USA > Washington > King County > Seattle > A volume of memoirs and genealogy of representative citizens of the city of Seattle and county of King, Washington, including biographies of many of those who have passed away > Part 24
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and no doubt saved the lives of many white settlers. In the fall of 1865 Mr. Lyon came to Seattle, which city had been made the headquarters of the tele- graph company. He received the appointment of circuit manager of all the lines north of Portland, and continued in that capacity until 1882, at whichi time lie resigned and severed his connection with the company, which, how- ever, was very loath to dispense with his services. He had also been agent of the Puget Sound Telegraph Company, in control of their lines connect- ing Seattle with Port Townsend.
Mr. Lyon, on abandoning telegraphic work, opened a book and station- ery store in this city, successfully carrying on operations in that department of mercantile activity until 1887, when he closed out lis store, having been appointed by President Cleveland to the position of postmaster of Seattle. He filled that position most capably until a change occurred in the presidential administration. During his term of office he established the letter carrier system in the city and the receipts of the office increased from twelve to fifty- five thousand dollars per year. Mr. Lyon also served three terms in the city council and was chairman of the committee on streets and finance. On his retirement he was for some time engaged in the supervision of his real-estate and other business interests, and later he purchased the store which is ownd and controlled by himself and his son, F. A. Lyon. It is a well-appointed book and stationery store located at No. 207 Pike avenue and the firm re- ceives a large patronage, owing to their excellent business ability, capable management, reasonable prices and straightforward policy.
In 1865, at Claquato, Lewis county, Washington, Mr. Lyon was united in marriage to Miss Livonia Huntington, a daughter of Jacob Huntington, a pioneer of 1852, who crossed the plains with a band of cattle in that year, also bringing his family with him. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Lyon have been born four children: Callie, the wife of Benjamin F. Cobb; Charlotte, who is the wife of A. L. Washburn and resides with her parents; F. Arthur, who is with his father in business; and Susan Gertrude, at home. The family are members of St. Mark's Episcopal church. They have a very pleasant home, their lawn being adorned with flowers and shrubs of their own plant- ing. The family is widely and favorably known in this state and they are members of the Pioneer Society. The work which has engrossed the greater part of Mr. Lyon's life has been of a most important character, proving not only a source of livelihood for himself, but of the greatest possible benefit to his fellow-men in the northwest, for the establishment of telegraphic com- munication has had marked influence upon the commercial history of this section of the country. Mr. Lyon thoroughly enjoys home life and takes
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great pleasure in the society of his family and friends. He is always cour- teous, kindly and affable, and those who know him personally have for him warm regard. A man of great natural ability, his success in business, from the beginning of his residence in Seattle, was uniform and rapid. As has been truly remarked, after all that may be done for a man in the way of giv- ing him early opportunities for obtaining the requirements which are sought in the schools and in books, he must essentially formulate, determine and give shape to his own character; and this is what Mr. Lyon has done. He has persevered in the pursuit of a persistent purpose and gained the most satisfactory reward. His life is exemplary in all respects and he has ever supported those interests which are calculated to uplift and benefit humanity, while his own moral worth is deserving of the highest commendation.
JAMES DOSTER HOGE, JR.
The president of the First National Bank of Seattle is the youngest national bank president in the entire United States, but his ability as a finan- cier, his keen discrimination and his executive power do not seem to be lim- ited by his years. He is a native of Zanesville, Ohio, born on the 21st of Sep- tember, 1871, and is of Scotch lineage, his ancestors having left the land of hills and heather to establish a home in Virginia when that state was num- bered among the colonial possessions of the English. They were people of the highest respectability and were widely and favorably known in connec- tion with the early history of the Old Dominion. Israel, the grandfather of our subject, was born at Winchester, Virginia, in 1802, and was there mar- ried to Betsey Doster, who also represented an old Virginia family connected with the Society of Friends. In 18440 the grandparents removed to Ohio, becoming pioneer settlers of Zanesville, where the grandfather engaged in the manufacture of matches, being one of the first representatives of that line of business in the entire country. He was also a chemist and druggist and his business interests were important and lucrative. His political support was given the Democracy and he had the honor of being appointed by Presi- dent James Buchanan to the position of postmaster at Zanesville. He was in manner most cordial, courteous and hospitable, a representative of the old type of true southern gentlemen. He died at the age of eighty-four years, his death resulting from injuries caused by a fall. His wife had departed this life in her fortieth year.
