USA > Indiana > Vanderburgh County > Evansville > History of the city of Evansville and Vanderburg County, Indiana, Volume II > Part 6
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south and the Ohio river on the west. Great changes have since occurred and the Evansville of a half century ago bears little resemblance to the city of the present. In 1868 he was elected road supervisor, which position he filled for six years, and during his term of office he made a gravel road from Locust Hill cemetery to Fulton avenue, which was certainly much needed at that time, for no street paving had been done at that time in the city. His ideas concerning the question of public policy and politics are sociological. He believes in the right of the masses rather than of classes and has been a close student of sociological and economic conditions so that his opinions are based upon a careful consideration of the questions involved.
MILTON C. BRANDON.
The life work of Milton C. Brandon became an integral element in the development of Evansville. His was the record of a strong individuality, sure of itself and stable in purpose, quick in perception, swift in decision and energetic and persistent in action. His rise from the humble position which he occupied when as an eleven-year-old boy he started out for himself, to the presidency of a company conducting an extensive commission business, cov- ers a wide range of experience. He was born on the 12th day of January, 1856, in Dover, Stewart county, Tennessee, and was the eldest son of Newton and Martha Brandon. The father died about the time of the close of the Civil war and Milton C. Brandon, then a youth of eleven years, became the support of the family. It was a heavy burden for young shoulders to assume, but he bravely took up the task, utilizing his time and talents to the best advantage. His ability developed with the passing years and at the age of seventeen he came to Evansville to accept a position with the commission house of Martin, Eichel & Morris Company. Several years' connection with the firm brought him experience and an understanding of the business that well qualified him to conduct a similar enterprise on his own account, and about 1889 the firm of Holt & Brandon was organized, Mr. Brandon con- tinuing in active connection therewith to the time of his demise, serving for a number of years prior to his death as the president and treasurer. Under his directing influence the trade of the house steadily increased and the business became a growing and profitable one.
In 1896 Mr. Brandon was united in marriage to Miss Mary H. Gleichman, and unto them were born two daughters who are yet living, Martha and Milton, aged respectively twelve and eight years. Mr. Brandon was de- voted to his family and it was in his own household that his loss was most deeply felt, yet his death brought a sense of bereavement to all who knew him.
His engaging social qualities, his rectitude and reliability in business and his progressive public spirit all combined to give him firm hold on the af- fections of his fellow townsmen. He was a very popular member of the
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local lodge of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and was loyal to his membership relations in the Grace Presbyterian church. He was al- ways appreciative of the kindness shown him on the part of his friends, and availed himself of every opportunity to reciprocate. Failing health caused him to go to Miami, Florida, in the hope of being benefited, and with his wife and two daughters he proceeded southward. 'Another stroke of ap- oplexy caused his family to be fearful for the worst, and they started home, hoping that his last hours could be spent in Evansville, but death came to him while the train on which the family were passengers was crossing his native state on the 12th of March, 1909. He was yet in the prime of life, well fitted for all the responsibilities which he had assumed, and it was the hand of sorrow that wrote the word finis at the conclusion of his life work.
FREDERICK W. COOK.
Various corporate interests have felt the stimulus of the spirit of en- terprise which has dominated Frederick W. Cook in all of his business transactions. His ability to formulate and execute plans, to coordinate forces, to carefully systematize interests has led him to a prominent posi- tion in the business circles of Evansville and this section of Indiana. Some- thing of the extent and importance of his interests is indicated by the fact that he is now the president of the F. W. Cook Brewing Company ; presi- dent of the Evansville, Newburg & Rockport Railway Company; presi- dent of the F. W. Cook Investment Company; and a director of and in- vestor in various other prominent business interests of this city.
