88
��I'HK GRANITE MONTHLY.
��N/iJF HAMPSHIRE MEN IN MICHIGAN— No. 4.
��HON. C. C. COMSTOCK.
��Charles (". Comsiock was born March 5, 1818, in Sullivan, Cheshire county, N. H. He is the youngest of the family of a respectable farmer of moderate means. At an early age he manifested remarkable business tact and enterprise ; was very successful, and by industry and economy (so common among New luigland people) , at thirty-five years of age, had accu- mulated a property of about $10,000, and was considered one of the most thrifty farmers of that region. He had also built and operated two saw-mills there. In 1853 he removed to Grand Rapids, Michigan, with his family, and soon became one of the foremost men
- n the place, in the lumbering and
wood manufacturing enterprises in that then young but . vigorous city. The financial crash of 1857-60, temporarily checked his business ; but with re- doubled energy, strong will, and reso- lution which knew no failure, he ral- lied, and, in a short time, was at the head of one of the most flourishing manufactories of cabinet wares in that region. He had also increased his lum- bering operations, and several branches of lumber manufacture, many fold ; be- side investing largely in real estate, which was hugely increasing in value, lie built up and operated one of the largest pail and wooden ware factories in the West ; and in many other pri- vate and public enterprises, has taken an active part. His strong point is to push //lings. With unflagging energy,
��tireless industry, indefatigable perse- verance, great power of endurance, thorough business integrity, prompt- ness and punctuality, strong judgment, managing even in detail heavy and various interests, he has Iniilt up a handsome fortune, and is esteemed one of the wealthy citizens of the state. A worker himself, he has given em- ployment to thousands, and thus, and by the interest he has taken in munici- pal affairs, has contributed greatly to the progress and material growth of his city and county. Though deeply absorbed in business, he always re- sponded freely to calls for religious, benevolent, and public purposes. Mr. Comstock has served ably in different ofticial positions ; was mayor of Grand Rapids two terms — in 1863-4. In 1870 he was the Democratic candidate for governor of the state, receiving the full vote of his party, and in his own county running ahead of his party ticket. In the fall of 1873 he received a nomination as the people's candi- date for representative in congress, from his district, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Hon. W. I). Foster, and at the special election held for that ])urpose, he had an unprece- dented run, reducing the majority of the dominant party, from 8,oooto 114. Mr. Comstock may be regarded as a prominent representative of the suc- cessful business men of the West.
Marv M. Cui.vkk.
��COUNCILOR PAUL WENTIVORTH.
��BY JOHN WENTWORTH.
\ have read with great interest the portion of it relating to Councilor
contribution of Levi W. Dodge to the Paul Wentworth. of whom so little is
October number of the Granite known. Since the publication of the
MoNnHLY, and more particularly that Wentworth Genealogy, by Little, Brown
�� �
