USA > Maryland > Men of mark in Maryland Johnson's makers of America series biographies of leading men of the state, Volume III > Part 3
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Two years later, at the session of 1904, after his term as Gover- nor had expired, he came out as an avowed candidate for the Senate and made a splendid and honorable fight for the position. His defeat was due to the use of methods by his opponents he scorned to employ, and to the failure of powerful political influences upon which he had a right to count to support him. The fight was an epoch-making one in the political history of Maryland, and the gameness and squareness of Governor Smith won admiration for him even among his political opponents, who could not but admire the character of the man and the character of the fight he made.
When four years later, in 1908, he triumphed so easily and gained the Senatorial seat to which he aspired by an endorsement fresh from the people it can be understood why his friends felt that the repudiation of those who deserted him in his former fight was complete.
Personally, Senator Smith is a kind, modest, true-hearted gen- tleman, whose loyalty to his friends and readiness to help them is as spontaneous as sincere. In his nature there is no room for petti- ness, vanity or deceit. He is a strong, able man, of broad mind and wide sympathies, whose heart is as full of the milk of human kind- ness as his head is of brains. His generous charity knows no dis- tinctions of color or creed, and in his face even the casual observer can read the true index to his character.
S. DAVIES WARFIELD
O NE is often disposed to wonder at the disappearance from the public and business life of our day of so many of the his- toric names of the country. Thus in Massachusetts we hear of no Hancock; in Connecticut, of no Sherman; in New York, of no Livingston; in Pennsylvania, of no Franklin; in Virginia, of no Washington or Jefferson; in North Carolina, of no Hooper or Penn; in South Carolina, of no Rutledge or Pinckney or Marion; in Georgia, of no Habersham or Clark or Walton. These merely by way of ex- ample. The same thing is true of the great multitude of lesser men who served the country so loyally in the pioneer days. The State of Maryland furnishes the exception to this general rule, and the historic families of the State are numerously represented in public, professional and commercial life. The ruling families of Maryland to-day are the descendants of the early settlers,-and they are ruling families to-day, not because of the prominence of their ancestors, but because of their own merits and their own ability. The same qual- ities that made their ancestors leaders are making them leaders.
A conspicuous example of leadership held by a descendant of one of the historic families of Maryland appears in the case of S. Davies Warfield of Baltimore, the subject of this sketch. He is descended from Richard Warfield, the progenitor of the Warfields of Maryland, who came over from Berkshire, England, in 1662, along with the Howards and the descendants of other old Berkshire families, and settled with them upon the banks of the Severn River in Anne Arun- del County, where they lived in close social and religious association, their children marrying and intermarrying. Richard was a forceful and successful man, but his success in a personal way was as nothing compared with his success as an ancestor, for his descendants are now among the foremost people not only of Maryland, but of others of the commonwealths which make up this Republic. In the two hundred and fifty years the Warfields have been identified with Maryland, each generation has in turn furnished many valuable citizens who have fought for the country in its wars, served it well in public life, and
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been thoroughly good citizens in all private relations. By past marriage, the Warfields of the present generation are connected with a great number of the most distinguished families of Maryland.
S. Davies Warfield is a son of Henry Mactier Warfield and his wife, Anna Emory, and is a grandson of Daniel Warfield and his wife, Nancy Mactier. His grandfather on his father's side, Daniel Warfield, was a resident of Howard County, his estate was known as "White Cottage," where in 1825, his son Henry was born. He had the pleasure of breakfasting with General LaFayette at Roberts' Tavern, Cooksville, that year. His estate included many slaves, many of whom after the war continued in Mr. Warfield's service. Later he moved to Baltimore, became a member of the firm of Alexander Mactier, and married his daughter Nancy. He owned and operated the "Monumental Flouring Mills." The Mactier family is of Scottish origin and dates far back into Scottish history. Daniel Warfield was twice married, his first wife being Miss Merriweather of Howard County, by whom he had two children, the first dying in infancy, the second, Ariana, who remained unmarried through life. By his second wife Nancy, daughter of Alexander and Frances Mactier, seven children were born, viz., Eliza, (married N. P. Causin of Georgetown, D. C., deceased); Mactier and Mary Mactier (both died in infancy); Daniel, prominent in the civic life of Baltimore (deceased); Jane (unmarried-deceased); Maria (unmarried); and Henry Mactier, who married Anna Emory. and father of the subject of the present sketch.
