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 38
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In the public schools of Chicago and of St. Paul, Minnesota, Willard W. De Long pursued his early education and after completing a high school course in the latter city he entered the business college in St. Paul. In the meantime he had learned the machinist's trade but after completing the course in the commercial school he took up teaching as a profession and for twelve years taught in the public schools. Later he was employed as an instructor in special branches in different schools and institutions. In 1889 he came to Seattle and was engaged in lecturing on educational subjects, just prior to the great fire. Later he taught school and then became president of the Ac- me Collegiate Institute of Seattle, which at that time was the largest school of the kind north of San Francisco. There were fourteen teachers and six hundred pupils in the institution. With the school Prof. De Long was con- nected until 1898, although he had given up teaching personally in 1896. In the year first mentioned he sold his interest in the institution. Prof. De Long left the office of county clerk in February. 1901, in order to establish the Bank of Ballard. He bought the lot where the bank is located, had the building erected and opened the institution for business on the 10th of June, 1901. It was capitalized for twenty-five thousand dollars. By the 30th the bank had deposits of thirty-two hundred dollars. This sum was nearly
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doubled by the end of the next month and has steadily increased every month since until on the 10th of April, 1902, the deposits were over fifty thousand dollars. Owing to the rapid increase of business it was found necessary to increase the capital stock, which was doubled just four months after the es- tablishment of the bank. Mr. De Long's early training as an expert account- ant and bookkeeper has proved of great service to him in his banking connec- tions and his extensive acquaintance with bankers and business men through- out the west has been an important feature in building up the extensive busi- ness which is now enjoyed by the institution of which he is at the head. He has served as cashier of the bank and in March, 1901, he purchased the con- trolling interest in the stock and has since been president of the institution. The bank building is twenty-five by ninety feet, a brick structure, two stories in height. and of this twenty-five by forty feet is occupied for banking pur- poses. Mr. De Long is also agent and member of the board of directors of the Equitable Building, Loan and Investment Association, his identification therewith dating form its organization.
In 1882 occurred the marriage of Mr. De Long and Miss Belle Dakota Bridges, the wedding being celebrated in Minnesota. The lady is a daughter of Mark M. and Eliza Bridges, and was the first white girl born in the ter- ritory of Dakota that lived to mature years, and therefore she was appro- priately named. Her father was engaged in fighting Indians there under the command of General Abercrombie and was at the head of the commissary department at the time of her birth. Mr. and Mrs. De Long are the parents of six girls, the two eldest being now employed in the bank. one as a book- keeper and the other as a stenographer. His children are named as follows: Cleo. Alice, Maude, Beulah, Goldie and Frances Willard. The last named was so called in honor of her father and also of Frances Willard, who was for so long the national president of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, and the union of this state adopted this daughter as an honoray mem- ber of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, in which her mother is an active worker, having served as treasurer of local union since the society was established here. Mrs. De Long has also served as president of the Women of Woodraft for a number of years, and is a loyal and devoted member.
In his political views Mr. De Long is a Republican and labors earnestly and actively for the growth and up-building of his party. He has served as a delegate to county and state conventions, but since taking charge of the bank he has found little time to devote to active political work. He served as deputy clerk for four years and three months. continuing in the office
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through the changes of two administrations. He had charge of clerical work in connection with canal construction, in the purchasing of property for the government, and in keeping the record of the legal work. Ilis course , was extremely noticeable in this respect and when the report was truned over to the government the work was all checked over and no errors found. This required a vast amount of labor, as it demanded over ten thousand entries in the records and a direct expenditure by Mr. De Long of two hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars. Fraternally he is connected with the Modern . Woodmen, with the Fraternal Brotherhood and with the Knights of the Golden Eagle. He has erected two residences in Ballard, and his own home, which was built in 1896, is a fine place surrounded by an acre of ground which is all set out to fruit and flowers and is an ornament to the city. Splendid success has attended the efforts of Mr. De Long, whose business interests have been of a character to benefit his community as well as to pro- mote individual prosperity. He has left the impress of his individuality upon intellectual development in various communities and is now a represent- active of the financial interests of Ballard. He began his career under ad- ,verse circumstances, being compelled to make his own way and his success in life illustrates most forcibly the power of patient and persistent effort and self reliance. He has so conducted all affairs, whether of private interests or of public trusts, as to merit the esteem of all classes of citizens: and no word of reproach is ever uttered against him. As a man and citizen he en- joys the prosperity which comes to those genial spirits who have a hearty shake of the hand for all those with whom they come in contact from day to day, and who seem to throw around them in consequence so much of the sunshine of life.
