USA > Illinois > Cook County > Chicago > Political history of Chicago (covering the period from 1837 to 1887) Local politics from the city's birth; Chicago's mayors, aldermen and other officials; county and federal officers; the fire and police departments; the Haymarket horror; miscellaneous > Part 12
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politics since 1868. Among other distinctions he has served as Prosecuting Attorney for the police courts.
JOHN C. BARKER.
John Clarke Barker was born March 1, 1833, in Wind- sor, Kennebec county, Maine. Eleven years later he came west with parents, passing through Chicago, which at that time had less than 10,000 population, and locating in Lee Center, Lee county, where the elder Barker purchased a farm. His education was received from the Rock River Seminary, Rockford Commercial College, and Chicago Law College. He was admitted to the bar in August, 1865, but in the meantime had entered the army and served as a lieu- tenant for about a year, when ill health forced him to aban- don military life. He was chosen to represent North Chicago in the Twenty-ninth General Assembly, and while serving in that body proved himself a ready debater and desirable legislator. Returning to Chicago and his law practice, he was rapidly building for himself fame and for- tune when he was overtaken by ill health, which neces- sitated rest. Being offered the position of Justice of the Peace in 1883, he accepted it. Justice Barker is a Repub- lican in politics, and he is also a prominent mason. He was married in 1869 to Miss Elizabeth E. Vaughn, and has two children.
HARDIN B. BRAYTON.
The subject of this sketch was born in the town of Howard, Steuben County, N. Y., Aug. 29, 1829. Seven years later he removed with his parents to Wayne County, Where he attended the Marion Academy, an excellent educational institution, until he reached the age of twenty and graduated. In 1854 his parents came west and in- vested in a large tract of farming land in Blue Island, which tract is still owned by the old people and is very valuable. Hardin joined his parents in 1857 and remained
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on the new farm four years. He then located in Chicago, going into business for himself as a commission merchant and becoming a member of the Board of Trade. In 1870 he had been elected a member of the Twenty-seventh General Assembly of Illinois. As a state legislator he was instrumental in securing the passage of several wise measures and the defeat of a number of vicious ones. Mr. Brayton refused a second nomination and returned to a business life. In 1877 he was offered and accepted the position of Clerk of the County Court, which position he held until 1879, when he was chosen a Justice of the Peace. He was re-appointed in 1883, having received the indorsement of the members of the Chicago bar, and was confirmed without opposition. Since his first appointment he has been a careful student of the law, and his decisions have always been characterized by an evident desire for perfect fairness as the magnitude of the business done by him fully attests.
William Cummings, clerk for Justice Brayton, was born in 1854, in Knockgaffon, Tipperary, Ireland. In 1865 his family came to Vermont, where he attended school until he arrived at his majority. In 1876 he came to Chicago, and was at once identified with the courts in common law. He is presumed to be one of the most ex- pert members of his particular branch of the service.
D. HARRY HAMMER.
D. Harry Hammer was born in Springfield, Ills., De- cember 23, 1840. When he was two years old his parents removed to Ogle county, and there Harry passed his boy- hood and youth, attending the district schools and taking advantage of whatever other means of education presented themselves. At the age of seventeen he began a course of study at the Rock River Seminary, at Mt. Morris, Ills., and finally graduated from that institution. He then
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attended the Michigan University, at Ann Arbor, and graduated from the law school there in 1865, having turned his attention to the legal profession. Leaving Ann Arbor he traveled a short time throughout the north and west, finally locating in St. Louis. When the cholera epidemic broke out in St. Louis, young Hammer came to Chicago and once more resumed his practice as a lawyer, with satisfactory success. Governor Cullom, in 1879, ap- pointed Mr. Hammer a Justice of the Peace. He has one of the finest libraries in Chicago, and devotes much time to literary culture as well as to his legal duties. He is a member of the Union League and Calumet clubs, and is the owner of . a large amount of real estate in Chicago. Justice Hammer was married a few years ago to Miss Emma L. Carpenter, of Athens, Ohio, and has two young daughters.
