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had sailed for Australia, and he followed on the next vessel leaving that port. In Australia he looked vain for the brother who was making an earnest effort to carve out a fortune in the mining camp at Hangtown. One day he picked up a newspaper in which he found a list of advertised letters, and his own name among those for whom letters were lying in the post-office. The letter thus advertised brough him news of the whereabouts of his brother, and shortly afterwards they were reunited in San Francisco, and having had enough of Pacific Coast adventure, they returned together to Milwaukee. There they joined their father and established a glue manufactury, the firm becoming "C. Wahl & Sons." They did a prosperous business for several years, building up a large trade which extended over a wide area of territory; but for the purpose of still further extending the business, the brothers determined to remove to Chicago. The father retired and the firm in Chicago became known as "Wahl Bros." A large factory was established here, which continued in operation until 1885, when it was destroyed by fire, after which the interests of the Wahl Bros. were sold to P. D. Armour. Later they established a brick manufactory, which has become one of the largest establishments of its kind in the United States.

His early experiences in California, while they did not result in the

accumulation of a large amount of money at that time, were such as to give Mr. Wahl a taste for mining and mining enterprises. Later in life he became largely interested in the development of various mining properties in California, Idaho, Nevada, Colorado and Georgia. He was at one time the owner of the famous Terrible Mine in Leadville, Colo.which was sold some years since to an English syndicate and his investments in mining properties contributed largely to the building up of a handsome estate. To these interests and realty investments in Chicago, he gave the greater share of his attention during the later years of his life.

From the time his residence in Chicago began, Louis Wahl was recognized as one of the public spirited, broad minded, liberal and progressive citizens of the city. He took an active interest in public affairs and in politics, in the sense of contributing his full share toward securing for the city and country good government, but was never at any time a seeker after political preferment. Although frequently urged by his political associates to become a candidate for important official positions, he invariably declined to enter into. any struggle for an elective office. His eminent fitness for the public service was recognized, however, on numerous occasions by his appointment to positions of trust and responsibility. In 1871 he was appointed

by the Mayor of Chicago one of the Inspectors of the House of Correction. Soon after his appointment the institution was thoroughly reorganized, and many improvements made in its conduct and management. Before that the prisoners had not been employed, and their support had been a heavy burden on tax payers. Mr. Wahl and his colleague introduced prison labor, and idleness among the prisoners became a thing of the past. The success of the new system was such that no appropriation for the support of the institution was asked of the City Council after 1875. With the reforms inaugurated here, Mr. Wahl had much to do, and he was reappointed one of the Inspectors of the House of Correction by successive administrations, regardless of their politics, and continued to hold the office up to the date of his death.

From 1873 to 1876, he was a member of the Board of Public Works of Chicago, and in this capacity he also rendered valuable services to the city. From 1883 to 1885 he served as a member of the Board of South Park Commissioners, was a member of the Special Relief Committee of the Relief and Aid Society after the fire of 1871, and in various other capacities contributed to the good government and upbuilding of Chicago.

While he was a staunch Republican in politics, he never allowed his political affiliations to influence his official actions. He believed that the

public institutions of the city, and especially its benevolent and reformatory institutions, should be kept out of politics as much as possible. He particularly emphasized this belief while serving as an Inspector of the House of Correction, his chief aim being to take the institution entirely out of politics, to hold it aloof from sectarian influences, and to manage it in the most economical way, at the same time meeting all its requirements. He was especially interested in the boys and young men committed to this prison, and gave much study to the matter of bringing about a better system of dealing with them. He was an earnest advocate of the Industrial Training School, and did much toward inaugurating and advancing this feature of the prison management.

While he was all his life an exceedingly busy man, Mr. Wahl found time. for self-culture, through reading, and travel both in United States and abroad. He was an accomplished linguist, speaking the English, German, Spanish and French languages with almost equal ease and fluency. He was a lover of music and the drama, and in 1885 was conspicious as one of the Directors of the first Chicago Opera Festival.

In his charities, as in everything else, he was kindly, generous, broadminded and sympathetic. Unostentatious in everything, he shrank from prominence in public charities; but upon all proper occasions his sym

pathies went out to those who needed encouragement and assistance, and along with his sympathy always went substantial and helpful gifts.

Married in 1862 to Phebe Grace Wilson, a cultured lady of Detroit, Michigan, Mr. Wahl established his home in Chicago, and for many years he resided, and his family still resides,

is one of the handsomest residence districts of the south division of the city. Mrs. Wahl and her two daughters, Eva and Lillian Wahl respectively, still live in the old homestead. A third daughter, now Mrs. Morton, also resides in Chicago.

HOWARD LOUIS CONARD.

In the year 1637 John Ayer of Norfolk, England, immigrated to America, and in 1645 he was one of the settlers of Haverhill, Massachusetts, thirty-two miles north of Boston and the head of navigation on the Merimac River. From this immigrant ancestor are descended the numerous branches of the Ayer family in New England, representatives of which have now become widely scattered throughout the United States. Robert Ayer, a descendant of the seventh generation, born at Haverhill, married Louisa Sanborn, a daughter of Benjamin Sanborn, of Kingston-who came of an old New Hampshire family—and great-granddaughter of Rev. Stephen Bachelder, who immigrated from Derbyshire, England in 1632, and upon the settlement of Hampton, New Hampshire, became pastor of the first church established there.

One of the sons of Robert and Louisa (Sanborn) Ayer is Benjamin Franklin Ayer, distinguished as member of the western bar, and as one of the great corporation lawyers. of the United States. Born in Kingston, New Hampshire, April 22nd, 1825, and brought up in the midst of an environment calculated to develop to the fullest extent the intellectual vigor and force of character inherited from worthy ancestry, he received. careful educational training in early life, and after being fitted for a collegiate course at Albany Academy, New York-then under the charge of Dr. T. Romeyn Beck, eminent as physician and educator-he entered Dartmouth College, from which he graduated in 1846.

Turning his attention then to the law, he entered upon a three years. course of study, attending the regular course of lectures at Dane Law