 BIOORAl'inCAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT OALI.KRY OF THE his efforts ever proved a failure. He was bom in Norwich, New York, November 6, 1801, and was descended from New England ancestry. He was the eldest of seven children and at an early age assisted his father upon the farm, and, so far as practicable, profited by the limited educa- tional privileges within his reach. In December, 1814, the father emigrated from New York to Covington, Kentucky, and Gail cultivated a field of corn where the city hall of that place now stands. In the spring of 1816 they removed to the Territory of Imliana, locating on the banks of the Ohio River, ten miles below Madison, where IMr. Borden resided until 1822. Finding his health impaired he then went to iMississippi, where he engaged in teaching school, and also filled the position of county surveyor and United States deputy surveyor. In 1829 he went to Texas, where he first engaged in farming and stock growing. In 1833 he was elected a dele- gate from Lavaca district to the convention in San Felipe to define the position of the colonies and to petition the Mexican government for sep- aration from the State of Coahuila. He was also in charge of the official survey of the colony, conii)iling the topographical map of Texas, and had charge of the land office at San Felipe up to the time of the Mexican intervention. In 1835 with his brother, Thomas H., he established a newspaper called the Telegraph and Texas Land Register at San Felipe, which was later trans- ferred to Houston, and was the first and only newspaper issued in Texas during the war for the independence of that colony. He had its chief management and directed his efforts toward resisting the establishment of the central govern- ment by Santa Anna. From this time on for some years Mr. Borden was prominently identi- fied with the history of the Lone Star State, and was an important factor in its development and progress. Upon the esablishment of the Repub- lic of Texas he was appointed by President Houston as the first collector of the port of Gal- veston. The city at that time (1837) had not been laid out, and the first surveys w-ere made by Mr. Borden. His first dwelling there was a rough board structure located on the bay shore and erected by two carpenters in half a day, and his office was in a room in what was known as the Mexican custom house. From 1839 until 1857 he was agent of the Galveston City Company, a corporation owning several thousand acres of land on which the city is now built. In the meantime Mr. Borden entered upon the work which probably was the most important effort of his life in regard to the benefit it has been to his fellow men. In 1849 his attention was drawn to the need of a more suitable supply of nourishment for emigrants and travelers cross- ing the plains, and after some experiments pro- duced the Pemmican, which Dr. Kane carried with him on his Arctic expedition. The meat biscuit, which is the most suitable, economical and efficient form of portable concentrated food, was also invented by him. This article gained for him "the great council medal" at the London Fair in 1851, and he was elected an honorary member of the London Society of Arts. Meeting onposition from army contractors, he was unsuc- cessful in the manufacture of this food, and dis- continued its production in 1853. In this under- taking he lost his entire property, and he then re- moved to the North, where he turned his atten- tion to the study of a method for preser\-ing milk. The result of his investigation and labors is known in the condensed milk so widely used to- day. He applied for a patent for "producing concentrated sweet milk by evaporation of same." He gave the question much study and at length took out seventy-five per cent, of the water, and with the milk added a sufficient quantity of pure granulated sugar to preserve it. He knew nothing of the germ theory but resolved that the product which he manufactured should be utterly free from all injurious effects. He was aware that numerous attempts had been made to preserve and solidify milk as w-ell as to find acceptable substitutes for it, and he knew also, or believed, that all had proved failures, greater or less; cer- tainly he found no products which made a near approach to such excellence as he believed to be attainable. Recognition of the merits of his in- vention, however, came slowly and it was not until 1856 that he could secure a patent, and sub- sequently the New York Condensed Milk Com- pany w^as formed. During the war condensed milk was extensively used by the army and navy, and the sale of this product has continually in- REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 331 creased until it is now used by every civilized country on the face of the globe. Pecuniary as well as manufacturing success in due time crowned his labors. Many, however, were the discouragements and disappointments which he had met. It was three years after he first ap- plied for a patent that it was granted him. He claimed that the method of evaporation through means of a certain vacuum was tlie important point in his discovery, but this was not conceded by the patent officers until it was firmly estab- lished by scientific men. Even when a patent was secured it was some time before the business was established on a firm financial basis. Mr. Borden also experimented with condensed meat juices and produced an extract of beef of superior (|uality which was first manufactured in Elgin, but later an establishment was erected especialJN for the purpose in Ilorden, Texas, where the industry was continued after his death. Subsec|ueiitly he produced an excellent prepara- tion of condensed tea, coft'ee and cocoa. In 1862 he patented the process by means of which the juice of fruits, such as apples, currants and grapes could be reduced to one-seventh of its original bulk. His labors were conducted with the ut- most care and perseverance and his success was only obtained through long, tedious and expen- sive experiments, but his intense energy, unyield- ing tenacity and great ingenuity enabled him to perfect his inventions which have so largely con- tributed to the good of humanity. While Justus von Liebig, surrounded with the elaborate ap- paratus of his well-appointed laborator)' at Giessen, was experimenting and prosecuting those researches into the nature of flesh and animal juices which culminated many years later in the production of "Extractum Carnis," Gail Borden, in the wilds of Texas, was independently investigating the same problem without scientific apparatus, and his labors resulted in bringing him the great council medal before mentioned. The fir.st works for the condensing of milk were established at Wolcottville, Connecticut, in 1856, and the following year a factory was put in operation at Burrvillc. His business grew rapidly during the Civil war, when large quanti- ties of the condensed milk, preserved with re- fined sugar, were required by the Northern armies. So quickly did the business develop that it necessitated the establishment of two other factories, one at Livermore Falls, Maine, and the other at Winsted, Connecticut. The Gail Bor- den Eagle brand of condensed milk soon became widely known, and has continued to grow in public favor with every nation. From time to time, owing to the wonderful success of the busi- ness which demanded extensive manufacturing facilities, new establishments were erected at suitable points throughout the country. In 1861, after careful inspection, the most important plant of the New York Condensed Milk Com- pany was located at Wassaic, Dutchess county. New York; another factory was established at Brewster, New York, in 1863: a third, at Wallkill, in 1881 : a fourth, at Millerton, in 1892; a fifth, at Deposit, in 1894: a sixth, at New Berlin, in 1895, — besides several milk stations, — all in New York State. Mr. Borden was not long in perceiving that the West offered e.xeceptional facilities for the ex- tension of his wonderful discovery. As early as 1865 he caused to be erected at Elgin, Illinois, a modest factory, which has from time to time been rebuilt and extensive additions constructed until at this writing (in 1895) it constitutes one of the largest and most complete plants owned by the Illinois Condensing Company: the name of this organization has recently been changed to the Illinois branch of the New York Condensed Milk Company. This company is familiar to the majority of Americans and its fame has extended to other countries by reason of its extensive manufacture and sale of the high- est quality of dairy products. Who has not heard of the famous Elgin butter? Here is prepared on a most extensive scale the Gail Bor- den Eagle brand of condensed milk, of which millions of cans are distributed from this point throughout the western and southern sections of the country. Tlie growth of this Western industry was rapid and soon necessitated addi- tional manufacturing plants. In 1887 it was proved beyond a doubt that the Elgin factory would not be able to supply the increased demand for the company's product in the West and ac- cordingly plans were made and an establishment erected at Carpcntersville, one of the largest and 332 lUOaiiArillGAL DICTIONARY AND POUrilAIT GALLERY OF THE most complete factories operated by the com- pany. Since then additional facilities have been needed and in 1892 the factory at Algonquin was established and supplied with the very latest and best machinery for the manufacture of Borden's Plain Condensed Milk, Prepared Milk and Pure Fluid Milk: the latter is bottled for sale and de- livered packed in ice. The botding department of this factor}' was transferred to Belvidere in 1895. The offices which have control of this immense business are located in New York city, Jersey City, Newark and Chicago, and each place has one or more branch offices. Up to the time of Mr. Borden's death the business received his personal supervision, and he is entitled to the entire credit of establishing this great in- dustrv, so invaluable to mankind. In a Inief period he succeeded in massing an innnense fortune, Init it was ever used for the good of humanity, and his charity and liberality were among his most marked traits. He possessed an earnest Christian character, a noble gener- osity and devotion to the welfare of others which has made his memory cherished and re- vered by friends and acquaintances. He was a companionable gentleman, broad-minded and sincere, and his life abounded in kind- ness and courtesy to all and in active philan- thropy and hearty co-operation in every good work. He died January 11, 1874, at Colorado, Texas, whither he had gone to spend the winter, and was buried at Woodlawn cemetery, near New York city. Mr. Borden was married in i860 to Enieline Eunice Church, nee Eno. By her first marriage, Mrs. Church had two children, — Alfred B. and Sanniel Mills Ciiurch. Their father was Hiram Church, who as early as 1835 located in St. Louis, where he engaged in merchandising. During that year he made a trip from St. Louis to Chicago. He was a man of much natural force of character and possessed many of the enterprising traits of the pioneers who established civilization in the upper Mississippi valley. His son, Alfred, was bom in Vernon, Oneida county. New York, May 10, 1884, spent a portion of his youth in the West and when old enough was employed by his step- father in the milk business. He first reached Elgin in 1869, and at this place eventually be- came the manager of the factory, which he con- ducted successfully for about seven years. He has since been one of Elgin's progressive citizens and associated with WilliamGrote has operated extensively in real estate and building, having done much for the growth and beautifying of the city. In politics he is a staunch Republican, and for many years has performed valuable service for Elgin as a member of the board of education and of the public library board. In 1893 in con- nection with his brother he determined to erect some substantial monument to the memory of his ste])fathcr, Gail Borden. To that end they purchased a valuable corner in Elgin and of- fered to donate it to the city provided a suitable building was erected on the same to be called the Gail Borden Public Library. The result of this generous offer is one of the most complete and beautiful public-library buildings which any city of the size can boast. It w^s dedicated February 22, 1894, and is a fitting monument to him whose interest in his fellow men arose from a sincere sympathy for them and whose life was largely devoted to uplifting humanity. REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNTTED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 338 ABNER SMITH, THE subject of this biof^fraphy, one of the lionored sons of Massacliusetts and a most distinguished resident of the Queen City of the \\'est, is pre-eminently a self-made man. He began life with a definite purpose in view, worked faithfully, lnjuestly, and with a will for its accomplishment, and now enjoys a reputation that is by no means limited by the boundaries of Illinois. A man of progressive ideas, fine attainments, high-minded, who has made the most of his opportunities in life. Judge Smith has ai"i.sen to a foremost place among the rep- resentatives of the legal fraternity of the nation. He was born in Orange, Franklin county, Massachusetts, on the 4th day of August, 1843, and is a son of Humphrey and Sophronia (Ward) Smith. On both sides he has descended from ancestry that have long and prominently been connected with the historj' of New England. The Ward family was founded in America during Colonial days, and during the Revolutionary era, the period of the fonnation of republican government and 'through the years that have since passed, its representatives have done eflfect- ive service in affairs of the State, and have arisen to positions of honor and trust at the bar, in the jnilpit and in literarj' circles. An Eastern bio- grapher states that Judge Smith has descended on the maternal side from William Ward of Sud- bury, Massachusetts, and more immediately from Sylvanus Ward, of Orange, Massachusetts. Wil- liam Ward, virites the historian, settled in Sud- bury about 1639, and his descendants are num- erous and are notable people in Massachusetts and elsewhere. The collateral branches of the dififerent generations which have passed away and many which still live have been and are uni- formly substantial and upright people whose ca- reers are intensely interesting to the student of the present, since their fame lives in history and the deeds are chronicled in story. The numerous family lines of subsequent offspring have spread over the length and breadth of the country and liave been an honor and a credit to so excellent a family. When the Judge was a child his father removed to Middlebury, \>rmont, that in the schools of that State his large family of children might have better educational privileges. His elementary- education was acquired in the common schools, and subsequently he was graduated at Middle- bur)- College with the class of 1866. The "boy is father to the man," is a truth certainly demon- strated in the career of Mr. Smith. His early life and character gave indications of his future usefulness, and it is said of Mr. Smith by an as- sociate of his college days that "when in college Abner Smith was a candid, earnest, substantial and reliable young man and student, and has maintained that character to this day. He evi- denced in college the possession of abilities which would enable him to rise to and above the aver- age in whatever profession he might choose to follow, which he has done in the profession of the law. He has never aimed at ephemeral bril- liancy or signal momentary results, but at a thoughtful and careful avoidance of fatal mis- takes and at permanent achievements. He has succeeded in all respects which constitute success as an attorney at law, a result attained by a devo- tion to his profession and close attention to his business. The outcome is not the result of chance but eventuates from his native abilities which he has cultivated and given direction to, and he has made good use of his opportunities. In the walks of life where intelligence, honor and manliness are regarded for what they are worth, he has by the practice of these virtues attained an honorable position at the bar and in the com- munity and won the respect of all who know him. He is a noteworthy and creditable alunnius of his a/iiia mater. " The work upon which Judge Smith entered upon leaving college, was that of the principal- ship of the Newton Academy of Shoreham, Ver- mont, where he continued until 1867. It was that year in which he became identified with Chi- cago and her interests. It was his earnest desire to enter the legal profession, and time has fully demonstrated the wisdom in his choice of a life 384 BIOCRAPmCAL DICTIONARY AND POItTIiAIT GALLERY OF THE work. ITe became a student in tlie office of J- L. Stark, a well-known attorney, formerly of \''er- niont, and a descendant of Colonel Stark of Rev- olutionary fame, who at the beginning of the war for independence, w-ith his gallant Green Moun- tain boys, went to the aid of ]\Ir. Smith's ancestor, Major General Ward. With an earnest purpose that could not content itself with mediocrity but must rise above the average in a chosen field of labor, Mr. Smith entered upon his studies, and after a steady and rapid progress was admitted to the bar in 1868. His preceptor then demon- strated his appreciation of the young man's char- acter and abilities by admitting him to a partner- ship in the business, which connection continued until the death of Mr. Stark a few years later. He then settled up his late partner's estate and succeeded to the business of the firm. In 1877 he entered into a partnership with John H. M. Burgett, under the name of Smith & Burgett, which existed for ten years. He has also been associated with other partners, but since 1887 has been practically alone in business. He has been retained as counsel on many of the most im- portant cases that have come up for trial in the courts of Chicago. He is a most able lawyer, thoroughly read in his profession, a faithful counselor and a fine speaker. His methods are well worthy of emulation, and he enjoys the high- est confidence of his clients. His advancement in his profession has been steady and sure. He has made a specialty of corporation law and has been retained as the attorney of the National Life Insurance Company of Vermont, and of the Life Indemnity and Investment Company of Iowa, now the Iowa Life Insurance Company, of which he is a director. He was also the at- torney of the Lakeview Telephone Exchange, which formerly covered the northern por- tion of the city of Chicag'o. He was formerly one of the directors of the North Star Construc- tion Company, which built and is operating the Winnipeg Railroad. His business methods are frank and honest and characterized by that high sense of honor which comes to him as a second nature from a long line of high-bred New England ancestry. In the trial of a case he sees quickly every advantage and disadvantage, notes the ef- fect of any argument with remarkable rapidity, and is recognized as possessing to the fullest ex- tent the qualities which go to make up the suc- cessful advocate. He has a verj- eloquent and forceful manner, which, together with his strong personality and strength of character, have placed him where he stands to-day, one of the most prominent members of the Chicago bar. The political support of Judge Smith is given the Republican party, yet he has never entered into political work to any extent. At the earnest solicitation of a party of leaders and numerous friends, many of whom were allied with the op- position party, he consented to become a candi- date for the ofifice of circuit judge in the autumn of 1893. Many of the most eminent members of the bar of both parties rallied to his support, — men who recognized his superior ability and fit- ness for the position. With one exception he received the largest majority given to any can- didate on the ticket. In December he took his seat upon the bench, and his course has com- manded the admiration and respect of all who are acquainted with the history of the circuit court. He is absolutely fearless in the discharge of his duties, and favor cannot tempt him from the straight path. He possesses a mind particu- larly free from judicial bias, and he brings to his duties a most thorough knowledge of the law and of human nature, a comprehensive mind, and calm and deliberate judgment. His sentences are models of judicial fairnes, and he is a type of the law that respects and protects, not condems humanity. In 1869 was celebrated the marriage of Judge Smith and Miss Ada C, daughter of Serene Smith, of Shoreham, Vermont. They reside at No. 15 Aldine square, where they have a beau- tiful and tasteful liome, supplied with all the appointments and adornments that indicate re- finement and culture. A large and well-chosen library attests the literary taste of the owner, and the fine arts and music add their delights to the pleasures that are found at his fireside. The Judge is a genial, courteous gentleman, a pleas- ant, entertaining companion, and has many staunch and admiring friends among all classes of men. As an energetic, upright and conscientious lawyer, and a gentleman of attractive social qual- ities, he stands high in the estimation of the en- tire communitv. REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. nt KICKHAM SCANLAN, CHICAGO numbers tliis able lawyer among her native sons, as he was born in this city C.)ctober 23, 1864. His father, i\Iichael Scanlan, of Washington, District of Columbia, is well known as a writer of both prose and poetry and a composer of music. During his childhood he ac- companied his parents to \\^ashington, attended the public and high schools of the capital city, and afterward entered the University of Notre Dame, at South Bend, ImHana, where he completed his studies. Returning to the city of his birth, he entered the employ of Colonel W. P. Rend, the well known coal dealer and mine-owner, in whose service he remained for four years, gaining a practical busi- ness knowledge. Taste, talent and inclination, however, seemed to fit him for the legal profes- sion, and in 1886 he entered the law office of Luther Laflin Mills and George C. Ingham, also attended the Chicago College of Law, and was graduated in its first class. He developed an aptness for that branch of the legal profession which has made Mr. Mills famous in the handling of criminal cases. He was admitted to the bar, and continued his connection with the firm with which he began his studies for seven years. Dur- ing that time he assisted Mr. Mills and Mr. Ing- ham in the trial of all the famous cases in the courts of this city with which they were connected, including the "boodle" cases, the first trial of the Cronin case, the Ohio tallv-sheet-fraud case in Columbus in 1888, where he was associated with Mr. Mills and Allen G. Thurman for the prose- cution, and many others. His ability and industry soon made his services valuable, and he has for some years been repeatedly called to assist the State's attorney of Cook county in the prosecution of difficult criminal cases. In argument he is logical and eloquent, and his words always carry weight with judge and jury, seldom failing to re- sult in victory. He was retained as counsel on the celebrated Millington prison case in 1891, was one of the counsel for the State in the Graham-Hank bribery case in Chicago, and was one of the coun- sel for the defense in the McGarigle case, which he handled with consummate skill. His coimec- tion with the two Cronin cases is well known throughout the country, where his keen logic, his masterly argument and brilliant eloquence car- ried conviction and made him widely known. In the second trial he made the opening speech for the prosecution, which consumed three days. His aiialysis and presentation of the case was acknowl- edged on all hands as one of the most masterly and convincing in the history of the Chicago bar. That the prosecution won its case is the general verdict of the public, though, as was not then un- expected, the jury rendered a verdict of acquittal. Mr. Scanlan also served on the prosecution in the Hanks-O'Donnell case, in which the first convic- tion of jury-bribing was obtained west of the Alle- ghanies. Mr. Scanlan was counsel for Louis Ja- cobson in the recent trial of five men in Kenosha, Wis., for arson, the charge growing out of the burning of the great plant of the Chicago Bed- ding Co. at Kenosha. In this famous trial all the defendants were found guilty with the excep- tion of Mr. Scanlan's client. In 1893 Mr. Scanlan opened an office in the Ashland block, in Chicago. He is a man who thoroughly loves his profession, and is eminently gifted with the capabilities of mind which are in- dispensable at the bar. In preparing a case for trial every fact, however insignificant, is carefully studied and its possible relevancy to the merits of the case weighed and considered. He is thor- oughly familiar with authority, and never at a loss for a precedent. He is broad-minded, free from the fault of laying too much stress on technical points, and deservedly enjoys a large practice, much of which is in civil as well as in criminal cases. C)n the 2il of January, iS'p, Mr. Scanlan w'as united in marriage with Miss Sadie Conway, daughter of Michael W. Conway, of Chicago, and they have two little daughters. Their home is ]jleasantly located at No. 85 Ewing Place, where literature, music and art add their attractions and indicate the refined anut to a man of his ambition, industry and energy, teaching school was an uncongenial task, and, casting around for a profitable voca- tion, he decided to engage in the notion business, which he did, and for four years traveled with his pack all over the country, from Halifax to New Orleaais, with most satisfactory results. Thus was laid the foundation for his future successful career as a merchant and financier. About the year 1845 'i^ engaged in the general mercantile business at Urbana, Ohio, in company with a Mr. Hitt, and for seven years the firm of Hitt & Wil- son continued what was a most prosperous busi- ness. Mr. Wilson then sold his interest and turne 1 his attention to the bankinq- business, lo- cating at I-'aribault, Minnesota, and organizing the baidnsent to become a candidate for office. Mr. W'ilson has been twice married, and has a (laughter, Jennie, by his first wife. His pres- ent wife, to whom he was united in 1864, was formerly Miss Mary C. Dewey, of Middletov.n. Connecticut. 344 BIOaUAPIIICAL DICTrONAEY AND POllTRAIT GALLERY OF THE ROGER ENOS, COLCHESTER, CONNECTICUT. THE ancestors of the American family of Enos were very probably Huguenots, although the direct emigration to this country was from England. The name was originally spelled Eno, and some branches of the family still adhere to the original orthography. The first one of the name of whom we have any record in America was James Eno, who was in Windsor, Connecti- cut, as early as 1646. One of his descendants was the famous soldier and patriot, General Roger Enos, a man whose memory has been more ma- ligned and abused without cause than that of probably any other man of his generation. Had a detailed ami truthful account of his life and services been accessible to the historical writers of later days, it would have saved them some la- mentable and grievous errors and the descend- ants of General Enos many a blush of shame. The mistakes and misstatements of Bancroft, Loss- ing and others, as regarding General Enos, have, however, been productive of one good result: they stimulated inquiry and research into the official record of his career, which research re- sulted in a complete vindication of the charges made against him and removed the stigma so un- justly and unfortunately placed upon his honor. This should have the effect of impressing on the minds of future historians the importance of care- ful investigation before putting their pens to paper to blast the fame of loyal and honorable men. What more consistent in this connection than to leave a perpetual record touching the life of this noble patriot, and offering in the brief space at our command a refutation of the charges made against him. Such a summary can not do full justice to his memory, and yet here will be in- scribed the words which prove conclusively that rcver was there placed by him a single blot on the rioble escutcheon which he bore. Roger Enos was the son of David and Mary ((Jilk't) Enos, and great-grandson of James Eno, the Colonial pioneer. He was born at Simsbury, Connecticut, in the year 1729. At an early age he entered the military scr\'icc of the English crown, participating in the Erench war. His name heads the list of volunteers from his native town for the Ginada campaign of 1759-60. The assembly of Connecticut successively promoted him for his service in the field as follows: Ensign of the first company, 1760; adjutant and captain lieutenant, 1 761 ; first lieutenant, 1762; captain in Israel Put- nam's regiment, 1764. He was in the expedition against the Indians, served in the Havana cam- paign in 1762, and, with Israel and Rufus Putnam and Phineas Lyman, was a member of the com- ^,li^siun sent by the colony of Connecticut to sur- vey the lands in the Mississippi valley that had been given by the crown to those who served in the I'Vench war and the Havana campaign. He was lieutenant-colonel of the Twenty-second Regi- ment in Arnold's expedition to Canada in 1775, and with his command he returned, October 25th of that year, in order to avoid starvation. On December ist of the same year he was tried by court martial, on the charge of "cjuitting without leave," and was honorably acquitted. It is cer- tainly germane that a more complete record of this court martial be incorporated in this con- nection, as offering evidence of tardy justice to a name vilified without cause. General Enos was tried before President Brig- adier-General John Sullivan and twelve field (iffictrs. The result is recorded in E'orce's Archives, Volume III, page 1709; and in ^Nlun- sell's edition of Henry's Journal, as follows: The court, after mature consideration, are unanimously of the opinion that Colonel Enos was under necessity of returning with the division under his command, and therefore acquit him with honour. John Sui.ijvan, F resident. Attest : (A true cop}- of the proceedings.) W. Tudor, Judge Advocate. Still further evidence of confirmation of the above and of the high respect in which General Enos was held by his associates, is extant, and is duly offered in this connection: New York, April 28, 1776. I hereby certify that I was president of a court r.iartial, in Cambridge, when Colonel Enos wa.s '^^ REPRESEXTATIVE MEX OF THE UXITED STATES: ILLIXOIS VOLVME. 345 tried for leaving Colonel Arnold with the rear division of the detachment under his command, bound for Qucbeck; upon the trial, it clearly ap- peared to me, as well as to the other members of the court, that Colonel Enos was perfectly justi- fiable in returning with the division, being clearly proved, bv the testimony of witnesses of un- doubted veracity (some of whom I have been per- sonally acquainted with for a number of years, and know them to be persons of truth), that so much provision had been sent forward to support the otlier divisions as left them so small a quan- tity that their men were almost famished with hunger on their return : and some would undoubt- edlv have staned, had they not, by accident, come across and killed a large moose. Upon their evi- dence, there remained no doubt in the mind of myself, or anv of the members, that the return of the division was prudent and reasonable, well con- vinced that they had not provision sufficient to carry them half way to Queheck, and that their going forward would only have deprived the other division of part of theirs, which, as the event has since shown, was not enough to keep them all from perishing: we therefore unanimously acquit- ted C(^lonel Enos with honour. T further certifv that, by a strict inquiry into the matter since, T am convinced that had Colonel Enos, with his di- vision, proceeded, it would have been a means of causing the whole detachment to have perished in the woods, for want of sustenance. I further add. that T have been informed, by per- sons acquainted with Colonel Enos. that he lias ever conducted as a good and faithful officer. John Sui-ILVAN, President. The estimation in which Colonel Enos was held by the officers of the arniv is shown by the follow- ing testimony: To the Impartial Public: The case of Lieutenant-Colonel Enos having engaged the attention of many officers of the army, as well as others, and as we are infomied he is nuich censm-ed by many persons for return- ing back from the expedition to Canada, under the conmiand of Colonel Arnold, by which Colonel Enos' character suffers greatly, we think it onr duty to certify that some of us, from our own personal knowledge of the military abilities of Colonel Tmios. and others of us from informa- tion, hilly convinced that he is a gentleman fully acquainted with his duty as an officer, a man of fortitude and prudence, and, in our opinion, well calculated to sustain, with honour, any military- character: and, from the fullest inquiry, wc are satisfied that (whatsoever different representations may be made) in returning to camn with the di- vision under his command, he is justifiable, and contlucted as an understanding, prudent, faithful officer, and deserves applause rather than censure; and we can safely recommend him as a person worthy to be employed in any military depart- ment. William Heath, B)ii;aJitr General. James Reed, Colonel. J. Brewer, Colonel. Samuel H. Parson, Colonel. Joseph Reed, Colonel. Jonathan Nixon, Colonel. Charles Webb, Colonel. Daniel Hitchcock, Colonel. John Stark, Colonel. Levi Wells, Major. Samuel Wvllvs, Colonel. William Shepard, Lieutenant Colonel. Andrew Colburn, Major. Joel Clark, Lieutenant Colonel. Ebenezer Sprout, Major. Ebenezer Clap, Lieutenant Colonel. Samuel Prentice, Major. Calvin Smith, Major. Josiah Havden, Major. John li\i\^\, Colonel. John Tyler, Lieutenant Colonel. Thomas Nixon, Lieutenant Colonel. LoAM.Mi Baldwin, Colonel. James Wesson, Lieutenant Colonel. Isaac Sherman, Major. Colonel Enos resigned his commission in the army on the i8th of January, 1776. In May of the following year he served on a committee of Windsor citizens to secure a bounty of thirty pounds to each man who would enlist in the Con- tinental service. He was colonel of one of the regiments thus raised, which command he re- signed in 1779, and removed to Vermont, where he became one of the original founders of the town of Enosbun'. In 1781 he was commissioned brigadier-general and was placed in command of all the Vermont troops then in service. In 1787 he was elected major-general of the First Divi- sion of the State of Vermont. He resigned his commission in 1791, after thirty-two years of almost continuous service to his country. From 1 78 1 to 1792 he was a member of the Vermont Board of War. He was a member of the general assembly, and was on the committee appointed to settle the Vermont and New Hampshire con- troversy. He was a trustee of the University of Vermont, and was one of the committee to con- sider the Vermont Resolutions, passed by the Continental Congress. From 1779 to 1792 he was one of the most prominent and honored citizens 346 lUtxiHAI'IIK'AL DWTIONAHY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE of Vermont, wlu-ro no one ever doubted his loy- alty to the united colonies, his military capacity, his moral or physical courage, or his entire trust- worthiness and integrity. In 1792, at the age of sixty-three years, wearied with long and arduous public service, he resigned all his official positions, retired to Connecticut, the State of his nativity, where, with his daughter, Mrs. Ira Allen, the remaining years of his life were passed in peace and quietude. Well did the bard of Avon understand human nature when he said: "Be thou as chaste as ice, as pure as .snow, thou shalt not escape calumny ;'" and all the calumny that has been in later days heaped upon the memory of this truly great and noble man has been the resuk of one expression in the journal of Judge Henry, where he alluded to General Enos as a "deserter." This was written by Judge Henry before he came into the posses- sion of the facts in the case, — the official corre- spondence between Washington and Arnold, and the result of the court martial where all facts bear- ing on the case were fully explored. The fact of his honorable acquittal of the charges, and, most of all, the trust afterward reposed in him, and his capable discharge of every duty incumbent on him in the various positions in which he was after- ward placed, all go to prove that he acted honor- ably and with prudence and discretion. The May issue (1885) of the Magazine of American His- tory contains an exhaustive review of the whole matter, and to that article would we refer the future student or writer of history. March 10, 1763, General Enos was united in marriage to Jerusha Hayden, daughter of Daniel and Esther Hayden, of Windsor, Connecticut, and to them were bom five children, concerning one of whom, Pascal Paoli Enos, one of the four original proprietors of Springfield, Illinois, spe- cific mention is made in an article ai)pearing else- wliere in this volume. General Roger Enos passed into the life eternal on the 6th of October, 1808, his demise occurring at Colchester, Connecticut. To his memory all succeeding generations owe a tribute of venera- tion and honor, and history must bow its head in shame that years should have thus passed into the great realm of yesterday ere yet had full justice been done to this remarkable man, this leal and loyal soldier, this unflinching patriot, this noble citizen, over whose memory was so long flaunted the ignoble flag of unmerited rebuke and calumny. EDWIN F. SIMONDS, CHICAGO. A NATIVE of Massachusetts, Mr. Simonds was born in Fitchburg, Worcester county, October 22, 1849, and is a son of Abel Simonds, who was of Scotch ancestry. His lineage can also be traced back indirectly to Pocahontas. His mother, whose name before marriage was Jane Todd, was a native of New England. In early life, Abel Simonds displayed much natural ability as a machinist, and, developing his talents and making the most of his opportunities, became the head of one of the largest manufacturing com- panies in the country. He was the founder of the Simonds Manufacturing Company, manu- facturers of saws and machine knives, which was established in 1832. The main plant is still in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, but the business has increased so rapidly and extensively that in order t(3 meet the demands of the trade and more quickly supply the various portions of the country branch establishments have been located at Chicago, San Francisco, Portland, Oregon, and New Orleans. In Chicago there is a plant, and at the other places repair shops only. After forty-two years' connection with manufacturing business, during which time he saw it grow from a small begin- ning to an extensive establishment, the founder passed away, in 1874. Of his five sons, four are still engaged in carry- ing on the enterprise which he established, en- larging it and extending the field of operations as they deem advisable. Two of them remain to take charge of the original plant in Fitchburg, while another looks after the San Francisco liranch. and Edwin F. controls the Chicago inter- J^ nHriiEsEyTATivt: mkn of the u.mticd sta ti-:s: illimus voi.vMh:. Ht7 osts. One other son is a manufacturer of Dayton, Ohio, but his business is in no way related to that of the Sinionds Manufacturing Company. Edwin F. Sinionds in his early boyhood a^ tended the Fitcliburg schools, and during vaca- tions spent much of his time in his father's shop, and before his literary education was completed lie had become familiar with every part of the ma- cliiner)' of the plant, knowing the use of each part and its function. He went at his own expense to the Worcester Polytechnic Institute, at which he was graduated in the class of 1873. Inuiiediately afterward he returned to his home in Fitchburg and joined his lirothers in business, becoming a .'.tockholder in the Sinionds Manufacturing Com- panv. Seven years later, in 1880, he came to Chicago and established a plant which has since been the headquarters for the western trade. At the Centennial held in 1876, their manufactures which were there on exhibition attracted wide- spread attention and most favorable commenda- tion, not only from people of this country but also from those of European countries as well. As a result a Swedish gentleman purchased the right to manufacture for his country, and E. F. Sinionds went abroad to establish the plant and put it in working order. At the Columbian Ex- ])()sition in 1893 another large and splendid exhibit of the company's product attracted the attention of the world to the superiority of the Simonds manufactures. He has since made several trips aljroad, for pleasure and instruction. In 1882 Mr. Sinionds married Miss M\ra C. Flangher, of Columliiana, Ohio, and they have li;iil three children, one of whom is now deceased. In demeanor he is (|uiet and unostentatious, in manner is pleasant and genial, — an approachable gentleman who enjoys the friendship of a select circle of acquaintances. In politics he is a Re- publican, but aside from casting his vote fur the candidates of his party he is not actively interested in political affairs. WALTER REEVES, RISING above the head of the mass are many men of sterling worth and value, who by sheer perseverance and pluck have con- quered fortune, and by their own unaided efforts have risen from the ranks of the commonplace to eminence and positions of respect and trust; but the brilliant qualities of mind and brain which mark the great lawyer are to a certain extent God-given. It is to his perseverance and indoniita1:)Ie energy that Walter Reeves owes his success in life, as well as to his keen and brilliant mind. He is of a sanguine temperament, large-hearted, and a genial and ])olishcd gentleman, and one who is expected to distinguish himself in the halls of Cimi- grcss. He carries with him into his new field of labor the good wishes and hopes of his many friends and fellow-townsmen, as well as the regard and good-will of the Republican party all over the State. If health and length of years are given him there arc still greater honors in store for Wal- ter Reeves, and no one more richly deserves them, or will carry them with inore becoming dignity and modesty, while in his integrity and honesty of purpose his party can rest secure. Walter Reeves, member of the Fifty-fourth Congress, son of Harrison Reeves and Maria (Leonard) Reeves, was born near Brownsville, Pennsylvania, September 25, 1848. He came to La Salle county, Illinois, in 1856, passing his boy- hood on a farm. He received his early educa- tion in the common schools of La Salle county, and, becoming a teacher, he followed the peda- gogic vocation in La Salle and adjoining coun- ties, at the same time studying law. He was admitted to the bar in 1S75, in which year he settled, and commenced the practice of law in Streator, Illinois, where he soon rose into prominence in his profession, being admitted to practice before the United States supreme court in 1885. Mr. Reeves has become one of the most prominent lawyers of La Salle county and the State. He has always been a strong Repub- lican, and has ever labored for the interests of 348 BIonilAl'lIffAL DTCriOXAUr AND PonTRAIT OAI^LERY OF THE his ])aiiy, always rcftisiiiL; t(i run for office, until tlic year 1895, when, upon the death of Captain Fullerton, he was nominated for representative in Congress by the unanimous vote of the Repub- lican convention, which nomination he accepted with reluctance owing to his disinclination to accept public office, and to the fact that the ten- ure of office implied his leaving a lucrative law practice. He was tendered the nomination for Congress in 1890, but declined. There is no more promi- nent man in Streator or La Salle county than Walter Reeves, he having retained the confidence and esteem of all parties, notwithstanding his partisan Republicanism. The city of Streator is justly proud of him as a citizen and as a law- yer. He has done much to make Streator what it is, one of the most flourishing towns of the State. In 1876 Mr. Reeves married Miss M. M. Cogs- well, of Washington, Connecticut, at her sister's home in Guilford, Connecticut. Mrs. Reeves is a member of one of the oldest New England fam- ilies, and counts among her relatives both United States senators and judges. She is a graduate of Mt. Holyoke Seminary, Massachusetts. Mr. and Mrs. Reeves have no children. It is but just and merited praise to say that as a lawyer our subject ranks among the ablest in the West, as a citizen he is honorable, prompt and true to every engagement, and as a hus- band a model worthy of all imitation. His char- acteristics are a modesty of demeanor and en- tire absence of all parade and ostentation, and a simple dignity born of innate virtue and self- respect. Mr. Reeves has an educated conscience, a large heart and a practical sympathy and a tender regard for all young men who are strug- gling for an education and a higher life. It is not because of special prominence in public af- fairs that Mr. Reeves has, and is justly entitled t(\ the respect and confidence of his fellow-men, lor his personal qualities are such as to make men esteem and honor him. As a lawyer he is noted for his integrity; he prides himself upon ne\er uri;ing a client inti) a suit for the sake of fees, and will not prose- cute a case unless he has every reason to believe he will win it; but he claims the right to defend any cause in any court. He is a representative man of a class to whom more than to any other is due the continued growth and prosperity of the many thriving cities of the West. ORRIN DAY HOWELL, M. D., THE various Howell families in America nearly all trace their ancestry back to Edward Howell, of Marsh Gibbon, Bucking- hamshire, England, who in 1639 disposed of ex- tensive estates in England, among which was the manor of Westbury, in Marsh Gibbon, purchased by his grandfather, William Howell, in 1536. The old stone manor house is still standing, al- though the remains of an old foimdation near it show that some portions of it have been torn down. Edward Howell, having disposed of this property, braved the dangers of an ocean voyage in those days, and with his family sought a home in Boston, Massachusetts, where he was made a freeman on the 14th of March, 1640. He soon removed to the present site of Lynn, Massa- chusetts, where he located a grant of land of five hundred acres. During the winter of 1649-50 a new settlement on Long Island was projected, of which Mr. Howell seems to have been the leader, as the compact or agreement of terms founding the plantation is in his handwriting as well as laws adopted by the first settlers, and to the last day of his life he was a magistrate and a mem- ber of the Colonial legislature at Hartford. The manner in which his name is mentioned in the Colonial records of New England point to the same conclusion. The anns of the family as found on an old family seal now in possession of one of the de- scendants, and on several tombstones of the seven- teenth century in Southampton, are as follows: RErRESENTAriVK MEN OF VnE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 349 Gules, three towers, triple-towered, argent; crest used by some branches, — out of a ducal crown, or, a rose argent, stalked and leaved vert be- IVvcen two wings, indorsed of the last. Motto, Teiiax propositi. One of the descendants of Edward Howell, Horace by name, was a resident of Rushville, Yates county, New York, near Seneca lake. His son, Elisha Carpenter Howell, removed from Ovid, Seneca county, New York, and from him Dr. Howell, of Aurora, descended. The Doctor was bom in Tompkins county, near Seneca lake, New York, on the i8th of May, 1818, and was a son of Benjamin and Jane (Moffat) Howell. He acquired his literary education in the common schools and remained at home until eighteen years of age, when, with a cousin, he drove from Elmira, New York, across the country to Aurora, Illinois, where they remained through the following winter. In that city, which was then in the days of its infancy and an unpreten- tious place upon the western frontier, the Doctor engaged in school-teaching and in boyish mood he delivered there the first temperance lecture ever given in the town. Returning to New York the following summer he entered the Albany Medical College, where he was graduated in the class of 1838. He began practice in West Dryden, New York, where he remained for a year, after which he went to Saugerties on the Hudson, where he lived for a year and a half. While at West Dryden the Doctor was united in marriage, October 27, 1839, with Miss Cor- nelia ^lore, of ]\Ioresville, New York, and to that place he removed from Saugerties, where he re- mained until 1854. The West, however, had left an indelible impression, and, seeking a broader field of labor, he bethought himself of the little city in which he had once taught school and re- solved to establish himself in that place. So in 1854 he again located in Aurora, where he en- tered upon the practice of his profession and soon became the foremost physician there, — a position he continuously occupied until his death. He was a man of deep research, a close student, and his skill and ability were widely recognized, and the confidence of the public in his superiority as a physician and surgeon was manifest in his ex- tensive practice, which constantly grew until it had assumed large proportions. During his en- tire residence in Aurora his home w'as upon the same site, — the site which is now occupied by the fine residences owned by his two daughters. In addition to his practice Dr. Howell became interested in financial matters in the county. He was a stockholder in the private banking house of Bishop & Coulter, and when it was merged into the Union National Bank he was made vice- president. The bank has since liquidated. He also became one of the founders of the Aurora National Bank in 1883 and was its first president, ser\-ing thus until his life's labors were ended. He possessed superior ability as a financier and made this the most popular banking institution of Aurora. The Doctor possessed many of the traits of the early Howells, was prepossessing in appearance and his executive force was remarkable. He was a man of strong will and would tolerate no in- terference with whatever he thought was right and honest. His firmness of character, however, never degenerated into stubbornness or impul- sive haste. He was a man of keen, clear judg- ment, giving opinions only after careful reflec- tion; but when once his mind was made up that he was right, nothing could swerve him from his honorable course of upholding his opinions, unbiased by fear or favor. This made him in business somewhat austere, but in private life and among his friends and family he was a most genial, agreeable and companionable gentleman, kind, tolerant and loving; and it seemed that he could not do too much to promote the welfare or enhance the happiness of his family. The Doctor's only grown son was his greatest pride, and certainly he deserved his father's ad- miration. Edwin Ben Howell was born in Mores- ville. New York, September 17, 1852, was grad- uated at the Chicago Medical College, and began the practice of his profession in Aurora and be- came eminent as a surgeon. He was thoroughly devoted to his chosen work and was always a deep student. In order to perfect himself more thoroughly in the science of medicine, he went a1)road and studied in Vienna, Paris, Prague and London. While in Vienna he was married to Etoile Coulter, of Aurora, whom he wedded No- vember 18, 1875. Failing health caused him to 350 BronilAPIIICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE go to California in liopc that the mild climate of the Pacific slope would prove beneficial, but all to no avail, and he passed away February 4, 1887. The untimely death of the son was keenly felt by the father, and probably hast- ened his own death, which resulted from pneu- ing jurists. monia, April 19, 1887. The surviving chil- dren of Dr. Howell are Marion, wife of T. N. Holden, a prominent business man of Aurora, by whom she has two sons, Frank and Ben; and Annie, wife of Frank Annis, one of Aurora's lead- JOHN P. HOPKINS, CHICAGO. CHICAGO'S well-known and popular ex- mayor, has a remarkable record; and from the study of his life history one may learn valuable lessons. The spirit of self-help is the source of all genuine worth in the indi- vidual and is the means of bringing to man success when he has no advantages of wealth or influence to aid him. It illustrates in no uncertain manner what it is possible to ac- complish when perseverance and determination form the keynote to a man's life. Depending on his own resources, looking for no outside aid or support, he has risen from comparative ob- scurity to a place of prominence both in the com- mercial and political world. The town of Pull- man owes much to him on account of his con- nection with her business interests, and Chicago is indebted to him for much that he has done in her behalf. Though the rivalry and strife of po- litical life will always cause strong opposition, there are many who are opposed to Mr. Hopkins politically that are generous and just enough to acknowledge his merit. , A native of Buffalo, New York, he was born on the 29th of October, 1858, and is the seventh in a family of twelve children, whose parents were John and Mary (Flynn) Hopkins. He ac- quired his primary education in the public and private schools of his native city and then en- tered St. Joseph's College, which he left in the year 1871. He had no capital with which to make a start in a business career, but possessed a commendable ambition and resolved to win suc- cess. For two and a half years he served an ap- prenticeship to the David Bell Company, of Buf- falo, learning the machinist's trade, and from there he transferred his energies to the Evans Elevator Company, with which he continued for two years, serving in the capacity of weighniaster. Mr. Hopkins' connection with Chicago began in December, 1880, and in IMarch, 1881, he se- cured a position as requisition clerk in the store- room of the Pullman Palace Car Company. With immense corporations of this character promotion is obtained only through ability and integrity, and after two months ]\Ir. Hopkins was advanced to the position of timekeeper. Three months later he was made general timekeeper and three months later became paymaster, which position he held until September, 1888, when he was compelled to resign on account of other pressing duties. In 1885 he established a store in the Arcade. The business was organized under the name of the Arcade Trading Company, with a capital stock of ten thousand dollars, and Mr. Hopkins was elected its secretary and treasurer. The capital has since been increased to fifteen thousand dol- lars and eight large stores are now conducted un- der the name of the Secord & Hopkins Company. The business has been conducted on system- atic, methodical principles, and an idea of the success which has attended the enterprise is in- dicated by the greatly increased facilities. It is frequently said that a good politician cannot be a good business man, but Mr. Hopkins is a strik- ing contradiction of this idea, for he is equally prominent in both lines. His connection with the Democratic party has continued over several years in this city, and he has made his way to the foremost ranks of De- mocracy in Cook county. He organized the an- nexation movement and conducted the campaign which resulted in the annexation to the city of the towns of Hvde Park, Lake, Cicero, Jefiferson and )/^_ » ^ ^^ REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. nr.i Lake \'ie\v, whereby the area of the citv was in- creased by 150 square miles and 265,000 people were added to the population. This splendid re- sult was largely accomplished through the earnest and untiring efforts of the mayor, who acted as chairman of the annexation committee. He was chairman of the Democratic campaign committee in 1890, 1891 and 1892, and in the last named year was a delegate to the national convention and was assistant sergeant-at-arms in that as- sembly. He was one of the organizers of the Cook County Democratic Club, and for four years served as its president. He has served as school U'easuriT, and in various other ways has been promiiu'utlv connected with official interests. Upon the death of Hon. Carter Harrison, when the mayoralty chair was left vacant, he came be- fore the people on the Democratic ticket as a candidate for the office and won the election, thus becoming Chicago's chief magistrate. His con- nection with political affairs had hitherto been of rather a c|uiet nature, but the leaders of the De- mocracy recognized his intrinsic worth and the ability which would enable him to control the destinies of the second city of the Union. Mr. Hopkins is an honored and popular mem- ber of the following social clubs: The Iroquois, Columbus, Sunset, Waubansee, the Jeffersi Youns: Men's Christian Association he is warmly attaclied and has devoted much time to its inter- ests, and contributed Hbcrally toward its advance- ment. Mr. Wilson was united in marriasrc to Miss S. A. lioxie, of Erie county, Pennsvlvania, in 1850, who died in 1882. Their three children were: Clara J., the wife of G. W. Kretzinger, the well-known lawyer of Chicago; Mary, now de- ceased, who was the wife of F. A. Head, of Rock Island: and Annetta M., now Mrs. W. A. Ross, who resides with her father. HENRY C. STAVER, CHICAGO'S enterprise and commercial ac- tivity, which characterize both the city and the jicople, naturally cause one to ask what are a man's business connections. The business historv of Hcnrv- C. Staver is one well known to the pub- lic, for the house of Staver & Abbott has a national reputation: but by no means are the energies of the man who stands at its head devoted entirely to trade. Family, friends, church and State claim his attention, and he is widely known as an ear- nest worker for the advancement of all that will promote the interests of city, State and nation. He discharges every church and social obliga- tion with a fidelity that is above question, and in the home life he is a pleasant, genial gentleman, whose social qualities have endeared him to many friends. A native of Pennsylvania, Mr. Staver was born in Loganton, Clinton county, in 1844, but early became identified with the West, the family lo- cating upon a farm in Green county, W^isconsin, during the pioneer days of that region. He de- scended from Holland and Scotch ancestry, the former crossing the Atlantic in the latter part of the eighteenth century. He was reared amid the wild scenes of frontier life, and after a few winter weeks or perhaps months spent in the district school, with the advent of spring he would begin work on the farm and has aided in clearing many an acre of wild land. He manifested considerable mechanical ability, and, his father purchasing a threshing-machine when he was sixteen years of age, he began its operation and successfully con- tinued it until he left the old homestead, on at- taining his majority. There is no indecision in his character, and though he is not over-hasty in reaching a conclu- sion when he arrives at a determination he at once acts upon it. He resolved to leave the farm — wishing to enter into other lines of business — and did so. In 1865 he went to Warren, Illinois, where he met an agent for an Eastern firm who was sell- ing a patent clothes-line and engaged with him to sell the line on conunission. He was successful in making sales, but unsuccessful in collecting his commission of one hundred and twenty-five dollars from the agent, who left leaving many debts behind. Mr. Staver was thus left without a cent to meet his board bill, but undiscouraged he sought other employment. Not long afterward he noticed some men trving tmsuccessfully to put together a reaper in front of a warehouse of an implement dealer of the towti. The important events of life often hinge on little things, and this was the turning point in his destiny. After watching the endeavors of the men for a few minutes he remarked that he could set up that machine, and the dealer replied, "If you can, set it up; go ahead." Here the knowl- edge of farm machinery which he had acquired in his youth was brought into requisition, and the machine was soon in position. The dealer then inquired what he would work for, and Mr. Staver said that he would work for his board un- til his employer could see what he could do. For five months he continued in that line of business, acting as salesman among the farmers, and when the season closed the dealer gave him two hun- dred dollars for the five months' work, besides crediting to his account sixty-seven dollars and fifty cents that had been advanced to help him along, — an evidence not only that his work was successful but that it was appreciated. Mr. Staver resolved to continue in tlic imple- 362 BIOORAPIIICAL DICTIONAIiY AXD PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE ment V'lisiiicss and entered tlie employ of a well- known implement house of Monroe, Wisconsin, acting as field-man and salesman and meeting with signal success. He has the splendid power of reading character, which greatly aided him in his sales, and he continued in the employ of that firm until the spring of 1871, when the firm of Staver Brothers was organized and began doing business in IMonroe. In the succeeding autumn they consolidated their business with that of John Harper, under the firm name of Harper & Staver Brothers, which was continuevas destroyed h\ fire. The blow was a stagger- ing one, for the firm lost all the capital which they had brought with them. Though disheartened, tlie young merchants were not dismayed. They soon re-established their business, having the credit which industry and integrity always bring. They had imbibed with the broader and freer life of the West, that indomitable spirit of enterprise which has characterized the people of Chicago and enabled them to build up a metropolis whose record is uncqualed by that of any other Ameri- can city. The business prospered under prudent and sagacious management and the enterprising partners gained a high standing in the busi- ness circles of the city. They brought to the conduct of the business that fairness and care for the interest of their custom- ers which enabled them to consult as wcil the advantage of the buyer as that of the seller, so that trade became mutually advantageous. In 1870 the style of the firm was changed to that of Gage Brothers & Company, Mr. Webster retir- ing, and Seth and Albert S. Gage, a brother and nephew of the senior proprietor, being admitted. A second time disaster overtook the business, in the destruction of the store and stock by the great fire of 1871. The experience in the past now stood the subject of our sketch in good stead, and the insurance, which was ample, had been chosen with such care and judgment that it paid eighty-five cents on the dollar, — a phenomenal ^£//^^^^.^- REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME :r, record in that unparalleled disaster, and the firm was enabled to pay all its indebtedness and re- sume active business ten days later in new quar- ters taken immediately in the residence district and fitted for their requirements in that short time. For the next fourteen years die business went on with unvar>-ing success. In 1S70, immedi- ately after graduation at the Chicago high school, Frank X. Gage, a son of our subject, became con- nected with it, and, with growing experience and successful application, manifested ability to di- rect operations, enabling Mr. Gage, senior, to give his personal attention more to his now large estate and less to the affairs of the store, and in 1881 to retire entirely, the business continuing, however, under the same name and style until 1885, when the son also severed his connection and engaged in other matters. ^Ir. Gage established a character for business lionor and integrity. While attentive to his af- fairs, and thoroughly engrossed in their manifold details, he was not unmindful of the duties which society and citizenship imposed upon him. He was kind, considerate and helpful to the poor and unfortunate, not only in extending pecuniary aid in cases of need, but in entering into their lives with the sympathy and personal help which the claims of a common humanity exact from kind and generous souls. Mr. Gage was connected with St. Paul's Uni- versalist Church, in whose welfare and work of religion and charity he was an active worker, and of which his son is now a trustee. His death occurred June 11, 1887. He was mourned not only by his surviving family, but by all who had the privilege of being associated with him, and not least by the poor and unfor- tunate, who had been sharers in his kindness and bounty, and who looked upon him as a friend indeed. From one of the earliest and most honored of England's families Mr. Gage descended, his an- cestors dating their connection with England from the days of the conquest when William the Conqueror left his home in Xormandy and won dominion over the "Merry Isle." Among his followers was the founder of the Gage family in England, and for the part which he took in the war he was given a large grant of land in the for- ests of Dean, Gloucester county. In that locality he established the family abode, having a fine old mansion at Clerkenwell in the midst of the forest. He also had a home in the town of Chichester, and in that abode his life's labors were ended and he was laid to rest in the neighboring abbev. His descendants lived for many generations in the vicinity of the old mansion which he built and flemished two baronial representatives to Parlia- ment during the reign of King Henni- II. They were honored by their sovereign and were recog- nized leaders in the political life of the new king- dom. Thus they lived in Gloucester county until the beginning of the fifteenth century, when history mentions John Gage, an honored resident of that locality. He had a son, John, who was bom in 1408 and married Joan Sudgrove. They became the parents of a son to whom they gave the name of John, and who won favor with his sovereign. By the latter he was knighted and henceforth known as Sir John. He married Eleanor St. Clere, and departed this life September 30, i486. Thirty years previous his son, William Gage, Esquire, was born, and married Agnes Bolney, by whom he had a son that bore the old family name of John. He was bom in 1480, and be- came a knight of the realm in 1541. He married Phillippa Guilderford, and died April 28, 1557. His eldest son bore the title of Sir Edward, being knighted by Queen Mar\'. He wedded Eliza- beth Parker and the eldest of their nine sons was Esquire John, who at his father's death fell heir to fifteen manors and other Sussex land. Another member of the family, a nephew, John, was made a baronet on the 26th of ^farch, 1622, and married Penelope, widow of Sir George Trenchard. His death occurred October 3, 1633. It was about this time that representatives of the family left the mother land, and the Gages be- came connected with American history. John, the second son, lived in Stoneham, Suffolk county, England. The era of American colonization had now come and John Gage sailed for the New World, in company with John Winthrop, Jr. The dangers of the ocean voyage were at length passed and New England's shores welcomed the strangers, who landed at Salem on the 12th of 378 BIOaiiAPUICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE luiic, 1630. Three years later John Gage be- came one of the twelve proprietors of Ipswich. His wife Anna died in June, 1658, and in Novem- ber of that year he wedded Mary Keyes, remov- ing with his family to Rowley, Massachusetts, in 1664. He became one of the leaders in the public affairs of the colony and was honored with many responsible positions in that place and in Ipswich. His death occurred in 1673. His second son, Daniel, was married in 1675 to Sarah Kimball, and died November 8, 1705. Their son, Daniel, born March 12, 1676, married Martha Burbank, on the 9th of March, 1697, and made a home on the bank of the Merrimac river on the main road to Methuen. The residence which he erected is still standing, the oldest h use in the town. ror almost two centuries it has looked down upon many of the scenes that go to form American history, long out-living its founder, who died ]\Iarch 14, 1747. The third son of his family also bore the name of Daniel, and was born April 22, 1708. He became a resident of Pelham, New Hampshire, and died there September 24, 1775. His fourth son, David, was born on the 9th of August, 1750, and became the father of Nathan, who was the fifth child of the fam- ily and the father of the gentleman whose name heads this review. Nathan Gage was born May 27, 1791, and on the 29th of May, 1817, was united in marriage with Mehitable Woodbury. His death occurred February 20, i860. WILLIAM R. PRICKETT, EDWARDSVILLE. WE are now permitted to touch briefly upon the life history of one who has retained a personal association with the affairs of the State of Illinois for a ntmiber of years, and one whose ancestral line traces back to the Colonial epoch. His life has been one of honest and earn- est endeavor and due success has not been denied him. Mr. Prickett is a native son of the little city where he still retains his residence. His parents, Isaac and Nancy (Lamkin) Prickett, came to Illi- nois in 181 8, from Kentucky. The father be- came a man of much prominence and influence in the affairs of his section, and other members of the family also rose to distinguished prefer- ment. Tlie early education of our subject was received in the subscription schools of Edwardsville, which he attended until he had attained the age of fifteen years, and then he was sent to the West- ern Military Institute in Kentucky, where Gen- eral Bushrod R. Johnson (afterward celebrated as a Confederate officer) was president. After two years' attendance at this school he returned to his home in Illinois and entered Illinois Col- lege, at Jacksonville, where he completed his studies in 1856. After returning home he was employed at different times in the offices of both the county and circuit clerk, previously having been for a time a clerk in a mercantile establish- ment. Mr. Prickett has been twice married, his first wife being the daughter of Hon. Edward M. West and his second wife the daughter of Judge Joseph Gillespie. Of his first marriage four children were born, three of whom are living. In 1859 Mr. Prickett became identified with real estate operations and the extending of finan- cial loans, and this enterprise he conducted with such discernment and discrimination that his ef- forts were remarkably successful. He was elected major of the One Hundred and Fiftieth Illinois Volunteer Infantry and served until the expiration of his term of enlistment. He became associated with E. M. West in the establishment of a private banking house in Ed- wardsville in 1868, and this was successfully con- ducted under the firm name of West & Prickett until the death of Mr. West, on the 30th of Octo- ber, 1887, since which time the bank has been conducted by our subject and his son, imder the title of William R. Prickett & Company. Mr. Prickett became identified with the Ma- sonic order at the age of twenty-one years. He REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF TUB UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 37'J is also a member of the Army of the Cumberland, the Grand Army of the Repubhc, and the Loyal Legion of the United States. For twenty-five vears he has been an influential factor in the political afYairs of the coimty, being a stalwart Democrat, and having served with signal ability as a member of the county committee. He has twice been sent to the Illinois General Assem- bly, was presidential elector from his district in 1892, and is now serving as mayor of his native city. A man of unswerving integrity and honor, one who has a perfect appreciation of the higher ethics of life, jNIajor Prickett has gained and re- tained the confidence and respect of his fellow men, and is distinctively one of the leading citi- zens of the thriving city of Edwardsville, with whose interests he has alwavs been identified. PHILIP C HAYES, TOLIET. THIRTV-l'Ol'R years have passed since I'ort Sumter was fired upon, l)ut time will never serve to dim the brilliant record made by lite heroes wlio wore the blue and preserved the natirm as an unbroken L^nion. Prominent among these is niunbered General Philip C. Hayes, one of Illinois' most honored and esteemed sons. He was bom February 3, 1833, in Granby, Connecti- cut, and comes of a family of Scotch origin which was founded in America in 1680 by George Hayes, who located in Windsor, Connecticut. Of the same branch of the family to which the General belongs was President R. B. Hayes, the relationship of third cousins e.xisting between them. They are both direct descendants of Ezekiel Hayes, the third son of Daniel Hayes, who was the eldest son of the founder of the fam- ily in America. The parents of our subject were Gaylord and Mary Goodrich (Humphrey) Hayes. The family has been noted for its loyalty and pat- riotism from its earliest settlement in this country, and among the heroes of the Revolution was num- bered the great-grandfather of our subject, who served with distinction in that struggle for inde- pendence, while Gaylord Hayes and his brother Ezekiel were both soldiers of the American army in the war of 181 2. In the fall of 1833 General Hayes of this re- view was brought by his parents to the West, who located near Ottawa, La Salle count>', Illi- nois, where the father engaged in farming. There the General spent his early childhood, and at the tender age of twelve years, being left an orphan, he was forced to enter life's battle for himself. Necessity demanded that he should earn his own living, and at the age of fifteen we find him work- ing as a farm hand for the meager compensation of eight dollars per month. In the winter season he worked for his board and the privilege of at- tending the country schools of the neighborhood. Thus he acquired a good English education, and at the age of nineteen began teaching school, which profession he followed a portion of the time for several years. In the meantime he continued his studies privately, thus preparing to enter col- lege. Realizing the need and value of an educa- tion, he determined to grasp every opportunity that would enable him to secure it, and eventually he became a student in Farmridge Seminary of La Salle county, Illinois. On the ist of Septem- ber, 1855, he entered the preparatory school at Oberlin, Ohio, and a year later became a regular student in the college at that place, graduating in September, i860. He had determined to devote his life to the work of the ministry, and when his literary education was completed he took up the study of theology-, which he was diligently pur- suing at the time of the opening of the Civil war. General Hayes had watched with consternation and interest the threatening aspect of the South and the progress of events which preceded the struggle, and resolved that if war was begun he would strike a blow in defense of the Union. Therefore, on the first call of President Lincoln for seventy-five thousand troops, General Hayes responded, enlisting as a private. When the company was formed he was elected its captain, but the State had alrcad)- furnished more troops 380 DlOORAPniCAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE than its regular <|u- Mr. Winkelmann is a member of the County Fair Association, and takes a most commend- able interest in ever\-thing pertaining to the pro- motion, upbuilding and welfare of his adopted city. The residence of Mr. Winkelmann, located at No. 212 Abend street, is the finest in Belleville. The building is eighty feet long and contains eighteen rooms, richly furnished and handsomely adorned with all the beautiful works that wealth can procure and artistic taste devise. The grounds, ninety by two hundred and forty-seven feet in area, are handsomely ornamented with flowers anrl trees. The well kept outbuildings include a large stable ami carriage house, in which is the finest turnout to be seen in Belle- ville, consisting of a magnificent carriage, a splendid pair of bays and silver-mounted harness, always at the disposal of Mrs. Winkelmann. In 1855 Mr. Winkelmann was united in mar- riage with Miss Elizabeth Hanger, of Missouri, daughter of Judge David Hanger. They had one son, William, who died in 1884, at the age of thirtv-two years. The mother passed away in 1882. On the 5th of December, 1883, our sub- ject was again married, his second union being with Mrs. Lucretia J. Shook, widow of Isaac Shook. Their tastes are so similar that the union is a perfectly harmonious one, and their home life might well be termed ideal. Mrs. 384 nroanAPJiTCAL nwrioNAnT and PoiiTiiAir oallery of the Wiiikelmann is a lady of culture aiul refinement who presides with gracious dignity over her beautiful home, extending a wami-hearted hospi- tality to her many friends. She finds her great- est ha])i)iness in devoting herself to her husband, and her many virtues have won her the warm re- gard of many friends. Laying aside the cares and responsiljilitics of business life, Mr. Winkcl- mann finds his greatest happiness in returning to his home, where joy and contentment reign supreme and all his leisure hours are spent in the companionship of her who is indeed his helpmeet. A good library, containing the standard English works, indicates a high literary taste. His law library is the finest in southern Illinois, and num- bers two thousand volumes of State reports, of eight different States, together with a large number of textbooks. After a pure, honor- able and useful life, actuated by unselfish motives, promj)ted by patriotism and guided by truth and justice, he may rest assured that the people of his county are not unmindful of him who has devoted himself to their in- terests. JAMES P. BUCK, A. M., M. D., AMONG those who devote their time and en- ergies to the practice of medicine and have gained a leading place in the ranks of the profes- sion is Dr. Buck. He was born on the 19th of Februaiy, 1856, in Cambria county, Pennsylvania, and descended from German-American ancestry, the family having been established in northern Cambria county during pioneer days. His par- ents were John and Rachel (Sherry) Buck. The father served as sheriff of his county for a term of three years, and afterward was honored by an election to represent his district in the State leg- islature during the years 1874-5-6. In the family were ten sons and two daughters. Two of the brothers became bankers, two entered the med- ical profession and others were engaged in mer- cantile pursuits, while both sisters were quite ac- complished as musicians. From humble surroundings our subject has risen to his present position of eminence. He acquired his early education in the district schools, but subsequently entered St. Vincent College of Latrobe, Pennsylvania, where he was graduated with the degree of ^Master of Arts in 1876. He then turned his attention to teaching, which he followed for two seasons, but it was his desire to engage in the practice of medicine and during that time he began private study. In 1877 he en- tered Jefferson Medical College, of Philadelphia, from which he was graduated in 1879. Immedi- ately afterward he opened an ofifice in western Pennsylvania, where for five years he engaged in the prosecution of his chosen calling; but he was ambitious to advance, for there w^as something in his nature that never could be content with medi- ocrity. He desired to gain perfection as nearly as possible, and to this end resolved to take a trip abroad for the purpose of securing the further opportunity and superior character of study of the medical schools of A^ienna and Heidelberg. He also visited the universities of Berlin and Prague and engaged in practice in the various hospitals of the alxive named cities. On com- pleting his studies the Doctor entered the Servian army, then at war with Bulgarian-Roumania, as surgeon with the rank and title of captain. His time was thus passed through 1885 and 1886, and then he resigned his commission. His spe- cialty has always been surgery, and his army serv- ice gave him ample opportunity in this line. He received many tokens of esteem from the officers and others high in rank, and won the love of all with whom he came in contact. In company with Dr. Bridges he also had charge of a military hospital. When he resigned his commission he became assistant to Professor Hock, lecturer on the diseases of the eye at the Vienna Polyclinic. While attending the university of Vienna he was elected as president of the American Club of Physicians then visiting in that city. It was or- ganized to promote the interests of American students, but on account of the fact that it did not REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 385 come under the rules of the university the author- ities caused it to disband. In the autumn of 1887, after an extended stay in Europe, during which lie had advanced by rapid strides in his profession, Dr. Buck returned to his native land, and came to Chicago, where he entered upon the practice of medicine, rapidly acquiring a large and distinctive patronage which he now enjoys. He has, however, made a specialty of surgery, and has performed almost every oper- ation known to the science, meeting with most excellent success and thereby gaining the repu- tation second to none in the city. His kindly and benevolent spirit is manifest by the readiness with which he responds to a call that comes from one from whom he knows he can receive no possible remuneration. His home is now adorned with many decorations received from institutions and individuals in acknowledgment of favors ren- dered. He has that true love for his work with- out which there can be no success, and has always been a progressive physician, constantly improv- ing on his own and others" methods and gaining further encouragement and inspiration from the performance of each day's duties. He is a mem- ber of the Chicago Medical Society, of the Na- tional Medical Society and of the Chicago Ger- niania Mjennerchor. Since his boyhood the Doctor has manifested an inventive genius, but his great love for and steady application to his chosen profession over- shadowed and kei)t dormant his resourceful cre- ative faculties; and although he was ever willing to extend his aid, which always proved valuable in such cases, to those who came to him for help in perfecting some invention, he has never until lately given his attention to inventing on his own account. Recently, however, he has perfected and patented many valuable instruments and ap- pliances especially adapted to various departments of medical operation. He is an ardent and de- voted student of modem medical and surgical methods and essays, ever desirous of improving with the years his knowledge of his profession, also of general subjects and of sciences. He is in every way a student, and his researches have by no means been confined to the line of his pro- fession, but have been carried far and wide into other fields of investigation. Nature in its vari- ous aspects has a great charm for him and es- pecially is he interested in animate creation. He is a great lover of birds and animals, and his elegant home and spacious reception rooms re- sound with the music of sweet-singing birds, of varied and valuable species. Dr. Buck is a man of medium height, of genial manner and pleasing disposition, and is very pop- ular with all classes of people. While in school and college he was a general favorite with the students as well as the teachers. Wherever he goes the Doctor wins friends and has the happy faculty of being able to retain them. His pop- idarit\- has made him a great favorite in all circles. VESPASIAN WARNER, CLINTON. HON. VESPASIAN WARNER, a member of Congress from the Thirteenth District of Illinois and an honored citizen of Clinton, was bom in Mt. Pleasant, now Farmers' City, De Witt county, Illinois, on the 23d of April, 1842, and is a son of John and Cynthia A. (Gard- iner) Warner. On the father's side the family is of German ancestry, while his mother's people were of Scotch lineage. In 1843 John Warner removed with his family to Clinton, and Ves- pasian attended the common and select schools 25 of that city, after which he further pursued his studies in Lombard University, of Galesburg, Illinois. Determining to enter the legal pro- fession and make the practice of law his life work, he began studying in the ofifice of Hon. Lawrence Weldon, of Clinton, an eminent attorney, now one of the judges of the United States court of claims. Mr. Warner continued there until the 13th of June, 1861. A month previous Fort Sumter had been fired upon and the country was now 38(5 nwnn.\piiWAT. nicrioNARr and ran trait oallery of the cng'at^'cd in civil war, wliicli tlircatciicd to dis- rupt the l^nioii. Prompted by a spirit of patri- otism, Mr. Warner offered his services to the government, enlisting as a private of Company E, Twentieth Illinois Infantry. He remained in the ranks until February 5, 1862, when his mer- itorious conduct won him the straps of a second lieutenant. He faithfully followed the old flag until the 13th of July, 1866, when he was hon- orably discharged. He had for some time been captain and brevet major, and fearlessly served with his command at the battles of Fredericks- town, Fort Henry, Fort Donelson, Shiloh, Cor- inth, Port Gibson, Raymond, Jackson, Cham- pion Hills, Black river, the siege and surren- der of Vicksburg and the engagements of the Georgia campaign up to the fall of Atlanta. He received a gtinshot wound at the battle of Shiloh, and being disabled at Atlanta was sent to the North. Early in 1865 he was ordered to the plains, where a campaign was being conducted against hostile Indians, and in the arduous serv- ice of the frontier he was engaged until being mustered out. When Major Warner returned to his home he at once resumed his law studies, entering the law department of Harvard University, where he was graduated in the class of 1868. Return- ing to his old home in Clinton, he at once opened an office and entered upon the practice of his chosen profession, forming a partnership with Hon. C. H. Moore, under the firm name of Moore & Warner, which still continues. He engages in general practice, and his thorough knowledge of the law and his ability as an or- ator have made him an able advocate, winning him prominence in the ranks of the profession. He is always ready in his application of the fun- damental principles of law, exhaustive in his examinations of the subject, painstaking in weighing and comparing authorities, simple and concis;e in his arrangement of facts and clear and logical in his deductions. His statement of the case is natural, forcible and convincing. In political circles Mr. Warner is prominent, and is an active and enthusiastic worker in the interests of his party. His services are in demand as a campaign orator. He filled the offices of colonel and judge advocate general of Illinois through the administrations of Governors Ham- ilton, Oglesby and Fifer. In 1888 he was elected a Republican presidential elector, and in 1880 serv'ed as a Grant delegate to the Republican convention in Chicago, which nominated Gen- eral Garfield for the presidency. In 1894 he was elected a Congressman from the Thirteenth Dis- trict, receiving twenty thousand eight hundred and ninety-six votes against twelve thousand seven hundred and twenty-five cast for A. J. Barr, the Democratic candidate. ■Socially he is connected with the Masonic fraternit)', with the Grand Army of the Repub- lic and the Sons of Veterans, his own service entitling him to membership in the former, while his father, having been one of the boys in blue, enables him to hold membership with the lat- ter. Mr. Warner is fond of travel and has vis- ited Alaska and crossed the European conti- nent, visiting Italy, Germany, France, Austria, Belgium, England and Ireland. In 1868 Mr. Warner was united in marriage with Miss Winifred Moore, his partner's daugh- ter. She died in June, 1894, leaving three sons and two daughters. ^^^t^yv-c^^l^y} REPRESENTATIVE MEN OP THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 387 SAMUEL WARE PACKARD, CHICAGO. TPIE man who wins prominence at the bar in Cook county must be possessed of far more than ordinary abilit}', for some of the bright- est minds of the legal world are here found. He must have a thorough understanding of law, a keen perception, logical reasoning, forcible argu- ment and above all habits of painstaking, patient industry. Not by inheritance, by purchase or l)y gift can he win reputation in his chosen calling. It must come as the reward of true merit. All must begin on a common plane and rise to emi- nence by perseverance, industry and ability, or fall back into the ranks of mediocrity. Like all others, S. W. Packard started out to win a name and a place for himself, and his success has made him known throughout much of the West. Samuel Packard, of Windham, England, crossed tiie sea and found a new home at Hing- ham, in Plymouth Colony, in 1638. One of hi'; descendants. Rev. Theophilus Packard, D.D., a celebrated Congregational minister, is known in history as one of the founders of Amherst College and for many years was a trustee of Williams College. For half a century he and his son, also a Congregational mhiister, preached to one church in Shelbume, Franklin county, Alassachusetts. That son, Rev. Theophilus Packard, Jr., mar- ried Elizabeth Parsons Ware, a daughter of Rev. Samuel Ware, of Ware, Massachusetts, and they are the parents of Samuel Ware Packard, lawyer of Chicago, who was born in Shelbume, J\Iassa- cluisetts, the old home of the Packards, November 29, 1847. These brief genealogical notes will ex- plain why ^Ir. Packard has, all through his life, exhibited many of the peculiarities and clung tenaciously to the tenets of the strictest sect of New England puritans. In sketching the principal events of Mr. Pack- ard's life it may be said that he came to Chicago young, and that circumstances compelled him to look out for himself when a boy of only sixteen. In his case his profession was chosen for him by his old family physician, who met him as he was going from place to place seeking employment, and after licaring what he had to say for himself. bluntly informed young Packard that h.e was in- tended for the law, and that a place would be made for him in the office of the Doctor's brother- in-law, Joseph N. Barker, of the firm of Barker & Tuley. As events have proved the Doctor's judgment was correct, and whatever other good thing was spoiled when ]\Ir. Packard became a lawyer, there can be no doubt that a better lawyer would have been spoiled had he become that "something else!" From tlie spring of 1864 until the fall of 1865 he was a student with this firm, and, aided by a somewhat premature beard and considerable per- tinacity (both of which he may have found it neces- sary to cultivate !), he succeeded meanwhile in Vi urking up a little instructive and perhaps not iinremuncrativc practice, making his first appear- ance as advocate in any court, before a justice of the peace, at the age of seventeen. After attending the Shelburne Falls Academy and the Williston Seminary, at East Hampton, Massachusetts, he returned to Chicago in 1866, and after spending another year in the office of his former preceptors he was, in August, 1867, w!icn he was nineteen, admitted to practice before tlie supreme court of Illinois. In the following spring he formed a partnership with Colonel John S. Cooper, which existed for more than ten years, during a portion of which period Judge Gwynn Garnett and W. W. Gurle}- were members of the firm. Mr. Packard's rise to prominence was rapid. At the age of twenty-si^^, in 1874, he argued his first case in the United States supreme court. From 1877 to 1882, as attorney for the creditors of the Chicago & Illinois River Railroad, he car- ried a very complicated litigation to a successful issue, obtaining a hundred thousand dollars for clients who during the preliminary stages of the litigation had vainly attempted to effect a compro- mise for $10,000 1 The Yankton county (Dakota) bond case be- came famous, not only in the legal but in the civil and political histoiy of the West. Any one man who for a considerable time could prevent the recognition of one of our great territories as a 388 nioanAPiiicAL dictionauy and pouTUAir gallkry of the State, and that, too, net for political but for busi- ness reasons, would surely deserve some praise for his astuteness, pertinacit)- and power to make all means work to an end desired. That is pre- cisely what ]\Ir. Packard did a little more than a decade ago, in the case of southern Dakota, and in effecting such delay he not only secured three hundred thousand dollars to his clients but changed the complexion of the Territorial legis- lature and the whole policy of the Territorial gov- ernment; and it is to l>e noted, that, while these radical changes served the purpose of Mr. Pack- ard and his clients, their influence was for the honor and credit of the Territory. Yankton county had been bwidcd for $200,000, and after the sale of the bonds the supreme court of the Territory had declared them invalid. Mr. Packard took the case to the United States su- preme court, and there, with Hon. Matt. H. Car- penter as opposing counsel, obtained a reversal of this decision. After this he found his way ob- structed by certain acts of the Territorial leg- islature which prevented him from enforcing payment of the judgement for principal and ui- terest. Shortly after this, in 1882, a strong eFfort was made by the Republican parly, then in control of both houses of Congress, to procure the admis- sion of southern Dakota as a State. I\Ir. Packard recognized his opportunity and was prompt to avail himself of its advantages. He prepared a protest which was presented to Congress against the admission of the Territory on the ground that its legis- lature aided and abetted Yankton county in its action of repudiation, and until it purged its rec- ords of this disgrace he argued that it ought not to be admitted to the sisterhood of States. By circulars and pamphlets, which he scattered pro- fusely throughout all parts of the Union, he cre- ated so strong a sentiment in favor of this claim that it was found impossible to obtain a vote for the admission of southern Dakota while the Ter- ritory encouraged repudiation and dishonor. Upon the adjournment of Congress the delegate of the Territory informed his constituents that the Dakota admission bill could not be passed until the Yankton bond matter was settled and settled honorablv. He also advised the election of a legislature favorable to the payment of the debt. This advice was followed, and in the spring of 1883 a refunding act was passed, through the op- eration of which the matter was adjusted to the satisfaction of the bondholders. It was not until some years later that the Territory assumed the dignity of Statehood. Other cases of interest in which Mr. Packard has won notable triumphs in the courts might be mentioned, but these will perhaps suffice to indicate his resourceful ability and afford a clue to the success that has attended him throughout his precociously begun professional career. He is remarkable among lawyers at this bar for the wide research and provident care with which he prepares his cases. In no case has his reading ever been confined to the limitations of the ques- tions at issue; it has gone beyond and compassed every contingency and provided not alone for the expected but for the unexpected, which happens in the courts cjuite as frequently as out of them. He collected the third largest and finest private law library in Chicago, which he lately disposed of to the owners of the Ashland block at their so- licitation, after it became the custom of those in control of such buildings to supply libraries for the use of lawyers having offices in them, and took an office in the building adjoining the library. Mr. Packard's logical grasp of facts and of law ap- plicable to them, as well as his untiring industry and principles, have been some of the most potent elements in his success. In the argument of a case he exhibits a remarkable clearness of expres- sion, an adequate and precise diction, which en- ables him to make others understand not only the salient points of his argument but also to clearly understand the very fine analytical distinctions which dilTerentiate one legal principle from an- other. Mr. Packard would doubtless have succeeded in politics, but he has been too busy as a lawyer to take an exacting part in public afifairs. His views upon questions of public policy are very pronounced, however, and his influence may always be covmted upon in behalf of good govern- ment and the advancements of the interests of the whole people. He is a strong temperance man, and as such opposes saloon domination and in REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 889 every way exerts himself to hasten an era of ad- vanced temperance sentiment which will reduce the rum traffic to a minimum by the rule of reason and sobriety among the people at large. Mr. Packard was married June 23, 1874. to Miss Clara Fish, of Lombard, Illinois, and has five chil- dren: Stella Emily; Laura Elizabeth; Walter Eugene; Esther; and John Cooper Packard. JOSEPH FUESS, i;elleville. ABRILLLA.XT example of a self-made Amer- ican citizen and a grand exemplification of the progress that an ambitious foreigner can make in this country of unbounded opportunities, is shown in the case of Captain Fuess, one of the leading Gemian-American residents of Illinois. His singular success is due to his own energy and the high ideal which his lofty and laudable am- bition placed before him. Success in any walk of life is an indication of earnest endeavor and persevering effort, — characteristics that the Cap- tain possesses in an eminent degree. He was born in Baden, Germany, on the loth of March, 1842, and is the eldest in a family of seven children whose parents were Joseph and Margaret Fuess. During his infancy his parents crossed the Atlantic to America and located in St. Louis, where the father worked for a time as a laborer. In 1844 he moved to St. Clair county, Illinois, where he carried on farming unljl 1857. Joseph, as soon as old enough to handle the plow, began work in the fields and assisted his father in the labors of the farm until sixteen years of age, at the same time pursuing his studies in the common schools of the neighborhood. When a youth of sixteen he entered the high school of Belleville, where he remained for one year, after which he obtained a clerkship in a store. He was employed at clerical labor in St. Louis and in Belleville until the 15th of April, 1861. He had been a close student of the events of the times, and had watched the gathering of the dark cloud of war, which threatened to bring de- stniction upon the Union. With a loyalty unsur- passed by many native sons of the Republic, he offered his services to the Government and joined Company A, Ninth Illinois Infantry, for three months' service. Ere the expiration of that pe- riod both the South and the North found that the contest was to be no mere holiday affair, the former section being strongly determined to form a new nation, the latter equally determined that the L^nion should remain one and inseparable. Now that the stor\- of the war of the Rebellion has passed into history, the records of the soldiers of Illinois are as rich in deeds of daring and heroism as any page in the annals of the Revolution, and their names will live in the affections of their coun- trymen "to the last syllable of recorded time." Mr. Fuess re-enlisted for three years' service in Company H, Forty-third Illinois Infantrj-, and when that period had passed veteranized and was made captain of his company. Meritorious con- duct on the field of battle won him his promo'ion, and in November, 1865. he received an honorable discharge in Springfield. He participated in many of the most important engagements of the war, including the battle of Pittsburg Landing, the siege of \"icksburg. Little Rock, Arkansas, Jenkins' Ferry and others. He went south to participate in the Banks expedition and also took part in what was known as the Campdon expe- dition. Upon his return home. Captain Fuess em- barked in the dr}--goods business and still con- ducts one of the leading stores in Belleville. He is not only a successful merchant but has been the promoter of various other enterprises which have been of material benefit to the city as wel! as bringing to him prosperity. He is connected with the Pump & Skein ^^'orks, is a stockholder in the Sucker State Drill Works, and owns a large interest in the Malleable Iron \\'orks. Of the First National Bank of Belleville he has long been a director and has served as its president since 1879, its success being due to his capable management and ability as a financier. This bank has a paid up capital of one hundred thousand 390 lUOGRArilWAL DICTtOXAUY AND roUTUAIT GALLERY OF THE ddllars, witli a surplus of eighty thousand dollars. It has weathered the financial panics, and is con- ducted on a firm financial basis and sound busi- ness principles that commend it to the confidence and support of all. The tide of prosperity has been uninterrupted and to-day it is doing a larg-e business, which places it among the lead- ing financial institutions in this section of the State. The man who makes liberal donations in money whercAvith to beautify and adorn the city in which he lives deserves great credit, but the gratitude of the public is due to him who promotes commer- cial activity^ by establishing industries and enter- prises that furnish employment to many, thus giving men the means whereby to live, providing for the support of thertiselves and families, and retaining their own self-respect through the con- sciousness that their labor requites their employers for all that they receive. Captain Fuess has in this way done much for the upbuilding of Belle- ville, and the world is certainly better for his hav- ing lived. In politics Captain Fuess is a Republican and an active party man, yet not from any desire to hold office, for all public honors he declines. In- vestigation into political principles has convinced him that Republicanism is best calculated to pro- mote the welfare of the nation, and hence his support is given that party. He has many times been a delegate to the State and county conven- tions. Socially he is a member of the Hecker Post, G. A. R., and has served four times as its commander. In May, 1866, was consummated the marriage of Gaptain Fuess and ]\Iiss Eliza Fischer, by whom he had five children: Joscphina, wife of William P. Nerck, a lumber dealer of Belleville, and vice-president of the State Lumbermen's As- sociation ; Edward J., Walter W., Adolph C. and Ferdinand L. The mother died November, 1879, at the age of thirty-five. In May, 1881, the Cap- tain was joined in wedlock with Miss Anna Fischer, a sister of his first wife, and they have four children, — Camella, Elsie, Harn>' and Lillian. Mr3. Fuess is a lady of refinement and culture who presides with grace and dignity over their hospitable home. Choice works, both in German and English, indicate the literary tastes of the family, and art and music add their attractions to the home. In 1881 Captain Fuess once more crossed the Atlantic visiting Germany, France and England, and gazing upon the snow-capped x\lps of Switzer- land. The beauties of his adopted land are also familiar to him, and he has visited most of its principal cities. He finds in travel his chief source of rest and recreation, and has become, as every traveler does, a man of broad mind and liberal views. The Captain is easily approach- able, showing courtesy to all with whom he comes in contact, and is a companionable, genial gen- tleman, having a host of warm friends. In his home he is an indulgent father and kind and de- voted husband, and his genuine worth and many manly virues are widely recognized. He never acts except from honest motives and in all his varied relations in business affairs and in social life he has maintained a character and standing that has impressed all with his sincere and manly purpose to do by others as he would have others do bv him. REPRESENTATIVE MEX OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. m)l EDWARD E. HOLMAN, EDWARD EA^IES HOLMAN, bom at Alillville, Worcester county, Massachusetts, December 25, 1854, at an early agfe removed with his parents to a farm near Spring \"alley, Minne- sota; and at the age of fourteen left the farm and went to work in a printing-office in Spring \'al- lev, where he served an apprenticeship for three years, learning the printer's trade, and graduating at the high school in the meantime. At the age of eighteen he began teaching school and studying medicine, which course he pursued for three years, then entered the Hahnemann Medical College of Chicago, at which institution he graduated with honors in 1878. In May, 1878, he began the jiractice uf medicine at Warren. Jo Daviess county, Illinijis, where he remained until 1882, removing to Chicago to accq^t the chair of medical jurisprudence in the Hahnemann Medi- cal College, which position he held for three terms. He has resided in Chicago (Englewood) since 1882. He is general surgeon to the Englewood Union Hospital and a member of several medical societies, is past commander of Englewood Com- mandery, No. 59, Knights Templar, a thirty- second-degree Mason and a "Shriner;" also a member of the Chicagci Athletic Association. The Doctor has traveled quite extensively in this coun- try and in old Mexico. At one time he was a con- tributor of humorous articles for Nasby's paper, rhe Toledo Blade. He enjoyed the personal triendship of Generals Grant and Logan, also of Senator William Windom, who w'as an intimate friend of his parents. He can relate many inter- esting incidents of life on the farm, in the printing- office, as a pedagogue and of his early struggles to obtain an education. Benjamin F. Holman (father) was born at War- wick, ]\Iassachusetts, the seventh son; at the age of twelve he was apprenticed to learn the edged- tool trade; at seventeen he was foreman of large works; at twenty-one he was in partnership with his brother, Ansel Holman, manufacturer of axes and scythes, at Slatersville, Rhode Island; suc- ceeded in business, amassed a comfortable compe- tence, and in 1857 moved to Minnesota, took up a large tract of land, engaged in general farming, w as justice of the peace and county commissioner some fifteen years, and was a man of sterling in- tegrity and universally beloved. His sons say of him, '"We never knew him to tell a falsehood.'' He died at the age of seventy, from a ruptured blood-vessel, the result of violent exertion. One brother, Sewell Holman, was a literary genius, and printed with his pen the first paper ever pub- lished at Janesville, Wisconsin. Another brother, Russell Holman, was also a man of letters, a Bap- tist clergyman, who founded the first Baptist church in New Orleans, Louisiana. Another brother, Harvey Holman, was a merchant in St. Louis, Missouri, next in Chillicothe, Illinois, from which latter place early in the '50s he jour- neyed to California to regain his health, leaving his lousiness interests in the care of his partner, who in tw-o years robbed him of all he had and left him badly in debt. He returned in a few years, paid dollar for dollar, engaged in mercantile busi- ness again, was successful, and died a few years ago, aged seventy-five, leaving a fortune of two hundred thousand dollars. Susan C. Holman (mother) was born at Una- dilla, New York. Her maiden name was Eames. Her father died when she was a child, and she and her mother removed to Providence, Rhode Island, making their home with Rhodes Chapman, her mother's brother, who gave her a liberal edu- cation at Warren Seminary, Rhode Island. She was a beautiful woman, a lovely character, and very talented. On her mother's side she was a direct descendant of Roger Williams. She died of pneumonia, at the age of sixty-nine years. The Doctor has a brother, five years his senior, A. R. Holman, of Spring Valley, Min- nesota, who is well know-n throughout the North- west as an attorney for the Chicago, Mil- waukee & St. Paul Railroad, and as a pol- itician. The Doctor also has two sisters, botli married and living at Faribault, Mii;- ncsota. 392 DIOOUAPIIICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF TllE ZIMRI ALLEN ENOS, Sl'RINCJFIELD. ZA. ENOS was born in St. Louis, Missouri, . September 29, 1821. His father, Pascal P. Enos (a biography of whom appears elsewhere in this vohmne), was the pioneer receiver of the land office in Springfield, and was during- his life- time the leading citizen of central Illinois. He was one of the four proprietors of the Springfield town-site and was the leading spirit among the early settlers nf Hk- State. The mother of our subject, Salome Enos, nee Paddock, was born in Woodstock, Windsor county, Vemiont, March 12, 1791, amd -bore in her veins some of the best blood of the New England colonies. Maternally she was a descendant of the Woods family, which for several generations had been active in the development of the Colonies. She was indeed a remarkabki woman. She was left a widow at the age of thirty-nine years, in 1832, with a family of six children. When her hus- band died he possessed a large amount of real estate heavily incumbered. For many >-c(ars thereafter she was forced to use a great amount of business sagacity and prudence to retain the property and save it for herself and children dur- ing many years of financial depression, — the dec- ade between 1840 and 1850 being especially noted for its lack of prosperity. Mrs. Enos bravely and courageously protected the interests of herself and children and throughout all of her trials displayed a charming womanliness that endeared her to all with whom she came in contact. She died in 1877, in her eighty-seventh year of age, survived bv three children, her eldest son, Pascal P., having passed away in February, 1867, and the eldest daughter, Martha M., liaving died in 1837, when hvelve years oi age. The surviving members of the family are Z. A., Susan P. and Julia R., the wadow of the late Hon. Ozias M. Hatch. Mr. Z. A. Enos came to what is now Spring- field with his parents in September, 1823, when two years old. He has tlierefore spent some seventy-two years as a resident of this vicinity, and can probably relate more of the evaits of the early history of this historical section of our coun- try than any other one of its citizens at present residing here. His recollections of the early days are full of interest to all lovers of history, and in a few more years, when the last of the early setders of Illinois will have passed the dark river of death, the events of their early lives — the pen pictures of themselves and their associates and ancestors — will live only in books. The body of man is mortal: his histDry, printed in books, is immortal. Man dies, but what he writes or what is written of him lives on forever. The opportunities for obtaining knowledge were necessarily very meager in those days. The schoolteacher knew but little more than a third grade scholar of to-day. However, the mother of our subject was determined that he should not lack for opportunity to study, and after attending the local subscription school he entered the St. Louis College and later attended the IlHnois Col- lege at Jacksonville. He was desirous of be- coming proficient in those studies which were necessary for the pursuit of the profession of civil engineering, having determined to follow that profession during life. However, after his elder brother, Pascal P., had discontinued the study of law, our subject began the study of that pro- fession in the law office of Baker & Bledsoe, and was admitted to the bar in 1845, ^"cl began to practice his profession in Springfield. At that time the bar of Springfield numbered among its members some of the most eminent members of the legal profession in the United States. Tlie inmiortal Lincoln, the "Little Giant" Douglas, Stephen T. Logan, — a man whose legal mind probably has had no superiors in a century, — ■ Lyman Trumbull, — still in active practice, — and McDougall, formed a bar that has had no super- iors in any city of the United States. In those days wdien clients were fewer than at the present time, it was not considered a bit wrong for the leaders of the bar to appear in petty cases before justices of the peace. In fact they all accepted all kinds of legal business, pro- viding the fees were five dollars or more. It was therefore almost an utter impossibility for a newly 0-' IlKPRESENTATIVE MEN OP THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 393 admitted member of the bar to become success- ful unless he formed an association with some one of the older members or left the city and es- tablished himself in some more recently settled section of the State. Mr. Enos was tied to Springfield by virtue of the fact that he was needed there to assist his mother and elder brother in the management of the estate, and therefore could not leave to make his home else- where. Having no opportunity to form a part- nershiip with any of the older attorneys, he de- cided to forego the practice of the law and for a while thereafter engaged in business as the pro- prietor of a warehouse. He, however, deter- mined tn follow the profession which in boyhood he liad most desired to pursue, and began oper- ations as a surveyor and civil engineer. In that capacity he surveyed the larger part of Sanga- mon county, and at one time had a personal ac- quaintance with a majority of the people of the count}'. He has always possessed a very re- tentive memory, and his mind is stored with in- teresting anecdotes of the early days anil of the early settlers. Mr. Enos was county surveyor for several temis, and, as one of his cointemporaries ex- presses it, knows every corner in the county. His son Allan is the present county surveyor. Mr. Enos is deeply interested as a citizen in politics, and, although never desiring any polit- ical honors, has been an alderman of the city council. In national afTairs he is strongly in sympathy with the Republican party. He was originally a Henry Clay Whig, and was in full sympathy with the protective tariff policy of the party and its leader. He became one of the or- ganizers of the Republican party, and has since that organization been unswervingly loyal to the principles of the part\'. He has examined closely the causes for the evils that are connected with the political organizations in municipalities, and believes that the right to vote should be restricted and that only such men as do their duties as citizens should be able to cast a ballot. He is also in favor of "penalizing" those who are en- titled to vote and who do not avail themselves of the privilege. A strong friend of education, Mr. Enos has been a powerful factor in the management of the school system of Springfield and as a member of t1ic board of education for ten years was able to use his influence in the right direction. For more than a third of a century Mr. Enos has been a member of the Masonic fraternity and has passed through the various degrees up to and including the thirty-second degree, Scot- tish rites. He was married in Springfield, Illinois, June TO, 1846, to Agnes D. Trotter, a native of New York city. Mrs. Enos is, by maternal connection, a member of an old New England family and has as kin some of the leading families of that section of our countn,-. Her father was a native of Scot- land. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Enos numbered six, one of whom is dead. They are Pascal P., who died in Kansas, George T., William P., Catherine I., Allen Z. and Louisa I. ROBERT P. LANE, M. D., ROCKFORD. ON the pages of Illinois history the name of Dr. Lane stands conspicuously forth as that of one of the prominent pioneers who opened up to civilization the vast region comprised within the northern part of this commonwealth. A military connnander leading his troops forth to battle is deserving of great credit, but how much more are the thanks of a grateful public due the man who leads the hosts of workmen to daily toil, giving tiicni the means of sustaining instead of destroy- ing life. This Doctor Lane did. He was practi- cally the founder of the thrifty, progressive city of Rockford, his name being inseparably connected with its development almost from the time of its inception until his life's labors were ended and the record of his noble career was closed with the words Well done. He possessed the power of foresight which recognized the resources of this 394 niOdHM'IllCM. DICTKiNAi:)' AM) I-OIITHMT GALI.FJIV OF THE region, and had the executive power and merit to marshal and put in working order the forces of progress, development and upbuilding. Robert Polk Lane was a native of Bedford county, Pennsylvania, born at Hopewell Iron Works, on the 2ist of Fcbruarj', 1820, and was the eldest son of James Bean Lane. His father's family descended from a ducal house of England, of considerable wealth, a portion of which was in- vested in large landed estates in America. The family was founded on American soil at the time when William Penn crossed the Atlantic, and its representatives settled at Norristown, on the Per- kiomen river north of the Schuylkill. The great- grandfather of Dr. Lane died before the outbreak of the Revolution, and the grandfather, William Lane, was too young to enter the service. During the closing years of the war, however, he was as- sociated with Commodore Decatur in manufac- turing ammunition in New Jersey for the Con- tinental ai-my. Becoming a resident of Phila- delphia, he engaged in merchandising, but his ships were captured by the French, and his busi- ness was thus destroyed. In consequence he re- moved from Philadelphia to Bedford county, where he engaged in iron manufacture. Two iron foundries had been erected, one at Hopewell on the Juniata river, and the other on Yellow creek, a tributary of the Juniata. Thus James B. Lane, the father of our subject, became connected with the business, which he carried on for many years. While thus engaged he met and married IMiss Janet Wishart, daughter of Dr. David Wisliart, of Edinburg, Scotland. Her father served as a surgeon in General Montgomery's army, but re- signed just before that brave officer was ordered to Canada. He had two sons who became pro- fessors in the University of Edinburg. The family was one of considerable prominence, having de- scended in direct line from John Wishart, the Scotch martyr, whose life was sacrificed in the early days of the Reformation. Dr. Wishart, crossing the Atlantic, became a resident of New York city, but being influenced by the restless spirit of the times he moved into central Penn- sylvania, purchased a farm and spent a long and useful life there in the practice of his profession. Dr. Lane of this review spent his early child- hood in the State of his nativity and in his younger years gave great promise of superior business ability. In c(-insequcnce his father sent him to an uncle at Perkiomen, near Philadelphia, to fit him for mercantile life, but in a few years his health began to fail. Neither was his work congenial to his taste, and in consequence he returned to his home, spending some time on his father's farm, and gaining renewed strength and vigor from his active outdoor life. His earnest, manly character and happy temperament endeared him to all with whom he came in contact, and he won many friends. The early ties, however, were severed when Dr. Lane took his departure for Washington, Penn- sylvania, where he entered college, pursuing the regular course. On its completion he began study under his uncle. Dr. John Wishart, and attended a course of lectures in Philadelphia, being gradu- ated in 1840, at which time the degree of M.D. was conferred upon him. He was a most earnest student, and his thorough and conscientious study had prepared him for practice before he had com- pleted his twenty-second year. He then located in Washington, Pennsylvania, where for ten years he engaged in the active prosecution of his chosen profession. At the end of that time, however, his health began to fail, and he resolved to see whether the Western climate would not prove beneficial. While in Washington, Dr. Lane was united in marriage with ]\Iiss Mary Brice, daughter of Colonel James Brice, a wealthy iron man and merchant, who was also one of the first stockhold- ers and directors of the Washington Female Sem- inar},-. The wedding was celebrated in 1850, and they became the parents of two sons, J. B. Lane and W. S. Lane, — and a daughter, now the wife of R. L. Davis, of the Chicago Board of Trade. In 1852 Dr. Lane came with his family to Illi- nois an.d located in Rockford, then a little town containing only about one thousand inhabitants. He saw its natural advantages and with remark- able foresight predicted its development; and in this development he was the most important fac- tor. It was his intention, however, to engage in the practice of medicine, and though he continued this to a limited extent up to the time of his death his energies were largely devoted to other inter- ests. Had he not entered mercantile life he would undoubtedly have become one of the celebrated physicians of the countn% as he had a well-trained mind, was resourceful, studious and daring. REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 395 Hardly had he taken up his residence here, how- ever, before he began agitating the subject of using the water power afTorded by Rock river. He suc- ceeded in interesting others in this projected en- terprise, and organized the Rockford Water Power Association. It was a tremendous under- taking for those days to dam a stream as broad as Rock river, but the work was courageously under- taken and successfully completed. The Doctor supervised the building of the first machine shop, a structure 100x70 feet and four stories in height. When it was finished he persuaded John H. Manny, who was then a blacksmith at the little town of Lena, to occupy the building as a reaper factory. From this beginning sprang the im- mense manufacturing importance of Rockford. The growth of the city in wealth and population dates from the construction of the dam and the building of that shop, and Dr. Lane was the man who laid the foundation of Rock- ford's advancement. Other factories were erected in quick succession, enterprises of various kinds were estaljlished and many of these Dr. Lane was the organizer and leading promoter. His capabilities were by no means confined to one line of undertaking. He was a man of varied resources and powers, and was equally successful as a financier and merchant. He became identi- fied with the banking interests of Rockford in 1854, when the banking house of Dickerman, Wheeler & Company was established, with Dr. Lane and G. A. Sanford as silent partners. A year later they bought out Mr. Wheeler, and the firm name was changed to Lane, Sanford & Com- pany. In 1862 they merged their interests into that of the Second National Bank just organized, and of the new institution Dr. Lane became presi- dent and manager. His was the guiding hand that directed the course of the new enterprise to the goal of prosperity. He made a close study of the financial questions of the day, and was a most capable and able financier. For many years he was connected with insurance business. He organized the Rockford Insurance Company, and from 1880 until 1885 was its president and mana- ger when he retired from active business. In almost every enterprise of importance that was or- ganized in the city for a quarter of a century his name appeared as one of the original stockholders and promoters. He was one of the organizers and the president of the Graham Cotton Mills Com pany, operating a factory at Rockford and also at Rock Island. He was connected with Dyson's woolen mills, was a stockholder in the watch fac- tory, and was one of the heaviest stockholders in the Rockford Register, when that paper was owned by a syndicate. When the question of better illuminating facilities came up for discus- sion, he was prominent in the furtherance of the movement which resulted in the establishment of the gas works. For a quarter of a century he was un^ REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 89- are self-contained. It was a part of his nature that he must go to tlie bottom of whatever inter- ested him, and, because he was all his life a stu- dent, he was spared any slightest trace of pedantry or self-consciousness. Before him stretched away always the illimitable fields of knowledge, and he in his own modest sight was only a wayfarer, toil- ing constantly onward, but with the universe ever ahead. He left on one always the impression of reserve power. His quiet, self-contained manner told of the self-control which only strong men are able to achieve. In the sick-room his splendid phys- ique was in itself vitalizing, while his gentle touch A\-as the sweeter because one knew that mighty muscle and thews of iron were behind it. The charity of Dr. Stoskopf was the stronger and the more noble because it was not a spasmod- ic, unusual thing, showing itself in gifts to public institutions, or colleges, to be heralded thereafter in the public press, but an integral part of his daily life, a part of his character, so that to heal the suffering ])oor, without price, was as natural to him as to breathe. It is true that he entirely lacked the modem "virtue"' of ostentation, but when the strong man lay in his coffin there came a woman, white-haired and in ragged dress, and stood by the side of the bier and wept. "He saved my husband and he cured my son ; I had no money to pay him, and he brought us food; and now he is dead !" Into the beautiful house on Lincoln avenue, which the Doctor had built for his family, came on the day of the funeral fifty other men and women bringing with them such records of the healing charity which could see no one suffer unaided. Dr. l^toskopf lived a member of Grace Episco- pal Church, which he served as a vestryman. It was perfectly characteristic of the man that his religious life should be simple, sincere, and not demonstrative, but the depth of his convictions showed itself in his daily walk; and he left to his family not only the fruits of a splendid profes- sional career but also the example of one to whom his own good deeds must always be the fittest monument. WILLIAM GROTE, MUCH of the civilization of the world has come from the Teutonic race. Continually moving westward they have taken with them the enterprise and advancement of their Eastern homes and have become valued and useful citi- zens of various localities. In this country- es- pecially have they demonstrated their power to adapt themselves to new circumstances, retaining at the same time their progressiveness and energy, and have become loyal and devoted citizens, true to the institutions of "the land of the free" and un- tiring in promotion of all that will prove of benefit to their adopted country. The German element in America forms an important part of American citizenship, and while they cannot attain to the highest civil office in the gift of the people they have given ample evidence of their power to sus- tain and ujahold the Government of the Republic and to become the factors in various communities to whom the locality owes its progress and pros- perity. W'Ikmi William Grote was born, in the hamlet of Winzlar, in the province of Hanover, Novem- ber 22, 1849, his parents might have dreamed of a brilliant future for their little son ; but it is safe to say that they never thought he would one day become one of the foremost citizens in the political, financial and social worid of northern Illinois. He has, however, been so long and so closely identi- fied with the history of this region that the time seems never to have been when he was not con- nected with public interests here. Real-estate dealer, public official, promoter of the city's wel- fare, benefactor and an honored Christian gentle- man, Elgin owes her material advancement largely to his efiforts. His parents were German peasants of thrifty, careful and religious habits. His edu- cational privileges were somewhat meager, but he possessed a laudable ambition and early in life determined to grasp eagerly every opportunity for raising himself to the level of the high standard which he set up. He saw not much chance for 898 DIOGIiAPinCAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE advancement for fanner lads in his native land and accordingly resolved to seek a home in Amer- ica. He landed at New York, but desiring to see the West, in 1866, he arrived in Bartlett, Du Page county, Illinois, where he was employed as a farm hand for about a year, when his parents joined him in his new home, and together they purchased a farm which they cultivated for nearly five years. The business career of Mr. Grote really began when they left the farm and came to Elgin. Here he established a very successful mercantile busi- ness, which he caried on from 1871 until 1882. Though it yielded a good income and was a pay- ing investment, it did not, however, ofTer the scope for extended operations which Mr. Grote desired, and he therefore disposed of his interests. Pre- vious to this time the work of the real-estate agent was considered largely unimportant, demanding little skill and ability and involving slight respon- sibility, but this view was becoming superseded by a far different idea, and Mr. Grote did much to change this. Ere selling his store, he had in- vested some capital in land, and the years have shown the judiciousness and foresight of these purchases. Time has also shown that the highest type of business ability is found in the successful real-estate dealer, who must be able to anticipate the rise or fall in land values, must be able to read character, so as to know the individual with whom he is dealing and must so plan and arrange all matters that the persons who are in search of loca- tions maybe induced to settle upon property which he controls. Many a city of the West owes its existence to the enterprise and perseverance of some capable real-estate dealer. They are virtu- ally the founders of a town, and are connected w^ith its, development from the time of its inception. Mr. Grote has long been a moving spirit in Elgin's growth and he truly belongs to that type of Amer- ican citizens who promote public welfare while enhancing individual prosperity. As he had not all the capital he desired for the prosecution of his new enterprise, Mr. Grote as- sociated himself with E. D. Waldron, who became the "silent partner" of the firm. Their success was remarkable from the beginning. Mr. Grote carefully watched indications of rise in land values, and as he thought investments could profitably be made he bought property and became the owner of extensive tracts in and around Elgin, in addition to business property. This he has di- vided into city lots, and more than twenty large additions to Elgin have been made, including the Grote & Waldron Pirst, Second, Third, Central Park, Winzlar, Boulevard and Grand \'iew addi- tions. Some time later A. B. Church became connected with Mr. Grote upon the partial retire- ment from active business of Mr. Waldron. Sub- stantial edifices, which add to the beauty and attractive appearance of the city, stand as monu- ments to the thrift and enterprise of Mr. Grote. While associated with Mr. Waldron Mr. Grote erected the Grote, the Waldron and the McClure blocks, and in 1880, in association with Mr. Church, he erected the Merchants' Hotel Block, formerly the Jennings House, in which is located the principal hotel of this city. Through the in- strumentality of Mr. Grote many industries have been located in Elgin which promote commercial activity and make this one of the thriving cities of the Northwest. It was through him that the wtll-known D. C. Cook Publishing Company es- tablished their house here, also the Illinois Watch Case Company, the Ludlow Shoe Company, the Cutter & Crossett Company, manufacturers of gentlemen's furnishing goods, the Elgin Silver Plate Company and the Elgin Sewing Machine and Bicycle Company, — all of great importance and value to Elgin and representing a donated capital of about $125,000. Mr. Grote is a stalwart Republican in politics and deeply interested in the growth and success of his party. He has served as supervisor of Elgin for two years and was assistant supervisor for four years. For six years he was one of the members of the board of education, working earnestly for the advancement of the schools. In 1 89 1 he headed his party's ticket for the position of mayor, was elected and served so acceptably that the business and representative men of tlie city elected him for a second term in 1893. He is strong in all the essentials that combine to make a valuable and trustworthy official. Whatever he undertakes to do he does thoroughly and well. He conducted his office as he would manage his own affairs, — strictly on business principles, — and for this reason he has given general satisfaction. The people delight to honor such men, — men who REPItESEXTATIVE MEX OF THE UXITED STATES: ILLIKOIS rOLU.VE. 399 accept public office as a public trust and who bear its responsibilities and perform its duties fearlessly and conscientiously, jealously guarding the sa- cred interests of the people whom they have called to sei"\'e. During the administration of Mr. Grote a new city hall was built, and upon its completion the clock which adorns its tower was donated by Mr. Grote. Many improvements in the way of sewerage and paving and the light and water plants were largely increased, and other improvements added during his administration, which make Elgin one of the most advanccvl cities in northern Illinois. In his private life Mr. Grote has been most for- tunate. He lost by death his mother in 1879 at the age of sixty-seven years, and his father on. May 27, 1895, at the age of eighty-three years. He was married March 10, 1872, to Miss Kate Dtuchler, a resident of Dundee, Illinois, and to them have been born five children, two sons and three daughters, of whom Augusta, Anna and William are still living. In addition to these tliey have an adopted son, Frank, whom they are carefully and tenderly rearing. While ^Ir. Grote has great capacity for work and excellent business ability, his operations, however, have all been confined to Elgin. He is thoroughly loyal to the city which gave him a home and all his energies are for her upbuilding. Among the various concerns which have added to the material prosperity of the city with which he is connected are the Elgin City Electric Rail- way, of which he is president; also president of the Elgin Packing Company, secretary of the Elgin Lumber Company, president of South Elgin Stone Company, director of the Home National Bank and Home Savings Bank, secre- tary of the Elgin Brick and Tile Company, and a stockholder in the Elgin National Watch Com- pany; director in the Ludlow Shoe Company, the Carpentersville, Elgin & Aurora Railway Company, and nearly every enteq>rise of im- portance in the city. It is, however, as a philanthropist and bene- factor that Mr. Grote is entitled to more credit ihan he has yet received. His charities have ever been of the most cjuiet and unostentatious character, and within a few years he has given thousands of dollars wth scarcely a comment be- yond those from the people directly interested. Ele has always identified himself with the Ger- man Evangelical Association, which erected in Elgin the finest church building of the city, at a cost of about $30,000, of which Mr. Grote gave outright $10,000, supplemented by later dona- tions, enabling the church to be dedicated free from debt. He is a trustee of the association and for many years has been superintendent of the Sunday-school. He also acted as one of tlie taistees for the Society's Board of Publica- tion for America, Germany and Japan, which has headquarters at Cleveland, Ohio, and as trus- tee for the Northwestern College, located at Na- pcrville, Illinois. When the society desired to establish a mission in Lane Park addition to Lake View, Chicago, it was found that no funds were available, and Mr. Grote then set to work. He first secured two lots from the own- ers and personally assisted in building the church and partially supported the minister for a period of five years. This church is now pros- perous and self-sustaining. W'hen the Sherman hospital was erected in Elgin he contributed $1,000, and in addition he has given nuich and often to various other worthy charities and be- nevolences of which he keeps no record. He gives from a tnie Christian spirit and not from any desire to win the praise of his fellow men. There is nothing narrow or contracted in his nature and he has made generous donations to various other churches, helping nearly all denominations in Elgin. In 1887, accompanied by his wife and chil- dren, Mr. Grote crossed the Atlantic to the Old World and visited many parts of Europe, as well as spending many pleasant hours amid the scenes of his boyhood. He has also traveled extensively in the United States and finds in travel his chief source of rest and recreation. Air. Grote is a very busy man, yet he is ever ready to pause in the midst of his business duties to distribute aid to those in need. He is wholly worthy the respect which is everjwhere tendered him, for his name is synonymous with honorable dealing and with all that is elevating and bene- ficial to the citv and to the individual. 