Compendium of history and biography of Minneapolis and Hennepin County, Minnesota, Part 74

Author: Holcombe, R. I. (Return Ira), 1845-1916; Bingham, William H
Publication date: 1914
Publisher: Chicago : H. Taylor & Co.
Number of Pages: 1190

USA > Minnesota > Hennepin County > Minneapolis > Compendium of history and biography of Minneapolis and Hennepin County, Minnesota > Part 74

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Donaldson

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HISTORY OF MINNEAPOLIS AND HENNEPIN COUNTY, MINNESOTA

Mr. Donaldson was a typical Scotchman. He was born at the village of Milnathort in the Shire of Kinross on June 16, 1849. This village is in the beautiful upland country mid- way between Edinburg and Perth. His ancestors for many generations were of the industrial class with ambition to excel in whatever they undertook but contented with their lives and with their lot. Proud only of industry, integrity and sobriety and living upright, honorable lives for the joy of so living. His father was John Donaldson, who was a maker of fine shawls. His mother was Mary (Steedmon) Donaldson, and did her part in the family plan by rearing fine children and keeping a neat orderly home for them. William was her eldest son, and had one brother and two sisters. He went to the village schools and having a great power of application and concentration was able to gain a very good classical education before he had outgrown his boyhood. This he was always glad to attribute to the fact that he had such highly accomplished and learned teachers. He and his father had determined early in his life that his should be the life of a merchant and so when he came to the age when he must take up his work from the man's view- point he was apprenticed to a draper in his home town, for the term of four years. His pay was three shillings a week and his work included the humblest of labors. During the four years he was advanced from grade to grade of the mercantile practice and at the end of his apprenticeship lie accepted a position as clerk in a dry goods store in Glasgow. Here he drew a salary of forty pounds a year. In this posi- tion he remained eight years, being promoted from time to time until he had held many of the most responsible positions in the establishment with always and increasingly advanced salary. It was while he was employed here in 1873 that he married Miss Mary Turner, of Glasgow. At the end of this eight-year engagement the stirrings of an independent spirit began to be felt and Mr. Donaldson, now the father of a family, began to long for the time when he could be a mer- chant on his own account. The opportunities were not allur- ing in his native country. Old houses there have their estab- lished and attached customers and new enterprises do not flourish and Mr. Donaldson knew that to engage in business there was to court failure. He did not mean to fail. Report of the flourishing condition of business in America at this time fired his ambition and he, after a conference with his wife, determined to leave his wife and children in the care of her father and come to America where there were broader fields and bigger opportunities. This was in 1877. William took a position with a Scotch dry goods house in Providence, R. I. It was a big concern doing business over a great territory and was both wholesale and retail. Here Mr. Don- aldson learned the more enterprising American methods and took on the alertness of an American citizen. Here also, he acquired knowledge of great value to him as to. the needs of various sections of the country. From the viewpoint of his acquired knowledge, Minnesota was particularly promising and so in 1881 he came to St. Paul. He began his business career in the West as a salesman for Auerbach, Finch, Van Slyke and Company and solicited business in both St. Paul and Minneapolis. It was not long before he recognized the superior advantages of Minneapolis for retail trade and in 1882 he rented a small store at 309 Nicollet avenue and put in a stock of ladies' and gentlemen's furnishing goods. He had some little capital which he had saved during his clerk- ing days in Scotland but for a good many things he was

obliged to get credit. He bought his first show case of Leonard Paulle on credit. His success came from the begin- ning and at the end of a year when he could not obtain a renewal of his lease he took a department in the Glass Block which had just been erected by Colton and Company. This venture he made at his own risk and for his own profit. It was only a few months before the Coltons failed and Samuel Groucock purchased their stock and put Mr. Donaldson in charge of the establishment. The stock of general dry goods was complete. In April, 1884, Mr. Donaldson bought out the Groucocks and went into business on his own account. He bought quantities of fresh stock and went into the dry goods business to win. He prospered from the start. Greatly increasing business made it necessary that he have more room, so the old building was torn down and the main building of what is now known as the Glass Block was erected. This building was a marvel of construction at that time. There were five floors with elaborate stairways, ele- vators, and all lighted by a great central light well. The electric illumination of this building was a wonder and a revelation to Minneapolis twenty-five years ago. In 1891 the main building was enlarged by an annex on Sixth street. In twenty years the annual sales of this establishment had reached and passed the $2,000,000 mark and the number of employees was not less than 900 persons. He had twelve salaried buyers in New York and had offices in New York, Manchester and Paris. Mr. Donaldson watched the marvelous growth of this establishment for a number of years after this, but death claimed him at the very height of his business career. It was always Mr. Donaldson's policy to buy at first hand for cash and to give his customers the benefit of this advantage. He believed in liberal advertising and in conse- quence his trade reached to the Pacific coast. He made the annual opening of his store a social event with goods at- tractively displayed, handsome decorations and beautiful music. An opening at Donaldson's in the old days was a thing to be remembered. Ten cents admission was charged and the proceeds given to charities.

