The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1903-04-04
mail carrying incompatible with
his duties as public servant.

ny with Mr.. Failing, purchased a
controlling interest in the First
National Bank, an institution that
had been established in Portland
four years previous to the. time
Messrs. Corbett and Failing first
became it's financial heads. This
is today the Oldest and strongest
First National Bank in the Pacific
Northwest. After his retirement
from the United States senate, Mr..
Corbett became vice president of
the bank. Upon the death of Mr..
Failing, Mr.. Corbett became the
president of the institution, and he
has filed his duties there without
interruption.
Aside from the bank, there are
large number of business and in
dustrial enterprises with which he
has been closely connected, having
been Instrumental in organizing
corporations to found them, and
furnishing largely the means by
which these institutions were inau-
gurated. He was director of the
Oregon Railroad & Navigation Com
pany, be was largely interested in
the Portland Cordage Works, one of
the principal stockholders in the
City & Suburban Railway Compa-
ny, and other street railroads; also,
stockholder and officer in other
banking institutions. Mr.. Corbett
and Mr.. Failing were hackers of
the magnificent enterprise which
founded the Portland Hotel, which
has helped materially to give Port
land reputation among the
worlds globe trotters, for there is
no finer hostelry west of Chicago or
Denver.
Private enterprises have always
acknowledged liberal support from
the president of the First National.
One of his first endowments was
the gift of $36,0OO to the erection of
the Presbyterian church, and large
sums within the past few years to
various eleemosynary institutions.
In politics Mr.. Corbett was al
way an ardent and consistent re.
publican. He was chairman of the
republican state central committee
back in 1862, aud at different times
ffhia counsel and leadership; ahave
been sought by party managers.
He was a candidate for election to
the senate second time in 1898,
and was the choice of many repub-
licars in 1901.
Originally Mr.. Cerbett was a
whig and devoted follower of Hen
ry Clay. While in the senate Mr..
! Corbett's speeches on national f.
nance. and the funding bill are
cherished by his colleagues as mas
ter pieces of logic, and he was
warmly admired everywhere for bis
determined stand as senator against
all easures which seemed to SAVIOR
of ba6 faith on the part of the gov
eminent, or the repudiation of any
financial obligation which the Unit
ed States had incurred to carry on
the war.
Mr.. Corbett was married first in
February, 1853, to Miss Clara E..
Jaeger, of Albany, N. Y. This lady
died some years later, leaving two
sons, the younger of whom, Ham
ilton F. Corbett, was carried off by
a sudden illness in 1884. The Ell
der son, Henry j. Corbett, died in
1894.
Mr.. Corbett was married second
time in 1867 TO Miss Emma L. Rug
giles, of Worcester. Mass, a lady of
rare worth of character and strong
mental inclinations, whose grace
and social accomplishments and
whose prominent part in charitable
affairs Of this city, has drawn to her
wide circle Of friends who univers-
ally est, EN- her most highly.
The deceased was born at West
borough, Mass, February Is, 1927,
and he was, therefore, 76 years, 1
month and 13 days old. His an
cestors who settled in Massachu-
setts in the 18th century, were Nor.
mans who traced their descent from
Boyer Corbett, who was military
leader under William the first. His
boyhood was passed in Washington
county, New York, and his early
years were attended with privations
and hard work.
The immediate connections who
survive the fnancier are: Mrs.
Corbett, his wife; three grandsons,
Harry Ladd Corbett, Elliott Rug
giles Corbett, and Hamilton Cor bett,
and Helen Ladd Corbett, his daugh-
ter-in-law.
His estate is conservatively esti-
mated at more than three million
dollara. and the three children.