CHRISTIAN MILLER.
Few men are more prominent or widely known in this section of Wash- ington than Christian Miller, where for many years he has been an active factor in the building interests. Through his diligence, perseverance and business ability he has acquired a handsome competence and has also con- tributed to the general prosperity through the conduct of enterprises which have furnished employment to many. He is now serving as president of the Miller & Geske Construction Company, one of the substantial firms of King county. A native of Linfield. Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, Mr. Miller was born on the 14th of July. 1850. His maternal grandparents came to America as early as 1750, and his paternal ancestors were resi-
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(lents of this country prior to that time, although no records have been kept. On the maternal side two of his ancestors fought in the Revolution- ary war, and two of his uncles gallantly defended their country in the war of the Rebellion. James Miller, his father's brother, who was imprisoned at Belle Isle, is still living, while his mother's brother, John Hause, laid down his life on the altar of his country. Jacob Miller, the father of our subject, offered his services to his country in her time of need, but was re- fused on account of a defect in his hearing. For over fifty years he served as a trackmaster for the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad Company. In the Keystone state he was united in marriage to Catherine Hause, by whom! he had five children, three now living, namely : Charles F., who is employed by the Philadelphia & Reading Coal & Iron Company as superintendent of the coal docks at Salem, Massachusetts; Christian, whose name introduces this review ; and J. W., who resides on the old home farm. The father of this family was called to his final rest when he had reached the age of seventy- four years, while the mother still lives in excellent health at seventy-nine years of age.
Christian Miller began the active battle of life for himself at the early age of thirteen years, at which time he learned the carpenter's trade, while later he took up the study of heavy building. When but twenty-four years of age he was given charge of the heavy work for the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad when the company began buying coal lands, and he assisted in establishing their coal depots on the Atlantic coast, while later he held a very responsible position for the Philadelphia & Reading Coal & Iron Com- pany, ten years having been spent in charge of such work. Coming to the Pacific coast in 1881, Mr. Miller entered the employ of the Oregon Improvement Company, now known as the Pacific Coast Company, having charge of the establishment of their coal bunkers in San Francisco and later in Portland. He was next employed by the Columbia & Puget Sound Railroad Company, which he represented for many years, and after the great fire of this city he had charge of the rebuilding of all their works here, including coal bunkers, warehouses, docks, shops, roundhouses. On the completion of this work, however, he resigned his position in order to spend some time in travel, and after his return four months later resumed his former connections and took charge of the construction of the company's buildings at Port Townsend, Anacortes and Olympia. Severing his con- nection with the Columbia & Puget Sound Railroad Company. Mr. Miller then began the ardnous task of clearing a tract of land which he had pur- chased near Seattle, and as time passed by he succeeded in removing its
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dense growth of native timber, also placed the land under an excellent state of cultivation, planted an orchard and in many ways improved the farm. In 1897, however, he returned to his former occupation, and in 1901 or- ganized the Miller & Geske Construction Company, of which he was made the president. Among the many important works which this company have constructed may be mentioned the power house at Leshi Park, the rebuild- ing of the Schwabacker dock and warehouse, the Broad street dock and the dock for the Chlopeck Fish Company, the J. B. Agen dock, the New Col- man dock, the fire-boat slip and many foundations for bridges and other pile driving work in and around Seattle. They also erected the two large coal bunkers in this city, and had charge of all bridge work on the water front when the Seattle & International Railroad was being builded. In 1886 Mr. Miller had suffered the loss of an arm and he then purchased the old stand of John Sullivan, carrying on that business for several years, when he was induced by the Seattle & International Railroad Company to return and resume his former relations.