A native of Washington, D. C., Mr. Cook was born February 1, 1832. Shortly after his birth his parents removed to Port Deposit, Maryland but subsequently went to Cincinnati, Ohio, while in 1836 they arrived in Evans- ville, Indiana. Frederick W. Cook therefore pursued his early education in the schools of this city and was provided with further advantages when sent as a student to the Anderson Collegiate Institute at New Albany. About a year after the family arrived in Evansville his stepfather, Jacob Rice, in connection with Fred Kroener, bought property in Lamasco (now the west side of Evansville) and erected a brewing plant-the first in southern Indiana-and years later Frederick W. Cook became connected with this business. He made his initial step in the business world, how- ever, as a clerk in the dry-goods store of L. W. Hebard, but two years later his brother died and he was called home by his parents. Soon after this he began learning the brewing business and in 1853, in connection with Louis Rice, a brother of his stepfather, he built the City Brewery on the site where the F. W. Cook Brewing Company is now conducting business. At that time the district was a corn field but the keen sagacity
FREDERICK W. COOK
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of Mr. Cook foretold its later value. The capital of the new firm was three hundred and thirty dollars. Mr. Rice assumed the management of the brewery, while Mr. Cook looked after the business details. From the beginning the enterprise grew and prospered and after three years Mr. Rice sold his interest to his brother Jacob. About that time a beer cellar was installed and the company began the manufacture of lager beer. An exclusive malt house was also added to the plant. The death of Jacob Rice, the stepfather and partner of Mr. Cook, occurred on the 3d of May, 1872, and the mother of Mr. Cook passed away November 6, 1878. He thus became sole heir to the property and conducted the business under the old firm style of Cook & Rice until 1885, when it was incorporated as the F. W. Cook Brewing Company, with F. W. Cook as president. He has since remained at the head of the business which, under his direction, has constantly increased in volume and importance. The 3d of December, 1891, the brew house and offices were destroyed by fire but were immedi- ately rebuilt and by March, 1893, the company had one of the most com- plete brew houses in the United States, with a capacity now of six hun- dred thousand barrels yearly. This has become one of the largest pro- ductive industries of Evansville and its product is shipped to foreign coun- tries as well as to most parts of this country. Mr. Cook is a member of the National Brewers Association and has constantly studied modern methods and processes whereby the interests of his business may be pro- moted and the excellence of the product advanced.
Quickly recognizing favorable business opportunities, Mr. Cook has extended his efforts into various fields, all of which have profited by his co-operation, his energy and capable management. Becoming connected with the Evanston, Newburg & Rockport Railway Company, he was elected and is still its president. He is also president of the F. W. Cook Invest- ment Company, which owns Cook's Park, and he is a director of the Citi- zens National Bank, of the Ohio Valley Trust Company, the Evansville Trust & Savings Company, as well as many other important corporations which are factors in the material growth and business development of this city.
In 1856 Mr. Cook was united in marriage to Miss Louise Hild, who was born in Louisville, Kentucky, and died in February, 1877. In Novem- ber, 1879, Mr. Cook wedded Jennie Himeline, of Kelley's Island, Ohio, who died in January, 1885.
In the year of his first marriage Mr. Cook was also elected councilman of Evansville, from the fifth ward and in 1863 was elected to represent the eighth ward in the city council. The following year he was again chosen for the same position, but before the expiration of his term, resigned in order to accept a seat in the Indiana legislature, to which he had been elected in the fall of 1864. Later he represented the fourth ward in the city council and as an alderman has done important service to further the material interests and promote the welfare and progress of the city whose
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upbuilding has been attributable in no small degree not only to his official service but also to his business capacity. He has maintained a fixed and unalterable purpose throughout all of his business life and the attainment of success represents with him the fit utilization of the innate powers and talents which are his.
HIRAM M. LINDLEY.
