USA > Oregon > Multnomah County > Portland > Portrait and biographical record of Portland and vicinity, Oregon, containing original sketches of many well known citizens of the past and present > Part 21
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of the Republic for the department of Oregon, and served on several occasions as aide on the staff of the commander-in-chief of that organi- zation. He is a member, and past commander of Lincoln-Garfield Post, G. A. R., and also a past commander of the Oregon Commandery of the military order of the Loyal Legion.
In Massachusetts Captain Sladen was united in marriage, in 1866, with Martha Frances Win- chester, a native of Lowell, and of this union there have been born four children. Fred Win- chester, who graduated from West Point in June, 1890, is now a captain in the army, and an instructor at the United States Military Acad- emy, having been detailed at that institution after serving through the Philippine campaigns as an aide to Major-General Otis; Harry Stinson, a graduate of the Leland Stanford University, is now with the Portland General Electric Com- pany; Frank Joseph, a graduate of Yale, class of 1902, is a student at the Johns Hopkins Medi- cal College ; and Caroline L. is the wife of Capt. John J. Bradley, of the Fourteenth United States Infantry.
Captain Sladen is prominent in Masonic cir- cles. He was made a Mason in B. B. French Lodge, of Washington, D. C., in 1866, and was afterwards master of Mount Hood Lodge at Vancouver, Wash. He is a thirty-second degree Mason, and is identified with the Oregon Con- sistory, and El Kader Temple, N. M. S. He is a member of the First Baptist Church of Port- land; a Republican in politics, and is socially a member of the Arlington Club. Although so long connected with affairs military, and every inch a soldier in bearing and general deportment, Captain Sladen possesses a geniality and good fellowship which have won him many and lasting friends, and he has evinced in his latter day un- dertakings shrewd business and executive ability.
WILLIAM FRAZIER. In the record of the life of a successful man there is always much of interest, and particularly is this true in the case of a man who is forced to begin the battle of life in extreme youth, unaided and penniless. No greater source of inspiration can be offered a young man of ambition than the example afforded by such a life in the maturity of its success.
The death of his parents when he was a mere child forced William Frazier to undertake the solution of the problem of self-support at a very early age, but the self-reliance thereby developed proved of incalculable benefit to him. Though the years of his youth were less free from care than those of most boys, the activities of his manhood doubtless have been more successful by reason of these very deprivations and hard- ships of boyhood. He was born in Shelik, near
Ross Shire, Scotland, September 15, 1851, and was the second of three sons. The oldest, Hector, died in Washington ; the youngest, Collin, is en- gaged in farming in Grande Ronde Valley, Union county, Ore. His father, George Frazier, a ship carpenter by trade, was lost in a shipwreck off the coast of England, and subsequently the wid- owed mother brought the three sons to the United States, settling near Kawanee, Ill., where she died two years later.
When the family crossed the ocean William Frazier was a child of six years. For a time after their arrival in Illinois all went well, and he had the privilege of attending the country schools of Henry county, Ill., three winter terms. But with the death of his mother he was thrown upon his own resources. In 1863, at the age of twelve years, under the escort of his uncle, John McDonald, he crossed the plains to Oregon as a member of a party accompanying a train of one hundred wagons. At that time the Indians were particularly troublesome, and his party never would have reached the coast had it not been for a government escort of thirty-six mule teams and one hundred and fifty men under the command of Captain Crawford. The great cavalcade of emigrants and soldiers proved too formidable for the wandering bands of Indians to attack, and they were permitted to pursue their course unmolested. One of the wagon teams was driven by the twelve-year-old boy, who in many ways proved himself a useful companion for the older men. Soon after their arrival at the coast, his uncle settled upon a claim in Grande Ronde Val- ley where, at the age of eighty years, he still makes his home.
