Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1904-02-18
SENATOR HANNA's CAREER.
History of His Successful Rise In
Business and Politics.

Marcus Alonzo Hanna was born in New
Lisbon, Columbia county, O., on Septem-
Der 26, 1887. He attended the public viii
lage school and high school at Cleveland,
being conspicuous already when a small
boy for his unusual ambition for an edu-
cation. Most of the boys at that time
thought it foolish to go to school longer
than until their thirteenth year, but Mar
Gus Hanna insisted that he be sent to the
high school, and his father consented on
the condition that he was to spend all
the time not occupied in school work in
helping his father in his. store; This
store was owned by a firm named Hanna,
Garretsor G. Co., but though the Older
Mr., Hanna was a good business man,
the store was no success, At the age of
20 young Marcus Hanna entered the en-
plCy of his fathers firm, and five years
later, on the death of his father, in 1852,
he assumed control of the business and
conducted it until 1867, when the firm was
dissolved.
ISOLATED himself with the firm of Rhodes
& Co, the pioneer coal and iron firm OF
Cleveland. He retained his connection
with this firm until 1887, when he became
senior partner and changed the name OF
the firm to NJ. A. Hanna & Co.
Shipping MaGnate.
In that year he organized and equipped
the Cleveland Transportation Co, one of
the largest lines operating on the Great
lakes. He told, some years ago, how this
idea had entered his head when he was
sun ii SEOCGEN tltlh. . III -oul 5loSClS.
business he said, Il had a great deal to
do with transportation on the Great
lakes, as many of our goods were shipped
by that route. | gradually saw that It
would pay me to become interested in
lake vessels, so | bought part shares in
several of them. AS our business in.
creased / determined to own vessels, OF
nv own, so I bought one and named it
after my father, Leonard Hanna. Then,
as | needed more vessels, | determined to
build them myself, and | started a ship
building company.
Interested In Iron Mines.
This company has finally become the
greatest all over the northwest, and ships
iron and ore on its W vessels. In that
way / became interested more in iron
mines and shipbuilding than in the gro
Gerry business. If | had never needed ships
in the grocery business | should probably
owned any l should have had no reason
for building them, and had not built
ships | should most likely own no iron
mines In 1874 he was elected to the
presidency of the Cleveland Union ma
tional bank, and in the same year he was
sent as a delegate-at-large from the state
of Ohio to the Republican national con,
vention. He was a warm personal friend
of Senator John Sherman, and strongly
advocated him for the presidential nom-
nation in 1880, 1884 and 1888; In 1873 and
1896 he took charge of Maj. McI<iniey's
preliminary canvass for the, presidency,
and conducted it so well that he was
chosen chairman of the national commit
tee and given the entire conduct of the
campaign. Thls position ne mas coupled
ever since.
Recome United tntes Senator.
Mr. Hanna organized and controlled
many industries, employing a large num-
Der of men, often as many as ten thou
sand. He was always highly respected
and we'll thought of by his employees, who
might see him at any time they had any
grievance or complaint to make. This re-
iationship with his employees gave him
a great labor following in political mat
tiers in Ohio. On March 2, 1897, Mr.. Han
ma was appointed United States senator
by Gov. Bushnell of Ohio, to fill the va
cancy caused by the resignation of John
Sherman. In 1898 he was elected senator
by the legislature of Ohio for a term of
six years. In the senate he became in a
very short ~time-partly through force of
circumstances, but more because of his
strong, individuality-a leader of his par
ty. and has easily been the most prom
inent and powerful political figure during
the last twenty-five years.
His Domestic Life.
In his domestic life Mr.. Hanna was ex-
ceedingly happy. On September q, 1864,
daughter of Daniel f. and Sophia Rhodes.
of Cleveland. A son and two daughters
were the fruits of this marriage. During
later years Mr.. Hanna was exceedingly
conspicuous on account of his efforts to
establish more amicable relations between
labor and capital, the idea of organiz-
ing the great National Civic Federation
was largely due to him.. His efforts in this
leaders on both sides in the labor ques-
ton, and to show their appreciation they
presented him with a fine statue in mar
BILE representing Peace" This statue,
which stands in his library in Lake ave-
nue., in Cleveland, the senator is said to
have appreciated more than ANYTHING elisa