USA > California > San Francisco County > San Francisco > The builders of a great city : San Francisco's representative men, the city, its history and commerce : pregnant facts regarding the growth of the leading branches of trade, industries and products of the state and coast > Part 19
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WILLIAM T. GARRATT.
WILLIAM T. GARRATT.
HERE is no question that among the early Pioneers of California there were to be found more men of unusual en- ergy and enterprise than among any other like number of peo- ple. The story of the rich gold fields reached every part of the world, and while it roused the feeling of cupid- ity in some, in others it awakened a spirit of ambitious enterprise which has led to grand results.
There are no better examples for the young men of to-day to follow than many of those exemplified in the lives of the prominent men who came here in the early days and have helped to build up this great State and city.
" To the West, to the West, to the un- trodden West,
From his home in the East came the bravest and best."
Their biographies should be clas- sified and made a reading text-book in the. higher. grades of our public schools. This would stimulate our young men to continue the good work of the Pioneers and emulate their examples of thrift and honest industry.
Among the men possessed by na- ture and heritage with a strong phys- ical constitution and endowed with high mental qualities, to which might be applied the term stubbornness in the fixity of his purpose, is William Thompson Garratt, whose name is well known all over the Pacific Coast, and generally throughout the com- mercial world.
It should, and no doubt will, be perpetuated as one intimately con-
nected with the manufacturing and industrial progress of the State. -
Mr. Garratt is of English descent. Flis father, Joseph Garratt, came to this country from England and set- tled in Philadelphia, where he was employed in the foundry of his brother William, who established the first brass and bell foundry in that city and where Joseph obtained a practical knowledge of the business.
Here he was married to Catherine Thompson, who was also a native of England. On the 4th day of October, 1829, was born to them a son-the subject of this sketch. This event occurred in the city of Waterbury, Connecticut, where his father was engaged in the construction of a rolling mill and brass foundry.' After the completion of this the family returned to Philadelphia and after- wards located in the city of Balti- more, where another brass and bell foundry was established; but believ- ing that the West offered a better field for his business, he removed to Cincinnati, where in 1834 he es- tablished yet another, and one in which William Thompson Garratt learned his trade.
He remained with his father until he was twenty years of age, when the California fever marked him as one of its victims, and he was soon on his way to the new El Dorado. IIe left Cincinnati on one of the river boats running to New Orleans, from which port he sailed to the Isthmus of Panama on the steamer Alabama, April 20, 1850. He then went by boat up the Chagres river to Gor- gona, and from there the balance of the journey was made by mule-back
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to Panama. On this side he took passage on the whale ship Norman, Capt. Gardner commanding, making this port July 20th of the same year.
Like the great majority, Mr. Garratt, shortly after his arrival herc, sought the mines. He was full of ambition to succeed, make a fortune and return. The stories told East had the same effect on him as on others. They fired his ambition and urged him to action. - He first went to Nevada County, Big Deer Creek, near where Nevada City now stands. There he engaged in placer mining for about two weeks with the usual implements of the time, such as the long tom and rocker. Ill health compelled him to quit mining, how- ever. " On the way here he had con- tracted the Panama fever. This had not entirely left his system and work in the snow water but aggra- vated his condition. He according- ly returned to Sacramento. There he accepted a place with the firm of Warner & Ferrell, old friends of his family. The firm were in the brick manufacture some six miles below Sacramento, on the Sacramento river, and for about a month he coined bricks with them. Judge Schultz hearing that Mr. Garratt had come to this coast, and requiring a person of his knowledge and skill, sent for him, and he came down to the bay in consequence and started into business with the judge under the title of Schultz & Co. This was in general mechanical work to which he was well adapted, being by trade a mechanic. This was in October, 1850, and from that time dates the founding of his present extensive business.