Their son, James D. Hoge, Sr., the father of our subject, was born in Zanesville in 1836, obtained his education there and became a prominent
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electrician. For many years he was manager of the local Western Union telegraph office and had the reputation of being the champion telegrapher of the world at that early day in the development of the science. He was opposed to slavery and to the secession sentiment which was growing in the south, and therefore joined the Republican party, which was formed to pre- vent the further extension of slavery. He still strongly endorses its prin- ciples and yet makes his home in Zanesville, where he is very highly re- spected. He married Miss Anna Slack, a native of his own county, and a daughter of John B. Slack, an Ohio pioneer of prominence. Her father was an earnest member of the Baptist church and equally strong in his political faith, which was that of the Democracy. His life was so honored and up- right that he commanded the esteem and respect of all who knew him. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Hoge were born a son and a daughter. The latter became the wife of Hon. Frederick James Grant, a gentleman of marked literary promise who resided in Seattle, but who lost his life in a shipwreck at sea.
James Doster Hoge, Jr., obtained his preliminary education in the pub- lic schools of his native state and also attended the high school, while later he pursued a commercial course in a business college. Thinking the west would offer better opportunities for young men just starting out in business, he came to Seattle when eighteen years of age and accepted a position as stenog- rapher with ex-governor John H. McGraw. The following fall he was given a position in the First National Bank of this city, serving first as messenger boy and stenographer, but his ability, willingness and ready mastery of the duties intrusted to him soon won recognition and he was promoted from time to time until he was finally given charge of the notes, discounts and collections. In 1894, in partnership with his brother-in-law, Frederic J. Grant, he pur- chased the Post Intelligencer from L. S. J. Hunt. Mr. Hoge then spent a few months in the east acquainting himself with the workings of daily papers, and in the fall of that year he assumed the business management of the journal, of which he became general manager a year later, continuing in that capacity with marked ability until September, 1897, at which time he sold the paper to the Piper Brothers. He had applied himself to his work so strenuously that rest for recuperation became necessary, and to gain this he made a tour around the world, nine months later returning to Seattle. He purchased an interest in the First National Bank of Seattle, and in September, 1898, was elected its president, which position he has since filled in a manner reflecting credit upon the institution and upon himself. He has also been one of the organizers of the Bank of Cape Nome, in Alaska, and is to-day its president. He has various other business interests, but devotes his atten-
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tion almost exclusively to the management of the First National Bank, of which he is the popular president. A prompt, energetic business man, a capable and careful financier, merit has secured his advancement to the posi- tion which he now occupies. He is thoroughly informed concerning the business interests of the city and is highly esteemed by the patrons of the bank and by the business men of Seattle.
In his political views Mr. Hoge is an active Republican, and is treasurer of the Republican state central committee, using his influence and aid to ad- vance the cause in which he so firmly believes and which he feels sure will best promote the welfare of state and nation.
In December, 1894, Mr. Hoge was married to Miss Ethel Hanna, a native of Mattoon, Illinois, and a daughter of John W. Hanna, of Seattle. Their union has been blessed by the birth of two daughters, Mary Louise and Anna Roberta. The parents are members of St. Mark's Episcopal church, in which Mr. Hoge is serving as one of the vestrymen. The first chapter of an eventful, prosperous and honorable business career has been written, but it is not difficult to imagine what his future history will be, for his salient char- acteristics are well known. He possesses the enterprising and indomitable spirit of the west, combined with good judgment and foresight, and, more- over, his business principles and conduct will bear the closest investigation.