400 BIOORAl'lIICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTKAIT GALLERY OF THE CHARLES P. KING, CHARLES P. KING was bom February ii, 1817, in the town of Adams, Jefferson county, New York, his parents being Henry and Betsy (Allen) King, the former a caqjenter and farmer by occupation. When nineteen years of age our subject bought his time of his father, paying therefor the sum of twelve dollars and a half per month, and having learned the trade of carpentering \\as well fitted to make his way in the world. Leaving his native State in 1838 he came to Peoria, where he fol- lowetl his trade for a year, when he engaged as second engineer on a steamer plying between Peoria and St. Louis, an occupation that conthmed during tlie subsequent three years. In the meantime he was rapidly becoming prominent, and, after filling several minor posi- tions of trust and responsibility, was elected, in 1853, a member of the Illinois legislature on the Democratic ticket. At the expiration of the term for which he was chosen he returned to Peoria and engaged as a contractor and builder, and also in the engineer- ing department of one of the leading distilleries, and was thus occupied until 1857. That year he associated himself in partnership with the firm of Lightner, Schimpferman & Company, which then became the leading distillery company in that sec- tion. The establishment was known as the Star Distillery, under which title it was successfully operated until 1866, at which time Mr. King with- drew from the firm and became interested in the banking business. The Second National Bank opened its doors January i, 1864. Mr. King having been for some years vice-president, succeeded to the presidency on the death of L. Howells, who had been presi- dent since its organization. In this capacity Mr. King continued until 1883, when, its charter hav- ing e^.pired, the bank's affairs were wound up, with a very handsome margin of profit to the stockholders. Sliortlv afterward the Peoria National Bank was organized, with a capital of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, which later was increased to two hundred thousand dollars. Mr. King was chosen president and filled the office with marked ability until his death, February 17, 1893. Mr. King was also one of the organizers and a very heavy stockholder of the Dime Savings Bank of Peoria, of which he was vice-president, and was interested as a stockholder in various manufactur- ing concerns. He always maintained a warm interest in edu- cational matters, and for several terms sensed as school director in his district. He represented Peoria township in the board of supervisors for five or six terms,' and in fact gave liberally of both time and money toward advancing the prosperity of the city of his home. Every en- terprise calculated to benefit Peoria found in him a hearty sympathizer and a generous con- tributor. He was a loyal adherent to the principles of Demc)cracy, and a warm personal friend and ad- mirer of the lamented Stephen A. Douglas. Dur- ing the war he was an uncompromising Union man, and labored earnestly and zealously against its disintegration. His charities were many, and there are men in Peoria to-day who owe their success to timely assistance given by him. Mr. King was twice married. His first wife, to whom he was united in 1840, was iMiss Emily Jacobs, who died in 1888, survived by two chil- dren: Ada, the wife of M. Hufifman, of Quincy; and May, now Mrs. W. M. Benton, of Peoria. In April, 1890, Mr. King was married to Mrs. Susan S. Clegg, a lady of many noble qualities of mind and heart, who survives him. Mr. King's death occurred af Los Angeles, California, whither he had gone on business, ac- companied by his wife. His illness was brief, and though the best available medical skill was ob- tained, and the tenderest ministrations of a lov- ing and devoted wife were given, he passed away, at the age of seventv-six. REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 401 JAMES ROOD DOOLITTLE, JAMES ROOD DOOLITTLE, the subject of our sketch, was born on the western slope of the Green mountains, in Washington county, New York, January 3, 181 5. At four years of age he emigrated with his father's family to western New York, where he was educated. He graduated at Geneva College in 1834, and was admitted to the bar in 1837, in which year also he was married. As a Democratic Republican, brought up in the school of General Jackson, he was elected district attorney of Wyoming county — a Whig district — and served as such from 1845 to 1849. In 1851 he removed with his family to Racine, Wisconsin; he was elected circuit judge in 1853, and resigned in March, 1856. In February, 1857, he was elected to the United States senate, and was re-elected in 1863, serving twelve years, — the most important twelve years in our national history, after the Revoluti(inary war. His history during that period is well known, as it is part of the history of the country. Since retiring from the senate he has been at the head of a law firm in Chicago. Perhaps most men of his age, now eighty, would seek retirement; but he does not. He is one of those to whom the ordinary rule as to the age of retirement does not seem to apply. There are some well-known exceptions to that rule, not only in Europe but also in this country. Palmer- ston and Gladstone in England, Bismarck and Von Moltke in Germany, are notable ones. John Adams and Thomas Jefferson among our states- men, and Marshall and Taney among our chief justices, were equally notable. The united testi- mony of the bar and of his associates upon the bench shows that the latter, in his eighty-seventh year of age, presided with as much dignity and conducted consultations and decisions with as much clearness and vigor as he did at the age of sixty-five; and that, too, in the highest judicial tribunal known in the history of mankind. Mr. Doolittle is also a remarkable instance of the same exceptional mental and physical vigor, vital- ity and capacity for labor and endurance. Not long 20 go, when he haayment. In 185 1 Mr. Skinner was elected judge of the Cook county court of common pleas, which afterward became the superior court. The circuit court then held but two short terms annuallv, and the principal part of the commercial and civil business devolved upon the common pleas court. Judge Skinner filled the office with great satis- faction, but was compelled to decline a re-election in 1853 because the demands of the office were more than his health could endure. In 1854 he was pronounced in his opposition to the course pursued in Congress by Stephen A. Douglas, par- . ticularly in reference to the "Nebraska Bill,"' and was one of the foremost in the movement that revolutionized the political sentiment of all north- ern Illinois, and led to the fusion of all anti-slavery people and finally absorbed the Whig and Free- soil parties. His health becoming mucli impaired he was obliged to abandon the practice of his profession ; but as financial agent of moneyed men and cor- porations of the East, he had the handling of large amounts of money, investing the same in Chicago real estate, a line of business for which his accurate knowledge of the law pertaining to real property eminently fitted him. His long connection with the Connecticut Alutual Life Insurance Company is fittingly memorialized in a tribute by its pres- ident. Colonel Jacob L. Greene, on the occasion of }ilr. Skinner's death, from which the following is quoted: "The directors of the company having learned of the death of Hon. Mark Skinner, who was for more than thirty years its financial correspondent and their own trusted confidential adviser at Chi- cago, entered upon their records this minute, de- siring thereby to recall and to mark their sense of the peculiar importance and value of his sen'ice to it in that relation, involving the investment of over $27,000,000, the acquisition by unavoidable foreclosure and the subsequent sale of large amounts of real estate, and the personal oversight 40(5 BionnArmcAL DicrioyARY axd ronruAir gallery of the and handling: of lliosc great interests during all the dangerous and trying vicissitudes which fell upon the country at large, and upon his own city in particular, during that most eventful period; the singular intelligence, foresight, sound judg- ment, delicacy, courage, fidelity and single-heart- edness with which he treated every question, faced every emergency and discharged every duty; his untiring watchfulness of every interest involved; his equally wise and kindly zeal for the welfare of the company's debtors in the time of financial distress; that unfailing courtesy which made a long association with him a pleasure as well as a high privilege, and their deep sense of loss and their sympathy with his bereaved family." During his busy active life, Judge Skinner was associated with many prominent men, among whom he always wielded a great influence. His life was filled with good works; and his strong, sympathetic nature was enlisted in many noble charities and benevolent causes. Prominent among these was the work of the United States Sanitary Commission, organized soon after the opening of the late Civil war. As a member of this organization he was very active in its afifairs and gave of his time, energy and money with- out stint to further its interests. As president also of its northwestern branch he directed its work until compelled to resign by a protracted and serious illness in 1864. He was decidedly a man of afTairs; and in all enterprises looking to the welfare of his adopted city he showed a commend- able interest. H:e assisted in organizing the Young Men's Association, which became the Chi- cago Library Association, the nucleus of whose library was contributed by ]\Ir. Walter L. New- berry on April 24, 1841. In recognition of his hearty co-operation and active service in Chi- cago's educational interests, the Skinner school at the corner of Aberdeen street and Jackson boulevard was named in his honor. He was a charter trustee of the Cook County Hospital; the Chicago Home for the Friendless was always an object of his bounty, and he served as one of its earliest presidents; he helped to incorporate the Chicago Relief and Aid Society; was the first pres- ident of the Chicago Reform School, which he helped to organize, and was also a trustee of the Illinois Charitable Eye and Ear Infimiary. Among the material interests of Chicago in which he was interested were the old Galena, and the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroads, the State Insurance Company, the Chicago Marine & Fire Insurance Company, the Chicago Gas Light & Coke Company, — in each of which he was a director. He was a Presbyterian in religious faith, and in both the Second and Fourth Presbyterian Churches, of which he was a member at different times, he served as an elder. He was officially connected with the Chicago Historical Society from its beginning, and one of its most ardent supporters. He also helped to organize the New England Society of Chicago. In political sentiment Judge Skinner was in early life a Democrat; he afterward became an earnest advocate of the anti-slavery cause, and after the formation of the Republican party, throughout his life, was a firm supporter of its principles. On May 21, 1841, he married Miss Elizabeth Magill Williams. Richard, the only son living at the time of the Civil war, fell on June 22, 1861, in the trenches before Petersburg. A younger son, Evelyn Pierrepont, died in childhood. Four daughters are still living, namely: Elizabeth; Frances, wife of Flenry J. Willing: Frederika; and Susan Pierrepont, wife of Ambrose Cramer. Judge Skinner was a man of domestic tastes and loved his home, where, amid the choice books of his well-selected library, surrounded with com- fort, the fruits of his well directed efforts, and in the midst of congenial companionship, he found his highest enjoyment. Notwithstanding his loyalty to Chicago and the West, he always maintained a profound love for his native State, and it was his custom to visit annually his native place, Manchester, for recre- ation and rest. There his death occurred, on the i6th of September, 1887, after a lingering illness, which he bore with patience and Christian forti- tude. His remains were interred beside those of his father and mother, — a place he himself had selected. His life was a blessing; and wherever he went he made the world better and brighter. He was universally loved and honored, and the memory of his good deeds and the influence of his pure, unselfish life remain as the influence of a holy benediction. REPRESEXTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLIXOTS VOLUME. 407 WILLIAM H. SNYDER, WILLIA^l HENRY SNYDER was born m Utica, New York, Jainiar)' i, 1814. His father, Jacob Snyder, was a retired merchant, and his niotlier, whose maiden name was Frances Dodge, was a member of tlie prominent Dourchard as bishop of Worms; an- other of tlie name as bishop of Halbenstadt, a town of Prussia; and another, Burchardus Ab- bey, author of the famous Diarium Burchardi, which contains the history of Frederic I, called Barbarossa. This historian died 1326. Johannis Burchardus, born at Strassburg 1485, became master of ceremonies for Pope Alexander ^T. He was Bishop De Citta di Castelle. His Diarium Alexandri Papje is a complete history of that wicked pope, and is called the Diarium Burchardi. llie first of the name who came to America \\ns Thomas Burchard. born in Roxbury, Eng- land, 15Q5, came to this countr\' on the ship True- love and landed in Boston 1635. He was a man of wealth and note. He settled at Saybrook, Connecticut, and was deputy from that town to the general court of Hartford, 1650-1. John Burchard, his son, was a man of great celebrity in his day. He owned the island of Martha's \'ineyard, and was one of the proprietors of Norwich, Connecticut. His plat of ground con- tained over seven acres, on which he built a house which is still standing. He held various municipal offices, and died in Lebanon, Connec- ticut, 1702. It is quite probable that all the Burchards, or most of that name, in America, trace their lineage back to Thomas Burchard. The line of descent from the pioneer Thomas Burchard to Hon. Horatio C. Burchard, is as follows: Thomas, John, James, John, John, John, Jonathan, Hora- tio, Horatio C, — Horatio C. thus representing the ninth generation in America. Many of the descendants of Thomas Burchard have won dis- tinction in America, — perhaps the most promi- nent among them being the late president of the L^nited States, Hon. Rutherford B. Hayes. His mother was Sophia Burchard, and he was third cousin to Hon. H. C. Burchard. Hon. Horatio Chapin Burchard was bom at Marshall, Oneida county. New York, September 22, 1825. He attended the public schools until thirteen years of age, when his father removed to Aurora, Erie county, New York, in 1838, and REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 409 remained there until 1840. During this period the son was in attendance at the Aurora Acad- emy. His parents then removed to Beloit, Wis- consin, where young Burchard attended the Beloit Seminar}', now Beloit College. In 1847 he entered Hamilton College, Clinton, New York. During his collegiate course he studied law under the instruction of Hon. Theodore W. Dwight, then professor of law at Hamilton Col- lege, later of Columbia College. After gradua- tion in 1850 he continued the stud\' of law and was adniited to the bar at Monroe, Green county, Wisconsin ; and soon afterward, his health failing, he took a job in surveying the line of railroad from Monroe to Dubuque (now a part of the Chicago, Milwaukee &: St. Paul). Operations suspended in 1853 and he came to Freeport, and in the spring of 1854 took charge of the schools here. A year later he formed a partnership with the late Colonel Thomas J. Turner, in the prac- tice of law, and within a few months the late Judge E. P. Barton was admitted to the firm. In 1858, Colonel Turner withdrew, and two years later H. M. Barnum was admitted, the firm being Burchard. Barton & Pianium. which continued until 1874. In the meantime Mr. Burchard served as police magistrate, school commissioner three years. — 1857- 1860, — and was also interested from 1862 to 1869, in company with his brother, in the hardware business. In November, 1862, he was elected to the General Assembly of Illi- nois, and re-elected again in 1864. During his first term he was a member of the committee on claims. This was during the troublous times when the two-thirds antagonistic legislature un- der Governor Yates sought to embarrass the Fed- eral Government, in the prosecution of the war, by various obstructionist methods. Mr. Burch- ard was an active member of the minority, and prominent in his opposition to the schemes, which were finally brought to naught by the pro- roguing of the legislature. During his second term he was chairman of the committee of banks and corporations. Among tlie measures which he introduced and which became laws was one providing for the taking and counting of the votes of Illinois soldiers absent in the United States service, and another for the prevention of fraud in voting by proper registration, .\fter the expira- tion of his second term in 1865 he for four years devoted himself exclusively to his legal and pri- vate business. In 1869, however, when the Hon. E. B. Washburn became secretan,^ of State and resigned his position as Congressman. Mr. Bur- chard was elected to the vacancy, and In- a suc- cession of four subsequent nominations and elec- tions held this honorable position the succeeding ten years. Upon his entrance into the United States Congress, Mr. Burchard began taking an earnest interest in financial and revenue affairs. He served on the committee on banking and cur- rency, of w-hich General Garfield was chairman. He served subsequently on the ways and means committee contemporaneously with Blaine, Gar- field, Kelley, Dawes and Banks. When in 1869 came the decline in the premium on gold, Mr. Burchard voted against the resolu- tion i5resented in the house advocating an increase of fifty million dollars in the circulating cur- rency, although it received the unanimous vote of the other representatives of his State, and al- most the solid vote of members from the entire Northwest. He defended this action in an elabo- rate speech vehemently opposing an increase of the papei- currency without providing a coin re- serve, and urged a speedy return to a system of specie payments. In 1870 General Grant called the attention of Congress to the necessitv' of educating the newly enfranchised colored voters of the South. A bill w-as reported by the connnittee on education and labor, proposing to place under the charge of the general Government the education of all children in the United States e.xcept in such States as main- tained a system of free schools for all children of the State. The bill called for the appointment of officei^s to carry out its provisions, and for the appropriation of fifty million dollars a year to de- fray the expense. ^Ir. Burchard doubted the con- stitutionality of the Federal Government charg- ing itself with the education of children in the several States, and introduced a substitute bill, providing for the setting apart and dedicating of the proceeds from the sale of public lands to aid the establishment of a system of free schools in the various States, and appropriating the annual pro- cee', and had be- come 90 imbued with the spirit of patriotism and love for his adopted land that he prevailed upon him to come over. Tlie Doctor considers that emigration was the turning point of his whole life. He came to Chicago in 1863 and therein has ever practiced his profession. Although he has done a great deal of charitable work, he has enjoyed a large and lucrative practice, being one of the most successful physicians and surgeons in the city. For years after his arrival in Chi- cago there were few surgeons and only a small county hospital, so that surgeons were in great demand for years. He did as much of it as any other surgeon in the city, and his skill has fre- quently been demonstrated in many difficult cases. The Doctor has in other ways demonstrated his versatility, having been a professor in a college, a public lecturer and prolific writer. He is an au- thor of marked ability, has been a voluminous and vigorous writer, some sixty publications having been issued from the press on Masonic, medical physiological, philosophical and other scientific subjects, besides a large amount of lighter literature, embracing fiction and verse, and also many articles for various periodicals. He was for some years editor of a medical journal, also The Foresterj The Crusader, REPRESEXTATTVE ME.Y OF THE UXITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 417 Foresters' Magazine, and is now editor of the Chicago Sentinel. He has written some very in- teresting works on Freemasonn,' and kindred topics, being recognized as valuable and much appreciated in tlie ranks of the fraternity. He intends to publish soon a new and enlarged edi- tion of a work entitled "The Beauties of Free- masonry Exemplified," "Masonic Gems and Jew- els of Thought," "Freemasonry: Its Relations to Religion," and "What is Freemasonr}^?" Besides being a man of letters, he is a great admirer of art and music and possesses a good voice. He has written and published excellent pieces of music that have had a fair circulation. The Doctor has a private library of more than five thousand volumes, one of the largest owned by any physician in Chicago. Tile Doctor is quite a society man and has done a great deal toward tlie success of the various or- ganizations with which he has been connected. For nearly a quarter of a century he lias been a mem- ber of all of the Masonic organizations of Chi- cago, and of some elsewhere, and is a life mem- ber of many of them. He has filled offices in nearly all of them. He is a member of Wheaton Lodge, No. 269, A. F. & A. M.; Corinthian Chap- ter. No. 29, R. A. M. ; Siloam Council, No. 53, R. S. & S. E. M.; St. Bernard Commandery, No. 35, K. T. ; Oriental Sovereign Consistory, and co-or- dinate bodies, Scottish Rite Masons, St. John's Conclave, No. i, Kniglits of the Red Cross of Rome and Constantine; Knights of tlie Holy Sepulchre and St. John, the Evangel- ist (being a past grand sovereign of the order and having the "Grand Cross''); Mecca Temple, Order of the Mystic Shrine; Rosicrucian Society; f)riental Rite of Mizraim; Supreme Rite of Memphis; Ancient and Primitive Rite; Sweden- borgian Rite; Eclectic Order of tlie Palm and Shell; Masonic Veteran Association, etc. He has also been a member of many of the leading social and benevolent organizations, literary and scientific, as well as patriotic societies of the city and of the United States, in some of which, es- pecially the last, he takes a very active interest. He has always, been a Republican in politics, but for some time past has, witli many others, been anxious to see a new American party formed which would be thoroughly patriotic and loyal in upholding the free institutions of this country, especially the free-school system of education. The following is a list of the diilferent organiza- tions with whidi he lias been connected and is now a member: Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Independent Order of Foresters, An- cient Order of Foresters, Ancient Dniids, Knights of Pythias, National Union, Cambrian Benevo- lent Society, Cymridorion Society, St. George's Benevolent Association, Mutual Benefit Associ- ation, United Order of Ancient Templars, Order of the Red Cross, Order of Knights of Maccabees, Pilgrim Society, Franklin Society, Press Associ- ation, Hand-in-Hand Mutual Benefit Society, Knights and Ladies of Honor, Order of Fraternal Circle, Knights of tlie Ancient Essenic Order, Knight Templars and Masons' Life Indemnity Company, Union Relief Association, Lombard Athletic Club, Amity Club, the Old Tippecanoe Club, Republican Club, Citizens' Association of Chicago, North American Mutual Benefit Associ- ation, Cambrian Literary Society, Chicago Ly- ceum, Chicago Literary Society, Philosophical Society, Loyal Orange Institution, Black Knights of the Camp of Israel, American Orange Knights, Apprentice Boys, American Protective Associa- tion, Union League, Order of American Union, Human Freedom League, American Protestant Association, Knights Commanders of the Sun, National Leagtie, Anti-Papal League, Pan-Re- public League, Free Speech League, American Flag Day Association, American Flag Defenders, Young Men's Christian Association, Young Men's Christian Union, British American Association and Citizens' Committee of One Hundred. In most of the organizations. Dr. Reynolds has been presiding ofificer, and also the supreme head of some of them, and in nearly all of the benefit so- cieties has been their medical officer, and in many the grand medical examiner. Some of the so- cieties he did not enter from choice but had to become a member when he was elected physician and surgeon. He has been president of the Cam- brian Benevolent Society, holding that position at the time of the great fire when charitable work was greatly increased. He has been president of the Cambrian Literary Society, is past supreme grand commander of the Red Cross, and is the author of its ritual and mottoes and the designer 418 lilOGRAPniCAL DTCTIONART AND PORTRATT OALLERT OF THE of its jewels, etc. He is past supreme grand mas- ter of the Loyal Orange Institution of the United States Mid has for years been grand master of the grand lodge of Illinois. He is past grand commandcr-jn-chief of the Supreme Cabinet of the American Orange Knights of the United States and is past grand sovereign of the Imperial Grand Council of the Knights of the Red Cross of Rome and Constantine and the appendant or- ders. He is also president of the British-Amer- ican Association, and has been president of the Citizens' Committee of One Hundred since its organization. He has been high medical exam- iner for the Independent Order of Foresters, Su- preme Medical Examiner for the Order of the Red Cross, medical examiner in chief for the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Insurance Company, ph)sician for the Chicago Relief and Aid Society, surgeon of Ellsworth's Zouaves, sur- geon general of tlie Knights Commander of the Sun, and surgeon general of the American Orange Knights. He is at present the official physician and surgeon, also medical examiner of several in- surance, charitable and beneficiary societies, such as Charter Oak Insurance Company, New York Mutual Life Insurance Company, California In- surance Company, American Union Life Insur- ance Company, Iowa Life Insurance Company, Nederland Insurance Company, Michigan Mutual Insurance Company, Federal Life of Canada In- surance Company, Canada Life Insurance Com- pany, Toronto; New England Mutual Insurance Company, Hartford, Connecticut; St. George's Benevolent Association, the Foresters, Odd Fel- lows, Loyal Orange Order, National Union, etc. After living in this country for some years, Dr. Reynolds visited his old home in Wales and was married there to an old love, Miss Annie Walters Thomas, daughter of John Thomas, one of the superintendents of Her Majesty's dock yard at Pembroke Dock. She was a lady gifted with an extraordinary memory and a well cultivated mind and possessed considerable literary ability. Her writings were much admired and appreciated, especially her poems entitled '"Songs of Affec- tion." On account of her failing health the Doctor built his home at Lombard, and went to live there, where she died September 17, 1871, and her remains were buried in Graccland ceme- tery. Miriam Chapter of the Eiistem Star had a memorial service for her at Blair Hall on Sunday, October 8, the day on which the great fire began. The hall was draped in black with a great pro- fusion of flowers on a catafalque. A painting of her by Flealey was destroyed there. She was a true woman, a sincere and devoted Christian, esteemed and loved by all who knew her. In 1879 the Doctor married Miss Blanche E. E. Baldwin, daughter of G. S. Baldwin, of Chi- cago, a very amiable lady possessed of many ac- complishments. She is held in high regard by all who enjoy her acquaintance for her many graces of mind and heart. Kindly and genial in her disposition, she is a loving wife and devoted mother to her family of very interesting children. She had six children, — ^three girls and three boys. Those living are Annie Blanche, aged fifteen; Lilian Sara, twelve; Alice Florence, nine; and Benn Philips, seven years. Mrs. Reynolds is also a very active and energetic worker in several social, benevolent and patriotic societies, having been for years worthy mistress of the Ladies' Loyal Orange Association; also supreme deputy grand mistress of the order for the United States and Canada. For three years she was the supreme president of the Woman's American Protective Association of the United States and Canada. She is first vice-president of the Amer- ican Flag Day association. She is also a member of 'the Order of the Eastern Star (Masonic), Rebekah Degree of Odd Fellows, Relief Corps, Patriotic Women, American Flag Projectors, Women's Club, etc. Mrs. Reynolds originated the idea of the human flags formed by four thou- sand school children on the stands erected, one on the west and the other on the east side, with the grand reviewing stand on the north side of the Chicago post-ofifice, where they massed the design of the three national colors, stars and stripes on the day of the dedication of the World's Fair, and superintended the flag exercises on that occasion. The Doctor's office and surgen.- are at No. 1 19 Madison street, Chicago. His home is at Lombard, where he has built a residence, calling it Narberth Castle, after his old home in Wales. He has been president of the town and justice of the peace for several vears. The Doctor is a m REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF TUE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 419 genial, courteous gentleman, affable and pleas- ant in manner and by his integrity and worth has won the esteem of a very large circle of friends. Tlie coat of arms of the Doctor's family is described as follows: Aziu-e a chevron erm, be- tween three crosses. Crosslet, fitchee argent Crest, an eagle close argent, ducally gorged and lined. Motto, "Fide, Sed Cui Vide" ("Trust, but look to whom"). ELMER E. BARRETT, ELMER E. BARRETT is one of the younger members of the Chicago bar, but his promi- nence is by no means measured by his years ; on the contrary he has won a reputation which many an older practitioner might well envy. We pay the highest tribute to the heroes who on bloody battle-fields win victories and display a valor that is the admiration of the world. Why should the tribute be withheld from those who wage the bloodless battles that all must fight in attaining greatness in any walk of life? The West owes its prosperity and progress largely to its young men, and Mr. Barrett belongs to that class which has placed this section of the countr>- on a par with the older East. A native of the State of Michigan, ]Mr. Barrett was bom in Kalamazoo on the 2d of June, 1862, and is a son of James Henry and Sarah M. (Hop- kins) Barrett. On his father's side he is of Irish lineage and on his mother's side of Welsh ex- traction. The early ancestors of both the Barrett and Hopkins families participated in the struggle for independence at the time of the American Revolution, and the mother directly descended from Stephen Hopkins, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. For long years the two families have been residents of the United States, and have ever been found among the true and loyal citizens of the Republic. The Barrett family was founded in Massachusetts in 1630, onlv ten years after the landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock, and the Hopkins' crossed the Atlantic and settled in Connecticut in 1862. Not only in the trying times when the nation was merging from English dominion into Ameri- can republicanism has it found defenders in these families: whenever need has demanded the ser- vice of loyal sons, their representatives have been found at the post of duty, and in 1861, when an attempt was made by the South to overthrow the supremacy of the Union, the father of our sub- ject offered his services to the Government and served with fidelity and courage to the end of the rebellion. His brother, W. W. Barrett, also wore the blue and became colonel of the Forty-fourtli Regiment of Illinois \'olunteers, which he com- manded for a time, when meritorious service and bravery on the field of battle won him further promotion, and he was brevetted brigadier gen- eral, in which capacity he served until the war was over. Patriotism and fidelity to duty characterize the family, and the Republic which the ancestors helped to found, the descendants aided to pre- serve. Elmer E. Barrett has spent his entire life in the West and typifies its progressive, enterprising spirit. He was educated in the public schools and under the instruction of private tutors. He gained thus a broad general knowledge to sers^e as an excellent foundation for his special learning, and is one of the best infomied men in the city, not only along the line of his profession but also in the broad field of literature as well. He has been a resident of Chicago since 1879. He en- tered the Chicago Law School and on the com- pletion of a thorough course of study was gradu- ated and admitted to the bar, whereon he at once began practice in this cit\'. He does a general law business, but has made corporation law a specialty and is considered authority on all matters pertaining to that branch of the legal profession. He has been retained as counsel by a number of extensive corporations and has a large clientage, which from the beginning has steadily increased. In the ranks of the legal fraternity he occupies a foremost place that skill and merit have won him. 420 BIOORM'IIICAL DIVriONAUT AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE In this profession all must begin on a common plane and rise to eminence by perseverance, in- dustry and skill or fall back into the ranks of mediocrity. The ambitious nature of Mr. Bar- rett, however, would never permit him to do the latter, and in consequence he has achieved a prominence which he well deserves. Mr. Barrett was one of the founders and is now the secretary of the Chicag'o College of Law, — the Law Department of Lake Forest University, which is one of the leading educational institu- tions of this country. In its faculty are the fol- lowing well-known jurists: Hon. Thomas A. Moran, late justice of the appellate court; Hon. H. M. Shepard, justice of the appellate court. First District of Illinois; Hon. Simon P. Shope, late justice of the supreme court of Illinois; Hon. E. W. Burke, judge of the circuit court; Hon. O. N. Carter, judge of the county court. Hon. Joseph M. Bailey, LL.D., late justice of the su- preme court of Illinois, was a member of its fac- ulty from its organization to the time of his death, October 17, 1895; also the late Hon. George R. Driggs, the brilliant orator and able jurist. It has an undergraduate course of two years and a post-graduate course of one year. This college gives many advantages to the law student: perhaps the chief one is, that its sessions are held each week-day evening, givinglhe student an op- portunity to become familiar with the routine work of the law ofTice and also attend the numer- ous courts, both Federal and State, that are con- tinuously in session in this city. Although the col- lege is comparatively young in years, it numbers among its graduates many of our most able and bright young lawyers. On the 3d of October, 1883, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Barrett and Miss Helen Marie Walters. They reside in the village of Western Springs, a suburb of Chicago, where Mr. Barrett owns a pleasant home. He is popular at the bar and in social circles, and is an esteemed member of the Union League Club, Chicago Athletic As- sociation, and the Marquette and Lincoln Clubs of Chicago. In religious belief he is a Congrega- tionalist and is a member of the Congregational Club. Coming as he does from a family who were stanch supporters of the Union during the war of the Rebellion, J\Ir. Barrett is a Republican, warmly advocating the principles of that party. GEORGE SEMMELROTH, BELLEVILLE. GEORGE SE^fMELROTH is one of the leading journalists among the German- American citizens of Illinois, being now engaged in the publication of the Post und Zeitung, of Belleville. He was born in Germany on the 24th of March, 1840, and is one of the three children of Jost Henry Semmelroth. Under the parental roof the days of his early boyhood were passed, and he attended the public schools, acquiring therein his education. At the age of sixteen he bade adieu to friends and native land and sailed for the New World. Reaching the shores of America he made his way to Belleville, Illinois, where he at once sought work, for he had no capital to aid him. He accepted the position of "printer's devil" in the office of the Belleville Volksblatt, which paper was consolidated with the Belleville Zeitung in 1857, and he was employed on the force of that paper until 1865, when he laid aside the pursuits of civil life to enter the service of his adopted country. He became a member of Company H, One Hundred and F'orty-ninth Illinois Infantry, and remained at the front until the close of the war. In 1866 Mr. Semmelroth returned to his old home and again accepted the position in the office of the Belleville Zeitung. In May of that year he purchased the Stem des Westens, and as editor and proprietor conducted that paper until 1872, when he sold out, but was retained on the staff as manager until 1874. In that year he purchased a half interest in the paper on which he had served his apprenticeship, publishing it until 1879, in con- nection with a partner, who in that year sold out. The new firm shortly afterward jnirchased /y^<^^^^.-ML_, liEPUESEyTATIVE MEX OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 421 another paper, Der Stem, and consolidated tlie same with the Belleville Zeitung, which they pub- lished until 1886, when the paper was sold. In 1884 the Post of Belleville was established by General William C. Kueffner, and Mr. Semmel- roth purchased a half interest in 1886. In 1893 this firm purchased the Belleville Zeitung and consolidated it with the Post, and then continued the publication under the name of Belleville Post und Zeitung. Upon his partner's death Mr. Sem- nielroth bought his interest in the paper, of which he is now sole proprietor. It is a well conducted German journal and receives a liberal patronage. In 1866 Mr. Semmelroth was united in mar- riage with Miss Minna Dceke, by whom he had eight children. Socially he is connected with St. Clair Lodge, No. 24, A. F. & A. M., the Ancient Order of United Workmen, the Independent Or- der of Odd Fellows and the Grand Army of the Republic. In politics he is a stalwart and active advocate of Republican principles, and is a public-spirited man, devoted to all lueasurcs that are calculated to advance the welfare of his adopted city. His fondness for music 'm indicated by his connection with various mu- sical societies and the hearty encouragement he always gives to eveni'thing connected with that art. WILLIAM HARLEV, CHICAGO is pre-eminently a city of gen- erals, — generals of commerce, of manufac- tures, of construction and what-not. The small salesman has a modest occupation, looked upon as comparatively humble until he becomes a man- ager and employer of men on a large scale. Then is when he proves his ability as a general, and then it is that his occupation is no longer humble but abreast of those of the leaders of all coun- tries, fort the ipowers of gaieralship arc most highly prized in these days of extreme resort to crganization. This is equally true in the lines of manufacture aind construction. The maker l.iecomes the general of manufactures and the carpenter becomes the general of construction. It is a promotion like rising from the ranks of the army through the lower grades to that of gen- eral. Such are the members of the Harlev family, fatlier and sons. The Harlevs are of Danish origin — or rather Dano-German origin, for the Schleswig-Holstein region became a part of Prussia under Bismarck's manipulation^ In Schleswig, or Schlesvig as the Dane has it, there was in the early part of this century a prominent "pedagogue,'' by name Jans Andreas Harlev, who married an Irish lady, Miss Elsie Catherine Henmings. Seven years before the old teacher's decease, in 1844, they had a son born to them, whom thev named William, and who was to become a great conti'actor in the New World's Western metropolis in later years, where his mother was to find a home with him in her old age, before following her husband to her last resting place, as she did in 1884. Born in 1837, young William was but seven years of age when his father died, but he re- ceived an excellent education in his German home and was taught the trade of a carpenter. At the age of twenty years, or in 1857, he joined the universal movement to America and located in the city at the head of the lakes. For the first two years young Harlev engaged as clerk in a general store and gained an experience that was to be of great service in later days. At the end of this time, however, he became attracted to that northwestern State which is so partial to North- Europeans, Minnesota, and for the next two years or thereabouts he was occupied there in grow- ing from a caipenter into a general of construc- tion, enlarging his contracts from that of smaller carpentering dealings to those of railway and general contracting. The year of the great catastrophe that laid Chicago in ashes, and proved her ability to rise from the flames, Phcenix-like, also suggested to Mr Harlev the great opportunities offered in the clothing trade on the West side. Joining his brother-in-law under the firm title of Harlev 422 nwaUAI'inCAL DTCTinXAItY and POIITHAIT GALLERY OF THE & Johnson, clothing dealers on Milwaukee ave- nue, they continued the business with an exten- sive trade for the next eight years. In 1879, however, Mr Harlev returned to his first love, as a contractor, in which capacity he has since won so enviable a reputation. His ex- perience seemed to be ripe for bold work on a large scale. From year to year he secured con- tracts for and erected some of the largest build- ings and works, and laid some of the finest brick pavements to be found in the city or State. In- deed his brick pavement operations have been very extensive, while some of his miscellaneous public works over the State may be illustrated by the Ouincy (Illinois) City Hall, the Newcomb Hotel, of Quincy, the new Soldieis' and Saikirs' Home of that city, and also the new Insane Asy- lum, of Chicago. His operations are not con- fined to this State, however, but cover various other parts of the Mississippi valley, and his promptness and efficiency, his skill and relia- bility have won medals of recognition from sev- eral commonwealths, — gold medals from Ohio and Texas, and one in the form of a silver brick from IMontana. 'His successes easily secured him contracts for several of the State buildings of the World's Columbian Exposition of i8y3. Among them were the buildings of Illinois, Texas, Ohio, Montana and Utah, and that of the Australian province of New South Wales. The masterpiece of these operations, however, was that greatest of the buildings representing com- monwealths, that of the State of Illinois. Tliis structure was one of the cardinal dominating structures of that marvelous collection. Its po- sition at the boundary of the northern vista from the Court pf Honor made it almost as con- spicuous as the Administration building itself. In the form of a Greek cross, whose respective axes were 450 feet and 285 feet, its dominant fea- ture was the lofty dome of 152 feet, whose basal diameter was 75 feet and which was surmounted by a gleaming light 12 feet in diameter and 35 feet high. To say that 3,000,000 feet of lumber and 1,300,000 pounds of iron were used in the construction of this mammoth structure will be only to suggest its vastness. That this and other of these great buildings were constructed promptly and with satisfaction to all concerned is a proof of the generalship of both William Harlev and his son Alfred, for the exposition work was done by them as a firm. If illustration were still further needed, it could l)c found in the fact that in the long period of employment of multitudes of men they have never had a strike and have always used union men. One fact that has no doubt contributed to this end is this, namely, that no irregularity has ever interfered with the customary prompt ness in handling pay-rolls. William Harlev is one of those employers who with kindness seek the good of the employe as well as the con- tractor. Arriving in this country with but ten dollars in his possession, Mr. Harlev has re- meinliered the rights of his men, and the fact that he is now wealthy and a large owner of real estate shows the wisdom of such a course when joined with ability as a manager. Mr. Harlev is a member of several fraternal and insurance organizations. Among them are the various orders of Masonry, including Knights Templars and the Thirty-second degree; also the Odd Fellows and the Knights of Pythias, in a lodge of which latter he is past chancellor; the list further includes the Elks, the Red Men, the Mystic Shrine and others. In politics he is a Democrat. Of JNIr. Harlev's family his two sons, Alfred and William, junior, have already won their reputation in business. REPRESENTATIVE MEN OP THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 423 ALFRED HARLEV, ALFRED HARLEV, the junior partner of the firm of Wilham Harlev & Son, and now practically the manager of the company, is the eldest son of William Harlev, just mentioned, and was bom while the family were living at Blue Earth, Minnesota, in the year 1859. At an early age joung Alfred was sent back to Mr. Harlcv's fatherland, Denmark, a country whose educational system is hardly surpassed in Europe or America. There he was placed in the national schools, for they are all under governmental con- trol through the Royal College. Denmark has also a military school, the Royal Academy, — which is a sort of Danish "West Point," — and in this institution young Harlev received a most excellent education, especially in the department of civil engineering. The course of the bright young Dano-American was such as to secure him a first-lieutenancy under the Danish govern- ment, but in a few years he decided to return to the land of his father's adoption and his own nativity. This was in 1877; and returning to Chicago he at once united with his father in the present firm of \Mlliam Harlev & Son, a company whose brilliant career has already been outlined above, and Vifhich, in recent years, has ^een very largely due to his talents, owing to the fact that the father believes that "vounar men are for action and the old for counsel."' Mr. Harlev, as one of his achievements in the management of the extensive interests of the firm, in 1892, secured in his own name the contract for the construction of sec- tion one of the great Illinois drainage canal, one of the greatest engineering feats of history and one which will rank with those of the Suez and Manchester canals of the Old World. This con- tract was secured on a bid of seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Mr. Harlev has a pleasant family, composed of a wife and two children. Mrs. Harlev, to whom he was married in 1880, bore the maiden name, Mi.•^s Lydia Mehder. Their daughter, Alfredn, is at home, while their eldest child, a son, Wil- liam Hannibal, is pursuing his educational stud- ies at Christian Brothers" College, at St. Louis. Mr. Alfred Harlev is almost as devoted a fra- ternity man as his father, and holds membership in several prominent organizations. The Mystic Shrine comes in for a share of his attention, and also the brilliant order of Knights of Pythias, while for so young a man he has made rapid progress in the mysteries of Masonry, being not only a Knight Templar but having also passed to the eminent <,hirty-second degree of the Scot- tish rite. Mr. Harlev is a young man of but thirty-five years, and has already given proof of a brilliant future. WILLIAM HARLEV, Jr., WILLIAM HARLEV, junior, is the young- est member of the family that were bom during their Minnesota residence, and although he is but twenty-nine years of age he has him- self done some most creditable work, both as an architect and builder. As he was bom in Brown county, Minnesota, in 1866, he was but six years old w^hen his father moved back to Chicago, and consequently received his education in this city. This was an excellent character and extended through the course of the high school. After tliis he entered an architect's office and secured the thorough preparation that soon fitted him to become the junior member of the firm of architects, Meldahl, Hessmueller & Harlev. He was married, soon after attaining his majority, to Miss Lizzie Consoer, in 1887, and the little daughter that has come to them bears the name Edith. Mr. William Harlev, junior, began early to evince that devotion to fraternities that char- acterizes the family, and at the time of his initia- tion was the yoimgest Mason in the State of Illi- nois. He is a Knight Templar and likewise a meml;er of the Scottish rite and the Mystic Shrine. For so young an architect, Mr. Harlev is one I'f unusually excellent experience. 424 7!irennan, whose brother, Michael Brennan, was a noted Catliolic priest in Dublin, and the author of the Ecclesiastical History of Ireland. Ac- companied by his wife the Rev. John Harvey emigrated to the New World and took up his residence in Oneida county. New York. During the Civil war he served as chaplain in the Union army, continuing at the front until after the ces- sation of hostilities. He was a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and for over fifty years did pastoral work in Oneida county, New York, where he was widely known and universally respected. His son, William Nathaniel Harvey, the father of the Doctor, is a native of New York Mills, Oneida county, New York. He married Lovina Brewer, who came of an old Vermont family, and in 1845 removed from the Empire State to Gales- burg, Illinois, where with his wife he has since re- sided. He has now laid aside active business cares and is enjoying a well earned rest. Three of his sons have given their lives to the medical profession, and have attained prominence in their cliosen calling: Dr. J. B. Hai-vey is a graduate of Hahnemann Medical College, of Chicago, and is now^ engaged in practice in Galesburg; Dr. Andrew M. Harvey is a graduate of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Chicago, and at this writing is the resident surgeon of St. Elizabeth's Hospital of this city. To a student of human nature there is nothing of more interest than to examine into the life his- tory of a self-made man and to analyze those principles that have enabled him to pass many on the highway of life and attain a position of promi- nence in the community. The life record of Dr. Harvey certainly contains much of interest and demonstrates the fact that success is not a matter of genius, but is the result of well directed energy, developed natural ability and sound judgment. His boyhood was passed in his parents' home in Galesburg, and after pursuing the preparatory- course in Knox Academy he entered Knox Col- lege of that city, at which he was graduated with honor in 1880. He was an apt and thorough student, who applied himself diligently to his studies, but at the same time neglected not the physical training without which there is no per- fect development. He took great interest in ath- letics of all kinds, and was a recognized leader in such sports in Knox College and in the Uni- versity of Michigan. Soon after his graduation at the former institution he began fitting himself for the practice of medicine in the latter school, where he continued his studies during 1881-2. His next instruction was obtained in Hahnemann Aledical College, of Chicago, at which he was graduated in the class of 1883. Upon receiving his degree he formed a partnership with Dr. J. E. Gilman of this city, and during their connection of two years he acquired a valuable experience and won a reputation as a skilled physician. His ability being thus recognized he was offered the chair of physiology and histology in his alma mater, — the Hahnemann ]\Iedical College, — which position he accepted and satisfactorily filled for the succeeding three years. Dr. Harvey has ever manifested a deep interest ^-^^U(^C REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 427 in all that pertains to his profession, its advance- ment and improvement. Being a man of thorough research, he delves deeply into the hidden mys- teries in order to bring to light that which will benefit humanity through the line of his profes- sion. In connection with the World's Columbian Exposition, he was one of the organizers and a director of the Columbian Homeopathic Hospital, and from the first was active in its management, insuring its success by his efficient and untiring labors. He was also an important factor in or- ganizing the Homeopathic Post-Graduate Medi- cal College, of Chicago, of which he is now secre- tary, and a member of the board of directors. He is also professor of surgery in that institution, and is the surgeon of the Chicago Baptist Hos- pital and the regular lecturer before the training school of nurses connected with that institution. He is also surgeon of the Garfield Park Sani- tarium and the Chicago Railway Hospital. He has made a specialty of surgery, and has won a reputation that makes him one of the foremost representatives of this branch of the profession. He is an honored and valuable member of various medical societies and clubs, including the Illinois State Medical Societ\-, the Chicago Homeopathic Medical Society, the American Institute of Home- opathy, and the Clinical Society of Hahnemann Medical College and Hospital. He also holds membership in the Illinois Club, the Chicago Athletic Club, and is the honored president of the Knox College Club, of Chicago. In 1883 he was honored by that institution with the degree of Master of Arts. In 1 89 1 was celebrated the marriage of Dr. Harvey and Miss Alice Flash, of New Orleans, Louisiana, the daughter of one of the prominent residents of that city, well known in business and social circles. Mrs. Harvey is a lady of culture and refinement who presides with grace over her pleasant home and extends to her many friends true Southern hospitality. They have two chil- dren, — 'a son and daughter, — Alice Flash and \Mlliam Spencer, Jr. From the time of attaining his majoritythe Doc- tor has affiliated with the Republican party, and is a stanch adherent of its principles. In his re- ligious connections he is an Episcopalian. Al- though reared in the Methodist Church he united with the Church of the Epiphany at the corner of Adams street and Ashland boulevard, Chicago, soon after his marriage. In manner he is courte- ous and aftable, in disposition kindly and gener- ous and withal is a true gentleman who com- mands the respect and admiration of those with whom he comes in contact, and has won a large circle of friends. An eminent physician and sur- geon, he has added to his natural ability a sincere love of his work, without which the greatest suc- cess cannot be achieved. He is always well poised, is a man of keen discrimination, prompt in action, and his excellent preparation makes him thoroughly reliable in the most difficult cases and under the most trying circumstances. LEMUEL MILK, KANKAKEE. IN some respects Lemuel Milk was a remark- able character. In this age of urban devel- opment and prosperity, few men of his strength of character and practical business cjualifications are content to lead what might be called a pas- toral life; and certainly few men who had the natural trend of sentiment and love for mother nature that would lead them to shun the more glittering opportunities for material advancement in a business or speculative city life, have had in their make-up so blended the rather unique qualities required to harmonize the nineteenth- century spirit of advancement and adaptation with the quiet life of the husbandman. We have in this age those yclept railroad kings, merchant princes, Napoleons of finance, etc., and in that view certainly Lemuel Milk may be justly termed the Prince of Agriculture. He is entitled to this distinction not merely on account of the extent of his operations, but more particularly on account of his methods. Through the whole course of his career the prime moving 428 SWOIiArilfCAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE spirit that prompted all his actions seems to have been improvement and advancement. The idea and intent of leaving whatever he touched better than he found it, and this even when his personal gain might often have been better advanced by an opposite course, has been dominant with him. He was a man whose true character, to be rightly understood, must be studied beneath the surface. His life's work must be taken in its entirety, its environment included, and also his possibilities and probabilities of success in other and more inviting fields of speculation and labor. Thus examined the unselfish and commendable pur- pose and object of his life work becomes appar- ent and in fact unquestionable. In a general work of this character we can cnly touch upon the leading events of his career, and thus hint at the underlying motives and spirit that impelled his actions; but enough may be outlined to show that he was both in natural ability and purity of motive a man above the ordinary class. He was bom in Ledyard, Cayuga county, New York, October i8, 1820. Both his parents were natives of the old Bay State, his father hav- ing been born in Westport, Massachusetts, and his mother, a descendant and member of the old puritan Hathaway family, being born in New Bedford, Massachusetts, where many of her family name still reside. When Lemuel was but two years of age his parents removed to Fleming, Cayuga county, and here his boyhood and youth were passed. He was brought up to agricultural pursuits, and, unlike most farmers' sons, did not despise his occupation. He loved nature and nature's pro- cesses and products. When yet a lad he devel- oped marked business instincts and qualities. The first money he ever earned he invested in stock, this by increase and judicious manipula- tion developed into quite a little capital, and also, while yet a lad, he assumed the active manage- ment of his father's farm, and soon purchased — mostly on credit — an adjoining farm, which he paid for in the four years succeeding. He en- gaged quite extensively in buying and selling cattle, horses, hogs, etc. About this time Colonel William Howard, an extensive trader and live-stock dealer, became interested in the qualities displayed by the young man, and a partnership was the result. Colonel Howard used to make trips to Illinois, Indiana and Ohio buying stock, which would be shipped and driven to the Eastern markets. During one of these Western trips he entered a tract of Government land in Iroc[uois county, Illinois, in what was then known as Hickory Grove, afterward Enos Grove, now Milk's Grove. In 1850, upon his representation, ]\Ir. Milk purchased a half interest in the same without ever having seen it. In the following spring (185 1) Mr. Milk came West to inspect his new purchase, finding it entirely satisfactory, and, finding also as he believed a field here better suited to his ambition and enterprise, he deter- mined to close his interests in the East and make his home in this then new country. Upon the death of his partner. Colonel Howard, in 1853, he purchased from the heirs their interest in these lands and at once began to add to the tract by entering and purchasing adjacent lands, until at one time he owned nine thousand acres in one body. On the first of June, 1854, he married Miss Jane A. Piatt, of Otsego county. New York, and soon after he came to Illinois to locate perman- entlv, choosing as his place of abode the village of Kankakee. Here he purchased a residence with lands adjoining, and his residence at the time of his decease comprised part of the orig- inal dwelling. From the time he first became interested in Western lands it was his custom to clear up, drain and improve them, buy, feed, graze and breed all kinds of stock for market, and with the proceeds of this operation buy more land and proceed to convert it to a high state of productive- ness. He was one of the few original farmers of our Western countrs' who did not prey upon the natural fertility of the soil and proceed to wear it out giving nothing in return. He bought thousands of acres of land considered by others useless for purposes of tillage, and by an intel- ligent system of drainage and fertilizing converted these waste 'places into beautiful and produc- tive farms. Where suitable tenants were not available he hired men to carry out his ideas, and thus by a system of tenantry and hired labor he kept up his REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 4-29 improvements until at one time he owned in Illinois and Indiana over one hundred and fifty improved farms of one hundred and sixty acres each, or more than twenty-five thousand acres of actual farming lands, all under a high state of cultivation. He also owned real estate in Chi- cago, Kankakee, Wilmington, Manteno, Waldron and Chebanse, and at the latter place established one of the largest general stores ever operated in Illinois outside of Chicago. He kept up his interest in live-stock buying, rearing and breeding, and* for many years gave especial attention to the breeding of Percheron horses and Hereford cattle. In addition to all these extensive interests he also conducted for more than twenty years a large ice business which is still carried on by Mrs. Milk. To his first marriage were bom two children: Jennie M., now Mrs. Conrad, of Indiana, and Sherwood P., who died June 17, 1883. Mrs. Milk died in December, 1881, at El Paso, Texas, while in attendance or this invalid son. October 30, 1886, Mr. Milk married as his second wife. Miss May E. Sherwood, of Tennessee, and they had one child, Mary Sherwood, born July 17, 1888. For some years prior to Mr. Milk"s death he had been at various times disposing of his landed interests, but even then he left extensive pos- sessions, in realty in Illinois and Indiana and North Dakota. He always had unbounded con- fidence in the eventual prosperity of this latter region, and used often to remark in later years that were he a younger man he would center his interests there and help to develop that beau- tiful region. Mr. Milk died at Kankakee, July 19, 1893. In his death Illinois lost one of the best and most advanced representatives of its farming interests that the State ever possessed. The simple acqui- sition of wealth was never his ruling passion. Had it been he might have been many times a millionaire. His purpose in life seemed to be in one word, " improvement." He made the waste places of the earth to blossom as the rose, he took an interest in worthy and ambitious young men and took pride in helping them to a start in life. One of the most beautiful and touching tributes to the memory of the man was the many letters received by his devoted wife after his decease, from those whom he had assisted to a start on the road to prosperity, acknowledging their obligation and extolling his generosity. These came unsolicited from every part of the country. He was the kindest and most consid- erate of landlords. His tenants regarded him as their friend, and would at any time go out of their way to oblige him, as he indeed would to oblige them. He was a man wdio inspired con- fidence and enthusiasm; of stalwart build, genial manners, forceful presence and unswerv- ing will, he would have won success in almost any calling in life. He was always too busy to seek or accept office. The only time he ever deviated from this was in serving two years as trustee for the Illinois East- ern Hospital for the Insane at Kankakee, and was also the first and till his death the only presi- dent of the Alound Grove Cemetery Association. He was broad-gauged and liberal in all his views, political, religious and social. A Demo- crat in early life, upon the organization of the Republican party he found in its declaration of principles the underlying elements of freedom, right and justice between man and man that accorded with his own views, and henceforth gave his allegiance to that part}-. He was a man of action rather than theory. While others might argue and debate he went to work and demonstrated. He furnished homes, the means of education, and a start in life to thousands wdio in coming years will bless his niemorv. 