After three months with his uncle, Mr. Frazier went to Umatilla Landing, where he worked in a dry goods store for Mr. Case during the win- ter. In the spring he secured employment on a pack train from Umatilla to Boise City, Bannock, Albany and Placerville, Idaho, which occupation he followed for two years, riding the bell horse and acting as cook for the train. During the fall of 1865 he arrived in Portland, where he has since made his home. At first, he followed any occupation that presented itself, and availed himself of such leisure as he could command in order that he might attend to his neglected schooling. For one winter he attended Portland Academy. In the spring of 1869 he bought an interest in a butcher shop in Portland, but after a year or more began to take contracts for the piles on the lower docks of the Willamette. This work consumed two years, during which time he cleared the neat sum of $10,000. A portion of his earnings he invested in a livery stable, which he conducted for three years and then sold. His next enterprise was with L. A. God- dard, under the firm name of Goddard & Frazier,
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the two conducting a large stable on Morrison and Second streets. In 1883 a three-story barn was built, 100x100, on Fifth and Taylor streets, and here he has since engaged in business, being with Mr. Goddard until 1897, and since then a member of the firm of Frazier & McLean. In addition to the renting of horses and vehicles, he has done a large business in buying and selling stock. At times he has brought in three car- loads of horses from Chicago at once, these being sold principally to loggers and lumbermen. For twenty years he has supplied the government with horses, furnishing five thousand for the Manila campaign, and in all of his contracts with the government his work was conducted with sagacity and dispatch.
In Portland, in 1873, occurred the marriage of William Frazier and Margaret E. Long, who was born near this city, her father, Edward Long, having come from Ohio in 1847 and settled two miles from the city of Portland. The only child of Mr. and Mrs. Frazier is Charles R. Frazier, who graduated from a business college and at- tended Leland Stanford University for two years. afterward acting as deputy county sheriff under his father. The Commercial Club and Riverside Driving Association number Mr. Frazier among their members. While he is not connected with any denomination, he is a contributor to the Baptist Church, with which his wife is identified. His fraternal connections include membership in the Woodmen of the World. Benevolent and Pro- tective Order of Elks; Portland Lodge No. 55, A. F. & A. M. : Oregon Consistory No. 1, thirty- second degree ; and Al Kader Temple, N. M. S. The leading position he held in the Republican party, as well as among the citizens of his home town, led to his selection in 1896 for the office of county sheriff, and not only was he elected at that time, but in 1898 and 1900 he was honored by re-election, serving from July, 1896, to July, 1902, when he retired and did not enter the lists as a candidate. The qualities which he possesses qualified him for the duties of sheriff. With a robust mental and physical sturdiness, he was a terror to evil doers and law-breakers, and his several administrations won the commendation of the law-abiding element of the county. As a private citizen, as well as in his official capacity, he has won a large circle of friends and well- wishers, and has gained a deserved prominence in the city to which he came, unknown, many years ago.
HON. SOLOMON HIRSCH. The Pacific slope has furnished to the country many men of high intellectual attainments, who have distin- guished themselves in the various fields of endeav- or for which the American commonwealth has
become noted during the past few decades. In the commercial world by far the great majority of these have been men who began life with no resources excepting their own industry and in- domitable spirit. While the pioneers of the great west have been, as a rule, men born and reared in America, there also have been found, especially in the years following immediately after the first great rush to this country of wonderful opportunity, numerous conspicuous instances where rare successes have been the reward of diligent application on the part of those who have come from foreign shores to cast their lot with the ambitious sons of the east who have sought fame and fortune in this opulent region. The history of the operations of the early settlers on the coast has shown, however, that it has been men of force of character and determination only (with rare exceptions has this been true) to whom the greatest measure of success has come. The life record of the late Hon. Solomon Hirsch of Portland, ex-United States minister to Turkey, forms one of the most splendid illustrations of this obvious truth-that personal character and genuine worth count for more in the contest for supremacy in the liberal atmosphere of the west than in any other section of this free country, or in any other country in the world. Even so brief a résumé of the life services of Mr. Hirsch as it is possible to give in a volume of this char- acter will be a source of inspiration to the young men of the future generations who start out on their careers no more amply equipped to fight the battle of life than he. The story, in the tell- ing, sounds like a romance.