The marriage of Mr. Miller was celebrated in Chester county, Penn- sylvania, on the 9th of October, 1873, when Rebecca Savage became his wife. She is a daughter of Davis Savage, who for many years served as a squire, as did also her grandfather. Seven children have blessed the union of our subject and his wife, as follows: Davis A., a merchant of Seattle; ยท Chanceford, a painter by occupation ; Edna M., the wife of A. T. Schmidt, of Louisville, Kentucky: Ina C. and Marguerette, both attending school; two of the children have passed away, Charles Leroy, the first born, and J. Harley, both of whom died in early childhood. The political sup- port of Mr. Miller is given to the Democratic party, and he is a member of the Chamber of Commerce of Seattle.
EDWARD OTTO SCHWAGERL.
No foreign born citizen can become the president of the United States, but this is almost the only limit placed upon the ambitions and efforts of America's adopted sons. The field of business is limitless, and to-day many of the leaders of commerce, of manufacture and in professional and military life are those who have had their nativity in foreign lands and have crossed the Atlantic to ally their interests with this great and growing republic. where the path to public honor is the road of public usefulness and ability. One of the most distinguished landscape gardeners of all America is Ed- ward O. Schwagerl. The beauty of the new world, especially in the cities,
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has been largely enhanced and augmented by his efforts, as he has exer- cised his art, not in supplanting nature, but in supplementing it by the knowl- edge of a higher civilization and by directing the natural forces in a way that will present the most pleasing results of form, color, symmetry and entire harmony.
Mr. Schwagerl. after having been an important factor in the develop- ment of park and boulevard systems of the east and middle states, is now devoting his energies to a similar work of a very important character in the northwest, and Seattle is fortunate to have secured his residence and services in outlining a system of parks and driveways which, if completed, will be unsurpassed for scenic effects and natural beauties. . \ native of Wurtzburg, Bavaria, Mr. Schwagerl was born January 14, 1842. his parents be- ing Leonard and Madaline Schwagerl. During his infancy his parents removed across the border to Paris, and at an early age his love of the beautiful in nature and art was strongly manifest and was gratified in many of the art palaces of France. It has been the dominant influence in his life, and through his development of his latent powers he has risen to a position . hardly second to any in the United States. His early education was ob- tained from private tutors, and his leisure time not demanded by his text books was mostly spent in visiting the art halls and palaces and the parks and squares of the cities. At the age of twelve years he came alone to New York city to join his brother, with the purpose of accompanying him to Costa Rica, but his brother failed to meet him in the eastern metropolis and thus he found himself alone and penniless in the great city, unable to speak a word of English and with no friend to whom he could go for as- sistance. Making his way through the streets of the city he chanced upon a French restaurant at the corner of Fulton and Broadway, where he se- cured employment at nine dollars a month. While there he met Mr. Clapp, proprietor of the Everett House, who was impressed by the foreign boy and gave him employment, making him a member of the family. There he remained for a year, when he became the protege of George Dow, with whom he made his home until nineteen years of age, meanwhile being em- ployed as salesman for several years in the stores of A. T. Stewart and Schwechard & Kessel.
