Album of genealogy and biography, Cook County, Illinois, Volume 1899, Part 17

Author: La Salle Book Company (Chicago, Ill.)
Publication date: 1899
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : La Salle Book Co.
Number of Pages: 910

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In August, 1893, Judge Caton suffered a slight stroke of paralysis. Before this affliction, advanc- ing years had brought on the old trouble with his eyes, which had, happily for his future career, turned his attention from a trade, but up to the beginning of 1893, he was able to read a little with the aid of strong glasses. By the aid of a reading- secretary, he keeps up an acquaintance with literature and current events. Even the added trial of decay in his powers of locomotion did not make him despair or become morose. To a close friend he said: "I do not repine. I do not lament the advance of age and the loss of fac- ulties; not one bit. I enjoy my life, and thank-

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T. H. WEBSTER.

fully recognize the numberless compensations and alleviations that are mercifully left me. No; I am well content."

He still survives at the age of eighty-three, and

it is a little remarkable that the first lawyer in Chicago to bring a case in a court of record is still with us, with intellect unimpaired, when the bar numbers more than three thousand.

THOMAS H. WEBSTER.

HOMAS HOLMES WEBSTER. Among the many fire-insurance agents with which La Salle Street abounds, there is, perhaps, no other man whose reputation for safe and con- servative business methods has been more con- sistently sustained than he whose name heads this notice. His entire business training and experience have been acquired in this city, and, while the opportunities for speculation have been abundant, and the chances for unusual profit have seemed quite as alluring to him as to others, he has conscientiously avoided all participation in that hazardous and demoralizing field, confining his attention to the regular channels of business, and thereby maintaining his business credit and securing the confidence and good-will of his asso- ciates.

Mr. Webster was born in Leeds, England, on the 29th of October, 1846. His parents, John and Mary (Holmes) Webster, were natives of York- shire. John Webster was employed for some years in the cloth-mills at Leeds, but being desirous of procuring better opportunities for his growing family, in 1853 he came to America. He located in Chicago and secured employment with the Chi- cago Gas Light and Coke Company, whose inter- ests he continued to serve until his death, which occurred in 1866, at the age of forty-two years. He began as a laborer, but with such faithful- ness and ability did he serve the interests of the company that he was soon promoted to a more re- munerative occupation, and at the time of his de- mise was the assistant Secretary of the company.

His wife survived him but two years, passing away at the age of forty-four. They were mem- bers of the Second Baptist Church of Chicago, and had formerly been connected with the Taber- nacle Baptist Church.

Thomas H. Webster, with his mother and the balance of the family, joined his father in Chica- go in 1855. He is one of a family of thirteen children, of whom but two others now survive. Their names are Sarah H., Mrs. W. C. Corlies; and Louisa L., Mrs. R. M. Johnson, all of Chi- cago. Thomas was educated in the public schools of this city, and upon the death of his father as- sumed the care of the family, supplying to its members, as far as possible, the place of the de- ceased parent. His first employment was in the capacity of a clerk in a dry-goods store, where he continued for about one year. Since the Ist of August, 1863, he has been consecutively connect- ed with the business of fire underwriting. He be- gan as office boy for the Chicago Firemen's In- surance Company, but was soon appointed to a clerkship, and about 1865 bcame the cashier of the company. This position he filled until the concern was annihilated by the great fire of 1871. After that disaster, the affairs of the corporation were placed in the hands of Hon. O. H. Horton, as assignee, and this gentleman secured the serv- ices of Mr. Webster as his assistant, his familiar- ity with the affairs of the concern being of great value in closing up its business.

Mr. Webster was afterwards successively con- nected with the firms of Walker & Lowell, and

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W. C. GOUDY.

the Globe Insurance Company, continuing with the latter concern until it went out of business in 1876. He then became a clerk for S. M. Moore, with whom he soon after entered into partnership, under the firm name of S. M. Moore & Com- pany. Upon the retirement of the senior member in 1886, this firm was succeeded by that of Web- iter & Wiley, Mr. E. N. Wiley becoming the jun- ior partner. In 1889 the latter firm was consol- idated with that of H. de Roode & Company, under the name of Webster, Wiley & de Roode. On the first of November, 1894, Mr. de Roode re- tired from the firm, since which time the business has been conducted under the name of Webster, Wiley & Company, Mr. C. P. Jennings having become a third partner on January 1, 1895.

