Honorable Joseph T. Jacobs

"WJi en a man manifests a wlUingness to step out fram hls own private Imsincss affaire aud devote his time and energies to :the int-erests of hlfl fellow cltlzene, there nlways arises a Cesirc on the part of the constituo.nts ivhom lic -vvould eerve to laiow sonietJiiiig of lus history and life ■nork. And tJnis, beca use of his lionorabl-e and frank aoknoAvledg-ement that ,he is a caoididat-e for the nomination áo congress in the 2d district of MiahigaJi thfe year, public interest is nov" oentered upon Mr. J. T. Jacobs, of Aran Arbor. By virtue of his nativity, Mr. Jacobs has an inherent right to a voice in the council of the nation, havlng been bom in the quaint old town of Granvllle, O., His párente subsequently moved f o Mt. Vernon, O., wiere the son received his early and earned hls first dollar by workimg in a printing office. In those dajs work wae eoarce and ■vvüges toeager, yet the boy accepted wliatever carne to liLin to do ; and the next money lie earned ■was by carrykig brick at twenty-five cents a day. Having a natural adaptability lor a tnercantile life, young Jacobs soon etatered a dry goods et-ore as clerk, ■wliere Jiis abilities rapidly deevloped and -wlierc was laid the foundation of the lomg and uninterrupted successful business career in the years that hare foUowed. ""lien the civil ■"ar brolce out, Mr. Jacobs liad only just attained his majority, ond yet few men ivlio entered the eenice liad a more remarkable record. His two eider brothers enlisted at tüie outbreak of the war, and his father also joined the Ohio "Squirrel Hunter.s," a bcxly of soldiers eent out on special service into tlie border of Kentucky. AS A SOLDIER. Ever ready to respon d to the cal] of duty nnid roused ly the fervor and patriotism of tlie liour, Jlr. Jacobs maniiested his wüUngnees to enter his country's service. He enlisted as a private in Co. B, Ninelysixth Ohio Yoluntcer Iufuntry, Aug. 11. lst;2. A weck be was promoted to coporal, and the follovviiig April to the rank of sergeant. His regiment ras organized at Camp Delaware, Ohio, mustered into the United States service ou August '2!f, 1ÏS62, and two days later was moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. A week later it was ordered to Covington and Newport, Ky.. where it was on duty unlil October s. He thèn served in the flrst Brigade, First División (oíd) Thirteeuth Corps, Ariny of the Tenuessee, to December, 1862: First Brigade, Tenth División Shermau's right wing, ïhirteenth Corps, to January, 1SG3: First Jirigade, Teuth División, Thirteeuth C'91'ps to July; First Jirigade, 4th D . iion, Thirtecnth Corris to Maroh. 1864; Second Brigade, Fourth división. Thirteenth C:orps to .lune; Third Brigade, Third División Ninteenth Corps to October. He was moved from Covington to Falinouth. Ky., Oct. 8, 18bü. thence to Nicholsville, Ky., Oct. 23: moved to Louisville. Ky., thence to Memphis, Teun., t ÍT (.Vil l I ï 1(1 ■■ 11 ' I I ' Í I 1 ■ tilín. 1 , ft . f . . .-. „ , m . _ iuicuiuci iff, v .ia tilín oiijuiíiii h 1 1ZOO expedition from December 21, lhtii to JannarvS JSG3; lauded at Milliken's Beud, December 25, and went with an expeditloo to Dallas Station on the Vicksburg and Shreveport Kailroad. destroying railroads and stores. He was at Chickasaw Bluffs. December 29; expedition to Arkausas Post, Ark., January 8-lü, 186S; Fort Hindman, Ark., Post, January 10-11 ; moved to Yonng's Point. La., January 25, and on dutv there until March 10; moVed to Milliken's Bend, and on duty there nntil April 25; move ineut on Bralnsburg and turning Grand Gulf April K-30; battle of Fort Gibson and Magnolia Hills, May 1; Fourteeu Mile Cret-k. May 14; Champion Hills, May lö; Big Black Kivcr, May 17; siege of Vicksburg, May 18 to July4assaulis on Vicksburg, May 19-22; advance' on Jackson, Miss., Jnly 10-17; ordered to New Orlean-, Ang. 2r; Western Louisiauu, "Teche" camplgn,Oct. to Nov. 8; battle of Grand Oorteau, Nov. 3; captim-d prUoner of war