USA > Illinois > Cook County > Chicago > The biographical dictionary and portrait gallery of representative men of Chicago, Minnesota cities and the World's Columbian exposition : with illustrations on steel. V. 2 > Part 39
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" At the close of the war in 1865 he came to Minnesota, and in February, 1866, opened a law office in Minneapolis. His ability, rectitude of conduct and agreeable social qualities were soon recognized. They brought friends and clients, so that in a short time he had a good practice and was advancing rapidly to the front rank of the able bar of Hennepin county. The year following Minneapolis became a city, and as city attorney Mr. Shaw did much toward framing the system of ordinances that still remains. In 1868 he formed a partnership with Judge Franklin Beebe, which brought increase of business. Upon Judge Beebe's retirement from active practice in 1875, Mr. A. L. Levi took the vacant place and Willard R. Cray was admitted to the firm as a partner four years later. These were years of very laborious and successful work. In 1874 Hon. F. R. E. Cornell was elevated to the bench of the Supreme Court. Mr. Shaw then became the recognized leader of the Hennepin county bar, and there was scarcely any important litigation in
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the county in which he was not retained and actively engaged. On the death of Judge Cor- nell in the spring of 1881, he was regarded by all as the fittest to succeed that able jurist, and he was tendered by Governor Pillsbury the appoint- ment as justice of the Supreme Court of the state. That this offer came unsought, and solely in recognition of his ability and fitness for this high place, usually the limit of the ambition of the most aspiring lawyer, is evident from the fact that greatly to the regret of his friends and brethren at the bar, and solely because he pre- ferred the active work of his profession, he at once declined the appointment. This work had become so extensive and exacting as soon to overtax his strength. Finding his health seri- ously endangered he was induced, in the begin- ning of the year 1882, to accept a vacant place on the bench of the district court of the fourth judicial district of the state, which includes Hen- nepin county, and at the ensuing general election he was chosen to that office by unanimous vote of the people for a full term of seven years. Though very popular as a judge, his love for active work at the bar was so controlling, that early in 1883 he resigned and resumed the prac- tice of the law with Mr. Cray, his former partner. Later Judge James I. Best became a partner and for a time the firm name was Shaw, Best and Cray. It now (1892) consists of Messrs. Shaw and Cray, and has a very large and lucrative practice.
"Judge Shaw is still in the prime and vigor of mature manhood, with all of the characteristics that bring men to eminence in professional life. His unswerving integrity, perfect fairness and courtesy in practice, his genial manners and cordial good nature, endear him to his associates, while his breadth of information, especially in all the branches of the law, and his studious and laborious habits, give him perfect mastery of his cases. These traits of character, with his remark- able power of analysis, illustration and close log- ical reasoning, make him a most formidable antagonist in any forensic contest, whether before court or jury. Although notably fair and con- siderate in his treatment of honorable opponents, a case of palpable fraud, chicanery or oppression will bring upon the head of the offender such torrents of scathing invective as few care to en-
counter. For many years he was counsel for the Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway Company, the Minneapolis Mill Company, and other large cor- porations in respect to all important contracts and litigation. For the last twenty years there has hardly been a civil cause of great importance in our courts, in the trial of which he has not taken a prominent part. The Pinney will case, the Washburn will case, and the King-Remming- ton litigation are among those of the last half of that period.
" His briefs exhibit the most exhaustive re- search and are models of compact, logical analy- sis and the purest English style ; as are also his written decisions while on the bench. Though many of these decisions were appealed froin, none were reversed. While always taking an active part in enterprises for public improvement and an intelligent interest in public affairs, he has ever avoided office and never allowed politics to trench upon the time he so sedulously devotes to professional work."
Mr. Shaw was also leading counsel in the notable litigation of Drennen et al, against a large number of insurance companies in the United States courts, involving about seventy-five thousand dollars of insurance. The plaintiffs were defeated in the circuit court by the ruling of Judge Samuel F. Miller directing a verdict for the defendants. The well known ability and vigor of Judge Miller seemed to render the case of the plaintiff almost hopeless. The test case was appealed to the United States Supreme Court by the plaintiff's counsel. The decision of the circuit court was reversed and the cause sent back for a new trial. Upon the second trial the plaintiffs recovered judgment, and the case was again appealed by the defendant. Upon the last appeal the judgment below was affirmed and the whole insurance was finally collected.
