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 20

Author:
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: San Francisco : The Journal
Number of Pages: 556


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 20


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Evincing a decided fondness for the legal profession, his course of study had been somewhat directed in that channel at college, and short- ly after graduation he entered John M. Burnett's office, where he read and studied law for three years, be- ing admitted to the Bar in 1877, at the age of 21.


One of the first things a young lawyer does is to seek a partnership ; he generally wants to associate him- self with some one who, through in- fluential connections or large practice, will enable him to obtain a good start in his career.


Mr. Hanlon, however, was an ex- ception to this general rule, having decided to " paddle his own canoe and to make no entangling alliance. Consequently, never having had a professional partner, he has always conducted his legal business entirely alone, being assisted by a competent corps of clerks.


Early in his practice Mr. Hanlon was called upon to act as leading counsel in several large estates. Owing to his marked success, le soon had all he could do in that lucrative branch of the profession, being at- torney for the Arguello estate, in


Santa Clara County, valued at $300,- 000; the Hugh Burns estate, at $200,- 000; the Berghauser will case, involv- ing $300,000, and other important cases.


One of the memorable legal strug- gles in which Mr. Hanlon was inter- ested was the contest over thic Curtis estate, in which a young adventuress laid claim to the greater part of $250,- 000. Mr. Hanlon, who had been re- tained for the sons of the dead man, established the falsity of her claim, and succeeded in having the whole estate awarded to the boys. He also conducted a jury contest of six weeks against the codicils of Andrew Kohl- er's will, which disposed of $350,000, and obtained a verdict setting aside the codicils for fraud and mental in- competency, which was sustained on appeal to the Supreme Court.


În May, 1886, Mr. Hanlon was employed by the Daily Examiner to prosecute John Sedgwick for irreg- ularities as Superintendent of the House of Correction. After a very long and bitter fight of twelve weeks, through the ability and persistence of Mr. Hanlon, the newspaper was vic- torious and Sedgwick removed from office.


Following this was the exciting Zeehandler contempt case, which lie won after three contests. Zeehandler, an editor on the Examiner, was con- fined to jail for refusing to answer the Court's questions as to who di- vulged to the press certain proceed- ings had within closed doors. A very able argument by Mr. Hanlon, before the "seven Judges in banc," led to a decision in favor of the Ex- aminer, which also decided an im- portant point affecting the rights of the press throughout the State. This


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case has since been used as author- ity in New York.


Mr. Hanlon was also employed by the late Peter Donahue as assistant counsel in several important cases, and on the death of his son, Col. J. M. Donahue, his executors, Messrs. McGlynn & Burgin, two prominent railroad gentlemen, also employed Mr. Hanlon as attorney for the splen- did estate left and valued at about four million of dollars.


He is also attorney of the Old People's Home, a prominent chari- table institution of San Francisco, and has occupied such position since the time of its organization. Politi- cally, Mr. Hanlon is a Democrat, and an advocate of pure politics. He was


President of the "Devoto Sobon" and also the Manhattan Club, the latter being a local organization whose ob- ject it was to reform local politics- put an end to bossism.


For three years he was a member of G Company, Second Artillery, N. G. C .; was appointed Paymaster on General Dimond's staff, Aide-de- Camp on General Stoneman's staff, and Lieutenant-Colonel on the late Governor Bartlett's staff.


We deem Mr. Hanlon to be one of the brightest and ablest members of the San Francisco Bar, and pre- dict for him a notable career, not only in his chosen profession, but also as one of our leading public men of the future.


COL. WILLIAM HARNEY.


COL. WILLIAM HARNEY.


ROBABLY there is no man more intimately and popularly known to the people of California than the subject of this sketch. Colonel William Harney arrived in California about thirty-five years ago, and has lived here continuously ever since. During these years he has done more than his share in helping to build up the State. He has seen San Francisco grow from a good-sized village to a large city.


Colonel Harney came from New York under the care of the late Thomas O. Larkin and Admiral C. H. Baldwin, United States Navy, arriv- ing in San Francisco in the early part of 1854. He was then only about 16 years of age, but, notwithstanding his youth, shortly after arrival, 1854, he was appointed 'purser of the steamer, the old "Senator," in the California Steam Navigation Company's line, and has been purser of the different sea- going vessels of that company from the time of the first water service until they went out of existence.


