THE WEST SHORE.
11S
MORRIS W. FECHHEIMER,
IN the death of Mr. Fechheimer, Portland ha l.wt
one of her most valued citizens, and humanity a
friend, yet only the few who knew him intimately
can appreciate the loss. A close friendship, begin
ning while boys together in a store in Sacramento, and
continuing uninterruptedly to the moment of his death,
enables the publisher of The West Siioue to speak of
him with a knowledge of his charaoter few possess.
Mr. Fechheimer was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Sep
tember 11, 1844, and died in this city, March 15, 1880,
in the prime of life and enjoying the full vigor of his
mental faculties. He began oommeroial life early, in
Sacramento, and being ambitious of securing a higher
range for his abilities, entered upon the study of law in
his hours of leisure. Later, in Canyon City, Oregon, he
pursued the same course persistently and industriously
until he was admitted to the bar, and abandoned mer
cantile pursuits to devote himself to his chosen profes
sion. In 18C6 he began practice in Portland, and in the
twenty years of active service in this city rose to be the
acknowledged head of the bar in Oregon. He was a
lawyer and not a politician. His energies were devoted
to advancement in his profession and to the elevation of
the profession itself above the levol to which the oon
duct of bo many tends to drag it down. Clean, pure
and noble in every instinct, he inspired those of his
compeers with whom he came in contact with a higher
regard for their calling, and a deep respect for himself
aa a man and an exponent of that noble profession which
has drawn to itself the greatest minds and hearts of the
human family for ages. What he Bought for he gained,
if persistence and ability rendored the gaining of it pos
sible, and what he once acquired his mind grasped and
held for all time. There was no loak, no aperture
through which hardly-acquired knowledge escaped and
was lost With a memory retentive of every detail, he
possessed a logical mind of the highest ordur and the
power of concentrating his faculties upon a problem, bo
that his judgment was seldom in error. So much had
he employed these faculties, his logic seemed almost an
instinct, and his mind quickly penetrated the mist of
sophistries with which any subject might be obscured,
and went direct to its core, seizing upon it and holding
it up to the view of those who had been too mystified by
false reasoning to see it for themselves. With such
abilities, such habits of industry and thought, inch
persistence in following his chosen path, thore was, ap
parently, no limit to what he might have accomplished
had not the Reaper's dread sickle ended his career when
it had bnt fairly begun.
As a man, apart from his profession, he was less
known by the community, though here was the greater
glory of his life. Although of Jewish parentage, bis
mind rose above all distinctions of race or creed, and
looked upon the human family as one common brother
hood, alike entitled to the enjoyment of the gifts of na
ture, no matter bow unequal mentally and physically
they had been rendored by circumstances affecting them
as iiKlmiluiila or raoea. Hm H'jicra waa tLulul ualure,
aud he took a broad and philosophic view of life, its
duties and possibilitioa. He was generous by impulso,
and his charities, both in ponton aud through his family,
were extensive. In this ha made no narado. alwava
, ( r v
avoiding publicity, and rofraining from mentioning even
to his most intimate friends his numorous act of be-
nevolouoo, Evory organised charity, scotariau and non
sectarian, was in rooeipt of genorous contributions from
him, and at his death he made them liberal bequests.
In this ho lias set an example which others of our suo
oesHful men should follow. He was a liberal friend of
education, aud an earnest advooate and promoWr of in-
diiMtries that would aid the city and furnish work to nie
chnnios and laborers. He held stock in several manu
facturing enterprises, as a practical way of assisting la
bor. He also built the Casino, not as an investment for
he knew it would not be a profitable one, but to furnish
the people a plaoe of cheap and harmless amusement.
He was originator aud President of Uie Oregon Fire
and Marino Iusurauce Company. He was also the
originator of a scheme for supplying the city with water
at cheap rates.. Though always liberal in the use of his
money, without being in any sense profligate, he left an
estate valuod at over two hundred thousand dollars, so-
quired honorably and without the exercise of parsimony
in any particular. In everything he sought the high
est good of humauity, aiming an to live, as he et- ,
pressed it on his death-Unl, that the world would be bet
tur for his having lived in it. As a hualiand and father
he was kind aud iudulgcnt, a guide for their conduct
and a strong rod for his loved ones to lean uon in time
of trouble. He did not believe in secret orders and so-
ciutios, thinking they ooutainod a principle of selfish
ness not in harmony with his ideas. He belonged to no
organizations that wore not of a purely benevoleut char
acter. He was very fond of pictures, flowers, mualo
and everything that was beautiful in nature and art
He possessed one of the largest and best private libra
ries in the State, aud his law library was largo and well
selected. His sound common-sense and cultivated
mind rendered his judgment of the value of books or
works cf art almost faultless. No on oould convene
with him on those subjects without being struck with
his knowledge and the refinement of his taste. Like
all meu of a positive nature ho neoesaarily made ene
mies, though they were few. Nor was his list of Ulti
mate friends large. Ho never sought popularity nor
social distinction, and though always oourteou and
pleasant, he never made special effort to gain the friend
ship or good will of any one, his friends being those
who, during a course of social or business contact, had
won his esteem. The few who bacamo acquainted
with him in his inner lifo were more like brothers than
friends, and his conduct toward them always transcend
ed the limits of mere friendship. It Is they who foal
his loss most keenly, aud 'tis oue of them who pays this
faint tribute to his memory.