Passed Over The River

"When the news was passed from lips to lips last Saturday morning tliat the life of Philip Bach had passed away that morning, it could liardly be believed. Tliere were many who had not only converged but transacted business with him the day before and that he should then be lying cold in deatli, was With difh'culty comprehended. But so it was. On the night previous he liad suíFered from an attack of heart failure, and at 2:30 had a second attack. He seemed to rally and was not thought to be in danger, when all at once at about 6:00 a. ni. lie was taken worse, and sank rapidly until deatli closed bis life a few minutes later. The death of no man in the city could cause more sincere regret than that of Philip Bach. He was known to almost every man, woman and child in the city, and to very many in the country, is well, and respected by every one. Thoroughly honest, he obtained the confidence of those he carne in contact with and his life both public and private, was ibove reproach. He was pure in thought, manly in deed, and though one might differ svith him yet he admirar. Aftel n activé Ufe ht-re iu this city of sixty years he was beloved by the community. A record wonderfnlly rare. It was in the fall of the year 1835 that Mr. Bach came to this city. His parents moved here from Pennsylvania to where tliey had emigrated in 1329 from Baden, Germany, his birth place. Upon arriving here he secured employment with the flrm of Brown it Co., then the leading merchants of the city, doing business on the Xorthside, where at that time, almost the entire business of the city was done. He remained with the flrm for the period of.one year when he hired out to Hiram Goodspced, who did business on the corner where H. J. Brown's ilrug store isnow located. Mr. Goodspeed had associated with him the late Hiram Arnold as a partner, and the flrm diil a very lare trade. During the year 1838 Mr. Bach clerked for E. Root and son, going in the fall of L839 with Messrs. Baach and Able, the junior member of the firm, liowever, was in no way related the Abels that afterwards became Mr. Bach's partners. After remaining a year or so with that lirm Mr. Bach branched out in business for himself, becoming a partner in the firm of C.B. Thompson and Co. The members of the firm conisisting of C.B. Thompson, and John V. Thompson, who were brothors, and P. Bach. They did business on the corner where the late firm of Bach & Roath have conducted business so many years. This firm not only carried on the dry goods trade but also the manufacture of boots and shoes, in which they employed a large number of men, and their brand of goods became so famous that they had orders from and sent goods to California which iu those days was a great deal farther away than it is now. Instead of taking live or six days to reach that then famous golden land, if a consignnient of goods reached its destination in that many months it was considered a remarkably quick trip. A great deal of the traftic with the Pacific coast was then carried on by means of sailing vessels which went around Cape Horn. Many of the people of today are ignorant as to Cape Horn and its location, especially the younger people, but then it was as well known to everyone, as the city of San Francisco is to-day. In the next change Mr. Bach retired from the firm of C. B. Thompson & Co., the late Chauncey H. Millen taking bis place. He tlien allied liiinself with Howitt & l'earson, who bought out Sniith, Botsford & Co., and commenced business under the name of P. Bach & Co. After the death of Mr. Hewitt, the name'of the flrm was changed to Baeh [Continued ou 8th page.] PASSED OVER THE RIVER (Continuad from Ist Page.) & Pearson. Thi.s firna continuad in business a number of years, until the death of Isaac Pearson, about 1860, after which Mr. Lach carried on business alone. About 1863 Peter II. Abel, a young nerchant, canie west froni New York, md purehased a half interest of Mr. Bach. The next year, 1864, the firtn erected the brick block wbére B. St. Jamos now conducta business, at the corner of S. Main and Washington Sts. Tiiis was the finest dry goods store in the county at the time. When Peter Abel died his brother, Eugene B. Abel, here and töok his interests, and the iiini continued business without change of title, until some four or (ivo years ago, when death removed him also. Upon Mr. Abel's death, Zachary Roath, who had been with Mr. Bach for some tliirty years, purchased the Abel interests. The sad death of Mr. Roath, which occurred just one year ago on the 9th of this montli, is still fresh in the meniory of our citizens. The business of the iirrn of Bacli & Roáth was disposed of to Mr. B. St. James, who took posessiou Sept. lst, Huis (dosing an active business careerof sixty years for Mr. Bach. A record seldom reached by any man. During all these years Mr. Bach took an active part in the affairs of the city and of the state. He was a whig in the early days, and when the republican party was formed he became an ardent member thereof. Along in 1856 he was elected an alderinaii against the grefet democratie war horse, Hon. Wm. S. Maynard, and in 1858, he defeated the same gentleman for mayor. This was very gratifying to Mr. Bacli as his opponent was consideredthe liead and front of his party in this section of the state, and a powerful antagonist, besides being the wealthiest man in the county. Wlien this school district was organized in 1857, Mr. Bach was elected one of its first trustees, a position he continued to hold until one year ago last September, when he declined to allow his name to be used again upon the ticket, and Mr. John E. Miner was chosen in his place. He served the district without compensation, faithfully for thirtysix years and when the flags upon the school buildings were put at half mast Monday, and the schools closed in the afternoon in his honor, it :a a proper tribute to him. Our schools owe mnch to his wise counsels, Sinee the organization of the lst National Bank of Ann Arbor in 1860, Mr. Bach had been a neinber of its board of üi rectors, and for a humber of ; its president. He showéd the same good judgment here as in all other positions he ulied, and his good name has always leen a source-of strength to the bank. He was a constant attêndant upon the Presbyterian church, and for some years a trustee thereof. When the Forest Hill Cemetery Association was formed he became one of its directors, a position which he held until a year ago. Mr. Bach's first wifo wasIIannahPolhemus, and there is one child from this union living, Mrs. Hannah J. Warner, of Cincinnati, O. By his second marriage to Miss Nancy lioyce there are three children, James E. and Mrs. W. R. Henderson, of this city, and Philip Bach, Jr., of New Mexico. His third wife Annie Botsford, burvives him with two children, Kellie and Waldo B. The funeral services of the late Philip Bach, were held nz the family residence, No. 100 S. Main st., Monday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock. Itev. J. M. Gelston conducted the services. The honorary pall bearers were Jas. Clements, S. W. Clarkson, K. D. Kinne, Jro. F. Lawrence, W. Cornwell, Jas. L. Babcock, Wm. McCreary and Moses Seabolt, fellow directors with Mr. Bach in the First National Bank. The active pall bearers were the nephews of the deceased gentleman, Alfred and Kddie Hutzel, Amos and Eddie Lohr, and Fred Belser. A very large number of the relativos and f riends attended the services and followed the remains to their last resting place in the family lot in Forest Hill cemetery.