USA > Texas > Indian wars and pioneers of Texas, Vol. I > Part 29
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John I[. Ilntchings, of Galveston, one of the oldest and wealthiest business men of Texas, and one of the most prominent and best-known bankers of the South, was born in North Carolina, on the 2d of February, 1822. His early educational advantages were very limited, and were, indeed, confined to a desultory attendance, as opportunities permitted, at a common country school, in which reading, writing, and the clements of arithmetic only were taught; and at the age of thirteen or fourteen, he bade farewell to the school-room and
began mercantile pursuits, as clerk in & dry goods store.
On attaining the age of maturity he found him- self prepared for the battle of business life ; and his ambitious spirit and enterprising nature prompted him to seek more promising fields and more extended opportunities, and he removed to the city of New Orleans, but soon extended his adventure to the Republic of Texas, and, in the winter of 1845, settled in the city of Galveston.
In December, 1847, he removed to Sabine, and formed a copartnership in mercantile business with the late John Sealy, which continued as long as Mr. Scaly lived. They were very successful in their business at Sabine; and, having accumulated a considerable fortune at that place, they returned, in 1854, to Galveston, which Mr. Hutchings during all that time had considered his home. Here they formed a copartnership with the late George Ball, under the well-known firm name of Ball, Hutchings & Co, which has continued to the present time. This firm was originally devoted to a mixed dry goods and commission business; but in a year or two they abandoned the dry goods trade and turned their attention entirely to a combined commission and banking business, in which they were, from the beginning, eminently successful.
When, in 1861, the port of Galveston was block- aded by the Federal fleets, the firm retired to Hous- ton, and having established their house at that place, engaged actively and extensively in the im- portation of arms and other war materials into the State, and became successful blockade runners. They exported in this way large and frequent shipments of cotton, and in turn imported large quantities of military stores much needed by the
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Confederate States government. As the coast of Texas was closely blockaded, goods of all kinds soon became scarce in the State, and one of the first importations made by the firm was a cargo of fifty thousand pairs of cotton and wool cards, which they brought in under a contract with the State, to enable the people of Texas to manufacture their own elothing. These were introduced by way of Mexico, through which country they continued to make large shipments of cotton during the con- tinuance of the blockade, while at the same time they employed foreign vessels to run war material into the harbor of Galveston. In all of this they were eminently successful, and Mr. Hutchings is still proud of the fact that, through the energy and daring enterprise of the firm, vessels were, at the close of the war, arriving at Galveston with arms and munitions, and departing, laden with cotton, on every change or dark of the moon, with almost the regularity of mail steamers.
In 1865 the firm returned to Galveston and re- sumed the banking business in the same building which they had erected in 1855, and which they have now occupied for thirty-seven years; but Mr. Hutchings still cherishes the kindest feelings for the people of Houston, with whom he lived so hap- pily and prosperously during the dark days of the Civil War. Soon after their return to Galveston they admitted as a partner Mr. George Sealy, who was a brother of Mr. John Sealy, and had long been in their service. The firm name, however, remained unchanged. In March, 1884, Mr. George Ball died, and in the following August Mr. John Sealy died, leaving Mr. Hutchings and Mr. George Sealy the only surviving members of the firm, and they have continued the banking and exchange business under the same firm name until the present time, and their rating for wealth and credit in bank- ing circles is perhaps as high as that of any other banking house in the world.
The old building, which, in simple strength, so long and faithfully abided by the fortunes of the firmu, has just been replaced by another, con- structed by Mr. Hutchings specially for their use and having every feature of safety, comfort and convenience suggested by the long conduct of the banking business. This structure is the best equipped and most thoroughly appointed bank building in the South.