From all those regions in which his friendship was cherished by those who had at one time or another been associated with him through business or social relations, there came at the time of the death of Hiram M. Lindley messages, all of which bore the same tenor of thought-deep regret at the passing of one who stood as a man among men. He attained the heights of greatness in the beauty and nobility of his character, in his lofty con- ception of friendship and of Christian service. Born in Vevay, Indiana, February 23, 1839, his life record covered the intervening years to the Ist of January, 1901, when he passed away in Evansville. His parents were Francis and Rebecca (McKittrick) Lindley, well known early residents of Vevay. The father was born in Hamilton county, Ohio, where he lived until twenty-one years of age, when he removed to Switzerland county, Indiana, and was among the first to establish homes in the county seat. There he opened a tanyard, remaining a resident of that place for a half century. Subsequently he removed to Greensburg, Indiana, where he re- sided until his death, which occurred in 1875, when he was eighty-four years of age. His wife, who was born in Lexington, Kentucky, in 1800, died in 1839. Both were devoted members of the Methodist Episcopal church.
Hiram M. Lindley, one of a family of nine children, mastered the pre- liminary branches of learning in the public schools of Switzerland county and in Moores Hill College. In 1859 after leaving college he and his brother, J. F. Lindley, became partners in the dry-goods business in New Albany, where they successfully conducted a store for more than a decade. In September, 1870, they removed their business to Evansville, where they continued actively in trade until 1895, establishing one of the foremost commercial enterprises of this city. His prominent place in business circles was never won at the sacrifice of another's interests. He sought prosperity along the lines which govern unflagging industry and strict and unswerving integrity. One who knew him well said of him: "In his business life he was distinguished for upright dealing. Once it was the case that no better advertising could be done by a business man than to deal honestly and faithfully by his patrons. When once a man's reputation for fair dealing was established; when it was known that his word might be implicitly trusted; then a steady patronage might be counted upon. He held the old
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fashioned creed as to the conduct of business; and during his long career he maintained an enviable reputation for the strictest integrity ; his unim- peachable commercial probity won for him the confidence not only of inti- mate friends but of a large acquaintance among the business men of south- ern Indiana." The Evansville business was conducted under the firm style of J. F. Lindley & Brother until 1895, when they retired from business at this point and for three years Hiram Lindley was not connected with com- mercial interests. He then removed to Hazelton, Indiana, where he again engaged in business, meeting with success there until failing health forced him to leave Hazelton, at which time he shipped his goods to Evansville and placed his business affairs in the hands of his brother-in-law, Elisha H. Stephens. He never recovered his health, gradually growing worse until the end came.
'At the time of the Civil war Mr. Lindley's sympathies were entirely with the Union cause and he enlisted for service to protect Vanderburg county at the time of the Morgan raid. Public-spirited, he was deeply in- terested in everything that pertained to the welfare of the community and his cooperation could always be counted upon to promote the public good.
In 1862 Mr. Lindley was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Stephens, a daughter of Robert and Carrie (Falconer) Stephens, the latter a native of England, while her father was of Scotch descent, coming to this country from Roderick, Scotland. For a considerable period he was engaged in the hat business in Washington, Indiana. Mr. and Mrs. Lindley never had any children of their own but reared two nieces, Mrs. Enola L. Gardner and Lydia J. Stephens, who took the place of daughters in the household. Mr. and Mrs. Lindley were always one in their interests and sympathies. Both were particularly active in the work of the Home of the Friendless, Mr. Lindley as a member of its board of trustees for seventeen years, while Mrs. Lindley has been on the board for thirty years. She was president of the Orphans Asylum for eighteen years, and Mr. Lindley was for thirty-one years a member of the board of trustees of Trinity church. They gladly shared with the unfortunate the success which had come to them, extending a helping hand wherever it was needed, or speaking the necessary word of cheer and encouragement. Their lives were an expression of Christian service and in the work Mrs. Lindley still continues. When the final sum- mons came and Hiram Lindley passed on to the reward prepared for the righteous, there came to his widow words of sympathy from all parts of the country. Bishop John H. Vincent, then in Zurich, Switzerland, wrote: "Mr. Lindley was a true man, kind, cheerful, hospitable and generous." From Bishop Cranston, of Portland, Oregon, came the following: "The sad intelligence of the death of my friend and your beloved husband (Mr. Hiram Lindley) has just reached me. While it grieves me to learn of his going away and to know how deeply you mourn his absence, I am none the less assured that all is well with him. His was a true heart. I have never forgotten his brave stand by my side when I was contending for righteous-
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ness in the long gone days. He gave no uncertain vote when the test came that tried the integrity of church officials. As to my high regard for him during all these years you need not be told. A genial spirit has been your companion for a life time."
