Page:The History of Oregon Bancroft 1888.djvu/783

 a store in New York city, where he became proficient in mercantile affairs, and in 1851 came to Portland, where he engaged in business, the house of Allen and Lewis rising into foremost prominence. Mrs Lewis, the daughter of John H. Couch, is the mother of eleven children, all born in Portland. Mr Lewis attends closely to his business, and no man in the community stands in higher esteem.

Henry Failing was born in New York on the 17th of January, 1834. After a good grammar-school education, he entered a mercantile house, where he acquired proficiency in first-class business routine. Arriving in Oregon in 1851, he engaged in business, first in connection with his father, Josiah Failing, and later with H. W. Corbett. The firm rose to prominence, being the largest hardware dealers in the north-west. Failing and Corbett in 1809 took control of the First National Bank, the former being made president. Mr Failing has always been a prominent citizen, a friend of edu cation, and three times mayor. In 1858 he married Emily P. Corbett, sister of Senator Corbett. Twelve years later Mrs Failing died of consumption, leaving three charming daughters. Mr Failing is a citizen of whom Oregon may well be proud.

Worthy of mention among the lawyers and statesmen of Oregon is Joseph Simon, of the well known Portland law firm of Dolph, Bellinger, Mallory, and Simon. A German by birth, and of Jewish parentage, he came to Portland when six years of age, and at thirteen had completed his education, so far, at least, as his school-days were concerned. After assist ing his father for several years in the management of his store, he studied law, and in 1872 was admitted to practice, soon winning his way by dint of ability and hard work to the foremost rank in his profession. In 1878 he was appointed secretary of the republican state central committee, of which in 1880, and again in 1884 and 1886, he was appointed chairman, and in the two first years, and also in 1888, was elected to the state senate. While a member of that body he introduced and succeeded in passing many useful measures, among them being a bill authorizing a paid fire department, a mechanics lien law, a registration law, and one placing the control of the police system in the hands of a board of commissioners.

Royal K. Warren was born in Steuben co., N. Y., in 1840, and educated in that state, coming to Oregon in 1863. He entered upon teaching as aprofes- sion in Clatsop co., whence he removed to Portland in 1865, teaching in the Harrison st grammar school until 1871, when he was called to the presidency of the Albany college, which position he retained nine years. He then re turned to Portland, where he was principal of the North school for one year, from which he was removed to the high school.

J. W. Brazee, born in Schoharie co., N. Y., in 1827, was educated for a civil engineer and draughtsman, and also learned the trades of carpentry and masonry. Thus equipped, he came to Cal. in 1850 in a sailing vessel. He worked at his trades, and among other buildings, erected the episcopal church on Powell street. He also engaged in mining and other industries, and removed to Or. in 1858. Here his engineering knowledge was called into use, and he located the trail between Fort Vancouver, W. T., and Fort Simcoe, east of the Cascades, notwithstanding that McClellan had reported that a pack-trail between these points was impracticable. The work was accomplished in 30 days at a cost of $4,000, and the trail immediately used for transporting government freight between these posts. His next work was that of constructing a railroad portage around the cascades of the Columbia on the Oregon side for J. S. Ruckle, the first railroad built in Ore gon, and completed in 1862, when the locomotive pony was put upon the track, and run by Theo. A. Goffe. The steamboats Idaho and Carrie Ladd were built by him in 1859 and 1860; and in 1862 took charge of the construction of the railroad portage on the Washington side, being also placed in charge of the Dalles and Celilo railroad the following year; these roads remaining under his superintendence until 1879, when the 0. S. N. company transferred them to Villard. He located the 0. C. R. R. (west