Mr. Webster was married, September 13, 1881, to Miss Anna Martindale, a native of Ohio, and a daughter of Rev. Theodore D. Martindale, a

Methodist clergyman of that state. Mr. and Mrs. Webster are the parents of two sons, Frank M. and Ralph N. Mr. Webster is identified with the Union League, Sunset and Metropolitan Clubs, and Lexington Council of the National Union. He is not an active participant in political strife, but has all his life been a supporter of Republican .principles.

Having been the head of a family from the age of twenty years, he has had few opportunities for recreation, and finds his greatest pleasure in the midst of the home circle. His business opera- tions have been confined to the realm of fire un- derwriting, and while others have in some in- stances accumulated more wealth than he, the substantial friendship and esteem of his colleagues are his, and his record is one which causes no re- grets.

WILLIAM C. GOUDY.

ILLIAM CHARLES GOUDY. To be a blood which has already played so thrilling a leader in any profession in a city the size of part in American history on sea and land. The name is spelled Goudie in Scotland, where the poet Burns immortalized it in song in that stanza of a poem wherein occurs the line, "Goudie, ter- ror of the Whigs!" The family continues to hew true to the block, for who ever heard of any Goudy who was anything but a Democrat in the United States? His motlier, who was of English birth, was residing in Pennsylvania when taken to wife by Mr. Goudy's father. Chicago, means to be the possessor of large intellect, of close application and happy fortune; to be in the front rank of contemporary lawyers in a metropolis whose courts decide as many cases as the combined judiciary of all Great Britain, is a mark of pre-eminence indeed. Such pre-eminent distinction has been already noted by the Muse of History in her vast temple of fame, where, chiseled in conspicuous recent strengtlı, we read the sterling name of William Charles Goudy.

Mr. Goudy was born near Cincinnati, Ohio (but "across the line" in Indiana), on the 15th day of May, 1824, unto Robert and Jane (Ainslie) Goudy. His father was a native of North Ire- land and of Scotch-Irish ancestry, of that virile

Robert Goudy was a carpenter in early life, later changing, as do so many of our citizens, his calling to printing, in which craft he was busied for some years at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. But when the future Judge Goudy was a boy of ten years, his father moved to Jacksonville, Illinois, a most fortunate field, as afterwards developed, for all the

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family. Here, in 1833, he began the publication of Goudy's Farmers' Almanac, the first annual of its kind to be printed in the Northwest, which, filling a greatly felt need, grew speedily into the deserved prominence it maintained for the many years during which it was a household word. Later, he embarked in a newspaper of fair pro- portions for that era; in which connection let it not be overlooked that it was the first press to call pointed attention to that rising young star, Stephen A. Douglas. The son also did his share of battling for this candidate during that heated campaign when Douglas defeated Lincoln in the memorable congressional contest.

The subject of this sketch graduated at the Illinois College of Jacksonville in 1845, an alma mater made proud time and again by the grand deeds of her hero pupil, whom she has twice hon- ored with her post-graduate degrees, namely, Master of Arts and Doctor of Laws. Suffice to say, that none of her myriad graduates ever won such special favor more fairly than he of whom we are writing.

While reading law thereafter, Mr. Goudy taught school in Decatur. Later he went for a time into the office of Stephen A. Logan, partner of Lincoln. In 1847 he was admitted to the Bar at Lewistown, Illinois, entering directly into partnership with Hon. Hezekiah M. Weed, of that place, where he rapidly rose in public notice and favor. Taking an active part in politics, he was partially rewarded in 1852 by being elected States Attorney of the Tenth Judicial Circuit, which position of trust he resigned in 1856; and from 1857 to 1861 was twice returned as State Sen- ator for the Fulton-McDonough district. In 1859 fame and rapidly growing practice invited him to Chicago, the great Western center, which, like Athens of old, calls annually for its tribute of talent and oratory from its outlying territory. For about the next thirty-five years his reputa- tion and his wealth grew with amazing rapidity, until none throughout the entire Mississippi Val- ley was better or more favorably known in his profession than Judge Goudy. His learned skill was demonstrated in the higher courts all over this western county, from which, in frequent

triumphs, he went to more honorable laurels achieved before that tribunal of dernier resort, the Supreme Court of the United States. His specialty was the law of real property, in which branch of learning he was recognized as a leader all over the vast domain his talents dominated; indeed, there have been expressed on more than one oc- casion sincere regrets that Judge Goudy left no published work upon this broad field of judicature, of especial application in the newer West, for the guidance of future brothers. It would indeed have been the labor of a legal giant, gigantically performed. During all this later period, not a volume of Illinois Reports, and they number into the hundreds, but bears his name as attorney or counsel in cases of gravest import and represent- ing questions and corporations of greatest magni- tude.