It is one of the handsomest buildings on the strand.
lu addition to being one of the two managers of this great banking house, Mr. Hutchings has occu- Hled, and still holds, many important and responsi- Me business positions. His sound judgment, his
solid integrity, his far-seeing enterprise, his great activity, his superb business qualities, and remark- able success in all his undertakings, have caused his name and services to be almost indispensable in a leading connection with every important enter- prise of Galveston. He was for a long time presi- dent of the Galveston Wharf Company and it was during his presidency of this association that a compromise was effected with the city, which settled long disputed claims as to the title of the wharf property. In consideration of the value of his services in negotiating this settlement, the eom- pany presented him with a handsome service of silver. The McAlpine survey of the wharf was also made during the same time, and improvements were begun which have created valuable property for the company, and given a spacious and beauti- ful front to the city. He was the first president, after the war, of the Galveston Gas Company, and has continued ever since to be one of its directors, and is now its president. He has long been a director of the Southern Press Manufacturing Com- pany of Galveston, and is at this time its president. He was for some time a director of the Galveston City Company, and is now the president of that company. He was appointed by Judge E. P. Hill, the Confederate States Judge for Texas, a Commis- sioner of the Confederate States Court, which he held as long as the Confederate States were in exist- ence, and still preserves his commission from Judge Hill and values it very highly. He was also one of the original directors of the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railroad Company, also of the Galveston Oil Mills Company, of the Land and Loan Com- pany, and also of the Galveston, Houston and Hen- derson Railway Company, and of the Galveston Insurance Company. In 1859-60 he was an alder- man of the city of Galveston, and negotiated the bonds for the first bridge built over the bay. He was the author of the plan for raising money to open the inner bar in Galveston harbor, and drafted the ordinance of June 25, 1869, which put his plan into successful execution, He was the originator and chief promoter of the estab- lishment of the splendid line of steamers plying between Galveston and New York, so well known as the Mallory line, and now incorporated as the New York and Texas Steamship Company, and he is one of the five directors of this company. IIe accomplished this splendid enterprise by inducing the Galveston Wharf Company, of which he was president, to take a fourth interest in the four first steamers built for the line, by taking stock himself and inducing his partners to do likewise; and the present firm still owns a large interest in the line.
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He and his partner, John Sealy, formed a company and built the Factor's Cotton Press, but the com- pany was soon afterwards merged into the Southern Cotton Press and Manufacturing Company, the suggestion and accomplishment of which was the work of Mr. Hutchings, and his associates, appre- ciating his skill, industry, and ability in the adjust- ment of that matter, presented him with a gold watch and chain of the most costly kind, which he prizes highly and wears daily.
It is said of Mr. Hutchings that in all these varied and exacting business relations, with their multitudinous demands upon his time and energy, he has never been known to fail in an appointment ; and he has maintained this course throughout a lifetime of hard work, extending through more than fifty years. He early found his task, and has faithfully stood to it. There has been no time in such a life for idle dreams. To him all true work has been held sacred -as wide as the earth, with its summit in heaven ; and if genius be, as has been said by one, " an immense capacity for taking pains ; " or, as said by another, " a great capacity for discipline," in either character we find it in an eminent degree in the life of Mr. Hutchings. Being asked by the author the measure of his suc- cess, and the qualities and conditions to which he chiefly attributed it, he answered promptly : " Sue- cess in life depends much upon honesty, sobriety, industry, economy, and a disposition to promote the best interests of the community in which one lives. This disposition is always observed and appreciated ; and the measure of a man's success depends much upon the kindly disposition of his neiglibors towards him. Success in life consists not so much in making money as in being use- ful; and the man who has been the most useful in his day and generation is the most successful man."
The life of Mr. Hutchings grandly illustrates his views of usefulness and success. Few men have taken the lead in so many enterprises that pro- inoted the interests of the communities in which they lived ; and he has always faithfully discharged every duty which devolved upon him, laboring at all times for the public good, as well as for the interests and welfare of those who were directly concerned in his undertakings or affected by them ; and amid all the advantages and opportunities afforded by his official positions, he has never speculated upon his knowledge, his power, or his influence.
He has strong faith in the future of Galveston as a great commercial city, and in the illimitable growth and prosperity of Texas. For nearly twenty years, he has taken a warm and active interest in every project for deepening the channel over Galveston bar, as being not only of the greatest importance to the welfare of the city, but of the whole State.
During all this time, while so busily engaged in enterprises of a public character, he has not failed to attend with equal minuteness and promptitude to his private affairs. Early and late he bas always been found at his bank during business honrs, and is still found there at the proper time. Hle believes strongly in the old adage, that it is better to wear away than to rust away.
