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JOHN MILLER KNIGHT
JOHN MILLER KNIGHT, the pioneer wholesale and retail dealer in millinery of Des Moines, established business in this city in 1865, in company with his brother, R. A. Knight, under the firm name of Knight Bros., wholesale and retail dealers in dry-goods and millinery. That connection continued until 1875, when our subject became the sole proprietor, and has since continued alone in business.
Mr. Knight was born in Dammerston, Windham County, Va., on the 28th of August, 1836, and is the son of the Hon. Asa and Susan (Miller) Knight. His father was the son of Joel and Esther Knight, and was born in Dammerston, Vt., February 28, 1793. The Knight family was founded in America about 1730 by two brothers who emigrated from England and settled in Worchester, Mass. The first native-born American of the family was Jonathan Knight, Sr., great-grandfather of our subject, who was born in Worcester, Mass., January 3, 1732, and married Tamas Russell,by whom he had several children. His death occurred March 13, 1819, in the eighty-eighth years of his age. His son Joel, is the grandfather of John M.
Hon. Asa Knight, on the 1st of May, 1822, was united in marriage with Miss Susan Miller, a daughter of John and Polly (Davenport) Miller, and a native of Dammerston. She was born October 22, 1796, and died in July, 1885, at the age of eighty-nine years. She was of Scotch descent, and her family was noted among the early Colonists of New England, who dated their settlement from 1660. Mrs. Miller is of the sixth generation from Lew Miller, who was born in Edinburg, Scotland, in 1613. The second in descent was James Miller, son of the above, who was born in Edinburg in 1640. His son, Isaac Miller, was born in Charlestown, Mass., and Isaac Miller, Jr., born in concord, Mass., in 1708, was of the fourth generation. John Miller was the fifth in direct descent and was born in Dammerston, Vt., in 1751. He was the father of Susan Knight and the grandfather of the subject of this sketch. The Miller family of Vermont numbered many influential citizens of that State among its members, and especially were they pominently connected with the history of Dammerston.
The Hon. Asa Knight was a prominent and leading citizen of his native town, where he followed merchandising as a vocation. In 1824 he removed with his family to Newfane, of the same State, where he served several years as Deputy Sheriff. In 1830 he was elected to the Vermont Legislature and being twice re-elected, served until 1836. During the years of 1834, 1835, and 1836, he was Judge of the Probate Court, and discharged the duties of that office with ability and fidelity.
We now come to the immediate history of our subject. John Miller Knight received an academic education, and was initiated into the mysteries of mercantile life in his father's store, which he entered when but twelve years of age. Afterward he sold dry-goods in Brattleboro, Vt., eight years for fisher & Haven, after which he emigrated to Des Moines, Iowa, in 1863, via Marshalltown, Iowa, then the end of the railroad, and from there to Des Moines by stage, there being no railroad into Des Moines at that time. The population of Des Moines was then about five thousand. In
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May, 1864, he joined quite a party bound for the gold mines of Montana and Idaho, equipped with ox teams and Indian ponies, and taking a stock of miner's merchandise. They took the North Platte route through the Sioux county. The Sioux Indians were very treacherous, and on the war path at that time, and but for the fact that they had cattle, would have had trouble, but they only wanted horses and mules. At South Pass they took what was known as the Sanders' cut-off on the Oregon Trail, being one hundred and nineteen days in reaching Virginia City, Mont. The mining interests of that region were then attracting much attention, but the Indians were hostile and traveling was hazardous. From Virginia City Mr. Knight made his way to what is now Helena, but was then known as "the last chance gulch," where placer gold mining was the attraction. But two houses had been built at that time. Mr. Knight erected several others, and also engaged in prospecting. One year later he went to Salt Lake City, where he spent the winter, and in 1865 he returned to Des Moines. On his return the party was attacked by the Sioux Indians near Ft. Bridge, and lost some stock. Arriving at Denver, Col., then a small town, he took the stage for Des Moines, a distance of seven hundred and fifty miles. On reaching Des Moines he purchased the interest of C. W. Keyes, of the firm of Keyes & Knight, and engaged in the wholesale and retail dry-goods and millinery business, under the firm name of Knight Bros., near the corner of Fourth Street and Court Avenue, where he remained until 1880,when he removed to No. 227 Fourth Street, his present place of business.