430 DIOOrxAl'IIICAL niCTIONAnr AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE JESSE C. WHEATON, WHEATON. THE history of northeastern Illinois would be incomplete without the life record of Jesse C. Wheaton, whose labors larg'ely promoted the material, educational and moral welfare of this section of the State. He is known as the founder of the city which bears his name, as one of the chief promoters of the first railroad of Illinois, and was one of the organizers and benefactors of Wheaton College. He was born at Pomfret, Connecticut, March 27, 1813, and was a son of James and Nancy Wheaton, nee Lyon. The Wheaton family orig- inated in Ireland, where the great-grandfather of our subject was bom. The grandfather, James Wheaton, was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and the father served as one of the defenders of this comitry in the war of 1812. He was a farmer by occupation and owned a valuable tract of land of three hundred acres near Pomfret. His wife died at the age oi twenty-nine, while he lived to the advanced age of eighty-nine. Jesse C. Wheaton was only four years old when his mother departed this life. He was reared on his father's farm, obtained his education in the common schools of the neighborhood, and later served a four-years apprenticeship at the carpen- ter and joiner's trade, receiving during that time five dollars per month and his board. On the com- pletion of his term of service he went to Worces- ter, Massachusetts, where he worked for a time as a journeyman. Believing, however, that the West offered greater opportunities for young men of ambition and industn,', he left Worcester for Chicago in the spring of 1837, making the jour- ney by stage to Norwich, thence to New London and New York, by river to Albany, and by canal to Buffalo, where he boarded a sailing vessel for Mackinaw. While on Lake Huron the mainmast of the boat was broken and thirty days were con- sumed ere the journey was ended. On the last day of June he arrived in Chicago, which then had a population of less than three thousand. Mr. Wheaton settled in Warrenville, Du Pap^e county, Illinois, and began work at his trade. Tile United States survev had not been made at this time, and he secured a pre-emption claim of one hundred and sixty acres of land south of the present city of Wheaton. He had only three hundred dollars to invest, but prosperity attended his efforts from the beginning. He raised wheat, which he hauled to Chicago with oxen and sold for thirty-three cents per bushel at a time when "three pecks of potatoes would glut the Chicago market!" The first crop he raised was on un- fenced land, and he continued farming in connec- tion with carpenter work, and added to his realty until he owned over three hundred acres. At the time of the building of the old Galena road, — the first railroad in Illinois, — when John B. Turner was president and John \"an Nortw^ick was chief engineer, the Wheaton brothers did more than any one else to further the enterprise, and in consequence a warm friendship sprang up be- tween them and the builders of the road, which was ended only by death. The Wheaton brothers gave three miles of the right of way through their land to the railroad company, and it was in recog- nition of this liberal gift that i\Ir. Turner named the station Wheaton. With the development and progress of the new city, Jesse C. Wheaton was prominently identi- fied, taking an active interest in everything per- taining to its upbuilding and advancement. When it was proposed to establish Wheaton College he made a generous donation of three hundred dol- lars to further the enterprise at a time (1852) when ready money was much harder to secure than it is to-day. In addition he also donated twenty acres of land, — one-half of the land on which the college is located. Later he contributed liberally toward liquidating the indebtedness of the school and served for more than ten years as one of its trustees. Mr. Wheaton always took an active interest in the cause of public education, and for twenty years was a member of the board of trus- tees of Wheaton, being its president at the time of his death. He was one of the promoters of what is known as the "Elephant Schoolhouse," so named by those who predicted that the building would not be filled for the next fift\' years. Their REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 481 mistake is apparent, as it is now almost too crowded, and soon another building' will be nec- essan'. Mr. Wheaton labored long and earnestly in behalf of the schools of the cit)' in which he made his home, and they were advanced to their present high standard largely through his efforts. The high school is considered the best in the county, and its graduates are permitted to enter Wheaton College or any other first-class academy without further examination. The various business enterprises with which Mr. Wheaton was connected promoted the ma- terial prosperity of the city. In 1879 the Wheaton Bank, now known as the Gary Bank, was estab- lished, Mr. Wheaton becoming one of its founders, and continuing his connection with it until his death. He laid out the first and second additions to ^^'heaton, besides the original plat of the city, and used his best endeavors to have the county seat removed from Naper\'ille; Wheaton being the exact geographical center of the county and therefore the proper place for the county govern- ment. On the 6th of March, 1839, in Du Page count}-, Mr. Wheaton married Miss Oneida GarA', daugh- ter of William and Lucy (Perin) Gan,-, who had also emigrated westward from Pomfret, Connecti- cut. Her death occurred on the 4th of April, 1882. They had nine children, six of whom sur- vive the parents. Lora A., wife of John Stepson, is a graduate of Wheaton College, having com- pleted the classical course. For many j^ears she has been engaged in teaching languages, having been thus employed in Hedding College, of Ab- ingdon, Illinois, for five years, and in Rock River Seminar}- for three years, while for the past fif- teen years she has been a teacher of Latin in the North Division high school of Chicago. Maria N., wife of R. A. Morrison, of Grant Park, died, leaving three children, — Frankie, Willie and Mamie, who, after the death of their mother, made their home with Mr. Wheaton. Jesse C. is the next of the family. Ellen F. died in childhood. Mary E., deceased, was the wife of Henn,- Hewes, of Crete, Will county, Illinois. James M. is a Methodist minister located in St. Charles, Illi- nois. Franklin Emr}- has since his father's death taken charge of the business affairs of the estate. Washington Irving has for some years success- fully engaged in farming. Frankie E. is the wife of J. F. Snyder, an attorney-at-law of Wheaton. In religious belief, Mr. Wheaton was always a Methodist, and assisted in organizing the church of that denomination in 1849. The building was dedicated in 1857, and it is needless to say that he assisted materially in the maintenance of the church. At one time he made this statement: "My first donation to the church was four hun- dred dollars. I did not know where the money was to come from, but it came." For more than twenty }ears he ser\'ed as one of its trustees, and justly merited the esteem in which he was held by his co-laborers. He was a loyal Republican, and for many years was the assessor and collector of Milton township, and was deputy assessor of internal revenue of Du Page county from 1862 until 1868. The death of Mr. Wheaton, which occurred in 1895, in his eighty-second year, was deeply felt throughout the entire community, but the mem- ory of his pure, useful and successful life is the consolation left his family. He was prominent if not foremost in every public enterprise of im- portance in the history of the place named in his honor. No other man has been more interested in the development of Du Page county than he whose industry and frugality, faithfulness and so- briety, justice and perseverance, thoroughness and success were universally recognized and ap- preciated. No one could misunderstand him. When he said No he meant No. When his mind decided there was no further parley. His word was good for all he was wortli. Morally he was exceptionally strong and greatly respected. His religion was characteristic of his deliberate con- stitution. He loved the church, encouraged edu- cation and sustained the social interests in the most unassuming and practical way. What he deemed to be right and desirable he supported in ever}^ way possible. He was rather conserva- tive than enthusiastic, and rarely demonstrative. He was naturally tender-hearted and essentially benevolent. Whatever his faults, he made no enemies by conceit of superiority or contempt of poverty. He was never proud, never vain, never vacillating. He will be generally and greatly missed by a circle of friends in whose estimation he was a model for emulation and in whose recol- 432 BionuArnicAL dtcttonary and poutrait galleut of the lection he will ever remain the type of a true friend and worthy citizen. Upon his death the hoard of education, of which he was president, passed the following resolutions: "Whereas, It has pleased Almighty God to call from his labors our friend and associate, Jesse Wheaton, who for many years served as pres- ident of this board, and who has for so long been prominently identified with the cause of educa- tion in the town which bears his name; be it "Resolved, That the members of this board tender to his family their heartfelt sympathy in their time of sorrow, and that we desire to express our sense of the loss we have sustained in the death of our honored president. We feel that in the death of Jesse Wheaton the cause of educa- tion loses a strong champion, and we desire to place on record our appreciation of the character of our deceased associate as a man, a public-spir- ited citizen and a sincere friend ; be it further "Resolved, That this preamble and resolution be spread upon the records of the board and that a copy be sent to the family of the deceased and published in the Wheaton papers." F. J. KERN, BELLEVILLE. ONE of the prominent representatives of the journalistic profession is the gentleman whose name heads this brief notice, the well-known edi- tor and proprietor of the News Democrat of Belleville. He is numbered among the native sons of St. Clair county, where his birth occurred on the 2d of September, 1864. His parents, H. L. and Katherine Kern, were early settlers of this locality. Our subject acquired his education in the public schools, and supplemented his early privileges by a course in the Illinois State Normal University. On leaving the school room he took up the teacher's profession, which he successfully followed for five years in the schools of St. Clair county. On the expiration of that period Mr. Kern en- tered upon his connection with journalistic work and is an important factor in newspaper circles in this section of Illinois. He became editor of the East St. Louis Gazette at the commencement of his career and later purchased and published the Belleville Weekly and Daily News Democrat, tlie leading Democratic paper of southern Illinois. This paper was established in 1857. It has now enteJ'ed upon a prosperous era of its existence and is recognized as a leading journal. Mr. Kern has had a varied business career, having followed various lines of business. He carried on farming for a time, afterward engaged in teaming, has fol- lowed coal mining, been employed as a stationary engineer and railway engineer, has been an edu- cator and an editor. He has also been an active and effective worker in the interests of the Democratic party, has served as delegate to the State and national conventions, and has delivered many campaign addresses, being a fluent, entertaining, instructive and convincing speaker. In July, 1893, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Kem and Miss Alma Eidmann.of Mascoutah, Illinois, by whom he has one son, Alfred. So- cially Mr. Kern is connected with the Knights of Pythias fraternity and the Modem Woodmen of America and has filled various offices in both lodges. He is also a member of the St. Clair County Fair Association and the Belleville Cycle Club. He is one of the founders of the Belleville Lyceum and was the first president of that well known literary organization. He is a man of much force of character, strong individuality, and his pleasant, social manner has won him a host of warm friends. .^^/c^^ REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE VXITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 433 WARREN L. WH EATON, Wll EATON. THE city of Wheaton, Du Page county, Illi- nois, stands as a monument to the progres- sive spirit and the enterjjrise of two brothers, one of whom is the gentleman whose name begins this review. His life work has been of decided advantage to this locality. He was bom in Pom- fret, Windham county, Connecticut, March 6,1812, and is a son of James Wheaton, who \vas born in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, in 1784. His son acquired his education in the common schools of Pomfret, in Woodstock Academy, and at a classi- cal school at Oxford, Massachusetts. At the age of nineteen he began teaching school in the win- ter season, while in the summer months he worked on a farm. He was successful in this undertak- ing, as he has been in nearly every work to which his attention has been given throughout his ac- tive business career. Attracted by the limitless possibilities of the \\'est, he started for Illinois in the spring of 1837, and on the ist of June arrived in Du Page county. Several months were passed in looking over the country, during which time he visited Madison, Wisconsin, Galena, Ottawa, La Salle and Quincy, Illinois, and St. Louis, Missouri, returning by way of Galena. Becoming convinced that no better land could be secured than in Du Page county, he returned to his first location, and in June, 1838, made a claim of 640 acres. This region had not been surveyed, and he indicated his ownership of the property by plowing around it. Becoming convinced that Chicago was to be the great entre- pot for all the W'estern produce, he wrote his brother to come to the West. Jesse Wheaton re- sponded in person and in the summer of 1838 came to Illinois and took a claim of three hundred and twenty acres that Erastus and Jude P. Gary lield in reserve for some of their friends. Thus Du Page county became the home of two of its most prominent residents. Warren L. Wheaton spent the first season pre- vious to making his tour to the West in the home of Messrs. Gary, who lived in a double log house near Warrenville. He went through the ex- periences and trials of life on the frontier, and 2S in the winter after his arrival he lost some of his cash capital. He had eleven sovereigns and thirty-four silver half dollars in a trunk in his room when the Gary house was destroyed by fire. The next day ten of the eleven sovereigns, somewhat blackened, were found in the ashes of the ruins, but nothing could be found of the other currency except a few globules of silver, which were sold by Mr. Wheaton for $3. During the summer of 1838 he broke eighteen acres of land, in the fall sowed it to winter wheat, and in the .spring reaped a good han'est. This was raised on the open prairie, no fences protecting it from neighbors' cattle; but it was unmolested save when a deer had now and then wandered through. Since that time Mr. Wheaton has carried on agri- cultural pursuits and is still engaged in farming on the school section in Milton township, — the land which he claimed from the Government al- most sixty years ago. On the 25th of June, 1848, Mr. Wheaton was united in marriage with ]\Iiss Harriet E. Rickert, who was also a native of Pomfret, Connecticut, and a daughter of Mrs. Laura Rickert. When a child of but ten years she was brought by her parents to Illinois, where she lived until called from this life on the 2gth of May, 1863, at the age of thirty-seven years. In the family were six children: Warren L., Jr., who was born on the nth of June, 1850, and is associated with his father in business; Stella C, who was born in Feb- ruary 13, 1853, and died on the 9th of June, 1863: Charles Henry, who was born July 20, 1855, and died September 8, 1856; Lucy E., bom Febmary 22, 1858; Wilbur F., born May 12, i860; and Harry, born May 29, 1863. After the death of his first wife, Mr. Wheaton married Miss Chris- tiana Shugg, of New York city. It is safe to say that no man has been more in- terested in advancing every enterprise for the good of Wheaton and the neighborhood than has Warren L. Wheaton. When John B. Turner, president, and Hon. William B. Ogden, director, of the Chicago and Galena Railroad, were secur- ing the right of way for the road they were asked 434 nWGRAPnWAL DTCTTONART AND PORTRAIT OALLBRT OF THE fifteen dollars per acre for the land at Danby ; but the \\'heaton brothers and E. Gary voluntarily offered the right of way through their land, anx- ious to aid the new undertaking. Their ardent support and generosity in this matter gained them the good will and favor of the officials of the road and when a station was located Captain Turner named it Wheaton, in honor of the man who had so liberally come forward and met him open- handed. When the road was so far completed that the question was discussed, Where shall the depot be located? there arose a diversity of opinions. A strenuous effort was made by Mr. Jewell to secure the station on his father's land, and for this pur- pose erected a large two-story balloon frame thereon, about four rods from the track. He se- cured an appointment as postmaster at this place, and in order to make security doubly secure went to Naperville and induced the people to come to his neighborhood. The company gathered in front of the home of Warren L. Wheaton and or- ganized a self-constituted power. Captain Joseph Naper being- elected president and John J. Riddler clerk. When Captain Naper was shown where section i6 is, it was resolved that the station should be located on Warren Wheaton's west farm The station was, however, located where the brothers wanted it. From the first the Wheaton brothers adopted what has proved to be a very wise plan in build- ing up the town. They first gave away a lot here and there to any one who would build, and in ac- cordance with the building to be erected thereon. Later they sold for a nominal sum lots to any one who would build, realizing but little more than enough to pay the cost of the survey, transfer, etc. Thus they promoted the growth of the city which to-day stands as a monument to these hon- ored pioneers. In 1852, when Professor Turnery's father, a \\'esleyan Methodist minister, and the Rev. John Cross, came to Wheaton to secure subscription to the construction fund of a college to be called the Illinois Institute, to be founded at Wheaton, provided $3,000 in subscription could be secured, the Wheaton brothers and E. Gary pledged them- selves for $3,000, which insured the success of the subscription part of the work at least. After se- lecting the present site of the college grounds, the title was secured in this way. The land be- longed to William N. Dodge, but was incumbered by a trust deed and was to be sold in a short time. The Wheaton brothers proposed to D. Howard that if he would attend the sale and bid of? the land and let the institute have forty acres at the price per acre that it sold for at the sale, they would furnish him the money to buy the farm, — which was done and the title secured. .Warren Wheaton has always been one of the earnest and enthusiastic supporters of the college thus founded, and from the beginning has served as trustee. The cause of education has ever found in him a stalwart advocate and the public schools of Wheaton largely owe their high standard of ex- cellence to his efforts in their behalf while serving on the board of education. The high school is recognized as one of the best in the State and the citizens have just reason to be proud of the insti- tution. In the summer of 1848 Mr. Wheaton was nomi- nated by the Democracy as a candidate for the legislature and served in the session of 1848-9, and the e.xtra session convened by proclamation of the governor. He took an active part in the deliberations of the house, and was a staunch sup- porter of every measure pertaining to the true progress of the commonwealth. He was one of the conniiittee on township organization, and the work which he did will be placed to his credit for years to come. In 1850 he served as super- visor of Milton township, where again he did faithful service for his constituents. He has passed the eighty-third milestone of life's jour- ney, and his career is one in which unim- peachable honor, straightforward dealing and unquestioned integrity commands the respect of all. In his life he has embodied the belief that he does best who does most to help his fel- low men. REPRESEKTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 435 ELIJAH ILES, SPRINGFIELD. MAJOR ELIJAH ILES was one of the earli- est settlers of central Illinois, and his name is inseparably connected with its history. He was bom in Kentucky, March 28, 1796, at which period all the district west of the Alleghany mountains was an almost unbroken wilderness. His grandfather, William lies, emigrated from England to this country, and married a lady of Welsh descent. Their son, Thomas lies, the father of oi:r subject, was born in Pennsylvania, in 1766. His mother died and his father married a second time. Becoming restless he determined to leave home and depend upon his own exertions in the future. At the age of seventeen an opportunity presented itself. He started for Virginia and thence went to Kentucky, with a family by the name of Trumbo, in the year 1788. The Indians were at that time stealing horses and killing the inhabitants of Ken- tucky, and Air. lies joined the settlers who were engaged in driving the red men across the river into the Territory of Ohio. Finally his own horse was stolen, his money was all spent and his clothes were worn and rusty. He was now forced to turn his attention to some business which would yield him a living. Through the summer montlis he worked on farms and in the winter attended school, working in the evenings and on Saturdays in order to pay for his board. In this way he obtained an education sufficient to enable him to teach school, which profession he followed through the winter months and carried on agricultural pursuits through the summer. His time was thus passed until 1792, when he married Betsey Crocket, a lady of Irish descent. With his wife, her two brothers, John and Robert Crocket, and others, he formed a colony that settled on the border of eastern Kentucky in a rough and hilly section on Slate creek, which is one of the sources of the Licking river. This land is now comprised in Bath county. The home of Mr. lies was a buckeye cabin of one room, that stood on the bank of a clear stream of water, the bed of which was of flat lime- stone rock and pebbles. The bottom lands sur- rounding the cabin were covered with a heavy growth of beech timber, so thick that it hardly admitted the sun's light. The neighbors were so widely scattered that they could not see the smoke of each other's cabins. The district at that day was truly a wild and backwoods region, in which were many bears, panthers and deer. They could not raise hogs because the two former would kill the young pigs, so they depended upon bear and deer meat to supply the table. The clothing for the family was all spun, woven and made by the mother, except the buckskin trousers worn by the father and sons. The furniture of the cabin was very primitive, as all articles had to be brought from Virginia to Kentucky on pack- horses. The dishes and spoons were of pewter, and the tumblers Japan tin, while gourds often served for drinking cups. The bread was always made of corn-meal, baked on a board or in the ashes, and the meat supply was bear meat, tur- key, venison, squirrel and fish, which was often roasted before the fire. The mother of our sub- ject died in 1802, leaving five children, — Polly, Elijah, William, Washington and Betsey, In 1810 the father was again married and left our subject with a male and female servant to conduct the farm. He had acquired his educa- tion in a little log schoolhousc four miles from home, where he had studied little else than the 'three R's;'' but his father was a well educated man and instructed his children at home. In 1812 Major lies began serving as deputy sherifT under his father. In 1816 the latter loaned him three hundred dollars with which he purchased one hundred yearling calves. He drove these beyond the settlement in the Kentucky mountains, where he camped for three summers and two winters. In October, 1818, he started for Mis- souri, passing few settlements on the way. The land had not then been surveyed. He secured a clerkship in Booneville, then the extreme western settlement, with a merchant who was also clerk for the receiver of the land office. To the care of our subject the money was often intrusted, and 436 BWORAPJIICAL DICTIONAUT AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE he has had as high as one hundred thousand dol- lars hidden in barrels of paper under the counter of the store ! Three years later he returned to his old Kentucky home, but not for a long period. Major lies had heard excellent reports of the fertility and richness of the Sangamon valley in Illinois, and journeyed thither. He was delighted with the district and erected a store where the stakes had been set up for laying out a town, now the city of Springfield. Purchasing a stock of goods in St. Louis, these were towed on a flatboat up the Missiissippi and Illinois rivers to the mouth of the Sangamon, fifty miles from Springfield, and then hauled across the countr}'. This was the first mercantile establishment in the county. It was eighteen feet square and cus- tomers came from eighty miles around. In 1821 Mr. lies laid claim to a quarter section of land on which stood his store, divided it into town lots, and gave a lot to each settler who would build upon it. That year one hundred and fifty people came to the neighborhood. In 1823 he bought considerable land at the sales, and in 1831 he sold his store to John Williams, who had come from Kentucky to clerk for him, while he turned his attention to other interests. In 1824, in con- nection with P. P. Enos, Thomas Cox and John Taylor, he purchased from the Government the town site of Springfield, at one dollar and twenty- five cents an acre. Mr. lies was married in the same year to Me- linda Benjamin, and they had two children: Louisa, who was born in 1825, and died in 1857; and Thomas, who was born in 1830 and died in 1877. The mother's deatli occurred in 1866. Major lies was a very prominent and influen- tial citizen during his residence in Illinois. He was elected to the State senate from Sangamon county, when it extended north for a distance of two hundred miles to the boundary line of Wis- consin, and included Fort Dearborn, now the site of Chicago. He twice served in that office, and was a colleague of Abraham Lincoln. In 1827 he was elected major of a regiment commanded by Colonel T. McNeal, for service against the Winnebago Indians, but the troops were not called forth to action. In the Black Hawk war he enlisted as a private, but was promoted to the rank of captain, Abraham Lincoln serving in his command. He was always a prominent factqr in public affairs, and was honored and esteemed by all who knew him. In 1866 he first visited Florida and from that time until his death spent all his winters there. He was very familiar with all the events connected with the history of the State from the years of its early settlement. As one of the founders of the capital city he well deserves mention in this volume. In 1883, when eighty- seven years of age, he published his memoirs, which embraced many accounts of important events connected with the early development and upbuilding of Illinois. His death occurred in September 4, 1883. CHARLES O. NASON, THE subject of this sketch, Charles Otis Nason, one of the leading citizens of Moline, was born in Hartford, Windsor county, Vermont, September 20, 1828, and was the seventh of nine children of Horace and Mary (Lamb) Nason, the former a machinist by occu- pation, and both members of old New England families. During the early '30s, when Charles was about five or six years of age, his parents moved to Claremont, New Hampshire, and in the latter place his boyhood was, passed. At the age of seventeen he left school and obtained a situation as assistant overseer in the weaving room of a cotton factory, being promoted later to the position of overseer. For a number of years he continued to occupy this position, and in the spring of 1857 he made a visit to his uncle, John Deere, of Moline, Illinois, the head of the great Deere Plow Company. When the time came for him to return Mr. Deere induced him to give up his Eastern position and accept one with him, and he entered the woodworking shop of the con- /f ^^•^1^-^-. REPRESENTATIVE MEX OF THE UNITED STATES; II LINO IS VOLUME. 437 cern as a sort of foreman. In this position lie gave complete satisfaction, and was advanced to the position of contractor and superintendent, filling the latter office until December, 1894, at which time he retired from active participation in the business. When the plow works were incor- porated, in 1868, iMr. Nason was one of the orig- inal stockholders, and for many }ears was a direc- tor of the company. During a portion of this period he served as treasurer. He still retains his stock interest, but since his retirement has held no office in the corporation. At the present time he is a stockholder and treasurer of the People's Power Company, of Moline, a corpo- ration occupying the water power at that point. In political faith Mr. Nason is a strong Repub- lican, but is not a politician. He was elected mayor of the city in 1887-8, and served his term in a manner that won unqualified commendation. But he has no ambition for political preferment, and leaves the self-seeking to others. In August, 1849, Mr. Nason was united in marriage to Miss Charlotte Johnson, of Clare- mont, New Hampshire, and they have had five children, two of whom are living, viz.: Clar- ence E., who married Miss Ella Estelle, of Moline, and is engaged in the oil business in that city; and Ellen F., who resides with her parents. Mr. and Mrs. Nason attend the Episcopal Church. ]Mrs. Nason being especially active in the church work of the parish. Their residence on Third avenue is a home of comfortand hospitality. Every summer is spent at York Beach, Maine, where they have a summer home. Though always a man of activity, i\Ir. Nason is thoroughly domestic in his tastes, and is not a member of any clubs or societies. To every enterprise cal- culating to advance the prosperity of Moline he is a generous contributor, and has been an im- portant factor in the development of that city, of which he is one of the most popular cit- izens. EDWARD ABEND, BELLEVILLE. EDWARD ABEND has done more to pro- mote the commercial activity, advance the general welfare and secure the material develop- ment of Belleville and the surrounding section of Illinois than probably any other individual. As a business man he has been enterprising, ener- getic and always abreast of the times, and has been rewarded by an ample fortune. Mr. Abend is a native of Germany, born in the province of Bavaria, on the 30th of ]\Iay, 1822, and is the second of the family of seven children, whose parents were Henry and Margaret (Grode) Abend. The father was a revenue collector, and extensively engaged in agricultural pursuits, owning large tracts of land. He served as a soldier under Napoleon Bonaparte in 1812, and belonged to the patriot or liberal party. Emi- grating to America, he took up his residence in St. Louis, where he died in 1833, at the age of forty-three years. A brother and older sister of our subject also died in the same week, of cholera. The mother afterward brought her family to Belleville, where her death occurred in 1865, hav- ing attained the allotted age of three-score years and ten. Edward attended the public schools of St. Louis, and after coming to Belleville pursued his studies under private instruction, and in 1840 entered Lebanon College', where he remained for several terms. At the age of twenty-two he took up the study of law under ex-Governor Trumbull, and was admitted to the bar in 1843. He practiced there until 1845, but although he has nc)t made the profession a life work his knowl- edge of law has imdoubtedly been of benefit to him in his extensive and varied business career. In 1844 he purchased a farm, which he operated until 1850. He then returned to Belleville and resumed the practice of law, in connection with the management of his mother's business, but gradually other interests superseded his labors in this line. In i860 he organized the Belleville Savings Bank, one of the oldest and most substantial 438 niOORAPlIICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE monetary institutions of the county, and from the beginning has been its president. It at first had a paid-up capital of ten thousand dollars, but the present capital is one hundred and fifty thou- sand dollars, and the surplus is one hundred thousand dollars. Thirty-six years of prosperity has been experienced by this bank, in which it has weathered all panics. It was established on a sound basis, has followed a safe and conserva- tive business policy, and its success is undoubt- edly due in a very large measure to the execu- tive ability and capable management of its presi- dent. Mr. Abend was one of the organizers of the gas works, which were erected in 1855, has since been a stockholder and officer in the com- pany, and is now also president of the Electric Light Company of Belleville. For some years he was the president and manager of the St. Clair Turnpike Company, which built the turnpike road in 1850, and was holding the office of secre- tary and treasurer when the stock was sold to an electric railway company, with a view of chang- ing it to an electric road, connecting Belleville with East St. Louis. He has assisted in building all the artificial roads in this locality, and is now secretary and treasurer of several of the last named compa- nies. Whatever tends to promote the advance- ment and prosperity of the city receives his en- thusiastic and substantial support. He has been one of the directors of the St. Louis, Alton & Terre Haute Railroad for twenty years, and a member of its auditing committee. He was in- terested in the water-works company of the city, and for two years was its president. He is the owner of extensive real-estate interests in Belle- ville, and has aided largely in the upbuilding of the town by the erection of many residences and business blocks. Exactness and thorougli- ness characterize all his undertakings and his progress has been a steady growth in the line of honest, persistent effort. His record is clean, and his example is indeed worthy of emu- lation. In 1852 Mr. Abend married Miss Caroline Westermann, a native of Wiesbaden, Germany, and a representative of a prominent family. They had one child, — Louisa, — who died at the age of four years. On the 26th of October, 1856, Mr. Abend wedded Miss Anna Hilgard, of Belleville, and to them were bom six children: Alexander, a civil engineer of East St. Louis; Lina, wife of John A. Day, president of the Electric Railway Company and of a brick manufacturing com- pany; Helen, wife of Samuel Brunaugh, of Chi- cago, agent of the United States Printing Com- pany, of Cincinnati; Ernest, who is in the Belle- ville Bank; Edward, who is bookkeeper and col- lector of the gas company; and Alfred, who died at the age of seventeen years. Mr. Abend has not only been a leader in busi- ness circles but is alike prominent in political affairs. In 1847 he was elected to the State legis- lature as a Wilmot Proviso Democrat, serving for two terms as a most able representative of his party and its interests. He is now affiliated with the Democracy, yet is not strictly partisan, having twice voted for Abraham Lincoln and once for General U. S. Grant. He has frequently served as a delegate to the State conventions and was a delegate to the silver convention which met in Springfield in June, 1895. He has five times served as mayor of Belleville, and the reins of city government have never been in more capable hands, for he is a progressive man, pre-eminently public-spirited, and all that pertains to the public welfare receives his hearty endorsement. He has also served as a member of the city council, has been city attorney, was a member of the board of county supervisors for one term, and was jus- tice of the peace for four years, discharging his various duties with a promptness and fidelity worthy of all commendation. Other official hon- ors would have been conferred upon him had he not declined. He is emphatically a man of enterprise, positive character, indomitable energy, strict integrity and liberal views, and is thoroughly identified in feel- ing with the growth and prosperity of his adopted city and State. He has never taken a very promi- nent part in fraternal matters but holds member- ship with the Masonic society. He is a true lover of nature, and his taste for the noble art has found expression in his hearty encourage- ment of all that tends to its cultivation: He was also one of the organizers of the German library, and his own home contains many of the works of our best authors. He has traveled extensively REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF TUE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. Am in this country, and has twice visited Europe, and his obser\'ing eye and retentive memory have enabled him to cam' back with him the scenes of beauty and historic interest that he has visited, they remaining with him as pictures on memory's wall. Travel and his social, genial nature have made him an entertaining companion, and he is a stanch and loyal friend, fond of good fellow- ship and devoted to those who have his con- fiilence. CHARLES FREDERICK GUNTHER, AMOXG the men who have visited most quar- ters of the globe and made use of the artistic, scientific and practical knowledge that they had thus obtained, for the benefit of their fellow-men, none is more favorably known, nor has made better use of their advantages, thus obtained, for the city of Chicago and its inhabitants, than has tlie subject of this biography. He was born in W'ildberg, a beautiful town located in the cele- brated "Black Poorest'' district of Wiirtemberg, South Germany, on March 6, 1837. When a lad of five years, his parents immigrated to the United States, the ocean voyage occupying fifty- two days between Havre and New York. Tliey finally settled at Columbia, Lancaster county, Pennsylvania. In 1848, the family moved to the mountain district in Somerset county, and it ^vas here and in the place of their previous residence that Charles obtained his ele- mentary educatioTi, by attending private schools. Our subject early in life showed those traits of in- dependence and love of adventure and travel that have characterized his later life, and when but a mere child he made daily journeys over the mountains, carrying the United States mail. His daily trip was twenty miles and return. For, this service he received twenty-five cents per diem. In the spring of 1850 the family removed to Peru, Illinois, journeying by the Pennsylvania canal to Pittsburg, thence by the rivers to St. Louis, and thence up to the headwaters of the Illinois river. Here young Gunther attended pri- vate and public schools, and at an early age be- gan his business career in a general store, which he soon left to accept a position in a drug store. He became a competent drug clerk, and also studied the rudiments of medical science. His next po- sition was in the post office at Peru, where he be- came manager of the office. Following that he became an employee in the bank of Alexander Cruickshank, who represented the famous bank- ing house of George Smith & Company, of Chi- cago. He remained with this firm five years, and after three years in their employ was made cashier of the bank. In those days Peru was a great ice-packing depot, whence large quantities of this commodity were shipped to Southern cities. Young Gunther, through his business relations, became intimately acquainted with prominent business men of the South, which at that time offered great opportuni- ties to an ambitious young man. Resigning his position in the early fall of i860, he went thither, and after visiting all of the leading cities of the Southern States, settled in Memphis, accepting a position with ]\Iessrs. Bohlen, Wilson & Company, the leading ice firm in the South. The opening of the war of the Rebellion about this time para- lyzed mercantile business in the South. After the firing upon Fort Sumter and the proclamation by President Lincoln closing the ports of all Southern cities, a majority of the population of the South enlisted in the Confederate army, and many of the "Sons of the North" fied from the Southern territory. Not so with Mr. Gunther: he believed, with many others in the South, that the trouble would be short-lived, and remained faith- fully at his post. When the blockade became effective and all mercantile pursuits practically dead, he accepted a position on the Arkansas river steamer, "Rose Douglas," in the service of the Confederate Government, as purchasing steward and subsequently as purser. He navigated all of the southern rivers tributary to the Mississippi, transporting troops, conscripts and supplies. By the capture of Memphis and New Orleans, this 440 nKiiinArnicAL dictioxary akd portuait uali.kry of the steamer, while up the Arkansas river, was block- aded, and afterw-ard was captured and burned at Van Buren, Arkansas, by General Blunt's army, consisting principally of Kansas troops. Mr. Guntlier, upon being liberated, was courteously entertained at the headquarters of the command- ing general, and also at the headquarters of his successor, General Schofield. He next journeyed northward to Fort Scott and thence to Fort Leavenworth, traveling partly on horseback and partly on a captured coach, there being then no railroads in that part of Missouri and Kansas. Returning to his old home in Peru, he remained there three days and then accepted a position, for a short time, in a bank at Peoria, made vacant by the temporarj' illness of an employee. He next accepted a position as traveling sales- man for the v.holesale confectioner}' of C. W. Sanford, of Chicago, and became one of the first representatives of Chicago that sold goods throughout the So^ith. He placed large aniDunts of goods in the cities of the reconstructed South and he also represented the firm in the States of Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, West Virginia and Kentucky. It was while employed as a traveling salesman that he made his first trip to Europe and so familiarized himself with European lan- guages and customs that he was afterward en- abled to converse fluently with those of his cus- tomers who had been reared on the other side of the Atlantic. Tempted by an increased salary he next entered the employ of Thompson, Johnson & Company, wholesale grocers on South Water street. He represented the house in the West for hvo years, but finding the business uncongenial he re- turned to the line in which he had become so prominent, and became the Chicago representa- tive of Messrs. Greenfield, Young & Company, the leading New York confectioners, for whom his travels covered the New England, Middle and Western States. In the fall of 1868 he opened a retail store at No. 125 Clark street, Chicago, on his own account, it being the first establishment opened in Chicago introducing high-grade confections. Mr. Gunther was the first confectioner to man- ufacture and introduce the famous caramels as now made and sold throughout the United States and Europe, a fact in which he takes a justifiable pride. The general conflagration of 1871 totally destroyed his establishment and left him abso- lutely without resources, but with characteristic enterprise he immediately reopened business in a small way and soon recuperated his losses, and was rewarded with great subsequent success. Mr. Gunther has a decided inclination for ad- venture and travel, and has visited all the ex- positions of note in Europe, and he has traveled in every country from the land of the "midnight sun" to Constantinople and Damascus; he has also journeyed to the Holy Land, through Egypt, Syria and the continents lying adjacent to the Mediterranean, including Morocco, Algeria, Tripoli, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Turkey. He speaks French, German and Spanish fluently, and he is perfectly at home in all of the capitals of Europe. In 1879 ^Ii"- Gmither was one of a commission organized to make a tour of Mexico with a view to opening trade relations between the two repub- lics, that up to that time had been very incon- siderable. On that tour, which was one continual ovation, he acquired much useful information. The result of the commission's work was to call the attention of our merchants to the advantages derivable from trade relations with this sister republic, which at that time had no railroad con- nections with the United States. ]\Ir. Gunther has indulged his innate love for historical and scientific research to the fullest ex- tent, and has secured the finest historical collec- tion in the United States. This collection com- prises manuscripts of the most ancient WTitings of the world, from the stone rolls of the Assyrian of the_ Babylonian period, and, in fact, parchments and writings on papyrus from the days of the earliest Pharaohs down to modern times. He undoubtedly possesses the rarest and finest collec- tion of Bibles in the world, including the famous Martha Washington Bible, also that of Washing- ton's sister Betty, also the first New Testament printed in the English language, at Worms, Ger- many, by Tindal, about 1528, and all of the first Bibles printed on the American continent, includ- ing the Elliot Indian Bibles, and the first German Bible, by Sauer, 1743, and the first American Bible, by Atkinson, 1782. He also owns historic man- REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME 441 nscripts of all nations of many centuries past, in- cluding an autograph of Shakespeare and origi- nal manuscripts of Goethe, Schiller, Tasso, Mich- ael Angelo, Gallileo, Moliere, and many others; also original manuscripts of all the world's famous writers, poets, musicians, kings, queens, clcrg>-- men and politicians, including the original manu- scripts of "Home, Sweet Home," "Old Lang Syne," "Old Grimes," "Lead, Kindly Light," "Star- Spangled Banner," "Hail Columbia," "Dixie," etc., etc. He also has all the earliest maps of America from 1 507 up, and the first edition of the Cosmographie of Martin Waldseemiiller, which w as the first book that gave the name of America to the New World; also a large number of relics of George Washington, covering his entire career, as well as of Abraham Lincoln, and of all other American historical characters. His collection also includes the famous portrait of Columbus by Sir Antonio Moro, painted about 1552, from two miniatures then in possession at the Palace of Pardo, Spain. Washington Irving pronounced tins the best and traest likeness of Columbus extant, and used an engraved copy of it (afterward destroyed by fire) as a frontispiece for his second revised English edition of his "Life of Columbus." Tlie collection also con- tains six original portraits of Washington, in- cluding the first ever made of him, by the elder Peale, and the only portrait ia existence of Wash- ington's sister Betty and her husband. One of the greatest attractions that is at present on exihibition in Chicago, and one that will doubtless excite the interest of the many thousands that will visit the Columbian Expo- sition, is the War Museum contained in tlie celebrated Libby Prison, that was several years ago removed to Chicago from Richmond, \^ir- ginia. This vast undertaking was successfully accomplished by Mr. Gunther, associated with Mr. W. H. Gray and other public-spirited men of Chicago, and to them Chicago is indebted for the finest collection of war relics on the American continent. The great collection of interesting and historical war relics with whiclr the Libby Prison is filled is the private property of Mr. Gunther, and is loaned by him tO' the association. Mr. Gunther is president of the Libby Prison War Museum Association, also a prominent mem- ber of the Chicago Historical Society, a trustee of the .Academy of Science, and a member of tlie Union League and Iroquois Clubs. He became a Master Mason in Peru, Illinois, in i860, and during his thirty-three j'ears' membership he has passed through many degrees, including the Knights Templar, Oriental Consistory (thirty- second degree) and Soverign Grand Inspector- General of the thirt\--third and last degree of the Northern Jurisdiction, U. S. A. He is also a member of the Mystic Shrine. In 1869, he was married to Miss Jennie Bur- ncll, of Lima, Indiana. They have two sons — Iiurnell and Whitman. Mrs. Gunther is a highly educated and refined woman, active in charitable and religious work. Mr. and Mrs. Gunther are active members of Grace Episcopal Church. In politics, Mr. Gunther had been for many years affiliated with the Republican party, but, being fully in sympathy with Mr. Cleveland's views on the tariff, supported that gentleman for the presidency. He believes in "tariff for rev- enue only." As a business man, Mr. Guntlier has been en- terprising, energetic and always abreast of the times, and has been rewarded by an ample fortune. His business motto has always been "Not how cheap, but how good!"' He undoubtedly has the largest retail trade in fine confections of all houses in the United States, and his store is not suipassed in beauty or arrangement by that of any of its kind in the world. Mr. Gunther has attained to a position of prominence through his own ex- ertions, and may justly he proud of what he has wrought. He is a man of gener- ous impulses and gives liberally of his time and money to all worthy causes, and in everything that he does he tries to make the world brighter and better. 44-.' IlKKlUM'niCAL PfCTroXAnr AXD PnUTUAIT OALLEBT OF THE H. W. HAWLEY, CHICACO. TO a strident of human nature there is nothing; of greater interest than to examine into the life of a self-made man and analyze the principles by which he has been governed, the methods he has pursued, to know what means he has em- ployed for advan9ement and to study the plans which have given him prominence, enabling: him to pass on the highway of life many who had a more advantageous start. In the history of Mr. Hawley there is deep food for thought, and if one so desires he may profit by tlie obvious lessons therein contained. Mr. Hawley is now managing editor of the Times-Herald, one of the leading dailies of the world, and he owes his rise to his own well- directed eftorts. He was born in Fort Dodge, Iowa, on the 13th of December, 1861, and is a son of Theodore and Augusta (Johnson) Hawley,— the eldest in their family of four children. His father was a prominent attorney of Iowa, where he successfully engaged in practice for many years, winning a liberal and lucrative clientage, in 1892 he removed to Denver, Colorado, where he is now living retired. He served for three terms in the Iowa senate and also filled va- rious minor offices, and now in his declining years he is enjoying a rest to which he is justly entitled. H. W. Hawley acquired his primary education in the public schools of his native town and his first independent efifort in life was as an employee in the office of a country newspaper, where he remained two years. Possessing a laudable am- bition and desiring further educational privileges, he saved his earnings and thus paid two years' college tuition, becoming a student in the State University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. During the last two years of his college course he acted as reporter for Detroit and Chicago papers and also for the Ann Arbor Register, thus meeting his expenses. He was graduated at the univer- sity with the degree of B. A. in 1884, and then went to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he ob- tained a position as reporter on the Tribune of that city. After six months he was promoted to tlie position of assistant city editor, but resigned when the Minneapolis Journal Company was or- ganized, identifying himself with that publication by purchasing a fourth interest and becoming managing editor. The close confinement of the office and his ardu- ous service told on the health of Mr. Hawley after a tune, and during the last two years of his con- nection with the Journal he was unable to per- form his work much of the time. In consequence he sold out and went to the West, where he sought in travel and outdoor life the means of recupera- tion. He traveled over much of the Rocky moun- tain region, spending the summer in camping out, while in the winter season he sought the more genial climes of the sunny South. Two years of rest and recreation restored him to health, and in January, i8c'i, he purchased the Denver Times, which he successfully conducted until July, 1894, wiien he sold that paper and came to Chicago. Although his connection with Chicago journalism is of comparatively short duration he has already established a reputation in his chosen field that insures him prominence in newspaper circles in this great city. - On the ist of November, 1894, he purchased a half interest in the Chicago Times, and in company with Mr. Kraus greatly improved the paper and advanced its standard of excellence. When James W. Scott of the Herald purchased the interest of John R.Walsh, Mr. Hawley bought the Kraus interest, and on the 4th of JNIarch, 1895, the two papers were consolidated under the name of the Times-Herald. Either paper had a reputa- tion which would insure the success of the new publication, but combined they constitute a power in the newspaper world that will be strongly felt. Their merits have been too well-known to need commendation here. The fact that Mr. Hawley is at the head of the new enterprise is a sufficient guarantee of the continued advancement and im- provement wdiich w'ill attend the paper. Mr. Hawley is public-spirited in an eminent de- gree and has always done much in behalf of the national interests and the general welfare of his conuuuuity. His prominent characteristics were C^^^^i-C^^Cf^-£;t^c:^ .^^^^-^B^^^ AEPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES: ILLINOIS VOLUME. 443 manifest when he provided for his own educa- tion, — determination, self-reHance and undaunted perseverance, showing that the student would make a capable man of afifairs in the business world. He is popular and is the center of a large circle of friends and acquaintances who honor and esteem him for his many virtues and his genuine worth. Of large brain and kindly heart, he is interesting and instructive in conversation, cour- teous and genial in deportment and affable and agreeable at all times. He is a fluent and forcible speaker, an attractive and correct writer and a gentleman of ripe scholarship and large informa- tion. On the 28th of October, 1891, Mr. Hawley was united in marriage with Miss Clara Mack of Ann Arbor, Michigan, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Christian Mack, a refined and cultured lady, who comes of a prominent family. Her father is now president of the Savings Bank of Ann Arbor, and for some years has been president of the board of education of that city. IMr. and Mrs. Hawley are communicants of the Episcopal Church. They have one son, — Harry. ARCHIBALD MEANS, AMONG those who followed the old ilag on Southern battlefields is this gentleman, who held the rank of captain. He w^as born in Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, March 31, 1833, descending from Scotch-Irish ancestry. His paternal grandfather was born in county Tyrone, Ireland, in 1750, and in 1787 became a citizen of the newly-established republic of the United States. He took up his residence on a tract of land in Pennsylvania, where, on the I5tli of September, 1803, occurred the birth of William Aleans, father of our subject. On the old home- stead he was reared, but after arriving at years of maturity removed to Steubenville, Ohio, in 1836, where he engaged in the foundry and manufactur- uig business until 1850. Turning his attention to farming.hewasthen interested in agricultural pur- suits until his death, which occurred in October, 1 87 1, when he was aged sixty-eight years. On the nth of February, 1832, he married Miss Nancy Swearingen, who was born in the Keystone State. She descended from Gerret van Swearin- gen, who sailed on the ship Prince Maurice from Holland to America, landing December 21, 1656, and he located near New Amstel, Delaware, on the Delaw-are river, in March, 1657, whence he removed to St. Mary's, l\Iaryland, in 1664. He had one son, Zacharias, who became the father of four sons, including John, who was the great- grandfather of Nicholas D. Swearingen. The two intervening ancestors in the line of direct descent also bore the name of John. Nicholas D. Swearin- gen, in November, 1795, married Verlinda Black- more, who was born April 30, 1776, and was a grand-daughter of Samuel Blackmore, Sr., a native of England, who, crossing the briny deep, located on a tract of Maryland land granted him by Lord Baltimore, which comprised land within the present limits of the city of Washington, Dis- trict of Columbia. Thus on both sides Captain Means descends from worthy ancestors. He was reared in the city and acquired an academic education in Steuben- ville, but the confinement of student life impaired his health and caused him to take up his residence upon a farm at the age of eighteen, hoping that the outdoor exercise would prove beneficial. In 1853 he left the Buckeye State for Kentucky and was numbered among its residents during the memorable and exciting presidential campaign of i860. The most important epoch in American history was approaching, and the attention of the entire nation was directed to public afifairs, wondering what would be the outcome of the strongly opposing view's of the North and South. Captain INIeans cast his first presidential vote for James Buchanan and was a supporter of Demo- cratic principles until after the election of 1856, but with fair-minded impartiality he studied the issues of the day and became convinced that the Republican party was the upholder of the national Government. In consequence his next vote was 444 nWORAPHICAL nrCTIONAnr AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE cast for Abraliam Lincoln, and liis support was given to the Union with a loyalty that he soon manifested by offering his services to the army. A fearless defense of what he believes to be right has always been one of the Captain's strong char- acteristics, and he courageously defended his views when it was a dangerous thing to announce in Kentucky allegiance to the national Govern- ment and opposition to slaver}'. However, he was one of five men in his precinct and one of the eleven in the county who voted the Republican ticket in i860. Watching the belligerent attitude of the South, Mr. Means resolved that if war was inaugurated he would strike a blow in defense of the Union; so in June, 1861, he began to recniit a company of loyal men of Kentucky, which was afterward known as Company E, Fourteenth Kentucky Infantry, and of which he was elected captain, re- ceiving his commission on the 16th of October, 1861. He at once went to the front with his com- mand, and sei^ved under General Garfield, then Colonel, on the Big Sandy river in January, 1862, against Humphrey ]\Iarshall. At the battle of Cumberland mountain, while actively engaged in service. Captain Means was taken seriously ill and sent home on a furlough. His comrades thought that he would never live to rejoin them, but slowly he recovered his health, and was as- signed to the staff of General A. J. Smith, having charge of the pontoon bridge at Cincinnati. His health, however, again failed him, and he was obliged to resign in October, 1862. When he had somewhat recovered. Captain Means turned his attention to business affairs and made his home in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and in Manchester, Ohio. In 1871, however, he came further West and has since been prominently con- nected with the commercial interests of Peru. He erected the extensive zinc works at this place, and has since been a stockholder, vice-president and manager, capably directing its affairs until it has assumed extensive proportions and become one of the leading industries in this section of the State. He is a man of progressive methods, of diligence and sound judgment and his commercial success is well deserved. On the 2d of June, 1858, Captain Means was united in marriage with Miss Isabella, daughter of Thomas W. Means, of Lawrence county, Ohio. She died near Hanging Rock, that State, January 20, 1863. The Captain was again married April 26, 1866, his second vuiion being with Sarah Jane Ellison, daughter of William Ellison, a resident of Manchester, Adams county, Ohio. Her death occurred in Peru, January 24, 1880. She left four children, — William E., Archibald L., Sadie and Robert W.,who was drowned December 29, 1888, while attempting to rescue a companion who had broken through the ice. The present wife of Captain ]\Ieans was Jennie Schleich, daughter of General Newton Schleich, of Lancaster, Ohio. Their marriage was celebrated August 16, 1881, and has been blessed with one son, Allan Hay. Captain Means is a charter member and active worker in E. N. Kirk Post, G. A. R., and has served as its commander. He has also been presi- dent of the school board of Peru, and has done effective service in the cause of education. In manner he is quiet and unassuming, yet his ster- ling qualities command the respect and confidence of all, and have secured for him the high regard of a large circle of friends. His residence in Peru, covering a period of a quarter of a century, has numbered him among its valued citizens who have been devoted to the public welfare. He has manifested the same loyalty in days of peace as in days of war, and all who know him have for him the highest regard. REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES: ILLINOIS VOLUME. 445 E. A. BRADLEY PROMIXENT among business men of Aurora is E. A. Bradley, who for forty years has been closely identified with the history of the city, while his name is inseparably connected with its finan- cial records. The banking interests are well rep- resented by him, for he is to-day at the head of the First National Bank, the leading moneyed institution of this place. He is a man of keen iliscrimination and sound judgment, and his ex- ecutive ability and excellent management have brought to the concern with which he is con- nected a high degree of success. The safe, con- sen-ative policy which he inaugurated commends itself to the judgment of all, and has secured a patronage which makes the volume of business transacted over its coimters of great importance and magnitude. The success of the bank is cer- tainly due in a large measure to him, and through it he has promoted the welfare of the city. Mr. Bradley comes of a family that has long been prominent in the afifairs of the country. The original ancestors came from England and set- tled in Massachusetts. Bradley was an old An- glo-Saxon name and came from the words "broad" and ''lea," which were combined and finally corrupted into the present spelling. His parents, Eli and Amanda (Ball) Bradley, were both natives of the old Bay State and came of leading families of that locality. Early mem- bers of both houses lived upon farms, but also followed the occupation of shoemaking, go- ing from house to house and working for a dollar per day, the day being twelve hours in length. The Balls later became important manu- facturers in Lee, Massachusetts, and an influen- tial family. In that city, which was so long the home of his ancestors, E. A. Bradley was born on the 5th of September, 1830. Upon his father's farm he was reared, and in addition to the usual common- school training he was fortunate in having the teachings and Christian influence of a good home. His parents were strict members of the Presbyte- rian Church and early instilled into the minds of their children habits of honesty, industr}' and steadfastness which have borne good fruit in later years. For many years prior to her death the mother was a widow and devoted herself un- tiringly to her children and their welfare. Her last days were spent on the old homestead at Lee, and at length she was called to the reward pre- pared for the righteous. E. A. Bradley lived at home with his parents until his seventeenth year, and during that time spent two years in attendance on Lee Academy. He then entered upon his business career as a salesman in a mercantile house, and after a time he became a partner in the institution. Thus early he had displayed excellent business ability, such as to warrant his admission into the business as part owner. At the age of twenty-two he was offered and accepted the position of teller in the Lee Bank, where he remained for three years, and this proved to him a school of training to fit him for future connection with moneyed institu- tions of the same character. He thoroughly studied and mastered the business, becoming fa- miliar with every detail, and when he left that employ at the age of twenty-five few young men of his years were better qualified for the banking business than Mr. Bradley. He now came to the West, seeking a broader field of labor, and on the 5th of September, 1855, took up his residence in Aurora, where he has since made his home. Here he soon purchased an interest in the banking business of Albert Jenks & Company, and became virtually the founder of the banking firm of Brady, Hawkins & Allen, and contributed materially to its suc- cess. He continued with this house during its existence, and until it was merged into the First National Bank of Aurora, which was incorporated June 20, 1863. Mr. Bradley then became mana- ger of the new institution, a position which he ac- ceptably and creditably filled until 1885, when he succeeded to the presidency. He has since served in that capacity, and any one familiar with the history of the First National Bank of Aurora, knows practically the business record of its hen- 446 nWORAPinCAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE ored president for the past ten years. He acted as the bank's cashier from 1865 until 1881, was then elected vice-president, and thus continued until raised to the presidency. The first charter of the bank covered a period of nineteen years, within which time it paid some almost marvelous dividends. In 1882 the charter was renewed for twenty years. During the early period of its 1 existence the bank paid an annual dividend of ' twenty-four per cent, to its stockholders, and its losses during that time were less than $1,500. The success of this institution seems almost phenom- enal, but is due entirely to the careful and sys- tematic management and progressive, yet safe, business policy of the gentlemen who have been largely interested in it, foremost among whom stands E. A. Bradley. In 1862 was celebrated his marriage with Miss Sophia Wetmore, of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, who died in 1864, and in 1876 he led to the mar- riage altar Mrs. Elizabeth Griffin. Their home is noted for its hospitality, and in social circles they hold a most enviable position. Mr. Bradley is identified with the Congregational Church and contributes liberally to the support of church and charitable institutions. In his political views he is a stalwart Republican. The several financial concerns which have been under the management of Mr. Bradley during the past forty years attest his eminent and pro- nounced ability as a financier. He is probably equally prominent in social life. In the counting room he is resolute, possessing a firmness and de- cision of character which, however, never de- generates into stubbornness or impulsive haste; in the drawing room he is a courteous, affa- ble gentleman, and, above all, wherever he is found, whether in public or in private life, his integrity is above question and his honor above reproach. Aurora owes much to him and numbers him among her valued citizens. , OWEN T. REEVES, BLOOMINGTON. FOR more than forty years Owen T.Reeves has been a resident of Bloomington, connected with its professional, educational, political and social advancement. He is distinctively Ameri- can and has aided in developing at this place a typical American city whose progress and en- terprise are worthy of the spirit of the West. He comes from a State that has furnished to Illinois many of its most honored and valued citizens, his birth having occurred in Ross county, Ohio, on the i8th of December, 1829. During his boyhood he attended the common schools near his home and later entered the Wesleyan University of Delaware, Ohio, where he pur- sued his studies uninterruptedly and with the most gratifying results, being graduated in the class of 1850 as one of the most thorough and able students that ever left the institution. That his high abilities were recognized by the school was shown by the merited compliment of his being retained in the institution as tutor. He also filled the responsible position as principal of the high school of Chillicothe, Ohio, for four years, during which time he introduced many important changes in the methods of study and the system of teaching which proved of incalcu- lable benefit to that school. He soon won a reputation as one of the finest educators in Ohio at that time, but to school teaching he did not desire to devote his entire time and attention and had in the meantime taken up the study of law. His abilities, both natural and acquired, seemed to fit him for his profession, and though competent to enter various other fields of labor, had he done so the legal pro- fession of Illinois would have lost one of its most eminent members. At the time Mr. Reeves came to the West this State was a rapidly developing region, and in 1854 the young and promising city of Bloom- ington became his home. From the begin- ning he was identified with the history of the city. His interest and efficient service in the cause of education became known, and in 1857 REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME 447 he drew up tlie charter of the union-school sys- tem of Bloomington, while for five years he pro- moted the interests of education in this city by his faitliful ser\'ice as a member of the school board. In a large measure the high standing of Bloomington schools is due to his efiforts, and from the beginning of his residence there up to the present time his interest has never abated. For over forty years he has been con- tinuously a member of the board of trustees of the Illinois Wesleyan University, located at Bloom- ington, and for several years has been the presi- dent of the board. Shortly after his arrival i\Ir. Reeves began the practice of law, which he has followed con- tinuously since, though often has he been called to positions of public honor and trust. In 1861 he was elected a member of the board of super- visors of Bloomington township, and the follow- ing year \vas elected city attorney, but his labors in that position were interrupted by his service in the Civil war. In the latter part of 1862, prompted by a spirit of patriotism, Mr. Reeves responded to the President's call for troops to aid in crushing out the rebellion and aided in forming and organizing the Seventieth Illinois Infantn,', which he commanded as colonel with marked distinction. On the field of battle he was brave and fearless, inspiring and encourag- ing his men by his dauntless presence, yet he never needlessly sacrificed those who were under his leadership. His military record is one of which he may well be proud, for it proved him a loyal defender of his country in her hour of peril. His military service being over. Colonel Reeves returned to private life and again became a valued and influential citizen of Bloomington. He has been deeply interested in everj^thing pertaining to the welfare of the city that would enhance the material prosperity as well as promote its social and educational development. In 1867 he pro- cured a charter for the La Fayette, Blooming- ton & Mississippi Railroad, and took a promi- nent part in the organization of the company and the construction of the road. This varied and important business occupied actively all his time, and when the road was leased to the Wa- bash, Mr. Reeves became general solicitor of the leased line and continued such as long as the road remained in the hands of the Wabash company. In 1874 Colonel Reeves joined Judge Benja- min in the organization of the Bloomington Law School. During all this time he had en- joyed a large and important law practice, which constantly grew until it had assumed extensive proportions. In the month of March, 1877, he was elected judge of the circuit court, and upon the bench his fine legal talents were called into frequent requisition. He is quick to grasp the points in an argument, and in his charge to the jury was clear, logical and concise, suiting his words to the mental capacity of his hearers, so that there was no danger of misunderstanding. He remained on the bench until June, 1891, and in the time served as one of the judges of the appellate court of the State. As an advocate he is devoted to the best interests of his clients, and his thorough preparation of cases is mani- fest in the success which has attended his efforts. That he is always master of the situation is shown by his ready replies, his ability to cite autliori- ties and precedents, and by his earnest and fluent words. He is eloquent, possesses a good de- livery and has long been recognized as one of the most able members of the bar of McLean countv. 