FRANK W. SPEAR.
No compendium such as the province of this work defines in its essen- tial limitations will serve to offer fit memorial to the life and accomplish- ments of the honored subject of this sketch-a man remarkable in the breadth of his wisdom, in his indomitable perseverance, his strong individu- ality, and yet one whose entire life has not one esoteric phase, being an open scroll, inviting the closest scrutiny. True, his have been "massive deeds and great" in one sense, and yet his entire life accomplishment but represents the result of the fit utilization of the innate talent which is his, and the directing of his efforts in those lines where mature judgment and rare discrimination lead the way. There is in Frank W. Spear a weight of character, a native sagacity, a far-seeing judgment and a fidelity of purpose that commands the respect of all. A man of indefatigable enterprise and fertility of recourse, he has carved his name deeply on the record of the commercial, industrial and philanthropical history of the state which owes much of its advancement to his efforts.
Mr. Spear was born in Plymouth, Wisconsin, in 1849, and is a son of
Frank W. Spear,
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Eleazar Parmley Spear and Gulie Elma Marie (Chase) Spear. On the pater- nal side he is of Scotch-Irish lineage, the family having been founded in Amer- ica prior to the Revolutionary war. On the maternal side he is of English and Dutch descent and the maternal ancestors were among the first of the Puritans to settle in New England. Two genealogies of the Chase family have been published, tracing their origin back to the time of Henry the Eighth. His forefathers on both sides bore arms as followers of Cromwell at the time the "Iron Chancellor" attempted to establish a Republican rule in England. Through five generations the family has been represented in the military service of the country when the United States has become involved in war. This history for patriotism and loyalty is one that the family have every reason to be proud of.
In early manhood Mr. Spear determined to make the practice of law his life work, and after completing his literary education began studying for the bar and was admitted to practice in Ellsworth, Wisconsin, in 1873. Be- lieving that he would have better opportunities in the west, he sought a home in Dakota in 1880, and there resided for seven years, after which time he came to Seattle in 1887. Time has proved the wisdom of this step, for here he has found business opportunities and has molded conditions until they have served his ends. He has been largely engaged in commercial pursuits and in mining, and through the development of the rich mineral resources of this portion of the country he has attained a splendid fortune. He has, moreover, gained a business reputation that is unassailable-one which any man might be proud to possess. He has ever made it a rule to meet an engagement and fulfill the terms of a contract and to conduct all of his transactions along the strictest lines of commercial ethics.
For many years Mr. Spear served in the National Guards of Wash- ington, rising to the rank of lieutenant-colonel. He was also a member of the Independent Battalion of Washington Volunteers during the Spanish- American war. A man of broad humanitarian principles, with deep interest in the race, he has ever felt attracted to any movement for the benefit of man- kind, especially along educational lines which augment the powers of the individual. Since the late war with Spain and the acquirement of colonial possessions, Mr. Spear's attention has been directed toward the people of the Philippines with deep interest and sympathy. He now has in contempla- tion the founding of an industrial school on the island of Luzon. patterning it somewhat after the school established by Booker T. Washington, at Tuske- gee, Alabama, and if the conditions are favorable he intends to secure a site about the beginning of the year 1905, so that the buildings may be erected and
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the school in operation by the year 1910. In the Post Intelligencer, of Seat- tle, appeared an article which explains his project. It was headed: "Cash award of twenty-five dollars offered to State University students;" and it read as follows: "A wealthy philanthropist who is interested in the estab- lishment of an industrial school on the Island of Luzon, Philippine Islands, has deposited with Rev. T. C. Wiswell twenty-five dollars, to be paid as a cash prize to the student of the State University who shall write the best essay or article upon the establishment of an industrial school in the Philip- pines, the name of the school to be 'Luzon Industrial School.' The subject to be divided into five subdivisions, as follows : First .- Location and site. Second .- Buildings, Apparatus and Machinery. Third .- Faculty and Cur- riculum. Fourth .- Government and Control. Fifth .- Support. The pro- moters of the school are considering the matter of having it under the con- trol of some religious denomination for the present, and eventually turning it over to the future state of Luzon. The site and building fund are to be provided by the promoters, but the permanent support of the school must be provided in some other way. The following have been asked to act as a committee to pass upon the articles written and award the prize: Griffith Davis, Chairman; Michael Philips, John W. Pratt, Z. B. Rawson and T. C. Wiswell. All students of the University of Washington are eligible to com- pete for the prize. The articles when prepared should be mailed to Rev. T. C. Wiswell, University Station, Seattle. on or before June 1, 1902."