Great as was the expenditure of energy in the manage- ment of his own business enterprises Mr. Donaldson yet found time to devote to the interests of the city of his adop- tion. His civic spirit and interest was keen and he gave his time freely to anything which he considered for the good of the community. He was very prominent in the Business Men's Union of Minneapolis and for a long time was chair- man of the executive committee of this organization. This was a voluntary association of business men for the purpose of promoting the manufacturing and jobbing interests of the city and Mr. Donaldson entered into it with heart and soul.

His business life did not isolate him from the social life of the city. Like all men of tremendous energy he liked to play as well as work. He was particularly active in the Caledonian Society and was the first chief of this organiza- tion in Minneapolis, and was associated with Mr. Forgan, banker of Chicago.

The family life in the Donaldson household was ideal. The social life of each member of the family was shared by all and there was found in this home what has unfortunately grown unfashionable of late years, the real family circle where the interests of one are the interests of all. Mr. Donaldson built a beautiful home near the Lake of the Isles not many years before he died and he bought a villa at Lake Minnetonka for a summer home for the family.

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HISTORY OF MINNEAPOLIS AND HENNEPIN COUNTY, MINNESOTA

Mr. Donaldson was an active member of the Westminster Presbyterian Church, and for many years a trustce of that society.

He was instrumental in selling the old building at the corner of Nicollet avenue and Seventh street, where the Day- ton store is now located, and in securing the new location at 12th St. and Nicollet avenue. He assisted in laying the corner stone, and was ever a liberal supporter of it during his life time.

Mr. Donaldson died in January, 1897, his wife, two sons, and one daughter survive him.

WILLIAM W. EASTMAN.

William W. Eastman was born in Minneapolis June 22, 1886, son of Frederiek W. Eastman and grandson of William W. Eastman, the pioneer manufacturer, as told in a separate sketch.

He was graduated from St. Luke's School, Wayne, Pennsyl- vania, in 1905, and entering the Sheffield Seientific School at Yale University received his degree with the elass of 1910. The next year he beeame connected with the bond department of the Minneapolis Trust company. In January, 1912, he started in business for himself and later was incorporated as William W. Eastman Company, with a capital stock of $100,- 000, and is proving an important factor in the commercial life of Minneapolis.

He is a member of the Minneapolis, Minikahda and Lafayette clubs, and of the St. Paul University club. He was married February 18, 1913, and now has a son, William W. East- man, Jr. All duties of good citizenship receive his careful attention, and he is a zealous supporter of undertakings involving wholesome advancement and enduring welfare.

GUSTAVE F. EWE.

Gustave F. Ewe, a prominent member and former president of the Minneapolis Chamber of Commerce, was born at La Crosse, Wiseonsin, May, 1863. His father, Otto Ewe, was a native of Berlin, Germany, and came to America in 1850, locating at La Crosse in the same year and establishing him- self as a grain merehant. His son, Gustave, was therefore acquainted with grain handling from boyhood, and after leaving the La Crosse public schools, where he received his education, he began active participation in his father's business and for thirty-four years has devoted himself exclusively to this line. His first position was with the Cargill Elevator Company as grain agent. He served in this eapaeity for eight years and then became grain auditor for the same company. In 1888 he eame to Minneapolis, where he continued in the employ of the Cargill Elevator Company until he became associated with the Van Dusen-Harrington Company, of which he is now vice-president and one of the active managers. He is also vice-president of the G. W. Van Dusen Company, the National Elevator Company, the Interstate Grain Company, and the Atlas Elevator Company, all organizations that are affiliated with the Van Dusen-Harrington Company. Through his life-long application and successful business career he has come to be regarded as an expert in all lines pertaining to his

field of occupation and in the business eireles of the eity. Dur- ing the many years of his membership of the Chamber of Commerce he has held numerous responsible positions; ehair- man of the board of appeal and of the committee on arbitra- tion; in 1892, eleeted to the board of directors, serving as a member of that body for seven years; elected president of the Chamber of Commerce for the term of 1909 to 1910. Mr. Ewe was married in 1891 to Miss Julia Molitor and they have four children, Willie Frank, Clark W., Laura and Caroline. Mr. Ewe is a Shriner and has attained to the highest rank in Masonry. He is a member of the Minneapolis elub, the Mini- kahda elub and other leading social organizations.