Colonel Harney is one of the few officers of that company now left. Many old Californians will remember him well as the handsome youth hold- ing such a high and responsible posi- tion at such a tender age, where thou- sands of dollars were left to his care and custody. His fitness for perform- ing the duties of his position made him a great favorite with the direct- ors of the company, and he was always appointed to the pursership of sea- going steamers. When the com- pany sold out to the railroad Colonel Harney was appointed Dep- uty County Clerk and Clerk of the old Court of Sessions, Probate and County Courts, under the late Governor, Washington Bartlett, which position


he held for many years, till the Tax- payers and Republicans took him up, unsolicited, for the office of County Clerk, and in 1871 he was elected, , running away ahead of his ticket.


When he entered upon his duties he set to work to make that office a model one, as has been fully attested by the public and the members of the bar; so much so that he was, at the expira- tion of his term of office, endorsed and renominated by all parties, Repub- licans, Taxpayers and Democrats, re- ceiving the unanimous vote of the county, a compliment which had never before been conferred on any aspirant for office. It is needless to say that he retired from his official duties as County Clerk with a high reputation for honesty, straight-forwardness and executivecapacity, which wasacknowl- edged by all who had any business to transact with that branch of the city government.


Colonel Harney has been tendered various nominations since his retire- ment from office, all of which he has steadfastly declined, preferring to work his way in the private walks of life.


He has taken considerable interest in our California militia, connecting himself with the Cavalry Hussars twenty-eight years ago as a high pri- vate, and as an officer, reaching every rank up to his present one of Colonel, on which he was retired some years ago, at his own request, with full rank of Colonel. He has been on all the staffs of Governors Low, Booth, Haight, Irwin, Perkins and Pacheco.


He hasalso been a prominent mem- ber of several societies, social and charitable. He has been Recorder of California Commandery, No.1,Knights Templar, for many years, member of Oriental Lodge, F. and A. M., California


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Chapter, R. A. M., Apollo Lodge, I. O. O. F., American Legion of Honor, Knights of Honor, A. O. U. W., Bo- hemian Club, Chamber of Commerce, Recorder and Director of the Mercan- tile Library for some years, President of the Manufacturers' Association, and at present President of that body; a Trustee of the California Home for the Cure and Training of Feeble-Minded Children, and many other institutions, which we cannot now recall.


He has always been known for his kindness in assisting the unfortunate of mankind, where he could possibly do so, as hundreds of our citizens can attest, as through his influence and help they ascended the ladder of life, and now recall his generous efforts in their behalf.


Many acts of bravery on the part of Colonel Harney have been recorded in his kind and successful efforts in saving human life, both on land and sea.


Colonel Harney has been for many years, and is now, connected with the Golden Gate Woolen Manufacturing Company as Manager and Secretary ; a very laudable industry.


Before leaving New York, and at the early age of 14, he entered the of- fice of Colonel Charles A. Clinton, a son of the illustrious Hon. De Witt Clinton, former Governor of New York, as a young student. Colonel Clinton was connected with George E.


Baldwin and Abram Ditmars. Bald- win was a brother of Admiral Bald- win of the United States Navy, and it was through the latter and the late Thomas O. Larkin, who was the first and last United States Consul in Cali- fornia, who was then in New York, that Colonel Harney, then a youth some 15 years of age, was induced to come to California.


Endorsed by such then prominent men as Colonel Clinton, Augustus Schell, Fernando Wood, George E. Baldwin, and many others, who were friends of his f .ther, Joh . H. Harney, the youngster had no difficulty in on- taining, even at his early age, such a responsible and honorable position as he held in the pioneer days of California.


Colonel Harney was married in 1866 to Miss Benjamina C. Me cham, of Mount Vernon, O. Thi- estimable woman died, leaving one child, a daughter, who is now the wife of Mr. Evan C. Evans. Colonel Harney sub- sequently married Mis- F. nnie M. Gummer by whom he has one son.


Colonel Harney is a member of the Veteran National Guard of C lifor- nia, and in looking over the list of that organization we fi d he is one of the oldest of the retired veterans, ac- cording to his rank, on the 1 st, hay- ing been retired by orders of the Ad- jutant-General's Department of Cal- ifornia as far back as 1866, with rank of Colonel in the California militia.