At Niagara Falls, N.Y., on the 4th of September, 1873, Mr. Knight wedded Miss Ellen Frances Rice, who was born in Massachusetts, and removed to New York with her parents in childhood. Her father was Dr. W. B. Rice, and she is a niece of Judge Byron Rice, of Des Moines. Four children have been born unto them, three daughters and a son; the last named, John Rice, died at the age of a year and a half. The daughters are Frances R., Susan and Helen.
In politics Mr. Knight is a Democrat, as his father was before him, but he has never desired public office, as his business requires his undivided attention. The great brotherhood of Masons claims him as a member, and he still retains his membership in Golden Rule Lodge, No. 32, A.F. & A.M., of Putney, Vt., also in Ft. Dummer Chapter, R.A.M., of Brattleboro, Vt., and is a member of Temple Commandery, K.T., of Des Moines. He is the oldest established wholesale and retail dealer in millinery in this city, his operations in that line covering a period of a quarter of a century. During all these years of business and social intercourse with the people of Des Moines and vicinity, Mr. Knight has won a reputation for integrity, fair and upright business methods, and a genial, courteous manner that has secured him a host of warm and tried friends.
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MARK E. GLIDDEN
MARK E. GLIDDEN, attorney at-law, of Des Moines, was born in St. Albans, Somerset County, Me., December 8, 1859, and is a son of Calvin S. and Olive (Stewart) Glidden. His family on both sides dates its origin in America back to the early settlement of the New England Colonies. His father's ancestors came with that historic party on the "Mayflower," while his mother's people were only a few generations later.
Almost the entire life of our subject has been passed in this State, having been brought by his parents to Iowa, in 1862, when only three years old. The family settled in Winneshiek County, where Mark was reared, and where he received his primary education in the district schools. Later he attended the high school in Winona, Minn., from which he was graduated, in the class of 1881. He then entered Williams College, at Williamstown, Mass., and after a four years course was graduated from that institution, in the class of 1885. He then came to Des Moines and engaged in the study of law, under the direction of J. K. Macomber, the present county attorney, and was admitted to the bar in May, 1888, since which time he has been in active practice at Des Moines. His ability, both natural and acquired, are such as to command
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respect and attract attention, and he is recognized as a young lawyer of much promise and superior culture. He is quick in thought, his arguments are logical and convincing, and ere many years have passed he will no doubt occupy a prominent place at the Polk County bar. In political sentiment he is a supporter of the Republican party.
Mr. Glidden lost his parents when young, his father dying when Mark was but nine years of age, and the mother when he was a lad of sixteen. He lost a brother during the late war, but has four sisters yet living.
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WILLIAM TUTTLE CARPENTER
HON. WILLIAM TUTTLE CARPENTER, Mayor of Des Moines, was born in Columbiana County, Ohio, on the 5th of October, 1841, his parents being James H. and Ann Carpenter. HIs father was born in Lancaster, Pa., in 1815, and in 1844, removed to Pittsburg, where he was engaged in manufacturing for ten years, when he became a resident of Dubuque County, Iowa, where he pursued the occupation of farming. Later he went with his family to Black Hawk County, where he and his wife still reside. The subject of this sketch was a lad of thirteen years when he accompanied the family to Iowa. He was educated in Epworth Seminary, and at the Pittsburg High School, an don the 22d of August, 1862, enlisted as a member of Company G, 32d Iowa Infantry, of which he was commissioned Second Lieutenant, and later promoted to be Adjutant. His service was principally in the West, and led to his participation in the following named battles: that of Cape Girardeau, Mo., Bayou Meto, Ft. De Russey, Pleasant Hill, Crucheryville, Bayou La Moier, Marksville, Yellow Bayou, Tupelo, Miss., Nashville, Tenn., Old Town Creek, and Ft. Blakely, Mo. He was mustered out August 25, 1865, having faithfully served his country for three years. During his long service in the malarial districts of Arkansas and Louisiana, his health became seriously impaired and it was not until three years had elapsed after his return to the North, that he fully recovered.
