USA > Michigan > Gratiot County > Biographical memoirs of Gratiot County, Michigan : compendium of biography of celebrated Americans > Part 47
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C LAUS SPRECKELS, the great " sugar baron," and one of the most famous representatives of commercial life in Amer- ica, was born in Hanover, Germany, and emigrated to the United States in 1840, locating in New York. He very soon be- came the proprietor of a small retail gro- cery store on Church street, and embarked on a career that has since astonished the world. He sold out his business and went to California with the argonauts of 1849,
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not as a prospector, but as a trader, and for years after his arrival on the coast he was still engaged as a grocer. At length, after a quarter of a century of fairly prosperous business life, he found himself in a position where an ordinary man would have retired, but Mr. Spreckles did not retire; he had merely been gathering capital for the real work of his life. His brothers had followed him to California, and in combination with them he purchased for forty thousand dollars an interest in the Albany Brewery in San Francisco. But the field was not extensive enough for the development of his business abilities, so Mr. Sprecklas branched out extensively in the sugar business. He suc- ceeded in securing the entire output of sugar that was produced on the Sand- wich Islands, and after 1885 was known as the "Sugar King of Sandwich Islands." He controlled absolutely the sugar trade of the Pacific coast which was known to be not less than ten million dollars a year.
O HARLES HENRY PARKHURST, famous as a clergyman, and for many years president of the Society for the Prevention of Crime, was born April 17, 1842, at Framingham, Massachusetts, of English descent. At the age of sixteen he was pupil in the grammar school at Clinton, Massachusetts, and for the ensu- ing two years was a clerk in a dry goods store, which position he gave up to prepare himself for college at Lancaster academy. Mr. Parkhurst went to Amherst in 1862, and after taking a thorough course he gradu- ated in 1866, and in 1867 became the prin- cipal of the Amherst High School. He re- tained this position until 1870, when he visited Germany with the intention of tak- ing a course in philosophy and theology, but was forced to abandon this intention on
account of illness in the family causing his early return from Europe. He accepted the chair of Latin and Greek in Williston Semi- nary, Easthampton, Massachusetts, and re- mained there two years. He then accom- panied his wife to Europe, and devoted two years to study in Halle, Leipsic and Bonn. Upon his return home he spent considerable time in the study of Sanscrit, and in 1874 he became the pastor of the First Congrega- tional church at Lenox, Massachusetts. He gained here his reputation as a pulpit ora- tor, and on March 9, 1880, he became the pastor of the Madison Square Presbyterian church of New York. He was, in 1890, made a member of the Society for the Pre- vention of Crime, and the same year be- came its president. He delivered a sermon in 1892 on municipal corruption, for which he was brought before the grand jury, which body declared his charges to be without suffi- cient foundation. But the matter did not end here, for he immediately went to work on a second sermon in which he substantiated his former sermon and wound up by saying, "I know, for I have seen." He was again summoned before that august body, and as a result of his testimony and of the investi- gation of the jurors themselves, the police authorities were charged with incompetency and corruption. Dr. Parkhurst was the author of the following works: "The Forms of the Latin Verb, Illustrated by Sanscrit," "The Blind Man's Creed and Other Ser- mons," "The Pattern on the Mount, " and " Three Gates on a Side."
H' ENRY BERGH, although a writer, diplomatist and government official, was noted as a philanthropist-the founder of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. On his labors for the dumb creation alone rests his fame.
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Alone, in the face of indifference, opposition and ridicule, he began the reform which is now recognized as one of the beneficent movements of the age. Through his exer- tions as a speaker and lecturer, but above all as a bold worker, in the street, in the court room, before the legislature, the cause he adopted gained friends and rapidly in- creased in power until it has reached im- mense proportions and influence. The work of the society covers all cases of cruelty to all sorts of animais, employs every moral agency, social, legislative and personal, and touches points of vital concern to health as well as humanity.
Henry Bergh was born in New York City in 1823, and was educated at Colum- bia College. In 1863 he was made secre- tary of the legation to Russia and also served as vice-consul there. He also de- voted some time to literary pursuits and was the author of "Love's Alternative," a drama; "Married Off," a poem; "The Portentous Telegram," "The Ocean Para- gon;" " The Streets of New York," tales and sketches.