While Mr. Hutchings, like all long-disciplined and successful business men, is stern and strict in his business habits, in social life he is kind, courteous, and genial. He is devoted to his family and warmly attached to his friends, and kind to all who have dealings with him. He was married in Galveston on the 18th of June, 1856, to Miss Minnie Knox, a lady of supe- rior refinement and excellence of character, who was the niece of Robert Mills, at that time the head of the then well-known banking house of R. & D. G. Mills. They have reared a large and interest- ing family of children. Their third daughter was married a few years since to Mr. John W. Harris, an excellent young man, and a son of the late Judge John W. Harris, a distinguished pioneer of the Texas bar.
Mr. Hutchings has a marked fondness for the beauties of nature, and claims great skill in the transplanting and nurture of trees. He has beautified his home in Galveston with an enchant- ing verdure of live oaks, flowers, and shrubbery ; and a visit to his hospitable mansion will well repay those who have a taste for the combined embellish- ments of art and nature.
And yet the crowning virtue of the life and char- acter of Mr. Hutchings is his deep-founded faith in the precepts and promises of Christianity. He has long been a devout communicant of the Episco- pal Church ; and he considers spiritual attainment and a Christian life far above all earthly posses- sions and worldly successes - the golden crown of a successful life, of which all other qualifications are but parts. Hle is a liberal supporter of the church, and wears upon the brow of age the chaplet of many noble charities and benefactions.
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GEORGE BALL, GALVESTON.
It has often struck me that the real is the most unreal. David Copperfield was a more real person- age and will longer exereise an influence in shaping the course of human lives and ultimate human des - tinies than many of the persons who are living and have actually lived. The ordinary human life, except in so far as it concerns the individual soul and affeets those with which it mediately or immediately comes in contact, is void of lasting effect. As to itself, it passes away like a shadow and is remembered no more. But there have been lives whose influence will extend to remotest time and of these was the life of the sub- jeet of this memoir, Mr. George Ball.
It is doubtful .if there ever was an intrinsieally noble man who did not have a noble mother, and it is doubtful if any man ever accomplished much worthy of commemoration, who was not sustained and cheered by the companionship and counsel of a noble wife. Mr. Ball possessed both and few men have done more to entitle themselves to an honorable place upon the pages of the State's history.
He was born May 9th, 1817, at Gausevoort, Saratoga County, N. Y., where he resided until twelve years of age, when he went to live with his unele, George Hoyt, at Albany, in that State. He learned the trade of silversmith and jeweler from his uncle and was indebted to him also for most excellent training in business affairs. On reaching liis majority, he set out to seek a location for himself, traveling extensively through the Western and Southern States, and finally set tling for a time in Shreveport, La. There he eame to hear a great deal of Texas, and being influenced by favorable reports, at last decided to try his fortunes in the then infant republic. Returning to New York, he formed a eopartner- ship with his brother Albert, and, procuring a stock of general merchandise and lumber sufficient to creet a small store house, embarked for Galveston, and arrived there in the fall of 1839, during the disastrous epidemie of yellow fever that prevailed that year. Nothing daunted by the gloomy sur- roundings that environed him, he landed his eargo and, leasing a lot on Tremont street, between. Mechanies and Market streets, proceeded to erect his building and open his business. His brother joined him the following year, and their business proving sueeessful, they moved to the vicinity of
Strand and Twenty-second streets, at that time mueh nearer to the center of trade than the first site seleeted. After a few years this firm was dis- solved, Albert entering the elothing business and George continuing that of dry goods.