The firm at the beginning, besides mechanical work, also made all the coin dies in use here for private coin- ing, except those of Mr. Moffit, whose $50 slugs will be remembered by all old-timers, " Mr. Albert Kuner did. the engraving for these dics, and that gentleman is yet in business in
our midst. Besides the actual man- ufacture of the dies, the firm also coined the $5 gold pieces. Owing to a scarcity of coin in circulation the firm built the machinery for coining $5 and $10 gold pieces, and con- tinued this until the Legislature passed a law placing private coiners on a banking basis, and on account of this law they discontinued. The firm coined for Burgoyne & Co. and Argientia & Co., bankers. This de- partment of the business had been under the management of Mr. Schultz, and when it was given up he retired. Since that time Mr. Garratt has carried it on, adding to it as the demand warranted.
His first foundry was located on Clay street, opposite the Plaza, from which he removed to Leidesdorff, near Sacramento. Here he was doing a thriving business, which was completely wiped out by the great fire of 1851. He started again on Halleck street, the ground on which the Amercan Exchange now stands, and again removed to near the corner of Market and First, but in 1866, the Alta Flour Mills, in the rear of his factory took fire, and his works were soon again destroyed. He then located on the corner of Fre- mont and Mission, where the same calamity visited him again in 1870 for the third time, when he suffered great loss, caused by the Mechanics' Mill burning on the opposite side of the street. This was the worst fire of all, destroying all the machinery and patterns. He, however, immedi- ately gathered himself together for another effort in the same direction, and a new foundry was established, which is now in full operation, on the corner of Fremont and Natoma streets, with first-class machinery and appointments in all respects, and which is an establishment that will compare favorably with any similar institution in the United States. Within a few years another manufac . tory for all kinds of iron castings
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and machinery has been established at Brannan and Fifth streets, which is a perfect bee-hive of industry.
The life of Mr. Garratt has been part of our history. He was a strong Union man, naturally, during the war, and his contributions were large in consequence to the Sanitary Fund. The only political office he has held was the State Senatorship for his district, 1870-4. His election then and his majority showed conclusively the high esteem in which he is held by the people. In politics he has always been consistent. Naturally a Republican, he is not only one of the ablest leaders of the party, but, what seldom is the case, this is rec- ognized. Political place, however, Mr. Garratt has never sought, being the more content with the activity of business life. He belongs to many societies, and is prominent in several. The Mechanics' Institute he was an earnest promoter of in its struggling days. Every worthy enterprise, in fact, he has assisted in proportion to its merits. We have had occasion to speak in this volume of many prom- inent men, but certainly of none who have worked with greater zeal from the beginning until the present for the advancement of this city and coast. As previously stated, Mr. Garratt may justly feel a personal pride in the progress madc.
- In this connection, in view of the fact that the beet sugar industry is now so much canvassed, it is per- tinent to state, that this industry was advocated and entered on years ago by Mr. Garratt. The facts are these: Beet sugar was made here first by a German named Bepler, now deceas- ed. He had a small factory near San Miguel, of a capacity of about 50 lbs. a day. He fully demonstrated the . fact of the capability of our soil for the raising of sugar beets, however. Manufacturing on such a small scale money was not expected to be made. In fact the sugar cost on this account nearly $2 a pound.
This establishment dates about the year 1869-70. About the same time or shortly after, two other Germans came to Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, and talked up bect culture." They suc- ceeded in having a company or- ganized there and a factory was built. Mr. Bonesteel, at one time Mayor of Fond du Lac, was largely interested. This gentleman wrote to General Hutchinson, of this city, and since deccased, and the matter was canvassed here. A company was formed of which Mr. Garratt was a prominent and active member. He was selected to go to Wisconsin and inquire into the matter. He did 30, and contrasting the soil there and here came to the conclusion the industry would be a very profitable one in California. He made an offer for the factory and machinery, so as to allow free scope to the two Germans and Mr. Bonesteel. ' This was accepted and $8,500 paid for the plant, which he again sold at once for $6,000, having, however, secured these men. These he brought out here, and about the year 1879 a fac- tory was established at Alvarado. This was found insufficient, however, and it was removed in a short time to Soquel, where the land was cheaper and where there were better facili- ties. Considerable expense was gone into, seed imported from Germany and distributed to farmers, and land leased for beet culture.