As illustrating the thoroughness with which he worked and the minuteness of inquiry and research to which he would voluntarily go, rather than admit he was beaten or acknowledge there was no redress (in his opinion) for his client, we must digress sufficiently to call attention to that case (the Kingsbury-Buckner), perhaps most famous of all his many noted cases, which involved the question of the fee of that splendid piece of central real estate upon which now stands the Ashland Building, the great law office re- sort, corner of Randolph and Clark Streets, in our city. This case long looked hopeless for the party in whose interests Judge Goudy had been retained. Conviction of the fact that the grantee, who seemed to own the fee, was really a holder for cestuis qui trust was sincerely entertained, but in support of such hypothesis not a scintilla of evidence seemed possible to be introduced. Early and late, far and near, in and out of season, our lawyer toiled to find some slight link, so vital to support such a much-sought chain of title. In short, almost at a standstill, sufficient proof was at last unearthed from a letter written as casual correspondance to a relative of the writer in the Down East. This became the turning-point of the case. For his services the Judge is said to have been paid the largest fee known in the West. How many thousands is not known, but

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surely it was earned in such a manner as to be gladly paid by a client who would have lived and died in ignorant non-assertion of rights, but for the untiring researchies of his lawyer. Let every young attorney. ponder well the significance of the story; just such opportunities time and again have made in an instant the name and fame of the energetic hero. The ability to win cases is the crucial test of lawyers; and a still greater test is the ability to effect a desirable compromise, as the subject of this sketch often did; for exam- ple, in the notable Wilbur F. Storey will case.

During the later years of his exceedingly active career, the firm of which he was senior member was styled Goudy, Green & Goudy, and for a considerable period prior to his demise he was chief counsel for the Chicago & Northwestern Railway, in which position he had the excep- tional fortune of holding his former private clientage. It is worth recording that the reasons for his being retained by that railway were found in numerous suits brought against it by Mr. Goudy for clients, who usually won.

Mr. Goudy married, August 22, 1849, a most estimable and cultured lady, Miss Helen Judd, of Canton, Illinois, a daughter of Solomon Judd, quite a distinguished Abolitionist. His father was Solomon Judd, Sr., of Westhampton, Massachu- setts, coming of excellent ancestry, tracing back to the pride of all Yankees, the "Mayflower" of 1620. Mrs. Goudy's mother was Eleanor Clark, born of an old Northampton, Massachusetts, family.

Two children cheered their most happy wedded life. Clara Goudy (an adopted daughter), born in October, 1857, married, in 1887, Ira J. Geer, of this city, a practicing lawyer of superior repute, by whom she has one child, William Jewett Geer. Judge Goudy left an only son, William Judd Goudy, who was born in 1864, for an extended sketch of whom vide other pages herein.

Mrs. Goudy was born on the 21st of November, 1821, at Otisco, Onondaga County, New York, was educated at the Aurora Academy of that State, after which she taught school for about nine years. She then removed to Canton, Illinois,

where she had been teaching her own private school for young ladies about two years at the time Judge Goudy won her undying affections. She survives her deeply mourned husband, and, while not in perfect health, yet for her mature age well preserved; and it is the earnest wish of all her myriad friends and recipients of generous benefactions that she may long continue in a sphere of wisely contented usefulness. She is unostentatiously conspicuous for her many works of charity, formal recognition of which was made some years since in her elevation to the position of President of the Board of Managers of the Half Orphan Asylum. Truly may it be said in sim- ple, modest truth, her life has been a model for imitation.