Frederick T. E. Kallum, is employed by Justice D. Harry Hammer, and is the youngest clerk in the justice courts. He was born July 31, 1863, in Draman, Norway. In 1865 his parents moved to Chicago, and hence in 1868, removed to Washington Heights, Ill. Here Fred was edu- cated. He first worked for A. S. & T. P. Randall, on Monroe street, manufacturing boxes. In April, 1881, he assumed his present occupation.
LOUIS KISTLER.
Justice Kistler was born June 25, 1835, in Strasburg, Germany, his father having distinguished himself in the Napoleonic war, and dying when Louis was only ten years old. In 1845 the family removed to Rochester, and here our subject graduated in the classics in 1868. He taught the classics in Greenwich Academy, Rhode Island, up to 1862, when he went to Berlin and studied in the university there. In 1864 he accepted a professorship in the North- western University at Evanston. In 1878 he commenced
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practicing law, and in the same year met a severe loss in the destruction by fire of a most valuable library. In 1883 he was appointed a Justice.
W. H. GLEASON.
William Henry Gleason, Collector of the South Town of Chicago, was born in Wardsborough, Windham county, Vt., in 1843. Up to the age of twenty his life was spent upon his father's farm. He toiled industriously, summer and winter, save when he attended the district school. Removing to Baltimore, he was engaged in the baking business for several years. In the spring of 1869 he came to Chicago, and up to the great fire of 1871 was a clerk in the employ of Galpin & Hanchett, deputy sheriffs and auctioneers. In the spring of 1872 he entered the division superintendent's office of the Pullman Palace Car Com- pany, but on December 1, resigned to accept the bailiffship in the County Court when Timothy Bradley was Sheriff. He continued in this position up to the fall of 1876, when he became a partner of Seth F. Hanchett in the collecting agency, and when Mr. Hanchett was elected Clerk of the Probate Court, he became chief deputy. After an excellent service under Sheriff Hanchett subsequently, he accepted his present position.
S. B. CHASE.
Samuel Brown Chase, the Assessor of the North Town of Chicago, has been serving the people for many a year in that capacity. He was first elected in 1877 by a majority of 478; in 1880 by a majority of 583, and in 1881 by a major- ity of 3,926. His opponents were successively Arthur Gleason, Samuel Appleton, and Adolph Mueller.
Mr. Chase was born in Rochester, N. Y., in 1844, and was christened after Major General Brown, of the United States army, who was a paternal relative. In 1851 the family, removing to Chicago, sent the boy to Naperville,
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Ill., where he completed an academical course with high lionors.
In 1862 he entered the army in the war for the Union, joining the One Hundred and Fifth Illinois Infantry. For three years he served with marked distinction under Buell, when General John Morgan was driven from Frank- fort, Ky., under Rosecrans in Tennessee; and under Slier- man he participated in the famous march from Atlanta to the sea. He was throughout a staff officer, and had at- tained a lieutenancy when he was mustered out in 1865. He then connected himself with the commission house of P. B. Ware & Co., No. 193 South Water street, a rela- tion he still sustains in the commercial world.
Mr. Chase has ever been a Democrat of a pronounced type, and has never failed in thoroughly ventilating his sympathies, especially in the district he represents as Assessor. His ability as such officer has been enhanced not a little by his affability under the most trying circum- stances, and his repeated election by the people bears strong testimony to the fact.
Bernhart Neibling, Cashier ; John W. Crawford, Chief Clerk ; T. W. Stout, T. J. Corcoran, C. R. Sheldon, J. B. Crowley, T. D. Brosneu, Pat. F. Maloney, Paul Kelley, Geo. W. Webber. Wm. C. Lappin, Hy. Spicler, Robert Kenney, T. J. Barrett, Dan. R. O'Brien, Jas. H. Burns, Jno. F. O'Malley, Jno. Dowdle, Hy. Vogt, Pete Conrad, Robt. Renshaw; Hy. Ganey, Jno. Watts, Emil Biurle, Leon Vil- lers, Adam Kilian, Capt. Thomas O'Connor, Q. Regneri.