W. H. H. HART.


W. H. H. HART.


H. H. HART was born in Yorkshire, England, Jannary 25, 1848. His father came to the United States in 1852, and went direct to Little Rock, Kendall County, Ill. He remained there until 1857. In April, 1856, a por- tion of the Blackhawk tribe of In- dians, encamping near Little Rock, then a frontier village, stole young Hart. He was kept by them until October of the same year, when he was recovered. In the Spring of 1857 his father removed to Iowa. His mother died in February, 1858, and his father in April, 1859. In 1857, when he was nine years old, he commenced to earn his own living by herding sheep, and at this time he has taught the use of fire-arms in which he had considerable practice. At the time of entering the army he was considered an expert for a boy. Being treated unkindly by a man with whom he lived, he ran away in Aug- ust, 1861, going to a friend of his father's some miles away. For him he worked until Christmas of that year, when court proceedings were threatened to obtain possession of him by lis guardian. For two win- ters previous he had attended school with a young man fifteen years his elder, by the name of Hinckley. At the breaking out of the war, Hinck- ley had gone to Southern Illinois, and, having been much attached to young Hart, had kept up a corre- spondence with him. When Grant was stationed at Cairo in the Summer of '61, Hinckley rendered important services, on account of whichi Grant selected him as the proper man to organize a company of private scouts. Young Hart hearing of the proceed- ings about to be taken in court


against him, drew his money from his father's friend for four months work at $6 per month, and was taken by his friend to Rock Island, Ill., and reached Cairo on the 3d or 4tlı of January, 1862. He there met Hinckley and finally decided to join his company of scouts, which he did, and was sworn in on the 23rd day of January, 1862, being then two days less than fourteen years of age. Hinckley's scouts left a few days later for Paducah, and along with them young Hart took part in the campaigns of Donelson, Shiloh, Vicksburg, and Chattanooga, and in command of Hinckley's scouts per- formed important services at the bat- tle of Missionary Ridge, and was wounded three times during that con- test while carrying an important dispatch from Grant to Sherman's command across a portion of the field occupied by Confederate forces (between Citico Creek and Sher- man's right). After partial recovery from these wounds he returned home in March, 1864. In May he enlisted in the Forty-fourth Iowa as a private. He was mustered out of the service in September of the same year, but in February, 1865, he re-enlisted in the One Hundred and Forty- seventh Illinois. He was finally mus- tered ont of the service in February, 1866, having been wounded five times -at Shiloh, Pulmes Ferry and Citico Creek. In the Summer of 1865 Judge Russell suggested to young Hart that he would make a lawyer and pre- sented him with a copy of Blackstone, his first law book. That was while he was doing provost duty at Dawson, Terrell County, Ga. He then com- menced to study law, and during two years after leaving the army he at-


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tended the public schools, reading law at night. In September, 1868, four months before attaining his majority, he was admitted to practice in the county courts of Iowa; in the District Court of the same State in September, 1869; in its Supreme Court in April, 1870; in the Supreme Court of Califor- nia in July, 1873; in the Supreme Court of the United States in Decem- ber, 1874, and in the United States Court of Claims, and was since admit- ted to the Supreme Courts of Illi- nois, Nevada and Arizona. In Iowa Mr. Hart was elected City Attorney for the city of De Witt. Before coming to California Mr. Hart was known as one of the best criminal lawyers in that section of the State. He defended four murder cases in which he was successful. Since coming to California he has devoted himself to the civil law in all its branches.


As a citizen of California, Mr. Hart has been interested in manu- facturing, agriculture and mining. His interest in mining at the present time is very large. He is one of our best mining lawyers, having gained the reputation in the Copper Queen cases in Arizona and sustained it through numerous prominent cases in this State. Mr. Hart is a member of the Grand Army George H. Thomas Post No. 2, and a director of the Veterans' Home Association at Yonnt- ville. He is also a member of the Masonic fraternity and of the Odd Fellows. He belongs to the Golden Gate Commandery Knight Templars.


Mr. Hart has distinguished him . self as the attorney for Florence Blythe, the successful claimant of the great Blythe case recently fin- ished in this city. At the close of that case, after eleven and a half months steady trial, his opponents gave him the credit of having mas- tered all the details and evidence in the case in reference to the collateral claimants, as well as the alleged widow, and his own client. The preparations which he made for this


case, true to his instincts, were ardu- ous and intricate, but when complete there was not a weak place to be found.


