USA > California > Los Angeles County > Los Angeles > A history of California and an extended history of Los Angeles and environs, Biographical, Volume III > Part 18
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When a young man, Judge Savage decided to take up the study of the law, and began his education along that line in the offices of promi- nent attorneys in McMinnville and Carthage, Tenn., being admitted to the bar in that state in February, 1877. In 1879 he removed to Texas, where he practiced his profession in Palo Pinto county, for twenty-five years thereafter being known as one of the leading attorneys of that section of the state, and being prominent in the winning of many important cases. Elected county attorney of Palo Pinto county in 1884, the Judge served two years in this office with much distinction, his continual study of the law and the exceptional success which has attended his career from the first having made him the fore- most man in his class in that part of the state. On account of ill health, brought on by overwork, he came to Southern California in 1905 and settled in Lankershim, where he has remained ever since, his first election to the office of Justice of the Peace in that township taking place in November, 1910, an office which he has held continuously since that date and which he has filled in a most able manner.
The Judge has been twice married, his first wife having been Miss Elizabeth Cardwell of Tennessee, now deceased, who became the mother of three daughters, Eva, Carrie and May, all of whom are now married and living in Tennessee. The second wife of Judge Savage was, before marriage, Mrs. Gertrude B. Christian; they had one daughter Lorena, now deceased.
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EDWARD McKAIN. A native of Ottawa, Canada, where he was born in November, 1862, the son of Thomas McKain, Edward McKain, now the president of the McKain Manufacturing Company in Los Angeles, Cal., received his early education in the public schools and in the high school, graduating from the Collegiate Institute at the age of nineteen years, after which he went to Buffalo, N. Y., and learned the trade of mill- wright with the John T. Noye Manufacturing Company. For six years he remained with the firm, then followed his trade in different cities of Oregon and Washington until the year 1888, when he came to Los Angeles. This was his second trip to this city, his first trip having been made in 1884 in the interests of the Edward P. Allis Company of Milwaukee, who had the contract to build the Capitol Milling Company's plant, this being the first roller flouring mill in this city. Upon coming to Los Angeles in 1888 he engaged with the Capitol Milling Company as millwright, where he remained for eight years, after which he went into business independently, in the man- ufacture of mill machinery, in which he has met with great success. The McKain Manufacturing Company, established by him, employs thirty-five men and manufactures a general line of mill machinery, doing business with customers in all parts of the Southwest. He is also president of the Los Angeles Engine Works, doing a general machine business.
On February 5, 1891, Mr. McKain was mar- ried to Miss Delia Reynolds in Los Angeles, and they are the parents of three children, Tom, Beatrice and Zylpha. Mr. McKain is a member of the Catholic Church and in his political prefer- ences is a Democrat. He is a member of the Sierra Madre Club of Los Angeles.
HON. LESLIE R. HEWITT. It would be impossible to present a record of Los Angeles from the standpoint of the law and omit there- from mention of one who, as attorney in private cases involving great issues, as an officer engaged in the service of the city or as a jurist in the superior courts, has accomplished much for the permanent benefit of the community, for the up- lifting of civic affairs and for the permanent establishment of local law and jurisprudence upon a firm basis. Therefore, the name of Judge
Hewitt is entitled to a place in the annals of the city where by far the greater part of his life has been passed and where his progressive spirit has been an element in many enterprises of permanent value. Creditable as has been his past achieve- ment it may be regarded as but the beginning of his career, for he is yet in the prime of mental and physical strength, with the possibility of years of continued usefulness in his chosen profession and in the public service. Although a resident of Los Angeles from boyhood, Washington is his native commonwealth, he having been born at Olympia, that state, September 12, 1867, a son of Randall H. and Ellen (Hewitt) Hewitt. From 1876 to 1882 he was a pupil in the Los Angeles grammar schools and from there was promoted to the high school, of which he is a graduate, class of 1885. Ambitious to secure the best advantages the state afforded from an educational standpoint, he entered the University of California and took the regular course of classical study in that in- stitution, of which he is a graduate in the class of 1890.
