HON. FRANKLIN MOORE.

One of One of

MOORE, HON. FRANKLIN. the leading citizens of St. Clair, Mich., a man who has lived all his life in that city and township, Franklin Moore, occupies a high social status among his fellow-citizens and is recognized by them as a public-spirited business man, ready to aid any measure for the benefit of the city.

He was born in the township of St. Clair, September 6, 1845. Up to the time he was 14 years of age he attended the public school in his district, with the exception of about two years, when he went to private schools in the city of St. Clair. After that he attended the Williston Seminary, at Easthampton, Mass., going from there to Yale College, from which institution he graduated in 1868.

Returning to Michigan he became actively engaged in the lumber business at Saginaw, until 1875. In that year he bought a farm in his native township of St. Clair, which he operated for ten years. While still engaged While still engaged in farming he purchased the St. Clair Republican and owned and edited that paper for a period of seventeen years. During this time he was twice appointed postmaster at St.

Clair; first under the administration of Presi dent Garfield, serving in all about nine years. While editor of the Republican, Mr. Moore with three other citizens joined in organizing the Diamond Crystal Salt Company, of which he was selected secretary and treasurer, and he still holds that position in this large industry.

He was elected a member of the board of education of the St. Clair city schools in 1877, and remained such until 1883. In 1894 he was again elected to this office and he is still a member of the board at the present writing. In 1896 he was elected supervisor of the first ward. He was elected on the Republican ticket in 1899 as a representative to the State Legislature.

In politics, Mr. Moore has always been a Republican, but has maintained the right of being perfectly independent in following his convictions. On the subject of taxation he has always believed that there should be no favored classes, but that everybody should bear their full burden of taxation.

June 11, 1873, Mr. Moore married Miss Emily Parmelee, daughter of William S. Parmelee, at Toledo, Ohio. Mrs. Moore died June 20, 1898, leaving four children: Laura, aged 24, who fills her mother's place in the home; Franklin Moore, Jr., aged 22, bookkeeper; Margaret, aged 20, a student in Olivet College, and Emily C., aged 15, attending school in Chicago.

Mr. Moore attends the Congregational Church, of which he is a member, and belongs to but one fraternal order, The Knights of the Maccabees.

Personally he is a quiet man, disliking controversy, and avoiding as far as possible disputing the opinions of others. This has been noticed in his editorials, but when some desirable object beneficial to his city or state is to be obtained he is a man of remarkably strong purpose. His manner of life is quiet and unobtrusive. In society or church work he does not make any effort to push himself, yet holds a leading position in both.

MOORE, HON. JUDGE JOSEPH B. Joseph B. Moore traces his ancestry back to Wales. The family came from that country at a very early date and settled in New Jersey. They took an active part in the making of the history of the United States, Mr. Moore's grandfather, Joseph B. Moore, being a soldier in the last war between this country and Great Britain.

The parents of Joseph B. Moore, the subject of the present sketch, located in Macomb county, Michigan, in 1833, and later moved into the southwestern part of Lapeer county, where the father engaged in the manufacture of household furniture and spinning-wheels.

Joseph B. Moore was born at Commerce, Oakland county, Michigan, November 3, 1845. He attended the district schools and assisted his father in his shop, and when the father bought a small sawmill the boy was given a man's work to do about the plant, and without compensation.

At the age of 18 he attended the fall term at Hillsdale College and securing a teacher's certificate, commenced teaching school at Moscow Plains. The usual difficulties that faced teachers at that time were met with by Mr. Moore, but although one of his arms had been broken shortly before he took the class, the teacher, by his firmness and tact, won over the ring-leader of the troublesome faction. The school was so successful it was continued beyond the original term. He was solicited to take charge of the school at "Rough and Ready Corners," in Wayne county, where he had a repetition of the experience at Moscow. When but 22 years old he was made principal of the village school at Walled Lake, Oakland county.

He read law while working in the sawmill with his father, and also at intervals during his teaching days. He saved up enough money to spend a year in the law department of the University of Michigan in 1868-69. On leaving the University in the latter year he was made deputy county clerk of Lapeer county. He was admitted to the bar the following year, and his first case, which

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HON. JUDGE JOSEPH B. MOORE.

was before the Circuit Court, gave him a reputation and a standing in the county. The case was a peculiar one. A dozen or more leading farmers had been swindled by a hay fork agent, and their supposed receipts for payments turned up in the shape of promissory Young Moore was the only attorney who did not have any of these notes placed in his hands for collection, and the farmers making a pool engaged him. He made his maiden speech to a jury in the Circuit Court, and the result was a disagreement of the jury, and the case was never again tried. brought many clients to the young attorney and he soon possessed a large practice.

This

O'BRIEN, HON. MICHAEL. Hon. Michael O'Brien is a Canadian by birth but has lived in Michigan nearly all his life and since 1869 has been a resident of Alpena, Michigan. He was born on a farm near Belleville, Ontario, September 18, 1852, and secured a fair education in the parochial schools of Windsor, and at the old Detroit Business College. He learned the trade of shoemaker at Windsor, and in 1868, at the age of 16 started out as a journeyman shoemaker, working first at Trenton, and then in Lexington, Michigan. His father, Patrick O'Brien, for years an attache of the Windsor postoffice, died March 14, 1869, leaving the mother with six children without any other means of support than that furnished by the eldest boy, Michael. In July, 1869, Michael found work in Alpena, Michigan, with John W. Creighton, and in 1872 brought his mother and the children to that city and supported the family with his earnings. In 1874 he started in the

shoe business on his own account and was on the road to success when fire destroyed his store and stock in 1876. He was forced to go back to his bench and commence all over again.

In 1880 he was elected county clerk on the Democratic ticket, and returned to this office four times on the same ticket. While county clerk he took up the study of law and was admitted to the bar in 1887.

In 1889 he purchased the law and abstract business of the late J. B. Newton, and entered into partnership with W. T. Sleator in the same month. In 1890 he was elected mayor of the city of Alpena and his administration was one of the best that city ever had. During his term the beautiful Central High School of Alpena was built and paid for, at a cost of $40,000, and many other valuable improvements were made. He was re-elected Mayor in the spring of 1900.

Mr. O'Brien is a stockholder and a director in the Alpena Building & Loan Association, a director in the Alpena County Savings Bank, secretary and director of the Alpena Land Improvement Company, and a director

HON. MICHAEL O'BRIEN.

of the Alpena Business Men's Association. He has been prominently identified with many progressive associations, namely, the Alpena branch of the National Loan & Investment Company, of which he was secretary; president of the Citizens' Association and Law and Order League.

Beside attending to his present business of real estate and loans, and his profession as attorney-at-law, Mr. O'Brien finds time to devote to his political party. He has been the Democratic chairman of the judicial committee of the Twenty-sixth District, and also a member of the Democratic congressional committee of the Tenth District. Fraternally he associates with the Catholic Mutual Benefit Association, Ancient Order of Hibernians, Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, U. L. G., and C. T. A. S.

During his career in this state, for over a quarter of a century, Mr. O'Brien has seen Alpena grow from a small village to a modern city. He is a member of the Catholic Church.

He married Mary A., daughter of Mark Coppinger, at Bay City, Michigan, November 28, 1882.