Page:Portland, Oregon, its History and Builders volume 2.djvu/655

 On September 24, 1873, at Olympia, Washington, Mr. Alger was united in marriage to Miss Mira Brooks, a daughter of Washington S. and Mahala E. (Chapman) Brooks. Her father came to Oregon from Michigan in 1870. Four children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Alger, three of whom are yet living: Hollis E., Edgar B. and Morton D.

Mr. Alger was born in a lumber country and was never happier than when in the lumber camp. He was essentially a man of large affairs. In his hands business assumed tangible form and grew and flourished and the results were seen in prosperous and happy homes. He belonged to a class of men that have the constructive faculties largely developed — the natural leaders who are absolutely essential in a new country and who prepare the way for the oncoming thousands. Of Mr. Alger it may be said that he was prominent not only on account of the success that he attained as a business man but for his honorable and straightforward methods in all business transactions. He was a man of genial temperament and in all he did was actuated by a spirit of fidelity to principles of honor and truth.

George Washington Weidler, identified with the history of the west from the old days of the pony express to the time of his death, more than a half a century later, lived for a time in Salt Lake City, afterward in other parts of Utah and Nevada, and in 1866 arrived in Portland. Already this city had made some strides toward the attainment of its present proud position and yet its conditions were but embryonic. His business ability and initiative spirit enabled him to enthuse new life into the community and to institute projects which have been of the greatest benefit in promoting Portland's welfare. Macaulay has said that the history of a community is best told in the lives of its people, and an important chapter in Portland's progress is covered by the life record of George Washington Weidler. A native of Pennsylvania, he was born at Lancaster, October 22, 1837, a son of Isaac C. and Catherine (Gaelbach) Weidler, who were born in the Keystone state but were of Swiss-German descent.

In the common schools of his native city George Washington Weidler pursued his early education and afterward attended school at Mount Joy and at Strausburg, Pennsylvania, where he was a pupil in a boarding school. On account of his health he was then sent to St. Louis, Missouri, where he became a clerk in a hardware store that afterward rated as the largest in that city. Subsequently he was employed as freight clerk on steamboats running from St. Louis to New Orleans, and afterward was made superintendent of a wagon train of mule teams that was conveying a stock of goods to Salt Lake City to be used in the establishment of a e-eneral store there. This was in 1855. Mr. Weidler remained there for three years and clerked in a store, after which he went to Fort Bridge and was made agent for the pony express, there continuing until about 1861. He next became agent for a stage coach company running stages between Carson City and Virginia City, filling that position for about two years. At the end of that time Ben Holladay offered him the choice of several positions and he accepted that of purser on a steamboat running between San Francisco and Maxland. He acted in that capacity for several years, his obliging manner as well as capable business ability making him popular with the patrons of the road as well as with the promoters of the business. He came to Portland for the same company in 1866 and was made agent at this place, continuing in that connection until Mr. Holladay sold out about 1883. During that time he had also engaged in other business. He was associated with Mr. Holladay in the ownership and conduct of an extensive saw-