CHARLES A. ERDMANN, M. D.

Though it is a far ery from the voeation of a skilled mechanic to the profession of a surgeon, it is generally accepted as a faet by his most intimate friends that Dr. Charles Andrew Erdmann inherited from his father, a meehanie, his love for exaet knowledge and for research work which has made him recognized as one of the foremost anatomists of the West if not of the entire United States. Indeed, even before he had received his degree as Doetor of Medieine at the age of twenty-seven years, he was looked upon as one of the men of great promise among those about to enter into the praetiee of his profession. His early years had been spent in Wiseonsin; he was born in Milwaukee August 3, 1866, and his father, Andrew Erdmann, had guided him to his schooling in the publie schools of Milwaukee and to his academie course in the University of Wisconsin, from which he was graduated. He came to Minnesota for his course in medieine, and received his doctor's diploma there in 1893, from the College of Medieine of the University of Minnesota. From there he went, to round out his medical education, to the universities and clinies of Berlin and Vienna. Returning, Dr. Erdmann was at onee appointed demonstrator of anatomy in the college from which he had been graduated, and he held this position from 1894 to 1899, when he was ele- vated to a full professorship of anatomy.

Dr. Erdmann has not limited his interests to the eonfines of his profession or of his college, but has figured actively in movements direeted toward the eivic and social betterment of the 'eity and state. While he was still in the University as a student he served as deputy eoroner of Hennepin county. He also took a leading part in the lodge work of several seeret societies and belongs to several civic and non-profes- sional organizations. He is a member of the American Medical Association, a Fellow of the American Association .a. Seienee, the American Association of Anatomists, belongs to the Minnesota State Medieal Society and to the Hennepin County Medical Association.

In 1896 Dr. Erdmann married Miss Coroline Edger. They have three children, Edgar, Elizabeth and Robert.

WALTER DONALD DOUGLAS.

The people of modern days are in the habit of saying much of the heroie ages in human history, overlooking the faet that to render any age, or time, or place one of heroism

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HISTORY OF MINNEAPOLIS AND HENNEPIN COUNTY, MINNESOTA

nothing is needed but heroic souls, and such will always find crises to try their edge. The venerable Past has its les- sons, doubtless, and well is it for those who master and heed them. But were it otherwise, the Present nas themes enough of ennobling interest to employ all our faculties, to engross all our thoughts, save as they should contemplate the still vaster and grander Hereafter. Do any speak to us of Grecian or Roman heroism? They say well. But genius died not with Greece, and heroism has scarcely a recorded achievement which our own age, our own country, cannot parallel, in loftiness at least, if not in kind.

One shining case in point, in which the residents of Minne- apolis are deeply interested and for which they are pro- foundly grateful, is the heroic stand taken by the late Walter D. Douglas, one of their most prominent and useful men, in the terrible Titanic disaster, in which he lost his life. They all most seriously deplore his untimely and tragic death, but the manner in which he met it has gone a long way toward reconciling them to his fatc. For by that he established a record for manliness of the highest character among their citizens, and gave the community of his home a nation-wide reputation in a new field of comment and commendation, or one, at least, in which they had before planted no specifically illustrious monuments.

Mr. Douglas had a chance to save his life by getting into one of the later boats, and was urged to do so. But he resolutely put away his opportunity, declaring that he "wouldn't be a man if he entered one of the small boats while there was a woman left on board the doomed ship." At the same time, in obedience to the attributes and dictates of his high character and elevated manhood, he took an active part in helping the crew of the sinking vessel place the women and children on the life boats, aiding in loading and lowering the very last one of them. Then his last chance was gone, and he resolutely looked death in the face and met it calmly. Within an hour afterward he went down with the stricken giant of the sea.