The soil, though good for wheat, had not, however, that under-surface moisture required for beets, and so the experiment was not as successful as desired. The way to success was pointed out though, and the present industry is reaping the benefit of this outlay, just as fu- ture ones will. Mr. Garratt worked very energetically in the matter and spent and lost largely so as to estab- lish another great business in our midst. He has never regretted this, however, for he paved, with others the way to a success that will surely
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come and be of great benefit to our people.
In 1866 Mr. Garratt was nominated by the Republicans for Mayor of this city. But his business calling him East at the time he was obliged to decline the honor the party desired to confer upon him.
In connection with Mr. Garratt's bell foundry business an interest- ing episode occurred in 1874-5. He offered to repair the old liberty bell at Philadelphia. An interest- ing correspondence between the mayors of San Francisco and Phila- delphia was the result. It was pre- posed to bring the old bell here and return at his own expense and re- pair it by a method the invention of Mr. Garratt. It was then to be baptized in the waters of the Pacific and returned East to have it baptized in the waters of the Atlantic, then to be placed in the old tower in time to ring its centennial song of liberty, and again, in 1876, proclaim liberty throughout the land unto all the in- habitants thereof. The Philadel- phians were, however, too jealous of their prize to permit its removal, and while Mr. Garratt's patriotism and generosity were acknowledged his proposition was not - accepted. That old but true saying, "necessity is the mother of invention," was often
exemplified in the lives of our pioneers. The repairing of broken castings by the burning metal pro- cess was the invention of Mr. Garratt, and is now universally employed throughout the world. It was by this process that he proposed to re- pair the liberty bell as before men- tioned.
He has been connected with the various enterprises of railroading, steamboating, mining, etc., since his location in this State, and there are several steamers running on our bays and rivers named after mem- bers of his family, and he is still in- terested in some of these indus- tries.
Mr. Garratt has aided in fostering a great number of enterprises in the State, which have redounded to the lasting good of the community at large.
Socially Mr. Garratt holds a high place in the esteem of his most inti- . mate acquaintances. He might be summed up as having nothing small about him, either in physical pro- portions or in his manner or method of doing things. He is plain and blunt. He has made money, and in doing so has helped others to accom- plish like results, rather than put a stumbling block in their way. " The world is better that he has lived."
Since the above was put in type, Mr. Garratt passed away (January 8, 1890) much regretted.
ADAM GRANT.
ADAM GRANT.
S a business man, combining in himself almost, if not all, the attributes necessary to achieve prominence and success in the mer- cantile world, no better example could be found than Adam Grant.
He comes from a land that has given to America many of her merchant princes, having been born on the twenty-fourth day of September, 1830, in Sutherlandshire, Scotland. He emigrated to the United States at the age of 15, and since the date of his arrival in 1850, he has pursued the straight and steadfast course by which he has risen to his present position of wealth and influence in the commu- nity. The glitter of notoriety and public fame has never held out such inducements as to draw him for a ino- ment aside from the business course to which he had devoted himself. A man of great individuality and de- cided character, Mr. Grant would have been likely to attain success in what- ever walk of life he had chosen to follow, but in selecting as he did, it is certain that he made no mistake.
On his arrival in this country he entered the dry goods house of Eu- gene Kelly & Co., as an employe, and has, from that time to the present, been connected with the same estab- lishment. His promotion was grad- ual, until he became junior partner of the firm. When Mr. Kelly, in 1859, retired from the business, the control in San Francisco was assumed by Murphy, Grant and Breeze, Murphy removing to New York, where he acted as purchasing partner.
Mr. Grant was married in San Fran- cisco some thirty-three years ago, and has one son, Mr. Joseph D. Grant, who is now a partner in the house.
The great dry goods house of Mur- phy, Grant & Co. is known for the ex- tent of its business, not only on this coast, but in every quarter of the globe from which supplies of the kind in which it deals are drawn.
There has been nothing of the adven- turous in Mr. Grant's career outside of the fields of finance and commerce, but there he has shown himself a knight worthy of all honor. He does not owe his wealth altogether to the busi- ness which bears his name, but has made many investments outside of it, and with such sagacity and good judgment as to largely increase the sources of his revenue.