Mr. Carpenter was married on the 26th of September, 1865, to Miss Estella C. Dickerson, the wedding being celebrated in Dubuque, Iowa. The lady was born in Columbia County, N.Y., and a daughter of the Rev. Josiah Dickerson. By their union have been born nine children, seven sons and two daughters——William McKindon, James Sampson, George Erasmus, Edwin Stanton, Lockwood Dickerson, Hamilton, Estella Ann, Mary Frances, and Donald Scroggy. Soon after his marriage, Mr. Carpenter engaged in farming near Waterloo, Iowa, and became an active member of the Grange. He was elected Secretary and Purchasing Agent of the State Grange, and held that position from 1875 until 1878. In 1875 he came to Des Moines and established a barb wire factory in opposition to a combination that controlled the manufacture and sale of that article. He manufactured for the Grange, and successfully carried on the business until 1887.
In political sentiment, Mr. Carpenter was a supporter of the Republican party until 1872, when he joined the Independent movement, and has since worked with the opposition. He was the Democratic candidate for Congress in 1886, and though defeated,had the satisfaction of knowing that he ran three hundred votes ahead of his party ticket. In March, 1888, he was elected Mayor in a Republican city, and has proved a competent and faithful officer. During Mr. Carpenter's administration, substantial and extensive improvements have been projected and carried forward to a successful completion. Socially, he is a member of Crocker Post, No. 12, G.A.R.; Home Lodge, No. 370 A.F. & A.M.; the Ancient Order of United Workmen; and the V.A.S., all of Des Moines. Mr. and Mrs. Carpenter are members of the Wesleyan Methodist Episcopal Church, of East Des Moines.
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DAVID NORRIS
DAVID NORRIS, a retired farmer of Des Moines has resided in Polk County since the Territorial days of Iowa, his residence dating from 1845. He was born in Frederick County, Md., on the 3d of August, 1801, and is at the present writing in his eighty-
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ninth year. HIs father, George Norris, was a native of Scotland, but when an infant, was brought by his parents to America. He was a miller by trade, and in the prime of life was injured by a water-wheel of the mill so seriously, that death resulted. His wife was in her maidenhood Miss Julia Ann Logan, and her family was of German descent. She survived her husband about forty years, and cared for her children until they were able to earn their own livelihood and depend upon their own resources. The family consisted of six children, three sons and three daughters, but only three are now living: Maria, now Mrs. Beck, is a resident of Dayton, Ohio; William died a number of years ago; George, who is also deceased; Mrs. Harriet Snyder is a resident of Dayton, Ohio; Charlotte, who became the wife of Mr. Motto, died in Dayton.
Our subject spent the days of his boyhood and youth upon his father's farm, and throughout his business career followed agricultural pursuits. His mother removed to Dayton, when he was a child, and in Montgomery County, Ohio, on the 23d of September, 1828, having attained to mature years, he was united in marriage with Miss Catherine Hilderbrand, a native of Allegheny County, Ohio, in an early day. In 1839, Mr. Norris and his wife became residents of Johnson County, Ind., where they dwelt until becoming residents of Polk County, Iowa, in the year 1845. The first settlement which Mr. Norris made was at Saylor Grove, on what is now the county farm. He improved that place, and made it his home for ten years, when he sold out and removed to the city of Des Moines. He obtained the position of crier in the county, State, Supreme and United States Courts, which position he held for years, but resigned the three first-named when, in 1868, he resumed farm labor. He purchased land in Bloomfield Township, on which he lived until 1884, when in consequence of his advanced age, he could no longer operate his farm, and, selling out, returned to Des Moines. He purchased his land for %50 per acre, and on disposing of it sold at an increase of $100 per acre. He was one of the leading agriculturists of this section of the State, and, possessing all the elements essential to success, his career as a farmer was a prosperous one. Although he resigned his position as caller in three courts, he filled that position in the United States Court until 1888, covering a period of thirty-two years. He is one of the oldest and one of the earliest citizens of Des Moines, and is respected and esteemed by all who know him. He has led a useful and upright life, and may now look back over the past with no regret for unimproved opportunities and time illy spent.