The old Goudy homestead, one of the choicest, most elegant of its time, was located in what has since become a very public neighborhood, about No. 1140 North Clark Street. In the early days it stood in a magnificient grove of trees some acres in extent, whose retirement received a con- tinual benediction from the murmurs of the lake near at hand. Later operations have subdivided and covered with many dwellings this lovely property. "And the place thereof shall know it no more." Anticipating growing encroachment upon that privacy in which Mr. Goudy so much delighted, he finally built a solid, ornate mansion of gray granite at No. 240 Goethe Street, than which none of our citizens can boast of a more complete or elegant home. In full view of the lake (but a block distant), contiguous to a beautiful private park, within easy access of business haunts, and yet enjoying the stillness of a veritable country seat, Judge Goudy with his wife there found the oasis of existence, his seat of recupera- tive rest, his scene of domestic bliss, for he was emphatically, notwithstanding the grandeur and publicity which cast a halo about his character, a domestic man. Though a valued member of the Union and Iroquois Clubs, he was not an habitue of their inviting halls, save on rare special occasions.

In politics, like all his lineage, he was a sturdy Democrat; not particularly aggressive, but full of wise counsels and dictator of winning courses to

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H. F. FRINK.

be pursued in accomplishing certain political ends. His first vote was cast for Lewis Cass in 1848; he had much to do with the nomination of President Cleveland to his last term of office; and might have passed away in occupation of the most dignified seat of judicial honor within the gift of our country, i. e., the Supreme Bench of the United States, had not his ever honorable principles decided him to withdraw in favor of his old friend, the present Chief Justice, M. W. Fuller. He was at one time President of the Lincoln Park Board of Commissioners, as he had been among those most actively valuable in lay- ing out the bounds and bringing into being that most beautiful of all our resorts.

Judge Goudy was a "gentleman of the old school," always courteous and scrupulously hon- orable; the possessor of a frankly-bright, prepos- sessing face, brimful of character. A very broad forehead surmounted features all finely chiseled; his figure was but of medium height and physical weight, but capable of expressing great dignity upon occasion. Though rather sickly in youth, by abstemious habits he had grown for many years to be quite robust, in which condition he was maintained by studious attention to all his

habits, save that of work. In this, he reminds one strongly of the great Cæsar, who, sickly in youth, by careful regimen grew to endure in- credible labors. Indeed, it was from over appli- cation, following too speedily a season of malady, that Judge Goudy met his end April 27, 1893; which found him suddenly, like the lightning flash, seated in his chair by the office desk, whither he had injudiciously repaired upon important business. His tough, perennial thread of life, which had been vexed and tugged at time and again by his response to urgent demands, was strained beyond endurance; it snapped, and the heroic melody of a noble life became forever in- stantly silent. He was buried under the auspices of the Fourth Presbyterian Church, in which he had always had a vital interest, and now sleeps the peaceful sleep of the just in the family lot at Grace- land Cemetery, whichi spot will long continue to be marked by the dignified memorial now rising over his remains.

He left a supremely honorable name. Out of the many illustrious heroes found herein, none need doubt that the memory of the greatest will not survive that of Hon. William Charles Goudy.

HENRY F. FRINK.

ENRY FARNSWORTH FRINK, whose business and social relations cause him to be well known in Cook County, enjoys the dis- tinction of being a native of Chicago, and repre- sents one of its niost esteemed pioneer families. The house in which he was born stood at the corner of Wabash Avenue and Randolph Street, and the date of his advent was April 17, 1848. His parents were John and Harriet Frink, an ap- propriate notice of whom is given elsewhere in this book.

Henry F. Frink was afforded excellent educa-

tional advantages, and at twenty years of age graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Arts from the Chicago University. It is needless to add that liis subsequent career has been such as to reflect credit upon his Alma Mater. He began the study of law in the office of Sleeper, Whiton & Durham, and in 1872 was admitted to practice by a committee composed of members of the Bar appointed for the purpose of examining candi- dates. Since that date he has been continuously engaged in practice, making a specialty of real- estate law and the examination of abstracts. His

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J. M. ADSIT.

ample experience and accurate knowledge of these subjects are of great value to himself and his clients, and cause his opinions to be received with respectful attention by attorneys and officials generally. He deals in city and suburban realty to a considerable extent, and by the exercise of foresight and discrimination in these operations has accumulated a competence, which he endeav- ors to invest in such a manner as to promote the commercial interests of the community. In 1891 he organized the Austin State Bank, of which he has ever since been the President, giving consid- erable of his time and attention to its affairs. His business of all kinds has been conducted in such a manner as to secure the best results to his col- leagues and at the same time to inspire the confi- dence of the public in his judgment and integrity.

