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 27

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 27


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Henry T. Clay. This was the


first ever seen in our waters. Mr. McAfee was to do the boiler work. The boat was shipped in sections on the bark " Emma," which left Bath, Me., in October, 1849. The " Emma" had an exciting and adventurous voyage and arrived at San Francisco on June 16, 1850. The boat was put together at what is now known as South Park. During the following six years Mr. McAfee worked for the P. M. S. S. Co. as foreman boiler-maker, and was also foreman boiler-maker at Mare Island Navy Yard, where the late Admiral Far- ragut became his great friend. He mined at Bidwell's Bar, Yuba Coun- ty, for two years. In 1856 le ac- cepted the position of foreman with Coffee & Risdon, where he remained twelve years. During this time he put up the largest boilers ever built on the Pacific Coast, including those for the steamers "Orizaba" (these being 60 tons each, the largest built on this coast, all being made by hand), "Capital," "Chrysopolis," and "Yosemite." Having now had seventeen years' experience of Cali- fornia life, and having amassed suf- ficient capital, he, in 1866, formed a partnership with R. Baurhyte, then the chief engineer of the steamer " Capital."


The new establishment was opened on Howard street, between Fremont and Beale, and as Mr. McAfee was well known, it at once commanded a large amount of business. The fol- lowing year James Spiers bought out Baurhyte's interest and the firm of McAfee, Spiers & Co. was formed. Mr. Spiers was his partner for the next ten years. In 1877 Mr. McAfee


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sold out his interest to Mr. Spiers and established the McAfee Boiler Works at 216 Spear street, which have remained at the same location ever since. In 1884 he admitted his son William A. McAfee to partner- ship, the firm being now known as that of William McAfee & Son. It has been one of the most successful manufacturing establishments in San Francisco. Mr. McAfee was married in 1852 to Miss Ann Campbell. They have lived happily together and have had a large and interesting family of eleven children, seven of whom are now living. One, as already stated above, is a partner with his father and has proved himself a most suc- cessful business man, and is one of our men of promise of the future. The others are Su-an, George, Frank, Jennie, Hattie, and Robert, the last-named being the youngest.


Mr. McAfee is a charter member of Pacific Lodge, A. O. O. F., hav- ing been a member of Yerba Buena Lodge No. 15, afterwards becoming a member of Pacific Lodge No. 55. He is also a prominent member of Valley Lodge, A. O. U. W. He has


never sought public office all this time, his attention being devoted to his business interests and those of his family. His tastes are all domes- tic. When free from business cares his principal solace is in the enjoyment of the society of his fam- ily. The pioneers, those who have built up the great industries of San Francisco, will ever be held in grate- ful remembrance by the historian, and will always be justly regarded as prominent amongst the founders of the commonwealth of California. The struggles and trials of those who have first trodden the rugged pathway that leads to success in industrial pursuits will be better appreciated by those who come after them than by their contemporaries or the pres- ent generation, and posterity in the annals of the city will leave them monuments of everlasting fame. Manufactures are the foundation of commerce and national wealth, and too much honor cannot be conferred on those who have in the first in- stance established them. Amongst these, William McAfee may proudly claim a foremost rank.


J. H. McMENOMY.


CAPTAIN JOHN H. MCMENOMY.


NO record of our self-made men would be complete that did not include the name of John H. McMenomy. For the more than twenty-nine years he has been a resi- dent of San Francisco he has pros- pered in life, and his fortune has steadily advanced with the growth in population and importance of the Gol- den City. He was born in Troy, N. Y., in 1841. He received his early ed- ncation in the public schools in that city, but the departure of his father to California in 1852 compelled him to learn the sturdy lessons taught in the stern school of life and that of self-re- liance, as he was then obliged to help in the support of the family. When only eleven years old, he made his first start in life as a newsboy, but the lad was ambitious and determined to improve his condition. He therefore became an apprentice in his native city. Here he learned the molder's art, and before he left this establish- ment, became a proficient workman. His father, who had tempted fortune in far off California with moderato success, returned to Troy in 1854. Making up his mind to embark in the farming business in the then new Northwest, he moved out with his family to Wisconsin, but the hum- drum life of a farm in a far distant State was not to the taste of the man whose blood had been fired by the search for gold and the adventurous life of the mining camps of Cali- fornia. He had an ever-longing desire to return, and in 1857, having sold out his farm, found his way back to Troy. Thence lie sailed for San Francisco, and sent for his family the year ensuing. They arrived here via the Isthmus on the fourteenth day of February, 1858. John H.,