The family of Mr. and Mrs. Norris includes only two children, daughters: Elizabeth, who is now the widow of Benjamin Saylor, and Eve, wife of Thomas Gnadle.
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DANIEL B. REES
DANIEL B. REES, M.D., of Des Moines, was born in Vermillion County, Ill., May 19, 1824, and is the son of Thomas and Sarah (Haworth) Rees. His father, a Virginian by birth, removed to Clinton, Ohio, in early life, and was there married, after which he engaged in farming. Later he left the Buckeye State and became a resident of White River, Ind., whence, in 1820, he removed to Vermillion County, Ill. He was one of the earliest pioneers of that region and continued to make his home in that county until 1846, when he emigrated with his family to Polk County, Iowa, using ox-teams and wagons as a means of transportation. Arriving in Polk County on the 1st of June of that year, they found Iowa's capital to be a small military post called Ft. Des Moines. Mr. Rees settled on what was subsequently known as the "six mile strip," which, in January, 1853, was separated from Polk County and attached to Warren County. The death of his wife occurred in 1848, and he subsequently married Lydia Henshaw. He continued his residence on the claim which he had made for a period of twelve years, when he went to Kansas. Three years later he returned to Iowa and settled near Stuart, Guthrie County, where he passed the latter years of his life, his death occurring in 1863. By his first marriage were born six children, three sons and three daughters, but Dr. Rees and two sisters are the only
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surviving ones. The eldest of these, Sidney Smith, married John Pearson, of Ohio. they came to Iowa in 1846, settled in Polk County, where they lived for about twenty years, then moved to Guthrie County, Iowa, where Mr. Pearson died about 1876. His widow as again married and now resides in Stuart, Iowa. Martha Rees, three years younger than the Doctor, married James W. Dowell, February 3, 1848, and now lives in Des Moines, Iowa.
Doctor Rees came to Iowa, with his parents, in June, 1846. Having received a common school education, he entered upon the study of medicine and was graduated from the Eclectic Medical College, of Cincinnati, Ohio, in the class of 1859. Previous to that time, however, he studied two years with Dr. Beck, of Palmyra, Iowa. On receiving his degree he at once entered upon the active duties of his profession in Guthrie County, continuing in that field until 1864, when he removed to Palmyra, Warren County, of the same State, where he spent fourteen years in successful practice. Coming to Des Moines at the expiration of that time, he has since been actively employed in professional work in this city.
On the 2nd of February, 1848, in Polk County, Dr. Rees was united in holy bonds of matrimony with Miss Mary S. Edgerton, a native of Grant County, Ind., and a daughter of William Edgerton. Her father died while she was yet a child, and in 1847, she accompanied her brother and family to Polk County. The Doctor and his wife have five living children and have lost four, three dying in infancy, the other reaching womanhood. S. Calvin, the eldest, married Miss Lula Harris, and is engaged in farming in Fremont County, Iowa; William W. married Miss Emma Snow, and is a druggist of Schuyler, Colfax County, Neb.; Celissa J., wife of Hiram Griffin, died in May, 1875; Lewis A. is engaged in the drug business in Hamburg, Fremont County, Iowa; Della Celesta is the wife of Louis Sheldahl, of Des Moines; Ivie E. is a teacher in the city schools, and makes her home with her parents. Mrs. Rees and family attend the Congregational Church.
