BRUCE. BRUCE. 85 Western Investment Company, and also a director in the Merchants National Bank, Lawrence. He was a member of the board of aldermen of the city of Lawrence in 1884, mayor of the city in 1886, and re- elected in 1887. ALEXANDER B. BRUCE. Mr. Bruce is essentially a self-made man, having by his own individual efforts risen from comparative obscurity to a most prom- inent place among the leading business men of Lawrence. He has twice served the city as chief executive, an honor sel- dom conferred upon one so young, and was eminently successful in administering the duties of that office. He has always been a staunch Democrat in politics, but his election in both instances has been secured by the votes of the business men of Law- rence, regardless of party lines. BRUCE, George Anson, son of Nathaniel and Lucy (Butterfield) Bruce, was born in Mount Vernon, Hillsborough county, N. H., November 19, 1839. He fitted for college at the Appleton Academy, Mount Vernon, N. H., and was graduated from Dartmouth in the class of 1 86 1. He immediately began the study of law. In 1862 he entered the service of the Federal army as 1st lieutenant, 13th New Hampshire volunteers, served as aid, judge advocate, inspector and assistant adjutant general on staff duty. He served through the war, and was mustered out of service, July 3, 1865. He returned home, scarred, but victori- ous, and honored by three distinct brevet promotions. The first was for service at Petersburg in 1S64; the second, that of major, for gallant conduct at the capture of Fort Harrison the same year, and the third, that of lieutenant-colonel, for dis- tinguished services in connection with the capture of Richmond, April 3, 1865. After his return to civil life, Mr. Bruce en- tered again into the study of the law, under the direction of his old preceptors in Low- ell, but kept his residence at Mount Vernon, N. H. In the spring of 1866 he was elect- ed to the Legislature of New Hampshire, an event peculiarly creditable to his stand- ing in the community, as he was the first and only Republican ever elected from that district. Admitted to the bar at Lowell, October, 1866, he began the practice of his pro- GEORGE A, BRUCE fession in Boston in 1867. There he has since established himself in a most honor- able place among the leaders of the legal fraternity, securing a large clientage and lucrative practice. He continued to reside in Boston until 1874, when he removed to