Born in Wurtemberg, Germany, March 25, 1839, he was a son of Samson Hirsch, a member of an old and respected family of that kingdom. There were five sons in the family who came to the Pacific coast. Leopold, who settled in Oregon as early as 1851, engaged in the mercantile busi- ness in Salem, and died in 1892. J. B. and Mayer were pioneers of 1853 in this state, and also fol- lowed mercantile pursuits in Salem, where the former died: the latter died in New York in 1875. Edward, who settled in Oregon in 1858, became a merchant in Salem, where he has also been prominently identified with public affairs. In 1878 he was elected state treasurer of Oregon, and upon the expiration of four years was re- elected to the office. Further honored by the people of his city, in 1890 he was chosen to repre- sent them in the state senate. In 1898 he was appointed postmaster of Salem, an office which he fills at the present time.
The youngest of the five sons in the family, Solomon was fifteen years of age when. in 1854. he set sail from Havre for New York. After a voyage of forty-two days he arrived at his desti- nation. Without any delay he secured work
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as a clerk in New York, and later was similarly employed in New Haven, Conn., and Rochester, N. H. Meantime, from his brothers, who had preceded him to Oregon, he received glowing reports of the prospects in the west, and deter- mined to join them in this state. March 20, 1858, he took passage on the vessel Star of the West for Aspinwall, and after crossing the Isthmus, proceeded on the Golden Gate to San Francisco, where he made a short stop. From there he came to Portland, landing here in April, 1858. His objective point was Salemi, but he soon moved to Dallas, where he opened a retail store, continuing there until 1861. A later location was Silverton, Marion county, where he conducted a mercantile business until the fall of 1864. Upon returning to Portland he became a partner of L. Fleischner and A. Schlussel, under the firm title of L. Fleischner & Co., wholesale merchants occupy- ing a store on Front street, between Stark and Oak streets. In 1875 the concern was consolidated with that owned by Jacob Mayer, and the name thereupon became Fleischner, Mayer & Co., under which style it operates at the present time. The members of the firm at the time of the death of Mr. Hirsch were: Solomon Hirsch, Isaac N. Fleischner, Marcus G. Fleischner, M. A. Mayer and Samuel Simon. The trade built up by this firm, as manufacturers and importers of dry goods and men's furnishings has extended into Waslı- ington, Idaho and Montana, besides reaching into every part of Oregon.
In fraternal relations Mr. Hirsch was a Mason, and the manner of his initiation into the order may testify to the great esteem in which he was held. Amongst the oldest prerogatives of a grand master of Masons, very rarely conferred or ex- ercised, is the right of conferring the degree of Masonry without the usual scrutiny of the can- didate by secret ballot. In the history of the order in the state of Oregon that prerogative has been exercised but once-in the case of Mr. Hirsch and Cyrus A. Dolph, who together, in 1902, were so distinguished, in the language of the craft being made Masons "at sight." The honor may be somewhat inexplicable to those not identified with the order. But Masons will un- derstand that this compliment was a recognition of the honor, the probity, the character, the noble life, the high principles of the man thus welcomed into the greatest secret order the world has ever known.
The marriage of Mr. Hirsch took place in Portland, February 1, 1870, and united him with Josephine, daughter of Jacob Mayer, a native of New Orleans. There are four children in the family, namely : Ella, Sanford, Mai and Clemen- tine.