In politics, Dr. Rees is a Republican, but has never sought political preferment. After coming to Des Moines, he took a post graduate course in Kings's Eclectical Medical College, graduating in 1884. He is professor of Theory and Practice in the Iowa Eclectic Medical College, of Des Moines, and has filled that chair for the past three years. He is a member of the Iowa State Eclectic Medical Society, of which he has served as Vice-President, and is also a member of the National Eclectic Medical Society. The Doctor has now been engaged in active practice in Des Moines for twelve years, having his office at No. 422 East Sixth Street, and residence at No. 1209 Lyon Street. He is recognized as a physician and surgeon of superior ability, and is a gentlemen of culture. His skill in his profession and close application to business have won him an extensive and lucrative practice, which is well merited.
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EDWIN H. CARTER
EDWIN H. CARTER, Physician and Surgeon, was born in Prince William County, Va., July 9, 1836. His father, Rhodam C. Carter, and his grandfather, John Carter, were born in the same place. His great-grandfather, Nathan Carter, emigrated from London and settled in Prince William County, where he became a planter. Rhodam was born August 6, 1806, and in 1826 married Miss Lucy, daughter of William Hulitt, a native of Virginia, whose wife, Margery Ball, belonged to a noted family of Virginia. Both the Doctor's grandfathers served in the War of 1812-15.
In 1847, Rhodam C. with his family removed to and settled on a farm in Henry County, Iowa. Subsequently he removed to Afton, Iowa, where Mr. Carter died January 1, 1881, when in the seventy-sixth year of his age. Mrs. Carter, who was born in Virginia, September 26, 1808, died December 25, 1888. They were the parents of five sons and five daughters who grew to maturity, and eight of that number are living in 1890, viz.: Levi, Elizabeth, Ranzel, Rhodam S., Edwin H., Harriet, Maria and Juda. The deceased are Margery, the second daughter and fifth child, who died at the age of eighteen years; and Allen, the
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youngest son. The latter enlisted during the late war in the Fourth Iowa Cavalry, was taken prisoner at the battle of Pea Ridge, Ark., an died while in captivity at Little Rock, his death having been caused by exposure and exhaustion.
Dr. Carter, while in his native State, attended the primitive schools of that day, in which he obtained the rudiments of an education. Soon after sunrise school was called, and throughout the day until sunset the strictest attention and diligence were required by the teacher, who was employed by the year, and an infraction of the rules was sure to provoke speedy and summary punishment. In that day the methods of imparting instruction were crude, and the text books were remarkably ambiguous to the scholars. School apparatus was unknown, and the schoolhouses were marvels of architectural ugliness and discomfort, and taken altogether, an excellent illustration is afforded of the wonderful contrast that exists in the school systems of the past and present.
As a farmer boy, though only eleven years old when his parents settled in Iowa, Dr. Carter performed nearly all the duties of a farm hand during the summer, and attended school during the winter. Thus his life was passed to his eighteenth year, at which age he forever abandoned the farm life. During the next seven or eight years he attended school and taught alternately, becoming a successful and proficient instructor.
In the spring o f 1862, our subject entered the office of Dr. William Molesworth, of Des Moines, and commenced the study of medicine. After a thorough course of office instruction, he matriculated at the Eclectic Medical institute of Cincinnati, Ohio, from which college he was graduated on the 15th of February, 1865. Returning to Des Moines, he formed a partnership with his former preceptor, and actively engaged in the practice of medicine.
During the winter of 1868-69 Dr. Carter took a course of study in the University Medical College of New York City. Returning again to Des Moines, he has continued in the active practice of medicine and surgery to the present time. In 1868 he was one of the few who organized the Iowa State Eclectic Medical Society, in which he successively held the offices of Corresponding Secretary, Recording Secretary, Treasurer and President.