Admitted to practice in the courts of California August 8, 1893, Mr. Hewitt returned from San Francisco to Los Angeles, opened an office in this city and began the building up of a private prac- tice, in which he was fortunate to soon win the recognition his talents merited. During 1898 he entered the service of the city in the capacity of deputy city attorney, continuing as such until 1906, when he was promoted to be city attorney in recognition of his thorough knowledge of the law. As such he remained in office until 1910, and then received a merited recognition of past services in his election as state senator from the thirty-eighth senatorial district. In the senate from the first he labored for the best interests of the people and for measures he believed to be right. At no time has the district been represented by a senator more devoted to its welfare, more interested in measures for its progress or more intelligent as to the best methods to be employed for its permanent upbuilding. In this higher office he made good as he had when acting as deputy city attorney under Walter Haas and under City Attorney Mathews, or as assistant on the retirement of Herbert J. Goudge in 1906, and in the office of city attorney, to which he was clected in December, 1906, on the same ticket with Mayor Harper at the first non-partisan election. Re-elected in 1909, the following year he resigned
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as city attorney in order to accept an appointment as special counsel for the harbor. As a member of the consolidation commission in 1909 he and James A. Anderson had the honor of drawing up the consolidation act and he also acted as counsel for the city in the aqueduct project. It had been his intention to return to private practice at the end of 1913 or as soon as a decision was rendered by the supreme court in the famous tide-land cases, involving the claim of the city to twelve hundred acres of tide-lands valued at $50,000,000. However, his intentions relative to private prac- tice were changed when, without having become a candidate for the office, he was chosen, Novem- ber 4, 1913, as judge of the superior court of Los Angeles county, to succeed Hon. N. P. Conrey, who had been appointed presiding justice of the appellate court. Eminently qualified for the bench by reason of his fair and impartial mind and thorough knowledge of the law, it may be predicted that his success at the bar will be sup- plemented by an even greater distinction as a jurist and that any decisions rendered involving intricate questions will be regarded by higher courts as entitled to very great weight.
Aside from any consideration of Judge Hewitt from the standpoint of bench or bar or public service, but regarding him exclusively from the standpoint of social and personal attributes, it may be stated that he is eminently worthy of re- gard as private citizen, friend or neighbor. In his comfortable home on South Alvarado street, presided over with graciousness by his wife, Mrs. Mabel (Eastwood) Hewitt, he finds pleasure in the society of family and friends and in the enjoyment of good books and current periodicals. In reading, as in every phase of life, he is critical, satisfied with nothing less than the best and eager to broaden his mind by contact with the writings of men of deep thought. His clubs are the San Gabriel Valley Golf Club and the Union League, while fraternally he is a Knight of Pythias and a Mason of the thirty-second degree, besides which he is well known among the Shriners of Al Malaikah Temple.
NORMAN FOOTE MARSH. One of the leading architects of Los Angeles city and county, and in fact of the state, is Norman Foote Marsh, a resident of the beautiful suburb of South Pasa-
dena, with offices in the city. Mr. Marsh has been in business in Los Angeles since he came to California some fifteen years ago, and during that time has designed many handsome structures here and elsewhere, receiving in the course of his work several large commissions from Oakland and other of the Bay cities.
Mr. Marsh is a native of Illinois, born at Upper Alton July 16, 1871, the seventh son of Ebenezer and Kate (Provost) Marsh. He received his early education in the schools of Upper Alton, graduating from the high school in 1886. Follow- ing this he studied art, literature and science at Shurtleff College, Upper Alton, for a period of three years, later attending the University of Illinois, where he remained for five years, gradu- ating in 1897 from the school of architecture with the degree of Bachelor of Science. He is one of three men, graduates of the school of archi- tecture of the University of Illinois, who were made honorary members of the Illinois Chapter of the National Students Architectural Fraternity Alpha Rho Chi.
After completing his work at the University Mr. Marsh went to Chicago, Ill., as engineer for the American Luxfer Prism Company. He remained with this firm for three years, represent- ing them in various cities, including New York, Chicago and Philadelphia.
