New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-06-06
ZACHARIAH CHANDLER.
BIOGRAPHY OF THE MICHIGAN SENATE


A BIOGRAPHY OF THE MICHIGAN SENATOR.
ZACHARIAH CHANDLER: An Outline Sketch OF his
Lie and Public Services, by The Detroit Post ana
Tribune with an Int, oduc.ory Letter from JAMES
G. BLAINE. svO, PIP. 396, xxxvL Detroit Post ana
Tribune Co.
A biography of Zachariah Chandler is valuable
and interesting not only as contribution to current
potical history, but as a record of the career OF
man of singulariy sturdy and upright character, OF
earnest convictions and Tesolute will, who carved
out for himself pathway in life that led to con-
spcuous business success, to high public posi-
ton and to great influence in National affairs 1t 49,
besides, an account of tho rise, growth and trl-
umpbs Of the great party Of freedom and National
| npity whose first organization Mr.. Chandler helped
FORM whose early tiles he bravely tonight, and
whose steadrast champion and wise counsellor he
remained until the day of lis death. The career Of
the Michigan Senator rs a National politician
covered the entire period from the formation of the
Republican party. 1854 out of the anti-slavery
elements of the old Wing and Democratic parties,
through its struggles for the freedom of the Terrific
res the preservation of the Union and the emancipa-
tion and enfranchscmcnt Of the slaves, down to its
last great achievement the resumption of specIe
paymcnt His life is therefore, to great extent the
history of that party and will be read with interest
by all who have shared in its labOrs and trlumphs
who realize the immense Importance of the work 1t
whether living or dead, that have devoted their
lives to its service.
Mr.. Chambers biography is unique in its author
ship The book. which is modcstly entitled an ont
line sketch and is IN reality a thorough ana we'll
written account of his business AMI political career
is the joint work of the members of The Drot P0St
and TfibuaGs editorial staff, and is published by
that concern. No individual claims credit Tor
writing or compiling the matter Mr. Chandler
III I..sfts To
editors we're his personal friends and the work OF
writing his life could not we'll have fallen into bet
ter hands, The book is free from the exaggerated
praise and ovcrc,timatcs INTO which biographies
often fail, ard shows practical journalistic good
sense in the arrangement Of material and the
selection of such incidents from his public career
and such extracts from his speeches az best exhibit
tbc salient features Of his character and show the
nature If his inf icncc and activities as states
man and party leader. An introductory letter from
James G. Blaine Is prcfXcd to the volume.
EAELY LIFE.
Zacharah Chandler WAS born in Bedford. y. H..
December TO- 1913, In n big, substantial frame
farmhouse which is still standing and is the homo
of an elder sister. His father. Samuel. was we'll
todo farmer who died III 1870 at the OF ninety
five. HIS mother, Margaret Orr, whom he more re-
sembled was "a woman Of great strength Of charac-
| ter and robust scnsr whose father was the most
! conspicuous man OF his day in that part Of New
| Hampshire. One Of her brothers was IN Congress
! from Name aud another invented the applica-
! ton OF the air-tight principle to common
stoves. The Chambers were also people OF import
| nnca. Thomas, an uncle Of the Senator. served
many terms III the State Legislature, and was in
! Congress from 1929 10 1888. The boy Zachariah
was healthy. strong quck-tempercd aud self
reliant His education wax mainly obtained m tho
! little brick schoOlhOusc which still stands in Bed
! ford. Beyond common school training he had no
| advantages save n few terms ut the academies of
! Pembroke and Derry. which Inc attended in his six
| teenth and seventeenth years. AT school he was
leader in the sports Of the boys. He was the best
wrestler in the town. As nearly all bright young
men i'll rural Ncw-England did at that time, he
| taught a district school. Next find him
clerk in a store at Nashua, and soon after,
year before he had reached his majority, he joined
| the current of Western emigration, which had
ceived n powerful stimulus from the opening of the
! Erie Canal, and went 70 Detroit. His brother-in-
law, Franklin Moore. accompanied him, and in the
Fall Of 1888 they began the retail dry goods bust
ness under the irm-name Of Moore 81 Chandler.
| Young Chandler had some assistance from his
father, who, it is said, gave him $1,000 with the
privilege of using it to get college education or to
! embark in business. This advance, together with
another that made to build q store tor the now
firm, was soon repaid. Detroit was at that time
a frontier village with only 1000 inhabitants. On
all the Western lakes there but eighteen steam
| craft, and they Of such primitive character
that the voyage from Buffalo to Detroit took thirty
nine hours A stage liuo was opened that year to
| ChicagO-the journey consuming five days. Michi-
gan was then Territory embracing all the country
now comprised in the States Of Michigan, Wlscon-
sin, Iowa and Minnesota, and its population in 1880
| had been ascertaned to be 80, 031.
| HARD WORK AND BUSINESS PROSPERITY.
DR. Chambers bu9iness grew with the growth Of
! Detroit. The firm was dissolved in 1886 and the
junior partner went with the store alone. Those
| who knew him then say he was tall gaunt, wiry
youth blunt in his ways simple in habits. dfdent,
but shrowdJ tireess in labor and Of unlimited
ergy. He worked day and night, slept in the store,
| acted as proprietor, salesman or porter as was
needed, lived on $500 year, avoided society and
allowed only the Presbyterian Church to divide his
attention with business. The homely good sense
and unaffected manners Of the young merchant
made him popular with the farmers among whom
his trade rapidly increased During tho cholera
season Of 1894, his courage and sclfsacr6ce shone
conspicuOusly. For weeks he watched by sick beds
| and aided in burying the dead. moving among the
victims of the pestilence without thought of the risk
| to his own life.
Before long his business grew to such extent
that he added wholesale department Every year
he drove through the State, visiting its Young
| towns crossroads and elearings, making acquant-
ances with its country merchants at their homes,
and studying the resources of the region he was az
! forwards to represent in the Senate While extend
ing his business by these journeys he laid the foun
datOn, In extensive acquaintance, Of his future
political career. His companion it is interesting
to know. was Henry p. Baldwin, who went TO Mich
igan and engaged in business at his suggestion and
| who succeeded him In the Senate. In 1850 Mr..
| Chandler made his business exclusively whole
sale one, and bad accumulated what for that time