At the age of nineteen Mr. Schwagerl entered a school at Tilton, New Hampshire, where he spent several years in pursuing a select course of study. His teachers believed he had a decided calling for the ministry, and used their influence to induce him to enter that calling, but after mature and conscientious deliberation he gave up that idea. Soon after leaving school
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in 1865 he went to Paris with Messrs. Dows & Guild, of Boston, and while there was tendered a position by the French architect, Mons Mulat, who was laying out extensive public grounds in the Paris Universal Exposition. He remained with Mulat for a year and then returned to America, locating in Hartford, Connecticut, where he accepted a position with Jacob Weiden- mann, a noted landscape architect, who had charge of the city parks of Hartford. He also prepared a treatise on landscape gardening, but received no credit for this work, as it was published under his employer's name. After remaining in Hartford for eighteen months he concluded to try the western country and located at Omaha, Nebraska, where he established him- self in business and remained for a year. He was then called to St. Louis to take charge of the work of laying out and improving the parks and boule- vards of that city. He laid out most of the parks there and was the or- ganizer of the board of park commissioners. Included in his work there are the noted Lindell boulevard, Van Deventer Place and many other public and private parks and grounds, and in connection with Mr. Leffingwell he selected the grounds for Forest Park. In 1872 his services were solicited by Hon. William J. Gordon, of Cleveland, who wished him to assume charge of his private grounds which afterward became the public parks. He did all the engineering and artistic work for the Gordon park. since given to the city; also has since formulated the plan for a regular system of parks and boule- vards in that city, and laid out the Wayne. Payne and Eels parks and Rockefeller grounds, all being evidences of his superior skill. He was like- wise solicited to go to Chicago to assume charge of the park system there, but, unwilling to supplant its incumbent, he remained in Ohio until about 1888 or 1889, when he was chosen by Mr. Henry Failing, of Portland, Oregon, who has been searching the east for a competent and skilled archi- tect to survey and make complete plans for the Riverview cemetery of Port- land. He spent some six months in making plans and doing topographical work and then returned to the east. but after a brief period hie again came to the Pacific coast, arriving in Seattle in September, 1889, stopping in the meantime in Lincoln, Nebraska, to take charge of some city work, which claimed his attention for four months.
After coming to the coast he decided to establish a high class horticul- tural business, and procured land at Kingston for that purpose, making a fine collection of foreign and domestic plants, trees and shrubs. He was called to Tacoma to take charge of public parks and make the plans for Point Defiance Park of six hundred acres; Wright Park of thirty acres ; University Place. residence park of twelve hundred acres; and Olympic
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boulevard. His public work so interfered with his private operations that he gave up his horticultural business, and many of his choice and rare plants and shrubs may now be found in Kinnear Park, which is one of the choicest gems in Seattle's crown. Removing to the city of Seattle, Mr. Schwagerl accepted the position of superintendent and engineer of the park and laid out Kinnear Park, made the plans for Denny Park and laid out the city park. All this has been done in addition to much landscape gardening at the homes of many of the most prominent and wealthy citizens of Seattle. Indeed the city owes much of its adornment to the efforts of Mr. Schwagerl. who has devoted his entire life to this work, until it seems that he has almost reached perfection. Not only has he a most comprehensive and thorough knowledge of the great principles of mechanical science, as embodied in civil engineering and kindred subjects, but has a love of beauty and apprecia- tion of color, form and harmony without which no one can hope to attain success as a landscape artist. His reputation extends throughout the entire country, placing him among the most prominent and original representa- tives in America.
On the 18th of July, 1894, Mr. Schwagerl was united in marriage to Miss Frances McKay, of Tacoma. In his political views he is a Republi- can, but as may be inferred he has no time or inclination to take an active part in political affairs. In addition to his work as a civil engineer, archi- tect and landscape gardener, he is a painter of landscape plans and views and has a fine studio in his home. He is now interested in a work which for magnitude, scope and beauty will eclipse everything that he has already accomplished-the construction of a park and boulevard system for Seattle that will not only connect various parks of the city but will also embrace drives along the shore of Lake Washington and through some of the most scenic and beautiful scenery of which America can boast, the whole boule- vard system to cover thirty-five miles. Already many of Seattle's most prominent and public spirited citizens are deeply interested in the plan, and Mr. Schwagerl seems in a fair way to realize what but a few years ago was deemed the dream of an idealist. However, there is nothing of the dreamer about him. He is intensely practical as well as a lover of beauty and art, and his work in the world in the establishment of parks has benefited thou- sands in the cities and will be a monument to him through coming ages. more enduring than any monument of marble or stone. Mr. Schwagerl claimed H. P. Blavatsky as his most esteemed and honored teacher in mat- ters of ethics and philosophy, closely studying for sixteen years her inval- uable works, such as "The Key to Theosophy" and her "Secret Doctrines,"
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linked with her personal papers and teachings. He insists that pure the- osophy is the proper bond between ethics and philosophy, the only solid basis for religion.