As a member of the Grand Army of the Repub- lic and of the Loyal Legion, Judge Shaw still cherishes and honors the traditions of the war for the Union, rejoicing that, in the crisis of the nation's existence, he was numbered among those who periled life and all that life held dear for the preservation of the Union. Entering heartily into all the business, social and humanitarian interests of his city and state, no man is better known among his fellow-citizens, none more re-
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spected. His hand and heart are " open as the day to melting charity," but his charities are unobtrusive.
Judge Shaw is a Republican in politics, and although a superb platform speaker, he usually avoids political tumult, and is so well pleased with the duties and labors of his profession, that he
prefers them to the uncertain honors of public life. Judge Shaw's health has been fully restored, and he is in the prime of his years and usefulness. Having won a competency honorably, he lives to enjoy his beautiful and hospitable home, sur- rounded by an interesting family of two daugh- ters and one son.
HON. HIRAM F. STEVENS,
ST. PAUL, MINN.
T `HE subject of this sketch is a prominent lawyer. He is endowed by nature with a strong, analytic mind, sound judgment, and a clear, unfailing sense of justice and moral right, on which the principles of law are mainly based. These natural powers were developed by a thor- ough scientific and classical education and careful professional training. He is thorough in his preparation of cases for trial, and he makes an admirable brief. He is remarkable for the sound- ness of his conclusions and the quickness with which he apprehends the true issues in a case. His arguments are clear, logical and forcible, and his perfect command of the English language makes him an eloquent advocate. As an orator, Mr. Stevens has few peers and no superior in the northwest. His language is choice, and delivered with grace, ease and propriety.
His diction is unsurpassed, and his lucid, earnest argument, and smoothly flowing, rounded periods; his marshalling of facts and drawing conclusions, with masterly logic and eloquence, captivate and convince. In his literary or patriotic addresses, he employs simile, antithesis or hyper- bole as occasion may require, but in his legal arguments he is direct, forcible and logical, and clearness to a remarkable degree characterizes all of his utterances.
His patriotic, eloquent and scholarly address delivered on Decoration Day, 1889, at White Bear, the Saint Paul Dispatch characterized as " a perfect piece of oratory." The Daily Globe, of June I, the same year, says: "The speech delivered by H. F. Stevens, yesterday, at White Bear, is unquestionably one of the best pieces of rhetoric which the celebration of Decoration Day has produced here or elsewhere. Its language
was classic, its imagery effective and refined, and its sentiments fully as exalted as the occasion demanded."
Mr. Stevens is a native of the Green Mountain State, and was born at St. Albans, September II, 1852, the son of Dr. Hiram Fairchild Stevens, an eminent physician, widely known and highly respected. He was at one time president of the Vermont State Medical Society, and had been a member of both houses of the Vermont legisla- ture. He died in January, 1866, at the age of forty years, from diseases contracted in the military service in the latter part of the war of the rebellion, while on duty as surgeon in the malarious district about City Point, Virginia.
The mother of our subject, before marriage, . was Miss Louisa I. Johnson. She lives at St. Albans, Vermont. Hiram F. was the eldest of four children, and upon the death of his father he was compelled to accept a position in a store. In time, however, by teaching at intervals and working on a farm during vacations, he was enabled to complete his education at the Uni- versity of Vermont, having previously been graduated from Kimball Union Academy at Meriden, New Hampshire. After leaving col- lege he read law in the office of Judge John K. Porter, of New York city, and was graduated from Columbia Law School in 1874, and was then admitted to the Vermont bar. He was in the successful practice of the law at St. Albans, under the firm name of Davis and Stevens. He was admitted to practice in the United States Circuit Court of Vermont in March, 1876, and gained considerable distinction as a lawyer and quite an extensive practice. He removed to Saint Paul in December, 1879, and became a member of the
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firm of Warner, Stevens and Lawrence. In De- cember, 1886, he withdrew from that firm and was made counsel of the St. Paul Title Insurance and Trust Company, which position he still holds, in addition to a large and increasing general prac- tice as a member of the legal firm of Stevens, O'Brien and Glenn. Mr. Stevens is devoted to his profession. He is a close student, employing every means of advancement and embracing every opportunity for improvement.
