The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-06-27
r. ,. CORNWALL


The California Pioaeer WAs IL Develop
ing R~eiiinghaa Hay.
San Francisco Chronicle.
Pierre Barlow Cornwall was born in DEL
~ are county. in the state Of New York.
His education Was received In the country
school house. from which be graduated 70
= commission and shipping house in the
csfy OF Buffalo. The government expedi-
Ton sent to the Pacific coast under Free
mont IN ls45H extracted young Cornwaaisa
attention . be eagerly sought informa-
ton about the Pacific coast and islands
from al a~tfainabie sources. In IS4S. he
headed . party OF six. Of which his younger
brother, then Is years OF age. vas one.
They struck out from st. Joe, Miss. across
the plains md mountains for California.
and after innumerahie adventures aud
many h~afdships Mr.. Cornwall and his
cured from an Oregon immigrant
expedition, crossed the mountains
from the bead Of Carson valley and ar
rived IN California, coming down the di-
Vide between the American river and the
C0sumnes river, and reaching Mormon
isiand' about the last OF August, lsls.
Alter 2 short trial = mining Mr.. Cornwall
established himself In mercantile and real
estats business ct Suffers Fork near Sacra-
mento. Ten years later he came to San
Francisco, where he has lived for the last
thirty years, and has been one Of the most
active. ~welt-known and e~nterprising OF
the business mon Of California For the
last twenty years he has been presi-
dent and manager of the Black Diamond
Coal Mining Company. q corpora
ton that constantly employs from
$50 to 600 men and has paid in cash
dividends to the stockholders something
over 81. 400. 000. besides purchasing. open
ing and developing for the company mines
on Green river. state Of Washington, worth
probShiy $l.00o.00o more. For about ten
years and until be resigned the position he
was president Of and had . controlling in
fiuence in b Mechanics institute. When
he o o the position the library had only
about $4,000 volumes. Under his advice
and management the institute grew won-
derfuliy in strength and usefulness. Its
membership more than doubled. its library
standing raised from $4,000 to 81, So, 600.
and II became one of the mont popular and
useful Institutions IN the state.
Mr.. Cornwall early appreciated the value
OF modern discoveries in developing md con-
trolling electricity. He has been president
OF the California Electric Light Company
since It's its Introduction to the public.
he il president Of the Bellingham Bay q
British Columbia Railroad Company. en-
gagged in building . railroad from New
Whatcom in the state OF Washington to
CONNIE with the Canadian Pacific railroad.
A part Of the road is completed and opcr-
ated. bridges are under construction across
the Nooksack and the Fraser rivers. and .
large forco Of men are ct work at different
points along the line Of the road, the cars
Of the Canadian Pacific Railroad Company
are to q into New Whatcom over this
road early in the month OF September.
Mr.. Cornwall has been president Of the
Society Of California Pioneers, = member
OF The board OF regents Of the State Uni
versity. chairman Of the Republican state
central committee, and has held several
other positions of trust and honor. He
has often been importuned to be . candi-
date for public and political Office, but
with n exception has always declined.
When the first legislature Of the state was
elected he consented 10 60 to the assembly
from the Sacramento district to assist In
organizing thes state government and par
ticulary the judiciary. When the necessary
acts became laws, the judges appointed
and the courts organized, he resigned and
gave his attention to his private business.
He is now largely interested in mining.
shipping. real estate and manufacturing.
He is Of . quiet demeanor, charitable and
kind. but active in all that he undertakes,
and is more Of a leader than . follower
among men.