The Washington herald., 1909-08-08

structive man. Charlton had been around
the office in washington and believed he
could obtain a paying practice BY reason
OF his knowledge Of the laws and deci-
sicns relating 10 the internal revenues.
Business was brisk from the start. Stamp
taxes were new and but vaguely under
stood. However. my health broke down
and I was ordered out of New York
Overwork at the law school and in Judge
Edmunds Office had brought on a bron-
chiaI hemorrhage. and soon after going
into partnership with Charlton Lewis I
suffered a second attack.
Meets james j. HiH.
7 spent eight months on horseback
with a college friend travelling through
New England and the Middle West Life
out Of doors, / thought had restored me
to health but my doctor. fearing the
damp air Of New York. sent me 10 St
Paul. where the winter climate was cold
and dry. II was the habit Of physicians
In those days TO hurry patients with lung
trouble into the Northwest. 1 found St
Paul fun OF walking invahds Among my
first acQuaintances there was James ].
Hill. I have known him well. and with
Increasing respect ever since"
Was he engaged in the railroad busl-
ness?" I asked.
Il doubt II he had ever seen a rail-
road" Mr.. MacVeagh replied. But he
was learning the transportation business
as agent for a line Of Mississippi River
steamboats,. Meanwhile. the place In the
New York law Office was kept open for
me. but the doctors said ought 10 remain
in the West So i withdrew from the
I
uel S Cox. better known while he served
in Congress as Sunset Cox. was admit
ted 10 the firm and an unusually pros
porous business
Did any special influence cause you 10
settle in Chicago?'
Yes; the girl 10 wROm ! was engaged
10 be married lived in that city. More
over. It was growing fast. and so l de-
cided TO make il my home. After my
marriage. and while looking for bust
ness opportunity. my father-in-law sug-
sested a connection with a man he knew
no was about TO establish a wholesale
grocery establishment"
Learns About the Business.
What did YOU know about groceries,"
Nothing. had never been inside Of a
wholesale store Of any kind in my life
Ny friends were lawyers I doubt IL
had ever been personally acquainted
with a merchant The three men with
whom I was associated. understanding
my limitations as a grocery expert. put
me in charge OF the office, which brought
the finances, the accounts, and the cred
it's under my management Later.
bought out my partners and reorganized
the business. Wrie struggling under the
load OF debt which I assumed when 1
obtained control. ] was burned down with
the rest cf Chicago Ny two special
partners, ore OF whom was my brother
Wayne. had some property left, but 1
was cleaned out. However, 1 didn't say
anything about It. We started again,
being given extensions by our creditors.
as was practically the case with every
other merchant in Chicago, and worked
our way ont. Ultimately we had large
and prosperous business.
Three years after the fire you became
president Of the Citizens Association.
What caused your interest in municipal
reform?'
The public has forgotten It, but Chi
cago had two fires. We came out Of the
ashes of 1871 only TO be frightened 10
death IN 1874 by a fire that promised to
be as ruinous as the first one. We moved
our most valuable goods 70 the nearest
railway tracks and loaded them On cars
to be taken away. Indeed. merchants
throughout the rolesale district enptied
their stores and hed with their property
on trucks and wagons.
"Overwork and anxiety caused me 10
suffer another slight hemorrhage. While
resting in the country I was informed
Of my election 10 the presidency Of the