My Genealogy Hound

LESEM, SAMUEL. Few young men in the country illustrate more fully than Mr. Samuel Lesem that real honor lies in acting well one’s part. He was born in Glasgow, Howard county, Mo., and received his education in the public schools of Quincy Ill. He is now twenty-eight years old. His success in life is clearly attributable to the double advantage of excellent natural gifts, and an early employment in business affairs. In his fifteenth year he was received into the banking house of Henry T. J. Ricker, of Quincy, where his capacity and skill soon developed themselves, and he advanced so rapidly that he achieved the highest position in the establishment, and maintained it with signal credit to himself and satisfaction to his employer until, in 1868, he was obliged to resign on account of failing health. He then went on a tour through the Rocky Mountains, in company with Gen. Sickles and Col. Fred Grant, for the purpose of locating a line of narrow gauge railroad, and returning home invigorated in health he was made Deputy City Collector, in which capacity he collected nearly $200,000 for the city. When only eighteen years old he embarked in the insurance business on his own account, and found little difficulty in demonstrating that there are few quarters where one can pick up 145 pounds of humanity that can accomplish as much in the way of soliciting. His marked success in this field brought him promotion, and in 1872 he found himself a special agent for the Firemen’s Fund Insurance Company, of California, being then actually the youngest special agent in the country. The next year the Republicans of Quincy made him their candidate for City Treasurer, and though his party was in a hopeless minority in the city, he had the satisfaction of polling a heavy balance over the average of his ticket. In 1874 he was appointed special agent of the Phoenix Insurance Company, of New York, for the Western States, which position he filled with great acceptance till sometime in 1875, when he engaged in banking business, acting in the capacity of cashier. Mr. Lesem is a young man of more than ordinarily fine address, and with a decided leaning to all public enterprises that tend to the elevation of the public taste. This was illustrated some two or three years ago when, largely through his instrumentality, a series of open air concerts was inaugurated in the beautiful park in the business center of Quincy, and which have ever since been continued through the summer season. He was a prime mover also in peopling the park with squirrels, rabbits, and feathered songsters, an innovation in which the citizens have ever since taken a special pride. At the annual session of the United States Supreme Lodge of the Independent Order of Mutual Aid, held in July, 1878, he was made Supreme Conductor, which position he still holds. He has, in fact, achieved a creditable, indeed, an enviable, business and social success in life, though yet under 30, and has before him the entire period of activity in which men ordinarily make their mark in the world.