now 17 years old, went to the mines with his father, but soon determined that all that glitters was not gold. He turned his back upon the mines forever and con- cluded to engage in more profitable, if more prosaic, pursuits than that of gold hunting. He first became foreman of the late Daniel Mc- Glynn, then contractor for the Howard-street Road. On its com- pletion lie went back to Calaveras, but did not again engage in mining. His brother-in-law carried on the butcher business and he became his assistant. He sought San Francisco again in 1861 and found employment with William Smith, then engaged in the wholesale butchering trade and now a member of the firm of J. G. James & Co. After a brief stay of four months with Mr. Smith he was hired by Stephen Story, of the Occidental Market. Here he re- mained four years, working industri- ously and acquiring a large number of friends and business acquaint- ances. So well was he known and so much respected for integrity and ability, that in 1866 he was enabled to open a stall of his own in the same market. Here he prospered for about one year; but when the California Market was opened, in 1867, he immediately rented Stall No. 7, the central one occupied by him to-day. To this he has added several others in the course of the long years since intervening, until now his trade is one of the largest of the kind in the city. He entered in 1885 into the business of feeding fat cattle for this market, especially for his own trade, and in this has been completely successful. The cattle fed by him would be hard to


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match either in California or the United States. He is the only retailer in the State who stall feeds and kills his own cattle. He has thus aroused a healthly competition amongst those whose business it is to supply the markets of San Francisco with that indispensable article-healthy, fresh meat, and from this point of view may be regarded as a benefactor to to the State. All the cattle sold by him are fed and killed in his estab- lishment which is as clean as the cleanest dairy in the country. He has experimented on polled Angus and Durham cattle as well as other noted breeds. City and State have benefited by the results of his experiments. In 1866 he married Miss Story, who has borne him nine children. He is public-spirited and deserves well of the State and city as he has served seventeen years in the National Guard and never lost a drill. He was for ten years Captain of the McMahon Guard, having been


elected seven times consecutively and could have had that honorable posi- tion still had he chosen. This com- pany was the only one of the old Third Regiment that was not dis- banded and became Company A of the First Regiment. He was a member of the Volunteer Fire Department for five years, during which time he never missed a fire. These twenty-two years of public service have been without pay and for the good of the community. He is now exempt from military duty and an exempt fireman as well. He has a beautiful home in Golden Gate, Alameda County, which is all that a business man can. desire. He is tall, muscular and well made, hand- some in person, and liberal in heart. He has attained his present position by courage, energy and unremitting industry. Being still a young man he has, no doubt, a brilliant career before him. He is a good example of a self-made man of San Francisco.


WILLIAM LAWRENCE MERRY.


WILLIAM LAWRENCE MERRY.


ILLIAM L. MERRY comes from a New York family of English extraction, and is now 54 years of age. It was the in- tention of his parents that he should study law, and to this end his early education was directed. But in 1850 his father bonght and loaded an American vessel in which the family arrived at San Francisco in June, 1850. In June, 1851, he first went to sea before the mast, and for six- teen years was afloat, except during a period of three years when he re- presented New York transportation corporations in Nicaragua and Pa- nama.


During his experience at sea, Captain Merry has been five times around the world, eleven times around Cape Horn, and six times around the Cape of Good Hope. He has always been a student and a close observer, constantly acquiring in- formation. His early education and natural talent combine to make him a fluent writer and conversationalist.