"That is what we would have expected," said many of his fellow citizens of Minneapolis, when they heard the story, and George F. Piper, for many years a business associate of Mr. Douglas, tersely expressed the general sentiment of the community in an interview published in the Minneapolis papers at the time. Mr. Piper said: "Walter Douglas could not have died any other way. He was heroism itself, and his sincere respect for women and his natural bravery were dominant features of his character. I should have been sur- prised had Walter Douglas conducted himself in any other way than he did on the sinking Titanic."

Mr. Douglas was born at Waterloo, Iowa, in 1861, and was a son of George and Margaret (Boyd) Douglas, the former a native of Scotland and the latter of Belfast, Ireland. They were married in the United States and came West, to Dixon, Illinois, soon afterward. There the father was a contractor on the Northwestern Railroad for a time. The family then moved to Waterloo, Iowa, and afterward to Cedar Rapids in that state, where the father died.

The son obtained his education in the common and high schools and at Shattuck Military Academy. He began his business career in association with his father in what was known as Douglas & Stuart, later the American Cereals company, which manufactured Quaker oats, the celebrated breakfast food. Some time later, with his brother, George B. Douglas, he organized the Douglas Starch company in

Cedar Rapids, with which he was connected until his death. After his removal to Minneapolis in 1895 he became con- nected with the manufacture of linseed oil, conducting the business under the name of Douglas & Co., and was also connected with the Midland Linseed Oil company, of which E. C. Warner was president.

The oil business of the Douglas company was sold to the American Linseed Oil company in 1899, when Mr. Douglas became a partner in the grain firm of Piper, Johnson & Case, with which he was connected until January 1, 1912, when he retired, but still maintained many business interests in asso- ciation with George F. Piper and E. C. Warner. His mind was broad and active, and required many business enterprises to occupy it, and he gave it full scope.

Among other industrial and mercantile institutions with which Mr. Douglas was prominently connected were the Canadian Elevator company, the Monarch Lumber company, and several other companies in the Dominion; the Saskatche- wan Valley Land company, which owned, at one time, three million acres in the province of the same name; the Empire Elevator company of Fort William, Ontario, of which he was a director and member of the executive board, and the Quaker Oats company, in which he also served as a member of its executive board. In addition he was a director of the First National Bank of Minneapolis for years.

Mr. Douglas was married in Iowa on May 19, 1884, to Miss Lulu Camp, a daughter of Edward L. Camp, a highly respected resident of that state. By this marriage he be- came the father of two sons, Edward B. and George C., both of whom are living. Their mother died in December, 1899. He was again married Nov. 6, 1907, to Mahala Dutton, who was rescued from the Titanic, and they all reside in Minne- apolis. The father was a Democrat in his political affilia- tion early in life, but later threw off all party ties and became independent of them. In church connection he was a Pres- byterian and devotedly serviceable to the congregation to which he belonged, as he was in promoting good works of every kind.

This zealous, public-spirited and highly useful citizen in life and radiant hero in death was known in Minneapolis as an undemonstrative and retiring man. It was not his custom to let his left hand know what his right hand did, and so,- although his private benefactions to the needy or struggling were large, the world knew little or nothing of them. Neither was he ever known to boast of his business successes or large accumulations of wealth. He was one of the richest men in his home city, but this was known only to a few of his most intimate associates, although his operations in busi- ness extended over several states and were large in Canada.

Mr. Douglas' body was picked up after the wreck of the Titanic and conveyed to Minneapolis, and it was buried in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in May, 1912. His useful life ended on April 15, and his untimely and tragical death at the age of fifty years ended a brilliant business career, an exalted citi- zenship and a record of general usefulness that would be creditable to any man or any community in any age of the world. High tributes were paid to the excellence of his character by every public voice, and the heroism he displayed in his death received new tributes of praise.

IN MEMORIAM.

The directors of the First National Bank of Minneapolis, are shocked and grieved by the tragic death of one of our

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HISTORY OF MINNEAPOLIS AND HENNEPIN COUNTY, MINNESOTA

member. Our friend and fellow-associate, Walter D. Douglas, embarked upon the steamship "Titanic", sailing from South- ampton April 10th, for the port of New York, and on the night of April 15th, while on its course in the North Atlantic, the ship was brought into violent collision with an iceberg, rendering her absolutely helpless. The life-boats were manned, and in one of these, Mr. Douglas was urged to escape, but this he steadfastly refused to do while women were to be saved, choosing to face death with honor, which he bravely and heroically did by the going down of the ship. Some mitigation of this most sad and tragic death of our friend and associate is derived from the fact that his body has since been reclaimed from the ocean, and will find suitable sepul- ture among his own family.