On. the 14th of April, 1886, occurred the mar- riage of Mr. Frink and Miss Louise Creote, a most estimable lady and a daughter of Joseph Creote, an early pioneer of Chicago. * A daugh- ter, Mildred, helps to brighten the home circle of Mr. and Mrs. Frink. The former of this couple

adheres to the Episcopal faith, in the tenets of which he was instructed in youth, while his wife is a member of the Baptist Church at Austin, where the family resides.

Socially, Mr. Frink is identified with the Royal League and Athletic Clubs. While never an act- ive politician, he is not unmindful of the duties of citizenship, and usually casts his ballot in sup- port of Republican principles.

Previous to the great Chicago fire he occupied an office with W. D. Kerfoot at No. 95 Washing- ton Street, and for a time subsequent to that dis- aster he shared with that gentleman the historic cabin in the street, which served them as a shel- ter pending the rescue of their safe from the em- bers and the erection of their new building. He did duty as a member of the citizens' patrol guard immediately after the great fire, a temporary ar- rangement for the protection of homes and prop- erty, which was instrumental in preventing a great deal of the pillage and plundering to which the city was exposed until the police force could be re-organized.

JAMES M. ADSIT.

AMES M. ADSIT. To have been among the first in Chicago to engage in any honor- able calling is quite sufficient to make such a one a local historical personage for all time to come, and so the career of James M. Adsit is filled with unusual interest, because of the con- spicuous fact that, apart from his being an excep- tional character, he was among the first bankers to enter upon a career of finance within the pres- ent limits of Cook County.

Mr. Adsit was born February 5, 1809, in Spencertown, Columbia County, New York, unto Leonard and Frances Adsit (nee Davenport). His father dying when the son was but six years of age, he went to live and remain with his grandfather Adsit, and after finishing the com-

mon-school education customary for those early days, went for a time into employment in his uncle Ira Davenport's store.

On April 2, 1838, he arrived in Chicago, then a city of but a single year's standing, con- sisting of only a few streets stragglingly built up; and, as one of the earliest pioneers, founded a private bank at Number 37 Clark Street in 1850, having up to that time, from the date of his arri- val, been engaged in loans and investments on Lake Street. In 1856 he removed one door to Number 39 Clark Street, where he remained un- til the "Chicago Fire," at which time he had the great misfortune to lose all of his personal papers and books connected intimately with much of Chicago's early history, whereby vanished forever

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valuable data covering the development of the city for its first three decades. But fortune was his on that occasion to save the bulk of moneys and securities in the vaults of his office, thereby being able to reassure his depositors, many of whom on days following came with woeful visage, in expectation of news of their hard-earned means having gone up in flames.

Shortly after he liad re-opened his banking busi- ness at Number 422 Wabash Avenue for a few months, he removed to a store on Wabash Avenue a few doors from Congress, thence to the Ogden Building, corner Lake and Clark Streets. He then built at Number 41 Clark Street, where he contin- ued in active life until 1881. At that date, owing somewhat to failing health, he decided to merge his corporation into the Chicago National Bank, of which he became the first Vice-President, resign- ing, however, in 1885, at which time he retired from active life.

His shortsightedness, if indeed we are right to so style the matter, was a lack of faith in the future real-estate values of Chicago. Had a bold course been adopted in this direction, it would have resulted in the acquiring of an estate vast indeed: but sufficient honor is his, in that he un- swervingly carried out his financial life in strict integrity.

While ever a stanch Republican in politics, Mr. Adsit was never prominent in public life, fig- uring rather in the background on movements which were to be carried out for the public weal. In that sense he was always a most active and useful member in aid of advances. Among the institutions with which he was conspicuously as- sociated was the Mechanics' Institute, of which he was the first Vice-President. Following the panic of 1857, when threatened by adverse cir- cumstances with destruction, he lent strong finan- cial support, and was for years one of the chief managers, until its future of honor and usefulness was assured. In 1871 he was Chairman of the Clearing House Association. Among the large estates promoted under his management was that of Allen C. Lewis, which was enhanced greatly in value through his shrewd handling.

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Album of genealogy and biography, Cook County, Illinois, Volume 1899, Part 17

Author: La Salle Book Company (Chicago, Ill.) Publication date: 1899 Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : La Salle Book Co. Number of Pages: 910

Author: La Salle Book Company (Chicago, Ill.)
Publication date: 1899
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : La Salle Book Co.
Number of Pages: 910