In 1854, Mr. Ball disposed of his mereantile interests and, associating himself with John HI. Hutehings and John Sealy, formed the firm of Ball, Hutehings & Co., for banking and commission pur- poses. As senior member of this firm, Mr. Ball showed himself to be a man of good ability. Under his management it soon took rank among the first in the city and eventually beeame the first in the State. During the four years of the late war (from 1861 to 1865) this firm transaeted an extensive business with Europe in the interests of the Con- federate government through Mexico and after- wards, in 1873, tided over that year of panic and failure. Ball, Hutchings & Co., met all demands and, by integrity and business skill, have met and weathered all subsequent finaneial storms that have wrecked so many business concerns and are now one of the most famous banking houses that the United States ean boast. From the first Mr. Ball manifested his belief in the future of Gal- veston and took great interest in everything per- taining to its welfare. There were very few enter- prises started in the city in which he was not one of the foremost workers. To a number of eor- porations and seores of private undertakings, he was a stanch friend and valued contributor. He carly saw the advantages that Galveston possessed as a shipping point and advocated and promoted the adoption of all measures that tended to the de- velopment of the transportation interests of the eity. He took the first $10,000.00 worth of stoek in the Mallory Steamship Company on its organiza- tion. On April 19, 1843, Mr. Ball married Miss Sarah Catherine Perry, a native of Newport, R. I., and a daughter of Capt. James Perry, who set tled at Galveston in 1839. Capt. Perry was eon- nected with the Custom House in early days and was for many years a respected eitizen of Galves- ton. Of this union six children were born, but two of whom survive : Mrs. Nellie League of Galveston and Frank Merriam Ball. Mr. Ball sought no pub- lic office, his family and business occupying all cf his time and attention. Hle was a man of quiet tastes and retired habits, known for his great kind-
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ness of heart and disposition to be helpful to others. He came to be the possessor of much wealth, which, however, he sought to use in such a manner as to accomplish the most good for himself and his fellow- men. The year preceding his death, he donated fifty thousand dollars for the erection of a building in Galveston for public school purposes, to which donation, while the building was in course of con- struction, he added $20,000.00 more. This build- ing was barely finished when his life drew to a elose, at 1: 15 o'clock on the morning of March 13, 1884.
The following letter of acknowledgment was addressed to him by the trustees of the city public free schools, through their secretary :----
" OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT, "GALVESTON, TEXAS, June 9th, 1883. " GEORGE BALL, Esq., Galveston, Texas:
" Dear Sir - I have the honor to inform you that at a regular meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Public Free Schools of the city of Galveston, held June 7th, 1883, Col. W. B. Denson offered the following resolution, which was adopted by a unanimous vote, viz. :
"' Resolved, by the Board of Trustees, that we have received notification of the generous and mag- nificent donation of our fellow-townsman, George Ball, in donating $50,000.00 to be used in the erection of a publie school building in the city of Galveston, and, as the representatives of the pub- lic free schools of this city, we tender him our sincere and profound gratitude and we bespeak for this broad philanthropy of Mr. Ball the commenda- tion of a grateful people.'
" I have the honor to further inform you that at the same meeting of the Board of School Trustees, on motion of Col. Denson, the action of the City Council in leaving the construction of the building aforcsaid to your direction and supervision was indorsed by the Board.
" Respectfully yours, " FOSTER ROSE, Secy."
His will provided funds in trust, for other char- ites, the chief of which was a fund of $50,000.00 to aid the poor of the city. Mr. Ball was buried March 4th, 1884, with all the honors a grateful people could confer upon the memory of one so universally mourned.
The following is an extract from an editorial that appeared in the columns of the Galveston Daily News of the morning of March 15th, 1884 :-
" In all the history of Galveston there has never been a more spontaneous and frevent manifestation
of sorrow at the death of a member of the commun- ity than that which was given yesterday upon the funeral of Mr. George Ball. The city wore a Sunday-like appearance and, except that the scores of flags that were at half-mast told their own story of the sorrow of the community, a comer to the city would have wondered at the quiet that pre- vailed. At 12 o'clock the Cotton Exchange and banks closed for the day, and between that hour and three o'clock a large number of stores closed their doors. During the day numerous tender gifts of flowers were sent to the residence, many of them elegant and elaborate. Among the handsome floral tributes each district school sent a gift, while the children of the Grammar school contributed a number of beautiful crosses, crowns and wreaths into which were wrought the initials G. B. Very handsome and artistie floral offerings were sent by Mrs. Kopperl, Mrs. Adoue, Mrs. George Sealy, Capt. Bolger, Mr. and Mrs. W. II. Willis, Mrs. A. G. Mills, Miss Sorley, the Ladies Aid Society and Miss Garley. One of the tenderest tributes was brought by a little girl, who went to the door of the residence and offered a little cross, saying, ' Please put this on the coffin; it is the best I could do.' The little giver ean rest assured that her offering of love was given a place upon the casket. The funeral services were held at three o'clock, but long before that hour citizens of high and low estate, old and young, white and black, had begun to gather at the residence. The body, inclosed in a handsome casket, rested in the drawing room, where it was viewed by hundreds. Those who knew Mr. Ball in life, could not help noting the naturalness which marked the features in death. The face wore a look of calm, placid rest, as though Mr. Ball had ' wrapped the mantle of his eouch about him and laid down to pleasant dreams.'