H TENRY BENJAMIN WHIPPLE, one of the most eminent of American di- vines, was born in Adams, Jefferson county, New York, February 15, 1822. He was brought up in the mercantile business, and early in life took an active interest in polit- ical affairs. In 1847 he became a candidate for holy orders and pursued theological studies with Rev. W. D. Wilson, D. D., afterward professor in Cornell University. He was ordained deacon in 1849, in Trinity church, Geneva, New York, by Rt. Rev. W. H. De Lancey, D. D., and took charge of Zion church, Rome, New York, Decem- ber 1, 1849. In 1850, our subject was or- dained priest by Bishop De Lancey. In
1857 he became rector of the Church of the Holy Communion, Chicago. On the 30th of June, 1859, he was chosen bishop of Minnesota, and took charge of the interests of the Episcopal church in that state, being located at Faribault. In 1860 Bishop Whipple, with Revs. I. L. Breck, S. W. Mauncey and E. S. Peake, organized the Bishop Seabury Mission, out of which has grown the Cathedral of Our Merciful Savior, the Seabury Divinity School, Shattuck School and St. Mary's Hall, which have made Faribault City one of the greatest educational centers of the northwest. Bishop Whipple also became noted as the friend and defender of the North American In- dians and planted a number of successful missions among them.
E ZRA CORNELL was one of the greatest philanthropists and friends of education the country has known. He was born at Westchester Landing, New York, January II, 1807. He grew to manhood in his na- tive state and became a prominent figure in business circles as a successful and self-made man. Soon after the invention of the elec- tric telegraph, he devoted his attention to that enterprise, and accumulated an im- mense fortune. In 1865, by a gift of five hundred thousand dollars, he made possible the founding of Cornell University, which was named in his honor. He afterward made additional bequests amounting to many hundred thousand dollars. His death oc- curred at Ithaca, New York, December 9, 1874.
IGNATIUS DONNELLY, widely knowi. as an author and politician, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, November 3, 1831. He was educated at the public schools of that city, and graduated from the
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Central High School in 1849. He studied law in the office of Judge B. H. Brewster, and was admitted to the bar in 1852. In the spring of 1856, Mr. Donnelly emigrated to Minnesota, then a new territory, and, at Hastings, resumed the practice of law in partnership with A. M. Hayes. In 1857, and again in 1858, he was defeated for state senator, but in 1859 he was elected by the Republicans as lieutenant-governor, and re- elected in 1861. In 1862 he was elected to represent the Second district of Minnesota in congress. He was re-elected to the same office in 1864 and in 1866. He was an abolitionist and warmly supported President Lincoln's administration, but was strongly in favor of leniency toward the people of the south, after the war. In many ways he was identified with some of the best meas- ures brought before the house during his presence there. In the spring of 1868, at the request of the Republican national com- mittee, he canvassed New Hampshire and Connecticut in the interests of that party. E. B. Washburne about this time made an attack on Donnelly in one of the papers of Minnesota, which was replied to on the floor of the house by a fierce phillipic that will long be remembered. Through the inter- vention of the Washburne interests Mr. Don- nelly failed of a re-election in 1870. In 1873 he was elected to the state senate from Dakota county, and continuously re-elected until 1878. In 1886 he was elected mem- ber of the house for two years. In later years he identified himself with the Popu- list party.
In 1882, Mr. Donnelly became known as an author, publishing his first literary work, "Atlantis, the Antediluvian World," which passed through over twenty-two editions in America, 'several in England, and was trans- lated into French. This was followed by
"Ragnarok, the Age of Fire and Gravel," which attained nearly as much celebrity as the first, and these two, in the opinion of scientific critics, are sufficient to stamp the author as a most capable and painstaking student of the facts he has collated in them. The work by which he gained the greatest notoriety, however, was "The Great Cryp- togram, or Francis Bacon's Cipher in the Shakespeare Plays." "Cæsar's Column," " Dr. Huguet," and other works were pub- lished subsequently.