448 BIOOHAl'HICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTHAIT OALJ.ERY OF THE DANIEL HOGAN, MOUND CITY. HON. DANIEL HOGAN, one of the most prominent men of southern IlHnois.was born in the county of Kilkenny, Ireland, on July 4, 1849. His father was a respectable and well-to-do farmer, whose ancestors had for generations been land-owners. His mother was a descendant of the O'Mahers, a family of title and distincton, famous in the early and present history- of Ire- land. In 1852, when the sul)ject of this sketch was but a child, his father brought his family to America and became one of the early settlers of Pulaski county, Illinois. The early days of Daniel's life were spent on a farm in the above county. He attended the public schools of the district, and took the high school course at Cairo, studying also telegraphy at night. The latter acquirement was of great benefit to him during the late war. The first signal for the great civil conflict found him too }oung to enlist, but he was smuggled by an elder brother into the camp of the Thirty-first Illinois Volunteers, commanded by Colonel John A. Logan. Some months later he was regularly enrolled in the telegraph corps of the United States army and attached to the brigade serving under General U. S. Grant, as confidential cipher clerk, with the rank of lieutenant, and afterward of captain. He was present at the capture of Fort Henry, Clarksville and Nashville, Tennessee, and was under fire at Fort Donelson, Corinth and luka. He was with Generals Hatch and Grierson, in their various cavalry raids and fights in Ten- nessee, Mississippi and Alabama. He was fre- quently stationed at important and exposed posts in the enemy's country, and engaged in tapping his telegraph wires, many times narrowly escap- ing capture. He accompanied General W. T. Sherman and stafif to Chattanooga, before start- ing on his "march to the sea," as his confidential cipher clerk and telegrapher, but being urgently wanted at Memphis was sent there as chief of militarj' lines. At the close of the war he was honorably mustered out for "faithful and impor- tant military' sen'ices." He then entered and grad- uated at Bryant & Stratton's Business College, and took sen'ice in the Western Union Telegraph Company in the principal cities of the United States. He came to Mound City in 1869, in or- der to be near his aged parents, who both died at an advanced age, the father at seventy-four and the mother at seventy-two years. The ability and business integrity of Wx. Ho- gan soon attracted the attention of his neighbors, and although very young for the office he was in 1873 elected county clerk of Pulaski county, and re-elected at each ensuing election, and held the office continually until 1882, when he was elected to the State senate from the Fifty-first Senatorial District, comprising the counties of Franklin, Williamson, Johnson and Pulaski, defeating the Democratic candidate by nearly one thousand votes. He at once took an active part in all im- portant legislation, and was placed on many of the important committees, proving himself a most valuable member. During the protracted deadlock of the legislature in January, 1883, which finally elected Governor S. M. Cullom to the United States senate, and again in the celebrated contest which elected General John A. Logan to the senate in 1885, l\Ir. Hogan contributed no small part to the results, and showed himself to be one of the shrewdest politicians and caucus managers in tlie State. In 1886 he was re- elected to the senate, and in 1889 was appointed collector of internal revenue. In 1894 he was elected member at large of the Republican State central committee. In 1876 Mr. Hogan married the daughter of the late Judge G. W. Carter, of \"ersailles, Ken- tuckv. n REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 449 EDGAR A. BANCROFT, ONE of the younger members of the Chicago bar, Edgar A. Bancroft, was in Jnne, 1895, elected vice-president and general counsel of the Chicago & Western Indiana and Belt Line rail- roads. He came to Chicago in 1892 and was for three years Solicitor for Illinois of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad Company. He possesses a thorough knowledge of railroad af- fairs and of the law applicable to them, and is rendering most valuable service in his present position. Mr. Bancroft is a native of Illinois. He was born at Galesburg, and acquired his early edu- cation in its public schools. Subsequently he entered Knox College, where he was graduated with honors in 1878, having won at St. Louis the first prize in the Inter-State Oratorical Contest of that year. In 1880 he received the degree of LL. B. from Columbia College Law School, New York, and entered upon his professional career at Galesburg. In 1884 he became a member of the firm of Williams, Lawrence & Bancroft, and so continued until he came to Chicago. During his residence at Galesburg he was prominent in the educational, political and business affairs of the city; was a member of the librarj^ board and of the city council; director of the Second National Bank, president of the Electric Street Railroad Company, etc. As a lawyer he was engaged in most of the important litigation in the circuit court of Knox county. Mr. Bancroft is a well-known and influential member of the Bar Associations of Chicago and of Illinois, and is popular with his associates, both in business and social circles. During the memorable railroad strike in 1894, he had charge of the various proceedings for injunction orders, in which the Receivers of the Atchison Com- pany were interested; and he appeared for the Receivers in the famous contempt case of the United States against Debs and his associates. At the meeting of the Illinois Bar Association, in Springfield, in January, 1895, he read a masterly paper on "The Chicago Strike of 1894." It pre- sented a complete history of that conflict, and dis- cussed tlie various legal questions involved in the injunction and contempt proceedings, giving a concise and clear view of the controversy, the causes that led up to it and the results which followed. This paper has since been privatel) published in pamphlet form. In politics j\Ir. Bancroft is a "true blue'" Repub- lican, mifaltering in his support of the principles of his party and of its fit candidates. His response on "Political Ideals," at the banquet of the Ham- ilton Club, at the Auditorium, in January, 1893, showed his strong interest in clean, practical and progressive Republicanism. While a resident of Galesburg, in 1888, he was presidential elector from the Tenth Congressional district, and sec- retary of the Illinois Electoral College that cast its ballots for Benjamin Han-ison and Levi P. Morton. In the fall and winter of 1887-8 he was the leading counsel for General P. S. Post in the contested election case of Worth- in gton 7vrsi/s Post for a seat in the Fiftieth Con- gress as a representative of that district, and argued the case before the elections commit- tee. Although the committee was largely Dem- ccratic, and General Post's plurality on the official count was only twenty-nine, and the con- testant, a member of the preceding Congress and a prominent Democrat, presented his own case, the committee reported, and the house voted, iri favor of General Post, aud he was declared en- titled to the seat in that Congress by a plurality of forty-one. Since coming to this city Mr. Bancroft has laken no active part in partisan politics, devoting his energies exclusively to his profession. He has, however, been an aggressive member of the Civil Service Reform League. He rendered conspicuous aid in securing the passage of the civil-service law by the legislature and its adop- tion by the people of Chicago last spring. He has advanced rapidly and steadily in his profes- sion, and is one of the most widely known and popular lawyers of the Chicago bar. His popu- larity also extends to^ society and club circles as well. He is a member of the Union League Club, 450 nronnAPmcAL dtctioxary and portrait gallery of tile the Chicago Literary CKib, the iNIarqnette Chib and tlie Caxton Ckib. He has earned consider- able reputation as a graceful writer, and is known as an eloquent and able speaker; and beneath the adornments of oratory and rhetoric there is a stratum of sound logic that holds the attention of his hearers and impresses them with tlioughts that are not easily forgotten. In manner he is unostentatious even to reticence, but his gaiuine worth is recognized by a large circle of friends. BENJAMIN RUDOLPH BURROUGHS, ED\VARD.SVILLE. MR. BURROUGHS is a native of M.ary- land, born in Charles county, on the 20th of May, 1849, and is the tenth in order of birth in the family of twelve children whose parents were John A. and Eliza T. (Dent) Burroughs. I'he father was a farmer by occupation and died in February, 1872, at the ripe old age of sixty- nine years, while his wife passed away in April, 1S78, at the age of seventy-four years. She be- longed to the prominent Dent family of Mary- land, noted for its culture, refinement and promi- nence. Her people were also large land-owners of that State, and her father was one of the heroes of the Revolution, joining the ser\'ice in the memorable year of 1776 and winning the rank of captain by meritorious conduct on the field of battle. A British officer tried to bribe him to betray his country, but his loyalty scorned such a proposal, and as one of the valiant soldiers of the Colonial army he aided in the struggle for inde- pendence. The paternal grandfather of our sub- ject served in Captain Dent's company, and both families were of English origin and were also represented in the war of 1812. j\Ir. Burroughs of this review remained at home until 1864, when he entered Cliarlotte Hall .Academy, Maryland, and \\as graduated in Au- gust, 1867, with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. He then came to Illinois, and for one term was engaged in teaching school near Edwardsville, Illinois, after which he began transcribing records in the ofifice of the circuit clerk of Madison county, Illinois, at Edwardsville. The following winter he again taught school, and then kept a hard- ware and agricultural implement store, until March, 1872, when the death of his father caused him to return to his Maryland home, where he remained for a vear. Returning to Illinois he was married, having on the 29th of January, 1873, led to the marriage altar IMiss Mary Judy, daughter of Colonel Thomas and Mrs. Demaris Judy, who lived on a farm near Edwardsville, Illinois. Colonel Judy served one term as a member of the State legislature. Miss Mary Judy was grad- uated at the Jackson Female Academy, and is an educated and cultured lady. In the family are four children, namely: Mary M., who also grad- uated at the Jacksonville (Illinois) Female Sem- inary ; Nora J., a student in the Lasell Seminary of Auburndale, Massachusetts, belonging to the class of 1897; Clara E. and Wilbur G., who are attending school in Edwardsville. In 1873 Mr. Burroughs returned to Edwards- ville, Illinois, and took up the study of law un- der VV. F. L. Hadley & Wm. H. Krome. He con- tinued his studies there imtil September, 1875, when he became a student in the Northwestern College of Law, Chicago, being graduated at that institution in June, 1876, with the degree of LL. B. In the same month he was admitted to the bar by the supreme court of Illinois, at Mt. Vernon, Illinois, and began the practice of law in Edwardsville, where he has since con- tinued, being recognized as one of the ablest at- torneys in that section of the State. Early in his professional career F. W. Burnett and he were retained as counsel in the notable case of Brad- shaw versi/s Combs, reported in the io2d Illinois Supreme Court Reports, page 428, and their able handling of the important questions at issue won them the commendation of bench, bar and public. He has since been connected with many of the most important cases that have come up for trial in the courts of that locality. Thoroughness char- acterizes all his efforts, and he conducts all his business with a strict regard to a high standard ■z^. REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 451 of professional ethics. He is an able advocate, a wise counselor, strong in argument and logical in reasoning, winning the support of his hearers by addresses that are earnest, forceful and carry conviction. In 1877 he was elected city attorney of Edwardsville, which position he filled for two years, when he declined further honors in tliat line. For seven years he was a member of tlie board of education of Edwardsville, and in Janu- ary, 1889, he was elected judge of the circuit court of the Third Circuit of Illinois, to fill a vacancy, and in 1891 was re-elected for the full term. His course upon the bench has justified the hopes of his supporters and the confidence they reposed in him. His ndings are singularly free from prejudice and judicial bias and his knowledge of the law applicable to a case is above question. His election came to him through a majority of two thousand in Madison, his home county, and five thousand in the circuit. — a high tribute to his personal worth and popularity, as well as to his legal attainments; and in the dis- trict convention, when nominated for circuit Judge, each time he received every vote on the first ballot. In 1892 he was called to Chicago to preside over a session of the circuit court there from the ist of May until the 15th of July. In connection with his legal business he is president of the Board of Trade, and also of the Cahokia Manufacturing Company, which is manufactur- ing a new-process grain-separator. In his political associations Mr. Burroughs is a stalwart Democrat, active in the ranks of his parly, and has on various occasions been a dele- gate to State conventions, and has frequently served as chairman of the county central commit- tee. He belongs to Edwardsville Lodge, No. 99, A. F. & A. M., with which he has been con- nected since October, 1870, and has filled all of its offices. He is a charter member of the Knights of Pythias fraternity, which was organized in Edwardsville in 1882, and he also belongs to the Odd Fellows Lodge, which he joined in 1887. He gives his support to the Methodist Episcopal Church, and is a liberal contributor to charities and benevolent associations. He has been a leading factor in the progress of Edwardsville. Educational, church and social interests owe their promotion in a considerable degree to him. Twenty-eight years has this city l^ecn his home, — years largely devoted to tlie pul)lic good. CHARLES S. THORNTON, CHARLES S. THORNTON is one of the ablest lawyers- practicing at (he Chicago bar, having that mental grasp which enaljles liim to discover the points in a case. A man of sound judgment, he manages his cases with masterly skill and tact, and is regarded as one of the best jury advocates in Chicago. He is a logical rea- soner and has a ready command of English. He has made a specialty of real*estate and corporation law, and in tliese lines has gained a most enviable reputation. Mr. Thornton claims Boston as his native city, and the date of his birth 185 1. He is a son of .Solon and Cordelia A. (Tilden) Thornton, the former a native of New Hampshire, and the latter of Massachusetts, belonging to the well known TiMcn family of Marshficld, that State. Charles attended the public schools of Boston, pursuing a six-years course in the famous Boston Latin School, and aftenvard graduated at Harvard Col- lege. While in college his leisure hours were spent in the study of law, for it had long been his high ambition to become a member of the legal profession. He continued his reading under the guidance of Henry Adams, of Cambridge, and attended the lectures in the Harvard Law School until 1873, when, choosing the West as the scene of liis future labors, he removed to Chicago, in the month of March. Further prep- aration for the legal profession was continued by study in the law office of Lyman & Jackson, and subse(|uently with the well known firm of Isham & Lincfiln. In September, 1873, he was admitted to practice in the State of lUinois, at once opened 452 BIOnUAPIIICAL DICriONAUY AND PORTUAIT QALLERY OF THE an office in this city, and entered upon his pro- fessional career. At a later date he entered into partnership witji Justus Chancellor, which con- nection, with the addition of several well known lawyers, still continues, and the firm of Thornton & Cha,n<:ellor now numbering seven members has become one of the largest and most prominent in the legal fraternity of Chicago. Mr. Thornton, although practicing in many branches of the law, makes real-estate and corporation law his spe- cialty, and is thoroughly informed in all matters pertaining to this department. He has been con- nected with many notable cases. The most recent of these, the Williams forgery case, although a criminal cause, obtained for Mr. Thornton well desci^ved reputation, and his successful speech to the jury on behalf of the defendant, occupying two days in deli\-er\-, at the end of a trial of great public interest, which lasted six weeks, placed him in the proud rank of successful jury advocates. Many other cases in which he has been engaged and which have attracted widespread notice have demonstrated his superior ability. A man's repu- tation is his chief property, and the reputation of Mr. Thornton is one which reflects credit upon him. His powers as an advocate have been dem- onstrated by his success on many occasions. He is an able lawyer of a large and varied experience in all the courts. Thoroughness characterizes all his efforts, and he conducts all his business with a strict regard to a high standard of professional ethics. Previous to the annexation of the town of Lake, which at that time contained one hundred thou- sand inhabitants, Mr. Thornton was elected to the office of corporation counsel and most efficiently ser\'ed in that capacity. About the same time he was elected president of the board of edu- cation of Auburn Park, which is his place of resi- dence. The pride of the American citizen in American institutions culminates in the public schools, and considering tlie zeal and energy ex- pended in dexeloping them and the momentous influence they have upon the manhood of the country, this is justifiable. Mr. Thornton was elected a member of the Cook County Board of Education and subsequently was elected a mem- ber of the Board of Education of the city of Chicago. In January, 1885, an appointment made by the governor of the State and confirmed by the Senate of Illinois, made him a member of the State Board of Education. He has been a promi- nent and very useful factor in educational circles, and is the originator of a number of reforma- tory measures now enforced in the public schools. His observations, gleaned from investigations of the Cook County Normal School, W"ere published and attained considerable prominence. He in- augurated the College Preparatory School of this city, and the system of truant schools. Last year he framed the teachers' pension bill, and through his influence it became a law. The educational interests of this city are certainly largely indebted to Mr. Thornton, and his work has been of the greatest benefit. He is himself a broadminded man, possessing a wide fund of general informa- tion, and is not only practical, but above all is progressive in his methods. In 1883 was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Thornton and Miss Jessie F. Benton, of Chicago. They now have an interesting family of three children, — all daughters: Mabel J., Peajd Esther and Hattie J^Iay. Mr. Thornton is of a very social and genial nature, and belongs to many of the prominent local societies, where he is ever heartily welcome. He has figured prominently in local politics, and is an influential member of the De- mocracy. The success of his life is due to no inherited fortune, or to any happy succession of advantageous circumstances, but to his own sturdy will, steady application, studious habits, tireless industry and sterling integrity. REPRESEXTATIVE MEX OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 453 ADLAI E. STEVENSON, BLOOMINGTON. NO State in the Union has contributed a greater number of distinguished statesmen and jurists to the catalogue of names which oc- cupy a foremost position in the nation's history for the last third of a century than Illinois. The list includes two presidents, a chief justice of the United States supreme court, and ministers to Great Britain, France and Germany. Adiai Ewing Stevenson, the subject of this sketch, was born in Christian county, Kentucky, October 23, 1835. In 1852 his family removed from Kentucky to Bloomington, in this State, where Adlai at- tended the Wesleyan University, and subse- quently returned to Danville, in his native State, where he completed his scholastic education at Center College. Here he not only won his diploma but the heart of Miss Letitia Green, daughter of President Lewis W. Green, of the college, to whom he was united in marriage in December, 1866. Returning to Bloomington he read law in the office of Hon. Robert E. Williams, and being ad- mitted to the bar began the practice of his pro- fession at Metamora, in Woodford county, in 1858. Here his good training, devotion to the interests of his clients, probity of character and pronounced legal ability were rewarded with un- usual success. He filled the responsible office of master in chancery from 1861 to 1865, and sub- sequently was elected district attorney for a term of four years from 1865. The duties of these posi- itions were discharged with honor to himself and to the satisfaction of his friends and the public. In 1864 he was a candidate for presidential elec- tor on the Democratic ticket. Having achieved a reputation which had reached beyond the limited sphere originally prescribed for himself he de- cided, in 1868, to remove to a larger field, and returned to the enterprising and growing city of Bloomington. Here he at once arose to a con- trolling position as a lawyer and political leader. In 1874 he was the candidate of the Democratic party for Congress in the Bloomington district, which was usually Republican by 3,000 majority. and was elected over General IMcNulta by 1,285 votes. He was again a candidate in 1876, but being a presidential year he failed of success, lack- ing only 200 votes. In 1878, however, he was again successful, carrying the district by over 1,800 majority. These two elections in a district which before and since gave large Republi- can majorities unmistakably demonstrate his stre'ngth and popularity as a candidate. Mr. Stevenson became a prominent member of Congress, faithful to his party and friends. Al- though a strong partisan, he made no distinctions in the treatment of his constituents, attending to petitions and wants of all alike, with equal cour- tesy and fidelity. Mr. Stevenson was a delegate to the National Democratic convention that nominated Cleveland in 1884, and after his election was appointed first assistant postmaster general, in which position he was efificient and popular. Mr. Stevenson was a delegate from the State at large to the national Democratic convention of 1892, and chairman of the Illinois delegation. While the struggle was going on for the nomina- tion of a candidate for president, which resulted in the success of Mr. Cleveland, although op- posed by leading men of his party, the friends of Adlai Stevenson were quietly presenting his name for the vice-presidency, and when the first ballot was taken, to the surprise and gratification of his friends he was found io be so far in the lead as to insure his nomination. That he added great strength to the ticket, both by his personal popu- larity and his ability as a speaker, and thus largely contributed to the Waterloo defeat of the Repub- licans, there can be no doubt. The choice was an excellent one in many respects, not the least of which is the distinguished ability which char- acterizes the vice-president as a presiding officer. He is not a mere figure-head, giving the second place in the Government only a perfunctory and occasional attention, but takes an active interest in the discharge of his duties. The vice-president has not only proved him- self to be an able lawyer and a successful politi- 454 BIOOnAPIffCAL DICTIONARY AND PORTUAIT GALIEHY OF THE cian, but is a good business man as well. In the management of men, as the president of a local coal company, where others have had strikes and failures, and interruptions of trade, his mines are worked alike to the satisfaction of employes and owners. Mr. Stevenson has a splendid physique, being over six feet in height, straight limbed and well proportioned. His appearance is at once com- manding and graceful. Add to this an agreeable presence and first-class conversational powers, and you have the secret of his personal popularity. His name, indeed, is frequently mentioned in con- nection with the presidency, and it is a question whether a better candidate for the success of his party at this time has been presented. REUBEN F. DYER, M. D., OTTAWA. IN this enlightened age when men of energy, industry and merit are rapidly pushing their wav to the front, those who, by their own indi- vidual efforts, have won favor and fortune may properly claim recognition. Years ago, when the West was entering upon its era of growth and development and Illinois was laying its founda- tion for future prosperity, there came hither from all parts of the country men poor but honest, and with sturdy independence and a determma- tion to succeed that justly entitled them to repre- sentation in the history of the great West. Among this class is numbered Dr. Dyer. He is a native of the Pine Tree State, having been bom in the town of Strong, Franklin county, Maine, on the 29th of January, 1833. He is a son of Moses and Sarah (Day) Dyer, the former born at Cape Elizabeth, and the latter at Damariscotta, Maine. Reuben acquired his early education in the district schools of Frank- lin county, and graduated at Bumham's Acad- emy in Farmington, Maine. He was amliitious to enter Bowdoin College and prepared to do so, passing an examination which would have admitted him to the sophomore class, but un- fortunately for him he could not raise the neces- sary funds to carry him through college. Con- sequently, at the age of eighteen he entered the office of Dr. J. S. Phillips of Farmington to study medicine, remaining with him three years and teaching school for three terms in Maine. He was also employed in a similar way in Massachu- setts and thus earned the means with which to provide for his own livelihood. In the meantime his parents had removed to Illinois, where he j(jined them in 1854 and found employment in a drug store, continu- ing his services there until the fall of that year. He had by that time saved enough money to go to Cincinnati and pursue a course of lectures at the American Medical College. Dr. Dyer entered upon the practice of his chosen calling m Newark, Illinois, in the spring of 1855, and from the beginning met with good success. He was graduated at the American Medical College in 1856 and then resumed prac- tice in Newark, where he continued until the out- break of the war. With true American patriot- ism he answered President Lincoln's call for troops, raising a company of which he was elected Captain. They were mustered into the Twentieth Illinois Infantry, commanded by Colonel C. C. Marsh, and went at once to the front. The Doc- tor remained with his regiment until after the battle of Fort Donelson in 1862, when he re- signed his commission as Captain, hoping to ob- tain a medical appointment in the army. Re- turning then to Illinois he aided in the organiza- tion of the One Hundred and Fourth Illinois Regiment, of which he was appointed Surgeon with the rank of Major. The command was ordered at once to the front and he remained in the service until after the close of the war. He served as brigade surgeon by virtue of his rank. He was the only surgeon of Illinois troops who acted as division and corps surgeon without be- ing specially appointed. At the close of the war he was a member of the staff of General J. C. Davis, Fourteenth Army Corps. After a ser- vice of nearly four years in the field he returned T^' C^ REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 455 to private life and located in Ottawa, where he has built up a very lucrative practice. His skill as a surgeon soon attracted attention, and pa- tients from distant points, learning of his abil- ity, displayed their confidence in his skill by not only consulting him but by employing his ser- vices in difificult cases. He is a general prac- titioner, but his specialty is surgery and he is considered one of the best representatives of this branch of the profession in the State. He is a close and thorough student, a man of deep re- search, and his investigations into the science of medicine and his skilful application of the knowledge he has thereby obtained has won him a place in the foremost ranks of the medical fra- ternity. In 1857 Dr. Dyer \\as united in marriage with .Miss Susanna A. Goodrich, a native of Massa- chusetts, born on the 31st of August, 1841, and a daughter of Sewell and Amelia (Holbrook) Goodrich. One of her ancestors on the paternal side was a publisher in Boston, and published the first Bibles issued in America. He was also one of the incorporators of Pittsburg, Massachusetts, and a man of much prominence in the commu- nity in which he lived. Dr. and Mrs. Dyer have had three children, two sons and a daughter, but one son has now passed away. The oldest son, Ralph, graduated in medicine at the P. & S. Col- lege, Chicago, in 1882, and entered in the prac- tice of his profession at Ottawa, but did not live to follow it long, dying in 1887. Edgar G., the second son, is practicing law in Palo Alto, Cali- fornia. The daughter, Susie L., is entering a course in Wellesley College, Massachusetts. Politically Dr. Dyer has always been a Re- publican, and though in no sense a politician, having frequently refused to become a candidate ft)r office, he is strongly partisan and has done all in his power to promote the growth and insure the success of his party in its various campaigns. He has served on the board of pension exami- ners for twelve years, and has been president of the La Salle County and Ottawa Medical So- cieties. He is also a member of the State Medi- cal Society, was a delegate to the International Medical Congress at Washington, and has been a member of the Auxiliary State Board of Health. Since its organization he has served as surgeon of Setli E. Earle Post, G. A. R., and is a member of the Masonic fraternity. He is a great lover of horses and is the owner of some fine stock. As a physician he enjoys the honor of be- ing the peer of any in the West. His life has been characterized by energy, perseverance and untiring labor, and to these principles his success is due. Dr. Dyer traces his ancestry back to Major William Dyer (or Dyre), who was the tenth Mayor of New York, and a son of Captain Wil- liam and Mary Dyer. The latter was the famous Mary Dyer, of Quaker persecution, the only wo- man to suffer capital punishment in all tlie op- pression of the Friends throughout the world. She was executed on Boston Commons, Massa- chusetts, in 1660. Major Dyer was a very prom- inent citizen of New York. Prior to 1673 he was in the service of the crown. The following year and for several subsequent years he was a member of the Governor's Council, and in 1680 was elected Mayor of New York city. He served as collector for the Duke of York, and held many other prominent positions under the 450 nwaitAPHWAL DICTIONARY AND PORTIiAIT GALLERY OF THE HUGH W. HARRISON, BELLEVILLE. HUGH W. HARRISON was born in the city which is still his home, — Belleville, Illinois, — April 26, 1853, and is a representative of one of the honored pioneer families of this section of the State, his grandfather having emigrated from Virginia to St. Clair county in 1830. His parents were Thomas Oglesby and Eliza J. (Calbraith) Harrison, and their family numbered eight chil- dren. The father was interested as part owner in the Harrison Mills of Belleville. He died about thirty-three years ago, when thirty-four years of age, but his widow still resides in this place, at the age of sixty-two years. Mr. Harrison, of this review, acquired his ele- mentary education in the public and private schools of his native town, and subsequently en- tered McKendree College, of Lebanon, Illinois. He afterward. pursued a course in a commercial college of St. Louis, and then entered upon his business career by ser\'tng an apprenticeship with Harrison & Company, owners of a large machin- ery, molding and carpentering establishment. This business was begun by Cox Roberts, and later was sold to Theophilus Harrison and W. C. Buchanan. Subsequently another change oc- curred in the firm, and the business was incor- porated in 1878, under the State laws, as the Harrison IMachine Works, with our subject as secretary of the company. They now have two plants and manufacture engines and threshers, turning out annually four hundred a year. They manufacture the "Jumbo"' engines and "Belle- ville" threshers, and their extensive and well- conducted business furnishes employment to some two hundred ajid fifty men. This is one of the leading industries of Belleville. Such busi- ness enterprises are the making of a town, pro- luoting its commercial activity and advancing its material interests. Mr. Harrison was man-ied on the 26th of Sep- tember, 1877, to Miss Parthenia Tureman, of Virginia, lUinois, and they have one child, Zoe. Mrs. Harrison is highly educated in music and languages, and is a lady of culture and refine- ment, whose gracious manner and kindly cour- tesy make her hospitable home a favorite resort with many friends. A fine library attests the lit- erarv taste of Mr. Harrison and his wife, and with the contents of the many volumes they are very familiar. Mr. Harrison is now quite a prominent Mason. In June, 1888, he became a member of St. Clair Lodge, No. 24, F. & A. M.; in 1889 joined Belle- ville Chapter, No. 106, R. A. M.; and the same year was initiated iruto Tancred Commandery, of which he was treasurer for five years. In 1890 he joined Oriental Consistory of Chicago, and in these various lodges he has filled many offices. He also belongs to the Knights of Pythias fra- ternity, was its treasurer for fourteen years, and has represented the 'local organization in the grand lodge. He 'belongs to the Knights of Honor, the Ancient Order of LTnited Workmen, and the Modern Woodmen of America, and has represented tliese fraternities in the grand lodge. Socially he is connected with the Fish and Bowl- ing Club of Belleville. His political support is unswen'ingly given to the Republican party, and for nine years he served as a member of the board of education, advancing the interests of the schools in a most worthy manner. He is a con- sistent member and earnest supporterof the ]\Ieth- odist Episcopal Church, and is now serving as one of its trustees. He has traveled extensively, and entertains the broad and liberal views of men and afifairs that travel always brings. His career clearly illustrates the possibilities that are open in this country to earnest, persevering yovmg men who have the courage of their convictions and are detennmed to be the architects of their own fortunes. When judged by wliat he has ac- complished his right to a first place among the representative citizens of Belleville cannot be questioned. ^^U^i^iJ'Pl'::'?^^ REPRESENrATIVK MEX OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 457 ADOLPH MOSES, IN" tlic great city of Chicago a majority of the inhabitants are of foreign liirth. Tliose who attracted by finer institutions, larger educational facilities and the superior advantages of making a living, have come here with their families and means, intending to find a new home in a new country, — these valuable additions to the native jjopulation have, by their industry, economy, and honest methods, become essential factors in the growth of the city. They furnish not only needed workmen, skilled and unskilled, but enterprising merchants, manufacturers, artists and apt dealers upon our marts of trade. They have also natur- ally embraced the various professions, where they have proved themselves useful, talented and in- tlucntial. Adolph Moses is a native of Germany, where he was born, in Speyer, the capital of the Palatin- ate, Februar}' 27, 1837. Here he received his early education, attending the public and Latin schools, preparatory to his study of law, the pro- fession selected for him by his parents, and his own choice, as well. His proficiency was en- couraging, but in view of the disabilities sur- rounding the Israelites in that country he de- termined to remove to the United States, arriving at Xew Orleans December 22, 1852. He soon after attended the Louisiana University', where he re- mained some years, his legal education having been conducted under the training of such dis- tinguished lawyers as Randall Hunt, Christian Roselius and Judge McCaleb. He graduated in March, 1861, and was admitted to the bar of Louisiana. The secession of Louisiana, soon after, found liim a young man who, having lived for so many years under the Southern influences, with many other students in like circumstances, was natttfally imbued with sentiments common to all classes of people in that State, and when the Twenty- first Louisiana regiment was raised, he was ap- pointed one of its officers and served nearly two years. He then determined to come North and, an opportunity ofifering, settled in Quincy, Illinois, where he remained until 1869. He then decided to locate permanently in Chicago, and his career suicc that time has been one of continued success, he having reached the point of being considered one of the leading lawyers of the city. The ex- tent and variety of his practice can be seen by reference to the reports of the appellate and supreme courts, where the briefs and arguments of his firm are of frequent occurrence. Mr. Moses had already become so well and favorably known in 1879 as to receive the Demo- cratic nomination for judge of the stiperior court, but failed of an election. He has since been prominently mentioned for a seat on the Federal bench of this circuit. As a lawyer he is exceed- ingly painstaking, of good judgment as to the merits of a controversy, and especially devoted to the interests of his clients. The wonder is that one of another tongue, educated in the forms and rules of the civil law, can become so familiar with the practice of the common law. Here the genius of his mind and his superior education come into full play and develop at once the highest qualities of the pleader at the bar and the accomplished jurist. The court methods of j\Ir. Moses are eminently courteous and fair to court, counsel and jurv. As a speaker, Mr. Moses is clear in his state- ments and forcible in delivery. The judge gives him undivided attention, and the jury follows his earnest, compact sentences with unflagging inter- est to the end. He is a devoted member of the American, Chicago, and State Bar Associations. At the last meeting of the latter at Springfield (1895), he read a valuable paper on "Tlie Variance tiie necessity of its abolition as a legal cause for reversing judgments and decrees," wdiich de- servedly attracted wide attention. He is now one of its vice-presidents. While an active member of the Chicago Bar Association he rendered effec- tive services in disbarring unworthy members of the legal profession. While not ambitious for political preferment, Mr. Moses has consented to act in the important capacity of one of the directors of the Chicago Public Library, a position he filled for six years. 458 BwauAPniCAL djctionaut -ly^n porthait gallery of the and as chairman of the library committee gave the library special attention. In 1890 he foimded the National Coq^oration Reporter, a most valuable journal, devoted to the interests of business corporations, which is now in its eleventh volume and has proved (occupy- ing, as it does, a comparatively new field) a great success. He has also, in connection with this new publication, established the United States Corpor- ation Bureau, which has for its object the col- lection of information in regard to corporations. Socially he is an active member of social. l_)enevolent and political societies, among wliicli may be mentioned the Masons, the Standard, the Lakeside and Iroquois Clubs, the I. O. B. B., of the national convention of whose lodges he has been president. He also is a member of the Sinai Congregation, presided over by Dr. Hirsch. Mr. Moses was married in 1869. His two sons are members of the Chicago bar, and members of the firm of which he is the head, viz., Moses, Pam & Kennedy. In his private relations he is kindly and courteous, an agreeable companion and firm friend. J. A. WILLOUGHBY, BELLEVILLE. THE subject of this review is a native of Illi- nois and has risen to a position as one of the representative men of tlie State and attained distinction in the field of politics, being clearly entitled to a due recognition in this connection. He was bom on the parental homestead, six miles northeast of Lebanon, Illinois, being the son of W. E. and ]Mary (Moore) Willoughby. The father was a successful farmer and is now living in retirement in Lebanon, having long been a man of prominence in that locality. Our subject received his preliminan,- education in the public schools and completed his studies at the L^niversity of ]\Iichigan, at Ann Arbor, where he graduated in the law department, in 1876. He established himself for the practice of his pro- fession in Lebanon, Illinois, thus continuing for six months, after which he became the proprie- tor of a drug store in Lebanon, an enterprise which he conducted successfully. In 1880 he was elected county recorder, retaining this incum- bency for four years, being defeated for re-elec- tion in 1884. In June, 1885, he effected the purchase of the Advocate, a local weekly news- paper, enlisted in the support of the Republican party. The paper was established in 1839 and had changed hands many times. Through the able efforts of Mr. Willoughby the circula- tion of the paper was increased to the issuing of 1,800 copies each week, and was made to assume due importance as furthering the interests of the section and advancing the cause of the Republican party. jMr. Willoughby has been an ardent and influ- ential worker in the ranks of the Republican party. He was for four years chairman of the congres- sional committee, and has been a member of the county central committee of his party from the time he attained his majority. He has been many times a delegate to the State conventions. He served as postmaster of Belleville for four years, under Harrison's administration. In 1894 he was elected to the State senate, by the flattering majority of 1,211 votes, and he has proved a ca- pable and discriminating official, doing much to advance wise legislation and further the inter- ests of the State at large. I\Ir. Willoughby is recognized as one of the representative men of Belleville. He is promi- nently identified with the ^Masonic order, having been initiated into its mysteries in 1876, and hav- ing now advanced to the Knights Templar de- gree, being Past Eminent Commander of his corn- man dery. Religiously he renders support to the Episcopal Church and its active charities and missions. In November, 1886, Mr. Willoughby was united in marriage to I\Iiss Lizzie V. Hughes, daughter of James Hughes, ex-sherifif of the county and a prominent resident of Belleville. Their only child, Mary L., died in January, 1892. Mrs. Willough- by 's parents were early settlers in Belleville, and the family is one of culture and refinement. The home of our subject is at 412 South Jackson street, and here is dispensed the most gracious hospitality to a large circle of friends. ?n t ^'^ ^ "'-'2r . i'y . 1/ . -{y 4. / s.-ii- ) REPRESENTATIVB Mh:N OF THE UyiTRD STATES.- ILLlXOfS VOLUME. 459 EDWARD P. GRISWOLD, MR. GRISWOLD is a native of Connecticut, Iiaving been bom near Hartford, August 6, 1838, tlie son of Thomas and Jerusha (Wells) Gris\\-oUl. His father was the leading cloth manufacturer in Connecticut. The boyhood of Edward cmliraced attendance upon the public scliools of his native town, but for the comple- tion of his educatioi: he went to East Hampton, Massachusetts. In 1854, at the age of sixteen, he began life as a clerk in the employ of Mr. S. W. Griswold, a.t Hartford, Connecticut, who was then in the line of business in which Mr. Gniswokl, tlic subject of riiis sketch, is now en- gaged. In 1S57 young Griswold went to Milwaukee, and for six years was engaged with his brother, Mr. J. AV. Griswold, in the cloak-manufacturing business. In 1863 the brothers removed to Chi- cago, where they continued the manufacture of ladies' and children's cloaks, under the firm name of J. W. Griswold & Company. The business of the firm constantly increased from its start, in 1857, until now it has grown to be one of the largest of its kind in the country. Mr. J. W. Griswold retired from the firm in 1886. Since then the management, shared by Edward P. Gris- wold and P. R. Palmer, under the firm name of Griswold, Palmer & Company, has become most aggressive, and they have won a reputation as being among the most energetic, popular and reliable merchants in the cloak trade. It has been the aim of the firm from its very start not only to manufacture garments that could be de- pended upon for style, but that would give satis- faction to the \\'earer. The popularity of the house with its customers is a well known fact, and is attributed to the uniform maintenance of the above named policy. No firm has a better record, and it has been established in this busi- ness longer than any other cloak-manufacturing house in this country, passing successfully through the financial crisis of 1857 and 1887, and the great fire of 1871. While thousands of firms were "broken up and others settled at various percentages of their indebtedness, this firm has always met its obligations, paying one hundred cents on the dollar. As a citizen, no man stands higher than Mr. Griswold. While he is motlcst and unostenta- tious in his demeanior, he is always found in the front rank in all matters of reform. He is a doacon in the First Presbyterian Church, and a man of whom it may be said the world is made better by his having lived in it. He belongs to the Union League and Sunset Clubs, and is a member of the Citizens' Association and the Art Institute of Chicago. In his political affiliations he is strongly Re- publican, and has been since he was entitled to cast his first ballot, believing thoroughly in the principles of protection to home industries, as championed by that party. Mr. Griswold was married in the year 1865 to Miss Mary Browning. They have four chil- dren, — ^two sons and two daughters, — Edward Browning, Man' Maud, Grace and Harold Gris- wold, constituting a happy family circle. Among the names of the prominent business men of Chicago who have been closely identified with its interests, a;nd have assisted in its mar- velous growth, and who, while helping to build up a metropolis, have founded for themselves rep- utations more enduring than iron and stone, will stand that of Edward P. Griswold, who, by force of native ability and steady perseverance, has raised himself to a position of wealth and honor. His life histoiy illustrates in a marked degree what may be accomplished by well directed ef- forts, and a strict adherence to correct business principles. 460 BIOOIiAPmCAL DICTIONARY AND POUTRAIT GALLERY OF THE RT. REV. JOHN JANSSEN, D. D., BELLEVILLE. AMONG the representatives of the Cathohc Church in soutliwcstern Illinois is the Rt. Rev. John Janssen, Bishop of Belleville. Hewas born in Germany, on the 3d of March, 1835, and began his education in the private and parish schools near his home. He afterward attended the Bishops' College, after which he crossed the Atlantic to the United States. In 1858 he was ordained as a priest at Alton, by Bishop Juncker, and at once entered upon his pastoral work, tak- ing charge of a church in Springfield, Illinois, where he remained for five years. In 1863 he became secretary to the bishop, holding that po- sition until 1868, and was chancellor of the Alton diocese from 1863 until 1870, when he became vicar general to Bishop Baltes. In 1886 he was made administrator of the diocese, servjng in that position for about a year, when, in 1887, the dio- cese of Alton was divided and that of Belleville established. He then served as administrator of both, and on the 28th of February, 1888, became bishop of Belleville. GEORGE CATLIN, GEORGE CATLIN is one of the many self- made men of Chicago. His ancestors were of the best New England stock on both sides, some of them having served with great credit in the old French and Indian wars and the war of the Revolution, while in times of peace they were prominent officials in their re- spective towns. His father was Seth Catlin, who came to Chi- cago from Deerfield, Massachusetts, in 1834, and became active in commercial and banking af- fairs, finally, 1858-1863, filling the position of secretary of the Board of Trade. He was the sixth in descent from John Catlin, of Wethers- field, Connecticut, through John Catlin, second, and Major Seth Catlin, of the latter place. The John Catlin last mentioned was one of the first settlers of Branford, Connecticut, and a resident of Newark, New Jersey, and Deerfield, Massa- chusetts. The mother of George Catlin was Helen M. Griswold, of the Griswold family of Vermont. George Catlin was born in Chicago in 1843. He attended the public schools and acquired his first business experience in his father's office, assisting in the preparation of the first annual re- port of the Board of Trade. At the age of twenty-two he enlisted, in answer to a call for volunteers, in the One Hundred and Thirty- fourth Illinois Regiment, and six months later, at the close of the war, was mustered out. Re- turning home he secured a clerkship in the ser- vice of the Goodrich Transportation Company. Later he entered the employ of the Buckingham Elevator Company, with which he was con- nected for eighteen years. His faithful perform- ance of duty and the unqualified confidence re- posed in him by the company is well indicated by his long continued service. On the expiration of that period 2^Ir. Catlin engaged for a time in the fire-insurance busi- ness. In the year 1883 he commenced the manufacture of druggists' sundries, being now located at 217 and 219 State street. He began operations on a small scale, but has greatly en- larged his business and has an extensive sale among the leading druggists in the city and throughout the country. The growth of his business has been steady and rapid. He may truly be called a self-made man, for his prosperity is the crown of his own labors. Industry has been the golden key that has opened to him the portals of success. Perseverance, hard work, mastery of the details of his business and a de- termination that has overcome all obstacles are numbered among his chief characteristics. Suc- cess in life is something to be proud of, and the world is better for the life of every successful man. REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 401 In the year 1867 Air. Catlin married Miss Elsie A. Ray, a native of Boston, Massachusetts. She (lied in 1874, leaving a daughter, — Elsie A. In 1880 Mr. Catlin was again married, hi< second ' union being with Aliss Imogen lUanche, of Harrisburg. Pennsylvania. They now have two children, — Seth and Helen lUanche. Mr. Catlin is a man of dome.stic tastes, who finds his greatest pleasure in the society of his fninilv and his friends. He holds membership in the Hyde Park Club, the Chicago Athletic As- sociation, and is a life member of Waubansia Eodge. He is a thirty-second-degree Mason, a member of Apollo Commandery, No. i, K. T., and belongs to the Mystic Shrine. In political faith he rather leans toward the Democracy, but may be said to be independent. Mr. Catlin is a modest, unassuming man, caring not for notori- ety, yet deserves the praise that is usually given a self-made man and the high regard which is accorded him bv his friends. PHILEMON L. MITCHELL, ROCK ISLAND. PHILEMON LIBBEY MITCHELL was born in Limington, Maine, October 16, 1812, the youngest but one of the six children of Isaac and Martha (Libby) Mitchell, the former a general merchant of that village. Philemon's early boyhood was passed in his native town, where he attended the district school until he was diirteen years of age, at which time he engaged as a clerk in a country store and post- office, where he remained for three years. At the expiration of that period he went to Exeter, New Hampshire, and passed the ensuing five years in a large wholesale establishment. Being impressed with the idea that the possi- bilities of advancement for a young man were greater in the West than in the East, he relin- quished his position in Exeter and removed to Georgetown, Kentucky, where, with what he had saved from his salary, he was enabled to go into mercantile business for himself. In this venture he remained until 1851, and then entered the field in which he has been so eminently successful, as cashier of ihe branch of the Fanners' Bank of Kentucky, at Georgetown. In 1856 he resigned tins position and removed to Rock Island, where, in company with the late P. L. Cable, he organ- ized a banking house under the fimi name of .Mitchell & Cable. Four years later Mr. Cable dis- posed of his interest to Judge Cornelius Lynde, and the firm name was changed to Mitchell & Lynde, under which it is still operated — next to the oklcst, and one of the strongest monetarv' in- stitutions in Illinois. During this time the First National Bank of Rock Island was established, with Mr. Mitchell as its president, and continued in business for a number of years, until 1890, when it became merged with Mitchell & Lynde's Bank. Mr. Mitchell was lai-gely instrmnental in organizing the Rock Island Savings Bank, which hais a capital stock of one hundred thousand dol- lars; and commenced lousiness Jirly 8, 1890: at the present time its deposits aggregate over a million dollars. Of this bank Mr. Mitchell is the president. Both of the banks with which our subject is connected, have, since 1891, occupied handsome offices in Mitchell & Lvnde's Block, — one of the finest Inisiness structures in the city. In addition to his banking interests Mr. Mitch- ell is a stockholder in some of Rock Island's most important manufacturing establishments, notably the Rock Island Plow Company, and the Rock Island Buggy Company, of Ijoth of which he is a director. For thirty years or more he has been secretary of the Chippianock Cemetery Association, of which he is the largest stockholder; and to him is due the fact that Rock Island has one of the most beautiful cemeteries in the Western country. Politically, Mr. Mitchell is a strong Republican. Previous to the organization of that party he was an old-line Whig, but for forty years now he has voted the Republican ticket, and has held several minor local offices. Though always devoted to his business he has 462 BIOQRAPIIICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT OALLERF OF THE kiund time to travel and has been all over the United States, spending the summers at Eastern resorts and his winters in the South. Though now in his eighty-third year, he has never been sick in his life, and is as strong and well as many men who are his junior by a score of years. Every day finds him at his desk in the bank, over whose affairs he ex- ercises a close supervision, while his son takes the active management of its details His won- derful constitution may be ascribed to his cor- rect habits, formed in youth and continued in later years. On the nth day of October, 1837, Mr. Mitcliell vvas united in marriage to Miss Catherine Hall, of Exeter, New Hampshire, whose death occurred October 4, 1868. Of the five children bom of this union four are living: Annie M., wife of W. C. Wadsworth, of Davenport, Iowa; Mary H., who married Henrj' T. Wadsworth, now deceased; Phil, a prominent business man of Rock Island, who married I\Iiss Ella Judd, of Janesville, Wis- consin, October 24, 1877; and Kate M., now Mrs. Henry S. Eraser, of Indianapolis. A daughter, Laura, who was the wife of Captain Charles Shaler, of the United States Army, died Decem- ber 26, 1877. Since the foregoing sketch was prepared, the long and useful career of its subject has been brought to a close. An illness of two weeks ter- minated fatally on the 23d day of January, 1895, and Mr. Mitchell passed away at the ripe age of eighty-three years, beloved and mourned by all who knew him. WALTER B. PALMER, THE task of writing the biography of a living representative man is a most difficult one, because the prevailing modesty of American man- hood shrinks from personal prominence and in- variably discourages even the most friendly at- tempt to uncover the secret of his success or popularity in life. The subject of this sketch is a typical representa- tive of the fast-growing class of American landed proprietors, — deriving his income from that safest of all investments, real estate. He is the owiier of several of the finest farms in La Salle county, and devotes his time and energy to the raising and developing of the American light- harness horse, possessing one of the finest studs in the State. Walter inherited his landed possessions and an ample fortune from his father, E. M. Palmer, who was a respected and esteemed citizen of Ot- tawa, and who at the age of eighteen bought his time of his father at the expense of his legal in- terest in the paternal estates, and in 1849 crossed the plains to California. He became a successful trader, made a fortune, and returned to Ottawa in 1857, where he invested in the rich farm lands of La Salle county and became a successful farmer and breeder of blooded stock, and did much to improve and forward the stock-raising interests of that section, particularly the raising of trotting horses, and has left in his only son a worthy representative to continue in the path of his father. Mr. Palmer was born in Prairie Center, Illinois, June 26, 1868, the son of E. M. and Sarah (Butler) Palmer, graduated at the Northwestern Normal College at Geneseo, Illinois, and in the fall of 1894 married Miss Mary F. White, of Ottawa, this State, one of that city's most respected and charming young ladies. Mr. Palmer is a man of strictest probit)- and steadfast integrity, an honored and prominent member of the flourishing community of Ottawa, and has the respect and esteem of the best class of citizens in the city and county; is a young man of fine moral character, genial and afTable man- ners, and is a sturdy, clean-cut type of an Amer- ican gentleman farmer and landed proprietor. He has traveled somewhat extensively in this coun- try, having made several journeys through the West and South and to the Pacific coast His views of life are broad and progressive; he is in- dependent, generous and public-spirited, and ad- mires and sympathizes with all that is best and highest in life. He is devoted to his charming /i'7f7AJ^^/Ce}e^ REPRESEyTATIVE .VEX OF THE VXITED STATES: ILLIXOIS VOLU.VE. 4m young wife, and an attentive and loving son. He was much attached to liis estimable father and devotedly clicrishes his memory. His residence on Ottawa avenue is one of the finest in a city noted for its beautiful homes ; and his stable is a model of equinal comfort and convenience, and cost over four thousand dollars to build. Being an only son, and inheriting an abimdance of wealth, Walter B. Palmer has had a smooth and easy path through life, and unlike most sons of rich men, has used his vast means wisely. For so young a man he is a noted and prominent citi- zen of Ottawa, and in coming years will no doubt gain distinction and win admiration in many yet untried paths of public life. In politics he is a stanch Republican, but as yet has never accepted public office. At present he has only one passion, and that is for that noblest of animals, the horse. Although young in years, he has already owiied or controlled the following well known horses: Frank Agan, 2:05^; Nellie 'SL, 2:125; Harry H., 2:20; Budingcr, 2:24; and numerous other lesser lights of the trotting world. Mr. Palmer's independent means enable him to devote his time to the raising of blooded stock as a pastime, and for the purpose of getting the purest strains of thoroughbreds, thereby putting the American blooded horse on the level of the highest equine aristocracy, he is not a horseman in the mercenarj' sense, and can in no way be classed with the ordinary racing man, as he fol- lows the pursuit from pleasure and because the love of horses is a passion with him. Over Mr. Palmer's life lies the shadow of pri- vacy, and he does not w^illingly lift the veil and give the world an insight into his private ambi- tions and aspirations. He has a cultivated con- science, which makes his many acts of generosity and friendship things to be hidden rather than advertised. He is one of the best class, of young men of wealth and leisure which the West affords, and if health and length of years are given him his forceful character, strong individuality, and engaging personality will leave their mark upon the times in the shape of a noteworthy and nolile career. WILLIAM WELLS FAIRFIELD, ROCKFORD. IX the year 1748 Nathaniel Fairfield, a young maji who had grown up in the city of Boston, and was possessed of the ambition, courage and sturdy manhood which has always been dis- tinguishing characteristics of American pioneers, pushed out into the "Indian country" of western Massachusetts in search of land upon which to make a settlement. In company with Daniel Cadwell, also noted as a pioneer settler of western Massachusetts, he visited "Pontoosuc" and made an examination of lands in that vicinity when the Indians were its only inhabitants. They took with them into the wilderness a store of provisions, and when these supplies were ex- hausted Cadwell returne-. He had an unlimited fund of humor and was merciless in ridicule. Another very strong quality in him was that of earnestness in the conduct of a case. Per- haps no lawyer ever identified himself more fully with the interests of a client than he. The amoimt of interest at stake cut no figure with him. He was as earnest, as persistent and as pow- erful in the conduct of a case involving ten dollars as ten thousand. His hatred for and abhorrence of the institution of slavery was most intense. Many fugitives from the South found shelter, succor, and aid to free- dom at his hands. What he conceived to be right per se he dared to do, independent of results to himself. Another marked characteristic was his unosten- tatious charity and generosity. His name was never or seldom found on lists of donors to insti- tutions or objects which were publicly paraded. He sought rather to relieve destitution and give aid to those who are usually most deserving, but whose pride prevents their making their wants and needs publicly known. In this way all his life long he was the friend 468 r.ionnM'iiK'Ar, nrrrroxAur axd I'onruMT galleut of the in need to any and all irrespective of race, color, or religion, whose worthiness appealed to him. He will always be remembered as a powerful, unique and picturesque figure in the annals of our State in its historic formative period, the period that produced and developed Lincoln, Davis, and others whose names will live on the pages of history while time lasts. Mr. Lake died in Kankakee Sunday, May 19, 1895. He leaves three children: Vincent Lake, William Lake, and a daughter, ]\Irs. Elizabeth Marshall, of Des Moines, Iowa. HERMAN D. CABLE, MANY people give music the highest rank among the fine arts. It has not the limita- tions of sculpture or of painting, it is not bounded by form and color and size and therefore leaves much greater play to the imagination. It reaches man only through the sense of hearing and exercises over him an intangible power, probably the more strongly felt because indescribable. From the re- motest ages it has administered to man's pleasure, has given enthusiasm to the soldier on the field of battle, brought comfort to the sorrowing, and heightened the happiness of the joyful. It ap- peals to and touches all classes of people as no other art does. For a long time the East claimed superiority for its musical culture and said the West could not produce musical instruments equal to those manufactured on the Atlantic coast; but the past few years has demonstrated that in this line of business the progress which has been made by Chicago has been as great as in other lines of manufacture, and the Chicago Cottage Organ Company has been one of the leading factors in demonstrating this truth. At the head of this company stands Mr. Cable, one of the most suc- cessful and prominent of Chicago's business men, who through his own endeavors has come to be recognized as one of the leading dealers in the music trade in the United States. Herman D. Cable, a son of Silas and Mary Cable, was born June i, 1849, in Walton, New York, and his parents were natives of Connecticut, descended from early New England families. The paternal grandfather became one of the earliest settlers of Delaware county, while the maternal grandfather built the first gristmill there, w'hich enterprise was highly appreciated by the farmers of the surrounding- country, as shown in the his- tory of Delaware county, written and published by the late Jay Gould, who was also a native of that county. Mr. Cable owns a copy of this work, which is interesting, owing to the prominence of the author and publishers, and his earnest en- deavor to suppress the entire edition, exceedingly rare, giving it on that account a considerable pe- cuniary value. Mr. Cable's father was engaged in both agricultural pursuits and commercial enter- prises, and was an honorable and honored resident of the community in which he made his home. Like many another man who has become prominent, Herman D. Cable began his educa- tion in the countrj- school, subsequently attended an academy in Walton, New York, and later the Delaware Literary Institute of Franklin, New York. He was apt in his studies and displayed the alertness, enterprise and energy which has marked his business career. Desiring a wider field of labor than his native village gave, he became an employee in the extensive firm of A. S. Barnes & Company, where he worked as correspondence clerk until