His first command was the clipper "Tornado," of New York, to which vessel he was temporarily appointed during the illness of Captain Mum- ford, with whom he was first officer. He subsequently commanded the clipper ship "White Falcon," the steamships "America," "Arago," " Nebraska," " Fulton," " Dakota" and " Montana," all of New York, and navigating between New York and Nicaragua and Panama, also from San Francisco to Central Ame- rican ports. The wide experience and the knowledge of foreign coun- tries obtained by visits to all parts of the world, and his habit, never relaxed, of "learning something every day," make him a man of


marked ability, and have drawn him into intercourse with the foremost men of the country. His knowledge of the isthmian canal question prob- ably equals that of any one living. Aside from having studied it atten- tively for years, he has the great ad- vantage of an intimate knowledge of all the local conditions from per- sonal and repeated examination of the routes. Thus, when Lesseps boldly announced his intention of building a Panama sea-level canal in 1880, Captain Merry did not hesitate to publicly assert that he would fail ; an assertion which our French fel- low-citizens deemed presumptious, but which events have proven cor- rect. His advocacy of the Nicaragua Canal has been persistent, able and judicious ; events tend to prove that his opinion in its favor will be borne ont by results, there, as at Panama.


In 1880 the interoceanic canal question was engaging public atten- tion here for the first time. Very little was known on the Pacific Coast as to the merits of the different rontes, althoughŕ many pioneer Cali- fornians had passed over Panama und Nicaragua, and had some general (leas about the matter, which is more than could then be said of any other community in the world. The Board of Trade of San Francisco appointed a committee to report on the subject, and Captain Merry was placed at its head. The published report of this committee attracted attention all over the country, especially at Waslı- ington. When the canal question came up in Congress, Captain Merry was invited to appear before the com- mittee having charge of the subject, and made two prolonged visits to the Capital in the interest of the Nica-


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ragua Canal Company, in which he had then become interested. He then proved himself fully competent to combat the fallacies of Captain Eads with his ship railway, as well as the Panama tide-level project at Panama. The company then own- ing the Nicaragua Canal concession lost it through the failure of the In- corporation Bill in Congress. It passed the Senate, but as it had to be called up out of order in the House it failed to pass, although it had within five votes of a two-thirds majority. Captain Merry has never given up his interest in the Nica- ragua Canal, however. His friend- ship with the principal public men of Nicaragua always led them to re- gard him as their best friend in this country, and they have constantly urged him to assist them in pushing the enterprise to a successful con- clusion. He has written articles on the subject which have attracted public attention throughout the Republic, and has addressed many audiences in favor of a project which he has always contended will be a great boon to the Pacific Coast, and of important advantage to the whole country. It may be safely asserted that his interest in this great enter- prise will never flag, and that before many years his efforts will be re- warded by the passage through Nica- ragna of ships bearing .he American flag. In fact, jointly with Admiral Ammen, U. S. Navy, and Chief Engineer Menocal, the name of William L. Merry is inseparably connected with the Nicaragua Canal.


The shipping interest of the United States has recognized his intimate knowledge of the conditions con- nected therewith by electing him President of the Pacific Coast De- partment American Shipping and Industrial League, which position he now holds. Captain Merry is also . one of the Directors of the Mer- chants' Exchange of this city, and one the Trustees of the Chamber of Commerce.


In 1884 his name was placed at the head of the Republican Municipal ticket for the Mayoralty of San Fran- cisco, and was defeated by the late Governor Bartlett, whose election carried with it no comment upon his opponent, who emerged from the political contest with character and ability unquestioned. Captain Merry was subsequently twice elected Presi- dent of the Chamber of Commerce of San Francisco, and so increased the membership and influence of this pio- neer commercial organization of the Pacific Coast, that he was retired at his urgent request and presented with a testimonial which has never before been tendered any retiring President of the Chamber.


Since 1869, when Captain Merry resigned his position as commander of ocean steamships, he has engaged in commercial pursuits in this city. The firm of Merry, Faull & Co. is well and favorably known to our mercantile community, while his personal word is regarded as good as a written bond. His interest in the public welfare of our city and State never flags, and his many efforts on behalf of the commercial progress of San Francisco are familiar to all our readers. He is high in the Masonic Fraternity, being a life member of Oriental Lodge, No. 144, F. & A. M., of California Royal Arch Chap- ter No. 5, and of California Com- mandery, No. 1, K. C. But the Captain has always refused Masonic office, for his spare time is all given to his family and his books, when not devoted to public interests, with- ont other compensation than an ap- proving conscience. His age sits lightly on him, for his habits of life have been excellent, and although a hard worker, he is so methodical that mental labor is not as severe a tax as usual to the average business man. He represents the Republic of Nicaragua as Consul-General for the Pacific Coast Territories of the United States and is the Pacific Coast Agent of the Nicaragua Canal


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Construction Co., of which Hon. Warner Miller, of New York, is President.


