Page:Pen Pictures of Representative Men of Oregon.djvu/42

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REPRESENTATIVE MEN OF OREGON.

uty United States Marshal under Mr. Alvord, which he accepted, and was literally given entire charge of the office. The faithfulness and efficiency with which he discharged the duties of that office is a matter of history. It became necessary for Mr. McConnell to visit the Eastern States during the summer of 1866, and his departure was announced by a Boise City paper as having already taken place. Business matters, however, detained him a couple of days, during which time the editor of the "Idaho World" made an infamous assault upon his standing and character through the columns of that paper. Mr. McConnell had already started on his trip, but was overtaken by a friend and his attention called to the article. Not wishing to leave the Territory with even the shadow of a stain on his character, he at once returned to Idaho City to settle the matter. The result of that settlement is also an interesting scrap in the early history of that Territory. Mr. McConnell, having been detained several weeks in the final settlement of this matter, and the time having nearly arrived when he was to be married to one of Yamhill's fairest daughters, gave up his Eastern trip and returned to the Willamette valley. On the 1.5th day of September, 1866, he was married to Miss Louisa Brown, the wedding taking place at the residence of James M. Fryer, Esq., of North Yamhill, in the very house now occupied as a family residence by Mr. McConnell. He having resigned his position as Deputy Marshal, he went with his young wife to Humboldt county, California, where, for the next four years, he was engaged in the stock business. It not proving congenial to his taste, however, he returned to Oregon and engaged at once in the general merchandising business at North Yamhill, which he has conducted for ten years uninterruptedly. He has also conducted branch establishments in Eastern Oregon and Northern Idaho. At present his mercantile attention is confined solely to his business enterprises at Moscow, I. T., in connection with which he contracts with farmers for large quantities of flaxseed, his operations in that commodity being such as to control the market of the Pacific Coast. He still continues to live at his old home in North Yamhill, where he owns a fine farm and is interested in various other business enterprises. Politically speaking, Mr. McConnell is an uncompromising Republican. He was elected State Senator in 1880 and has ever proved active and efficient in the discharge of his public duties.



HON. SOL. HIRSCH.

There are few men who ever sat in the legislative halls of Oregon who can look back with more pride to a longer, more honored or useful career than can Senator Hirsch, of Multnomah county. Looking down the vista of years we see him at the foot of a hill, a poor boy, struggling with poverty and want; and, without at present recounting his adversities, we find him to-day at its summit, an honored citizen of this commonwealth, surrounded by all the comforts and many of the luxuries of life, and the recipient of the honor, esteem and confidence of his fellow men. These advantages and these blessings are not the result of a streak of good luck.