It was in 1900 that Mr. Marsh determined to come to California. Upon resigning his position with the American Luxfer Prism Company he came directly to Los Angeles, where he began his career as an architect, and in the meantime has risen rapidly to prominence in his profession. He first formed a partnership with J. N. Preston under the firm name of Preston & Marsh, and during the year that this lasted they made a specialty of handsome residences, and won for themselves an enviable standing in the city. At the end of the year the partnership was dissolved, and Mr. Marsh became associated with C. H. Russell under the firm name of Marsh & Russell.
This association continued for nearly six years, during which period they engaged in some of the most important architectural work in the south- west. The designing of the city of Venice was the work of this firm, and is probably the most unique effort of its kind, for Venice is known as a place of unusual originality of design and of distinctive beauty. It is, supposedly, patterned after the Italian city whose name it bears, and is
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penetrated in every direction by quaint canals which are spanned by artistic bridges of clever design. It is the only city of its kind on the Western Continent and stands a monument to its architects.
The partnership between Messrs. Marsh and Russell was dissolved in 1907, Mr. Russell going to San Francisco, while Mr. Marsh continued his business career in Los Angeles, and has since that time been working alone. He occupies a leading place among the local architects, and for the past few years has been making a specialty of public buildings, including schools, churches, libraries, etc., and some of the most beautiful and distinctive buildings in Southern California have been designed by him. Among these may be mentioned the Pasadena high school, of which Harlan Updegraff (specialist of school adminis- tration, Bureau of Education in Washington, D. C.) said that it is the finest school structure in the whole United States. Another equally notable example is offered in the Hollywood high school buildings, which constitute the first group high school to be built in this part of the country. Other buildings designed by Mr. Marsh are the First Methodist Church Long Beach, the First Baptist Church Pomona, the First Methodist Church Oakland, the University of Redlands, all of which are handsome modern fire-proof build- ings.
Probably the most noteworthy production of Mr. Marsh's entire career, as it is one of the most recent, is the Columbia Hospital, in Los Angeles, which has been acknowledged to be the finest structure of its kind west of New York City, and which compares favorably with anything in the metropolis. This hospital is modern in every detail and is equipped with every modern device known to science, including a system for washing the air as it enters the building, thus rendering it absolutely clean and scientifically pure.
There is scarcely a section of Los Angeles that does not hold some structure that is the handi- work of Mr. Marsh, and throughout the sur- rounding territory he is equally well represented. His designs are noted for their simple purity of outline, and their splendid atmosphere of digni- fied strength and stability. Many of the hand- somest homes in the city have been designed by him, while not a few of the latest business blocks and office buildings are also of his design.
Mr. Marsh is not a clubman, but he is intimately
associated with all interests which tend toward the upbuilding of the community, and is a favorite with a wide circle of friends. He is a thirty- second degree Mason. In South Pasadena, where he makes his home, he is actively associated with all civic movements and is recognized as a pro- gressive citizen. He is a member of the board of trustees for the local public library and chairman of the board of trustees for the Memorial Baptist Church, of which he is an influential member.
The marriage of Mr. Marsh to Miss Cora Mae Cairns took place in Polo, Ill., January 23, 1901. To them have come two children, Norman LeRoy and Marion Elizabeth Marsh.
FREDERICK WALKER STITH. Among the young men who contributed towards enhanc- ing the business and commercial importance of Los Angeles and Southern California we find the name of Frederick W. Stith, who from the time of his arrival in this city, in 1904, until his death on October 5, 1913, was accounted one of the most progressive men of the city. He was born in Carleton, Ill., July 21, 1869, the son of David and Mary Jane (Gorin) Stith. The father was one of the largest and best known cattlemen in the Panhandle district in Kansas and was descended from old Virginian families and some of them were the founders of William and Mary College. Like the founders of the name of Stith in the United States the later generations fol- lowed the westward trend of emigration from the Atlantic coast until the western shore of the con- tinent had been reached, and in each locality where they settled the name was a synonym for integrity and honesty.