And now while pained and sorrowing for the loss of one beloved by us all, we desire to honor liis memory, and to reverence the noble heroism of his death; Therefore,

Resolved, That we bear willing testimony to our apprecia - tion of him in all the walks of life; as a citizen ever true and faithful; in business affairs acute, unerring, successful and honorable, his word absolute verity; as an associate in our Board, always active, zealous, sound in judgment and helpful; as a friend, not fulsome, but ever courteous, kind, generous and dependable; as a man above reproach, of high culture, ripe in all the elements of a true manhood, and in his last great hour of trial, proved the sublimity of heroism which can only be the outgrowth of such a manhood.

Resolved, That we extend to the bereaved family assur- ance of our most profound sorrow and sympathy.

Resolved, That in adopting this testimonial we express our reverenee for the memory of our friend and associate by rising.

Respectfully submitted, J. B. GILFILLAN, WM. A. LANCASTER, FREDERICK B. WELLS, Committee.

May 4, 1912.

The universal feeling was that "the elements were so mixed in him that Nature might stand up and say to all the world, This was a man!"

LESTER BUSHNELL ELWOOD.

The late Lester B. Elwood, long one of the leading real estate and insurance men of Minneapolis, who died here on October 2, 1911, after a residence in this city of thirty-six years, was born in Rochester, New York, on October 19, 1856, the son of E. P. Elwood, a banker, and a nephew of S. Dow Elwood, the founder and president of the Wayne County Savings Bank of Detroit, Michigan. He was educated at Oneida Seminary, state of New York, and came to Minne- apolis at the age of nineteen. He came to this city to join Elwood S. Corser in the real estate, investment and insurance business, and was associated with him in business from the time of his arrival until his death. Mr. Corser is one of the oldest real estate men in Minneapolis, and the Corser Invest- ment company, which he founded, is one of the city's most prominent and successful business institutions.

When Mr. Elwood's father died his uncle in Detroit, Michi- gan, wished to adopt the son, but his mother could not bring

herself to consent to the proposed arrangement. So the destiny of the youth was directed into a different channel, but it brought him an honorable and triumphant business earecr, which he would probably have worked out in any situation or amid any surroundings. He became a partner of Mr. Corser in business, and when the Corser Investment company was organized he was chosen its vice president. From the time of his arrival in the city he was a great believer in its future and devoted to its advancement and improvement. He laid out several additions to the city and Elwood avenue was named in his honor.

In political faith Mr. Elwood was an ardent Democrat of the old school, and frequently served as a delegate to the state and national conventions of his party. He was a firm believer in Hon. William J. Bryan, and a devoted friend of Governor John A. Johnson, of this state, who appointed him a member of the board of equalization, on which he rendered the state valuable service. He was also very active in the Minikahda club, the purchaser of all its property and in- fluential in its councils. In addition he belonged to the Minneapolis club, the Minnesota club of St. Paul and the Sons of Veterans of the American Revolution. His religious affiliation was with Plymouth Congregational church, and in his early life he was a singer in the choir of the church he attended, and always a great lover of music.

Mr. Elwood was a studious and judicious reader, but gave his attention to nothing in this way but the old standard authors. He was noted for his genial wit, and also for sharp and caustic sarcasm when occasion required the use of it. He was devoted to his business, but was also fond of fishing and other outdoor sports, and intensely enjoyed his home life. He built the house in which he lived before his marriage. It was far out and there were few residents in the neighborhood at the time. But he had a wide choice of locations and chose this one in preference to all others. It became in a short time one of the best in the city. The lot is now No. 400 Ridgewood avenue.

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Compendium of history and biography of Minneapolis and Hennepin County, Minnesota, Part 74

Author: Holcombe, R. I. (Return Ira), 1845-1916; Bingham, William H Publication date: 1914 Publisher: Chicago : H. Taylor & Co. Number of Pages: 1190

Author: Holcombe, R. I. (Return Ira), 1845-1916; Bingham, William H
Publication date: 1914
Publisher: Chicago : H. Taylor & Co.
Number of Pages: 1190