His management of the child's case has won for him a reputation that will endure through life. He en- countered an opposition at every step, composed of the ablest minds at the bar, but he knew the wishes of the father of his young client, he knew her rights, and knowing, dared main- tain them through the longest and bitterest legal contest ever recorded. With the best counsel in the city called to assist, he was, through this long conflict, the plumed knight, the cen- tral figure of the battle against whom every attack was directed and who repelled them all and whose armor sustained every blow.


Mr. Hart was the Republican can- didate for Attorney-General fonr years ago, in the Swift campaign, in which he ran more than 7,000 votes ahead of his ticket.


He was instrumental in having passed by the Legislature in 1889 the bill for a Belt Railroad in San Fran- cisco. The road is to be built on the State property around the margin of the bay and to be controlled by the State Board of Harbor Commis- sioners, to be free for all railroads coming into San Francisco, and ship- pers of freight.


As a political economist Mr. Hart has gained distinction for the strong, clear views propounded by him on the silver question. Like himself, these views have been growing in favor firmly and steadily, studied and tested by miners and financiers. The preponderance of favor is with his view, which is protection pure and simple.


As a man he is generous and warm- hearted. His tendencies are all re- fined and humane, and these with a noble purpose of lifo and a worthy ambition have brought him to con- sommations well worth an ordinary lifetime, yet he is just at the prime of his manhood and strength. And


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this purpose which carried the boy unmarred through the temptations of the army, and which have sustained the strength of the man through so many unusually severe conflicts, still prompts him to press onward and upward.


Mr. Hart's experience and educa- tion has all conspired to bring for- ward and emphasize in him a trait of character which has served him well in many great legal conflicts. It has


been remarked that he is always cool in danger and coolest where the danger is greatest. His large study of con- stitutional and international law in the Blythe case, and the masterly handling of the broad and many new issues of that contest point to him as a man well qualified to fill any posi- tion, either as an attorney or judge, to which he may aspire. He has re- cently been elected to fill the position of Attorney-General of the State.


SAMUEL HASLETT


SAMUEL HASLETT.


HE business of the warehouse- man has been associated with that of the merchant from time immemorial-the very name calls up recollections associated with the gold- en age of commerce, the spices and perfumes. of "Araby the Blessed," " The wealth of Ormuz and of Ind." The business of a great seaport like that of San Francisco necessarily demands great and extensive ware- house accommodations, the need for which is constantly increasing. This city, the great emporium of the West, in 1889 enjoyed a foreign im- port trade valued at a sum exceed- ing $51,000,000, not to speak of its foreign export values, or those with the Atlantic States and cities. All this emphasizes the great and grow- ing importance of the warehouse business. Vast interests have sprung up in connection with it-to handle which properly require great and abundant capital. The most promi- nent of the firms engaged in it is that of Haslett & Bailey, who lease most of the large warehouses in the city. A brief sketch of the personnel of one engaged in such an important enter- prise cannot fail to be interesting. Samuel Haslett, the senior partner and manager, is a native of Belfast, Ireland, where he was born in 1841. He there received a solid business education in one of the leading com- mercial and manufacturing cities not only of Ireland but of Europe; for the ships and products and wealth of Belfast, "the Athens of the North," have long been renowned in all civil- ized lands. Several of our leading merchants were born and received their training there, and for business energy, acuteness and consequent success they cannot be surpassed.


Mr. Haslett came to San Francisco in 1875, remaining here but a short time. The Territory, now the State, of Washington was then beginning to offer unusual opportunities to men of enterprise and intelligence, and Mr. Haslett soon found his way there, and engaged in the lumber business in which he remained for nearly a year. Considering that San Fran- cisco offered better opportunities for the education of his family he returned hither in 1877. Here he became interested in warehousing at the old Humboldt Warehouse, previously known as the Rincon Point. At this time he was in partnership with J. W. Cox, the style of the firm being J. W. Cox & Co. In 1882 Mr. Cox retired from the business on account of failing health, Mr. C. H. Bailey taking his place, and the present well known firm was organized. Since which time the untiring energy, abil- ity and integrity of the partners have fostered and developed the business.


As Mr. Haslett found his business increasing he enlarged his facilities for transacting it and his warehouses now extend in an unbroken chain all along the water front, from the sea- wall on the north to the railroad freight yards on the south, thus bringing ship and rail together as nearly as can be done in the present condition of the water front.