and confined near Alexaudria, La., till D'ecembei 2.), when he was exchanged. After bis release air. Jacobs rejolned hls regiment, vla. Gulf steainer at Du Croix Point, Matagorda Península, near Velasco, Texas and remalned on duty there until Jlarcli 1, 1864; moved to lglers, l.a., .Manh 1: Red Rivereampaign Maren 15 to May 22; battle of Sablne Cross Kod April. S; Pleasant Hill. April 9; M önetls Bluff April 28; Cane Rlver CroBSlDg, April couBtruotlon of dam at Alexandna, April 80 to May 15; Bayou de Monrie, May 7; retreat to Morganzie. May 18-28; Mansura, May siek m hospital at New Orleans and át lióme on sick leave from May to September. He va discharged September 21, 1SB4, to accept promotion, and was commlssioned fh-st lleuteniiiit In the One Hnndred and Elghty-flfth Ohlo volanteer [nfantrr, September 21, 1864 Subtequeutly Mr. Jacobs was transferred to CompanyA.One Hundred and SeTenty-elghth Ohio olunteer Infantry by consolidatlon of reiriments; promoted to Adjntant Jan. 1, 1864; ordered to Nashville, Tenn., October 8, Í864; attached to Second Brigade, Fonrtli División' i.ve.iHBui korps, Jjepartment oí the Cuniberlaiid, October 18U4 to .lanuary. 1866: Third Brigade, First División, Twenty-third Corps, Army of the Olno. to June, 1865. JIc was on duty at Nashville till Oetober 22. 1884, and at iiillahoma.Tenn., till Nov. 80,as Inspector of post, and provost raaishal at Shelbyville, renii.; moved to Murfraasborough.Teno., Nov ..0, and was in the seige of that place December 5-8: nearBlock Houfle, No. 7,l)ec. 13: Wil,},"?"" ',„1lkc'' December 14: was ordered to Olifton, leun., and from thcre to Washi I). .,January 17-19, 1885, and to Moretead City and Newberne, N. C, by Atlantic stea February 21-28; ad jranc i ■, tonatGolds '!'■■ ■ i till April 2, arlotte, N. till.l une surrender ! .iol,nWlfch such a record, it is not aecessary to íifíirm that Mr. Jacobs is a wanu friand to tlio old soldiers, and tliat lie is beloved by them. He has serred as commander oí Welcli Post 137, G. A. E. of Ann Arbor, and 'wae one of the most popular officers the order ever had. He also donated tlie use of the hall to the Post for five years, amd it was but a fitting atan of ]ove and appreciation in re turn that the sous of veterans nami éd their onmpthe J. T. Jacobs Camp AS A BUSINESS MAN. At (the ctose of the war Mr. Jacobs vs-ent iuto the mercantilO business at Colnmbus, Oliio, but in 1867 removed to Ann Arbor, Midi., where he luis stnce lived. Tossessed of a keen intuition and rare executive ability, Mr. Jacobs made liis influence feit in business circles ooid very soon became prominently reeognized as a man wliose judg-ment in business affairs -vas of superior value. In 1865 lie adopted the "one price" system and has never varied froon that principie in all the twemtyfive years that he has been in business. A cliild could g-o lnto his store and make a purohase Avitli as mucli eafety as a grown person, as no employé was ever allowed to misrepresent the worth of an article or to charge tvO different prlces for the saine thing ; henee he has antagonized no one through his business dealings. It ils very remarkable that in all the lye&rs of his public and private life Mr. Jacobs never liad a law suit nor gave iliis note for tnerchandise. On time when buying goods in Xew York a dealer whom he asked for credit hesitated. Mr. Jacols txwred politely and told the skeptical dealer that be thought the day Tvould come "when the concern would be g-lad to sell every dollar's wortli of goods they had in the store on credit. A ievr years afterward Mr. Jacobs was in the same place buying goods. During a friendly conversation the proprietor of the store eudideaily said : "You rememler your prediction a few years ago ? You are right. The day lias come. Yon can liave every doUar's worth of goods we liave in the place on credit." Beginning as a clerk, he has steadily risen ifrom one round of the cial ladder to aeother, untu to-clay üe has-a.n unüniited