Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1907-04-19

When last heard from they were in Par
seminary. AS they had been travelling
about France and the continent, how
ever, It was not certain that they could
be found in the French capital.
Mr.. Eckels was making preparations
to leave for Europe to join his family
ON May 10, two weeks earlier than had
been his original intention, hoping his
health would be restored by q long rest.
He expected to spend most of his time
i'll England. The night before. he died
he talked with boyish pleasure of the
tour he intended to take
Mr.. EckeIs had made arrangements
for a breakfast party Sunday morning,
at which he expected to entertain a few
relatives and friends. 1t was an effort
TO reach her brother-in-law by telephone
in the morning, by Mrs. George NJ.
Eckels. that led to the discovery of Mr..
EckePs death by the servants. Mrs.
George Eckels and her husband had been
invited to the breakfast.
In addition to Mr. and Mrs. George
EckeIs. John 7. McCutcheon,. Judge
Kenesaw NJ; Lands and wife-Mrs;
Landis and Mrs. Eckels are sisters-and
H H Gary, chairman of the board of
directors of the United States Steel cor
p0ration, were to have been the guests.
An Illinoisan By Birth.
Mr.. Eckels was an Illinoisan by birth,
having been born at Princeton, ILL.,, No
vember %, 1858. He was the son of
James Starr and Margaret Davidson
Eckels, welI-to-do residents of that place.
n y. law school, from which he gradu-
ated in 1880. Returning to Illinois, he
was admitted to the bar, and then be-
gan the practice of his profession at
Ottawa. ILL.,, in 1881. 1t was while he
was at the Albany law school that Mr.
int cd wit
Cleveland, and with Daniel S. Lamont,
later secretary of war under President
Cleveland. Mr.. Cleveland and Mr.. Eek
els took a warm liking to one another
from their first meeting, and it was this
friendship to which was due Mr.. Eek
els appointment as comptroller.
On his taking up residence in Ottawa
Mr.. Eckels turned his attention both to
law and to politics. AS lawyer he had
but mediocre success. 1t was as poll
tician, and particularly as an orator,
that he made his mark. lie was poor
man when he was lifted from COMPARE
tive obscurity into a position of national
prominence by the Cleveland appoint
ment. Mr.. EckCls' influence as pohtl-
clan steadily increased, and by 1890 he
was a factor in state politics: Then, IN
1898, he sprang into the limelight OF ma
tional prominence by being named as
comptroller of the currency by President
Cleveland his old friend. Mr.. Eckels
was only 80 years old when the Presi-
dent sent his nomination to the Senate:
The naming of this young. untrled and
unknown man for post only second
TO that of secretary of the treasury, as
regards the national finances, made a
tremendous sensation. 1t was one OF the
biggest of the many surprises which
President Cleveland was so fond OF
Springing. There was howl from many
of the senators over the appointment.
The leaders of finance in the Senate
went to the secretary of the treasury and
the President and urged that it be with
drawn. Mr.. Carlisle said he mad had
nothing to do with the annointment. Mr..
Cleveland said he lad made it after in
felIigent consideration, and that IT the
Senate choose to reject Mr.. Eckels be-
cause of his lack of experience in bank
ing he would promptly nominate another
man who knew quite as little. When the
senators learned that Mr. Cleveland pro-
posed to uphold Mr.. Eckels they reluc-
family confirmed the nomination, with
an inward prayer that the national bank
ing system would not suffer harm be-
fore the President learned what mis-
take he had made: The appointment OF
Mr.. Eckels was finally confirmed April
s, 1903, and the Illinois lawyer held the
Office four and one-haf years.
Soon Proves His Ability.
If President Cleveland had given the
country a surprise. the new comptroller
of the currency gave the country no less
of a surprise by the way in which he ad-
ministered the office. From the first day
he entered upon the duties of the post
Mr.. Eckels was success. He allowed
himself to be a clear-headed, practical
common sense man. with an excellent
grasp of the financial affairs of the coun-
try and a great capacity for executive
work. 1t was only few weeks after
he assumed office that the great panic
of 1893 burst upon the land. One hun
dred and sixty-tive national banks failed
during the next ten weeks and period
of apprehension and anxiety followed