Dr. Joseph Gardner, of Bedford, Indiana, wrote: "When one has gone away with no expectation of returning; those who have loved, those who have been friendly, and those who have had business dealings, all feel as if something had been personally lost. The degree of loss is in proportion to the interest that had been. Some are born to command; others are the bearers of silver and gold; others stir the hearts of men by their eloquence. There is yet another class that find a way into your heart. There is no command in this swinging back of the inner portals of the soul. It comes as the sweet, silent benediction of the dew to the opening flower. It comes as the warning sunshine of spring. It comes with the blessedness of love. The barriers are melted away. Friendship is to the one pining for it. The wisdom of good counsel is for the perplexed soul needing it. Love is for all who worthily treasure it. Of this last, was Hiram Lindley. His cheerful soul has gone to the everlasting habitation that Christ planned for such as followed in his way. That is the blessed means provided for the best work of the loving heart of the sweet souled follower of Christ. And when we think of the warm hand shake, the winning smile, the genial words of cheer that we always had, when our friend and brother was here, we cannot be blamed if sadness marks our memories. There is a void; a void in his home, which was a place of love; a void in his social circle, where his pres- ence was always welcome; a void in the societies, where great moral truths are given; a void in the Sabbath school; a void in the congregation of the Lord."
The funeral services were conducted by the Knight Templars, for Mr. Lindley had been prominent in Masonry, holding membership in Reed Lodge, No. 316, A. F. & A. M., Evansville Chapter, No. 12, R. A. M., and La Valette Commandery, No. 15, K. T. He also took the degrees of the Scottish Rite. Of him a fellow member of the craft said: "His genial smile and hearty hand shake were always an inspiration to his brethren and companions in the lodge room, and although never aspiring to exalted posi- tions he was satisfied to do his share of the work on the floor among the craft. His upright and well shaped Christian character made him a model Mason and one to whom the teachings of the order meant much."
Rev. J. H. Talbott said in his funeral oration over the remains of Mr. Lindley: "He was of a cheery, sunny temper. Discontent never sat as a guest at his fireside. It may be fairly supposed that he had some desire for a competency which would raise him above anxiety and would relieve him from the burden of constant toil. But if he had such desire, its failure of full realization brought no blight to the joy of his life. He was so utterly unenvious of the better portion which may have fallen to others, that he could sincerely rejoice in their good fortune. Having an abiding faith in
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life's compensations-under the administration of righteousness-for hon- est industry, he went his way cheerfully content. His cheeriness of dispo- sition did not rest upon the fact that he was unacquainted with care; nor did it rest upon a superabounding health; nor upon uninterrupted prosperity. But there was something in his make-up, not given to us all, that enabled him to find the glowing side of the day and to spend more time there than in its shadows. He set great store by the friendships of his life. Friend- ship seemed a sacred thing to him. It is often the case that they who are, so to speak, promiscuous in their friendships, fail of discerning its highest claims and seem to lack the power to be in the deepest sense the friend of any. But it was not so with him. Whilst his circle of friends was un- usually large, and they were held always in loyal esteem, yet there were some to whom he clung with never failing grasp. His enjoyment in the society of these was unmarred. I really think that with his family and a few chosen friends about him he could have been happy in a wilderness living upon the barest necessaries. How he loved them! To do them a service was an unmixed joy, and his loyalty to them had something of the charm of chivalric devotion. Upon the members of his household-this clear sighted, faithful, patient, home making woman, the partner of his life, and the niece, loving and beloved as a daughter-he bestowed the warmest affection of his heart; and in their society he was unspeakably content. Those who were casually members of the household were admitted to most delightful association by this genial gentleman. In return for his devotion he received the equal devotion of the hearts that could understand his highest qualities. The charm and good cheer of this Christian home, as of some gracious benediction, abides with me-having shared its bless- ing for some brief time. Here in this household he was happiest; here he will be missed the most; here his memory will not fade. His social rela- tions were of the most