In Des Moines, January 21, 1875, the Doctor married Miss Amanda Richmond, a native of Ohio. They have one child, Edwin Richmond, who was born May 20, 1877. In 1881 Dr. Carter assisted in organizing the Medical Department of Drake University, which opened its first course of lectures January 10, 1882. During the first term he was Professor of Surgery, and for four succeeding terms taught the theory and practice of medicine, and from the opening of the school to the end of the fifth term was Dean of the Faculty. At the close of the fifth term he resigned his positions in the college, and again gave his undivided attention to the practice of his profession. For a quarter of a century Dr. Carter has practiced medicine in Des Moines and vicinity, and has come in contact with every form of disease to which this climate is subject. As a physician and surgeon, he stands in the front rank of the fraternity of Polk County. He is a close student, a keen observer and is thoroughly devoted to his profession. An affable and social gentleman, he enjoys a wide circle of acquaintances, and commands the respect of all whom he meets. He takes a lively interest in the world's progress, and bears no small share in promoting the growth and best interests of his home city and State.
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GEORGE THOMAS CARPENTER
GEORGE THOMAS CARPENTER is the present Chancellor of Drake University. On a farm in Nelson County, Ky., on the 4th of March, 1834, was born one of the ablest educators of which Iowa can boast——G. T. Carpenter, A.M., L.L.D., F.A.S. He springs from a line of farmers on both sides. His paternal grandfather, Michael Carpenter, left his home in Germany when a youth, crossed the Atlantic and settled in Kentucky, where he was married and reared a family of children. One of his sons, Judge Carpenter, figured prominently in the politics of that State; another, Thomas by name, chose farming as his vocation, but as he was just entering upon the
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most active and useful period of his life, he was called to that land whence no traveler returns. He was the father of Chancellor Carpenter, and at his death left a wife and two sons to mourn his loss. One of the latter, the subject of this sketch, was born after the father's death. The children were George T. and Prof. William J. Carpenter, of California. Their mother, whose maiden name was Mary Kurtz, belonged to one of the old and respected families of Pennsylvania, and was a daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth (Enlow) Kurtz. Her father, as his name would indicate, was of German extraction. Her mother was a cousin of Abraham Lincoln. Seven years after the death of Thomas Carpenter, t=his widow married Jacob Juffaker, and with him removed to Bureau County, Ill., in 1842, where a home was made and four more children added to the family.
Subjected to the hardships and privations incident to the settling of a new country, our subject made the most of his opportunities, which at best were few in his earlier days. However, manliness, a strong determination to succeed, and an honorable, upright course, marked his boyhood efforts and his rapid advancement in the district schools warranted his attending Princeton Academy, then under the management of Prof. James Smith, a deacon in the church of Owen Lovejoy, whose brother died a martyr to the principles of freedom of speech and of the press. During his academic course Mr. Carpenter supported himself largely by manual labor, one of the tasks performed and now on record being "fifteen cords of wood sawed for Mr. Lovejoy's church." His religious training was not neglected in his education. Both parents were at one time members of the Baptist Church, but becoming convinced that the teachings of the Church of Christ were in harmony with the New Testament plan of salvation, the mother united with that denomination and was a firm and faithful member until death. Mr. Carpenter was baptized near Dover, Ill., and united with the same church. The following year he came to Iowa and taught his first school in Greenbush, Warren County, where he also made his first effort to preach the Gospel. Having returned to Illinois, he taught for two terms in his home district, receiving an advance in salary for the second term and a promise of a still greater increase if he would accept the position for a third term. A desire to better prepare himself for an educator led him to decline the offer and enter Abingdon College, from which he was graduated in the class of '59. His standing as a student is best shown by the fact that at the completion of both his academic and collegiate course he was employed as tutor in the classics. In connection with his literary researches, he had been making a close study of the Bible, and the same year of his graduation he was ordained to the Christian ministry.