ELLIS DEBRULER.
Ellis DeBruler, who is filling the office of city attorney of Seattle and has long been an active member of the bar at this place, was born in DuBois county, Indiana, on the 25th of August, 1863. He comes of an old Ameri- can family of French ancestry. His grandfather, Wesley DeBruler, re- moved from North Carolina to Indiana in the year 1816, and became one of the pioneer settlers of DuBois county, identified with agricultural work. There he cleared and developed a farm and became a leading citizen in his community. His son, John H. DeBruler, also carried on agricultural pursuits. He was a Republican in his political affiliations and had firm faith in the party principles, but never sought office. He married Eliza- beth Downey, a daughter of the Rev. L. D. Downey, one of the first settlers oi DuBois county, Indiana, and of this union five children were born, but the subject of this review is the only one now living west of the Mississippi river. The father died in the year 1891, at the age of sixty-eight years but the mother, Elizabeth A. DeBruler, is still living.
In the public schools of his native county Ellis DeBruler began his education, which he afterward continued in the Cumberland University at Lebanon, Tennessee, his mother's father being a minister of the Cumberland Presbyterian church. He pursued his literary education with the idea of entering the law, and won the degree of Bachelor of Laws. He began prac- tice in Rockport, Indiana, in 1889, remaining a member of the bar at that place for four years, but the reports he had heard of the Puget Sound country attracted him to the northwest, and making a trip here he was so pleased with the country and its future outlook that he decided to re- main and formed a partnership. He has been a resident of Seattle since 1893 and for five years has served as city attorney. His practice is of a general character. The zeal with which he has devoted his energies to his pro- fession, the careful regard evinced for the interests of his clients, and an assiduous and unrelaxing attention to all the details of his cases, have brought him a large business and made him very successful in its conduct. His arguments have elicited warm commendation, not only from his associates at the bar, but also from the bench. He is a very able writer; his briefs always show wide research, careful thought, and the best and strongest
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reasons which can be urged for his contention, presented in cogent and logical form, and illustrated by a style usually lucid and clear.
To some extent Mr. DeBruler is interested in property in the west, believing it a good investment, owing to the growing condition of this section of the country. He owns two residences in the city, one on Twen- tieth avenue and one at Green lake. He is a Republican in politics, active and diligent in support of the party and he lias attended many conventions. While in Indiana he served as deputy prosecuting attorney. His long ex- perience in connection with the city offices has made him invaluable in the position during the wonderful growth of the past five years. A large amount of legal business has been brought to the office and one not well informed concerning such duties could not capably attend to the exten- sive legal interests of which Mr. DeBruler has oversight. His ability and skill are widely acknowledged, and the public and the press accord to him a leading place in the ranks of the legal fraternity of Seattle. Socially he is connected with the Knights of Pythias and with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. He is a man of genial and pleasing disposition and wherever he goes he wins friends.
HANS J. CLAUSSEN.
It will assuredly be not uninteresting to observe in the series of biog- raphical sketches appearing in this volume the varying national origin and early environment of the men who have made their way to positions of prominence and success in connection with the professional and industrial activities of life. In no better way can we gain a conception of the diverse elements which have entered into our social, professional and commercial fabric, and which will impart to the future American type features which cannot be conjectured at the present time. We have had an American type in the past; we shall have a distinctively national character in the future, but for the present, amalgamation of the varied elements is proceeding and the final result is yet remote. From the great empire of Germany have come to the American republic a class of citizens from which our nation has had much to gain and nothing to lose, and the extraction of the subject of this sketch may be sought for among the vigorous and intellectual natures which have made Germany what it is to-day, and he may well take pride in his ancestral record, for it has been one bespeaking strong and worthy man- hood and gentle and earnest womanhood, as one generation has followed another. Mr. Claussen holds prestige as one of the essentially representa-
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