The Wisconsin Magazine of History, Volume 1, 1917-1918Various
History
The Wisconsin Magazine of History, Volume 1, 1917-1918
Various
Wisconsin -- History -- Periodicals
partnership with the last two and Judge Green of Providence, Rhode
Island, by which the latter gentleman was to furnish $100,000 cash to
be used by Durand, Allan, and myself in the purchase of lands and town
sites in Iowa on the line of the road, the profits to be divided
equally between Durand, Allan, and myself, party of the first part,
and Greene and his associates, party of the second part. The crisis of
1857 ended that project. In 1852 I prevailed upon a party in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to open a bank in Beloit. In 1854 John M.
Keep, A. L. Field, and myself bought the bank stock and elected Keep
president and Field cashier. In 1856 I was elected president and Mr.
Keep sold his stock. In the crisis of 1857 the bank failed and was
closed and its charter sold to Davis & Martin. In 1856 I was elected
to the legislature and served in 1856-7 and declined a reëlection, as
at the time of election the next year, I had more business irons in
the fire than I could attend to.
When the charter of the city of Beloit was obtained, I was elected an
alderman from the second ward and served six years, and was two years
county supervisor. I was a director in a gas company, also in a car
company that went no further than organizing.
I was a partner of W. T. Goodhue in the purchase and ownership of
considerable real estate. With Goodhue and R. H. Mills in the purchase
and sale of real estate; also, with R. H. Mills in the purchase and
sale of a large amount of real estate. In the settlement with Mr.
Mills, he owed me over $15,000 which he could not pay, so I gave it to
him. Mr. H. Cheney owed me as much more when he left for Colorado,
where he died. Messrs. Mills, Brooks, and I purchased and sold much
real estate. I was elected a trustee of Beloit College at its
organization and have been to date, also one of the Executive
Committee while I lived in Beloit, and gave much of the site or
grounds. I have been a deacon in the Congregational church about
thirty years. In 1861 I was appointed by President Lincoln postmaster
at Beloit. He had been my attorney in defending the title to Beloit,
which I did at my own expense mostly and won the suit, and saved the
citizens from a heavy blackmail.
The president offered me any office that I thought myself competent to
fill, through my friend, David Davis. I took the Beloit post office,
as I could not leave my business interests in Beloit. At the end of
four years I was commissioned again by Lincoln and was afterwards
removed by Johnson for refusing to support his measures. In 1862 I was
appointed by Secretary Chase to take subscriptions to the first or
gold bonds issued to carry on the war, and was one of two appointed
for Wisconsin and received subscriptions.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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