FRANK DRAKE.
The Assessor of the Town of South Chicago, was born in 1827 in Elba, Geneva County, N. Y. His early life was spent on his father's farm, and during his respites from work he attended the public school. At the age of twenty- one he came west. locating in Janesville, Wis., where he
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conducted a nursery, as he also did at Racine, in the same state. In 1862 he entered the grain and produce business. and was so engaged when elected Assessor. He is Chief Grain Inspector for the district in which he lives.
JOHN A. BELL.
John A. Bell, Assessor of the West Town of Chicago, was born in Troy, N. Y., in 1850. When eleven years of age, Johnny did not take his books under his arm like a good boy and go to the district school. Not at all ; he ran away to New York City that he might go to the front with the Second New York Regiment. His family recov- ered him, but he soon escaped with a Vermont Regiment. It was not long before he was recaptured. Seeing that his military ardor must be satisfied he was finally allowed to go to work in the arsenal making cartridges. Johnny could not stay. With two companions he started for the Erie canal. An uncle in Buffalo sent him home. He was sent to the St. Mary's Academy in Troy, and it began to look for the first time as though he was going to be steady. He left the institution in very good shape to go into a shoe store, but shortly learned the printing business. He was next agent for a bakery. A variety of experiences followed ; a most painful one occurring March 22, 1877, when he fell seventy-five feet from a flag pole on a whole- sale house, corner Market and Madison, when he broke his left hip and injured the base of his skull.
West Town employés-Collector ; C. Casselman, Jr., A. B. Johnson, Thos. Martin, P. B. Meehan, A. H. Boyden, E. F. Murphy, J. McAllen, Bryan Donnelly, Dan O'Leary, Cyrus Lawrence, John Gaynor, M. Powers, James Clark, John Enright, John Flaherty, Sam E. Reed, Thos. Cratty, Ed Burke, and Jno. S. Quinn, Jr.
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
DENIS J. SWENIE.
Denis J. Swenie, Chief Fire Marshal of Chicago, was born in the city of Glasgow, Scotland, in 1834. At the age of 14 he came to Chicago and engaged in the harness trade, continuing in this business up to 1859. During these years he ran with the boys of the volunteer fire de- partment. In 1849 he was a hose boy on No. 3, stationed at the corner of Wells and Kinzie streets. In 1852 Mr. Swenie went on the "Red Jacket," and took the position of Assistant Foreman. In 1854 the company was dis- banded, when he returned to No. 3. In 1856 he was ap- pointed First Assistant Engineer. He was appointed Chief Engineer in 1858, and organized the paid steam fire depart- ment. The experiment was attended with considerable annoyance, the friends of the volunteer force being numer- ous and persistent. Mr. Swenie however came out with flying colors, eliciting the unqualified approval of press and public. This was the birth of that department, which to- day is second to no fire organization in the world.
In 1861 Mr. Swenie took command of the Liberty, sta- tioned on North Dearborn street. In 1867 he brought his company over to the Gund. He was Captain of this com- pany when appointed First Assistant Fire Marshal, October 1873. In November, 1879, he was created Chief, to suc- ceed Matthias Benner, the veteran fireman who embarked in the manufacturing of fire-escapes. In the traffic he is eminently successful.
Chief Swenie is a wonderfully well-preserved man for 11 161
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THE POLITICAL HISTORY OF CHICAGO.
his experience. He was present in all of the great fires of his day. In the great fire of 1857 he took charge of the diggers, and recovered eighteen bodies out of twenty-three supposed to have been lost. In the historical conflagration of 1871 his exertions saved five entire blocks in the vicinity of Kinzie street bridge. The Chief is a man of the most valuable information, secured mainly by extended travel. Mr. Swenie declined the nomination for sheriff on the Democratic ticket in 1886.