S TEVEN V. WHITE, a speculator of Wall Street of national reputation, was born in Chatham county, North Carolina, August 1, 1831, and soon afterward re- moved to Illinois. His home was a log cabin, and until his eighteenth year he worked on the farm. Then after several years of struggle with poverty he graduated from Knox College, and went to St. Louis, where he entered a wholesale boot and shoe house as bookkeeper. He then studied law and worked as a reporter for the "Missouri Democrat." After his admission to the bar he went to New York, in 1865, and became a member of the banking house of Marvin & White. Mr. White enjoyed the reputa- tion of having engineered the only corner in Wall Street since Commodore Vander- bilt's time. This was the famous Lacka- wanna deal in 1883, in which he made a profit of two million dollars. He was some- times called " Deacon " White, and, though a member for many years of the Plymouth church, he never held that office. Mr. White was one of the most noted characters of the street, and has been called an orator, poet, philanthropist, linguist, abolitionist. astronomer, schoolmaster, plowboy, and trapper. He was a lawyer, ex-congress- man, expert accountant, art critic and theo-
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logian. He laid the foundation for a " Home for Colored People," in Chatham county, North Carolina, where the greater part of his father's life was spent, and in whose memory the work was undertaken.
JAMES A. GARFIELD, the twentieth president of the United States, was born November 19, 1831, in Cuyahoga county, Ohio, and was the son of Abram and Eliza (Ballou) Garfield. In 1833 the father, an industrious pioneer farmer, died, and the care of the family devolved upon Thomas, to whom James became deeply indebted for educational and other advantages. As James grew up he was industrious and worked on the farm, at carpentering, at chopping wood, or anything else he found to do, and in the meantiine made the most of his books.
Until he was about sixteen, James' high- est ambition was to become a sea captain. On attaining that age he walked to Cleveland, and, not being able to find work, he engaged as a driver on the Ohio & Penn- sylvania canal, but quit this after a short time. He attended the seminary at Ches- ter for about three years, after which he entered Hiram Institute, a school started by the Disciples of Christ in 1850. In order to pay his way he assumed the duties of janitor and at times taught school. After completing his course at the last named edu- cational institution he entered Williams Col- lege, from which he graduated in 1856. He afterward returned to Hiram College as its president. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1859. November 11, 1858, Mr. Garfield and Lucretia Rudolph were married.
In 1859 Mr. Garfield made his first polit- ical speeches, at Hiram and in the neighbor- hood. The same year he was elected to the state senate.
On the breaking out of the war, in 1861, he became lieutenant-colonel of the Forty- second Ohio Infantry, and, while but a new soldier, was given command of four regi- ments of infantry and eight companies · of cavalry, with which he drove the Confeder- ates under Humphrey Marshall out of Ken tucky. January 11, 1862, he was commis- sioned brigadier-general. He participated with General Buell in the battle of Shiloh and the operations around Corinth, and was then detailed as a member of the Fitz John Porter court-martial. Reporting to General Rosecrans, he was assigned to the position of chief of staff, and resigned his position, with the rank of major-general, when his immediate superior was superseded. In the fall of 1862 Mr. Garfield was elected to congress and remained in that body, either in the house or senate, until 1880.
June 8, 1880, at the national Republican convention, held in Chicago, General Gar- field was nominated for the presidency, and was elected, He was inaugurated March 4, 1881, but, July 2, following, he was shot and fatally wounded by Charles Guiteau for some fancied political slight, and died Sep- tember 19, 1881.
INCREASE MATHER was one of the most prominent preachers, educators and authors of early times in the New England states. He was born at Dorchester, Massa- chusetts, June 21, 1639, and was given an excellent education, graduating at Harvard in 1656, and at Trinity College, Dublin, two years later. He was ordained a min- ister, and preached in England and America, and in 1664 became pastor of the North church, in Boston. In 1685 he became president of Harvard University, serving until 1701. In 1692 he received the first doctorate in divinity conferred in English
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speaking America. The same year he pro- cured in England a new charter for Massa- chusetts, which conferred upon himself the power of naming the governor, lieutenant- governor and council. He opposed the severe punishment of witchcraft, and took a prominent part in all public affairs of his day. He was a prolific writer, and became the author of nearly one hundred publica- tions, large and small. His death occurred August 23, 1723, at Boston.
