James Herron Eckels (1858-1907)

ECKELS, PALMER

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 5/2/2017 at 20:44:53

From Nevada Representative April 15, 1907

DEATH OF JAS. H. ECKELS

Mr. Frank J. Eckels of Nevada received a telegram Sunday announcing the death of his distinguished brother, Hon. James H. Eckels of Chicago. From the morning papers it appears that the latter was found dead in his bed Sunday morning, having died some time in the night form organic heart disease. His relatives had not recognized that he was in other than excellent health, and his death was very great shock to them. The shock must be even greater to his wife and daughter who, with his wife's mother are in Europe and have been since last October, the daughter being in attendance upon a finishing school in or near Paris.

Mr. Eckels was only 48 years old; but he had been a man of very great prominence in the world of politics and finance. He was born and reared at Princeton, Illinois, where his father died only two months ago, and as young man he entered upon the practice of law at Ottawa in the same state. And it was not so very long thereafter that President Cleveland at the beginning of the latter's second administration in 1893 made him comptroller of the currency. This position which is always important, became doubly so in the panicky times that followed Mr. Cleveland's inauguration, but Mr. Eckels met the responsibilities of his position with recognized success and minimized so far as was possible to the head of the national banking system the disasters of the panic. Soon after his retirement from office, following Mr. Cleveland's retirement, he was called to the presidency of the Commercial National Bank of Chicago. That bank was already one of Chicago's great financial institutions; but under his management is gained in business probably more than any other Chicago bank in the same time. Besides discharging his responsibilities as the head of this great bank he was receiver of one of the Chicago traction companies and was director in many other financial institutions. Generally speaking he was one of the most eminent of the financiers of his time, and he was so recognized throughout the country.

Mr. Eckels was a man of very considerable fortune according to country standards, but we do not understand that he was rich according to the notions of multi-millionaires. Rather he was a man who commanded the confidence of men of great fortune and power and who was counted in the millionaire class because of his ability and worth. He enjoyed a salary which was commensurate with his ability and which is understood to have been forty thousand dollars a year from the bank and ten thousand more from the traction company.

Mr. Eckels was a man of very great industry, but he was soon to have taken a lay-off to join his wife and daughter in Europe. He was also expected for a visit to his brother's home here in June. He had made one flying visit to his brother's home here and had at least twice been called back after actually leaving home to come here. He had a number of acquaintances here, however; and by friends here and elsewhere he was counted as one of the worthily prominent men of his time. He leaves his wife and one daughter, Phoebe, the latter of the age and generally speaking the chum of her cousin, Miss Maria Eckels of Nevada. The funeral will be held in Chicago Tuesday and Mr. Frank Eckels and probably Mr. J. G. Dutton will go in to attend it.

From Nevada Represenative April 19, 1907

Frank J. Eckels returned late Tuesday night and Jay G. Dutton late Wednesday night from Chicago, where they had both been to attend the funeral of the late James H. Eckels. The funeral was held Tuesday at the Fourth Presbyterian church in Chicago. It was a very notable service and ceremony. Mrs. Eckels and daughter, Miss Phoebe, have sailed on the "Deutschland" and are due in New York next Wednesday morning. In the meantime their home in Chicago will be kept open by Mr. Eckel's sister, Mrs. Palmer of Princeton.