Richard Emory, the grandfather on his mother's side of the subject of this sketch, was a son of Thomas Lane Emory, who owned and lived on his estate "Warrington" in Queen Anne County, Mary- land, and was a descendant of the Emorys who came from England in 1666 and settled in Queen Anne County. Mrs. Emory, (Ann Gittings) his wife, was a daughter of Archibald and Elizabeth Gittings who lived at "Oakley," Baltimore County. The estate of "Oakley," owned by Archibald Gittings, was located in "Long Green Valley," being originally a part of the large tract of land granted by the Eng- lish Crown to the well-known Gittings family. "Oakley" has passed from the possession of the family. Richard Emory and Ann (Git- tings) Emory lived at "Manor Glen,", located in the section of Bal- timore County known as "My Lady's Manor." The old homestead "Manor Glen," the historic estate of the Emorys, was an original
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grant from the English Crown to Mrs. Emory's grandfather, Elijah Bosley, who was a remarkable man and lived to be one hundred and two years old. When over ninety years of age Mr. Bosley would make the round trip on horseback to Baltimore Town, as it was called in those days, a distance of forty-five miles, to do jury duty. He willed his entire estate, together with over one hundred negro slaves, to Mrs. Emory. Several of the female slaves remained on the place after the abolition of slavery, and died there in the old "quarters" where they had lived all their lives, one of them, "Aunt Charlotte," for ninety years; another, "Aunt Kissiah," who was the nurse of Mr. Warfield's mother, and who was given to her by Mrs. Emory. "Manor Glen" originally contained some six thousands acres. The bricks to construct the house were brought from England some one hundred and fifty years ago, as was a large part of the furniture. The old Colonial mansion with about two thousand acres remains in the family. Richard and Ann Emory had five children, viz: Eliza- beth, (deceased) married William P. Trimble; Thomas, a leading far- mer of Harford County (deceased); Richard, a prominent physician of Baltimore and Harford Counties, who served with distinction as a surgeon in the Confederate Army (deceased); Nicholas, who died in early life, and Anna, who married Henry Mactier Warfield, and mother of the subject of the present sketch.
Henry Mactier Warfield, father of S. Davies Warfield, was prominent in the civic life of Baltimore and was a man of enterprising character. He began an active business life with his father in Baltimore, and from that time was prominently before the mercantile community in various enterprises and numerous conspicuous capacities in which the growth and promotion of the business interests of the city were always un- selfishly foremost in his efforts. He traveled pretty much all over the world and was among the first citizens of the United States to establish a business house in Australia, raising over his office the first American flag ever placed over a business house in Australia. The climate not agreeing with him, he returned to Baltimore and was prominent in the business and public life of the city. He was a director of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad and offered the resolution which led to the building of the grain elevators at Canton. He was one of the originators and one of the first presidents of what is now the Chamber of Commerce; was mainly instrumental in establishing the Baltimore and Havana Steamship Company; a director in the Balti-
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more Equitable Assurance Society; president of the Mercantile Lib- rary Association, and held many other positions of responsibility and prominence. He was actively identified with the political reform movement of 1859, which was successful in defeating the Know Nothing party, acting as Secretary of the Reform Organization. The Democratic Reform party of Baltimore elected him a member of the memorable "War Legislature" of 1861. His colleagues from the city were John C. Brune, T. Parkin Scott, S. Teackle Wallis, William G. Harrison, Ross Winans, Dr. J. Hanson Thomas, Charles H. Pitts, Lawrence Sangston and H. M. Morfitt. On the night of Septem- ber 12th, he was one of a number of prominent Baltimoreans who were arrested by order of General John A. Dix, Department Commander, because of their Southern sympathies and in order to hold the State in the Union. He was incarcerated in Fort McHenry (Maryland), Fortress Monroe (Virginia), Fort LaFayette and Fort Warren (in Boston Harbor,) his imprisonment covering a period of one and a quarter years, during which his companions in captivity were among the most