He was one of the constituent members of the American Bar Association at its formation at Saratoga, New York, in August, 1878, and was for several years a member of its general coun_ cil, and is now vice-president for his state. He was also an original member and the first sec- retary of the Vermont State Bar Association organized in October, 1878, and was one of the original members of the St. Paul Bar Asso- ciation, and has served as its president. He was prominent in the inauguration of the Minnesota State Bar Association, organized in June, 1883, and was its first secretary. In 1887, Mr. Stevens was heartily endorsed by the bar and press, as well as many others, for the office of judge of the district court. For many years he has been a leading member of the Chamber of Commerce, and has served several terms as one of its direc- tors. His efforts as a member of the chamber in behalf of the general welfare of the city have attracted the attention and received the universal approval of his fellow-citizens. In January, 1888, he was appointed by Mayor Smith, one of the Park Commissioners of the city, and was for several years president of the board. He has inaugurated and advocated very earnestly, certain improvements in the affairs of the city, among which are the new union railroad depot, and rad- ical improvements in the management and opera- tion of the street railway system.
He is a prominent Mason. He was at one time a member of the Grand Lodge of Vermont, and is at present the Prelate of Damascus Com- mandery of Knights Templar, of St. Paul. When in Vermont he was five years a member of the National Guard, serving in the " Ransom Guards," a company distinguished for its proficiency in drill and general standing.
In politics, Mr. Stevens has always been a Republican. In 1876 he was at the head of the
Hayes and Wheeler club in Vermont. In 1886, he was chairman of the Ramsey County Repub- lican Committee, and although the county was decidedly Democratic, the Republicans that year, under the leadership of his committee, elected five out of the seven representatives, and a ma- jority of the important county officers. In 1888 he was nominated by the Republicans as a candi- date for representative for the twenty-seventh senatorial district, composed of the old second and sixth wards, and was elected by an overwhelm- ing majority. The large vote he received was certainly a flattering testimonial of the esteem in which he is held by his fellow-citizens, and a tribute to his general worth of no little sig- nificance.
Mr. Stevens' services in the legislature of 1889 added largely to his reputation, and were of great value to his constituency and the state. Upon the organization of the house he was appointed chairman of the judiciary committee. He soon took rank as one of the ablest and most influen- tial members of the general assembly, and maintained his station to the close of the session. He was the author of the proposed constitutional amendment, allowing five-sixths of a jury in civil actions to return a verdict, and he introduced and pressed to enactment the bill for the sanitary inspection of factories ; the bill creating a pen- sion fund for disabled policemen and their widows, and the bill requiring employers of females to furnish seats for their employés He was also largely instrumental in securing the passage of the present law of mechanics' liens ; the bill for the revision of the probate code; the Aus- tralian election law ; the reapportionment bill, which he steadily urged and conducted to a successful issue in the face of much opposition, and by the terms of which the representation of Ramsey county was doubled in the senate and increased forty per cent. in the general assembly ; and he championed many other measures which became laws largely through his efforts and in- fluence. Always courteous and gentlemanly, he was held by his fellow members in general esteem, and received their respectful attention whenever he took the floor. Frequently he extricated the house from a state of confusion and embarrass- ment, by a plain proposition or statement briefly put ; and only in a few instances were his sug-
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gestions declined or his points decided adversely to his recommendations. He was a hard worker, kept his committee well in hand and busily em- ployed, and always advocated active and frequent sessions. He addressed the assembly somewhat rarely, but always when occasion demanded, and always had the attention of its members. He served faithfully and efficiently, and received the highest encomiums from the press throughout the state, and established himself better than ever in the confidence and favor of his constituents and the general public.