Educated in the public schools of Illinois and Kansas, F. W. Stith shouldered the responsibili- ties of life at an early age. His first business venture was in Medicine Lodge, Kan., where he was engaged in the wheat business one year. With this experience to demonstrate his ability to handle larger undertakings he went to Attica, Kan., and became cashier of the Attica Exchange Bank, a position which he retained for the follow- ing three years. From this place he went to Pekin and Peoria, Ill., to accept a position as sales manager for the Acme Harvester Company, re- maining there and building up the business of the concern as well as making a financial start for
J. S. Schaefer
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himself until 1904, the year of his arrival in Southern California.
After a short time spent in looking over the prospects for a permanent location in Los An- geles Mr. Stith very soon saw the great possi- bilities for the city to expand in almost any branch of endeavor and accordingly he organized the F. W. Stith Company, general merchandise brokers, and from a small beginning built up a large and lucrative business, which was continued actively until his demise. The offices of the com- pany were located in the Higgins building and here the details of the business were carefully looked after by Mr. Stith. Nor was this enter- prise the extent of his usefulness, for he was a director in the National Bank of Commerce of Los Angeles, a stockholder in the Home Savings Bank, in both of which his previous experience in the banking business placed him in a position of importance with his fellow officials. Besides these interests he had other business connections of more or less importance, in fact no movement that had for its ultimate outcome the betterment of conditions for the city or its people ever found him lacking in enthusiasm as a supporter and many times he was the leader in such movements.
Mr. Stith found recreation in the associations of fellow members of the California and the Los Angeles Country Clubs. He was a Mason, and his funeral was conducted by this order. His political ideas were not confined to any one party, but in supporting men for leadership he voted for the man best qualified, in his judgment, for the place. On November 2, 1898, at Lacon, Ill., occurred the marriage of Mr. Stith with Miss Mary Josephine Barnes, a native of that state and daughter of George O. and Mary (Magoon) Barnes, Mr. Magoon being a prominent attorney and wealthy citizen of Illinois. To Mr. and Mrs. Stith was born one son, Richard Barnes Stith.
JOHN GOTTLOB SCHAEFER. The spec- tacular and the romantic have been so closely interwoven with the history of Los Angeles that the rapid rise of John G. Schaefer attracted perhaps less attention than would have been granted in an older community where fortunes are less readily made and lost. Certain it is that the splendid qualities of his mind, the amazing shrewdness of his foresight, the rare
intellect, the tireless physical and mental en- ergy and the remarkable judgment of men, marked him as a citizen of inestimable value to his chosen community. The story of success wrested from adverse environment is always interesting, and never more so than when the subject of the stirring and adventurous inci- dents was of foreign birth and education, lack- ing the advantages of those to "the manor born," and forced to struggle against a pitiless sea of circumstances. Such was the struggle of the young German, a stranger in the new world, without means or influence, yet pos- sessed of a most valuable asset in his stalwart frame and robust constitution, in his native ability and tireless perseverance and in his ex- cellent knowledge of business conditions char- acteristic of the German race. Perhaps he in- herited his remarkable ability from some un- known ancestor or it may be that he was the first of the name to attain distinguished emi- nence as a financier ; however that may be, it is not to be denied that his rise to success proved the versatile quality of his mental en- dowments as well as the striking opportunities afforded by Los Angeles to men of daring, business courage and tenacity in observing, studying and working out the problems con- nected with the growth of a great city.
