The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-02-18
HARMON DoANE.

OF 0uuucA ucdtQ OF HARMON DOANE.
be The admirers of all that is honorable in Il
be character of the citizen, enterprising, jus
generous and sagacious in the man Of bus
ne ness, or amiable in private life and social i
,e tercourse, will join in the deep and gener
,e sorrow for the untimely loss Of this good an
10 most worthy gentleman. He had been
]. long identified with leading public instit1
IS tons, so well and favorably known in merca,
n tile and commercial circles, and especially s
e. much part of the business of insurance, tbs
o his name was household word among III
y the synonym Of integrity and the theme c
r universal praise
|. No citizen was ever more respected tha
the deceased, none enjoyed more Of the con
y fdence OF his fellow citizens, none was NOR
! beloved in large circle of acquaintance
relatives and friends. Throughout a pur
and busy life his countless acts of CHART,
shine like gems set in pure gold. Oat of tn,
ample income which his talents, industry anG
good judgment earned, he contributed freely
to all public charities, while in thousands Of
Of cases he secretly relieved the distresses Of
the poor and aided to build up the fallen and
unfortunate.
His right hand never knew what his left
hand did in the matter Of charity, and there
are hundreds in humble homes in New Or
leans to-day to whose eyes tears of sincere
sorrow will well up from grateful and
loving hearts when they read this announce
ment Of the sudden and untimely death of
their benefactor and friend. For strength
and purity of character, for true dignity and
gentleness, for all the qualities that 90 to
make up noble manhood, Harmon Doane
had no superior in our community.
He was the very personifcation of honor
and through his long and useful career in
| business he never swerved from the straight
line of fair and honorable dealing
Methodical and exact, courteous and pa
tient, clear-headed and sagacious, he was &
model for all business men, and his memory
will be kept green in the minds and hearts of
the thousands who only met him in the busy
marts Of trade, and who had no means of
knowing the many admirable traits of char
acter and sweetness Of disposition which
NJ
innate friends.
1t was impossible to know Harmon Doane
and not esteem him, and no one ever came to
know him well who did not become his ardent
and affectionate friend proud of his well de-
served success proud of his pre-eminent
ability proud in the reflection that the rasp-
ing cares of life and the mutations of fortune
had left one man unscathed and unembittered,
one man with grand faith in his fellow men
and in his God.
About thirty eight years ago the subject of
this hasty and unworthy sketch left his home
in the town of johnson, Vermont, came to
New Orleans, where, though only seventeen
years Of age, he embarked in business with
IN elder brother, Charles Doane, on Natchez
street. He developed remarkable aptitude
or business, and subsequently, after his
brother Charles had abandoned business here I
md gone to California Mr.. Doane became an ,
agent. I
It was his nature to do nothing by halves, G
,ut to throw his whole being into whatever r
le undertook. He made the business of in {
urance a study for years. and mastered 1t so L
thoroughly that at the time of his death he
probably had no superior as an underwater
n this country. The laws governing insur-
nee were as familiar to him as the alphabet
. ordinary men, and the truth Of this state a
lent is illustrated by the fact that in oil the h
tigation Of the company Of which he was the CT
resident, he never lost a case. Averse to q
tgation, he only engaged in it when driven IL
hereto, as a last resort, by the unreasonable p
ess of others.
Shortly after the war be matured plan for b
I insurance company which differed in many te
nportant particulars from the system which p,
I'D hitherto been in vogue, and after many vex- p,
ious and disspiriting delays, after months of pr
cary combating with the friends OF the old SO
stem, he succeeded in interesting large ca
'mber Of our leading merchants and CAPT dc
lists with him, and in founding the Factors tn
ID Traders Insurance Company m
The history Of that company is familiar to tn
II merchants. 1t proved a brilliant success
d created revolution in the insurance wi
lsiness of this city-so much SO that almost hu
cry other company changed 1t charter SO as th
embrace most Of the new features of the CHI
ctors' and Traders Vice President for ed
Geral years Of the company which he had pie
ought into existence, and which he worked cal
build up with all his wonderful energy and GU
llity, he was, upon the retirement Of Mr.. pie
lsson, selected as President ha
How well he executed the high trusts i'm phi
sed upon him; how arduously he labored bu
" he sacrificed time and health to advance fail
} interests of the company he loved almost
if it had been living thing, all who knew -
n know. He died at his post, with his armor tbi
died in the very prime of his noble and pro
full life, just when the results of his life Lo
ors had been achieved, and the future lay W., w"
ore him full of honors well won and bright die
b promise hoy
Ir. Doane was Mason, and had during dut