going upon the road as traveling sales- man. He was watchful of his employers' interests, and they soon trusted implicitly in his adapta- bility and faithfulness and in the excellence of his judgment, and their appreciation of his service was shown by his promotion to the management of their branch house in Chicago in 1870. His administration of the business affairs of the com- pany here won unqualified approval, and he con- tinued that connection until 1880, when, desiring to devote his energies to manufacturing interests, he withdrew from the employ of the house with which he had so long been associated. Mr. Cable believed that the manufacture of Il:u^ical instruments was a good field and orean- REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF TUE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 469 ized the Chicago Cottage Organ Company, which began operations on a small scale, but has steadily increased its facilities to meet the growing trade until it now docs the largest music-trade business in the United States. Mr. Cable was the first treasurer of the company, but was soon elected president, and its success is due to his fine mana- gerial abilit}^ his sound judgment and his power of control. The East for some years was the place of manu- facture for high-grade musical instruments, but to-day it is universally conceded npt only that Chicago is making first-class instruments, but that by the amount of capital invested in their manufacture here, by the high character of men concerned in it, and by the tendency of the busi- ness to concentrate here, Chicago bids fair, at no distant date, to rank as the center of musical- instrument manufacturing in the United States. The Chicago Cottage Organ Company has be- come one of the most prominent music-trade in- stitutions in the country, and the growth from a small beginning to a corporation capitalized at one million dollars indicates something of the enormous business that has been developed with- in fifteen years. There are many organ manu- factories in the country, some which have existed for t\vo or three times as long as the Chicago Cottage Organ Company ; but the latter now man- ufactures one-fifth of all of the reed organs made in the United States. It turns out an organ every nine minutes, a business that is equaled by none other in the world. The organs, with their many improvements, seem to have reached the highest state of perfection and the extensive sales indicate the unqualified satisfaction that they give. In connection the company is interested in the wholesale piano trade, and does an enormous business in that way, and in connection manufac- tures the Conover piano. Chicago enterprise and capital has taken hold of this instrument, im- proved it, and to-day the East can claim no su- periority in the line of fine pianos which it sends out. Early in 1892 the Chicago Cottage Organ Company bought the patents, patterns and every- thing appertaining to the Conover piano and re- moved the entire establishment to Chicago, where a new plant was provided for its manufacture. At the warerooms of the company, 219 and 221 Wabash avenue, there are as fine pianos and or- gans as have ever been displayed. Within a short space of time the company established itself as the largest manufacturer of reed organs in the wcrld and is winning a like reputation in pianos. The business policy followed has ever been that of straightforward dealing. Back of the history of the company we read the histor}' of its president to whom the success of this gigantic institution is almost entirely due. His life typifies the spirit of the age, the spirit of American progress and advancement. He is truly a representative American citizen and a worthy representative of that type of American character which promotes public good in advanc- ing individual prosperity. Prosperity has come to him as a natural consequence of industry and ap- plication, and his splendid success bears testi- mony to his rare judgment in business afi'airs. In 1883 Mr. Cable was united in marriage with Miss Alice A. Hutchins, of Chicago, a daughter of one of the prominent physicians in this city, and three children grace their union. Their beauti- ful home is located in Evanston, where they hold high rank in social circles. Their friends are many and their friendship is prized most by those who know them best. In his political views Mr. Cable is a Republi- can, but as can w^ell be seen his immense busi- ness interests have left no time for political work even had he so desired. He merely exercises his right of franchise as becomes every true and loyal citizen of the Republic. Socially he is a member of the Masonic fraternity, in which he has risen to the rank of Knight Templar, and is also con- nected with the Countr}' Club of Evanston and the Union League Club of Chicago. He is pub- lic-spirited in an eminent degree, devoted to the national interests and local welfare, contributing liberally to all that is calculated to upbuild his adopted city. 470 BTOGRAPniCAL DICTIONARY AND POKTRAIT GALLERY OF THE LEVY MAYER, IN viewing the mass of mankind in the varied occupations of Hfe the conchision is forced upon the observer that in the vast majority of cases men have sought employment not in the Hne of tlieir peculiar fitness but in those where caprice or circumstances have placed them, thus explaining the reason of the failure of ninety-five per cent, of those who enter commercial and pro- fessional circles. In a few cases it seems that men with a peculiar fitness, — genius it may be called, for a certain line have taken it up and marked success has followed. Such is the fact in the case of the subject of this biography. Levy Mayer, the subject of this sketch, was born in 1857 and when six years of age he came to Chicago with his parents and attended the city's public schools of the lower grades until he was twelve years of age, when he entered the high school, at which he graduarted after taking the classical course. After graduation he went to Yale College, where he pursued special studies and at- tended law lectures, graduating in 1876. Return- ing to Chicago, he was made assistant librarian of the Chicago Law Institute, a position which he filled until 1881 when he resigned. In June, 1877, he passed his examination for admission to the bar before the supreme court at Mount \'ernon. Not being quite twenty years of age the court while granting his license entered an order that his ad- mission should take effect upon his attaining his majority. In September, 1881, he formed a part- nership witli Adolf Kraus, now corporation counsel. In 1887, Philip Stein, now judge of the superior court, and Isaac H. Mayer were admitted to the firm. Upon the resignation of Judge Thomas A. Moran, in March, 1892, he became senior member of the firm, which took the style Moran, Kraus & Mayer. From the moment he began the practice of law Mr. Mayer threw into his work that energy and judgment that won cases and attracted clients among all classes, and his field of action at once broadened until he was known as a winner in all lines of legal practice, but the peculiar talent that gained him his greatest reputation was developed in the line of corporation law and in real-estate negotiations wherein large values were concerned, particularly in the formation of English-American companies for the purchase and operation of American industries. He has been intimately identified with the sale of the Union Stock Yards, the creation of two great packing-house com- bines involving the sale of ten million dollars' worth of property in Chicago, the sales of ele- vator property, milling combinations, etc. He was also counsel for the non-associate packers in their litigation against the stock yards and the '"Big Three," a case which was argued here and in New Jersey, but was compromised without a de- cision by the court. Kraus, Mayer & Stein re- ceived from their clients for the management of this case the sum of one hundred thousand dollars, ■ — the largest fee ever paid in the West. Other prominent cases in litigation in which he has ap- peared was that of Colin against Farwell, in the argument of which he participated in the supreme court. The reasoning in this case led to the adoption of the doctrine since known as "Con- struction assignments." In 1889 the then County Judge Prendergast v/as sought to be legally pro- liibitcd from hearing the Lindauer case. Pic was successfully defended by Mr. Mayer. In the same year the supreme court through his efforts adopted the principle that it is contempt in the courts of this State for one residing here to interfere be- yond the State with the jurisdiction of a receiver appointed in this State. He represented Major McClaughry in the recent Joliet prison investiga- tion and is associated with the attorney-general in prosecuting the whisky trust, every decision in which has so fai- been in favor of the people. He also took part in behalf of the World's Colum- bian Exposition, in the argument for the dissolu- tion of the Sunday-closing injunction. Mr. Mayer's natural adaptability to the practice of law, combined with a strong natural tendency for the conduct of business affairs of whatever char- acter, has drawn to him a very desirable class of business which has brought him the three things so dear to all lawyers, — success, reputation and ^>^^ REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF TUE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. large fees. But these things have not come un- sought or unearned. They have been earned by the closest study and intensest application to busi- ness. No member of the bar works harder than Mr. Mayer. He is an exhaustive reader, a close student, and has accumulated in his ofifice the largest private library in this State of which he feels justly proud. As a young lawyer, being only thirty-five years old, Mr. Mayer has been re- markably successful and may well anticipate in the years to come new laurels to grace his vic- tories in the legal arena. As might be expected of so hard a worker he appreciates the comforts and luxuries of life and in a handsomely furnished home he lavishly entertains his friends. He has, it is said, the finest private wine cellar in Chicago. Naturally desirous of seeing the world Mr. Mayer's wishes in this respect have hap- pily been in line with the requirements of busi- ness and he has traveled much in the United States and in Europe, whither he makes frequent journeys. JACOB FORSYTH, AMONG those honored pioneers who blazed a path for future cavalcades to follow, who bravely turned their faces from the cities of the East, with all their advantages of wealth and civilization, to cast their fortunes with the West- ern frontier, in all its wildness and primitive modes of life; who, rather than enjoy the com- forts of their former homes, chose to endure the hardships of a wider and freer country; and who made out of those very obstacles, which, to a weaker class of men would have been stumbling blocks, the stepping stones to wealth and re- nown, — none of these great men are more noted for untiring perseverance and steady progress which have resulted in the acquirement of wealth and the well-merited estem of his fellow men than the gentleman whose name heads this sketch. If Chicago ever had a faithful sponsor it is he. He realized, with great prophetic fore- sight, the magnitude of the great Garden City's prospects, at a time when she gave but slight signs of her future greatness. If, as is main- tained, the history of a covmtry or a city is best displayed in the lives of her prominent men, then certainly that of Chicago would be incom- plete without the salient points of the life of this man, one of her most influential and respected citizens. Mr. Forsyth is so thoroughly American in thought and action that we would gladly chron- icle his birth in this coimtry, but f^ftern facts intervene, and we reluctantlv admit that he came to us from across the sea, from a country be- tween which and the United States there has ever been the kindliest feelings and the deepest sympathy. He was born in the north of Ireland, in 1821, the son of an intelligent farmer of small landed property. He received his education at a noted private academy, the principal of which was a learned Greek and Latin scholar, as well as a mathematician of great renown in his vicinity, and, possessing quick perceptions and studious inclinations, he profited by his advan- tages. On arriving in this country, at fifteen years of age, he settled in Pittsburg, Pennsyl- vania, where he was given a position as copying clerk and errand boy for the great commission and forwarding house of Forsyth & Company, a member of which was a near relative of young Forsyth. The firm was the oldest com- mission house in the city and owned a large fleet of steamers, running on various Western rivers. In those days tlie copy book had not been invented, and all letters had to be copied by hand, which duty was part of young Forsyth's work. By painstaking diligence and a careful regard for his employers' interest, he gained their con- fidence and esteem, and was promoted from one responsible position to another until he attained that of head bookkeeper for the firm, remaining altogether with the house about fifteen years. But merit is too rare a jewel to remain long undiscovered, and ambition too great a goad to permit repose. Hence it was not surprising that 472 BIOGRAPHICAL DICriONART AND rORTRAIT OALLERT OF THE Mr. Forsyth should have received other advanta- geous offers. One of these, wliich he accepted, was through freight clerk for the Pennsylvania Railroad, with headquarters in Chicago. Thus, in 1857, we find himtakingup his residence in tlie Garden City, which at that time lacked both the garden and the city. After a few years' service in this posi- tion he accepted another as general agent for the "Old Erie"' road. It was about this time that he became impressed with the excellent opportunities to buy land cheaply, and according to his convictions he resigned his position with the railroad, in 1866, and began to invest largely in land. His wife had inherited a large amount of real estate in Lake county, Indiana, from her brother, the late George W. Clarke, who died in 1886: and to this I\Ir. Forsyth added by purchas- ing the interests of small owners in the city, and, in time, acquired ten thousand acres in one vast tract, arguing with haj-d-headed sense that one large piece of land would possess more value than the same amount in scattered por- tions. In fact, Mr. Forsyth had always evinced such Yankee intuition that we are forced to be- lieve that he must have imbibed many of the acute qualities of tltat progressive nation. He did not, however, always have clear sailing, but, on the contrary, experienced much annoyance and many years' litigation in consequence of his ef- forts to eject squatters, who at that time abounded on the shores of Lakes George and Wolf. He was in court five years, and during that time read book after book on land decisions and riparian rights, on which he is now one of the best read men in the country, amply qualified to enlighten many attorneys in that line of practice. .A. decree being pronounced in his favor he sold eight thousand acres of his land to the East Chi- cago Improvement Company for one million of dollars, one-third of which was paid down in ca^h. The company, however, failed to meet subsequent payments, and, as a compromise, the present Canal and Improvement Company was formed in 1887, from which Mr. Forsyth accepted as reimbursement part cash, a large amount of bonds and some stock in the company. In 1881 he bought another tract of land on the lake shore, lying directly north of the present site of East Chicago, and in 1889 he sold a portion of this to the Standard Oil Company, on which they have built their large plant, known as Whiting. The limits of the city of Chicago having been extended to the Indiana line, across which lies Mr. Forsyth's land, it has consequently been en- hanced in value and he is proportionately ben- efited thereby. Mr. Forsyth married Caroline M. Clarke, the daughter of Robert Clarke, of Fayette county, Pennsylvania, who bore him nine children — five boys and four girls. They are all living. In poli- tics Mr. Forsyth is a stanch Republican, believ- ing thoroughly in the principles and policy as expounded by the Grand Old Party. He has never, however, taken an active part in political affairs. Personally, Mr. Forsyth is a large and well- proportioned man, has a kindly face and genial manners, bearing every evidence of a well-spent life. He has a comfortable and attractive home on Michigan avenue, where, in the midst of an interesting family, he is passing in ease and peaceful enjoyment his advanced years. (&c£-iytyzz^y^ 7^^^ ^^:^^i^C> REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 473 EDWARD FISK GORTON, CHICAGO AND LAKE FOREST. FROM a liistoric family on Isoth sides is de- scended Edward Fisk Gorton. The pro- genitor of the family was the founder of a religious sect, and in the days of fixed ideas in religious belief, when any deviation therefrom was heresy, he was knowii as a heretic; but, fear- less in defense of what he believed to be right, persecution covild not make him change his views. This same characteristic has descended through the generations and is found in the loy- alty and faithfulness of him whose name heads this record. The popular mayor of Lake Forest has the command and esteem of all with whom lie comes in contact, as the result of an honorable, upright life and fidelity to principle. Samuel Gorton, of whom mention is made in history, was born in England about 1600 and died in Rhode Island in 1677. His educational privileges were somewhat meager. He was em- ployed by a London clothier until 1636, when he determined to brave the dangers of aii ocean voyage and sail for America, locating in Boston, ]\Iassachusetts, hoping to enjoy greater religious freedom than was accorded him in his native land; but he found that the Puritans who had themselves crossed the Atlantic for the purpose of worshiping and thinking according to the dic- tates of their own consciences, were not willing to accord the same privilege to others, and on account of religious disputes he was forced to remove to Plymouth; but there he found even less tolerance, being fined, imprisoned and finally expelled from the colony in the winter of 1637-8 for preaching heresy. He then went to Aquid- neck, now Newport, Rhode Island, accompanied by a few followers, but was pubHcly whipped for calling the magistrates "justasses" and for other contemptuous acts, and about 1641 was forced to take refuge with Roger Williams in Provi- dence, Rhode Island. His next home was in Pawtucket, where he purchased land; but his views were obnoxious to the religious beliefs of the people of that lo- cality, and in September, 1642, having refused to go to Boston, when summoned by the author- ities, he removed to Shawmut on the west side of Narragansett bay, where he bought land of the Sachem Miantonomo. In June, 1643, two in- ferior sachems contested his claim to the property and applied to the general court of Boston for redress. Forty soldiers were in consequence marched to Shawmut, and Gorton and ten of his followers were taken prisoners to Boston in Oc- tober, where they were tried as "damnable here- tics" and sent to imprisonment and hard labor in irons. They were released in March, 1644, and ordered to leave the colony. Gorton then went to England to obtain redress, and having pro- cured from the Earl of Warwick a letter of safe conduct to the magistrate and an order that his people should be allowed peaceable possession of their lands at Shawmut, he returned to his colony in 1648 and named it Warwick in honor of the Earl. Gorton's remaining years seem to have been untroubled, though j\Iassachusetts did not relin- quish her claim to the Shawmut settlement until some years later. After his return he filled a number of important civil ofifices and on Sunday preached to the Colonists and Indians. He re- garded the clergy and all religious forms and ceremonies with contempt, and held that by union with Christ believers partook of the per- fection of God and that heaven and hell have no actual existence. His sect survived him about one hundred years. He published various works setting forth his theory, and became one of the historic characters of New England. Anson Gorton, the father of E. F. Gorton, was bom in Toronto, Canada, in 1824 and having ar- rived at man's estate married Ellen Fisk, a daughter of Isaac Fisk, one of the founders of Ashtabula, Ohio. She was born in 1829 and died in 1854. The father was for many years a telegraph contractor and built the line from Bufifalo to Cleveland. He was also for an ex- tended period in the express business in Chicago and for some time acted as manager for the Wells- Fargo Company. The paternal grandfather, John Gorton, was a soldier in the war of 1812 474 niOGRAPiriCAL DICTTOXART ASD rORTnAIT GALLEET OF THE and was one of the garrison at Fort Griswold at Groton, Connecticut, when New London, Connecticut, was burned by the British. Later he went to Canada and subsequently removed to Rochester, Xew York, where he died in 1875- Edward Fisk Gorton, the efficient mayor of Lake Forest and one of the most prominent at- torneys of Chicago, was bom in Ashtabula, Ohio, on the 6tli of ^lay, 1854, and was reared in Rochester, Xew York, and there obtained his education. He has been connected with the histon- of this cit}' since 1872, and on the 9th of Tune, 1876, was graduated at the Union College of Law. He had determined to enter the ranks of tlie legal profession, his t'lorough preparation and abilities, both natural and acquired, well fit- ting him for his chosen calling. On the 1st of September, 1876, he formed a partnership with W. P. Conger, nephew of the late Omar D. Con- ger, who represented Michigan in the United States senate. William P. Conger died in Feb- ruan-, 1887, after which Mr. Gorton entered into partnership with Walker Blaine, the connection being discontinued when Mr. Blaine accepted the position of private secretan." to his fatlier, Hon. Tames G. Blaine, when the latter was appointed secretan^ of state in 1889. The firm of Gorton & Blaine was soon recognized as one of the most prominent legal combinations in this city and did an extensive business. Since the withdrawal of Mr. Blaine, Mr. Gorton has been alone in business. He is a thorough student and a man of deep research. He has made a specialtj- of office business and investments rather than pleading, and has an extensive clientage. He is indeed a leader in his line, and his splendid knowledge of the law makes his advice and coun- sel of great importance and value. He has been very successful, winning the prosperity' that comes through perseverance, keen discrimina- tion, energy and untiring enterprise. He is a typical American, possessing the progressive spirit and indomitable courage of the race, tem- pered by a safe conserv-atism. In the spring of 1893 Mr. Gorton removed to tlie beautiful suburban city of Lake Forest, and on the 9th of April, 1895, was honored by an election to the office of mayor of that beautiful suburban cit\% defeating one of the oldest resi- dents of the place. This election A\-as certainly a compliment to his personal popularity as well as a tribute to his abilitv-, and indicates the confi- dence reposed in him. This confidence has not been misplaced, for Mr. Gorton is public-spirited in an eminent degree, devoted to the welfare of his community' and to the promotion of its best interests. In politics he is a stalwart Republican, who has always made a deep study of political questions but has never been an office-seeker. On the 9th of June, 1879, Mr. Gorton was united in marriage with Miss Fanny Whitney, daughter of Charles H. Whitney, a resident of Dansville, Xew York. They have a pleasant and commodious home in Lake Forest, where hospitality abounds and where their many friends delight to gather. In the office Mr. Gorton is a practical man of aflfairs, busy and energetic, and has attained a success tliat crowns the labors of few men of his years. In his home he is a pleasant and agreeable companion, and in what- ever place or relation found he is a thorough gentleman in the highest sense of the term, — a man whom to know is to honor. REPRESENTATIVE MEX OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 475 N. R. CASEY, M. D., MOUND CITY. DR. N. R. CASEY is not only one of the best known physicians and citizens of southern Illinois, but also belongs to one of the oldest fami- lies in the State. He was bom in Jefferson county, Illinois, on January 27, 1826. His father. Governor Zadok Casey, was one of the pioneers of Illinois. He was a native of Georgia, but moved to Tennessee when quite a boy. There he was married to Rachel King; and in 1817, with his wife and one child, he came to Illinois, settling in what is now Jefferson cotmty. He was a self-made man, hav- ing educated himself after his marriage. During the early "30s he was elected lieutenant-governor of Illinois, and while filling that office was elected to Congress, of which body he was a member for fourteen years. He was a member of several constitutional conventions. His death occun^ed in 1863. His sons were: Major Sam K. Casey, who erected the Illinois State's prison at Joliet, of which he was warden for twelve years. He was sent to the State senate from th Mount ^^e^non district, and died while a member of that body. He was quite prominent in State politics, and was the Democratic candidate for auditor one year. Thomas S. Casey was a prominent Illinois at- torney. For many years before the war he was prosecuting attorney for the Mount Vernon, Illi- nois, circuit. He was colonel of the Tenth Illinois Regiment. After the war he served in both branches of the State legislature, representing the Moupt Venion district; later was elected circuit court judge, and subsequently was appointed one of the three members of the appellate court of Illinois. He died in Springfield, in 1893. The other two sons are. Dr. John R. Casey, wlio is a practicing physician of Joliet, and our subject. Dr. N. R. Casey's early education was obtained in the schools common to those early days. After an academic course, in 1838 his father sent him to the Hillsboro Academy, at Hillsboro, Illinois; in 1840 he attended the Mount Vernon Academy. and in 1842 entered the Ohio University at Ather.s, that State, when William McGuffey, the great school-book author, was president. He remained there until 1845, ^"f' then returned to Mount \'er- non and began the study of medicine under the instructions of Dr. John W. Corwin; in 1846 he attended a course of lectures at the Louisville Medical Institute, and continued his studies after his return from the institute, at the same time having some practice under the supervision of his preceptor, until the summer of 1847, ^nf' then removed to Benton, Illinois, and became a partner in the practice with Dr. Towns. On December 4, 1847, Dr. Casey married Miss Flora Rawlings of Louisville, Kentucky, a daugh- ter of General ^I. M. Rawlings. She was a young lady of superior education and accomplishments, having but recently graduated with honors at the Nazareth Academy, near Bardstown, Kentucky, a Catholic school then, and still maintaining a high leputation. Her father, General Rawlings, became interested in Mound City in 1854, at which time this place was considered by steamboat men as the head of navigation on the Ohio at low water when the river was frozen over farther up. General Rawlings purchased lands here with a view to the advantages of Mound City as a trad- ing point. General Rawlings was born in Virginia in 1793, his parents moving to Newcastle county, Ken- tucky, in 1794. When a boy he left his father's house, and on foot made his way to Shawneetown, Illinois, reaching that point without a dollar, in the spring of 1809. He took hold of whatever came his way to do. He invested in furs, produce or anything out of which he thought a profit could be made. He was married three times. His first wife was Miss Sarah J. Seaton, whom he married in Breckenridge county, Kentucky, in 181 1, and by whom he had ten children. All of these died before he came to Mound City, with two exceptions. His second wife was Miss Hen- rietta B. CaJmes, whom he married in 1829, and died in 1833, leaving two children, Dr. Casey's v.ife being one. General Rawlings was one of the three internal improvement commissioners, and in 1839, in company with Colonel Oakley, one of the commissioners, and ex-Governor 47« BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT OALLERT OF THE Reynolds, one of the o-ovemor's agents, went to luirope to negotiate canal and improvement bonds, etc. Among the many enterprises Gen- eral Rawlings engaged in was that of steamboat- ing. He owned the side-wheel steamboat Tuckina, that ran between Louisville and New Orleans. General Rawlings removed from Shawneetown to Louisville in 1840. In 1832 he was appointed by Governor Re\'nolds major-general of the State militia. In 1840 he married Miss Ann H. Simms, of Washington City, who died in 1849, without children. General Rawlings received no educational ad- vantages during his boyhood and was pre-emi- nently a self-made man. He possessed wonder- ful native talent and ability, was of great force of character, and his energy and determination never failed him, and his success in business was all that could be desired by himself or friends. His death occurred January 11, 1863, at the age of seventy years. Dr. Casey continued to practice at Benton un- til 1848, when he removed to Mount Vemon, his native place. During the winter of 1856-7 he attended his second course of lectures at the Mis- souri Medical College at St. Louis, receiving his diploma. In June, 1857, he removed to Mound City, at the request of his father-in-law, General Rawlings, who had in 1854 laid out that place. In 1858 he was elected a member of the city council, and in 1859 was elected mayor of the city, and until 1874 he was annually elected to that office, a period of fifteen years; he declined to be longer a candidate. However, he was again elected mayor during the '80s and served another term. In i860 he was a delegate to the national Demo- cratic convention at Charleston, South Carolina, where he was an ardent admirer and supporter of Stephen A. Douglas. When the United States Government hospital was established in Mound Citv, in 1861, the Doctor volunteered his services for a considerable time. Afterward he was ap- pointed assistant surgeon, and for a long time occupied that position in the hospital. In 1866, after one of the longest and most bitterly contested fights. Dr. Casey was nomi- nated for the State legislature by the Democrats of Union, Pulaski and Alexander counties, and at the regular election was successful by above fifteen hundred majority. When the legislature convened the following term Dr. Casey was the candidate of the Democratic members for speaker. The Republicans being largely in the majority, he was defeated. But in the make-up of the com- mittees he was placed in several of the most im- portant. In 1868 he was re-elected to the legis- lature, and was again nominated by his party for speaker, but again defeated. In 1870 the Doctor was again elected to the house, though it was thought impossible for a Democrat to be elected from the district after the redistricting of the year before. In this session he was again nominated for speaker, his opponent being United States Senator Shelby ]\I. Cullom, who was elected. Dr. Casey made an able and influential member of the legislature, serving during each session upon the most important committees. Among the bills he introduced during the last session was one api^ropriating twenty-five thousand dollars to build a monument at the National cemetery at Mound City. The Doctor has been frequently spoken of as a fit candidate of his party for the Governorship of the State, but of late years he has not been so active in politics. Since 1874 he has given his attention to his practice. In August, 1878, his wife died, which was a great loss to him. He has three children. His eldest, Ida M., married, in 1870, Colonel D. B. D\'er; Frank R. is a prominent druggist of Mound Citv ; and Maude H. I I -/ii/tZf REPnESENTATIVE ME^ OF THE UNITED STATES: ILLINOIS VOLUME. 477 CHARLES E. CALDWELL, M. D., DOCTOR CALDWELL was born in Scott county, Illinois, in 1851, a son of Brice and Mary C. (Thompson) Caldwell. His parents were both natives of the Emerald Isle, and in early life they crossed the Atlantic to the LTnitcd States, settling in New York, while for more than half a century they resided in Illinois. Both died in New Holland, Logan county, when about seventy-six years of age. Dr. Caldwell began his education in the public schools of his native covmty and subsecjuently became a student in Lincoln LTniversity, at Lincoln, Illinois. After he had resolved to enter the medical profession and make its practice his life work, he came to Chicago, in 1873, and en- tered upon a four years' course of study in Rush Medical College, at which he was graduated in 1877. He was at that time awarded the honor of being made one of the internes of Cook County Hospital, where he continued until 1879, since which tiuK' he has been located at the corner of Tliirty-niiith and State streets. His practice has steadily increased from the beginning, and is now a very extensive one, he being recognized as one of the best informed and most skillful physicians of the city. In 1885 the Doctor was united in marriage with Miss Kittie Eigenmann, of Chicago, a daugh- ter of Christian Eigeiuiiann, one of the early settlers of this city. They now have four chil- dren, all sons, namely: Christian Brice, Charles Edwin, Reginald Alexander and Millet Benton. The Doctor is an honored and valued member of the Masonic fraternity, holding membership in Apollo Commandeiy, No. i, K. T., and in Ori- ental Consistory. He is a thorough gentleman, very upright and reliable, and his strict adher- ence to principle commands the respect of all. The place he has won in the medical profession is accorded him in recognition of his skill and ability, and the place which he occupies in the social world is a tribute to that genuine worth and true nobleness of character which are universally recognized and honored. LEWIS M. BRADLEY, MOUND CITV. LEWIS M. BRADLEY, a prominent citizen and attorney of Mound Citj% Illinois, is a native of this State and a descendant of one of the pioneer families of the State, his grandfather, James H. Bradley, Sr., coming from North Car- olina to Illinois in 1818, the same year the State was admitted to the Union. James H. Bradley, Jr., fatlier of our subject, was born in Jackson county, Illinois, August i, 1 82 1, read law and was admitted to the bar, but did not enter into active practice. He was prom- inent in his localit}-, and filled various public of- fices. When the late war broke out he took an enthusiastic interest in the cause of the Govern- ment, and made speeches in different localities urging men to volunteer. In April, 1862, he himself enlisted for three years in the Eighteenth Illinois regiment, and sensed in the ranks until the close of the war, being mustered out in Au- gust, 1865. He w-as with the Eighteenth regi- ment all the time, participating in many engage- ments. After the war he returned to his home in Jack- son county, Illinois, where he resided until his death, on August 28, 1888, his death being the result of disease contracted during the war. He was married in 1844 to Rutha J. Culley, who was born in Posey county, Indiana, on February 28, 1828, and is the daughter of Josiah and Martha (Hogue) Culley. She is still living. Fourteen children were bom to the parents of our subject, seven of whom were reared to maturity, and six of whom are living. Lewis M. Bradley was bom on October 14, 1852, in Jackson county. He was educated in the conmion schools, and in 1874 entered the 478 BroaiiAPIIICAL DICTIONARY AND POllTRAir GALLERY OF THE Southern Illinois Normal L^niversity, at Carbon- dale. After leaving the Normal University he began reading law under the preceptorship of the late Abraham R. Pugh, of Murphysboro, Illinois, and in 1878 he entered the law department of Washington University, St. Louis, where he was graduated in June, 1880. He was examined by the appellate court and admitted before the su- preme court of the State the same year of his graduation. Locating in Murphysboro he en- gaged in practice in the office of his preceptor, j\lr. Pugh. On September i, 1881, he located at i\Iound City and formed a partnership with Judge Joseph P. Roberts, which relation continued un- til 1887. A vacancy occurring in the office of State's attorney of Pulaski county April, 1S83, 'Sir. Bradley was elected to fill the same at a spe- cial election. In November. 1884, he was re- elected, and again re-elected in 1888 and in 1892, each time with an increased majority. He is also active in the practice outside of the duties of his office. He has for several years been one of the attorneys of the IJlinois Central Railroad, and is at present attorney for all of the manufacturing corporations of Mound City with a single excep- tion, and is the attorney for the marine ways at I\Iound City. He is attorney for, and a large stockholder in, the IVIound City Building & Loan Association, and is also attorney for the First State Bank of Mound City, which institution he organized and of which he is now vice-pres- ident. Mr. Bradle)' has for years been very prominent in southern Illinois in a political way. He is a member of the Republican Congressional com- mittee of the Twenty-second Illinois District, of which he is and has been fof four years secretary. He has always labored for the advancement of Momid City, Pulaski county and State of Illinois. He was married in 1889 to Mary E. William- son, a native of Missouri, and they have one daughter, Lucile. DANIEL B. ROBINSON, THERE is ever a degree of satisfaction and profit in scanning the life history of one who has attained to an eminent degree of success as the diametrical result of his own efforts, who has had the mentality to direct bis endeavors toward the desired ends and the singleness and steadfast- ness of purpose which have given due value to each consecutive detail of effort. As a distinctive type of the self-made man we can refer with singu- lar propriety to the honored subject whose name forms the caption of this paragraph, — the present vice-president of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad Company, and a well-known citizen of Chicago. A native of St. Albans, Vermont, the date of Daniel B. Robinson's nativity was the year 1848. His father was a farmer, a man of marked in- dividuality and inflexible honor, retaining the re- spect and esteem of men. Our subject received his fundamental education in the common schools of his native place, but he had only attained the age of sixteen years when death deprived him of a father's care and solicitude, and he was prac- tically compelled to go forth at that early age and assume the burden of his own support and to win his way in the world. He was a boy of self-reliant nature and did not flinch from the duties which came upon him. He started out with the finn de- termination of winning success, and his practical nature was such that he did not hesitate in his choice of employment, and he accepted the first occupation that offered. He secured a position as a day laborer in a railway freight office at St. Albans, and he made his value and his fidelity so manifest that he was consecutively advanced until in 1868 he was appointed station agent in his native town. It is peculiarly interesting to note the fact that his great success has been attained in that line of industry to which he first directed his attention in so very subordinate a capacity. Within the same year in which he received the ap- pointment noted he resigned the position and went to California. Arriving in Sacramento in the fall of that year, he obtained employment in the shops REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 479 of tlie Southern Pacific Railwaj', where he re- mained for three years, at the expiration of which period he accepted the position as station agent at Mobile, Alabama, for the New Orleans & Mobile Railway Company. There he remained for eleven years, rising in regular order to the positions of road master, assistant superintendent and finally general superintendent of that road. He had now secured a thorough practical knowledge of the manifold and intricate details of railway sei"vice, and his value as an ofticer was clearly established. In 1881 he finally severed his connection with the New Orleans & Mobile Company, being Cjualified to fill the highest position in the administration and management of railway affairs. His advancement since that time has been rapid, and to-day, while yet a comparatively young man, he finds rank with the foremost leaders of the rail- way world. He has ever discharged his exacting duties with singular fidelity and conspicuous ability. In 1881 he was appointed general man- ager of the Sonora Railroad, which is now a part of the -Atchison, Topcka & Santa Fe system. He had taken an active part in the construction of this line, and his capable management soon at- tracted the attention of other railway corpora- tions, and resulted in his accepting the position as general manager of the Mexican Central Railway, and later, in 1885, he became general manager of the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad, which is now operated by the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe. This position he held for two years, and in 1887 he engaged in building the Colorado Midland, a work which probably involved the most difificult engineering and constructive problems in the his- tory of railway building in the United States. Upon the completion of this work Mr. Robinson returned to his former position as general man- ager of the Atlantic & Pacific, and continued in that capacity from 1889 until 1891. During the next two years he held the office as president of" the San Antonio & Aransas Pass Railroad, in Texas, and during the same time was president of the Santa Fe, Prescott & Phoenix Railroad — a two hundred mile line in Arizona, now belonging to the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad. During the years before mentioned many of the subordinate branches of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe system were built under the manage- ment of our subject. In 1893 Mr. Robinson wae elected vice-presi- dent of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Company, which important incumbency he still retains. He is without question one of the lead- ing railway men of the country, and one whose capacity for affairs of great breadth is thoroughly recognized in railway and financial circles. He resides in Chicago, and is a member of the Chicago Club. In 1871 ]\Ir. Robinson was united in marriage to Miss Ella M. Perkins, a daughter of Edwin F. Perkins, of Boston, who was for many years a prominent railroad man. He was for some time master mechanic of the Central Vermont Rail- road, and in 1867 he went to California, and until 1870 was superintendent of machinery for the Central Pacific. He then returned to the East, and his death occurred in 1892. HON. GEORGE H. MUNROE, TOLIET. AMONG the prominent men of the State of Illinois, none occupy a position of relatively greater importance in the community in which they reside than George Henry Munroe, State senator from the Twenty-Fifth district. The com- mon opinion has for some time been that Ameri- can politics were probably never so corrupt as at the present day, that the afifairs of the country arc in the hands of professional politicians who are working for their own interests and not for the good of the majority, and it is such men as the one whose name heads this record that re- stores the public confidence and renews the faith that we shall have wise legislation and just laws brought about by honorable men with pure po- litical records and devoted to their country's inter- ests and not their own aggnandizement. Mr. Munroe is a native of New York, Imrn in 480 nwaiiAPnicAL dtctionart and portrait oallery of the Brown ville, Jefferson count)', September 24, 1844, and is a son of George and Sarah M. (Hentze) Munroe, who in 1849 emigrated westward, settHng in Florence, Will county, Illinois. The opportunities for obtaining an education in those early days were necessarily limited, but the youth, realizing the benefit of a thorough education in a successful business career, took advantage of the facilities that were offered him in the little town of Florence and aftenvard succeeded in at- tending the high school of Wilmington, Illinois, for a short time. Thus equipped for the struggles of life, at the age of eighteen he entered upon his business career in the position of deputy sheriff under his father, who was at that time sheriff of Will county. The young man administered the affairs of his respoi^sible position with a degree of ability hardly to be expected in one of his vears. Thus early in life he gave indications of those qualities which have made him one of the most successful business men in Illinois. In 1865, in connection with his father, Mr. Mun- roe entered upon the retail grocery business. The enterprise was well managed and was suc- cessful from the start; the volume of trade in- creased yearly and the firm became large ship- pers of produce. Later a wholesale department was opened and shortly thereafter the retail busi- ness was discontinued and a wholesale grocery trade of three hundred and fifty thousand dol- lars annually was transacted. During most of the time while in the mercantile business the man- agement of affairs devolved upon our subject, for his father had various outside interests, in- cluding official duties, — for three years occupy- ing the position of treasurer of Will county. In 1875 Mr. Munroe disposed of his stock of mer- chandise and turned his attention to real estate transactions. He constructed some of the most substantial buildings of the city, and the business blocks he has erected here have added much to the metropolitan appearance of Joliet. He has also opened up several tracts of land adjoining the city, including Ridgewood, the Ridgewood addition, and Hunter & Woodland's subdivisions. Probably no man has done more toward en- hancing the importance of the city, and his name is inseparably connected with its historj'. Mr. Munmc has not confined his business op- erations to any one branch, but has always been active in conducting various enterprises to suc- cessful terminations. In 1875 he became one of the organizers and the largest stockholder in the Joliet Stone Company, with a capital stock of thirty thousand dollars, aftenvard increased to one hundred thousand dollars. He became its president and continued to act in that capac- ity until 1891. He found this business both agree- able and profitable, and in 1886 he became inter- ested in the Crescent Stone Company, of which he was president until 1891, when both of the above mentioned corporations sold out to the Western Stone Company for three hundred thou- sand dollars, and he retired from the stone busi- ness. Until the time of his father's death, on the 5th of September, 1890, their affairs were con- ducted under the firm name of George Munroe & Son, although in later years our subject con- trolled the greater amount of the investments and transacted all the business. From that time liis affairs were conducted under his own name. During his entire career Mr. Munroe has so managed his interests as to merit the esteem of all classes, and it is not fulsome praise to say that none stands higher in the regard of the citizens of Joliet than he. He has been called to various positions of trust, and at present is the receiver of the Joliet Enterprise Company, which was capitalized for seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars, and which failed November 30, 1892. He has been appointed receiver for the St. Fran- cis Lumber Company, of Arkansas, and in these responsible positions has proven himself a most able financier and a man of high executive abil- ity. His foresight in business transactions has aided him in many ways; particularly have his convictions in regard to "truck stores" and all other forms of monopolies been sliaiply defined. In P'ebruary, 1893, he closed one of those stores in Arkansas, connected with a sawmill and lum- ber camp, for which he had been appointed re- ceiver by the United States court. The store was paying from three hundred to five hun- dred dollars per month. jMr. Munroe believes that, as a free man, the laborer had a right to his money and should have the opportunity of trading where he pleased, and not be paid from the "truck store." He is still running the REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 481 business, and his experiment has demonstrated to him that he was right in closing tlie company's store. He has had large dealings with the labor element of Joliet and with several hundred people whom he has and still is assisting to secure homes, and among these he is highly esteemed and they remain his earnest and warmest friends. In the fall of 1894 the nomination for State Senatorship for the Twenty-fifth district of Illi- nois came to Mr. Munroe without his seeking, and although it is well known that he did noth- ing toward winning the election, he carried his district on November 6, 1894, by a majority of 2,533, whereas his predecessor, a Democrat, was elected in 1890 by only 185 majority. To the personal qualities of the man this result was largely due. The labor vote was his because of his championship for the laboring man, and he works for the best interests of the country as he sees them. Being an uncompromising Repub- lican, his efforts are in the direction of protection for American industries. His private life also greatly aided his cause, for it has been as pure as his official and business career, and he enjoys his home greatly. The estimable lady who for some years has been his faithful and loved companion bore the maiden name of Miss N. Weeks. They were married in Joliet, in 1869, and their home is cheered by the presence of two adopted children. JOHN E. CORWITH, JOHN ERASTUS CORWITH was born at Bridgchampton,, Long Island, June 25, 1831, being the youngest of the nine children of Gurden and Susan (White) Corwith. His father was in early life a sailor, but in later years he be- came a farmer. John obtained his rudimentary education in the common schools, later attend- ing the academy at Southampton, and then en- tered the institute at Flushing, Long Island, and there graduated when he was about twenty years of age. After finishing his education he immediately went to New York city, where he entered the employ of C. H. Rogers, who did a large lead and banking business, with offices at 80 Wall street. He continued as a clerk with Mr. Rogers for fve years, or until 1856, when he removed to Chicago, where his brother-in-law, Edward Hemp.stead, resided. The latter tendered Mr. Corwith a position, which was accepted, in the grocery house of Hempstead & Norton, of which firm he was the senior partner. Here our subject remained about a year, and then relin- quished his situation and went to Galena, at which point his brothers, Nathan and Henry, were in business. Henr\^ was about to retire from the firm of N. Corwith & Company, and John was offered a partnership in tlie hrmso. :n which he accepted. The members of the new firm were Nathan Corwith and our subject, and their success was great. They did a large business in lead and banking, and were the most prom- inent concern in GalVna at a time when that city was a veritable beehive of industry. In 1868 John Corwith retired from the firm, and made a trip to the far West, where he spent six months. He then returned to Galena, but did not again take up active business, and now spends his time in looking after and caring for his various properties. Mr. Corwith is a stockholder and director in the Galena National Bank, which is the suc- cessor of the banking hovise of N. Corwith & Company, and is also a stockholder in the Han- over (Illinois) Woolen Mills. He owns large tracts of Iowa lands, and has dealt largely in real estate, both in the last named state and in Texas. He contributes largely of liis means to public enterprises, and is one of Galena's most enter jirising and best known citizens. He is very pop- ular with all classes of people not only in the city of his home, but elsewhere. He is a pronounced Republican, but not a politician and has held but one office — that of alderman. In religious belief he is a Presbyterian and one 482 BIOOnAPnWAL DWTTONARY AND PORTRAIT 0ALLER7 OF THE of the leading members of, and large contrib- utors to, the South Presbyterian Church of Galena. Mr. Corvvith is almost as much at home in Chicago as in Galena, and is a member of the Union League Club of the latter city. A great deal of his time is spent in travel, and on these trips he is almost invariably accompanied by his wife, to whom he was married Oc- tober 13, 1868. Mrs. Corwith was formerly Miss Alice R. Hughlett, daughter of Sam- uel Ilughlett, a pioneer smelter of Galena. Tlieir residence is one of the most delight- ful homes in that city. Mr. Corwith owes his success in life to perseverance, industry and econ- omv. RICHARD BARRETT, HISTORY and biography for the most part record the lives of those only who have attained military, political or literary distinction, or who in any other career have passed through extraordinary vicissitudes of fortune. The unos- tentatious routine of private life, although in the aggregate more important to the welfare of the community, cannot, from its nature, figure in the public annals. But the names of men who have distinguished themselves in their day and generation for the possession, in an eminent de- gree, of those qualities of character which mainly contribute to the success of private life and to the public stability, — of men who without daz- zling talents have been exemplary in all their perso.nal and social relations, and enjoyed the esteem, respect and confidence of those around them, — ought not to be allowed to perish. Their example is more valuable to the majority of readers than that of illustrious heroes, statesmen or writers. Few can draw rules for their own guidance from the pages of Plutarch, but all are benefited by the delineation of those traits of character which find sco])e and exercise in the common walks of life. Among the individuals of this class in the State of Illinois none are better entitled to representa- tion in this work than the subject of this sketch. His record is the account of a life, uneventful indeed as far as stirring incident or startling ad- venture is concerned, yet distinguished by the most substantial qualities of character. His life history exhibts a long and virtuous career of private industry, performed with moderation and crowned with success. It is the record of a well-balanced mental and moral constitution, strongl)' marked by those traits of character which are of especial value in such a state of so- ciety as exists in this country. A community depends upon commercial activity, its welfare is due to this, and the promoters of legitimate and extensive business enterprises may well be termed its benefactors. Prominent in business circles of Galena stands Richard Barrett. He was born in a small town in Devonshire, England, on the 8th of Decem- ber, 1828, and is a son of Richard and Elizabeth (Kelloway) Barrett, the former a farmer and con- tractor by occupation. Our subject spent his boyhood days in his native village and is in- debted to its public-school system for his educa- tion. At the age of eighteen he left his child- hood home and went to London, where he en- tered the Government civil service, being there employed for three years, and giving eminent satisfaction by his faithful discharge of duty. His next residence was Shaftesburj', in Dorset- shire, and a year later he returned to his boy- hood's home. In the meantime, however, he had become possessed of a strong desire to try his fortune in America, believing that possibil- ities of success to be greater here than in Eng- land. Accordingly he sailed for New York in 1854, and a few days after landing in that city he started for the mining regions of Lake Supe- rior, where he engaged in contracting for about a year. At that time Galena was one of the most flour- ishing cities in the West, and after mature delib- eration Mr. Barrett decided to locate at this REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 483 point. On his arrival here he engaged in the retail grocery business. For two years he was associated with a partner, then purchased his in- terest. The venture prospered and in 1870 the building he now occupies was erected, and he gave his attention only to the wholesale trade, it having for a few years previous been both whole- sale and retail. At the present time Mr. Bar- rett is the only wholesale grocer in Galena. He is a man of sound judgment and thorough relia- bility, having the confidence and higfli regard of his many patrons. His standing in business circles is most enviable. In addition to his mer- cantile establishment he is one of the largest stockholders and a director of the Galena Na- tional Bank, and is also interested in other banks at different points, as well as in various corpora- tions. Though of foreign birth Mr. Barrett is a thor- ough American citizen, loyal and patriotic in the support he gives to the United States and its institutions. During the Civil war he contrib- uted from his private purse toward defraying the expenses of the troops in the field, to a greater extent than many others of equal means, who look back upon a long line of American ancestry. Politically ]Mr. Barrett is a strong Republican. He has served as a member of the board of alder- men and in 1886 was elected mayor of Galena, — the only Republican mayor the city ever had, — receiving one of the largest majorities ever given to any candidate oni any ticket. Upon the com- pletioai of his two-3'ears term he declined the re-nomination and has since devoted his entire energies to his personal affairs, as it has always been his habit to keep his business well in hand and himself familiar with all its complicated de- tails. On the 25th of December, 1852, Mr. Barrett was united in marriage with Miss Elizabeth Jane Truscott, of Devonshire, England. Of the chil- dren of this union five are living, namely: Thomas T., Mary J., Richard J., H. V. and William G. The family attend the Methodist Church. I\Ir. Barrett's modest nature would disclaim the praise of scholarship, and yet he has the tastes and spirit of a scholar. He is fond of books and has collected a library valuable for its extent and containing many volumes chosen with judgment and discrimination. These are kept not merely to look at and show to his edu- cated friends, but they are read, comprehended and enjoyed. In seeking for the causes which have contributed to his success we find them not so much in their rarity as in their harmoni- ous union, and they may be briefly summed up by saying that he has the tastes of a scholar, the manners of a gentleman and the habits of a man of business, — a combination of qualities that arc bound to produce the highest results. It is no very rare thing for a poor boy in our country to become a prosperous man and oc- cupy a commanding position in the business world, but many who have fought their way from poverty to wealth, from obscurity to prom- inence, retain some marks and scars of the con- flict. They are apt to be narrow and grasping, even if not sordid and unscrupulous. Mr. Bar- rett, however, is an instance of a man who has achieved success without paying the price at which it is so often bought; for his prosperity has not removed him farther from his fellow men, but has brought him into nearer and more intimate relations to them. The more means he has had, the more he has done for those around him, and numbered among Ga- lena's most prominent citizens is this honored merchant. 484 BKiaUM'mcM. D/cr/oXAHV AX/> PiilirHMT GAT.LEBT OP TJfE JAMES A. CONNOLLY, SPRINGFIELD. WHILE "the race is not always to the swift nor the l)attle to the strong," the invariable law of destiny accords to tireless energy, industn,- and ability a successful career. The truth of this assertion is alnmdantly verified in the life of Major Connolly. Janies Austin Connolly was bom in Newark, New Jersey, March 8, 1842. His parents, William and Margaret (Maguire) Connolly, both natives of Ireland, emigrated to Canada with their par- ents in childhood, and later drifted to Newark, New Jersey, where they formed each other's ac- quaintance and were married. James attended a private school in Newark until he was eight years of age, when he accom- panied his parents to Morrow county, in central Ohio, where his father purchased a farm. Four years later William Connolly moved to the neighboring town of Chesterville and resumed the occupation of tanner and currier, a pursuit which he had previously followed in Newark. During the four years in which his father op- erated the farm, James, during the first half of that time, aided him in such work as his age and strength would permit, and during the latter two years he was employed as a clerk in a store at Chesterville. He thereafter attended the Chester- ville Union School, then the high school, and later the Selby Academy at Chesterville, where he was graduated in the classical course in 1858. Dur- ing the last two years which he attended the acad- emy he kept books in the store where he had pre- viously been employed as clerk, and thus partially paid for his tuition. He decided to make the study and practice of law his life work and began to read law under the direction of Judge A. K. Dunn, of Mount Gilead, Ohio. In the meantime, 1858-59, he taught school. In the fall of the latter year he was admitted to the bar, and after retiring from the position of second assistant clerk of the Ohio senate, which lie filled in the winter of 1859-60, he entered upon the practice of his profession as a partner of his preceptor, Judge Dunn, at Mount Gilead, Ohio. I'eiiig young and ambitious, and after inves- tigation concluding that in the newer State of Illinois he could find better opportunities to ad- vance, he, in the fall of i860, located in that State, at Charleston, where he began to practice law. In June, 1862, he enlisted in the ranks, and upon the organization of Company C, One Hundred and Twenty-third Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantr)', he was elected captain, and upon the or- ganization of that regiment was elected its major. The regiment joined the Army of the Cumber- land and was active in all its campaigns till after the fall of Atlanta, when he was transferred to Sherman's army and marched with him to the sea, and thence to Washington and took part in the grand review. Major Connolly's career as a soldier was full of adventures, and a full description thereof would of itself fill a large volume. He entered a daily record of all important events in a journal or diary, which he still has in his possession. A perusal of this diary would doubtless be of deep interest to all, and it is hoped that the Major will be per- suaded to assent to the publication thereof, al- though he has repeatedly been requested to do so without giving the required consent. His military record is very creditable, it proving him to be a brave and fearless soldier, and the follow- ing incidents will illustrate his bravery: At the battle of Milton, Tennessee, while lead- ing his regiment in the heat of the fight, the collar of his overcoat, coat and shirt and the pommel of his saddle was shot away by minie-balls. He was knocked to the ground appai^ently senseless, but conscious of the fact that the remark, "The Alajor's killed," was passed along the line he remembers that the sole thought in his mind then was, "The bo\s are fooled." At Bentonville, North Caro- lina, he was struck by a bullet on the plate of his sword belt right over his stomach. At Missionar}' Ridge a shell exploding directly over his head frightened his horse, which gave a leap and burst the saddle girth, and threw him to the ground. He was assisted to his horse and without a saddle girth rode to the top of the ridge. Tnimcdiatelv after the battle of Chickaniauga, W'-^^.