Prof. Carpenter was now ready to enter upon a business career. For two years he was engaged in preaching and teaching in Winterset, Iowa, when, in 1861, he and his brother were called to open and conduct Oskaloosa College, with which he was connected for the succeeding twenty years, the greater part of the time as its President. He was one of the most proficient instructors ever in charge of that school, and under his able management the college soon took rank among the best institutions of the kind in the State. Mr. Carpenter has been entrusted with some responsible positions in the fields of education, politics and finance. For many years he was editor-in-chief of the Christian Evangelist; in 1873 he was appointed United States Honorary Commissioner to the World's Fair in Vienna, Austria, and is now President of the Merchants' and Banker's Insurance Company, besides being interested in other business enterprises. It is often said that college professors know not enough about business affairs to furnish their own tables, but if this be true, Chancellor Carpenter is a marked exception to the general rule, as he can analyze business propositions as accurately as he can a sentence in Greek.
For a companion in life Mr. Carpenter chose Miss Henrietta T. Drake, a lady of splendid accomplishments and a native of Ft. Madison, Iowa. She is a daughter of Judge John A. Drake, of Drakeville, Iowa, so widely and favorably known throughout the State. Of the four children born of their union three are graduates of the Drake University——John D., the eldest, is assistant secretary
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of the Merchants' and Bankers Insurance Company; Mary A. is assistant editor of the Christian Oracle, published at Chicago; Henrietta D., a graduate of the Boston School of Oratory, is the teacher of elocution and calisthenics in Drake University; and Jennie is at home.
Monuments are generally erected to the memory of men who have passed away, but chancellor Carpenter has erected his own monument, but not one that alone commemorates his noble deeds. This magnificent structure is nothing less than Drake University. To Mr. Carpenter more than to any other one man is the establishment and rapid growth of that splendid institution due. For many years it had been the cherished hope to found a school worthy the name of university, but not until 1880 did the opportunity present itself. With the assistance of Elder D. R. Lucas, and others, the school was founded in 1881, and in honor of Gen. F. M. Drake, of Centerville, Iowa, the princely donor, it was named Drake University. The city of Des Moines was selected as the site for the school on account of its central location, its beauty and its general healthfulness. Upon the establishment of the school, Mr. Carpenter was chosen Chancellor, and to his assistance were called educators of ability and reputation. It may be truly said that no institution in the State has a stronger faculty than Drake University. Though in its infancy, it embraces eight colleges——College of Letters and Science, Bible College, Business College, College of Music, Art School, Normal School, Law College, and College of Medicine and Pharmacy. In the several departments there are more than fifty instructors, and the enrollment for the year 1888-89 reached seven hundred and forty. Drake University is under the control of the Christian Church, but built on a broad and liberal foundation, it throws wide its doors to all of whatever sex, nation or belief. The success of this institution is a flattering compliment to its chancellor.
Mr. Carpenter has taken some interest in great political questions, especially on the subject of Prohibition. In 1879, he was unanimously nominated by the Prohibition Convention assembled in Cedar Rapids for Governor of the State of Iowa, but he declined the honor, as it would lead him from his chosen calling. HIs authorship is limited to lectures and numerous letters, interesting and ably written, on the subjects concerning his tour through Europe; a small work entitled "The Bible vs Spritualism," and the "Destiny of the Wicked," a book of some six hundred pages, being a joint discussion between himself and the Rev. John Hughs, Universalist.
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JAMES GAMBLE DAY
 HON. JAMES GAMBLE DAY, late Chief Justice of Iowa, and a member of the law firm of Phillips, Day & Crosby, of Des Moines, was born in Jefferson County, Ohio, on the 28th of June, 1832, and is a son of George and Sarah Day. The family is of English Descent, and was founded in America during the early history of our country. George Day, Father of our subject was a native of Maryland, whence in early life he removed to Ohio, where he became acquainted with and married Miss Sarah Gamble, a native of Lycoming County, Pa., of Irish extraction.