satisfactory kind. As a citizen, a neighbor, he was exemplary and respected. This man was a Christian man. I have purposely reserved this as his last designation today, since it is the very crown of a human life. The world has never seen-will never see any other thing half so beautiful as the character of Jesus Christ as outlined in the four Gospels. Strength, gentleness, power and tenderness are so blended as to form a character surpassing human conception. To be a Christian is to follow this matchless One, and in some measure to be imbued with His spirit. Our friend was a Christian. United with the Methodist Episcopal church in 1861 at Washington in this state, he was henceforth a stanch and faithful member of that communion. He loved her doctrines and polity, honored her ministry with his cordial support and unvarying love, rejoiced in her glorious achievements, gloried in her great history and her far-reach- ing enterprises. For more than thirty years he was an honored official mem- ber of Trinity church of this city, trusted and loved by his brethren in offi- cial relations and by all the membership as well. But he was something more than a Methodist. He could not be a narrow sectarian; his nature
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was too broad for that. He was a Christian in a wide and generous sense ; loving the Lord, honoring Him before men. He was never demonstrative in his religious life. He could never have paraded himself before the world in any wise. But his religion gave direction to the governing principle of his life and therefore reached to the foundations of his character; his religious life was even, faithful, exemplary. For many years he was a teacher in the Sunday school; some of those who were in his class are doubtless here today. Living a blameless life, he has left a goodly heritage to his friends and has gone to a good man's reward."
FRANK J. HAAS.
Success wherever we find it is generally the result of ambition and wisely directed energy. It is not the result of accident, especially when it is attained after many years of earnest labor and self-denial. There is no better illustration than is presented in the life record of Frank J. Haas, sec- retary of the Evansville Gas & Electric Company. Eighteen years ago he became connected with the company and during that period has been con- tinuously in its service, advancing from one position to another until, in 1907, he was elected secretary, an office which he fills to the satisfaction of the stockholders of the company and the people of the city.
Mr. Haas was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, December 2, 1877. He came with his parents to Evansville when a child and here he grew up and at- tended the public schools, completing his early education in the high school, where he proved an apt and attentive pupil and gave evidence of abilities that have since marked his course in life. At the age of fifteen he began his battle with the world, which in his case has not been accompanied by the fluctuations so often witnessed. He entered the service of the Evans- ville Gas & Electric Company as meter repairer. After continuing in this capacity for a year he was advanced to the position of collector and, after discharging this responsibility in a way that met the approval of the officers of the company and also the public with whom he became a general fa- vorite, he was given a position in the office as a bookkeeper. This position he occupied until 1907, when he was made secretary of the company and placed in charge of responsibilities through which he has been able to in- crease the efficiency of the service and thus meet the approval of patrons.
In 1904 Mr. Haas was united in marriage to Miss Emma Seiffer, a daughter of Gustave and Elizabeth Seiffer. Two children, Madeline, four years of age, and Virginia, six months, is the result of the union. Mr. Haas is well known in social circles and is an active member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and the Travelers Protective Association, having many friends and associates in those organizations. In religious belief he is a Catholic and he and his wife have always con-
F. J. HAAS
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tributed liberally to the charities and educational work which are such prominent features of the church. Thoroughly equipped by long years of experience for the business in which he is engaged, Mr. Haas makes a con- stant study of promoting its efficiency and extending its scope. He brings to his duties a lively appreciation of the possibilities of a public service cor- poration and an understanding of the importance of rendering a reasonable value for value received. By the conscientious discharge of his obliga- tions he has won the confidence of all who know him and it would be difficult to find a young man better equipped for the work to which he de- votes his best energies than Frank J. Haas.
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