Mr. Spear has been twice married, and has three children : Leonard P., the eldest son, served with distinction in the First Regiment of Wash- ington Volunteers. in the Spanish-American war and in the Philippine insur- rection, and upon his return from the Philippines he was promoted to the rank of first lieutenant in the National Guard of Wahsington. He is married and is now twenty-two years of age. Blanche E., aged twenty-four, and Frank W., a little lad of nine years, complete the family. The two eldest children, Henry P. and Maude Marie, both died when twenty-one years of age. The Luzon Industrial School will be erected as a memorial to them, for both were intensely interested in educational and reform work of all kinds in- tended to better the condition of mankind. The family home is a beautiful one, erected in Ravenna, a northern suburb of Seattle. In national politics Mr. Spear has always been Republican, and, although not taking any active part in political affairs, has always favored reform measures. Among the reforms favored by him may be mentioned: First .- The Australian Bal- lot. Second .- Primary Election Law. Third .- Torren's Land System of Registration. Fourth .- Merit System in Civil Service. Fifth .- Munici-
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pal ownership of Lights and Telephones, and Government ownership of Tele- graph Lines, Railways and Mines. Sixth .- Old Age Pensions to all em- ployes of government and corporation. Seventh .- Army reform and the complete breaking down of the social distinction between commissioned of- ficers and enlisted men; the employment of the military forces of the United States in internal improvements; the building of roads, canals, etc. Last, but not least, Mr. Spear favors the settlement of international disputes by arbitration, and takes an active interest in everything tending to that end.
While Mr. Spear has attained a fortune which classes him among the most wealthy residents of the northwest, his success has been so worthily won and used that the most envious could hardly envy him his prosperity. Charitable and benevolent, he has given freely of his means in support of worthy charity, but one of his great qualities lies in his encouragement and material assistance to those who were willing to help themselves. Indis- criminate giving often fosters idleness and vagrancy on the part of the re- cipients, but aid given to those who are anxious to make the most of their opportunities will develop self-reliance and honorable business men who be- come the bulwarks of the nation.
JOHN HARTE McGRAW.
An enumeration of the men of the present generation who have won pub- lic recognition for themselves and at the same time have honored the state to which they belong would be incomplete were there failure to make promi- nent reference to the gentleman whose name is mentioned above. He holds. precedence as a most capable and far-sighted business man, as a statesman of broad understanding of the issues of the day and as one who occupied a most unique and trying position during one of the most exciting periods in the history of Seattle, in which connection he bore himself with such dignity as to gain the respect of all true-minded men. He has been and is distinctively a man of affairs and one who has wielded a wide influence. A strong men- tality, an invincible courage, a most determined individuality have so en- tered into his character as to render him a natural leader of men and a direc- tor of public opinion. The highest official honors within the gift of the people of his state have been conferred upon him and his career illustrates clearly the recognition that America accords to true worth.
The width of the continent separates Governor McGraw from his birth- place, for lie is a native of Penobscot county, Maine, born October 4, 1850. He is descended from Irish ancestry, and his parents, Daniel and Catherine
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( Harte) McGraw, were both natives of the Emerald Isle, whence they crossed the Atlantic to New York in 1848. They took up their abode, how- ever, in Penobscot county, Maine, and there the father engaged in the lumber business until 1851, when he was accidentally drowned. He was a man of industry and marked probity of character, and his loss to his wife and three children was very great. His widow afterward married again and in 1890 departed this life. Our subject and a brother in Maine are now the only surviving members of the family.