WILLIAM MUSHAM.
William Musham, First Assistant Fire Marshal and De- partment Inspector, was born in Chicago, February 9, 1839. In February, 1855, he joined the volunteer fire de- partment, attending to his business as a carpenter at the same time. Mr. Musham joined the Paid Fire Department in 1861, going first upon the "Little Giant," corner of Washington and Dearborn streets. He served as pipeman ; was transferred to the "Atlantic," thence back to the "Giant," but in a short time resigned and went to Philadel- phia, where he served on the " Fairmount," in the volunteer fire department. On his return to Chicago, he went upon the "'T. B. Brown," serving as Assistant Foreman, up to 1868. He now went as Foreman upon the "Giant." After the Great Fire, March 1, 1872, he was appointed Third Assistant, and rapidly rose to his present responsible position. Mr. Musham possesses the confidence of his men to a notable extent, and, while not a man who makes acquaintances fast, his outside friends are legion. A fall- ing wall, at a fire at the corner of LaSalle and Water streets, in 1865, severely injured him. Two of his heroic comrades were killed there.
JOHN REDELL.
The Chief of the First Battalion was born in New York City, Dec. 28, 1847, and is of English extraction. After
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a brief experience on the New York and Erie Railroad, he came to Chicago in 1862, becoming a clerk in the estab- lishment of Wills, Dunham & Hoyt, now Dunham & Wills, ship-chandlers. He afterward was proprietor of a grocery store, in which business he continued until after the fire. In February, 1873, he joined the Fire Department. He was first Pipeman on Engine No. 11, then on 22, back to 11, where he was promoted as Lieutenant; then to 4, to 13, to 27, to 14, to Chemical 2; to 13, where he was made a Captain, and then to 11. While here he was made Chief of the First Battalion.
In 1866 the chief married Miss Clara Denker, the daughter of Joseph Denker, an old settler and prominent clothier.
JOHN H. GREEN.
The Chief of the Second Battalion is John Henry Green. He was born in Providence, R. I., Sept. 3, 1842. In this city he ran with Columbia Engine No. 12, while he worked for a silversmith. In 1860 he came to Chicago and worked as a printer four years. In 1864 he went as a Pipeman on Liberty Engine No. 7. Chief Swenie was then foreman of the company. In 1871 he was made Captain of Hook and Ladder No. 3, and then of No. 14, which company do- nated him a fire-hat and belt on leaving. He was Captain of Truck 3 until April 9, 1877, and among other experiences stepped off a roof at the corner of Lake and Green streets, falling thirty feet, and went down with the fourth floor to the second in a building on Jefferson street. Not long ago the Marshal received a present of a diamond stud from the Mystic Owl Club, of which he is President.
FREDERICK J. GABRIEL.
The Chief of the Third Battalion joined the Fire De- partment April 1, 1869. In 1872 he resigned from the department, but in a few years returned. He was ap-
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pointed Captain Jan. 9,1876, and advanced to his present po- sition in the fall of 1885. His experience as a fireman has been a rather noteworthy one, he having had several miraculous escapes from death by falling walls, etc. When respond- ing to a fire on the North Side, soon after his promotion as Chief, his buggy collided with an engine and he was thrown to the ground, breaking his leg. The fracture was a bad one and the Marshal was confined to his home for several months.
JOSEPH C. PAZEN.
