St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-05-03
[Copyrighted.]
PEN PICTURES.
The Early Life Of George L. Otis Ca
reer as Lawyer and Public
Officer.
The First Dry Goods House and the
First Public Hall--D. w.
Ingersol1.
j. w. McClung and His Services to
the Cfty--Fletcher Williams of
the Historical Society.

j. w. McClung and His Services to
the City--Fletcher Williams of
the Historical Society.
GEORGE L. OTIS.
| A man who was much respected in the day
| in which he lived, and who built up larg e
| law practice upon reputation gained for
honor, honesty and manhood, was George l..
| Otis, a small, quiet, pleasant unpretending
| gentleman, who was probably one OF the
| most devoted and studiouS lawyers ST. Paul
ever had. In his early professional life he
seems to have struck out into an original
course of action for himself, and so conducted
| his cases as to win entire confidence, and
especially was this true in the disposition Of
money entrusted to his care; so that with in
| dustry, study and honorable dealings with his
clients, coupled with rare amount OF self
reliance Mr.. Otis obtained large practice,
| the result of his own inherent abilities and
| Individuality. In trying, a case he was
noted for the sincere manner in which he
brought it before the jury, not for any dis
| play of Oratory or eXtraneous efforts, but
| by the evident merits of the case
itself as elected by himself. He was
no orator, but cool, calm, collected, earnest
he appealed more to the manhood of the
| jury than to their feelings, and hence was
successful. His especial forte was office
| Work-digging out the law and giving adj
vice-rather preventing trouble than help
| ing people out of tin a word, he was de-
| nominated by the world as quiet, prudent,
careful, honest, honorable lawyer, and with
| this reputation he died, aged about 81 years.
WHEN AND WHERE BORN.
Mr.. Otis was born in New Y ork in 1929;
removed to Michigan in 1887; studied law
there and was admitted to practice; came to
St. Paul in 1855 and built up large and
profitable business, which he maintained to
| the day of his death.
OFFICES.
| He was a member of the house of repre-
sentatives in 1878; of the senate in 1856;
mayor of St. Paul in 1887 and in 1869; was
| the nominee of the Democratic party for
governor; was for years one of the mana
gers of the state reform school, and held a
| high position in the Masonic order.
PERSONAL.
| MI Otis was a very quiet man, and very
rarely ventured outside of his Office or of
his house. He usually walked deliberately
along the street, with head inclined to the
| sidewalk, and hands behind him, nodding
| now and then, and always wore pleasant
smile. He purchased three lots on Summit
avenue, some tWenty-three years ago, where
| his widow at present resides for which he
| paid 81. 900: worth now some $4,000. He
| was man who made no show: attended
| diligently to his business; treated the world
| kindly and considerably, and quietly laid
down his burden, to the great regret OF
| the members of the bar and OF his fellow
| men.
D. W. INGERSOLL.
| Mr.. Ingersoll was born in New Jersey in
| 1912: educated at the common schools; at the
| age of IA years he commenced mercantile
| pursuits, entering the store OF John 5. Pot
win, and on Mr.. Potwin removing to Bur-
| lington, VT, young Ingersoll went with
| him, and he became ultimately his partner,
and subsequently the firm read ID. w. In
gersoll 6 Co.; removed to New York in
| 1887: engaged in the wholesale dry goods
| trade up to 1854, when, health failing, he
removed to Irvington, n. Y, and from
| thence to st. Paul temporarily in 1855; i'll
| 1856 opened a dry goods store, which is in
existence to-day, and which is the continu-
ouSly
OLDEST DRY GOODS HOUSE
| in the city OF state. 1t was originally on
| Third street, nearly opposite the Presby-
| terrain church, but was subsequently re-
moved to Meetings. building, corner
store, Bridge square, now occupied by a
| saloon. and underneath it, in the basement,
| was the publication Office of the old st.
| Paul Daily Times. In 1857 Mr.. IngersOll
| purchased the triangular piece OF property,
corner of Third and Wabasha streets, for
| $11, 900, and in 1860 commenced the cree
ton of the present Ingersoll block. At that
| time the ground was partially covered by
two small one-story buildings, one occupied
| by Col. LIE Due as stationery store, and
| the other by Lyman G. Dayton as a real
estate office. Just short distance back Oh
| Bench street, was the office OF the Old
Pioneer. Thepresent Ingersol property is
worth from $40, 600 to $50. 600 without the
| building, with it, not less than $75,0o
INGERSOLL HALL.
The really first public hall of any note in
| St. Paul, was that in the top part OF the new
building erected by Mr.. Ingersoll, and
which for so many years bore his name. 1t
was finally cut up into offices and then re-
modelled to suit the purposes OF public
library. The ground floor was for years
occupied by Mr.. Ingersoll as dry goods
store and the Second National bank,
and the SocOnQ uoor Wy oihCOS'
1t is solid and valuable build
ing-a substantial landmark OF the past.
OFFICES.
| Mr.. IngerSon was valuable member OF
the school board from 1865 to 1877, Oh
twelve years, and for some time was its
president; was appointed president OF the
board of managers of the State Reform
school in the year 1867, and he has held
this position ever since, OF eighteen years;
has been president of the State Temperance
society; has also been an active, energetic
member of charitable associations, superln-
tendent of Sunday schools, first treasurer OF
the st. Paul 6 Sioux City Railroad company,
was the first president of the Elevator COM
pany, member of the chamber OF COM
merce and has held other offices OF honor
and of trust.
| AS A MAN.
Mr.. Ingersoll has always been, up to
short time since, one of the most energetic
business men in the West, only last veal
dropping out publicly from his firm, although
still a member of it, which has done an i'm
mense business since 1856, OF for twenty
nine years; and although apparently out Of
mercantile trade. yet he is equally as busy
in erecting tenement houses and superln-
tending other important matters with which
he is connected. Seventy-three years OF age,