The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1870-06-08
The Self-Made Men Of Our Times.
CAPTAIN f. B. WARD EMINENT, MANUFACTURERS
AND MERCHANT, DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

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CAPTAIN f. B. WARD EMINENT, MANUFACTURER
AND MERCHANT, DETROIT, MICHIGAN.
The subject of the present biography, is
one of the most remarkable men of cur
country. Beginning his career with earli-
est progress in the West, he has taken 8
most important part in stimulating and
directing all its interests. up to the pres
ent time. Personally most modest in re-.
gard to these efforts, still they are of a
character which has given him much prorni-
nence throughout the whole Western coun-
try. An accomplished aud enterprlsing
business man, he is likewise regarded in
the light of public bene!actor
Captain L. 3. Ward was born Decem-
Der 18th, 1872, and has now passed on ac-
tive career of forty years, identified with
the progress of the West In recent
reminiscence Of his early days, he remark
ed:
"Coming to this Western country forty
years ago, in my boyhood and youth,
shared the tolls and privations of our
pioneers life. have rolled and burnt logs
aud plowed and planted, and hoed and
harvested. amidst Stunir+s and girdled
trees, with the forests all round the little
clearings. ] have sailed along the wild
shores of The then new territory of IVES
consin landing at Milwaukee. where few
rude cabins were the ptiiQl beginnings Of
what is now large aud beautiful city.
landed -four in small boat, lying eff the
mouth Of Chicago river, when there was
only few houses, a ruiuous warehouse. an
old fort, and miserable so-caled hotel,
in the open prairie, where now rises
another great city, and have always been
glad of those my tolls and trials, since
they earned me the privilege of somewhat
approaching the laborious life of the
pioneer"
His youth was pa sed in severe and con-
slant toll. In the then new country, the
plainest comforts of life were obtained by
! ihcassant manual labor. He enjoyed little
opportunity for obtaining even the com
monest rudmen,s of an education; but
with slight study his naturally quick and
comprehensive mind showed great improve.
| ment. With hardened hands and vigor-
Gus frame, from labor,he reached manhood
having a reputation for Judgment, intelli-
gence, and ambition equal to any young
man in the settlement.
He turned his attention to many of the
occupations of the land aud waters
Among these We're trapping, fishing, sail
ing farming stare keeping, and numbering.
When a very young man, he became a
seaman on Lake Michigan and, having ad-
vanced to the command of one of the
small craft of that day, he received the
title of captain" which has ever since
been applied to him. In 1888. he engaged
extensively in catching fish. In all Of
these occupations and ventures, he showed
great shrewdness and energy. Whatever
he undertook, he applied to it the full re.
sources of his intelligent observation and
Judgment, and besides these, persever
ance and industry which could not be ex
celled.
He was successful, and soon began to
accumulate capital. Watching and as
sisting the development Of the country, he
invested his means in new and boldel
schemes of bushes enterprise. He pur
chased immense tracts of land and beds 0
iron-ore. He has owned altogether ONT
hundred and fifty acres of land, mostly
timbered. At length he embarked in the
manufacture of iron, and is now very ex
tensively engaged in it. He has five rail
one bar, and one plate mills, and five bias
furnaces These works are located a
Wynandotte, Michigan, Chicago. an'
Milwaukee, aud are among the most ex
tensive and complete of any to he foun'
in the United States. About three hund
red men are employed, and the product i
three hundred tons of finished rails pc
| day.
But Independent of his large capital in
vested in manufacturing, Captain War
, has built up an immense forwarding an
. commission business at Detroit. Hi
, warehouse occupies a very prominent loca
ton, near the water, where steamboats, an
other vessels come within few feet of tn
doors. He has owned for this branch {
business about twenty five steamboat!
eight propellers, and some half doze
sailing vessels. This Observation-Disclosures
and complicated as it is-like all the res
D is conducted under his personal superv
g sion. He is wonderfully thorough and sy'
tematic, and those who see him in hi
: counting-room are particularly struck wit
the facility with which he transacts hi
, vast business.
S In 1867 he was appointed delegat
from the National Manufacturers Conve,
ton, to visit Washington, for the purpos
l of inducing Congress to reduce the taxes
g 1t was mainly owing to important paper
containing arguments and statistics, prnte
. and circulated by Captain Ward to til
extent of thirty thousand copies, that th
; taxes were reduced some eighty million {
dollars. AT the National Manufacturer
Convention, held at Cleveland, in Ma
1868, Captain Ward gave an account I
his proceedings, and review of the cond
ton of the country, in an able speec
which was published In October, 1866
he delivered an address before tho Wiscol
sin State Agricultural Society, in whic
the interests of the farmer and manufa
turer were discussed with great abilit
For number years he has been tryr
to awaken the Western people to the III
portance of raising beets for the manufa
ture of sugar.
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