The Chief of the Fourth Battalion, with headquarters in the house of Company 3, commanded by that vet- eran fireman, Captain Jack McLean, was born February 14, 1844, Ems. in the Dukedom of Nassau, Germany, and came to Chicago December 29, 1854. From this date he worked at his trade of confectionary until June, 1862, when he joined Company E, Sixty-fifth Regiment, Illinois Volunteers Infantry, then stationed at Camp Donglas. Mustered out in June, 1865, he resumed confectionary, and followed it until September, 1867, when he went upon the Chicago Fire Department as Pipeman of Engine Company No. 7, then at 611 West Lake street. He was made Captain of Hook and Ladder Company No. 1, on June 1, 1872, and served subsequently on Engine No. 23, and Hook and Ladders 8 and 4. On the death of the lamented David Kenyon, who received fatal injuries while responding to a false alarm, he was made acting Chief of the First Battalion, October 3, 1884. He was promoted Assistant Fire Marshal September 5, 1885.
EDWARD W. MURPHY.
The Chief of the Fifth Battalion was born in Chicago in 1854, where the Haven School now stands. He was first employed in C. G. Udell's ladder factory, but soon went to Milwaukee, where he was engaged in running a
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stationary engine. He spent some time after at Standing Rock Agency, Dakota Territory, and Fort Snelling. In 1870 he came to Chicago, and worked as a fireman on the Illinois Central Railroad up to June, 1873, when he went upon the Fire Insurance Patrol. In 1874 he went upon the Fire Department as Pipeman of Engine No. 6. He then went on Hook and Ladder No. 4, where he was made lieu- tenant, and from there to Engine No. 10, whither he went to pilot the self-propeller. It was a perilous occupation indeed. When the horses were put back on No. 10 he went to No. 8. Transferred to No. 17, he was made a captain, and remained with this company for over five years. He was made Chief of Battalion in 1885.
Chief Murphy is undoubtedly favored with a charmed life. He is the survivor of many a thrilling experience on duty. In June, 1877, at the fire in Reedy's Elevator, he took a trip from the top floor to the basement. He went down with seventeen others from the roof of the Academy of Music; was buried beneath falling walls at Meyer's Mills, where fireman James Conway was fatally injured and Cap- tain Donahue, had his leg broken and was otherwise hurt, and had a blood-vessel of the brain ruptured by a collision with a huge stone on Canal street. Fireman Michael Sheehan had his arm broken in four different places, and fireman Louis Ernst had a leg broken at the same time. Upon the Chief's unexpected recovery the manufacturers of his district presented him with a valuable watch and chain as a mark of appreciation for services rendered. In 1885 he fell from the top floor of a burning building on South Water street. At this fire Bird and Mulvihill received fatal injuries. Recently he has excelled himself. in the saving of life. He has probably won the Tree medal.
M. W. CONWAY.
The Chief of the Sixth Battalion, Michael William Conway, has been connected with the Chicago Fire De-
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THE POLITICAL HISTORY OF CHICAGO.
partment since 1853. In 1856 he joined the Garden City Hose Company No. 6, but three years after went to Mem- phis, where he was when Fort Sumter was first fired on. He at once enlisted in Mulligan's Brigade, and during the war shared its perilous adventures. In 1868 he joined Engine No. 5, which threw first water on the front of the big fire. In 1872 he went on Tempest Hose Company, which used the first chemical engine. In 1873 he was made Captain of No. 17, and was then transferred to No. 7, where he was when appointed Marshal, and placed in charge of the Seventh Battalion. This was in 1875. In 1877 he took the Fourth Battalion, subsequently the Fifth Battalion and finally the Third Battalion. The Marshal was born in Ireland in 1852. In the fire of July, 1874, he was specially commended for heroism by the Fire Com- missioners.
JOHN CAMPION.
