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turesque region. It was on the banks of the same stream, by the way, that the homestead and woolen mills of Herman Knickerbocker were located. It was here at Schaghticoke that the Congressman Knickerbocker of President Madison's time, entertained Washington Irving and dispensed his generous hospitality to such an extent that he became known as the "Prince of Schaghticoke."

Grafton Mountains lift themselves up from the valleys adjoining this stream and back of them may be seen, far away, the Green Mountains of Vermont. It was in this grandly beautiful region, of unrivaled scenic attractions that Devotion Carnot Eddy was born, December 23, 1812, Pittstown being the place of his birth. His parents being people of culture and education his early advantages were of a somewhat superior character. His mother died, however, when he was eleven years old and his father four years later, leaving him an orphan at fifteen years of age. He attended for a time the academy at Lansingburgh- of which Alexander McCall, at a later date editor of the Troy Whig, was then the principal and afterwards pursued his studies at the famous Kinderhook Academy which attracted students from all parts of the eastern and southern states. It was here that Martin Van Buren studied law with Judge Wm. P. Van Ness, and here he lived in his beautiful home Oakenwald, after his retirement from public life.

From Kinderhook Academy Mr. Eddy went to Union College at Schenectady, where he entered the junior class, and from which he was graduated in 1834. Union College was at that time in a most flourishing condition, with the Rev. Dr. Eliphalet Nott at its head, and the graduating class with which Mr. Eddy left the institution, numbered more than two hundred young men, among whom he stood high as a student and scholar.

Soon after his graduation he began reading law with Stephen Ross of Troy, completing his studies with Marcus T. Reynolds of Albany, New York. After being admitted to the bar he began practicing in Troy, became the representative, as attorney, of various important interests, and within a comparatively short time, had a large business in the law and chancery courts of the State. Professional business brought him later ɔn to Chicago, and being impressed with its advantages and prospects he located here, although for several years thereafter he was compelled to spend a considerable portion of his time in the east, looking after affairs in which he had become interested.

Subsequent to his removal to Chicago, he became interested in various commercial enterprises and devoted. but a portion of his time to the practice of law. He was one of the early dealers in bar iron and heavy hardware, and later engaged in the banking and brokerage business, accumulating a comfortable fortune and re

tiring from active business before reaching an advanced age.

In the days of free banking and wild cat currency, Mr. Eddy was called upon to wind up the affairs of The Bank of Chicago, in which his brother, also a Chicago pioneer, had become largely interested through representations made to him as to the stability of the institution and the profits of its business. This bank issued currency in addition to doing a general banking business, and when Mr. Eddy took charge of it as conservator, appointed by a court of competent jurisdiction, he found its affairs in a badly tangled condition. Although much apprehension had been felt by depositors and bill holders as to the safety of their interests, Mr. Eddy succeeded by skillful financiering in redeeming all out-standing obligations in the way of currency, and paying depositors in full, saving thereby the good name and credit of the institution. A Democrat in politics, he has at various times been the candidate of his party for legislative and other honors, and only the fact that his party has been largely in the minority has kept him out of important official positions. While his business interests have monopolized his attention largely since he became a

resident of Chicago, and he has been more widely known as one of the sterling, upright and successful business men of the city, than as a member of the legal profession, he has nevertheless proven himself a well-read and thoroughly well-informed lawyer whenever occasion demanded it.

A gentleman of education and culture he has all his life been interested actively in whatever movements were set on foot to improve social conditions and to promote the progress and advancement of the city which has so long been his home. Although he is at the present time in his seventy-ninth year, his memory of the stirring events through which he has passed is unclouded, and from the rich store-house of his knowledge, is poured out from time to time many entertaining reminiscences of what happened in the earlier history of Chicago. In 1843, he married Isabella Campbell, of Schenectady, New York-who died in 1887-and has living four daughters, two of whom are married. An only son grew to manhood and died soon after entering the medical profession in which he had every prospect of achieving distinction.

HOWARD L. CONARD.

ness.

WHY HE BECAME A REPUBLICAN.

READING an account of the death of Judge James H. Matheny, of Springfield, Illinois, in September last, 1890, recalls to my mind a wonderful speech I heard him make at a most critical and interesting period in the history of our country. It was on the 2d or 3d of July, 1860, at a small hamlet known as Virginia, I think in Mason county, Illinois, where the writer happened to be on busiA large concourse of people had gathered there to hear this then young and eloquent lawyer, who was to give his reasons for supporting Mr. Lincoln rather than Judge Doug las for president. Mr. Matheny com menced by telling his hearers that he, as well as Mr. Lincoln, had always been a Whig, but that he had refused to follow Mr. Lincoln into the new party, simply because he had up to a recent date always held that the Southern people had as good a right, not only to their property in slaves, but also had the same right to take them into the new Territories of the United States, as the Northern people had to take their horses and cattle into these Territories. Said he: "I want to tell you, my friends, how and why I was led to change my views on so important a matter. I had occasion to visit St. Louis on