The warehouses operated by this firm have a storage capacity of over 150,000 tons, and are suited for hand- ling and storing merchandise and wares of every description, either bonded or free: grain, flour, fruit, canned goods, coffee, teas. spices. sugar, silks, cottons, dry goods, glass, crockery, tobaccos, liquors, cement, tin, iron, machinery, etc., while in the


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yards attached to some of them, mill- ions of feet of lumber and quantities of coal and coke are stored.


They are well built and fully equipped with proper appliances for carrying on business in every detail and in accordance with the regula- tions of the fire department. All the bonded warehouses are under control of the United States Government which keeps store-keepers of its own in charge all the time, but at the expense of the proprietors, who are under heavy bonds to the Govern- ment for the keeping of the goods placed in their charge. All the different warehouses are connected by telephone and so perfect is the system and attention to detail that a single package of merchandise can be traced to its location as rap- idly as a consignment of 10,000 packages. Mr. Haslett has so adapted the system of bookkeeping in all the different houses that in the case of the absence of any of the clerks or bookkeepers one of the others can step in and carry on the business without any hitch or delay.


By thus having the warehouses lo- cated at different suitable points, con- venient to the shipping of the port, and yet under the same management, the cost of moving the goods to ware- house and handling them there has been reduced to a minimum-a fact duly appreciated by the importers and the commercial public generally.


When Mr. Haslett first engaged in warehousing here the business was not popular; and the mercantile community did not always repose confidence in those carrying it on. Losses were occasionally met with by owners of goods, disputes as to shortage, etc., were not uncommon, and in some instances the defalca- tion of employees created a deal of scandal in the commercial com- munity. By strict attention to busi- ness, the careful selection of his employees, and, above all, fair and liberal dealing with his customers, Mr. Haslett has changed all this.


There never have been any losses sustained by the owners of goods stored in his warehouses; there are few disputes and those are readily adjusted, and it may be truthfully said that the firm never loses a cus- tomer worth retaining. To accom- plish these reforms and at the same time extend the scope of his business so materially has called for the ex- ercise of a degree of administrative ability that is extremely rare. That Mr. Haslett possesses this no one who has been brought into business relations with him can doubt. In addition to his partner Mr. Haslett has been much aided by his four sons, all of whom have been throughly trained in every branch of ware- housing, the two younger are still with the firm, while the two elder are the managing partners of the respective firms of Bode & Haslett and Haslett & Swayne, in the same business, and working harmoniously with the parent firm. He Las besides a large staff con- sisting of clerks and a sufficient force of trained warehousemen.


Mr. Haslett has never held any pub- lic office and has never taken any further interest in political matters than is demanded by society of every good citizen. He is a resident of Alameda. His home life is a very happy one and few men enjoy the pleasures of the family circle more keenly than he.


He was married in 1862 and has six children all arrived at adult age. His four sons are, as already noted, associated with him in the conduct of the business and have proved most important factors in its success. Mr. Haslett is a tall, pleasant looking gentleman in the prime of life, of quiet, unassuming manners as be- comes a thorough business man. All his ventures in San Francisco have hitherto been crowned with success and we predict for him a long and successful business career equally beneficial to his own private fortune and the interests of the city of his adoption.


JAMES M. HAVEN,


JAMES M. HAVEN.


HE legal profession is justly es- teemed as occupying a place in the highest rank of those men who render possible in our mod- ern civilization the reign of law. This profession has always stood with the noblest in every land, and it is no wonder that in this free land its ranks should be thronged by our most ambitious youth. Nearly all the men who have won their way to fame in the world of politics and in the conduct of public affairs have had their training in the practice and study of the law. But not all those who adorn a noble pro- fession are found in official position. Many of those best versed in its practice and some of its worthiest professors have been content to spend their lives in its ranks, and this gives the public the benefit of their ripe experience and extensive study and research. Among these James M. Haven has long occupied a worthy position. Mr. Haven's family be- longed to the early New England pilgrim stock, and Mr. Haven has inherited the traditional love of free- dom in Church and State character- istic of this sturdy race in general, and of his forefathers in particular. He is a native of the Empire State, where soon after the conquest of the Dutch settlements, a sturdy stream of New England colonists migrated, and helped to render possible the lead which that State has always taken. Early in this century Mr. Haven's grandfather participated in the New England exodus and settled with his family in Central New York, then an unsettled and uncultivated forest. His family moved to Illinois in 1835, and there Mr. Haven was educated. The news of the gold




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