C OTTON MATHER, a celebrated minis- ter in the "Puritan times" of New England, was born at Boston, Massachu- setts, February 12, 1663, being a son of Rev. Increase Mather, and a grandson of John Cotton. A biography of his father will be found elsewhere in this volume. Cotton Mather received his early education in his native city, was trained by Ezekiel Cheever, and graduated at Harvard College in 1678; became a teacher, and in 1684 was ordained as associate pastor of North church, Boston, with his father, having by persistent effort overcome an impediment in his speech. He labored with great zeal as a pastor, endeavoring also, to establish the ascendancy of the church and ministry in civil affairs, and in the putting down of witchcraft by legal sentences, a work in which he took an active part and through which he is best known in history. He re- ceived the degree of D. D. in 1710, con- ferred by the University of Glasgow, and F. R. S. in 1713. His death occurred at Boston, February 13, 1728. He was the author of many publications, among which were " Memorable Providences Relating to Witchcraft," "Wonders of the Invisible World," "Essays to Do Good," "Mag- nalia Christi Americana," and " Illustra- tions of the Sacred Scriptures." Some of
these works are quaint and curious, full of learning, piety and prejudice. A well- known writer, in summing up the life and character of Cotton Mather, says: " Mather, with all the faults of his early years, was a. man of great excellence of character. He labored zealously for the benefit of the poor, for mariners, slaves, criminals and Indians. His cruelty and credulity were the faults of his age, while his philanthro- phy was far more rare in that age than in the present."
W TILLIAM A. PEFFER, who won a national reputation during the time he was in the United States senate, was born on a farm in Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, September 10, 1831. He drew his education from the public schools of his native state and at the age of fifteen taught school in winter, working on a farm in the summer. In June, 1853, while yet a young man, he removed to Indiana, and opened up a farm in St. Joseph county. In 1859 he made his way to Missouri and settled on a farm in Morgan county, but on account of the war and the unsettled state of the country, he moved to Illinois in Feb- ruary, 1862, and enlisted as a private in Company F, Eighty-third Illinois Infantry, the following August. He was promoted to the rank of second lieutenant in March, 1863, and served successively as quartermaster, adjutant, post adjutant, judge advocate of a military commission, and depot quartermaster in the engineer department at Nashville. He was mustered out of the service June 26, 1865. He had, during his leisure hours while in the army, studied law, and in August, 1865, he com- menced the practice of that profession at Clarksville, Tennessee. He removed to Kansas in 1870 and practiced there until
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1878, in the meantime establishing and conducting two newspapers, the " Fredonia Journal " and " Coffeyville Journal."
Mr. Peffer was elected to the state senate in 1874 and was a prominent and influential member of several important committees. He served as a presidential elector in 1880. The year following he became editor of the " Kansas Farmer," which he made a promi- nent and useful paper. In 1890 Mr. Peffer was elected to the United States senate as a member of the People's party and took his seat March 4, 1891. After six years of service Senator Peffer was succeeded in March, 1897, by William A. Harris.
R OBERT MORRIS .-- The name of this financier, statesman and patriot is closely connected with the early history of the United States. He was a native of England, born January 20, 1734, and came to America with his father when thirteen years old. Until 1754 he served in the counting house of Charles Willing, then formed a partnership with that gentleman's son, which continued with great success until 1793. In 1776 Mr. Morris was a delegate to the Continental congress, and, although once voting against the Declaration of Inde- pendence, signed that paper on its adop- tion, and was several times thereafter re- elected to congress. During the Revolu- tionary war the services of Robert Morris in aiding the government during its finan- cial difficulties were of incalculable value; he freely pledged his personal credit for sup- plies for the army, at one time to the amount of about one and a half million dollars, with- out which the campaign of 178 I would have been almost impossible. Mr. Morris was appointed superintendent of finance in 1781 and served until 1784, continuing to employ his personal credit to facilitate the needs of
his department. He also served as mem- ber of the Pennsylvania legislature, and from 1786 to 1795 was United States sena- tor, declining meanwhile the position of sec- retary of the treasury, and suggesting the name of Alexander Hamilton, who was ap- pointed to that post. During the latter part of his life Mr. Morris was engaged ex- tensively in the China trade, and later be- came involved in land speculations, which ruined him, so that the remaining days of this noble man and patriot were passed in confinement for debt. His death occurreJ at Philadelphia, May 8, 1806.