professional business a short time since, and, after I had transacted my business, I took a stroll along the levee, and, as I did, I came across some slave pens, where an auctioneer had been selling some human chattels, and, in one of these pens, I saw a slave mother and her little girl, nearly white, about eight or nine years old. Mother and child were crying bitterly, and while I was contemplating the scene, a big white ruffian, a perfect Legree, came along and halted in front of this particular pen,and said to the little heart-broken slave, 'come with me!' He was her new master, while another had bought the mother-whereupon the child cried more bitterly than ever, and by way of asserting his newly acquired. authority over his human property, he hit her across the mouth with the back of his hand, so that the blood spurted out from her lips. This was too much for me," said the speaker, "I stood almost paralyzed with rage and indignation at this exhibition of a slave driver's brutality. My first impulse was to make an attempt to protect the poor little creature against the brutality of her inhuman master, but then I remembered that I was in a slave State, and would render myself liable under the Fugitive Slave

aw and perhaps be arrested as an Abolitionist. My God!' I said to nyself, is this the institution that I have been all these years defending and naking apologies for?' I then and .here made a vow before heaven and in the presence of this poor slave nother and her slave child, that from thenceforth no effort of mine that I could lawfully make should be spared to destroy this thrice accursed institution."

Turning to the thousands before him, the speaker said: "I am here to-day, my friends, to carry out my vów, made in the presence of that little white slave girl and her poor mother-I am here to say to you that I have done with defending slavery, I am here to ask you to vote with me for Honest Abe Lincoln, who is the friend of the poor, whether white or black-will you do it?" An affirmative shout rang through the beautiful locust grove, where the meeting was being held, from thousands of throats, and hundreds of men and women gave vent to their emotion in tears and audible sobs. Indeed, it was more like a Methodist prayer meeting

than a political gathering. On my return to Springfield next day, I called on Mr. Lincoln and told him of Mr. Matheny's great speech and how it had affected the great mass of people who heard it. Mr. Lincoln seemed greatly interested over my recital of the interesting events and incidents of his friend's efforts, and showed not a little emotion when told of the deep sympathy the people manifested in the poor slave mother and her child. As I took my leave of him, he asked me what I thought now of the prospect of electing our ticket? That is the way he put the question. I replied that I had not changed my mind in regard to his election since my first interview with him in December of the previous year. I met him I think once more alive. I am not able to say to what extent Mr. Matheny took part in that ever memorable campaign, but this I can say, I never heard a more telling and effective political speech in all my life either before or since then. It was masterly, logical and truly eloquent. JOHN W. HARMAN. Brooklyn, N. Y., March, 1891.

HAD SEEN UGLIER MEN.

A NEW YORK MERCHANT'S INTERVIEW WITH MR. LINCOLN.

[It seems almost essential that there should appear in connection with the above, an account of several interviews held by Mr. Harman with Abraham Lincoln, one of which is referred to in the above and which appeared in a recent issue of the New York Times. -Editor.]

In December, 1859, Mr. John W. Harman, who was then, as now, a merchant in this city, was in Springfield, Illinois, where he had legal business with his attorney, Major Stuart, Abraham Lincoln's relative and friend. Stuart was an old-line Whig, and did not agree politically with Mr. Lincoln nor with Mr. Harman, who was in full accord with the newly formed Republican party. One day, when business was over, Mr. Harman turned to Stuart and said, with the emphasis of a deep conviction: "Major, the next President of the United States is a resident of your city!"

66 Who is he?"
"Abraham Lincoln."

'Oh, no," declared the Major. "That can never be. Lincoln's views on the slavery question are altogether too advanced and pronounced." Then he added: "Do you know Lincoln ?"

Mr. Harman replied that he did not, but would be glad to make his acquaintance. "Come on," said the Major, and I'll introduce you."

When they were going down stairs,

a messenger overtook them and told Stuart that he was wanted immediately at the United States court room. He accordingly turned his guest over to Mr. Brown, his son-in-law, who led the way to Lincoln's office. When they entered, Mr. Harman's first vision was of that long, gaunt man, who sat with his back toward the door, a pair of long legs curled up beneath the deal table at which he was at work. An old rag carpet cov ered the floor, and upon it lay the mud that countless friends and clients had carried in. When the two had passed to the front of the table and Mr. Lincoln had looked up, Mr. Brown said: "Mr. Lincoln, here is a friend of yours from New York, Mr. Harman, who would like to make your personal acquaintance."

Lincoln arose, and extended his hand, "I must beg your pardon for the intrusion," said his caller, "as I have no business here, and came only through curiosity. I have been told

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