In the schools of the Pine Tree state John H. McGraw obtained but a limited education, for not wishing to remain at home with his mother and stepfather, he obtained the former's consent and left home, froin which time forward lie was dependent upon his own resources for a livelihood. As soon as he was large enough he obtained a position in a store and rapidly acquired a knowledge of merchandising, becoming a most successful salesman as the result of his obliging manner and his reliability. He saved his earnings, and. at length, as the result of his industry and economy, he started in business on his own account.
Attracted by the opportunities of the west, in 1876 he crossed the con- tinent to San Francisco, where he arrived in July, and a little later in the same year he came to Seattle, reaching his destination on the 28th of De- cember, 1876, so that for more than a quarter of a century he has resided here. The first business position which he occupied here was a clerkship in the Occidental Hotel, and later he conducted a small hotel on his own ac- count, which some time afterward was destroyed by fire. Thus he was not only deprived of his business but of all he had saved through former toil. Many misfortunes had he encountered up to this time in spite of his reso- lution and perseverance, and now, in order to make a living, he sought a position on the police force, which then numbered four members. This seemed to him a very dark hour in his history, but it proved to be the hour before the dawning of a brighter day. It has ever been his habit to do well whatever he undertakes and his efficiency as a police officer attracted the attention of his fellow citizens, who, recognizing his ability, elected him city marshal after he had served on the police force for three years. He was elected on the Republican ticket and the city council also made him chief of police. In these positions his popularity as a citizen and officer continued to grow, and a year later he was nominated by his party as its candidate for sheriff of the county of King to fill an unexpired term. He was elected and twice re-elected to the same office, and it was during his third term that the anti-Chinese trouble began. A serious conflict was threatened between the
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law-abiding and law-defying citizens, but it soon became known that Sheriff McGraw would uphold law and order, no matter what it might cost him personally, and by his tact and capable management the trouble and conflict were averted, but notwithstanding the commendable course taken by him, it seriously detracted from his popularity, arousing the opposition of those who sympathized with the lawless element and when he was nominated for re- election in 1886 he was defeated, together with the others on the ticket.
While serving as policeman, marshal and sheriff Mr. McGraw had be- come largely conversant with law, and after his retirement from office began its study, successfully passed an examination and was admitted to the bar. Soon afterward he became a partner of Judge Roger S. Green and Judge C. H. Hanford, both eminent jurists, and not long afterward Joseph Mc- Naught was taken into the firm, which then became Green, Hanford, Mc- Naught & McGraw. Its reputation was that of being one of the strongest law firms in the entire state, and thus Governor McGraw entered upon a successful and enviable professional career, but his popularity with his party was not at an end, and in 1888 he was prevailed upon to again become a candidate for sheriff, his supporters urging that it would be well for him to accept the nomination in order that the people of the county might have the chance to show that in the opportunity for calm judgment which had come they approved his course in connection with the anti-Chinese riots, which by his former defeat they had seemed to condemn. Thus it was that he again became a candidate and was elected by an overwhelming majority. He filled the office with marked ability and to the fullest satisfaction of all concerned, but in 1890 positively declined to accept the nomination again, retiring from the office in order to give his attention to the business of the First National Bank, of which he had been elected president some time before and in which capacity he served for seven years.
Mr. McGraw was then chosen by his party to be its standard bearer in the state and by popular ballot was elected to the high office of governor, in which he served most faithfully from January, 1893, until January, 1897, reflecting credit upon the state of his adoption and adding an untarnished page to its political history. At the close of his administration the notices of the press were most favorable and commendatory concerning the work he had accomplished in the gubernatorial chair and the dignity and ability with which he sustained the honors of the office. One journal said: "It is to the lasting credit of the ex-governor that general public sentiment approves his administration as honest, faithful, zealous and conspicuously business-like. He has been the tool of no combination, but has preserved clear-sighted mas-
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