^Ai^ REPnESENTATIVE MEX OF TUE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 485 Major Connolly was detailed by General Thomas inspector of General Baird's division of the Four- teenth Army Corps, and continued to serve in that capacit}' until the close of the war, and was with it at the grand review. When the Fourteenth Army Corps was ap- proaching Savannah it was necessary to march over a causeway through the Ebenezer Swamps. Major Connoll}- was with the rear guard of the corps, which was hard-pressed by Wheeler's cav- alry. Xear niidniglit tlie IMajor and his followers arrived at a bridge which spanned the Ebenezer creek and there found the provost marshal of the Fourteenth Army Corps, which was then com- manded by General Jef? C. Davis, guarding the bridge and preventing negroes, thousands of whom were hid in the swamp, from crossing the bridge and following the troops. Replying to Major Connolly's inquiry, the provost marshal informed him that he was obeying his superior's orders. Major Connolly then told him that as it was then late he and his compajiy could retire to headquarters, and that he would relieve him. Af- ter the provost marshal retired the major per- mitted the negroes to flock over the bridge, and thus saved them from capture and severe punish- ment and perhaps death by Wheeler's cavalry. The action of Major Connolly was commended and the incident nearly cost General Davis his promotion. Major Connolly was brevetted lieu- tenant-colonel of volunteers for gallantry on the field at Bentonville, North Carolina. After the close of the war ]\Iajor Connolly re- turned to Charleston and re-engaged in practice, continuing there until 1876, when President Grant appointed him United States attorney for the Southern District of Illinois. In 1880 he was re- appointed by President Hayes, and in 1884 was again appointed by President Arthur. In 1885 he was removed by President Cleveland "for offen- sive partisanship," but in 1889 was again ap- pointed to the position by President Harrison, and served until April, 1894, when he resigned. Politically Major Connolly has always been a steadfast adherent to the principles of the Repulj- lican party, and from 1876 to the present time lias ab.vays taken an active part in the campaigns of that party, canvassing every section of the State and visiting nearly even,- county. He has vigor- ously advocated the cause of Republicanism. In 1872 he was elected to the legislature from Coles county, and was re-elected in 1874. In 1886, while mayor of the city of Charleston, he was the opponent of ex-Congressmati William Springer, and carried IMorgan and Sangamon counties, but was defeated by a majority of nine hundred, his popularity having reduced the usual Democratic majority of four thousand to that amount. He was again nominateil for Congress in 1888, but declined to become a candidate. In 1894 he ac- cepted the nomination and defeated .Springer by a majority of two thousand nine hundred and forty. In 1888 he was a candidate for the nomination for Governor and received one hundred votes in the con\cntion. \\ hile serving as United States attorney in 1884, he was appointed solicitor of the treasur)^ by President Arthur, and con- firmed by the senate, but he declined the ap- pointment, preferring to devote himself to his profession. In 1886 Major Connolly moved to Springfield, which he has since made his home. He formed a partnership with Mr. Mather, and in addition to his official duties practices his profession. He has been engaged in much of the more important class of litigation in this section of the State, and as United States attorney participated in many actions that attracted a large amount of at- tention. He prosecuted the "whisky ring'' with- out any special assistance, and was one of the very few United States attorneys who did not call for special assistants in similar cases of liti- gation. Major Connolly has become interested finan- cially in several profitable corporations. He as- sisted in the organization of the Illinois National Bank, and has been a member of its board of directors since its organization. He is also in- terested in the Bain Manufacturing Company, of Charleston, IlHnois. He is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, and for eight years previous to 1895 acted as Judge Advocate of the Department of Illinois. He is also a member of the Loyal Legion, and is a Mason and Knight Templar. He was married, in 1863, to Miss Mary Dunn, si.ster of Judge Dunn, of Mount Gilead, Ohio, 486 BIOGHAPUWAL DWTIONARY AND PORTUAIT OALLERT OF THE with whom j\Iajor Connoll.v studied law. Major and Mrs. Connolly are attendants of the Presby- terian Church. Major Connolly's life has been a success. His entire career is illustrative of the fact that certain actions are followed bv certain results. As a law- yer he has few peers in this section of the State ; as a soldier he displayed bravery, sagacity and true patriotism; as a public official his actions have been above approach or criticism; and as a citizen he is an illustration of a high type of our American manhood. FRED O. WHITE, AURORA. BY the death of this honorable and upright citizen the comnuinity sustains an irrepar- aljle loss, and is deprived of the presence of one whom it has come tO' look upon as a guardian, benefactor and friend. Death often removes from our midst those whom we can ill afford to spare, whose lives have been all that is exemplary of the true, and thereby really great, citizen. Such a citizen was Mr. White, whose whole career, both business and social, served as a model to the young and as an inspiration to the aged. He shed a brightness ai'ound everything with which he came in contact. By his usefulness and general benevolence he created a memory whose peii:)etu- ation does not depend upon brick or stone but upon the spontaneous and freewill offering of a grateful and enlightened people. No citizen did mere for Aurora than ]\Ir. White. His connec- tion with the city's development and growth and with the work of improvement was largely instru- mental in placing Aurora in the proud position it to-day occupies. Mr. White is a descendant from an old English family whose settlement in America dates back to the seventeenth century, when the old Bay State was first colonized. His parents were Fred- erick W. and Catherine A. (Ford) White, farming people in moderate circumstances, living in Wren- tham, Norfolk county, Massachusetts, where the subject of tills sketch was born, on the 30th of Sep- tember, 1839. The entire family came West in 1856 and settled in Sugar Grove township, Kane county, Illinois, whence they removed, during the war of the rebellion, to Aftom, De Kalb county, where the mother died, December 24, 1877. Tlie father died in Aurora, February 23, 1883, at the age of seventy-three years. Mr. White was about seventeen years of age when he came to Illinois with his parents. He had partly completed an academic education in his native town. During the years 1859 to 1861 he at- tended Jennings Seminary, in Aurora, teaching through the winter of 1859-60 to defray his ex- penses through the remainder of his course. These years at this institution completed his school-work and contributed largely toward his preparation for a practical business career. When the tocsin of war sounded forth he was among those who volunteered their services to their country, his name being enrolled in Com- pany A, Thirty-sixth Regiment, Illinois Cavalry, — an organization held in grateful remembrance especially by the citizens of Aurora and vicinity. Going to the front with his regiment, he bore the part of a brave and faithful soldier in all its cam- paigns, sieges and battles till November, 1863, up to which time the principal battles in which he participated being Pea Ridge, luka and Cor- inth. By order of the secretary of war he was then honorably discharged from the army; but he continued to render valuable service to his country, as clerk in the pay department, until No- vember, 1865. On the 1st of February, 1866, Mr. White formed a ])artnership with John Loomis, under the firm name of Loomis & White, engaging in the lum- ber business in Aurora. This relation continued, with good success, until November, 1870, when the firm of White & Todd was formed. Though the moving spirit of this firm has since departed, the business is still flourishing. In August, 1881, Mr. White assisted in organ- izing the Aurora Creamery Company and was its secretary and ti'easurcr until his death. He was /^ ^ty^i^ REPnESENTATIVIC MEN OF THE UMTED .STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 4S7 also one of the original stockholders and a direc- tor of the Aurora National Bank from its or- ganization, a member of the building committee that erected the Aurora Cotton I\Iiils, a charter member of the Home Building «& Loan Associa- tion of Aurora, and for some time a director and secretary of the Aurora Slate and Mantel Com- pany, which was organized in 1887. As he was a man of superior business and ex- ecutive ability, who carried forward to success- ful completion whatever he undertook, it was advantageous to any concern to have him con- nected with it. He was an able manager, pos- sessed of an energy that seemed untiring. To at- tain success and prominence in one's calling before reaching middle life falls to the lot of compara- tively few men. ^lan}' things conspire to the much desired ends, but in the main they lie along the line of patient, persevering and faithful work. To a student of human nature there is nothing more interesting tlian to examine the life history of a self-made man and to analyze those prin- ciples which have made him pass many on the highway of life and reach a position of promi- nence in the community. Industr}-, energy and perseverance were important factors in the suc- cess of Mr. White. His straightfor^vard dealing, however, wa.s the chief cause for the markeil con- fidence which the people reposed in him. Mr. White was prominent and influential in the political circles of his district. For four years he was chairman of the count\- Repubhcan cen- tral committee; was city treasurer in 1869-70, and was a member of the West Side Board of Edu- cation for twenty year's, during which time all the buildings of the district were erected. In 1885 he was elected mayor of Aurora. Under his ad- ministration the contracts for the construction of the city >\ater-works were let, the work being pushed forward so rapidly that the establishment was in operation within the time specified in the contract. In 1885 ^Ir. White was appointed State commissioner on the board to locate a site for a soldiers' and sailors' home, which, after five months spent in visiting and inspecting various places in the State, was finally located at Quincy ; he helped to organize and establish the Aurora public librar)'; was on the building committee, and aided in raising the funds to erect the Soldiers' Memorial and Library buildings and Grand Army Hall, to which he was a very liberal contrib- utor; and he afterward served as president of the public library, and was ever actively and deeply interested in everything pertaining to its pros- perity. He was pre-eminently a public-spirited citizen, his name being connected with almost every work of public imprpvemcnt in Aurora. In addition to his excellent business qualities, Mr. White was a ready and entertaining writer on current topics, being for many years a frequent contributor to the Chicago Inter Ocean. He was a man of broad mind and of broad charity. He labored for his fellow men because he had a sincere interest in them. Believing with Emerson, — "To win a frienil, be one,'" — no citi- zen of Aurora ever had more friends than Fred O. White. He gave with great liberality to all wcrks of public improvement, but he never gave ostentatiously. He was a generous man in the best sense of the term, but never a lavish spend- thrift. He had the power of persuasion, whereby he influenced many others to contribute to works of a public character. He was a true type of the Anglo-Saxon race and of those men who build cities and lay the foundation of commonwealths. His integrity was above question, his honor ir- reproachable; these, combined with a clear, sound judgment, made the people rely upon him and follow his leadership. The social C|ualities of the man are indicated in the fact that he was "Fred" to nearly everybody. He was always pleasant and genial, and his qualities as such arose from his kindly nature. His friendship was prized most by those who knew him best. Hating sham of all kinds, in work or in conduct, his own life was always frank and outspoken. Though his death was not entirely unexpected, it came May 30, 1892, as a blow to many friends, while the entire city seemed to mourn the loss of a friend and brother. A memorial meeting was held in the opera house which was filled by those who wished to do him honor. His friends, the soldiers, were present to testify their appreciation of their comrade. The stage was occupied by fifty of the prominert men of Aurora, the meet- ing being presided over by Senator H. H. Evans. Professor Freeman spoke in behalf of Aurora Post X(i. 20, G. A. R., of which Mr. White had 4SS BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE hctn an honored member; Dr. Bartlelt told the part taken by Mr. White in advancing the public schools and public library; Hon. Charles Whea- ton voiced the sentiments of the people of Aurora in their regard for the one who had gone from their midst; and President Lovejoy spoke of his student life at Jennings Seminary. At tlie con- clusion J. W. Eddy read the following, which was unanimously adopted by a rising vote: " 'His ways are high above our ways.' The finite can never solve the mysteries of the in- finite. "God, who is good, and who, we are assured and believe, never forgets his attributes of jus- tice and mercy, passes by the unworthy and re- moves from our midst the best, the most useful and the luost dearly loved. We torture our- selves in the vain search for reasons, while the mvstery deepens and our untaught souls agonize aiid wonder and inquire. Providence, thus in- scrutable, has taken from our midst Fred O. While. "Your oommittee is asked to voice the senti- ment of this people, while pausing for a few brief moments in contemplation of the sad event and to extend if possible some word of comfort to his sorrowing family. It is not an easy task. We can but recount his virtues, turn to the victorious One in whom he trusted, gird ourselves anew and with fresh courage and added strength press forward' to tlie end. "While we mcurn the departure of our deceased friend, we look back over his well-rounded career and ask, What more was to be done? In all the ac- tivities of life in which he took so prominent a part, we see nothing left undone. The admirable youth became the heroic soldier; the heroic soldier soon became the husband and active citizen, correct in morals and habits, erecting his household gods around a pure hearthstone; the young husband was soon a leader in all our best interests, building our schoolhouses and fostering and aiding our religious, benevolent and educational institutions; public-spirited, active, patriotic, intellig-ent, wise and honest, he was chosen the mayor of his be- loved city. The honored citizen, the Christian gentleman, he goes from us and comes not back. "W^e bow if. hvunble submission to this myste- rious dispensation, and pay this tribute to the memory and virtues of our dead friend, hoping it may in some way help to lift the cloud so darkly hovering over his late earthly home. "We reconuuend that these sentiments, as en- grossed, be given to his bereaved family, and that Aurora Post, G. A. R., Jennings Seminary, the Public Library, the West Side Board of Educa- tion and other bodies and enterprises with whicli he was connected be permitted to obtain copies. " 'Blessed is that servant whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.' "John F. Dewey, "j. W. Eddy, "T. A. Deweese, Committee. " Tlie board of education, appreciating his valu- able service, presented to iNIrs. White the fol- lowing: IN MEMORIAM. Whereas, Death has entei^ed our Board of Education and taken away in his twentieth year of continuous service, our secretarv, the Hon. Fred O. White ; Resolved. That w^e give expression to our pro- found sense of loss in his death whose long ex- perience and ability had enabled him to carry the burden of our work for us; Resolved, That we pay tribute to his memory, both as a faithful school officer, truly devoted to the best interests of our puljlic schools, and also as a liberal patron of education, for he was con- stantly thinking how the best results might be attained. His purse was ever open in providing prizes, flags or other helps to inspire the youth to nobler efforts and loftier patriotism; Resolved, That we tender Iiis bereaved familv our sincere sympathy. We shall never forget their generous hospitality, so often enjoyed as fellow members with our departed friend; Resolved, That these resolutions be spread upon our records, and that a copy be sent to Mr. White's family. N. C. Simmons, F. L. Bartlett, Russell P. Goodwin, John I. Davis, F. H. Robinson, F. G. Hanchett. Mr. White was married July lo, 1864, to Miss Olivia M. Todd, whose personality and charac- ter resemble quite closely those of her honored husband. Their home life was of the purest and highest type. It seemed that he could not do too much to promote the w^elfare of his family and enhance their happiness. In poor health, real- izing that his earthly pilgrimage would soon end, he planned the erection of a new residence, — a strong evidence of his desire to promote the happi- ness of his loved ones. Though he never saw the present beautiful homestead erected, yet every apartment speaks of loving forethought. His widow, knowing that she could not better meet REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 489 the wishes of her loved husband, hastened its erection. To-day it graces Aurora as one of lier finest dwelHngs. It seems inexpressibly sad that Mr. White should have been called away just when he seemed to have everything to make life happy, when well-directed business efforts had brought him a handsome pecuniary reward, and when an upright, honorable life had gained him the warm regard of an extensive circle of friends. While the life of one of Aurora's most enterpris- ing and public-spirited citizens has ended, his memory reniiains as am inspiration to the people of the city which he loved so well. These closing words fitly express his merit: "Life's work well done; Life's race well run; Life's crown well won.'' M. H. SWIFT, MEN of marked ability, forceful character, culture and nobleness leave their impress upon the workl, written in such indelible char- acters that time is powerless to obliterate their memory, or sweep it from the minds of men. Their noble acts Hve after they have long passed away from the scenes of their earthly careers. The force of their example spurs others to emula- tion; the inspiration of their goodness, purit\-, and virtue is never lost, but lives on forever in the hearts of those who have known and loved them, and is clierished in the annals of the com- munity in which they lived and labored as faithful citizens. The subject of this sketch is. in the best sense of that much abused term, a self-made man, but one who so far rose above his early environment and opportunities as to become noted as a gentle- man and scholar. He was a man of polished manners and great suavity of demeanor, cited for his courtesy and consideration for others, and beloved and respected by all with whom his busv life brought him in contact. Mr. 'SI. H. Swift was Iwrn in Kent, Litchfield county, Connecticut, October 3, 1815. When still very young he went to live with an old aunt, under v^'hose care he passed his boyhood days; meanwhile he earned money by working in stores and doing odd jobs. He educated himself as best he could, going to the district schools in the win- ter and pursuing his studies with vigor at all times. In 1836 he went to Litchfield and entered the law office of O. S. Seymour, and was admitted to the bar in 1838. He was also a graduate of the Litchfield law school. He came to Ottawa, Illinois, Julv 6, 1838, and entered upon the practice of law, meeting with marked success. In 184 1 lie was called to Springfield and as he entered the supreme court his name was presented by Abraham Lincoln for the office of assignee of bank- rupts under the law of 1840 for La .Salle county, which office he filled with distinction. He held the office of mayor of Ottawa for two terms, being elected with scarcely a dissent- ing vote, such was his popularity with his towns- men. In 1866 he was elected president of the First National Bank, which position he held for twelve years. Mr. Swift had built up a very lucrative law practice, and by judicious investments had amassed an ample fortune. In 1878, being in poor health, he resigned his position in the bank and took a long trip through the Southern States, Cuba and Bermuda. On his return from the South he was much improved in health, and opened a law office in connection \\"itli his son, E. C. Swift. In 1847 Mr. Swift married Miss Susan Ward Miles, of Baltimore, Maryland. They had four children, two sons and two daughters. The oldest, Sarah, was married in 1871 and died in the year following. The other daughter, Helen, died unmarried, at the age of twent>'-four. Their oldest son, George, died at the age of ten years. INIrs. Swift died in 1881. E. C. Swift, son of M. H. and Susan (Miles) Swift, was born in Ottawa, Illinois, March 7, 1855, received a common-school education in the public schools of that city and graduated at 490 nwr.nAriiicAL dictionary axd portrait gallery of tup: the University of Michigan, at Ann Arbor, in 1876. He taught school one year in the Ottawa liigh school, purely for discipline and experience; studied law in his father's ofSce; was admitted to the bar in 1880, and has practiced law in Ottawa ever since that time. At the date of this writing (1895) he is vice president of the First National Bank, — the bank of which his father was president and which he so ably helped to build up and put in its present high standing in the financial world. He has been school director in Ottawa for fifteen years. He never sought ofificial honors although often pressed to accept them, but he preferred the quiet of private business to the perplexities of public life. He inherited an ample fortune from his father, and is the worthy son of a most respected and esteemed father, a genial and popular gentleman and one of Ottawa's repre- sentative citizens. He owns one of the hand- somest residences in that city of lovely homes; its grounds slope down to the banks of the beau- tiful Illinois river and with its lawns and gardens his spacious mansion is an ideal spot, in whidh to forget the cares of life. Mr. Swift married Miss Helen Vincent, of Kent, Connecticut, and has two lovely daughters: Helen, aged fifteen, and Susan, aged eleven years. In politics both Mr. E. C. Swift and his father were stanch Republicans. He lost his greatly loved and deeply regretted father on May 14, 1886, Avho was sincerely mourned by the entire community in which he had lived. In life no man stood higher in the esteem and confidence of his fellow-men, and no one could be more sincerely missed or regretted. Great deeds and brilliant achievements are grand things, but when are added to these sweetness of disposition, kindness of speech and a courtly and distin- guished manner, the possessor is splendidly equipped to win the admira'ion of all classes of men, and his fame lives after him, his record is handed down to posterity. Thus M. H. Swift still lives in the memorv of all who knew him. CLIFTON H. MOORE, THE subject of this sketch was born in Kirt- land. Lake county, Ohio, October 26, 1817. His father's name was Isaac jNIoore, his mother's, Philena Blish Moore. Isaac Moore was born January 31, 1796, on the '"Elder Peck" farm, in Half-Moon, near Balls- town, State of New York. His father, John Moore, was an old Revolutionary soldier who was in Ft. Stanwix when it was besieged by St. Ledger. He afterward went South, joined Wash- ington and was with him in his march tlirough New Jersey, Maryland and to Yorktown, where Lord Cornwallis surrendered. John Moore went into the army when he was sixteen years old, and was engaged in fighting the British or the Indians for ten years, and when he came out of the army he found his father's family so scattered that he never found any of his brothers, and but one of his sisters, who had married a man by the name of Groome. From her he learned that his brothers had all gone away, some into Kentucky and some into Virginia. He was only five years old when both his parents died, and he was apprenticed to an uncle by the name of Hyde, who lived near the line between Man,land and Delaware. He could remember but little of his father's family, only that there was a large family of them, mostly boys, and thought they were of English descent. He drew a pension from about 1823 to the time of his death in 1845, and died in Chester, Geauga county, Ohio, and was buried there, where his grave was pointed out to the writer, by Cyrus Millard, a grandson of his, only a few years ago. He was a well-built man, about five feet and nine inches high, active, had a fine constitution, and lived until he was about ninety-five. He used to say that in his younger days he never saw an In- dian "'that he could not outrun or throw down, but that it was not always policy to do it." The lineage of Philena Blish Moore can be traced back through Benjamin Blish, senior, and Phoebe Skinner Blish, her mother, to Abraham €.}£h. REmESENTATIVE MEN OF TUB UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 491 Blish, of Puritan stock, who came over from England as early as 1637. The Skinners were perhaps a more noted family than the Blishes. Tradition says that it was one of this family of Skiimers that led a few determined men and res- cued a number of persons who were condemned to be hung as witches. Hon. Homer H. Hines, of Painesville, Ohio, says that the sword he carried at that time was in existence amongst his de- scendants as late as 1840, in Youngstown, Ohio. Philena Blish Moore died in Warrensville, Cuya- hoga county, Ohio, May 14, 1832, and was buried in what was then called the "Stiles burying ground." Isaac Moore died October 9, 1885, at his son's, Milan Moore, at Farmer City, Illinois, and his body is now in his son's vault at Clinton, Illinois. Isaac and Philena B. Moore had eight children, Clifton H. Moore, Abner C. Moore, Lucia Orinda Moore, P. Minerva Moore, Benja- min Blish Moore, Cornelia Moore, Isaac Milan Moore, and Henry Clay Moore. The sons are all now living and the daughters all dead. Clifton, the eldest, was raised on a farm until he was eighteen years old, when his father, seeing that he had a desire for books and a good educa- tion, gave him, as the term then was, "his time." and he immediately started to a school in Bedford, Ohio, taught by a clergyman, working nights, mornings and Saturdays for his board, with an- other clergyman, Jasper J. Moss, who had just died, after being long and favorably known amongst the disciples, — "Campbellites," as they were called by their opponents. After teaching school in the winter he went to the Farmington Academy, in 1837, taught school the next winter, and in 1838 attended the academy at Painesville, Ohio, and the "Western Reserve Teachers' Institute," taught by Nelson Slater; taught school the next winter, and early in April, 1839, with less than a hundred dollars in his pocket, started for the South, which was then the Eldorado for all ambitious young men. He stopped at Louisville, St. Louis and some inter- mediate points, but found no opening, and he went on up to Pekin, Illinois, where his lack of money (having less than five dollars in his pocket) forced him to stop. Here he soon started a school and continued it for three terms, reading law dur- ing all his time not taken up by his duty to his patrons and their children. Pekin at that time had much more wealth than Peoria. The Marks Brothers and the Alexanders, father and two sons, were probably then as rich men as there were in • the State. In the spring of 1840 he was given a position as deputy clerk in the ofihces of the clerks of the county and circuit courts, and also in the recorder of deeds' office; and he cannot be too thankful to John H. Mon-ison, John Albert Jones, Fdward Jones, William H. Holmes, and the citi- zens of Pekin of that day, for the opportunity each gave him to pay his way, and earn and save a little monev with which to buy law books. He was admitted to the bar at the July term (1841) of the supreme court in Springfiekl, IHinois. (The su- preme judges then all performed the duties of cir- cuit judges, a plan which was abandoned a few years afterward.) In August, 1841, he came to Clinton, Illinois, — containing then not more than ten or fifteen families, and the w'hole count)' of DeWitt not polling over 350 votes, — where he commenced the practice of the law, with such men as Abraliam Lincoln, David Davis, Wells Colton, Asahel Gridley, Charles Emmerson, Kirby Benedict, Edward Jones and others as his competitors or assistants. There was more litigation in propor- tion to the population then than now; but fees were low. Everybody then came to court. He was considered a studious and safe lawyer, pre- pared his cases well, and got the right averments in his pleadings. Though not a brilliant talker he could make a judge or jury understand his side of the case. At that time there was but little money to be made by the pure practice of the law. As an ex- ample how lawyers had to do in early times he tells of taking as a five-dollar fee a rifle gun of John Henson, and selling it to Dudley Richards afterward for one hundred and twenty-seven bushels of com delivered to him in town, and it was delivered. In a few years he began to buy lands and lots. At the time (1841) he went to Clinton not one- fourth of the land was entered. Most if not all the good timber was entered (i.e., bought by in- dividuals of the United States) in the years 1836- y-S., with a few lots of prairie land adjoining the timber. At that time no one believed that the big 492 BIOGRAI'IIICAL DICTIOXARY AM) I'ORTnAIT (lALLEIlY OF Till': prairies in central Illinois wonld be settled anil improved during this ccntnry, it ever. For sev- eral vears after 1841 land could be purchased of Eastern individual owners cheaper than to buy of the Government. During the latter part of the • last century and the first decade in this, it was gravely debated whether the prairies of Illinois would raise anything but prairie grass, and the authorities were about evenly divided. From the crash of 1837 until 1847 the settlers away from the water ways saw hard times, — no monc\-, and wheat brought nothing unless it wias hauled in wagons to Chiicago. one hundred and fifty miles, and sold at forty cents per bushel. Hogs driven to Pekin brought from one to two dollars per hundred live weig.it. The first thing that waked up the interior of Illinois was the Mexican war, and the little county of De Witt sent a full company to the regiment commanded by Colonel E. D. Baker. The next event was the passage, on September 20, 1850, by Congress, of Senator Stephen A. Douglas' land grant for a railroad from Cairo to Dubuque, with a branch to Chicago. The originator of this measure was Sidney Breese, once a United States senator, and for many years after one of the jus- tices of our supreme court. In a few days every land office on the supposed route was closed, and remained closed until August, 1852. In 1848 the people of Illinois adopted a new constitution, in which was embodied a clause in a separate article that a tax of two mills should he levied yearly on all the taxable propert)' in the State, the amount of the same to be used solely for paying the bonds of the State. The State debt was then, as near as could be guessed, about fourteen million dollars, and its bonds were worth only fourteen cents on the dollar. The separate clause was adopted by a very large majority, and our bonds in twelve moiiths went up to par. This vote and this grant was the commencement of the prospierity of the State of Illinois. Our fairmers for a limited time since then have seen hard times and poor money, but as a whole they have from that time to this made as much money or property as any other class of men in the country. When the land offices were opened there was a great de- mand for land. Land warramits that coull then be purchased for sixty cents per acre in a little time brought seventy-five, eighty, ninety, and the l;ist l>ouglit b_\' the writer, purchased in St,' Louis in 1856, at one dollar and five cents. The practice of the law in little county seats, or in fact outside of the great commercial cities, was never very lucrative. With energy, skill and the hardest kind of work one could make a liv- ing, but no more, imless he took on some other line of business and one that did not interfere with his professional duties. A successful lawyer in the country must necessarily be a better all-around lawyer than one in a city. The first has to try all k-inds of cases, — torts, oontracts and equitable cases; the latter takes some one branch of the law and makes it a specialty. As early as 1841 Mr. jNIoore made the acquaint- ance of Judge David Davis, and as early as 1847 or 1848 had some little land operations with him, and in 1852 formed the copartnership of Davis & Moore, whose sole business was to buy land and hold all they could of it and pay their debts. That copartnership continued until the same was closed by the death of the judge, June 26, 1886. How beneficial it was to the parties will not be stated here. Mr. Moore never had but two law partners: Hon. Henry S. Greene, now of Spring- field, Illinois, and the Hon. Vespasian Warner, his son-in-law; but he continued in his profession until about two or three years since, when he quit attending court, but occasionally helps Mr. Warner w hen he is crowded. While Mr. ?iIoore seems to have been a suc- cessful business man, as his lands and taxes would seem to indicate, his idiosyncrasy tends to the l)u\ing of books and pictures. Besides his fine law library he- has a library of some twelve to fif- teen thousand volumes of miscellaneous books, wliere he spends as much of liis time as private business will permit. He goes to his office six days in a week, and sometimes seven, uses no tobacco in any fonn, and wliisky only as medicine. He is now nearing his seventy-eighth birthday, and says that he does not realize his age only in getting out or in a carriage. Goes to Iowa and Nebraska once a year alone, to look after his in- vestments or make new ones. But he does not hurry or worr>', and is willing to let the young men around him have a "chance." In religion, while he contributes fairly well to REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF TUE UNITED STATES: ILLINOIS VOLUME. 493 all the cluirchcs, lie may be called an "ag-nostic" : and yet it can be truthfully said that he has the respect and esteem of all the religious people. Mr. Moore looks and acts as if he were good for many years' service yet, but says he ought to he willing to go any time that the summons conies. He says that from the time he came to Illinois, in 1839, up to the present time he has not lost over four weeks in all by sickness and accidents. He has been married twice: in 1845 to Miss Elizabeth Riclnrond, daughter of Horace Rich- mond, Esq., of Tremont, Illinois, by whom he had four children, only one of which (Arthur Moore) is now living. His first wife died April 29, 1872, and in July, 1874, he was married to Miss Rose C>nstine, daughter of Mr. George Onstine, of North Amherst, Lorain county, Ohio, who is now- living. He says his domestic relations have al- ^^■ays been pleasant, and he looks forward to an agreeable old age. JOHN FRANK LEONARD, KANKAKEE. THE history of mankind is replete with illus- trations of the fact that it is only under the pressure of adversity and the stimulus of oppo- sition that the best and strongest in men are brought out and developed. Perhaps the history of no people so forcibly impresses one with this truth as the annals of our own Republic; and cer- tainly in our own land the palm must be awarded to New England's sturdy .sons. If anything can inspire the youth of our country to persistent, honest and laudable endeavor it should be the life record of such men as he of whom we write. The example of the illustrious few of our country- men who have risen from obscurity to the highest positions in the gift of the nation serves often to awe our young men rather than inspire them to emulation, because they reason that only a few can ever attain such eminence; but the history of such men as John Frank Leonard proves con- clusively that with a reasonable amount of mental and physical power success is bound eventually to crown the endeavors of those who have the am- bition to put forth their best efforts, and the will and manliness to persevere therein. The history of the Leonard family may be found very fully recorded in almost any of the leading libraries of our land. It is traced back through England, Scotland and Wales, where for centuries they have borne a prominent part in in- dustrial history and particularly in the iron and mining interests. They were among the first of our early Colonists, settling in Massachusetts and establishing near Taunton, in Bristol county, the first iron foundry ever built in America. Their descendants scattered through New England and later through the Western States, to become- valued citizens of the various communities, repre- sentatives of our best citizenship. The gentleman whose name introduces this article was born in Bennington county, Vermont, on the i6th of September, 1848, and is a son of John Townsend and Catherine (Woodard) Leon- ard. The country in that locality was bleak and spare, and his parents, like their neighbors, were poor. When their son was about ten years of age they removed to seek a home in the West, hoping thereby to benefit their financial condition in a locality where the country offered better ad- vantages and where there was not as great compe- tition as in the older and more thickly settled States of the East. Accordingly they secured a farm about four miles from the present city of Kankakee, and at the old homestead Mr. Leonard passed his boyhood days in farm labor, with an occasional three months' term of instruction at the district school; but even this scant educational advantage was soon denied him, as the death of his father left him — the only son — the main sup- port of his mother. Possibl}-, after all, this was the best scliooling he could obtain, for he early learned the lessons of self-reliance, industry and honorable dealing, making them a part of his very nature. AFr. Leonard remained tipon the old home farm until 1867, when getting together all the capital he could secure he came to Kankakee and en- 494 BIOORAPIIWAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT OALLERY OF TIIH! gaged in tlie livery business. This was his first in- dependent imdertaking, and two years later he found himself absolutely penniless. He had be- fore had to encounter difficulties, but this was his first serious reverse, and it served to develop tlie latent manliness of his nature. Instead of be- coming discouraged and disheartened, he at cwice set to work to retrieve his lost possessions, and considered no honorable labor beneath him if it would bring him an honest livelihood. He ac- cepted a position as hostler in a livery stable, but he was not destined to remain long in that hum- ble situation. He was soon elected constable and so creditably filled that position that he was chosen tax collector of Kankakee and subse- quently was twice elected city marshal. In the session of 1878-9 he was committee clerk of the senate at Springfield, Illinois, and when his duties were ended there he was appointed supervisor of the Illinois Eastern Hospital for the Insane at Kankakee. In i\Iarch, 1880, he was nominated and elected clerk of the circuit court and recorder of deeds, which position he acceptably filled during the twelve succeeding years, or until 1892. In the meantime he also served for four years as supervisor of the town and alderman of the first ward for one term. It will thus be seen that his worth and ability were appreciated by his fellow townsmen, and by his steady advance he was work- ing his way upward to an honored position among the leading citizens of Kankakee. Upon leaving the clerk's office, Mr. Leonard was made assignee of two large furniture facto- ries wliich had failed; and, although this branch of business was entirely new to him and there was a corps of about 250 men thus placed under his control, he closed up the afifairs of the company in a most satisfactory manner. In the meantime, in 1893, he was elected mayor of the city, and his administration of the affairs of that office proved of great benefit to the city, and reflected credit upon the sound judgment and keen discrimination of the chief executive of Kankakee. He also found time to purchase the right of way for the Indiana, Illinois & Iowa Railroad from Knox, Indiana, to South Bend. On the 17th of October, 1894, he was chosen cashier of the First National Bank of Kankakee, — succeeding Daniel C. Taylor, deceased, — in which position he is still creditably and acceptably serving. He was one of the organizers of the Kankakee Building & Loan Association, of which he is now president. This concern has been one of the most profitable and beneficial in its results of all undertakings ever fostered in this city. Its last report shows that in the ten years of its ex- istence it has earned and saved for its member* $234,981.78, and this at an average yearly ex- pense of only $473.57. They have foreclosed only two mortgages, and have met with not one dol- lar's loss. Truly a remarkable showing, which reflects great credit upon the enterprise, — its di- rectors and managers. Mr. Leonard has always been a great admirer of horses and has been active in the promotion and management of the Kankakee Driving Park Association; was for two years its secretary, and is now a director. He has always been a Repul> lican in politics. Socially, he is connected with Kankakee Lodge, No. 389 F. & A. M. ; Kanka- kee Chapter, No. 78, R. A. M.; and Ivanhoe Com- mandery. No. 33, K. T. He has served as master of his lodge, high priest of the chapter, and is now commander. Such is the record of a man who has worked his way upward from an obcure position to one of eminence in the community where he has so long resided. REPRESEXTATIVE MEX OF THE VNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 495 W. K. GILLETT, IT is proper that Chicago, being the greatest railroad center in the world, should be the initial point of the greatest railroad in the world. Less tlian half a decade ago, the Atchison, To- peka & Santa Fe Railway Company assumed the task of making their road truly American. In November, 1890, under an arrangement with the Chicago, Peoria & St. Louis Railroad Company, a through line between Chicago and St. Louis was opened, and, since that time, this gigantic railroad has brought Chicago into direct commu- nication with Galveston on the Gulf and San Francisco on the Pacific, opening up an immense region to Chicago's trade and proving to the world the inexhaustible genius for great things possessed by American railroad builders. W. K. Gillett became auditor of disbursements in Febnian,', 1890, and thus was connected with the road when its modern policy of development came into effect. The chief executive officer of the company looked around him for competent aids rather than for ornamental ones, and as a result men of experience and industry were pro- moted and incompetency cast aside. Mr. Gillett, now general auditor of this great corporation, was born at Indianapolis, Indiana, January i, 1857. His parents were John Gillett, a native of Connecticut, and Elizabeth J. Gillett, of Maryland. He received a practical education in private schools of Harrisburg and Philadel- phia, Pennsylvania, and when school days were over entered railroad service, in which service he has been continuously engaged to the pres- ent day. On January 5, 1874, he began work in the general offices of the Pennsylvania Rail- road at Philadelphia, and was clerk in various offices of the accounting department until the spring of 1883, when he resigned to accept the chief clerkship in the accounting department of the New York, West Shore & Buffalo Railroad Company, at New York city. In 1884, he was promoted auditor of passenger accounts for the same company: but when the road was consol- idated with the New York Central & Hudson River Railroad he resigne a student, not only of the works that fit him for his chosen calling, but also of current literature, and is a great lover of ancient and modern history, concerning which he is especially well informed. In politics he was a Democrat until 1886, but the cause of temper- ance eHcited his warm sympathy and hearty co- operation and led to his joining the ranks of the Prohibition party. In i8q2 he was selected as chairman of the State committee of his party. He has for many years been a leader of the tem- perance forces of this part of the State, and his name stands for the highest type of citizenship. He holds membership in no^ church, but attends the services of the Presbyterian Church, con- tributes literally to its support and to all charities and benevolences, and recognizes the brother- hood of humanity. The following words from the pen of his pastor arc a fitting tribute to his worth and a fitting close for this review of his life: "Mr. Gere is a man of commanding influence in the community and the county, and widely known and honored through- out the State as one who is always on the right side of all questions affecting moral and educa- tional interests. He is known as a man of ster- ling integrity, a lawyer who would rather be right than to be on the winning side, one who has the reputation of putting the truth before the fee. He is emphatically a truth-seeker, a man with broad sympathies, believing in the ultimate triumph of the right, but ready for a long con- test with evil. He is bold, clear and forcible in his denunciation of the wrong, fearless in his championship of the right, and ever the defender of the weak and helpless. In the circle of my acquaintance there is no man who has more friends than Mr. Gere, and they have been won and are being retained by his attractive person- ality, his outspoken devotion to the best inter- ests of the community, and his mental ability, which is of a high order." 504 nronRAniicAL dictionary and for trait gallery of the WILLIAM GRANT EDENS, GALESBURG. WILLIAM GRANT EDENS, son of Hcr- vey D. Washington and Elsie Jane (Fought) Edens, was born on Friday, the 27th of November. 1863, at Richmond, Indiana, being the youngest of a family of nine children. He is descended from the French on his father's side, and from the Scotch on his mothers sidt\ His father died at Richmond, in 1865. A short time after his death the family removed to Lebanon, Indiana. In the public scliools of the latter place the lad received all his school education. As tlic means of the family, always small, had been greatly reduced by the illness of the father dur- ing the last few years of his life, their necessities required that each member should contribute to its support as much and as early as possible. So, at the age of twelve, the subject of this sketch was compelled to abandon his school and his books and seek employment. This he found in the office of the railroad station agent at Lebanon ; and there be began his active business career, in the capacity of office boy and messenger. He first entered the train sei'vice in 1878, as passenger brakeman on the Ohio Central Rail- road. In the following year he went from there to take a similar position on the Vandalia line, in order to be nearer his home. In 1881 he went to Michigan and worked for a time on the fami of Major H. Z. Eaton, near Traverse City; but he soon returned to Ohio, and again engaged with the Ohio Central Railroad Company, this time in the freight-train service, and remained with that company until 1888. While there he applied himself diligently, conscientiously, and intelli- gently to the performance of whatever duties his position required him to perform. These efforts were rewarded by promotions. He was advanced from time to time, occupying during the period he was with that road the positions of freight brakeman, passenger brakeman, train baggage- man, express messenger, freight conductor and passenger conductor. The performance of his duties in these various capacities involved much physical labor; but, during these busy years, his mind was not idle. Although his experience had hitherto been narrow, he had read much and thought deeply, and his naturally vivid imagina- tion had been kindled with ideas of better and larger lives for himself and others similarly situ- ated ; and he was not slow to apply all the powers of his mind and body to the making and execu- tion of plans for his and their benefit. He was early identified with social and political clubs and societies, in which his gentle disposition, his handsome person and commanding presence, and his vigor of mind, made him a popular and prominent member. His early training and inherent love of liberty caused him to join the ranks of the Republican party upon attaining his majority; and to the principles of that party he has conscientiously, continuously and consistently adhered. He was a member of one of the early lodges of the Brotherhood of Railroad Brakemen, at Bucy- rus, Ohio. By his local lodge he was sent as del- egate to the national convention of the brother- hood held at San Antonio, Texas, in 1886, and again, the following year, to the convention held at Binghamton, New York. In 1888 he was elected first vice grand master of the National tJrotheihood, and held that position for two years. In 1890 he left the brotherhood and accepted an appointment as general agent of the Massachu- setts Benefit Association, at Denver, Colorado.. But he did not long remain away from the brother- hood; his sympathies were there, and his services were needed ; and he was induced to return as as- sistant to the grand secretary and treasurer, in the same year. The brotherhood had in the meantime widened its scope and enlarged its ob- jects, and had become the Brotherhood of Rail- road Trainmen, its headquarters remaining iiowever, at Galesburg, Illinois. Mr. Edens re- turned to Galesburg and took up his residence there permanently. In the different capacities in which he had served his duties required him to travel ex- tensively in the United States, Canada and Mexico. He was thus brought iftto close contact with many classes of people in many sec- ^^ -^.oco?^ Cu^r^ HEPRESEyTATIVE MEN OF THE rXITED STATES: ILLIXOIS VOLUME. 505 tions, and with many different interests. His mental alertness was thereby quickened, his reasoning powers strengthened, and his imagina- tion heightened ; and he gained a liberal Ijreadth of mind, and the outward polish and easy self- possession which mark the man of large ac- quaintance and wide experience. Naturally a close observer, he saw everything, and a thinker, he reasoned from what he saw. Ihus, naturally, he became deeply interested in the leading political, economical and social ques- tions of the time, and conceived decided opinions in regard thereto, to which he has never hesi- tated to give honest and forcible expression. The soundness of his views, backed by his intellectual vigor and strong personal magnetism, brought him rapidly into prominence in the Republican party in Illinois. In 1893 he was elected vice- president for Illinois of the National Republi- can League, although he was still actively as- sociated with the Brotherhood of Railroad Train- men. Early in 1895, however, finding his politi- cal engagements jpncroaching more and more upon his official Unties, and believing he could better sen'e the brotherhood thereby, he resigned his position and is now devoting all his time and energies to political matters. Mr. Exlens is connected with many clubs and societies, in each of which he has been and is a more or less prominent and active member. He is deputy grand chancellor of the Knights of Pythias: secretary of the Sunset Club, of Gales- burg; vice-president of the Young Men's Re- publican Club, of Galesburg. and a member of several other Galesburg clubs. Hitherto his efforts have been directed almost entirely to the overcoming of difificullies in the wav of his advancement, and to making up for the lack of educational advantages in his early youth. His actual career is now only be- ginning. It cannot but be certain that the ex- ertion of the mental and physical powers that have placed him where he is, will, if properly di- rected, advance him farther, and make him more and more useful to his party, to his country, and to his fellow man. The broad sympathies, generous tolerance, and kindly consideration for the feelings and comfort of others, ever in evidence in Mr. Edens' daily life, are largely due to the loving care and teach- ing of a good mother, by whom he was early taught the great power of gentleness. How well he learned that lesson, his life testifies. Frances Elizabeth Edens Hicks, a sister of the subject of this sketch, and a woman of no incon- siderable literary ability (now deceased), was the wife of Lieutenant-Colonel Lewis E. Hicks, for seventeen years professor of natural sciences at Dennison University, Granville, Ohio, later occu- pying the chair of geology at the University of Ne- braska, at Lincoln, and now a professor at the Rangoon Baptist College, Rangoon, Burmah. ALONZO S. WILDERMAN, BELLEVILLE. ALONZO S. WILDERMAX, judge of the circuit court, and one of the most eminent jurists of southwestern Illinois, has risen by his own efforts to his present high position. In the law more than in any other profession is one's career open to talent. The reason is evident; it is a profession in which eminence cannot be at- tained except by indomitable energy, perseverance and patience, and though its prizes are numerous and splendid they cannot be won except by ardu- ous and prolonged effort. It is this that has brought success to Judge Wilderman and made him known as one of the ablest representatives of the bar in this section of the State. The Judge was born seven miles southeast .of Belleville, on the 1st of December, 1839, and is a son of M. J. and Theresa (Patterson) Wilder- man, the father being a farmer. Their family numbered seven children, three of whom died in infancy. In the days when the Mississippi val- ley was an almost unexplored region, the great- grandfather of the Judge, George Wilderman, left his old home in Pennsylvania and became a resident of St. Clair county, Illinois, taking up 500 BIOOEAPUICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT QALLKRY OF THE his residence here in 1805. He was numbered amonig- the heroes of the Revohttion, having joined the Colonial army in 1776, and served throughout the struggle. He had eight sons who became residents of this county, including the grandfather of our subject. His wife had located here in 1793. Their son, M. J. Wilder- man, was born in October, 1814, and is still liv- ing. He married Miss Theresa Patterson, who was born in North Carolina, in 1818, and died in 1868. In the public schools near his home Alonzo S. Wilderman pursued his studies until the age of nineteen, and through the succeeding five years devoted his entire time and energies to the as- sistance of his father. He earlv became familiar with the duties of farm life, and from the fields and woods learned many valuable lessons. When twenty-four years of age he entered the law of- fice of S. M. Case and was admitted to the bar in November, 1866. In January, 1891, he was licensed to practice in the supreme court of the United States. He has been connected with some of the most important cases which have come up for trial in the courts of southwestern Illinois, where his eloquence amd logic have car- ried with them conviction and won the suit lor his clients. He was retained as counsel for the prosecution in the case of the city of St. Louis against Edward Rutz, twice State treasurer of Illinois, to recover large landed interests on the Mississippi river. The case came up for hear- ing in the Federal court at St. Louis, and again Judge Wilderman added to his fame by the suc- cessful outcome. For six years he has served as counsel for the Terre Haute & Indianapolis Railroad. For four years he served as master in chancery, and in 1877 was elected to the gen- eral assembly as the representative of the Dem- ocratic party, the principles of which he stanchly advocates. In June, 1891, he was judge of the Third Circuit court of Illinois for a term of three years, and is now presiding on the bench, adding new laurels as a judge to those he had already gained at the bar. He has ever been a thorough student of his profession and few men are more thoroughly informed in regard to authorities than he. His acts are strong and full of breadth, accuracy and force. In sound judgment, in patient industry, in clear conception of the spirit and scope of juris- prudence and intuitive perception of right. Judge Wilderman ranks high in the estimate of bench, bar and public. Since jurisprudence is the founda- tion of the commonwealth and indispensable to its growth, purity and advancement, it is well that such judges represent and interpret it. On the 5th of September, 1871, the Judge was united in marriage with Miss Amanda J. Affleck, of Decatur, Ilhnois, daughter of James Afileck, a native of Scotland, who crossed the briny deep to the New World during his childhood and be- came a prominent early settler of Illinois, num- bered among the pioneers of 1816. Five chil- dren were born to them: Arthur S., who died in 1878; Hester T. ; Augusta; Eunice and Blanche. The eldest daughter possesses consid- erable talent as a pianist. Their pleasant home is noted for its hospitality, and the literary taste of the inmates is indicated by the large library of miscellaneous standard works, both of English and German composition. Music and art also add their charms to the home, which is located at No. 608 Wascoutah avenue. The Judge also has one of the largest law libraries in the city, containing sixteen hundred volumes. The fam- ily attend and support the Presbyterian Church, and Mrs. Wilderman takes a prominent part in missionary work, and is active in the Woman's Christian Temperance Union. In social circles the Judge has attained considerable prominence. He is a member of the Royal Arch Chapter, belongs to Belleville Council, and is a Scottish rite Mason. In all these orders he has filled various offices. He also belongs to the Modern Woodmen society, to the grand lodge, and to Liederkranz society. He aided in building the Central school, and has been an important fac- tor in the progress and upbuilding of the city, education, church and social interests owing their promotion in a considerable degree to the efforts of Judge Wilderman. V ^u^iMi^^ (^/0^ hci REPRESENTATIVE MEX OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME 507 SAMUEL MCCARTY, ON Saturday, the 30th of March, 1889, there occurred an event which caused general mourning in the city of Aurora, — the death of its founder, Samuel McCarty, who, as the clock struck twelve, departed this life, leaving as a last- ing monument to his memorj' one of the most beautiful and progressive cities of Illinois. Mr. McCarty was a remarkable man in many respects. In him were embodied the virtues of the early pioneers, — steadfast purpose, rugged integrity and religious zeal, — virtues to which the splendid civ- ilization of America is indebted for its wonderful development and its glorious progress. Morristown, Morris county. New Jersey, was the l)irthi)lace of Samuel McCarty. whose natal day was March 9, 1810. He was a son of Charles and Mary (Scudder) McCarty, descendants of old Protestant families that had for generations re- sided in that State, having located there in early Colonial days. From the Scotch and English bloods came that strength of character which is so essential to success in the far'West, where pri- vations and dangers are the common lot of the frontier people. In 181 2 the parents went to Elmira, New York, where the father purchased a farm, making it his home for many years. There Samuel, in" connection with his brother Joseph, spent his childhood days upon the old homestead, acquired a good common-school edu- cation and afterward learned the trade of a mill- wright. The many glowing accounts of the West now began to attract the attention of the young men. They learned especially of the points around the head of navigation of the Great Lakes, and the fertility of the soil of Illinois. Joseph McCarty was the first to leave home for the Prairie State, where he intended laying a claim to some of the water privileges along the Illinois river. On the 25th of November, 1833, he bade adieu to friends and family and with a companion proceeded across the country to the headwaters of the Alleghany river, where a crude raft was made to convey them and their tools toward their destination. Thus the journey was made to Pitts- burg, and an exceedingly arduous one it was on account of the many rapids they encountered. They arrived there, however, without serious acci- dent, disposed of tlieir boat and took passage on a steamer for Cairo, Illinois, where they tarried on account of the near approach of cold weather. In the spring the young men proceeded on their journey and in due time reached their destination, but they found the water privileges not as desir- able as represented, and journeyed to Ottawa, where they heard good reports of the Fox river valley, and followed the course of that stream until April i, 1834, when they arrived at an Indian village, the home of Wabonsie, chief of the Pot- towattamie Indians, just north of the present site (if .\urora, on the west bank of the river. This land was a part of a tract ten miles square which had been an Indian resen^ation but had just been purchased by the United States government and opened for settlement. Included therein is a small island in a river, obstructing the channel which with the natural fall of water secured the advantages of water power which Mr. McCarty had so long sought. He immediately staked out a claim of about three hundred acres of the east side and made good his title by erecting thereon a log cabin, 10x12 feet. Later, in order to secure the unquestioned right to the water power, he purchased on the opposite side of the river a claim of one hundred acres, on which stood a shanty. On these claims Aurora was afterward built, and these cabins were the first habitations of white men within the present limits of the city. A dam was immediately commenced and the tim- bers for a sawmill prepared. In October, 1834, Joseph McCarty erected a more convenient log house, 14x18 feet, and it was just completed when his brother Samuel ar- rived in the settlement. Some weeks previous he had received glowing accounts of the Prairie State, and had immediately closed up his business as a millwright in Chemung county. New York, and taken the most direct route to the Wabonsie reservation, arriving November 6, 1834. three u eeks after the day of his departure. He went by canal to Bufifalo, by Lake Erie to Detroit, and bv 508 BIOGRAnnCAL DWTIONARV AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF TILE stage the remainder of the way. His brother had secured for him a squatter's claim of four hundred acres, south of his own, for sixty dollars. When he arrived the future city of Aurora had a population of seven,— two McCartys, one Fore- acre, Mr. and Mrs. Aldrich, who kept house for them, and their t\\ o children. On his arrival Sam- uel McCarty became by purchase half owner of his brother's claim and both being practical mill- wrights and mechanics they soon completed the mill and dam. In the fall of 1835 the original plat of the city was laid out by them and was sur- veyed by Colonel Hitt. The plat extended from Flag street on the north to Benton street on the south, running back some six blocks. Samuel McCarty's residence on Lincoln avenue and Main street stood very near the center. Two acres were set aside by the proprietors for park purposes and thus was established what is now known as Lincoln Park. In 1835 the brothers sold their claim on the west side to Zaphna Lake for five hundred dollars. In 1836 they built a bridge across the east channel of the river, almost entirely at their own expense, but it was swept away by flood the following spring and in the early part of 1838 a subscription list was started for its recon- struction at a cost of two thousand dollars. The brothers headed the list with five hundred dollars and the bridge was built by Samuel McCarty, but it was also destroyed by high water and ice, and it was not until 1843 that it was again re- built,— also by Samuel McCarty, the funds again being provided by a subscription. These bridges were all on the same sites, with the approaches at the foot of Main street. In 1836 the McCarty brothers built a grist mill adjoining the sawmill, and ground the first grist February 7, 1837. In 1834 and 1835, in addition to their own enterprises, they built a sawmill and grist mill for other parties on the Big Vermillion river south of Ottawa, and in 1838 built for them- selves a sawmill twelve miles west of Aurora in Big Rock township. To the enterprise of the McCarty brothers more than to anything else Aurora is indebted for her fortunate location and her rapid and substantial growth. In 1836 the old State-line road from Chicago to Galena crossed the Fox river at Montgomery, and in consequence all travel, together with the stages, passed that way. Samuel McCarty realized the importance to Aurora of building a road intersecting the State-line road, both east and west of the town, so as to change the mail and also to turn the tide of "prairie schooners," with their hundreds of emigrants seeking homes, through Aurora, know- ing full well that many of them on viewing the natural advantages of the place would stop and locate. Accordingly, with some assistance from residents of Aurora, he opened a road, building necessary bridges from Naperville to this city, and on west to Big Rock. After doing this he had to induce mail stages to pass through Aurora, instead of, as heretofore, going by way of Mont- gom( ry. He ofTered to board the proprietors, tlic drivers and four horses for a month free if the change was made. These terms were ac- cepted, ajid in March, 1837, the first regular postoffice was established in Aurora. There is little doubt that this was the turning point in the early historj' of the city and the controlling influence in securing settlers and placing the in- fant town on a firm and growing basis. The McCartys were not only the first white men to build habitations and start the machinery of civ- ilization where are now the homes and great fac- tories of Aurora, but they also, by their keen fore- sight and liberal enterprise, contributed largely to bring to it those advantages that were des- tined to make it a prosperous, rich and thriving city. Joseph ]\IcCarty, however, only lived to see the beginning of this development. In Au- gust, 1838, he was suddenly prostrated by an at- tack of bleeding of the lungs, and being advised to seek a more genial climate he traveled South in search of health, but died in Alabama on the last day of May, 1839. He was there buried, but in 1875 Samuel McCarty had his remains brought to Aurora, where they were placed in Spring Lake cemetery. In 1838 Samuel McCarty assumed control of the McCarty interests in the young settlement, and from liberal inducements offered by him to actual settlers — in most cases charging barely enough for a building lot to pay for recording the papers — the town grew rapidly. At this time he was joined by a younger brother, Daniel, who had inherited part of Joseph's interests, and they became partners in the mills and other property REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 509 in and around Aurora. A few years afterward they divided their interests and each controlled his own separately. Daniel later removed to lov a, where he engaged in farming, and when he retired from active work became a resident of Chicago. He died in San Diego, California, July 5, 1893. Samuel jMcCarty was always an uncompro- mising temperance man in theory and practice and always refused to sell on any tenns a lot which he knew would be occupied by an estab- lishment for the sale of liquors; therefore, for a long time there was little, if any, of this traffic in Aurora. Until 1842 he held only pre-emption titles to his land. It then came into the market and he perfected his title from the United States government for sixty-nine acres, a part of which was comprised in the first plat of the village. Previously he had sold all otlier claims he held. He donated the land on which the First Method- ist Church and parsonage are built and contrib- uted largely toward the erection of the original and the subsequent edifice. He also donated the land on the northeast corner of his residence lot, on which was erected the Congregational Church, which became famous as being the place where it is claimed the Republican party received its baptismal name and where the first Repub- lican State convention was held. For many years after the establishment of Clark (now the Jen- nings) Seminary he was president of its board of trustees and a large contributor toward the erec- tion of its buildings. He was from j-oung man- hood a member of the Methodist Church, an:i for many years acted as president of the board of trustees and as class leader of the local organ- ization. Mr. McCarty continued in the milling busi- ness until 1858, after which he devoted most of his lime to handling real estate in Aurora and Chicago. His wife still owns in Chicago a lot on the southeast corner of Clark and Randolph streets, on which he erected a forty thousand dollar building that was destroyed in the great fire of October 9, 1871. He also erected the firgt substantial frame building in Aurora, located on Broadway, a little north of Main street; the first store building, on the corner of j\Iain and Broad- way; also the present homestead of the family, which at that time was the finest and most sub- stantial brick house in the county; the Tremont House, formerly the leading hotel in Aurora; and various other buildings in the city. For more than half a century Mr. McCarty was the most prominent figure in this place and was closely identified with nearly every enterprise that was to benefit materially or socially the city that he and his brother had founded. Dur- ing his entire life he was without question its most honored and respectetl resident, and until his last illness was remarkably active for a man of his years. Mr. McCarty was three times married. On the 26th of March, 1837, he wedded Miss Phoebe Stolp, who died May 18, 1839. On Jan- uary 6, 1847, he married Miss Emily Wheeler, of Chicago, by whom he had two daughters: IVIarion, who died in infancy, and Helen, who died in 1867, at the age of eighteen years, while attending the female college at Pittsburg. The mother's death occurred September' 14, 1850, and on the 13th of April, 1853, Air. AlcCarty was united in marriage to Mrs. Emily A. Dav's, «ear. 1864, races were run which at once became renowned throughout the I'nited States. It is safe to say that no man has assisted in the development of Galesburg to greater advantage than has Mr. Gardt, and no man stands higher in the estimation of his fellow citizens than he. The great secret of Mr. Gardt's success is to be attributed not only to his tireless energy and labor hut also to his exxellent judgment and his strictly hc-nest and upright dealings. None of his large fortune has been accumulated at the expense of others, but on the contrar)-, many are largely in- debted to him for their present prosperity, while the city in which he has accumulated his wealth, as in the past, will in the future be beautified by his expenditures. Mr. Gardt was married Alay 18, 1877, to Miss Barbara Glaser, of Galesburg. She is a most charming woman, and, like her husband, receives marked respect for her many sterling qualities. Of their four children only one is living. The eldest, Harr}', died at the age of three years; Charles, at the age of one year; but the greatest affliction that has ever come to Mr. Gardt was when, on April 7, 1893, he lost his only daughter, Florence, who was then twelve years of age. She was a beautiful child and everj-body's pet. For her the father had erected a magnificent man- sion in Galesburg. She never lived to occupy it, and it was afterward disposed of, as Mr. Gardt refused to enter it after the death of his beloved daughter. Chauncey Henry, the youngest child, is nc)w twelve years old. In his political principles Mr. Gardt is stanchly Republican, but he desires no political preferment. When the city was considering the advisability of erecting water-works, Mr. Gardt, greatly de- siring the much needed improvement, accepted a 512 nioanArmcAL dtcttonaht and porthatt oallery of the scat ill the city council, and as a nicniher thereof he materially assisted in securing the works for the city. In 1872 Mr. Gardt joined the Masonic order, in which he is now a Knight Templar; and he is a Noble of the Alystic Shrine; and he is also a member of the orders of Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias and Royal Arcanum, in all of which he has held important offices except in the last named. He with his wife has traveled extensively in the United States, in which country he has achieved so great financial success. His career demonstrates in the highest and broadest sense that nationality or birth does not determine, in this country, either in spirit or degree, the future standing of any one, either in finance, patriotism or society, — the American idea of the "common brotherhood of man." FREDERICK SEHRING, JOLIET. THE Sehring family is one of prominence among the German Americans of Illinois. Its founders were Weigand and Margaretha (Keim) Sehring, who settled in Frankfort town- ship, Will county, Illinois, in 1847. Weigand Sehring was a soldier in the war of 1813, in Ger- many. When he came to the United States he engaged in farming, an occupation he pursued un- til 1854. In 1854, the Sehring family moved to Joliet, where they engaged in the hotel business. Frederick Sehring, son of Weigand and Mar- garetha (Keim) Sehring, was born in Langen, dukedom of Hesse-Darmstadt, on December 19, 1834, and was consequently thirteen years of age when his parents moved to America. He was an exceptionally intelligent boy and early eiitered public schools in the old country. When he ar- rived in America he immediately devoted himself to study and soon was the possessor of a good English education, thougih he succeeded in get- ting only eight months' instruction in the schools here. His first etitrance upon his business career was in i860, when he became deputy clerk in the Recorder's office of the county, a position which he filled for three years with commendable ability and reliability, which resulted in his nomination in 1863 for county treasurer for Will county. He was elected with a comfortable ma- jority and entered upon his work with a deter- mination to do his duty in every particular. So well did he administer the affairs of the county that in 1865, w-hen his term expired, he was re- elected and served his constituents with the same honesty until the end of his second term. He early evinced an unusual business capacity, and as he had accumulated some money when he left public service he concluded to enter business by buying; an interest in the firm of Joseph Braun & Company. W'ith a total capital of six thousand dollars this firm established what is at the present day one of the model plants in the Northwest. Their business was conducted during the first year with the assistance of but three men, but their to- tal output was about one thousand barrels. Two years later it had increased to eighteen hundred barrels. At this time Mr. Braun died, the firm was dissolved and Mr. Sehring secured the entire business, which he conducted under his own name with increased success. By the strictest at- tention to business, honorable treatment, kind- ness and courtesy, Mr. Sehring attained pros- perity. The business grew constantly, and in 1883 Mr. Sehring found that a change would be necessary in order to reap the full benefit of his labors. In January' of that year he concluded to enlarge and incorporate his business under the name of The Fred Sehring Bre^ving Company. At this reorganization, the sons of Mr. Sehring were given an interest in tlie business. Henry Sehring became the vice-president; H. F. Piepen- brink, his son-in-law, secretary and treasurer; and Louis J. Sehring superintendent. The new corporation began with a capital of fifty thousand dollars and the succeeding month bought out the large brewing establislmient of Henry Eder. The business has continued to increase and at the pres- ent time it occupies a proininent place among the successful establishments of Joliet. M^.X^. REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES: ILLINOIS VOLUME. 