In 1889 Mr. Stevens was nominated by the Republicans for the state senate. He was highly recommended by his party press, and so fair, honorable and consistent had been his course, that he received many compliments from the op- position papers. His election, at a time of almost universal success of the opposite party, was highly gratifying to his many friends, and he fully met their high expectations, and added fresh laurels to those already won as a legislator. Although politically opposed to him, the Daily Globe pays Mr. Stevens the following compliment in its issue of April 20, 1891. After classing him among
the "able and strong men," it says: "Although a Republican in politics, Senator H. F. Stevens, the junior Ramsey county senator, has devoted himself to work in other channels during the session. Early in January he introduced a num- ber of bills of a general nature, correcting the laws as found in the statutes of the state, and long ago had the satisfaction of seeing them be- come laws. For work of this character, Senator Stevens is exceptionally well qualified, because of his thorough knowledge of the theory and prac- tice of the law. As a member of the local dele- gation he has borne a most important part in all the local measures that have become laws. As a manager, he is without a rival in the senate, and no one ever thinks of objecting when he makes a request for the suspension of the rules."
Mr. Stevens is a lecturer in the State University on the law of real property. He is one of St. Paul's strongest and best men.
He married on January 26, 1876, Miss Laura A. Clary, daughter of Joseph E. Clary, Esq., of Massena, New York. She is a lady of rare ac- complishments, and presides with charming grace over their beautiful home.
HENRY F. BROWN,
MINNEAPOLIS, MINN.
T O the enterprise of the early settlers of Min- neapolis, the position that is now occupied by that city as the great commercial and manu- facturing city of the northwest, is largely due. Prominent among these men who located in Minneapolis years before the war of the Rebel- lion, and who, by their unselfish devotion to her interests, aided materially in her advancement, Henry F. Brown is conspicuous.
He is the fifth child and eldest son of Cyrus S. and Mary (Burham) Brown, and was born in Baldwin, Maine, October 10, 1841. His ances- tors were prominent in New England, his grand- father being one of the original settlers of Bald- win, Maine, where the old homestead of our sub- ject's family still exists, and is annually occupied during the summer by some of the family. Henry is one of a family of ten children, all of whom are living and enjoying good health.
His education was obtained in Baldwin and Fryeburg, Maine. His father, although not rich, as wealth is computed to-day, was looked upon as the father of the town of Baldwin, and was pos- sessed of a fair-sized fortune.
While still a mere youth, Henry determined to seek his fortune in the west, and on October 10, 1859, he celebrated his eighteenth birthday by ar- riving in Minneapolis. Upon his arrival he en- tered into the lumber business in a small way, little dreaming of the prosperous future in store for him. A year later he withdrew from the part- nership into which he had entered, and since then he has conducted his affairs in his own name, do- ing a large and remunerative business. He not only deals in lumber, but owns the lands from which the timber is cut, and the mills which manufacture it into lumber. He is also prin- cipal owner and operator of the Dakota Flour-
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ing Mill, which has been successfully operated for fifteen years.
He has large interests in several of the sound- est financial institutions of Minneapolis. He is vice-president of the Union National Bank, a di- rector and trustee of the Minneapolis Trust Com- pany, and a director and large stockholder in the North American Telegraph Company. This company was organized by enterprising citizens of Minnesota, with a capital stock of one million dollars, to compete with the Western Union Tele- graph Company, so as to reduce rates. The cor- poration has been successful, and will gradually increase its mileage. He is also a director and large stockholder of the Minneapolis Land and Investment Company, which owns St. Louis Park; and a director in the Minneapolis Street Railway Company.
A stock farm near Minneapolis is one of his possessions, in which he takes the keenest de- light. Here thoroughbred horses and short horn and Jersey cattle are raised in a manner that has proven quite remunerative, for the past fifteen or twenty years. The "Browndale Farm" being
well and favorably known throughout the United States and Canada. This farm is not only a de- light to Mr. Brown, but also a credit to the State of Minnesota. Mr. Brown has been a shrewd dealer in Minneapolis real estate, and owns con- siderable valuable realty. He built the first house in Minneapolis that was furnished with modern improvements ; there were no plumbers in Minne- apolis at that time, and Mr. Brown was forced to bring his workmen, as well as his material, from Chicago.