In handing down the biography of a man like Adam Grant, or, in fact, that of any person who has taken a prominent part in the affairs of their day and generation, one of the princi- pal objects must always be to afford an example to those of the rising gen- eration of what has, and can be, ac- complished by thrift, efficiency and perseverance in any business that may be engaged in.
It is true that natural talent has a great deal to do with success in life, but if improperly directed, or, rather, if not backed up by fixity of purpose, and the most scrupulous sense of honor, talent may prove even worse than useless.
Mr. Grant's life is a lesson to every young man who engages in business and looks forward to some day reach- ing the goal to which his ambition points. The very fact that hens now at the head of the great mercantile house in which he was engaged as clerk when twenty years of age, now thirty-nine years ago, is of the great- est significance, and, as it were, an in-
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dex to the character and talents of the man.
A great deal of Mr. Grant's success is due to his bump of order and sys- tem. Possessed of first-class admin- istrative ability, he organizes his im- mense business into such well-defined departments as to make the whole combination work with the regularity of a perfectly balanced machine.
; As beseems a gentleman of his wealth and social importance, Mr, Grant is a member of several organiza- tions, but carries into private life the modesty which distinguishes him in business affairs, and is known better by his work than his words, as he docs not favor publicity in such matters. He was, in July, 1888, made an hon-
onary member of the Scottish Thistle Club in consideration of his services to the organization.
As a citizen, Mr. Grant is enterpris- ing and public spirited, liberal when the cause meets his approval, without any show of ostentation-he gives to confer a benefit, and not for vain glory. Of thoughtful and unassum- ing manner, he impresses those .with whom he comes in contact as a man who would give calm consideration to any proposition which was presented to his notice, but whom it would be difficult to draw into any doubtful speculation. His success has not daz- zled him, nor would the most promis- ing enterprise serve to move him from his usual self-contained serenity.
KALMAN HAAS.
KALMAN HAAS.
HE name of Haas Bros. has been long and honorably iden- tified with the history and pro- gress of this city. The grocery house known as that of Haas Bros. was founded as far back as 1852, and has long been known as that of Loupe & Haas, K. Haas, Charles A. Haas and L. Loupe having been associated in business as early as 1868. The house had an unbroken record of success leading back nearly forty years, and Kalman Haas, its present head, has not only been able to keep up its old-time record, but even to extend very considerably its influ- ence and power. Mr. Haas is one of those worthy citizens for whom this State is indebted to the German fatherland. He was born in Decem- ber, 1840, at Reckendorf, a little town in Bavaria. There his early years were passed, and there he re- ceived the first rudiments of educa- tion. When still very young, he emigrated to the United States, at first settling in the East. In 1854 he came to the Pacific Coast, coming hither by the way of Panama. Kal- man Haas was then quite a young man, and on arriving at man's estate we find him in business at Portland, Ore. There he conducted a gen- eral merchandise store successfully for a few years. Feeling, however, that the city of Portland, which has since been called the metropolis of the North, was then too small for his
business energies, and that San Fran- cisco alone afforded proper scope for their exercise, he removed to this city in 1868. Here he established the firm of Loupe & Haas in connection with his brother. It was not long until this became one of the leading mercantile firms of San Francisco.
In 1875, Mr. Loupe retiring, the firm became known as that of Haas Bros. There were then three partners-Charles A. Haas, who is now residing in Europe, Kalman Haas and William Haas. In 1886 Mr. Haas went to New York, there to attend to the Eastern business of the house. Mr. Haas has since taken into partnership Leopold Klau and Carl Klau, his nephews, and two of San Francisco's most promising busi- ness men, the firm at present being composed of the gentlemen named and William Haas, previousy men- tioned.
Mr. Haas was married in 1882, the fruit of the union being three promising children. He is a member of the Chamber of Commerce and Board of Trade, and is a member of all the Jewish charitable societies in this city, and is connected besides with many other benevolent organiz- ations. As a business man, his name has long been a synonym for ability and integrity, and as such is known all over the States. He has for twenty years past been prominently identified with one of our principal branches of commerce, and as he is now in his prime, has a long life of public and private usefulness before him.
