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Francis S. Slater was reared in his parent's home and received his early education in La Grande, being graduated from the high school. In 1886 and for the succeeding three years he engaged in the general land business in this portion of the state. He later accepted the position as book keeper in the La Grande National Bank, in Union county, and continued in that occupation for several years. He was afterward-appointed deputy assessor of Union county, under John S. Clark, serving in that office for two consecutive years after which he spent one year as deputy county clerk. He then entered into the employ of the Farmers and Traders Bank at La Grande to which business he, however, only gave a portion of his time. In the fall of 1902 he accepted the position of cashier in the First national Bank, of Canyon City, Grant county, since which time he has continued to devote his entire attention to the banking business. The bank building is one of the most modern of its kind in this part of Oregon, being constructed of cut stone and furnished with modern and up-to-date deposit vaults, burglar proof safes and elegant and complete interior fittings required to accommodate the work of a complete and modern banking house.

Mr. Slater was united in marriage in 1903, to Miss Jeanette McGillis, a native of Oregon, and the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. D. McGillis. Her father was one of the pioneers of Oregon who settled at a very early date on Saurie [sic - Sauvie] Island, Multnomah county, Oregon, where he passed out of this life when Mrs. Slater was but a young girl. To Mr. and Mrs. Slater two children have been born, Francis Robert and James Gilbert, both of whom are pupils in the public school.

Mr. Slater is one of the highly esteemed citizens of Canyon City and is well known throughout his portion of the state. He is a man of strict integrity in his business transactions and has the unqualified confidence of all his business associates. He is a man thoroughly familiar with the banking business in which he has spent the largest portion of his active years and is always to be found identified with every enterprise intended to improve the business and social conditions of his county and state.

JAMES D. SLATER, who has been successfully engaged in the practice of law since his admission to the Oregon bar more than a quarter of a century ago, is a leading and well-known attorney of La Grande. His birth occurred in Corvallis, Oregon, on the 18th of October 1856, his father being James H. Slater, who figured prominently in public affairs and served as United States senator. A more extended review of him appears on another page of this work in connection with the sketch of Judge W. T. Slater, who served on the supreme bench.

James D. Slater obtained his early education in the public schools and subsequently attended the University of Oregon, at Eugene. Having determined upon the legal profession as a life work, he studied law in the offices of L. B. Cox and J. H. Turner at Pendleton, this state, and in 1883 entered Washington and Lee University of Lexington, Virginia, there completing a two years' course in one year. In June 1884, he was graduated at the head of his class with the degree of Bachelor of Laws. Returning to Oregon, he was admitted to the bar in October 1884, and has since remained in the active practice of law at La Grande. His practice is extensive and of an important character. He is remarkable among lawyers for the wide research and provident care with which he prepares his cases. At no time has his reading ever been confined to the limitations of the question at issue. It has gone beyond and compassed every contingency and provided not alone for the expected but for the unexpected, which happens in the courts quite as frequently as out of them. Since his father's demise Mr. Slater has managed the family estate in connection with his law practice.

In November 1888, Mr. Slater was united in marriage to Miss Fannie B. Hays, of Macon, Missouri, her parents being Isaac and Margaret Hayes, who, after spending some time in New York state, came to Oregon in 1885. Here Mr. Hayes devoted his attention to mercantile pursuits.

Mr. Slater gives his political allegiance to the democratic party and has served as mayor of La Grande for two terms. Fraternally his is identified with the Woodmen of the World, while in religious faith hi is an Episcopalian. His personal characteristics and social qualities are pronounced and his is an acceptable companion in any society in which intelligence is a necessary attribute to agreeableness.

He was born in Sangamon county, Illinois, in 1826, and remained there until 1849. He received a common-school education, and prepared himself for college; but, abandoning further advance in that line he concluded to try his fortunes in California, coming to the Pacific coast in 1849. After a year in California he came up the coast to Oregon, and located near Corvallis in Benton county, where he put to good use his former education by teaching public school for two years. In 1853 he made a venturesome trip to California, and was at Yreka during the Indian troubles in which General Joseph Lane took so prominent a part. he returned to Oregon the same fall. In 1854 he married Miss Elizabeth E. Grey, a daughter of Reverend R.D. Grey. Having pursued legal studies, he was admitted to the bar in the same year, and continued his occupation as clerk of the Untied States district court, to which he had been appointed in 1853. In 1862 he came to Baker county, where he engaged in mining and also in the practice of law until 1866, when he removed to La Grande, where he has since resided.