oredit. Aanoaig tlie many enterprises whlch Mr. Jacobs lias emtered upon in Ann Arbor, he has built four stores and two .handsome residences. He has had considerable experience in iarmiiig, and luis dealt largely in thoroughbred eattle for several years, at tlie same time conducting his mercantile business. Mr. Jacobs entered into ííLrming ns he did into all other pursuits, by acquiriug a ■fchorough knowlr edge of tlie bramcli oí business taken up ; and thus -vhen he took up farmlog lie .made a study of it. The result is that he lias a jiraatical knowledge of ïarmiog and the f armer's need?, umi wouM (have all measures bearing upon agricultural pursuite particularly at heart wlien in Ieglslative halls. It eaai ateo be trutlifuiiy said that no one has a wanner place in the hearte of tlie mechanic and 1he laboríos man baan Mr. Jacobs. AS A CITIZEN. But while coiumandiiig success in tli o finnncial world, a man is still knowm best by the relations lie sust :i lis with liis a.ssoeiates and friends; and perhaps too man is held in higher esteem ia the city of Ann Arbor as a Citizen than Joe T. Jacobs. He was largely instruTnental in bringing to 'a final completion the Toledo & Aun Arbor Railroad and tlie Ann Arbor & Ypsilanti Street Kaihvay, whieh liave been of great benefit to the people. He has, in truth, always been idontified wtbh (all mattere of public interest to tlie city, often having his preferences, to te Bure, yet uever ■withholding lüs co-operation and support because a venture was jiot carried out exactlj' accordhig to lus own particular idea. Probably there is niot a wortliy enterprise, business or benevolent, in Ann Arbor, but has round hlan alwaye ready to Co his share, white his generous hand has ueipeü inany a leüow-sunerer to get upon liis feet and fcry íor a better start in life. Mr. Jacobs lias been a member DÍ tlie school board for over twelve years ajid is a great friend to tlie hiterests of the common school and of higber education, is a member of the Business Mens' Association and of the G. A. 11., and Loyal Iegion, a Maccabee, and a member of several Masomlo orders. He was appointed by the common council a member of the committee on building of the firemen's hall (engine liouse), wihleh was comstructed exactly according to contract, thoroughly eubstantinl, wlth no extra bilis to pay, uo "jobs." , Politically Mr. Jacobs has been a republi&an, Iniving cast his first vote tor Abraham Lincoln in 18G1. Tliroughout ]iis whole life he has liad a natural taste for a politica] career, and has given liberally of his tinne twul means to advance the interests of the republican party and principies in all the varied lines of party wiork titan tbiö ward eaucus to the nationaloonvention. At the sajne time he has never gone to the extent of fanatical partisanship, and has al-ways been liberal and just in his views. He lias not alway.s had his way, but lie never harbored any ieelimgs of resentment over anytliing politioal. Por yeaa'S he was a member of the utate central comniittee, and alwaj-s paid Iiis owu expenses besides contributing liberally to tlie general campaign fund. In recognition of his excellent ness qualities and oí hls high integrity, Mr. Jacobs was appointed by President Harrison a member of the Umited States board of Indian conimissioaiers ia May, 1890 a position of trust and honor (but no salary) whlch he lias most acceptably filled. Mr. Jacfobs was inarrled in 18G9 and has been blessed with. tour children, taree daughters and one son, Mr. Ghas. J. N. Jaco'bs t-1io Is now traveling on the Pacific coast. "WliiLe grh'ing time and personal supervisión to so many different enterPTises, Mr. Jacobs Jias found time to travel extensively, oud besides visitaig- the West Indles and croesing tlie cojitlnent Jour times lie lias been in iearly every state and territory of the CJuion. He has been often in Washington and ís familiar with the workngs of cungress ns "vell as the intricades of local politics.