513 Politically, ]\Ir. Sehring was a stanch Demo- crat and served his party faithfully and ably. In 1874 he was elected to represent his ward in the common council, serving his constituents six years, and early connected himself with nearly every civic movement which would add to the importance and prosperity of his city. In the fall of 1874 Air. Sehring was nominated by the liberal Democrats to the State senate, against A. O. ^Marshall, who was the Republican nominee, and C. Frazier, the Granger candidate. The re- turns showed that Mr. Marshall was elected by twelve majority. This election was vigorously contested bv Mr. Sehring, who proved to the sat- isfaction of the committee investigating the election that more than one hundred and forty votes were illegally cast. When the regular vote was taken in the legislature the Republicans and Grangers combined against ]\Ir. Sehring and cast twent>'-six votes for Marshall, against twenty- three for jMr. Sehring. During many years of his life Air. Sehring was prominently connected with the In' Jewett, of Racine, Wisconsin. Tliey have five children: Albert J., who is city editor of the Chicago Daily News; Edward A., who resides in BufTalo, New York; Martha, Chalmers N., and Mary. During the twenty-one years of Dr. Kendrick's association with Shurtlefif College as its presi- dent he has been untiring in his efforts to place the well-known institution of learning in the prominence which it so justly deserves. He is fortunate in facility of self-adaptation to exigen- cies, such as await all public men, more or less, in a way to command respect alike for himself and for the institution he represents. As a teacher he is at home in the studies proper to his own department, and at the head of a college wins the warm attachment of the students by the dig- nity of his character, his kindness and the genial firmness of his administration. He is also al- ways welcome in leading pulpits of his denom- ination in his State, and has served repeated terms as moderator of the Baptist General Association of Illinois, and is the more valued and beloved because found so ready for service, whether in city or hamlet, where there are brethren to meet or work to be done. Many will congratulate him on attaining his "majority" as a college presi- dent, and hope that many more years of useful- ness and honor still await him. RRPREt^EyTATIVE MEN OF THE VXITED STATES; n.LlXOIS VOLCME. 521 ADOLPH SCHOENINGER, A FACT of which due recognition is not usu- ally accorded in connection with the com- mercial history of the wonderful metropolis of the West is that to no foreign element is its pres- ent due in so large a measure as to those who have had their nativity in or trace their lineage to the great empire of Germany. Among those who left the Fatherland to identify themselves with American life and institutions, who have pushed their way to the front and who are a credit alike to the land of their birth and that of their adop- tion, is Adolph Schoeninger, the well-known North Side manufacturer of Chicago. The subject of this review was born in the old free city of Weil, in Schwaben, Germanv, on the 20th of January, 1833, being the son of Joseph A. and Anna M. (Ebele) Schoeninger. In his native city he secured a liberal education through the medium of the magnificent school svstem which is the honor and pride of Germany. While yet in early manhood he became a clerk in the exten- sive dry-goods establishment owned by David Gale, at Rastadt, Baden, beginning as an ap- prentice and continuing to advance to higher po- sitions until he became thoroughly conversant with this and kindred branches of the mercantile business. He remained for seven years at Ras- tadt, and during that period witnessed much mis- ery and inhumanity, as incidental to the dictator- siiip of Brentano. Partly for this reason, but principally because America opened a wider field for advancement through personal endeavor, he determined to become a citizen of the United States. Tn the year 1854 Mr. Schoeninger came to America in company with a younger .brother, and for a number of years he retained his residence in Philadelphia, where he rose to prominence in a business and social way. The peril of the na- tion from internecine war created in his heart such a loyal love for his adopted country as had been unknown to him before, and so strong was this affection and patriotic spirit that he offered his services to the Union and faithfully gave his aid to the cause of freedom by doing valiant ser- vice as Captain of a company of the Fifty-seventh Pennsylvania \'olunteers. In 1864 Mr. Schoeninger came to Chicago and tliis city has since been his home. For one year lie acted as a salesman in a mercantile establish- ment, and then started a furniture factory, at the corner of Union and Desplaines streets, but in 1866 the factory was destroyed by fire, entailing a great financial loss. Nothing daunted by this misfortune, Mr. Schoeninger soon built and as- sumed charge of a small factory, which was lo- cated on the site of his present establishment, and by shrewd and honest business methods he ex- tended his trade from year to year, until he has become one of the extensive and well-known mamifacturers of Chicago, notwithstanding his second serious loss by the great fire of 187 1. The Western Wheel Works, of which he is president, are i^articnlarly noted for the superior excellence of the bicycles manufactured, and these, with other products of the establishment, command an extensive sale. Our subject has other extensive business interests, and is recognized as an enter- prising, progressive and honorable business man, retaining the respect and esteem of all with vv-hom he has dealings or comes into contact in a business or social way. Mr. Schoeninger has a reputation of which any man might well be proud, and he stands forward distinctively as one of Chicago's most worthy citizens and business men. The marriage of our subject was solemnized January 20, 1857, in Philadelphia, where he was united to Miss Augusta Riemann. They are the parents of one son and two daughters, and the family home is one in which are ever in evidence all the refined amenities of cultured social life. 522 nioailAI'IIICAL DirriONAUT AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE GEORGE R. PECK, THE pre-eminence of Chicagio is due not only to the men of li^lit and leading wlio con- trolled her affairs in the early days, but even more to those whom she is constantly attracting from other cities. In March, 1893, George R. Peck, then general solicitor of the Atchison Rail- road system, removed his office and family from Topeka, Kansas, to Chicago. This seemed to many a hazardous change. Would the first law- yer of Kansas be able to maintain his leadership among the lawyers of the metropolis? But those who knew him never doubted that his past achievements would be surpassed in the larger field; and already this has occurred. Born in Steuben county. New York, in 1843, he spent his childhood among the hardships of farm life in a Wisconsin clearing. At sixteen, with only a common-school education, he left the work of the farm to become a district school- teacher that he might add to the scant income of his father and free the farm from debt. At nineteen he enlisted in the First Wisconsin Heavy Artillery, was promoted to captain of the Thirty- first Wisconsin Infantry, and marched with Sher- man's army to the sea. After three years' service he was mustered out at the age of twenty-t^vo, and inmiediately returned to Wisconsin. He began at Janesville his preparation for that perennial war, the practice of law, in which he has won the highest honors. Six years were spent there, as law student, circuit clerk and practicing lawyer. Then he sought larger opportunities in the new State of Kansas. From 1871 to 1874 he pursued his profession with signal success at Independ- ence. Then he was appointed by President Grant United States attorney for the District of Kansas, at Topeka, where for nineteen years he gained evci -increasing distinction as a lawyer, an influen- tial citizen and a man of letters. Within a month after his appointment he was directed by the attor- ney general to bring a suit involving the title to 960,000 acres of land. The ability with which he brought this and other cases to a successful issue soon made him the leading lawyer of his State. In 1879 the greater rewards of private practice led him to resign the office of district at- torney. In 1881 the Atchison Railroad Company elected him its general solicitor. From then until September, 1895, with the exception of two years, that great system of railroads was created and developed under his masterful counsel and di- rection. Mr. Peck's connection with Kansas politics during the entire period of his residence there was of the most influential and honorable char- acter. For more than ten years his leadership of the Republican party in that State was unques- tioned; and he might have had any office its people controlled. Upon the death of Senator Plumb in 1892 Governor Humphrey offered the vacant seat in the United States senate to Mr. Peck, but the splendid honor was declined. During the early months of 1893, in the begin- ning of Governor Lewelling's administration, the capitol at Topeka was filled with legislators contending, not only with parliamentary weapons, but with arms, for the control of the legislative halls. The State house and the surrounding grounds were an armed camp. Sentinels guarded the entrances, and members of the opposing parties were flocking thither as to a war. Then it was that George R. Peck, by the force of his com- manding character and influence, controlled the situation, and by his wise counsel and indomit- able will averted the anarchy and bloodshed that were impending. During his residence in Chicago his political experience and learning and his fine literary art have become familiar to the public through his occasional addresses. The more notable of these Ere his response on Abraham Lincoln at the Marquette banquet in February, 1895, and his address on General George H. Thomas before the Loyal Legion at Indianapolis. The extent and character of his reputation as a statesman is evinced by the fact that leading newspapers of half a dozen States east and west have already pro- posed him as the presidential candidate of the Republican party in 1896; though he would dis- courage anv such movement. ^e/^. REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. J23 As a lawyer he ranks with the greatest that this country has produced; and few of these can show such a hst of professional triumphs in im- portant cases. When the Atchison Company attempted to secure the control of the St. Louis & San Francisco Railroad Company, and also of the Atlantic & Pacific, in i8gi, by the pur- chase of the former, Eastman, a stockholder of the 'Frisco, sought to enjoin the sale on the ground that the 'Frisco was a parallel and com- peting line with the Atchison. The case was bitterly contested in the circuit and supreme courts of the United States. Mr. Peck's suc- cessful handling of this litigation, in which the formation of the Atchison system was involved, gave him a place among the first railroad law- yers of the time. When, in 1892, the attorney-general of the United States attacked the Trans-Missouri Freight Association as a violation to the anti- trust act, the Western railroads composing this association confidently committed to Mr. Peck the defense of the association. His argument be- fore the district court and before the court of appeals was a masterpiece of legal learning, con- vincing argument and noble eloquence. At both hearings he was successful. In December, 1893, the Atchison system went into the hands of receivers, and the problem of its reorganization was pressed upon the holders of its almost worthless securities, and the direc- tion of the legal proceedings was devolved upon Mr. Peck. Within two years the mortgages were foreclosed, the property sold and a work- ing plan of reorganization effected, and the great railroad system preserved unbroken. Such a feat of efficient and rapid reorganization of so large a railroad property is unparalleled. In September last Mr. Peck resigned the general solicitorship of the Atchison system to become the general counsel of the Chi- cago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Company. United States Judge Caldwell, of the Seventh Circuit, in accepting his resignation, asked that he still give to the Atchison reorganization com- mittee the benefit of his counsel until the reor- ganization should be completed, and spoke of his connection with the receivership matters in terms of highest praise. Since his removal to Chicago Mr. Peck has been associated with John S. Miller and Merritt Starr in the law firm of Peck, Miller & Starr. Besides his connection with the receivership matters of the Atchison system, he was engaged in the foreclosure of the mortgage of the Jack- sonville & Southeastern line, and has recently been retained in connection with the reorgani- zation of the Northern Pacific Railroad. Amid the labors of the farm, the field, the bar, and of public afifairs, Mr. Peck has clicrishe' and in the hearts of their descendants and successors. All honor to their memory! We take pleasure in presenting the few facts of the foregoing sketch that we were able to glean, because the subject fully deserves this honorable mention and much more. Not only "line upon line and precept upon precept" are needed, but also example upon example, prop- erly to impress upon the minds of most people the importance of all the excellencies of character. \ /^^^ /^^. RErnESENTATrVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 535 HEMAN A. BARNARD, HEMAN ALLEN BARNARD was bom at Hyde Park, Vermont, January 13, 1826. His parents were Asa and Deborah (Taylor) Bar- nard, the former a farmer by occupation, who had been a participant in the battle of Plattsburg dur- ing the war of 1812, and both members of old New England families. Our subject passed his boyhood in his native village until he was ten years of age, at which time he removed with his parents to Burlington, where he continued his studies and resided until he at- tained his majority. For five years he served an apprenticeship as a millwright at Winooski Falls, Vermont, with the firm of Edwards & White, and at the expiration of that time was employed by them in erecting mills in New England and Can- ada. In this capacity he continued for two years, an-d then, in company with a Mr. Wander, estab- lished a fumitiu-e factory, planing and saw mill at Cowensville, Canada, under the firm name of Warner & Barnard. The business was conducted prosperously for two years, and then tlie estab- lishment was destroyed by fire, which resulted in the separation of the partners. Mr. Barnard moved West, where he intended taking up land in Iowa and turning his attention to agricultural pursuits. Instead of doing this, however, he came to Rock Island, reaching that city in the fall of 1854, and removed the following spring to Mo- line, where he worked at his trade. In 1858 he and L. E. Hemingway established a chair factory at Moline, and in i860 J. B. Wyckof? was added to the firm, and in this year was founded what is known as the Barnard & Leas Manufacturing Company. In 1871 the business was incorporated under the present title, and, adding mill building to their business, continued in what has proven a most prosper- ous career. The capital stock of tlie company is three hundred thousand dollars, with a sur- plus of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, and their goods, which include everything neces~ sary to equip a mill, are sold all over the world. Mr. Barnard has been president of the company since its incorporation; Mr. Leas is vice-presi- dent; Charles A. Barnard, the son of our subject, is the secretary; and W. C. Bennett, now mayor of the city of Moline, is treasurer. Most of the products of the factory are ma- chines of Mr. Barnard's invention, and include wheat separators, flour-packers, roller mills, bolt- ing-machines, purifiers, dust collectors and the like. On these of course patents were obtained, and their great practical utility has resulted in an enormous sale, and a corresponding success to the company. In addition to his manufacturing interests at Moline, Mr. Barnard is a stockholder and the vice-president of the Salt Lake Mill and Elevator Company, located at Salt Lake City, Utah. He is also a director in the First National Bank of Mo- line, one of the sound financial institutions of the State. While always interested in public affairs, Mr. Barnard is not a politician. He is a strong Re- publican, and in the past has filled local elective offices, having been a member of the town board for several years, and its president when the city was incorporated. Later he served as alderman. To every project calculated to advance the pros- perity of Moline, Mr. Barnard is a warm friend, and has contributed largely toward the upbuild- ing of that city. Though he attends closely to his business he has found time to travel extensively, and has not only been all over the United States but has also made two trips abroad, — one on business, the other for pleasure. He has been twice married. His first wife, who was Miss Adelia Boright, of Canada, to whom he was united in 1849, died in 1856, leav- ing one son, Charles A. In i860 Mr. Barnard was married to Aliss Emily Sober, of Ypsilanti, Michigan. Of this union have been born five children: Stella, now Mrs. B. F. Towndrow, of Salt Lake City; Frank, Harry, Agnes and Ruth. The family attend the Congregational church. 536 ISIOGHAPnWAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT QALLERT OF THE JOHN HUY ADDAMS, FREEPORT. AS a representative cif the class of substantial buiklers of a great commonwealth who served faithfully and long in the enterprising West, we present the subject of this sketch, who was a pioneer of the Prairie State and nobly did his duty in establishing and maintaining the ma- terial interests, legal status and moral welfare of his community, and exerted a great influ- ence throughout his adopted State as a legislator. He was a native of the State of Pennsylvania, born at Sinking Spring, in Berks county, July 12, 1822. His parents, Samuel and Catharine (Huy) Addams, were also natives of the Keystone State, and thus our subject was thoroughly American in blood and training. In his youth he was edu- cated at an academy at Trappe, and subsequently at Upper Dublin, that State, he learned the trade of miller, which he afterward followed during the early part of his active life. At the age of twenty-two years, namely, in 1844, he married Miss Sarah Weber, and with his bride came to the wild West, settling in Cedarville, near Freeport, Illinois, where he purchased a tract of land and a grist and saw mill, run by water-power, and he proceeded to establish and maintain a comfortable home for himself and family by at- tending both the farm and the mills; and, being a man of energy and comprehensive judgment, he succeeded well. His upright methods of dealing and his reli- able judgment in all matters of public interest in due time led to his election as a representative of his district in the Senate of the Illinois General Assembly (in 1854), first as a Whig and ever after- ward as a Republican; and he was continuously re-elected until he had served for the unprece- dentedly long period of sixteen years, and he would have been re-elected still again had he not positively refused to serve longer. His record as a member of the senate stands as an illustrious example of a true patriot fully as bright as that of any soldier on the battle-field. Accumulating at length a handsome amount of property after his location in Illinois, he broad- ened his operations, and finally established the Second National Bank of Freeport (in 1865), of which he was the president until his death, conducting its affairs in a manner worthy of his reputation as a financier and as a business man. By the marriage already referred to Mr. Addams had the following children: Mary C, who mar- ried Rev. J. M. Lino, and died in 1894, leaving four children : J. Weber, now a resident at Cedar- ville; Sarah Alice, who became the wife of Dr. H. W. Haldcman and is now residing at Girard, Kansas; and Jane, a resident of Chicago, where she is superintendent of the Hull House, at 335 South Halsted street, of which she is the founder. It is one of the noblest, most well-known and effi- cient benevolent institutions in that great city. Mrs. Addams died in 1863, and in 1868 Mr. Ad- dams married Mrs. Anna H. Haldeman, of Free- port, who as the sun'iving widow is now living at Cedarville. Mr. Addams was a regular attendant of the Presbyterian church, benevolent in his disposi- tion and practice, looked upon the bright side of life, and by his example produced only good ef- fects and influences upon all with whoin he came in contact. He died August 17, 1881, loved and respected by a large community about his home and a wonderfully large circle of acquaintances throughout the great State of Illinois. (^■/.(f^^ HEPRESEMTATIVB MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 537 RICHARD J. OGLESBY, C GENERAL RrCHARD JAMES OGLESBY, f so distiiiguisht'd in Illinois and the whole country as a soldier and statesman, was l)om in Oldham county, Kentucky, on the 25th of July, 11^24. 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 Isabella Wat- son, were of the sturdy stock of pioneers, who tliough not rich had the comforts of life, and were not the victims of that want ofteq incident to a new country. The resources of his father's farm enabled the family to live in comparative ease and comfort till 1833, when by a visitation of the chol- era 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, and depend- ent upon tlie 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 h'n uncle sent him to live with his two sisters, Mrs. Prather and ^Irs. Peddicord, in Decatur, Illinois; and in that village, town and city, with its growth and development, he steadih- advanced from the obscurity of childhood to a distinction of man- hood, 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 flash upon the world as a meteor; but develop and grow like other substantial creations. The crash of i837lcft every business interest in ruin.conmiercial disaster and bankruptcy everywhere, especially in Illinois, which was then struggling from the bar- barism of wild woods and unbroken prairies to cultivated fields and work-shops. Farming was the only resource for the needy and industrious; and into that vocation he entered with zeal and alacrity. He had 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 returned 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 in Decatur and availed himself of the limited means then within reach of obtaining an educa- tion in a new country. Although Governor Oglesby was not blessed with the facilities of ac- quiring classical and exact learning, he has edu- cated himself in the higher and better functions of mental equipment. He has disciplined his mind in the power of investigation and continued and trained thought; and, after all, those are the ends of education — mental discipline. Knowl- edge is not necessarily education. Some men of the widest range of information are the most helpless in the struggle of thought. At the age of nineteen he concluded that Illi- nois was the place to farm, and not to build houses; so he in company with Mr. Lenmel Allen rented a farm, and among other crops raised a lot of hemp, which proved the everlasting ruin of the firm of Oglesby & Allen. In the preparation of their hemp for market it was necessary that they should rot the stalk, and to that end they built a dam across a small branch that flowed through the village, for the purpose of making a pond. The pond subserved the piu-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 Governor at farm- ing until at the end of his long public life he re- tired to his farm near Elkhart. The campaign of 1840 was the first political con- test which seriously attracted his attention, having heard Lincoln and Douglas in joint debate in that year. Being of a Whig family he naturally co- incided with Mr. Lincoln. At the time of their first acquaintance the disparity in their years pre- vented a very intimate association; but as Mr. Oglesby matured to manhood the influence of that difference disappeared, until he and Mr. Lincoln 538 DioanAPnicAL dwttonart and portrait oallkrt of the became, in public and private life, as cordial and confidential as possible. At the time of Mr. Lincoln's death the Governor was at the city of W'ashinfjton, and was among the first who stood at the bedside of the distinguished martyr. He who, as boy, listened with rapt attention to his arguments a quarter of a century before, now held his hand as he unsuccessfully struggled with that enemy whose inevitable victory terminated the mo.st illustrious career of the century. If Mr. Lincoln had any consciousness after the fatal shot, it is probable that his family and Governor Oglesby were the last who faded from his vision. From Governor Oglesby's boyhood he was remarkable in powers of conversation and public speaking, and as a result of that faculty his atten- tion and taste were very early directed to the bar as the vocation of his life. In pursuance of a plan matured some time previous, in 1844, he com- menced the study of law with Mr. Silas W. Rob- bins, of Springfield. Mr. Robbins had a fine standing at the bar, and was regarded as one of the best at the capital. Although Mr. Oglesby's intellect had not been directed by the discipline of hard study in the schools, he had a studious and thoughtful mind, which being influenced by 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 county, where he practiced with success until the breaking out of the Mexican war in 1846. He was among the first to volunteer in the de- fense of his country. Governor Oglesby, although not educated as such, is a soldier of rare quali- fications. He combines the ardent love of coun- try, which in him is an absolute enthusiasm, with calm, cool courage, and a wise and discreet judg- ment. Yet with all these, like General Grant, he hates war. It has no allurements for him, beyond the successful maintenance of the honor of his country. He is brave but not fearless, and in reply to an officer of the late war who said to him, "General, there is always a supreme mo- ment of joy in a fight and that is when it is at its full height," "No," answered Oglesby; "that is not the supreme moment of joy with me; it is when the battle is over and we have whipped them. I was never in a battle that I was not at some time badly frightened, but I was impelled by the necessity of a victory and my sense of linnor to overcome and subdue my fear." At the time he volunteered he was twenty-one years old, and was elected first lieutenant of Company C, Fourth Illinois, commanded by Colonel E. D. Haker. Lieutenant Oglesby was a great favorite of Colonel Baker, as he was of every one who ap- preciated the highest and best qualities of true manhood. The; regiment marched more than seven hundred miles through the interior of 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 the left wing of the regiment. Colonel Baker was one of the most brilliant, ambitious and brave men of the Ameri- can army, and appreciated the position of dangei" as the post of honor in a great battle. In order to be just to his feeling of friendship for Lieu- tenant Oglesby, he assigned his company to the position of danger, and was particular in com- nnmicating to the object of his affections the fact that he had been favored with the position, where the battle would be the "hottest" and where he would have the opportunity of shedding addi- tional glory on the profession of arms. The brave lieutenant thanked the chivalric colonel, thinking, no doubt, a few more such friends and my chances for being one of the survivors of the war would be 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 distinction to it, for the gallant services it had rendered. On his return he settled at Decatur, and com- menced what he supposed would be an uninter- rupted career of professional labor; but he 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 Siaicramento City in ninety-five days. The Govern- oir performed the important function of driving a six-nuile team the entire distance, nineteen hun- dred miles. During his stay in California he worked hard and diligently, and at the end of tu'o vears returned home with a considerable sum REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 539 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 campaignis of 1848 and 1852 he excited 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 spiiirit of travel and advenitiire which led him in defenise of his ccuntr)' across the sterile plains of Mexico, and later through the gorges of the Rocky mountains in quest of gokl, had simply slumbered during the years of his practice from 1851 to 1856. He had long dreamed and talked of a trip to Europe, Asia and Africa. He was particularly fascinated with the idea of foreign travel from a c'lnversation which he had \vith 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, 1856, he left this country for a journey to Europe, Eg}-pt, Arabia, Palestine and other points in the East. Mr. Oglesby went in the spirit of a true traveler, 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, Irelajid 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, Dres- den, Vienna and Trieste. From the last place he sailed to Alexandria to indulge in the myster>' of an ancient but wonderful civilization. Late in Januar)', 1857, Mr. Oglesby 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 the "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. Oglesby joined a caravan to cross the desert, consisting of ten travelers, two dragomen, eleven Bedouins and thirty-two camels. The 30th of March, 1857, they left Cairo for the Holy Land. The journey across the 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 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 desert as one of surpassing splendor. During his stay in Jerusalem Mr. Oglesby visited all places and vil- lages of scripttu-al interest near the city, and studied with care and re\'erence the history of these holy places. He traveled through Palestine and Syria from Jerusailem to Damascus. From Damascus they set out for Beyrout, halting on the way between Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon to see the wonderful temple of Baalbek. Arriving in Beyrout three days later, Mr. Oglesbv set sail for Constantinople. After five days spent in Con- stantinople he sailed for Athens. Two weeks were spent in this classic city when he took ship on his last voj'age on the Mediterranean for Naples; from there he visited Rome, Florence, Milan, Venice and other Italian cities. In the prosecution of his travels as indicated by the foregoing route, he was most dihgerbt in study and observation; and when he returned to this country he was one of the best informed travelers of the places he saw, of all the Americans who had then visited the East. The Governor has eminent qualifications as a traveler, observation of the most thorough and exhaustive kind, and great ability to describe and interestingly portray the scenes and incidents of a tour. After his return home in December, 1857, at the request of local committees, he delivered sev- eral lectures on his obseir\'ation abroad which were highly entertaining and instructive. The winter of 1858 was the formative period of the elements, which marked with such peculiar sig- nificance the campaign of 1858, in which Mr. 540 BIOOIiAPUICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY OF THE Lincoln and Senator Douglas discussed with such marked ability the political issues centering in, and dependent upon, the question of slavery. That comflict had been intensified and embittered bevond the fears of consen-atives and the hopes of the Radicals, by the repeal of the Missouri Com- promise, which public opinion had been taught to regard as one of the safeguards of domestic I)cace. Although Governor Oglesby was anti- slavery in sentiment he was conservatively so, being a "Henry Clay Whig." At the time he went abroad in April, 1856, the Repubhcan party as a distinct political party had not been formally organized in Illinois. It was the policy of the Republican party to strengthen itself in those lo- calities where in the previous election it had been weak. In the Congressional district nmning from Logan and Macon counties on the northwest to Clark on the southeast the Democracy was largely in the majority, and this district the Re- publicans sought to carry by nominating Gov- ernor Oglesby against Mr. James C. Robinson, who was then, as he alwaj's was, one of the most popular men of the State. Tlie district was made strongly Democratic and the infusion of a large pro-slavery element from the Whig party in- creased the ascendency of Democratic sentiment. The Governor was at that time thirty-four years old, with the culture of some years" practice at the bar, an active participation in t^^'o national can- vasses and the thought and reflection incident to nearly two years of study and travel abroad. In his boyhood he had shown indications that in his latent and undeveloped resources, there slum- bered the ability of achieving great success in the licklof popular oratory. Hisspeeches in campaigns in whicli he had participated captivated the atten- tion of the crowd and excited their admiration for the man if not for the principles which he advo- cated. Those elements combining made him most fonnidable as a political antagonist; and although he largely diminished the majority, he was by the result of the election permitted to pur- sue the even tenor of his way in the practice of the law. Mr. I-incoln shared the same fate as his friend Oglesby, and they both had to wait un- til i860 for a personal triumph. The canvass which Governor Oglesby made against Mr. Rob- inson, both in its results and in the effective mode in which the Governor prosecuted it, made him one of the most popular Republicans of the State, so that in i860 he was placed in nomination by the Republicans for the State Senate in a district composed of eight counties. This, too, was a Democratic district, and it was the forlorn hope which the Republican candidate was expected to carry. This campaign in its results showed that the Governor combined in an eminent degree the elements of a popular leader, as, not only was he elected but he received more votes in the district than Mr. Lincoln. This was the first political of- fice ever held by him; and the breaking out of the war brought its incumbency to a sudden tennina- tion. The legislature to which he was elected convened on the 7th of January, and terminated on the 2ist of February. After the bombardment of Fort Sumter the legislature was called in extra session by Governor Yates, and met on the 21st of April, 1861. After a brief session of a few days the legislation incident to the war was com- pleted and the General Assembly adjourned. Under the call of the President, made on tlie 15th of April, Illinois was required to furnish si.x regiments. The troops were rendezvoused at Springfield and were formed in regiments during the brief session of the legislature. On the last day of the session, the Eighth Regiment held an elec- tion and unanimously chose Oglesby for colonel. The fact was immediately communicated to him as he sat in the Statehouse. Without a moment's hesitation he repaired to Camp Yates, and, amid the wildest shouts of exultation and joy on the part of the soldiers, he rode in front of that tliou- sand men, bowing his acknowledgments of grat- itude for the compliment of his election. His emotions were not withr;ut conflict and struggle. He had no taste for war beyond the requirements of patriotic duty, but to that duty with all the determination of his soul he exchanged his seat in the Senate for the camp of tlie soldier. In the fall of 1861, he was placed in command of Cairo and Bird's Point, then the most southern posi- tions occupied by the Federal army. Governor Oglesby was in command at Cairo when General Grant was ordered to Cairo to take command at tliat 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 REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 541 extreme. They soon 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 struggle, on the 14th of February, 1862. This w,as the first substantial Union victory up to that time. In 1862 Colonel Oglesby was appointed Brigadier-General by President Lincoln, for gal- lantry at the battle of P'ort Donelson, taking rank as such from April i, 1862. In the autumn of 1862, the great battle of Corinth was fought on the 3d and 4th of October. General Oglesby commanded a brigade in that fight, and on the afternoon of the first day fell upon the field, as was then thought, mortally wounded, the ball hav- ing passed under the left arm through the lungs and lodged near the spine. He passed six months of intense suffering 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 inscrutable laws which govern the issues of life and death. At the time he was wounded every surgeon who saw him, except his own. Dr. Trowbridge, 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 such physical agony endured by mortal man. His strong, stalwart form wasted to a skeleton, and for nearly six months his days and nights were a ceaseless siege of suffering. I'.ut all at once there came a change for the bet- ter; and those who beheld him, as they supposed, for the last time, saw him in a comparatively short space of time delivering at the capital one of the most thrilhng war speeches of the era. In con- sideration 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 re- turned to active duty in April, but was compelled because of his physical condition to tender his resignation in July, 1863, which was not ac- cepted ; but he was granted a leave of absence and returned home. After a short time he was de- tailed as president of a general court-martial, which sat in Washington from December, 1863, to May, 1864, trying some of the most important cases then pending in the military service. In the early spring of 1864, the question who should be the Republican candidate for gov- ernor became the absorbing topic of conversa- tion, thought and publication. Some of the pa- pers had made favorable mention of his name, but no decisive indication could be discerned, as there were several candidates of reputation, standing, and ability. As the time of the convention ap- proached, the signs became much more favor- able, and when, on the 25th of May, the conven- tion met he was nominated on the first ballot by an overwhelming majorit\-. 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. He made a most vigorous and effective campaign, speaking in every county in the State. Although the State had gone Demo- cratic in 1862, he was elected by a majority of more than thirty thousand. He succeeded Gov- ernor Yates in January, 1865, to perform the re- sponsible 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 administrator of the high and 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 qualities of a very man among men." The Chicago Trib- une of January 18, 1865, says of his inaugural: "The address is a manly, straightforward doc- mnent, 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 Fort Donelson and Corinth, will dis- tinguish his administration as governor." Governor 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 com- mon sense and devotion to what he believes to be 542 TilOnnAPnJCAL DWTrONARV and POTtTTtATT GALLKRY OF THE rig-lit and just, that never fails or falters in its di- recting- power. At the end of his term, those who elected him, with those who voted against him, imited in the general ciilogium that he had given the State a wise, just and honest administration of its executive branch of the government. He was made president of the National Lincoln Monu- ment Association, organized May ii, 1865, which labored assiduously until it obtained the means to erect to the martyred president an enduring memorial worthy to mark his last resting place and to hold the ashes of the illustrious dead. This stately mounment was so far completed that it was formally dedicated, and the beautiful statue of Lincoln unveiled, October 15, 1874, the governor delivering the dedicatory address. The Spring- field Journal said : "There seems a peculiar pro- priety that Lincoln's ardent friend and admirer, the eloquent 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 become historic." At the end of the first term he retired to pri- vate life, but the disturbed condition of poli- tics incident to the "Liberal movement" re- quired that the Republican party should put at the head of its column a man who would not only command the respect and confi- dence of the people but excite the enthusi- asm of the masses; so in 1872 he was nomi- nated for governor the second time. He again made a thorough canvass of the State, and was ag-ain elected by over forty thousand majority. At the ensuing meeting of the legislature he was the unanimous choice of the Republican mem- bers, and was elected to the Senate of the United States for a full term of six years. He served in the Senate until the 4th of IVLirch, 1879, and in that position, as in all others in which he has been called upon to discharge the duty and perform the trust of office, he was faithful and earnest. He was on several important committees of the Senate, and participated in the general business of Congress, voting on all and discussing such measures as required his immediate attention. His retirement to private life was not of long duration. In 1884 an election for governor was to be held in Illinois, and for the third time the public eye was set in the direction of Governor Ogksby. To be a candidate three times was something phenomenal in the politics of a State where the term lasted four years; and some com- plaints were made ag-ainst a "third term ;" but the constituency in the nu-al precincts which had listened with admiration to his matchless oratory on the stump came to his rescue, and for the third time he was unanimously noniinated for govern- or. For the tliird time he took the stump as a candidate for governor, traveling again into nearly every county in the State, if not all, discussing the questions of the campaign in a style that com- manded the attention of every audience, whether in the cosmopolitan city of Chicago or among the rural auditors of Southern Illinois. He was again elected governor and entered upon his third term in January, 1885. The condition of things had changed since his former terms as governor. The city of Chicago had grown from a city of three hundred thousand to a city of nearly a million, and as a consequence of that extraordinary growtli it had gathered some of the worst elements of society. The civilized world has sought it with its variegated shades of political thought, from the man who sings with the gusto of his native land, "God save the Queen," to the man who shouts in the wildness of the mob, "Down with the police." This is the exotic thought of Chicago; and between those two extremes there is e-vt;ry tendency of political opinion, some of which is not distinctly American. For years under a lax and reckless administration of the city government, the anarchical tendency of a portion of the population had not only not been restrained, but it had taken encouragement, until under the guise of freedom of speech and the liberty of the press, insubordination of the law and the constituted authorities, were openly proclaimed and advocated in public meetings. In May, 1886, a collision between the police and one of those disorderly crowds occured, in which several of the police were killed, and for that killing eight of the leaders of the mob were indicted. In the summer of 1886, after a trial lasting months, they were convicted and sentenced to be hanged in November^ 1886. During the ex- citement incident to the killing, trial and execu- tion, a very dangerous condition of society ex- isted in Chicago, which under the executive super- REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 543 vision of the governor was most judiciously man- aged by tlie municipal authorities of the city. After the conviction tlie whole responsibility de- volved upon the executive. The situation de- manded 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 defendants, although the same in technical and legal guilt, differed in some particulars in moral turpitude. The matter from its inception had attracted tlie attention of the civilized world, and after the con- viction the interest had become more intense. The anxiet)' of the public as to what would be done by the governor increased as the time ap- proached. The sentiment which regarded the con- viction as just, and the execution as necessary to a vindication of the power and authority of the State to deal with lawlessness, was apprehensive that the sentence would be mitigated to imprison- ment for life; while those who were actuated by sentiments of mercy were afraid it would be exe- cuted on all the prisoners. The situation was one of trial and responsibility, and never before in the history of an American State was there such a case. The Governor heard with great patience both sides of the question in connection with a full and complete examination of all the testi- mony which had been heard, extending through many weeks of the protracted trial. After a ma- ture investigation and study of the case, he com- muted the sentence of two to imprisonment for life, and permitted the law to take its course witli the five others. This decision was regarded by the best element of society, not only in Illinois, but alsri throughout the country, as WMse and just. His third term as governor closed in January, 1SS9, Governor Fifer having been elected his suc- cessor. He now determined to quit public life forever, and to that end moved to a beautiful farm near Elkhart, Logan county. In the election of 1888 he was again most efficient on the stump, making speeches during the entire campaign in the principal cities and towns of the State. At the election which was held in Illinois in tlie fall of 1890,- a legislature was elected whose duty it was to elect a United States senator for the term commencing on tlie 4th of Marcli, i8gi. Neither of the great political parties had a majority, and the result was a pro- tracted struggle extending to near the close of the session. Governor Oglesby received the Re- publican nomination and was supported most cordially by everj' member of the party as long as there was any hope of his election. It was a dis- tinguished compliment to a long life of honest, patient and efftcient discharge of public duty. Upon his retirement at the end of his third' term Governor Oglesby had no desire or purpose to enter public life again, and the fact that he was nominated and supported by the Republicans of the legislature without his solicitation makes the compliment the more gratifying. Although he has spent mucli of his time in cfScial duty, the hearth- •stone and home of private life is to him the cher- ished spot of human existence. He was married in 1859 to Miss Anna E., daughter of Joseph White, of Decatur. After his marriage his wife shared \\itli 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 receiv- ing the news of his condition in the battle of Corinth, she started to the scene of suffering, and by the assistance of Doctor Trowbridge she suc- ceeded in bringing him to Decatur, when every- body except her and the doctor thought every moment would be his last. Mrs. Oglesby was of feeble constitution, and in j\Iay, 1868, while the Governor was serving his first term, she died, leav- ing two children: Robert Oglesby, of Decatur; and Olive, now Mrs. Snyder, of Kansas City. In 1873, after his election to the senate, he was married to Mrs. Keyes, eldest daughter of the late Mr. John D. 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 London. Upon the death of her father, Mrs. Oglesby inherited a portion of this estate, and in connection witli the lands owned by tlie Governor they now have "Oglehurst,"' which is one of the most valuable and delightful possessions of caitral Illinois. She is a lady ofrare qualifications and is well worthy to be the wife of 544 nronnAPUTrAL DTCTTONAnr and pournATT oallery of the her distin.sniislied Inisbaiul. They have an in- teresting- family of chilch-cn, cnc daughter, Miss Emma Louise, and three sons, Richard, John and Jasper. The foregoing sketch represents the leading incidents in the career of a man who is better kiKwn to the people of Illinois than perhaps any public man who has appeared in its history. It may be doubted whether the citizens of Illinois as a mass knew as much of Mr. Lincoln, though his fame is as broad as the domain of civilization, as of Governor Oglcsby. Commencing in 1852, he has been one of the active men in politics for forty years. He has been honored by public and ofiicial confidence beyond the measure of any public man in the State. In 1846 he was a lieu- tenant in the army; in i860 he was a senator in the legislature; in 1861 he was appointed colonel; in 1862 he was made a brigadier-general; in 1863 he was miade a major-genefal: in 1864 he was elected governor; in 1872 he was again elected governor; in 1873 he was elected United States senator; in 1884 he was for the third time elected governor; and in 1891 received tlie unanimous nomination of his party as its candidate for the United States senate. In all of these positions he lias been faithful and efficient, bringing to the dis- charge of his duty the highest and best qualities (>f his nature. He is now and always has been the most popular among the masses of citizens; and, like Mr. Lincoln, loves to appeal to their broad sense of justice and right. He despises the in- trigues of party manipulation. He was the trusted and faithful friend of Mr. Lmcoln, General Grant and Judge David Davis. They had in him the most explicit confidence for all the obligations of peace and war; and while he is a strong partisan, his political opponents give him the credit of hav- ing in the highest degree the two cardinal virtues of a public servant — honesty and capability. He is among the last of a race of public men who have given glory to the State and grandeur to the na- tion. With him closes an era in politics, which for importance in the history of the nations, in the development of liberty, in the achievements of men, has no parallel in the annals of time. Tlie dedication of Mr. Lincoln's momument by Gov- ernor 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 ora- tor of the occasion. They had been personal and political friends for more than a third of a century, in peace and 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, ele- vated and enlightened by the purity and splendor of his administration and public services, cannot fail to fix his place amongst those who shall rank highest in their veneration. He has gone to the firmament of Washington and a new light shines down upon his beloved countrymen from the American constellation." The orator himself has built 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 and best interests of the State, as are exhibited in the private and public life of Richard James Oglesby. REPRESENTATIVE MEN OP THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 545 FRANK HENRY BUDDE, BELLEVILLE. THE honored subject of this review, in the exercise of the high functions of a holy office, has accompHshed much in the uphfting of his fellowmen, and is a man of ripe scholarshij) and higli attainments, and one to whom specific recognition should assuredly be made in this connection. He was born in Dusseldorf, Rhenish Prussia, on the I5tli of September, 1855, being the fifth in order of birth of the six children of Christ r.uiide. His preliminary education was secured in the parochial schools of his native place, and he thereafter entered the high school, where he • graduated in 1879. He had determined to pre- ]iare himself for the priesthood, and with this end in view he became a student in the Univer- sity of Luvene, where he completed a thorough course in theology and philosophy. He was ordained to the priesthood on the 19th of May, 1883, at Simpelveld, Holland, Bishop Laurent officiating. Father Budde arrived in the United States in 1883, in Se])tember of which year he located at Ouincy, Illinois, where he served as assistant priest until September, 1884, when he w-as in- stalled as rector of the church at Olney, Illinois, retaining this incumbency until May, 1888, when he came to the cathedral in Belleville as assist- ant. He was made rector on the first of Novem- ber of the same year, and has since continued in that capacity, utilizing every means for the advancement of the spiritual and temporal pros- perity of his parish and retaining the respect and afifection of those to whom he ministers, and the high regard of all who appreciate his sterling character and his earnest endeavors in his holv calling. October 22, 1895, he was appointed rector of St. Mary's Church at Mt. Carmel, Wa- l)ash county, Illinois. His executive ability is exceptional, and the cathedral parish has been most prosperous during his administration. He is devoted to his work, in which he brings to bear his great intellectual and moral forces as well as the underlying sympathy and charity whicli are basic elements of his character. Such effective labor never fails of its reward. 540 niOORAPI/TCAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT OALLERY OF THE JOHN CHAUNCY TRAINOR, JOHN C. TRAINOR was I)orn at Watertowii, Jefferson county, New York, May i8, 1858, his parents being James and Catherine Trainor, of Watertown, where his father still re- sides, on the old homestead, his mother having died in 1873, when he was fifteen years old. His youth was spent in his native place, and tliere he received his early education, upon the comple- liiiii of which he began the study of law in the office of Haiuiibal Smith, who was the principal of the Watertown high school wdien young Trainor first entered that institution. He taught the village school at East Rodman, in his native county, during the winter terms of 1878-9, after which he resumed the study of law in the office of Edmund B. Wynn, general counsel for the Rome, Watertown & Ogdensburg Railroad Com- pany, and was admitted to the bar at the gen- eral term of the supreme court held at Syracuse, New York, January 6, A. D. 1882. Mr. Trainor came to Chicago August 27, 1883, and located at Kensington, at that time a suburb of_ the city adjoining Pullman, in the town of Hyde Park ; and after establishing a good practice he moved into the city, 70 La Salle street, his ])resent office, his residence still being at Ken- sington, in the Thirty-fourth ward. October 14, 1880, he was united in marriage to Miss De Ette M. Cavanaugh, of Watertown, New York, grand-daughter of Chandler C. Chase. Miss Cavanaugh was an educated, refined and estimable young lady. In Sej)tember, 1893, Mr. Trainor lost his esteemed wife, who died of pneumonia, after a brief illness of only a few days. Mr. Trainor is a self-made man and justly re- garded as one of the prominent lawyers of Chi- cago. In politics he is a Republican. In per- sonal appearance he is O'f medium height, of pleasant address, a loyal friend, and in all places a gentleman. We bespeak for him a bright future. EPHRAIM BANNING, AMONG Illinois' honored native sons and Chicago's representative citizens stands Air. Banning, who by the exercise of his native abil- ities and those acquired through diligent effort, has secured a foremost place at the bar. He comes of a family noted for strong intellectuality and mental force, and, though deprived of many of the advantages which have aided in their life work some of the most eminent jurists of our country, he has made the most of his opportuni- ties, overcoming the difficulties and obstacles in his path, steadily working his way upward until he has left the ranks of the many and gained a place among the honored and successful few. His energies have not been dissipated over a wide field, but have been concentrated in a par- ticular line, and thus has he become known as one of the most able patent lawyers of the nation. In the courts of the country have been tried criminal cases which have attracted widespread attention, but no more absorbing interest has been elicitetl tlian b}' patent cases which have involved the claims to inventions of the utmost importance. These claims involve immense finan- cial interests, and the trial of such cases has come to be regarded as a special department of law. The successful patent lawyer must possess not only a broad and thorough knowledge of author- ities, able power as an advocate and a keen, comprehensive mind that t|uickl\- and surely masters the situation, but must also have con- siderable scientific knowdedge and mechanical ingenuity, for in this field of practice many com- plications are involved which demand the exer- cise of peculiar talents and a knowledge to be gained from peculiar experience, REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF THE UNITED STATES; ILLINOIS VOLUME. 54' From the farms of the nation have come many of the most prominent members of the legal fra- ternity. Ephraim Banning is a farmer's son and his childhood and youth were largely passed within the boundaries of the old home, where he early became familiar with the work of the fields. He was born near Bushnell, r^IcDonough county, Illinois, July 21, 1849. His father, a native of V^irginia, received few educational privileges in his youth, but became an honorable, respected farmer, possessed of a good fund of common . sense and an energetic spirit full of hope and courage. He removed to Kansas with his fam- ily during the early boyhood of our subject. Al- though a Virginian by birth and reared in that slave State, he became a stanch Abolitionist, identifying himself with that party when it was al- most dangerous to express one's opinions if ad- verse to slavery. Fearless in defense of what he believed to be right, it has become a matter of his- tory- that in his home met the committee of the convention which made Kansas a free State. The mother of Mr. Banning was a sister of the late Judge Pinkney H. Walker, of the supreme court of Illinois, a lady of much character and of an amiahle disposition who displayed much wisdom in rearing her children. Among the representatives of her people were a number of prominent men who attained distinction in the legal fraternity. Her father, Gilmer Walker, w as an able and honored lawyer, and his brother, Cyrus \\'alker, was one of the most distinguished legal practitioners of Kentucky, whence he re- moved to Illinois to win further honors at the bar of this State. When Ephraim Banning was about ten \ears of age the family went to Missouri. He early became familiar with the labors of farm life, and when, on the breaking out of the Civil war, his two older brothers enlisted for service in the Union army, he was left at home to aid his father in the cultivation of the fields. He became a self- reliant, energetic man, for those trying times de- veloped nature rapidly. He of course was deeply interested in the progress of the war, for his brothers were at the front and one gave his life in defense of his country at the battle of Nash- ville, while tlie other ser\'ed until the end of the struggle. As their home was in the midst of a frontier settlement the educational privileges which Ephraim received were not of the best. He attended the district schools of the neigh- borhood and was an apt student, his excellent scholarship being manifest by carr>-ing off prizes on a number of different occasions. He had mas- tered all the branches taught in the common schools at the age of seventeen, and the following year he had the opportunity which he eagerly seized, of further pursuing his studies in an acad- emy at Brookfield. Missouri, where he studied the languages and higher branches of learning ur.der the preceptorship of the Rev. |. W Fin- ley. D. D. Subsequently Mr. Banning engaged in school- teaching for a few months, and during that time also began the study of law, which he continued in the office of Hon. Samuel P. Huston, of P>rook- field. In the spring of 1871 he removed to Chi- cago and became a clerk and student in the law office of Rosenthal & Pence, securing admission to the bar in June, 1872, by the supreme court of Illinois. In October, following, ]\Ir. Banning opened an office, and with characteristic energy and determination entered upon the practice of his chosen profession. He was practicallv un- known in the city and could not depend upon influential friends to secure him a patronage. If he would rise it must be by his own merit. There were already thousands of law\ers in Chicago, with large established prac- tices, but he possessed courage and a laudable ambition, — qualities that are essential to suc- cess, and as the months passed his ability began to he recognized, and he succeeded in winning a liberal clientage as a general practitioner. Dur- ing this time he was retained as counsel in sev- eral cases where questions arose regarding pat- ent law. He was endowed by nature with a com- preh.cnsive mind and considerable mechanical in- genuity, and the intricate and scientific points of this branch of jurisprudence aroused his inter- est, and to patent law he began giving close at- tention. In 1877 he tried his first patent law- case before Judge Blodgett, and soon after with- drew entirely from general practice to devote himself exclusively to his specialty. Had he con- tinued to engage in general practice he would 548 ninORAPinCAL DTCTIONARY and roUTRAIT OALLERY. uii'kiubtctlly have won success; but fame, wlio bestows her favors charily, has crowned him with renown as a patent hiwyer and to-day he stands in the front rank among those who are connected with this department. In 1877 he formed a partnership with his brother, Thomas A. Banning, and under the firm name of Ban- ning & Banning they liave become widely known as successful patent attorneys. George S. Pay- son was admitted to a partnership in the business in 1888, and six years later was succeeded by Thomas F. Sheridan. Making a specialty of patent and trademark law, Ephraim Banning has during the last fifteen years, argued many important cases in the United States supreme court and in the Federal courts at Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Pittsburg, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Kaiisas City, St. Paul, Des Moines and other cities. From statistics gathered by a leading New England lawyer, it appears that during the last twelve or fifteen years his firm has argued more cases be- fore the United States supreme court than any other law firm, with one exception, in the West; and during the three years ending with 1892 it was fourth in the United States in the number of cases argued in the lower Federal courts. Possessed of a mind strong, logical and com- prehensive, and much mechanical skill, Mr. Ban- ning is exceptionally well ecjuipped for this kind of practice. Add to these his ripe and varied experience, and it will be apparent why he stands with but few rivals in the West in this branch of practice. In 1888 he made an extensive tour of Europe and by observation and special inves- tigation greatly extended his already thorough knowledge in his chosen field of study and prac- tice. Mr. Banning is connected with several social and benevolent clubs of Chicago, including the Union League, and is a member of the Ameri- can, State and Chicago Bar Associations, and other legal organizations, taking an active and commendable interest in all matters connected with the profession. He has recently been a member of a committee appointed by the Chicago Bar Association to secure legislation by Congress to give the Seventh Circuit an addi- tional United States Judge; and under the bill. jiasscd through the instrumentality of this com- mittee. Judge John W. Showalter now presides over the United States circuit court at Chicago. Mr. Banning also served as chairman of the conmiittee on organization of the patent and trademark congress held in this city in 1893 under the auspices of the World's Congress Auxiliary of the World's Columbian Exposi- tion, which congress was presided over by Judge Blodgett and participated in by many able an