Captain W. L. Merry is a thor- ough Am rican, with patriotic be- lief in his country and in repub- lican institutions, and an ardent


supporter of our public schools. His family and social connections are of the most agreeable char- acter, and his life has been a long record of honorable usefulness, which it is hoped may be prolonged for years to come.


D. O. MILLS.


DARIUS OGDEN MILLS.


HE name of Darius Ogden Mills, for more than forty years, has been familiar to people on both sides of the Rocky Mountains as that of a great banker. Not only in this re- spect but also in that of an indus- trial pioneer it will long occupy a distinguished place in the roll of California worthies.


His family were of mingled Scotclı and English descent and were among the early settlers of New York and New England. That branch from which he comes was, near the begin- ning of the century, settled in West- chester County in the State of New York, a location which though then a successful grazing and agricultural district, now forms one of the sub- urbs of New York city.


His father was a successful busi- ness man, took an active part in social and public affairs generally, and possessed a large influence in that section of the country.


At North Salem, in this district, on September 5, 1825, D. O. Mills was born. His father, in good con- dition as to wealth, gave all of his children excellent educations. Pro- fitting by all these opportunities, Mr. Mills at an early age showed an aptitude for a business life and his surroundings brought him in close contact with business men, so that at the early age of eighteen years he began his life's work in New York city, and within three years went to Buffalo, N. Y., to the position of cashier of the Merchants' Bank of Erie County. Later he became a part owner in the bank. He was ever an untiring worker and ac- quired a keen insight into human na- ture.


At the age of twenty-two he start-


ed for California leaving his relations with the bank unchanged, thus hav- ing a reserve to draw upon. At Panama he found the city full of people who could not get away owing lo want of vessels. He went south to Callao to obtain a vessel, but could only get a passage for himself from Callao to San Francisco arriving in the latter city June 4, 1849.


Sacramento was then the centre of trade with the mines and he engaged in procuring from the East large stocks of goods for the use of miners, and indeed made one trip to New York and back the next year for this pur- pose. Almost immediately, however, he went back to his first occupation of banking, and some of his old ac- count books, still in his bank in that city, show that the transition from merchandising to banking took place in 1849, although the latter was not formally entered on until 1850.


The carly business of the bank consisted largely in buying gold dust and selling exchange. Deposits were not of great volume, and the large express companies held most of these, but their failures and Mr. Mills' stability made him take their place in the community.


This bank is still in existence and is known as the National Bank of D. O. Mills & Co., and it advertises that he retains yet one-third in- terest; the remaining two-thirds be- ing held by the original partners or their families.


On June 18, 1864, the Bank of California was opened of which Mr. Mills was President and a tenth own- er of the capital-then $2,000,000. This capital was soon increased to $5,000,000, and the bank had a pros- perous career for nine years and un-


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til he retired from the management to give his time to his own rapidly increasing estate.


Two years later he was recalled to assist in the reorganization of the bank and gave three years of hard labor to this task, and then again retired feel- ing that his work was now well done.


During these years he became largely interested in such enterprises as the Virginia and Truckee Rail- road, and the Carson and Colorado Railroad, and the Eureka and Pali- sade Railroad; also the Pacific Roll- ing Mills and the Pacific Oil and Lead Works and many others.


Though often urged, Mr. Mills has always declined taking any active part in politics; he votes for the best men irrespective of party. While a member of the Board of Regents of the State University, he invested $75,000 in a fund to establish a chair or as it is known "The Mills' Profes- sorship of Intellectual and Moral Philosophy and Civil Polity."