prominent citizens of Maryland. Among those arrested at the same time were Mayor George William Brown, Henry May, a member of Congress, fourth Maryland District, S. Teackle Wallis, Ross Winans and Thomas W. Hall. He refused to take the oath to regain liberty and wrote to Secretary of War Stanton: "On my own part, as I am confined without charges, I renew my claim to be discharged without conditions." In 1875, he was the candidate for Mayor of Baltimore on the Reform ticket, which was put in the field for both municipal and State officers, and was defeated by a fraud sufficiently proven afterwards to make the charge definite. While a strong Democrat in his political beliefs, he would not tolerate or sup- port abuse of power or unfair methods to gain political ends. He died in 1885. On his death the following tribute from the Baltimore. press was paid: "Henry M. Warfield was one of the best known and personally one of the most popular citizens of Baltimore. Always. bright, always cheery always seeking to do what he could to advance the interests of the city, he numbered among his friends many of the most prominent citizens of Baltimore of both political parties, and was especially liked by the working people whose cordiality he had won by his frank and genial ways and by his liberality to the extent of his means."
To Henry Mactier Warfield and Anna (Emory) Warfield were
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born seven children, three living, four dead. Those dead are Daniel. oldest child; Ann; Elizabeth, and Teackle Wallis, who married Alice, daughter of William and Sally (Love) Montague, (one daughter, Bessie Wallis). Those living are Richard Emory Warfield, Presi- dent of the Hanover Insurance Company, New York, who married Bettie Davies, daughter of Sol. B. Davies and Bettie Monroe, a niece of President Monroe; (they have two children, Douglas Robinson and Henry Mactier); Henry Mactier Warfield, Resident Manager, Royal Insurance Company of Liverpool, in Baltimore, also Adjutant General of Maryland, who married Rebecca, daughter of Robert and Mary (Carroll) Denison (one daughter, Anita), and S. Davies Warfield. the subject of the present sketch.
S. Davies Warfield was born in Baltimore County, at his father's summer residence near Mount Washington. He was named for Sol. B. Davies, a business partner of his father, and a son of Jacob B. Davies, who was Mayor of Baltimore and Postmaster of Baltimore under President Franklin Pearce. He had the advantage of a good education; inherited a double portion of his father's business abilities and enterprise, as well as his interest in public affairs. He entered business life at an early age and at a time when the fortunes of his family did not admit of his continuing his studies in the higher branches.
In the financial and business world, Mr. Warfield belongs dis- tinctly to that class which is the result of the immense development of the country. It is composed of men who do not fear large things; they have grown out of the necessities of the case. The country developed rapidly and enormously; big men were needed, and they were found. Mr. Warfield began business in the office of Geo. P. Frick & Co. and later was a clerk with D. J. Foley Brother and Company. sugarimporters. Whilethere, on account of his health, he was compelled to take a rest, and spent some time at "Manor Glen," the country estate of his grandmother. While regaining his health, he turned his attention to the development of a mechanical talent which re- sulted in his designing and patenting several inventions used in the mechanical arts, securing some nineteen patents on important inven- tions. With his health restored,. he returned to Baltimore and organized a manufacturing company which bore his name, and successfully manufactured various articles of machinery, including those patented by himself. It was while thus engaged that a call
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was made upon him by his associates in the then stirring political times of Maryland to accept appointment by President Cleveland as Postmaster of Baltimore. (The public side of Mr. Warfield's life is treated later in this article.)
In 1898, he secured from the Legislature of Maryland the charter for, organized, and became and is now the president of, The Conti- nental Trust Company, one of the leading financial institutions of the South. This company erected at the southeast corner of Balti- more and Calvert Streets, on the site of the old Carroll Hall, a handsome office building, in which it has its offices and which has the distinction of being one of the finest, and is the tallest office building in the city. This was but a forerunner of greater things.