" The funeral services, which were held at the bouse, were conducted by the Reverend Mr. Scott, of the Presbyterian Church. After reading, by special request, the beautiful and impressive service of the Episcopal Church, Mr. Scott continued aud said :-
"" It needs not, dear friends, that I speak with you to-day of him who is no longer with us, nor would it be consonant with the feelings and wishes of those most dearly concerned that I should do so. The deepest and truest grief always courts silence and retirement. His life was spent in your midst ; his record is before you, as a man, a citizen, a philanthropist, a benefactor, he is known to you all ; and I see in this vast throng, here assembled, representing all classes and orders among us, a clear evidence that our whole
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city, in all her borders, sits to-day under the shadow of a common grief. The aged and the young, the little children of our homes, whose friend be was -- are gathered, not only under an impulse of sympathy with those who have been so sorely bereaved, but under a sense of personal sorrow and loss. And now, while our hearts are touched and attentive, may I not, as God's servant, entreat you to lay to heart this admonition 'in the midst of life we are in death ' and ask you to receive God's tender over- tures of grace and salvation, so that when your summons comes to go it may find you in perfect charity with man, at peace with God, in the enjoy- ment of ' a reasonable religious and holy hope ' the result of a life spent with the constant intention to follow the course mapped out by the divine Savior of the world. And let us bear upon the arm of our powerful sympathy those whose grief and sorrow are to-day so great, endeavoring to draw from that great well of comfort to the bereaved, those con- solations which a merciful God gives to the broken heart.'
"Mr. Scott then read sundry appropriate and con- solatory scriptures, quoting in conclusion Elliott's beautiful lines : -
" My God and Father while I stray Far from my home in life's rough way,
O, help me from my heart to say : Thy will be done.
"Let but my fainting heart be blest With Thy sweet spirit for its guest; My God, to Thee I leave the rest ; Thy will be done.
" Renew my will from day to day, Blend it with Thine, and take away All that makes it hard to say Thy will be done.
" Then when on earth I breathe no more, That prayer, oft mixed with tears before, I'll sing upon a happy shore, Thy Will be done.
"The casket was, upon the conclusion of the services at the residence, taken in charge by the psll-bearers - Mr. Rosenberg, Judge Ballinger, Mr. John Sealy, Mr. George Sealy, Mr. J. HI. Hutchings, Mr. Waters S. Davis, Mr. A. J. Walker, Capt. A. N. Sawyer, Mr. James Sorley, Capt. Chas. Fowler, Capt. Bolger and Capt. Lufkin - and conveyed to the Bearse. The procession formed with the following societies in the lead in the order named and repre- sented by the numbers stated :-
" Serewmen's Benevolent Association, 195 men ; Longshoremen's Association, 65; Longshoremen's Benevolent Union, 40; Fire Department, 70; Gal- veston Typographical Union, 60; Employees of the
Mallory Steamship Company, 60; Bricklayers As- sociation, 40 ; G. C. P. E. B. and P. Association, 60; Franklin Assembly, K. of L., 25; Pioneer Assembly, K. of L., 35; Trades' Assembly, 32; Pressmen's Union, 10;
"Next came the employees of the bank, on foot ; then the pall-bearers in carriages. The hearse followed, and after it the family and friends. There were eighty-three carriages in the procession, which extended over a mile and a quarter on Broad- way.
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