The public service of Mr. Hirsch was as note- worthy as his private business career. As a
member of the state legislature during the session of 1872 he assisted in electing United States Senator Mitchell. In 1874 he was chosen to represent his district in the state senate, and four years later was again elected to that office. Upon the expiration of his second term, in 1882, he was re-elected, and served up to and includ- ing the session of 1885. During his latter period of service he again gave his support to Mr. Mitchell; but failing to bring his candidate suc- cess, turned his support to J. N. Dolph, who was elected. During the session of 1880 he was hon- ored by the election to the presidency of the senate. Upon the expiration of his third term he declined further renomination and returned to private life. Nevertheless a very large proportion of his fellow-citizens, and particularly the mem- bers of the Republican party, were not content to allow him to remain aloof from public affairs. In 1885 they brought his name before the people as a candidate for the United States senate. A few of the minority Republicans had their own candidate, but Mr. Hirsch was the choice of the majority of his party. When the matter was taken up by the legislative body of which he was at the time a member, he lacked but one vote of being elected. Had he cast that vote for himself, he would have gained a seat in the United States senate, but he was unwilling to do so and there- fore lost the office. An occurrence so unusual was widely commented upon at the time and has never been forgotten. During his service as state sen- ator he supported scores of important bills. Among these was an assignment law for the bene- fit of the poor (1878), to which he introduced an amendment giving it many features in common with the more recently adopted national bank- ruptcy law.
In 1888 Mr. Hirsch went abroad for the pur- pose of visiting Mr. Fleischner in Vienna. While there he was taken sick and went to Carlsbad for the benefit of the waters. While still taking a course of treatment, in 1889, he received a cablegram from the state department notifying him of his appointment as United States minister to Turkey. The appointment came without solic- itation on his part, and naturally was an entire surprise. At first Mr. Hirsch felt constrained to decline on account of the condition of his health, but finally decided to accept upon receiving per- mission from the department to continue his treatment as long as necessary, and also permis- sion to return home after the formal presentation of his letters of credence. In June, 1889, he went to Constantinople, where the Sultan granted him an audience for the presentation of his letters. Immediately afterward he returned to the United States, arranged his business affairs preparatory to an extended absence, and then, accompanied by his family, returned to Europe in October
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of the same year. He remained at his post until the summer of 1891, when he was granted leave of absence in order that he might return to the United States and tender his resignation. Arriv- ing in Washington, he called upon President Har- rison, but found the latter unwilling to accept his resignation. At the urgent request of the chief executive Mr. Hirsch withdrew his request to be relieved of the responsibilities of the office and returned to Turkey in December, 1891, withi the understanding, however, that the next year his resignation would be accepted, as the death of his business partner in 1890 rendered his return to Portland desirable. Again, in October, 1892, he returned to Washington, and this time he was allowed to resign the post, as agreed upon, the president tendering him the most flattering acknowledgment of the valuable character of his services as minister plenipotentiary at a post of more than ordinary difficulty during a most criti- cal period in the relations between the two countries. Not only was his work highly accept - able to the department of state, but the mission- aries located in the various parts of the Ottoman Empire also tendered him the most cordial resolu- tions in recognition of his unselfish devotion to their welfare and interests. In 1897 President Mckinley offered him the same post, or that of United States minister to Belgium, as preferred, but his business demanded his presence at home and he felt obliged to decline the honor.
While not himself seeking the honor. many of the most influential citizens of Oregon had looked forward to the nomination and election of Mr. Hirsch to the United States senate in 1903. Many of his warmest adherents predicted that nothing could have prevented his election ; and this is now the generally accepted belief. It is but an echo of the best public opinion to record in this brief memoir of one of the most dis- tinguished men of the Pacific slope, that the state of Oregon could have furnished no more capable, sincere ,or highly qualified man for the office ; and that if he might have been spared to round out his useful life in this position, the state would have been represented at Washington by a gentleman possessed of such a broad knowledge of public affairs and the needs of the region he represented, as to make him the peer of the most distinguished members of that great body.
In the midst of private affairs of great magni- tude and importance, and public services of an invaluable nature, Mr. Hirsch was not unmindful of the best interests of his home city. Through his unselfish labors as a member of the Chamber of Commerce, as president of Beth Israel .Con- gregation, and as a life member of the Portland Library Association, he promoted local interests in the social, educational and religious world. The Republican party at all times had the benefit
of his counsel and advice; and his services as chairman of the Republican Central Committee in 1882, and again in 1896, will be remembered as instrumental in perfecting the organization of the party on a basis which has made its operations in great political campaigns vastly more easy and successful. Chiefly as the result of his labors, the Republicans of Oregon elected a governor in 1882 for the first time in many years; and in the memorable campaign of 1896, when every possible obstacle in the way of Republican suc- cess was raised by the adherents of the free silver party, his management of the campaign was such as to save the state to his party. It has since been said by thoughtful party leaders that the same result probably would have been attained through no other management.