W TILLIAM SHARON, a senator and capitalist, and mine owner of na tional reputation, was born at Smithfield, Ohio, January 9, 1821. He was reared upon a farm and in his boyhood given excel- lent educational advantages and in 1842 entered Athens College. He remained in that institution about two years, after which he studied law with Edwin M. Stanton, and was admitted to the bar at St. Louis and commenced practice. His health failing, however, he abandoned his profession and engaged in mercantile pursuits at Carrollton, Greene county, Illinois. During the time of the gold excitement of 1849, Mr. Sharon went to California, whither so many went, and engaged in business at Sacramento. The next year he removed to San Francisco, where he operated in real estate. Being largely interested in its silver mines, he re- moved to Nevada, locating at Virginia City, and acquired an immense fortune. He be- came one of the trustees of the Bank of California, and during the troubles that arose on the death of William Ralston, the president of that institution, was largely in- strumental in bringing its affairs into a satis- factory shape.
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Mr. Sharon was elected to represent the state of Nevada in the United States senate in 1875, and remained a member of that body until 1881. He was always distin- guished for close application to business. Senator Sharon died November 13, 1885.
H JENRY W. SHAW, an American hu- morist who became celebrated under the non-de-plume of " Josh Billings, " gained his fame from the witticism of his writing, and peculiar eccentricity of style and spell- ing. He was born at Lanesborough, Mas- sachusetts, in 1818. For twenty-five years he lived in different parts of the western states, following various lines of business, including farming and auctioneering, and in the latter capacity settled at Poughkeepsie, New York, in 1858. In 1863 he began writing humorous sketches for the news- papers over the signature of " Josh Bill- ings," and became immediately popular both as a writer and lecturer. He pub- lished a number of volumes of comic sketches and edited an " Annual Allminax " for a number of years, which had a wide cir- culation. His death occurred October 14, 1885, at Monterey, California.
JOHN M. THURSTON, well known throughout this country as a senator and political leader, was born at Mont- pelier, Vermont, August 21, 1847, of an old Puritan family which dated back their ancestry in this country to 1636, and among whom were soldiers of the Revolution and of the war of 1812-15.
Young Thurston was brought west by the family in 1854, they settling at Madison, Wisconsin, and two years later at Beaver Dam, where John M. received his schooling in the public schools and at Wayland Uni- versity. His father enlisted as a private in
the First Wisconsin Cavalry and died while in the service, in the spring of 1863.
Young Thurston, thrown on his own resources while attaining an education, sup- ported himself by farm work, driving team and at other manual labor. He studied law and was admitted to the bar May 21, 1869, and in October of the same year located in Omaha, Nebraska. He was elected a member of the city council in 1872, city attorney in 1874 and a member of the Ne- braska legislature in 1874. He was a mem- ber of the Republican national convention of 1884 and temporary chairman of that of 1888. Taking quite an interest in the younger members of his party he was instru- mental in forming the Republican League of the United States, of which he was presi- dent for two years. He was then elected a member of the United States senate, in 1895, to represent the state of Nebraska.
As an attorney John M. Thurston occu- pied a very prominent place, and for a num- ber of years held the position of general solicitor of the Union Pacific railroad sys- tem.
JOHN JAMES AUDUBON, a celebrated
American naturalist, was born in Louis- iana, May 4, 1780, and was the son of an opulent French naval officer who owned a plantation in the then French colony. In his childhood he became deeply interested in the study of birds and their habits. About 1794 he was sent to Paris, France, where he was partially educated, and studied de- signing under the famous painter, Jacques Louis David. He returned to the Unit- ed States about 1798, and settled on a farm his father gave him, on the Perkiomen creek in eastern Pennsylvania. He mar- ried Lucy Bakewell in 1808, and, disposing of his property, removed to Louisville, Ken-
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tucky, where he engaged in mercantile pur- suits. About two years later he began to make extensive excursions through the pri- meval forests of the southern and south- western states, in the exploration of which he passed many years. He made colored drawings of all the species of birds that he found. For several years he made his home with his wife and children at Henderson, on the Ohio river. It is said that about this time he had failed in business and was re- duced to poverty, but kept the wolf from the door by giving dancing lessons and in portrait painting. In 1824, at Philadelphia, he met Charles Lucien Bonaparte, who encouraged him to publish a work on ornithology. Two years later he went to England and com- menced the publication of his great work, " The Birds of America." He obtained a large number of subscribers at one thousand dollars a copy. This work, embracing five volumes of letterpress and five volumes of beautifully colored plates, was pronounced by Cuvier " the most magnificent monument that art ever raised to ornithology."
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