ABRAHAM HALSEY.
ABRAHAM HALSEY.
O name is better or more favor- From the early days of placer ably known in the business cir- mining to the present time, Mr. cles of San Francisco than that Halsey has been more or less .en- of Abraham Halsey. He has been gaged in the industry of mining, and prominently identified with the in- has filled the position of Secretary terests of California for more than to some of the most successful com- thirty-nine years, and is thoroughly panies that have existed in the State. entitled to a niche in the gallery of For twenty years he also followed " Representative Men."
the business of ranchman, stock
Abraham Halsey was born in the raiser, and cattle dealer, and drove State of New York on the 30th day many herds of cattle from the lower of October, 1831. Three years later country to the mines in the north, his parents moved to New Jersey, in when that was a most profitable which State young Halsey passed business, and the State of California the years of his minority. In 1850, was virtually one vast cattle range. when but 18 years of age, he gradu- As the State became settled, Mr. ated from Princeton College, and at Halsey was one of the first to plow once entered upon the study of the and sow what were known as "the law in the office of one of the most plains," and demonstrated the fact eminent lawyers of his State. Two that grain could be grown thereon. years later he joined the ever-in- He has been actively engaged in creasing throng of emigrants bound the survey and construction of some for the golden hills of California. of the largest and most extensive Mr. Halsey was one of the first lot of ditches for hydraulic mining ever passengers to come via the Nicara- built in the State. He was Presi- gua route from New York by way of dent of the first company organized San Juan or Greytown, Virgin Bay to build a wagon road into the and Lake Nicaragua to San Juan on Yosemite Valley, by way of Big Oak the Pacific side, and thence by Flat and Hardin's Ranch. Mr. steamer to San Francisco, where he Halsey has resided in San Fran- arrived October 13, 1851. He went cisco eighteen years and during that directly to the mines.
First to period has been constantly connect- Mokelumne Hill, thence to Coulter- ed with mining and manufacturing ville and Aqua Fria in Mariposa enterprises, in various parts of Cali- County, and thence in 1852 to fornia and Nevada, Washington and Chinese Camp, Tuolumne County, Idaho and in Mexico. During his where he remained for about twenty residence in the mines, the knowl- years. Mr. Halsey passed his first edge of law acquired in his two Winter in California in a stone cabin years' study was frequently called on Carson Creek, originally built into requisition in the trial of various by General John C. Fremont on his mining disputes. The formation of Mariposa grant. He was appointed laws for the government of local by the Sheriff of Mariposa to serve mining districts, in accordance with as one of the "posse comitatus" the custom of the country in those in the first hanging of a Mexican in early days, naturally led to his con- that county for the crime of murder. tinuing the study of law and subse-
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quent admission to practice in the city of San Francisco. District Courts of the State.
Mr. Halsey was married in 1857,
He has held numerous positions of but shortly afterward suffered the public trust, among others those of loss of his wife and remained a Notary Public in Tuolumne County, widower until 1879, when he again Justice of the Peace, Associate married.
Judge, and Deputy County Attor- During all the long, varied, and ney of Stanislaus County. He is a at times exciting career above imper- prominent member of the Masonic fectly outlined, Abraham Halsey order, having been at various times has borne himself in a manner to Master of Lodge California No. 1, gain the friendship and admiration and High Priest of the Chapter of of all with whom he came in fami- Royal Arch Masons of California, liar contact. His probity has never Chapter No. 5. Has been for several been questioned, and every transac- years past one of the Trustees and tion in which during his busy life Secretary of the California State he has been engaged, will bear the Woman's Hospital, one of the most closest scrutiny. The world is bet- noted charitable institutions of the ter for the life of such a man.
CHARLES F. HANLON.
CHARLES F. HANLON.
HARLES F. HANLON, though much the junior of the distin- guished members of the bar, stands to-day in the very front rank of the legal profession. Although a native of New York city he has re- sided in California since infancy. His early education was conducted much by his mother, and afterwards at St. Ignatius College, and was com- pleted at St. Mary's, where he grad- uated in 1874, carrying first lionors in a class of fourteen, only two others passing besides himself.
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