The career of this useful man of affairs and distinguished citizen of Portland was terminated by his death December 15, 1902. Among the many eulogistic editorial utterances following this sad event, we give place to the following from the Portland Labor Press, which is particularly felic- itous as coming from the leaders of the great masses of laboring men of Portland, by whom Mr. Hirsch was regarded as a friend in all that the term implies :
"Mr. Hirsch, while a man of large affairs and one whose impress was felt in many ways and walks of life, has left behind him the universal respect and regard of our entire people. He was a large employer of labor, and his uniform justice and fairness in his relations as an employer won the confidence and guaranteed to his house the faithfulness of those dependent upon him for employment. The great factory of the Fleischner- Mayer Co., employing over three hundred people in the manufacture of men's garments, will live long after him as a monument to his enterprise and far-sightedness. While in the congested cities of the eastern states it is found necessary to enact the most stringent laws compelling rigid inspection of factories of this character, the Fleischner-Mayer plant is a recognized model for health, cleanliness and up-to-date hygienic and sanitary appointments. Could it be said that the future manufacturers would all be like Solomon Hirsch, Oregon would not need to burden her statutes with laws governing sweat-shop methods in the making of men's wear. The working people can rightly feel that in the death of this good man they have lost a true, tried and just friend, and their sympathies will go out to those closer and (learer, who mourn his loss."
At the services held in his memory at Temple Beth Israel on Sunday, January 4, 1903, a large concourse of his personal friends, including prac- tically all the most prominent men in Portland and many people from the lowlier walks in life who esteemed it a high privilege to be able thus
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to honor the memory of one dearly beloved by all, were in attendance. Eulogistic addresses were delivered by Rabbi Stephen S. Wise and ex- Attorney-General George H. Williams, the present mayor of Portland. Dr. Wise's estimate of the character and services of Mr. Hirsch may be summed up briefly in the following excerpts from his address :
"Solomon Hirsch was a man of ideals. Man of affairs though he was, he did not permit him- self to become the servant of his business, or the slave of his possessions. He remained master of himself and all that he possessed. Virtue he pursued, and knowledge high; with him the two were closely allied, for in his life to know was to do. Virtue he pursued from the beginning unto the end of his days, and knowledge high through all his busy, crowded life, with the ardor of a youthful lover.
"In the highest sense of the term he might be styled a self-made man, for he rose from very humble beginnings unto high place, with no aid from without, unaided save by Him of whose help and guidance his life was a grateful and pious acknowledgment. Self-made though he was, no one could have been further removed from the arrogance and boastfulness of the merely successful man who believes only in himself and in his own prowess; though self-made, he was God-fearing and God-revering.
"Solomon Hirsch proved his Americanism not only by the probity of his conduct in public life, which but served to make his personal character conspicuous, so that adapting the words of Theo- dore Parker 'his private character became a pub- lic force,' but especially in his resentment of the inhuman attitude of some European powers to his fellow-Jews. * * * The cry of the hounded Roumanian Jewish expatriate wrung that noble heart which bled for the sorrows and sufferings of his people.
"I would say that his love of the race and relig- ious fellowship whence he was sprung rivaled his devotion to his adopted country. If rivalry there was between his attachment to his mother- faith and his loyalty to his fatherland, it was a rivalry that tended to deepen his attachment and strengthen his loyalty at one and the same time. So faithfully did he cherish the religion of his fathers that I have long thought that, if he was ambitious, it was because he hoped to serve his people by representing them honorably and worth- ily in public life. Eagerly he welcomed every opportunity to win and merit the world's respect
for the Jew. * * * The religion he professed impelled him to nobility of action. Full as was his life of deeds and achievements, it was fullest of the little kindnesses and tendernesses and cour- tesies, the little and great benevolences which endeared him to his fellow-men. Disciple of the
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