In 1899, when various railroads of the South were being acquired by a syndicate headed by John Skelton Williams, of Richmond, Vir- ginia, with the view of creating a new system, Mr. Warfield threw his whole force into the project and became a member of the organ- ization committee, and together with Mr. Williams and others assist- ed in the creation of the Seaboard Air Line Railway. He became a Voting Trustee, a Director and a member of the Executive Commit- tee of the Seaboard. In 1903, he withdrew from the Board, but later again became a Director.
When in 1908, the Seaboard Air Line Railway got into financial difficulties and a receivership became necessary, the United States Circuit Court of Richmond appointed Mr. Warfield as one of the receivers. His associate receivers, Messrs. R. Lancaster Williams and E. C. Duncan, nominated him as Chairman. The rehabilita- tion of this property accomplished by these receivers within two years affords a conspicuous chapter in contemporary railroad history, the property being returned to its stockholders greatly improved without assessing the stock or scaling the bonds, and with the market value of the securities of the railroad $27,000,000 greater than when the road was placed in the hands of the receivers. Recognition of Mr. War- field's part in this work was shown by his selection as chairman of the Executive Committee of the reorganized railroad.
This is not the only instance where Mr. Warfield's conservative and constructive talents were called upon in the history of the Sea- board System. There were other crises in its affairs where he was essentially the man of the hour, notably at the very creation of the system when there was a sudden call for several million dollars on
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short notice to save the whole project. Mr. Warfield successfully assisted in meeting this emergency, and became chairman of the Greater Seaboard Organization Committee. Again in 1904, when panic conditions caused a suspension of the credit of the banking houses which financed this system, the outlook was dark for a number of banks carrying Seaboard stocks on loans. These stocks were at the time unmarketable, and the danger of a series of disasters among a number of the banks in Maryland and elsewhere seemed imminent. To find a market for a large block of Seaboard stocks in this period of stress was the solution of the problem. Mr. Warfield accomplished this task with the result that the embarrassment of all concerned was relieved and an extended crisis averted. This incident is one of the dramatic chapters of the inner history of Baltimore finance.
In railroad affairs, Mr. Warfield has been an active factor. When the city of Baltimore decided to part with its ownership of the West- ern Maryland Railroad, Mr. Warfield entered the negotiations, being one of the syndicate representing the Gould interests of New York. The property was sold to the syndicate. The subsequent develop- ment of the railroad, of which Mr. Warfield became a director, demonstrated the wisdom of this sale. Later at the request of Mr. George J. Gould, he became a director of the Missouri Pacific Railway and a member of the Executive Committee.
Another important work performed by Mr. Warfield was hold- ing for Baltimore the cotton duck industry, which for half a century has been one of the State's principal manufacturing industries and the largest employer of male and female labor. Shortly after he entered the financial field it developed that there was a plan by Eastern interests for the consolidation of most of the cotton duck manufacturing concerns of the United States, options having been secured on practically all of them. Under the plan of the organizers the industry was to be concentrated in the cotton growing States of the South. This meant the ultimate removal of the Baltimore plants away from Maryland. The trend at that period was to the South. Mr. Warfield and those of his associates looking to the hold- ing of the industry in Maryland took up the financing of this propo- sition with the result that the industry was not only held to Baltimore and Maryland, but through the addition of other outside properties Baltimore's importance in this industry greatly enlarged. Labor efficiency gained by generations of the same families succeeding each
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other in the Maryland mills together with advantages for assembling material and distributing finished products and climatic conditions were, Mr. Warfield contended, economic factors that should fix the permanency of this business in his own State and city.