Industrious but unknown and humble labor- ers in that famous kingdom of Germany known at Wurtemberg, Gottlob and Dorotha Schaefer passed their lives in the peaceful pursuits com- mon to their class and locality, evincing in their fine principles of honor and moral courage a splendid heritage from a long line of worthy Teutonic ancestry. Of their children the only one whose career touched and became inter- woven with the development of Los Angeles was John Gottlob, born at Steinoch, Wurtem- berg, June 24, 1864, educated in the national schools of Germany, apprenticed to the meat business in early life, and at the age of eighteen an emigrant to Toledo, Ohio, where a brother had preceded him. A stay of three years in the Ohio city proved most helpful to him, enabling him to acquire a knowledge of the English lan- guage and the American methods of transact- ing business. Removal to San Antonio, Tex., gave him an advantageous opportunity to em- bark in business. Meanwhile he studied con- ditions throughout the entire country and de-
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cided that the West afforded the most favorable opening for a young man. Acting upon that view he came to Los Angeles in 1888 and em- barked in the meat business, which he followed with success for fifteen years. It may be stated, however, that the large wealth which he accu- mulated did not come from business pursuits, hut from realty investments. In his judgment concerning land values he had few superiors. Seldom, indeed, did his opinion of lands prove to be at fault. With him to form an opinion was to act. Delay was distasteful to him. His mind acted quickly and it was not his policy to defer for future developments. In large de- gree this habit of prompt action was the key- note of his success.
With all of his large enterprises, entailing responsibilities that would have been appall- ing to men of less courageous temperament, Mr. Schaefer found leisure for identification with various Turner societies and German or- ganizations, and always was a leader among his countrymen in Los Angeles, enjoying their confidence to an unlimited extent and aiding them by his practical counsel and wise judg- ment. Sharing with him in the esteem of the German-American residents of the city was his wife, whom he married in San Antonio, Tex., January 6, 1888, and who was Miss Bertha Gross, a native of Konigsberg, Prussia, but from childhood a resident of the United States. Her interest in German societies has been as deep as his own, but her exalted conceptions of duty are not limited by race or creed, for like him she possesses an intelligence that is broad and humanitarian. After an illness of six weeks he passed away June 24, 1911, on the anniversary of his birth, and a few days later his body was laid to rest in Rosedale cemetery. Surviving him are Mrs. Schaefer and their two children, namely : Albert George, now the man- ager of the estate, which includes a ranch of three thousand acres, valuable Los Angeles property and other important possessions ; and Anna, the wife of Otto Kerscher, of Los An- geles.
GEORGE IRA COCHRAN. The prominent business men of Los Angeles have come from many distant cities, drawn hither by the equable
climate and the business chances in a new country. The president of the Pacific Mutual Life Insur- ance Company, George Ira Cochran, is a native of Canada, where he was born July 1, 1863, the son of Rev. George Cochran, D. D., and C. L. (Davidson) Cochran. His father, a prominent minister in the Methodist Episcopal Church, was sent as a missionary to Japan in 1873, his son, then a boy of ten years, accompanying him and spending the next six years of his life in that oriental country. Returning to Toronto in 1879, the father resumed his preaching in that city and the son entered Toronto Collegiate Institute, University of Toronto, and was later admitted as barrister-at-law at Osgoode Hall, Toronto. Coming to California, he practiced law in Los Angeles from 1888 to 1906, being attorney for the Los Angeles clearing house during the panic of 1893. In the year 1906 he became president of the Pacific Mutual Life Insurance Company, which office he continues to fill at the present time.
The Pacific Mutual Life Insurance Company of California, the largest life insurance company in the West, was organized at Sacramento, Cal., i11 1868, Senator Leland Stanford being its first president. Among the well-known names as- sociated with him were those of Mark Hopkins and Charles Crocker, both of whom are of rail- road fame. The head office of the company has been twice moved, first to San Francisco in 1881, thence to Los Angeles in 1906 after the earth- quake and fire at San Francisco, and here it has remained since that time; its present building on the corner of Sixth and Olive streets, a handsome structure with lawn and gardens adjoining, was crected exclusively for the use of this company and is one of the most securely built and well equipped home office buildings in the country. Though organized as a mixed company, in the management of which botlı stockholders and policyholders had a voice, the Pacific Mutual Life Insurance Company is now, with regard to its management, purely a stock company, its capital being $1,000,000. Yet the word "mutual" re- tained in the name is still applicable since the profits from the participating business are dis- tributed among the participating policyholders, the dividends of the stockholders coming from the non-participating business alone.
Besides his important position as president of the Pacific Mutual Life Insurance Company, Mr. Cochran has other varied and important claims
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