In his native State our subject spent the days of his boyhood and youth, his early life being unmarked by any event of special importance. HIs literary education was received in Richmond Academy, after which he entered the Cincinnati Law School, being graduated from that institution in the class of '57. Immediately after receiving his degree he came to Iowa, settling in Afton, Union County, in the spring. He at once opened a law office, and carried on a successful legal business until 1860, when he removed to Sidney, Fremont County. He was but fairly launched in practice at that place when the late war broke out, and in the fall of 1861 he left his home to enter the service as Lieutenant of Company F, Fifteenth Iowa Infantry. For meritorious conduct he was promoted to the rank of Captain, and participated in many of the hard fought battle of the war. At the battle of Shiloh, on the 6th of April, 18623, he received a gun shot wound in the hip, which caused him to resign his commission in September following.
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While on the field at Corinth, Capt. Day was nominated by the Republicans for the office of Judge of the District Court, and was elected in the fall of 1862, following his return from the war. The ability with which he discharged his duties led to his re-election, and he served on the bench of the district court until June, 1870, when he resigned to accept the appointment of Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Iowa, to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of Chief Justice George C. Wright, who had been elected to the United States Senate. Capt. Day was nominated for the position at a convention held previous to his appointment, and was elected Chief Justice in the fall of 1870, and by re-elections filled that office until January 1, 1884, covering a period of thirteen years. In the fall previous he had been a candidate for the election, but was defeated on account of a celebrated opinion rendered by him in regard to the prohibition amendment to the Iowa State Constitution, which was adopted in 1882. Without regard to personal or political sentiment, Judge Day declared, as a lawyer, that the amendment had not been legally ratified. He held that the amendment could be properly established, and that the delay necessary to that end was a less misfortune than the violation of the constitution. In this he was sustained by the sound legal voice of the State, but popular will triumphed over legal methods.
On retiring from the office of Chief Justice, Judge Day removed to Des Moines and formed the existing partnership with Judge William Phillips, since which time he has been actively engaged in the practice of his profession. The firm of Phillips & Day was formed January 1, 1884, and is recognized as one of the leading law firms of the State. Since the admission of W. B. Crosby to partnership, in December, 1889, the style of the firm has been Phillips, Day & Crosby.
On the 1st of December, 1857, in Jefferson County, Ohio, a marriage ceremony united the destinies of James Gamble Day and Minerva C. Manley, who now for almost a third of a century have traveled life's journey together. The lady was born in Allegheny City, Pa., but in early childhood accompanied her father, Joshua Manley, Esq., to Jefferson County, Ohio. Seven children, six sons and a daughter, grace their union, while an infant son lies sleeping in the churchyard. Curtis L., the first born,w as graduated from the Iowa City College and Law School, and is now a practicing attorney of Omaha; George, who was graduated from Tabor College, of Tabor, Iowa, and from the law department of the State University, married Miss Sarah Brown, and is now engaged in practice as a partner of his elder brother; Mary, the only daughter, who is also a graduate of Tabor College, is the wife of Edmond B. Edgar, an attorney of Redfield, S.D.; Charles M., also a Tabor College graduate, married Miss Annie Davenport, and is one of the editors of the Sioux Falls Argus Leader; Harry B., who was educated in the Ames Agricultural College, making a special study of electrical engineering, was graduated in the class of '89, and is now residing in Des Moines, where he is employed as an electrician; Edwin S. and James G. are students in the Des Moines University; and John Matthew, the youngest, died in infancy.
Judge Day and his wife are members of the Presbyterian Church. In politics, the Judge is a stanch Republican, and socially, is a member of Crocker Post, No. 12, G.A.R., and the Loyal Legion of the United States. As a jurist he ranks among the best of the profession in Iowa, and his opinions, which are the result of careful investigation and based on a thorough knowledge of law, are always received with confidence and respect in court or council. Candid and sincere by nature, and possessed of a genial, courteous manner, Judge Day wins and holds a firm place in the hearts of the best people with whom he comes in contact either in business or social intercourse.
A portrait of Judge Day is presented on another page of this volume.
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