The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-01-24
sKErCH OF HIS LIFE.
The Dead Senator Had Large and
Varied Business Interests.

|
The Dead Senator Had Large and
Varied Business Interests.
Russell Alexander Alger, of Michigan,
| ex-secretary of war, was born In IN
town of Lafayette, Madina county, q;
February %, 1886. His parents, Russell
Alger and Caroline Moulton, We're from
New England stock, whose ancestry
| were Scotch and English; was educated
| at the Richf1eld academy, in Richf1eid,
Summit county, o., attending the au-
tumn and winter terms, working on a
farm by the month the remainder OF
the year to enable him to do SO; taugnt
| school two winters; studied law with
| Walcott & Upson, at Akron, o., during
| 1857 and 1885,, and in 1853 until admit
ted to the bar; practiced law but lit
| tie time; removed to Michigan January
| 1, 1860; commenced numbering in small
way on borrowed capital; at the break
| ing out of the war he enlisted in the
volunteer service September 2, 1851
and mustered into service to date DC
tober 2, 1861, captain Second Michi-
gan cavalry; was promoted to be major
of the same regiment to take effect
from April II, 1862; lieutenant colonel OF
the Sixth Michigan cavalry October 30.
1862, and colonel of the Fifth Michigan
cavalry, June IL, 1868; resigned Septem-
20, 1864; was severely wounded at the
battle of Boonsboro, Nd, July 8, 1858,
and received the brevet commissions of
brigadier general and major general
OF volunteers IOr gallant ana
Gus services during the war; returned
to Michigan at the close of the war,
and with borrowed capital re-engaged IN
the numbering business, which has
steadily increased year by year in vol
ume; has extensive business interests
of various kinds in other states than
Michigan; was governor of his state
for the years 1885 and 1886; was ap-
pointed secretary of war March 5. 1897.
and confirmed the same day. Retired in
1899 by reason of i'll health.
After retiring from the cabinet. Gen.
Alger devoted much time to the prepar-
alton of a book, published under the
title, THE Spanish-American War; by
Harpers, in which he explained the part
he had taken in the war and attacked
others, particularly Admiral Sampson
and General Miles and. fnferentially.
President Roosevelt While the book
purported to be a history of the His
little more than a history of General
Alger's part in it, as secretary of war.
1t was read with interest, chiefly, by
those in the army or departmental SER
vice and gained little circulation
among general readers. The inferen-
tial criticism of President Roosevelt in
General Ayers book is in connection
with the round robin letter. He
speaks of General Miles in terms of
unbounded contempt and condemns
Admiral Sampson for sthe sinking of
the Merrirnac by Hobson. for failure
to force a passage to Santiago harbor.
army during the war.
Early an Orphan.
When young Alger was IL years old,
his parents died, leaving himself, an
elder sister and younger brother and
sister. The elder sister died soon
afterward. For those that remained
there was no prospect ahead They
toiled in the woods of Ohio. on this
bleak and desolate little settlement.
He went in due course to live with
- Id I@fr,
farm work. and receiving three
months schooling in winter. His
wages were SO a month the first
month, 81 a month the second, and IS
a month the next four months. For
six months he went to small acad-
envy. For seven years. he worked at
SIS a month in this way.
He tried law. He removed to Grand
borrowed capital tried the lumber
business. He shipped a quantity of
logs to Chicago, married, and took a
bridal tour to New York city. When
which he had sent the logs, to find the
draft dishonored, the firm having fall
ed He Immediately returned home,
himself a bankrupt.
He pledged his watch, his only re-
naming article of value, as guaran-
tee to his principal creditor.
Where AIger's Luck Began
General Alger was lucky in meeting
Stephen Moore and Franklin Moore, old
Iumbermen, who had made their piles
and were accounted capitalists long be-
fore Alger left the Ohio farm.
The Moore family loaned Alger his
first money to enter the lumber trade.
Stephen Moore was kind-hearted,
generous man. He lived to be of an adj
vanced age The Moores were of
Scotch-Irish descent and of Puritan
ancestry. Franklin Moore was of the
firm of Moore, Foote & Co., at one time
wholesale grocers, in the Lake Superior
trade. The Moores at one time manu-
ia -tured leather, but later entered the
lumber trade. He foresaw the great de-
mand for the pine He bought timber
for $1.25 an acre and lived to see the
day that each individual tree was
worth SIS. 1t was a came that enriched
all who entered it. The Moore brothers
entered into a partnership with young
Alger in 1867, under the name of Moore, |
Alger & Co., the firm continuing until
1870.
Subsequently. with Franklin Moore.
the business was continued, under the
name of Moore & Alger. and afterward,
n Moore having gone out, the firm
became r. A. Alger & Co. Still later, |
the firm was incorporated under the
name of Alger, Smith & Co, with Cen
eral Alger as president.
In those formative days General AL |
ger took his wife and child and spent
the winters in the lumber camps.
Still Other Industries.
The way Alger came into the paper
business is simple. He had an i'm
mense domain of spruce and pine tim
Der at Grand Mere, Quebec. His Ii
cense called for the right to cut the
timber on 1.400 square miles of land,
or about 900.00O.0OO acres. This prop
erty he had held as an investment for
some years past. In due course, a pulp
mill was established in the vicinity.