St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-04-05

war, but was exempt; was city engineer in
1862; served on several English and Irish
railroads; was an engineer on the Hudson
River, Albany & Troy, Long Island, Chicago,
Alton s. St. Louis, st. Paul & Min
nesota, st. Paul & Pacific, Winona
branch, Saltwater branch, st. Paul
Minneapolis 81 Manitoba and others. At
one time he had 5000 men at work under
him in counties Clare and Galway,
Ireland, building sea walls, piers, bridges
and roads. He is now connected
with an important branch of the
engineering department of the Northern
Pacific road, and is stationed, l think, at
Portland, Or. He married Miss Mary Ellen
d. Reid, of Scotch nationality, a genial,
pleasant woman.
PERSONALLY,
Mr.. Morris is an active, prompt business
man, fully alive to the importance of his
profession, and gentleman of unexception-
able character. He was devout and active
member of the Episcopal church, and.
though quickly spoken in manner and i'm
pulsive in his nature, yet very few men have
so many and so good friends as Charles a.
I. Morris.
WILLIAM sPRIGG HALL.
Judge Hall was born in Maryland in 1882;
educated at st. Johns college in that state;
studied law and was admitted to practice in
1854; came to st. Paul that year, and formed
a partnership with HARDWOOD Iglehart; in 1856
was appointed superintendent of schools of
Minnesota; in 1857 was chosen state sena-
tor; in 1867 was elected judge of the court OF
common pleas; was reelected in 1873 with
out opposition, on the recommendation
of the Ramsey county bar, and
l,a ia6
which was on the 25th of February, 1875,
having expired on railroad car on his way
home, aged ~ years.
PERSONALLY
Judge Hall was a very popular man in
the day in which he lived, and was one of
the most respected lawyers, as well as one
of the purest jurists that ever sat on bench.
l remember him as a small man, with
swaying, Southern motion when he walked,
always accompanied by a cane, exceedingly
polite, very pleasant in conversation, and
man of strong, sterling charac-
ter. He was greatly esteemed by
the members of the bar, and was
great fayorite with the people. He married
Miss Elizabeth Sellman Welsh of MARYLAND
in 1857, and left widow, two daughters and
a son, all now living in st. Paul, the son
lowing in the footsteps of his illustrious
father-that of lawyer.
CAPT. WILLIAM H. ACKER.
Capt. Acker was born in New York in
1888; was educated in Michigan, and from
thence came to st. Paul in 1854; was book
keeper in the banking house of William R.
Marshall for several years; was among the first
to organize the old popular Guards, the pio-
neer military company in Minnesota, and
was at one time its captain was appointed
adjutant general of the state in 1860; re-
signed in 1861 recruited company for the
First regiment; was in the famous Bull Run
fight and was wounded, and afterwards COM
missioned captain in the Sixteenth regulars,
and was killed at the battle of Shiloh April
6, 1862, aged 80 years.
PERSONAL.
Capt. Acker very early in life was thor
oughly imbued with the true military spirit
Long before the war he was esteemed as the
best natural military genius in the city or
state, and was the moving spirit in the old
Pioneer guards, and on the breaking out of
the war he had no equal as drillmaster He
was tall and straight and had military bear
ing, and moved about like one born to COM
mand. His private character was unexcep-
tional. His body was brought to this city
and buried with great military honors, and
the long procession of soldiers and citizens
who followed it to the grave and the thou
sands who witnessed the scene clearly
showed the high esteem in which the de-
ceased was held by his neighbors and his
friends.
RICHARD L. GORMAN.
Capt. German was born in Indiana in
1897 educated at the university of that state;
located at ST. Paul in 1854; entered the
ranks Of the First Minnesota regiment as a
private, was promoted to the position of cap
tain of the New York volunteers, and served
in the army three years. He married Miss
c. A. Irvine, daughter of the late John r.
Irvine, in the year 1858; was made secretary
of the board of public works in 1873, which
Office he has held ever since and holds now;
was elected to the Legislature of 1885, and
made good, faithful member.
AS MAN.
Capt. German is a son of the late Gen.
German, and is gentleman of quiet habits,
slenderly built, somewhat gray, stands erect;
when interested in conversation talks ener-
getically, and like his father, is good deal
of a politician, but great deal less demon
strative. He is cautious, prudent officer,
and an unaffected worthy citizen.
JOHN W. WILLIS.
Mr.. Willis was born in St. Paul, Mimi, in
1854, educated in the schools of this city and
graduated at yarmouth college in 1877; was
Latin instructor in the St. Paul High school
for two years; studied law with Gilman Il
Clough; was admitted to the bar in 1879; was
a candidate for attorney general on the Demo-
cratic state ticket in 1884 has taken an active
part in politics on the Democratic side,
speaking in several campaigns, and is con-
stantly building up an increasing practice; is
member of the school board, president of
the pioneers of 1860, and married Miss
Forsythe. ,r,t
CTRFhsf6N.
Mr.. Willis is tall toung man with very
light complexion, and has a high-keyed, fine
toned voice. He is a good classical scholar,
one Of the best speakers for his age in the
state, and is a man of great deal of ability,
especially in the line OF politics. As law
yer he ranks well, and if he lives and pros
pers l shall expect to see him occupy prom
inent place either in the councils of the state
or the nation.
A RETROSPECT.
The year 1854 began to open up new
impulse to the young and throbbng heart of
st. Paul. The city had become incorporated
this year; four daily newspapers had been
ushered into existence, and were constantly
setting forth in glowing colors the great adj
vantages the city and the territory possessed
for emigrants, and people from all parts of
the world began to land at our levee. The
little cluster of houses grew wonderfully
fast; new streets were opened; new hotels
erected; new enterprises inaugurated; new
blood infused in the community; capital
building completed; first mayor elected; first
railroad excursion; first police force organ
lied; first board of trade; first hook and lad
der company formed; new cemetery bought;
population 1000; CITY valuation 81. 300. 600.