The Chief of the Seventh Battalion was born in 1849, in Kilkenny. In the same year the family came to Troy, New York, whence, after a brief stay, they removed to Kappinger's Falls, N. Y. In 1854 they came to Chicago, locating on Griswold street, now much changed, and known as Pacific avenue. In those days the night-school was a feature, and old man Condon was a prominent educator. To his custody the future fireman was given for a time. He subsequently attended St. Mary's and the James school. At sixteen he went to work in the Times office, and leaving there engaged in the shipment of cattle, with headquarters at the stock yard. This he pursued, travel- ing extensively, up to the time of his appointment on the Fire Department. This was on April 1, 1870, although he ran to fires years before. He went first on duty on No. 6. His promotion followed very fast. In 1873 he was appointed a captain of a company in the Exposi- tion Building. In the same year he went on No. 2. In
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1874 he went back to No. 6; in 1875, to No. 7. In 1878 he stepped into the vacancy caused by the death of George Rau, Captain of No. 1, and was promoted therefrom April 8, 1882. Chief Campion has been in many hard ex- periences, but has been uniformly fortunate.
LEO MEYERS.
The Chief of the Eighth Battalion was the first white male child born in Chicago. The event occurred June 26, 1834. While he attended school he was a torch boy on Bucket Company No. 1. He afterward served as Pipe- man on the "Lawrence Hand " engine No. 7 and Niagara No. 3. When the pay department was organized, he went on the " Island Queen." He was afterward foreman of the U. P. Harris No. 5, up to 1863, when Chief Harris appointed him Assistant Marshal. He resigned, shortly, however, for the foremanship of Supply Hose No. 2, but shortly he accepted a position with the Babcock Manufac- turing Company as a deliverer of apparatus. He was made Captain of No. 10, 1874, but was soon transferred to en- gine 23. He was created Assistant Fire Marshal in 1877 and has charge of the lumber district, a most responsible po- sition indeed.
RICHARD FITZGERALD.
The Chief of the Ninth Battalion, is one of the best natured men on the department. It does a person good once in a while to drop in on him.
Mr. Fitzgerald was born in 1841, in Limerick, Ireland. In 1848 the family removed to America, and in 1857 our subject came to Chicago. He followed stone-cutting up to the time he joined the Chicago Fire Department. He went on No. 10 as a Pipeman first, and subsequently served on Engine 6, Trucks 4 and 8, and Engines 2 and 29. He was promoted a Lieutenant in 1874, to Captain when on Engine 2, and September 5, 1885, to Chief of Battalion.
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PETER SCHNUR.
The Chief of the Tenth Battalion was born in the city of New York, September 28, 1842. When he was six months old his family came to Chicago, and educated him here. At the outbreak of the war he joined Taylor's Chicago Battery, and among other battles, fought at Donelson, Bel- mont, Shiloh, Arkansas Post, and Vicksburg, and July 24, 1864, he was mustered out. He went at once on No. 8 under the late Marshal Thomas Barry, but soon went on No. 7 under Captain Swenie. In 1872 he was made Assist- ant Foreman of Engine 10, and shortly thereafter was made Captain of Hook and Ladder 2. In October, 1873, he was transferred as Captain to No. 14. On January 21, 1878, he was created Chief of the Third Battalion. In March, 1882, he was given command of the Sixth Battal- ion. The Marshal is very popular, not only at home, but with visiting firemen.
CHARLES S. PETRIE.
Marshal Petrie, Secretary of the Fire Department, was born in Chicago, September 25, 1840. When he was fif- teen, he commenced working for McCormick's Reaper factory and at the same time ran with Hose Company No. 11. In 1857, after a trip to Pike's Peak, he steamboated on the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, as an assistant engineer. In 1858, he went to Nashville, Tenn., and in 1862 married there. Coming to Chicago, he became engi- neer on the tug-boat Union. He then served as Assistant Engineer on the " Atlantic Engine " No. 3 ; subsequently he was Engineer on the "J. B. Rice" No. 10. He was Engineer of No. 3 in 1872, when he was appointed Third Assistant Fire Marshal. He was soon promoted to Second Assistant Marshal. In 1877, he was made Superintendent of the Repair Shop, responding at the same time to second alarms and supplying the places of absent marshals. On
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THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
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