 The political history of Senator Slater may be briefly told as follows: He was elected to the territorial legislature in 1857 as an independent Democrat, and was re-elected in 1858 and at the same time elected to the first Oregon state legislature. He served in the first special sessions of that body after the admission of the state in 1859. In February of that year he began the publication of the old well-known Oregon Weekly Union at Corvallis, and continued this until the latter part of 1861, when it went into the hands pf P.J. Malone. In 1855 Mr. Slater was appointed postmaster of Corvallis, and served about three years.
In 1866 he was elected district attorney of the fourth judicial district of Oregon, and in 1868, as presidential elector on the Democratic ticket cast his vote for Seymour and Blair. In 1870 he was elected a member of the Forty-second Congress. After his return from the duties thus imposed, he resumed the practice of law at La Grande, and engaged somewhat in agriculture and stock-raising until 1878. In that year he was again called to serve his state at Washington, being elected to the United States Senate, and served the whole term of six years. In1885 he again resumed his law practice in La Grande. In 1887 he was appointed one of the railroad commissioners for the state of Oregon, and served until 1889. He is at present practicing law at his home. Mr. Slater has a family of five sons and five daughters.

While a member of the United States Senate, Mr. Slater took an active part in the discussion of the Chinese, tariff and other public questions. His speeches on the tariff attracted attention throughout the Untied States and England; and as a result he was elected an honorary member of the Cobden Club, England, in 1883. Mr. Slater is not, however, a free-trader, as that term is used, but is opposed to a tariff levied for protective purposes.

A pioneer La Grande legislator who represented Oregon in the 42nd Congress of the United States is still represented here in Union County by descendants.  He was James Harvey Slater.

Slater's last living child is 89-year-old Mrs. Ida M. Cherry, who resides with Mr. and Mrs. John R. Martin at 1104 Penn Avenue.  Mrs. Martin is her sister's daughter.  The Martin children are John A. Martin, Oak Ridge, Tennessee and Mrs. Elmer Peck, La Grande, whose children are Ronald, Libby Anne, Mary Jo and Cathy Peck.

Slater was born on a farm near Springfield, Ill., Dec. 28, 1826 and lived there until he was of age.  When the news of gold in California reached Illinois, he and Henry H. Simms joined a group headed for California to make their fortunes.  As he had no funds he drove an ox team across the plains to pay for his passage.  They camped near what is now Yuba City near Feather River and Mrs. Martin believes that their camp was called Slaterville.  Their mining adventures were disappointing, so in 1850 Slater moved to Marysville, now Corvallis.  While teaching school there he was studying law and in 1854 was appointed clerk of the District Court of the then Territory of Oregon.  That year he was admitted to the bar and married Edna Elizabeth Gray, daughter of Rev. and Mrs. Robert Gray, who had crossed the plains from Tennessee in 1853.

Adventure Beckons

Slater held several white-collar jobs and began his political career in 1857, but all the time the wilds held big adventure.  So after selling his newspaper and hearing of a mining rush to the Snake River tributaries late in 1861, he went to the placer mines in Auburn, Baker County, leaving his family in Corvallis.  It was late spring when he traveled between The Dalles and Auburn.  The snow was too deep for his horses to make any headway and he had to leave his saddle horses and pack horse at Ensign, now Starkey, going on to Auburn a foot.  He bought interest in a claim owned by Jones Bros. and Louie Rivers in Blue Canyon, to be paid for by bedrock, as was the custom in those days.  By this arrangement, a man without money bought an interest in a claim, put to work, and when bedrock was struck, paid his partners from his share of the clean-up.

In June 1864, Slater was elected prosecuting attorney of the 4th Judicial District.  During the year he went back to Corvallis to get his family.  He practiced law and mined in Auburn until late in 1865, when he decided to move his family to La Grande.  They made the trip by bobsled, stopping in at Baker, then known as Baker City, where there were only two or three houses.  They also stopped at Union.  Here they had to wait a while due to heavy snowstorms and huge drifts.  On January 5, 1866, they reached La Grande and moved into a little house at the end of what is now C Street.  He began to practice law and entered politics.

Presidential Elector

Slater in 1866 was elected prosecuting attorney for the 5th Judicial District, embracing all of Eastern Oregon north of Klamath Falls.  Also in 1866 he was admitted by the Supreme Court of Oregon to practice law before all courts of the state, including the Supreme Court.  He was also one of the Seymour-Blair presidential electors.

In 1870 Slater was elected to the 42nd Congress and took his seat March 4, 1871.  After serving his term he remained at home for a few years with his family, when he became interested in railroads, which were being developed to the north and south but not over the Blue Mountains.  He and friends decided to do something about it as the railroad was being built to Umatilla and across to Walla Walla.  As of July 27, 1877, the Columbia River and Blue Mountain Railroad Co. of La Grande was incorporated by James H. Slater, Rev. Harvey K. Hines, W. J. Snodgrass, Daniel Chapman, Micajah Baker and others.  He was elected to the U. S. Senate in 1878 serving a six-year term from March 4, 1879 to March 4, 1885.