He has a liking for pictures and statuary, and presented to the State a fine piece of Italian marble carved in Florence, Italy, by Larkin G. Mead, of Vermont, into a beautiful group of three figures, one being Queen Isabella, another Columbus, and the third a page. Columbus lias a ball in his hand, representing the globe, explaining to the Queen that the world is round, and asking for assistance to fit out an expedition to discover the New World. The Queen's reply is that: "I will as-


sume the undertaking for my own Crown of Castile, and am ready to pawn my jewels to defray the ex- penses of it, if the funds in the treasury shall be found inadequate." It cost $30,000, and is a masterpiece of work, and the only piece of art of the kind in the United States.


In New York he has built a fine training school for male nurses. This and his other deeds of charity will give emphasis to the universal verdict of the people of the United States who know him that his easy, polite and unaffected manner springs from the heart and not from selfish policy. His business ventures have proven him to hold a clear judgment and to be conservative. He is yet in his prime, and doubtless has long years of usefulness before him. His name is one of peculiar power in the financial world, and it will long be remembered as that of one of Cali- fornia's great men and as the name of one of the great "Builders of San Francisco."


On September 5, 1854, D. O. Mills married Jane T. Cunningham, a most estimable lady, whose death in 1888 was a cause of profound re- gret to her many friends. They had two children, both living, a daughter and a son. The daughter is Mrs. Whitelaw Reid, and is at this writing in Paris with her husband who is Minister to France from the United States. The son is quite busy in assisting his father to manage affairs, and is respected universally.


F. B. MORROW.


FREDERICK B. MORROW.


N compiling the biographical sketches of San Francisco's re- presentative men in commerce, manufacture, etc., it is not amiss to briefly mention the career of the late Frederick B. Morrow, who, dur- ing the years he was identified with the business interests of the city, had, by his indomitable pluck, fore- sight and intelligence, earned a most enviable reputation in commercial circles. Whilst in his prime he was suddenly carried away, and by his death the city lost one of its bright- est public-spirited business men.


Mr. Morrow was born in Reho- both, Bristol County, Mass., Novem- ber 12, 1857. He was raised on a farm, and during his boyhood days received such educational advan- tages as were afforded by the neigh- boring schools. Possessing that sturdy and independent nature, char- acteristic of most of our New Eng- land boys, he, at an early age, de- termined to make a start in the world and carve out his own future and fortune. On learning of the possibilities of success to be ob- tained in the far west, he concluded to come to California, and when but eleven years of age, in company with his brother, Mr. J. A. Morrow, now of the Pacific Metal Works in this city, he left his country home for New York City. Here the two brothers took passage on a steamer bound for Aspinwall; arriving there they crossed the Isthmus and took the first steamer for San Francisco, where they arrived in October, 1868. It was a short time before this that San Francisco experienced that memorable heavy earthquake, which did such damage to many of the city's . large buildings. This, however,


did not deter the young men from deciding on making California their future home. Soon after their ar- rival they embraced a good opportu- nity offered them to purchase a dairy rauch in Sonoma County, where they remained until 1875, and then moved to Oakland. Mr. Morrow always had a desire of entering into mercantile pursuits, which his nat- ural bent of mind fitted him for, and he sought for an opening, where his latent talent in that direction could have full scope. Six months after- wards he succeeded in buying Mr. Nisonger's interest in the firm of Nisonger & Miller Metal Works, situated at 215 First street in this city. Though unacquainted with the business Mr. Morrow was not long in mastering its details. Short- ly after his accession to the partner- ship Mr. Miller sold out his interest to Mr. N. R. Strong, and the firm then became known as Morrow & Strong. Mr. Morrow lent his en- ergy and ability to the promotion of the business, and his efforts were awarded with the most signal suc- cess. In 1880 the firm, finding their place inadequate to meet the growth of their trade, moved to a larger building at 115 First street. Here they continued until December, 1886. Their business had now as- sumed such proportions as to neces- sitate still larger quarters, and at this time they had decided to incor- porate, so they moved to the more commodious premises at 141 First street. A stock company was then organized, with a capital of $23,500, in January, 1887, under the name of the Pacific Metal Works, and the following Directors elected: F. B. Morrow, President; N. R. Strong,




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