On July 19, 1867, Mr. Brown married Miss Susan H. Fairfield, of Saco, Maine. Mrs. Brown is a lady of superior intellectuality, and is highly esteemed. She is a member of the Board of Lady Managers of the World's Columbian Exposition.
Politically Mr. Brown has always been a staunch Republican, ready to assist his party by all honorable means. He has been a member of the Masonic fraternity for twenty-five years.
Mr. Brown has passed all of his active life in the city of Minneapolis. He is known by all and universally esteemed ; he is a self-made man in every sense of the word.
WILLIS H. PRATT, M.D.
STILLWATER, MINN.
D R. WILLIS H. PRATT is one of Still- the battle of Fredericksburg he was severely water's most prominent physicians. He wounded three times within ten minutes, and was so disabled that he could not re-enter the service. was born July 23, 1834, in Wayne county, New York. His father was Chester Pratt, who was a native of New Hampshire. His mother's maiden name was Priscilla Brockway. She was born in Vermont, and was of distinguished English an- cestry. Dr. Pratt's father immigrated to Michigan in 1837, and commenced to make a home as a pioneer farmer. In this effort, the subject of this sketch shared the labor of his father, and had but few opportunities for advancement. After leaving the common schools, he determined to get a better education, and accordingly attended the normal school at Ypsilanti, Michigan.
Upon the call of President Lincoln for troops in 1861, Mr. Pratt offered himself, enlisting in the Fifth Regiment of Michigan Volunteers, and served with the Army of the Potomac, and through the terrible peninsular campaign. At
Returning to private life, he found the narrow routine of farm life ill-suited to his tastes, and determined to devote his attention to the study of medical science. He attended the medical department of Michigan University three terms, and was graduated therefrom, with the degree of M.D., in the spring of 1869. He practiced his profession a year and a half at Belleville, Mich- igan, and in the fall of 1870, settled in Stillwater, Minnesota, where he has achieved success. He was physician at the state's prison at Stillwater for twelve years. In 1881, he was elected to the general assembly of Minnesota.
Dr. Pratt is a member of the State, and also the Washington County Medical Society, and is a Knight Templar, and a member of the Knights
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of Pythias. He has always been a Republican, jects as well as medicine. Personally he has and at times has taken an active part in politics. many admirable qualities, and his life and char- He married Eliza J. Stevens in 1871, and has two children. acter have won for him hosts of friends, and he is one of Stillwater's most valuable and esteemed citizens.
The Doctor is a close student of scientific sub-
HON. WILLIAM D. WASHBURN,
MINNEAPOLIS, MINN.
W ILLIAM DREW WASHBURN is a native of Maine. He was born in the town of Livermore, near the Androscoggin river, on January 14, 1831. The Washburn family is of English origin, and in early days lived in the quiet English village of Evesham, near the Avon, whence one John Washburn, who was secretary of the Plymouth colony in England, immigrated to Massachusetts, and there married Patience Cook, whose father, Francis Cook, came over on the Mayflower. They settled at Duxbury, a sea- shore town. Israel Washburn, the father of our subject, was a direct descendant of John Wash- burn, and was born in 1784, in the town of Rayn- ham, near Taunton, in Bristol county, Massa- chusetts. In June, 1812, he married Martha Benjamin. Her father, Lieutenant Samuel Ben- jamin, served throughout the Revolutionary War, beginning at the battle of Lexington and contin- uing until after the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown, not being out of actual service a single day. After peace was restored this veteran hero returned to his home and married Tabitha, a daughter of Nathaniel Livermore, of Watertown, Massachusetts, and settled in the town of Liver- more, near the Androscoggin river, in Maine. Thither, Israel Washburn, after spending a short time in teaching and in ship-building on the Kennebec river; went with his wife Martha, and settled on a farm. He was a man of industrious, frugal habits, and a fair type of sturdy, New England manhood. An eager reader, he kept himself posted on current events, and had con- siderable influence in his community, taking an active interest in public affairs. He gave to his children all the advantages of education that his means and the school privileges of that region in those early days could afford. His wife was a woman of noble qualities; a model housewife
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