142 KEPEESENTATIVE MEN OF OREGON.
was one of the founders, and for years a director and liberal supporter, of the Portland Academy and a warm fiiend of the Willamette University at Salem, of which he is one of the trustees. His liberality is proverbial and many of our young men have occasion to thank him for substantial aid in securing an education. The Presbyterian church, of which himself and family are members, , has received almost princely contributions from his purse, and scarcely a church or chapel of that denomination in Oregon, Washiufton or Idaho Territory has been started without assistance from his liberal store. He has also rendered efficient aid to the Methodist de- nomination, in which his early manhood was spent. He has been a friend to the Young Men's Christian Association and the Portland Library, having for years provided them with elegant and commodious quarters free of charge. Mr. Ladd's enterprise and energy has not been wholly confined to his banking business, he having beeu a bold and successful originator and operjitor in enterprises outside of the regular banking routine. He is the senior member of the banking flnu of Ladd & Bush, at Salem, was, from its early organization, a heavy stockholder and director of the O. S. N. Com- pany, as well as a director in the Oregon City Woolen Slills and the Salem Flouring Mills Company. A gentleman of his intelligence and enterprise is necessarily sought after by his fellow citizens to fill positions of public trust. He has, however, invariably declined a(5cepting any pul>lic office other than those involving usefulness, without regard to public honors or emoluments. He has held the position of Mayor of Portland, and his name has repeatedly been mentioned as a suitable one to place on the Congres- sional ticket, but he has persistently refused to enter the arena of political strife. During the war he was a staiinch war Democrat, and has since ex- ercised his right of voting his own ticket, although in national matters he has of late years sided with the Republicans. Such is a brief outline of the history of a man whose active and enterprising spirit, sound business saga- city, open-handed liberality, pronounced Christian character, and love of the beautiful and useful in nature and art, has contributed largely to mold the character of a city of 30,000 souls, and lay deep and broad m a great measure the commercial honor, political virtue, enlightened education and Christian principles of our youu ;■ and growing commonwealth. A hospita- ble man, it affords him pleasure to entertain his friends beneath his own roof, and his acknowledged wealth does not prevent his greeting the poor man just as sincerely and heartily as he does the railroad magnate or the merchant prince. All honor to such men say we, and it is with pride that we point to Hon. W. S. Ladd as one of the " Representative men of our State," for as such he reflects credit and honor upon us, and we regard and esteem him as one of our most honorable and upright citizens.
MATTHEW P. DEADY.
In the brief space which our limits compel us to allot to sketches of our representative men, it is impossible to do justice to the life, the character or the labors of the distinguished gentleman whose name heads this article. Little more, therefore, vnll be attempted than to allude to the more promi^