This organization was worked out during the boom period in industrial securities and when values were necessarily on high levels, which was afterwards corrected by re-adjusting the securities of the company. There was carried into the management of this combina- tion most of the owners and managers of the separate properties. The experience of other large industrials organized in the same period was not escaped by this company, and problems of management in- cident to attempting coordination between hitherto antagonistic manufacturers beset this proposition, handicapping its development. There were resultant crises in its affairs which those in charge of its management looked to Mr. Warfield's resourcefulness to overcome. With his usual tenacity he stood by this proposition, finally rounding out its management by strengthening alliances with other mills, introducing into the organization successful administrators not only of ripe experience in this field but men of a younger generation with the vigor and ambition needed for aggressively handling a business world wide in scope. The International Cotton Mills Corporation was the outgrowth being formed in connection with these plans and Mr. Warfield became chairman of its board of directors. This com- pany acquired control of the Consolidated Cotton Duck Company together with the Mount Vernon-Woodberry Cotton Duck Company, including the Maryland mills, as well as important cotton manu- facturing properties located in New England. The further develop- ment of the Maryland mills which caused Mr. Warfield's original entrance into this field and assurances of the continued building up of this industry became one of his requirements when Eastern mill men and investors took up this enterprise, and he identified himself with this larger and later proposition.
In 1903, Mr. Warfield became interested in the development of the Susquehanna River, thirty-eight miles from Baltimore, for gen- erating electric current and bringing it to that city. With unusual foresight he determined that the electric lighting company of Balti- more must be an important part of such a project if the city was to secure the benefit from the use of this great water power. With this in view, he organized a syndicate which bought the United Electric
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Light and Power Company. a consolidation of the electric lighting companies of Baltimore. Thus Mr. Warfield was brought into the public service field in Baltimore, not as a public service man but as a step in the development of a great natural resource which would be of great benefit in the industrial growth of the city. These plans were temporarily checked when the local financial panic occurred. causing the temporary embarrassment of two of Baltimore's financial institutions. Shortly succeeding this came the great Baltimore fire devastating the business area and laying in waste one hundred and sixty-five acres in the heart of the business district, entailing a loss of upwards of $125,000,000. The Continental Trust Building, in the hottest zone of the fire area, was gutted by the flames; the steel structure and safe deposit vault remaining intact. The safe deposit vault when opened after some fifty hours' work in removing the debris was found inside just as it had been left before the fire; the oil on the locks not even dried, justifying its expensive construction of armor plate, the first of its type in Baltimore. This was a period to try men's nerves, but Mr. Warfield went vigorously to work with his associates to rebuild the building. He laid aside the Susquehanna development, although he had formed a syndicate of $11,000,000 for this purpose.
Undertaking to secure large blocks of outside capital as the way to build a greater city out of this disaster he held that it should be the policy of the city, and so known, that out-of-town capitalists could depend upon receiving hearty support and protection as well as liberal treatment for their investments. His views on this sub- ject were radical, he holding that it was not enough to offer what other cities proposed but to outbid them in the quest for capital. There was some resistance to this doctrine but a few years dem- onstrated its wisdom and there has since developed a general movement along these lines. Beginning at the time with the United Electric Light and Power Company, Mr. Warfield brought millions of outside capital into Baltimore business enterprises. This new money not only provided greater growth in the public service field but freed a large amount of local capital at a period in the development of the city when there were pressing calls from nearly every branch of industry. .
Illustrative of Mr. Warfield's keen business foresight and vigor of action, one day while in New York he heard that a Baltimore
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syndicate which had acquired control of the Consolidated Gas Com- pany of that city had sold such control to New Yorkinterests. Recog- nizing that a union of the gas and electric lighting properties would le effective, in less than three days he had himself formed a syndicate and bought back control of the Consolidated Gas Company. Later he effected the consolidation of the Consolidated Gas Company and the Electric Lighting Company into the present Consolidated Gas Electric Light and Power Company of Baltimore, thus bringing into this corporation the first gas lighting business in America. As chairman of the Board of Directors of the Consolidated Company, Mr. Warfield raised a large amount of capital to modernize and further develop the business and practically revolutionized Baltimore's electric and gas service. In carrying out his plans, he acquired for the Consolidated Company the only remaining lighting company in Baltimore, the Baltimore Electric Company, which owned in addition to its electric lighting plant, the Maryland Telephone Company; this latter company he sold to the American Telephone and Tele- graph Company of New York, which company also owned the other local telephone company in Baltimore.
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