PACIFIC FISHERMAN 



65 



Frank L. Deming — In Memoriam 



It came with a distinct shock to the Pacific Coast 

 when the news was flashed over the wires from Chi- 

 cago, on January 19, that Frank L. Deming- had just 

 died in that city. In Bellingham hells were tolled 

 and Hags half-masted, while in Vancouver, Seattle, 

 Portland. Astoria, San Francisco. Los Angeles, and 

 other coast places where the canning of salmon and 

 other food products is carried on. were heard expres- 

 sions of the deepest regret over the untimely taking 

 away of one of the most popular individuals con- 

 nected with the industry. lie was a man of lovable 

 and kindly disposition, full of the sunshine of life 

 and love for his family and friends, and any man who 

 ever met him became his friend. 



.Mr. Deming was taken ill with la grippe on Janu- 

 ary 9. <>n the 15th he was removed to St. Joseph's 

 hospital, Chicago, where he underwent an operation 

 on the 14th. He rallied from the operation, which 

 was considered at the time a complete success. Sud- 

 denly, however, he took a turn for the worse and 

 died at about 1 :45 p. m. on the 19th. 



The deceased had apparently always enjoyed 

 superb health, and his many friends and admirers 

 believed he would live to as ripe an old age as his 

 father, who died a few weeks ago at the age of 

 eighty-eight. 



Mr. Deming was horn in St. Louis, Mo., May 2, 

 1858. He was the son of Charles and Harriet Dem- 

 ing. His mother's maiden name was Baker. He re- 

 ceived his education in the public schools of St. 

 Louis and was married in that city on May 29, 1879, 

 to Pauline E. Gray, of St. Louis, who survives him. 

 timet her with three children, Everett Gray, Helen 

 Edna, and Margaret Wilton. Two brothers, E. B. 

 Deming and A. W. Deming. both living in South Bel- 

 lingham, also survive him. 



He began his business career with the grocery com- 

 mission firm of John S. Gibbs & Co., of St. Louis, 

 remaining with them from 1878 to 1880. He grad- 

 ually drifted into the brokerage business with his 

 brother. E. B. Deming, and Wm. T. Gould, and 

 formed the brokerage firm of Deming & Gould Co.. 

 of Chicago and St. Louis, of which company he was 

 president at the time of his death. He had a genius 

 for salesmanship and organization in a large meas- 

 ure, and it was through his efforts that the company 

 has attained such a commanding position in the busi- 

 ness world. 



He first became directly identified with the salmon 

 canning industry of the coast in 1889, when he acted 

 as the special representative of Richard Onfroy. who 

 was then organizing the Pacific Packing & Naviga- 

 tion Co. and the Pacific American Fisheries Co. He 

 handled the negotiations for the purchase of the site 

 of the Pacific American Fisheries plant at Fairhaven, 

 which town later on became a part of Bellingham. 



After the business career of the Pacific Packing & 

 Navigation Co., and its subsidiary companies, had 

 ended. E. B. Deming. a brother of Frank L. Deming. 



purchased at the receiver's sale in 1904 the plant at 

 Fairhaven for Deming & Gould Co.. and it has since 

 been operated as the Pacific American Fisheries. 

 Frank L. Deming occupying the position of vice- 

 president. The latter always took a deep interest in 

 this plant and each summer, in company with his 

 family and other interested Chicagoans. would spend 

 considerable time on Puget Sound. 



The cannery at South Bellingham is the largest in 

 the world, and besides the cannery proper there are 

 also connected with it large can-making, shipbuild- 

 ing, fertilizer and machinery plants. The company 

 has also established large canneries at Excursion In- 

 let, King Cove, and Port Moller. in Alaska, which are 

 amongst the best equipped in the territory. 



The Deming & Gould Co. handles all of the im- 

 mense pack of Canned Salmon put up by the Pacific 

 American Fisheries, and also markets the packs of a 

 number of other important canneries, thus making it 

 one of the most important and influential factors in 

 the industry. 



Mr. Deming was also vice-president of the Gard- 

 ner-Barada Chemical Co., of Chicago; a director of 

 the Central California Canneries, San Francisco, and 

 the Hotchkiss Timber Co., of the same city; presi- 

 dent of the National Association of Canned Goods 

 and Dried Fruit Brokers, and a member of the Chi- 

 cago Association of Commerce. He was a member of 

 the executive committee of the National Canners' 

 Association, and was one of its most active and pro- 

 gressive members. 



Frank L. Deming was a Mason and Knight Tem- 

 plar, also a member of the Chicago Athletic Associa- 

 tion, the Exmoor Country Club, of Highland Park, 

 one of the North Shore suburbs of Chicago, where he 

 resided. 



Funeral services were held on the 24th, having 

 been delayed to permit of the arrival of his brothers, 

 E. B. and A. W. Deming. of Bellingham. Wash., who. 

 when the news of the death reached them, were in 

 southern California. The body was placed in a vault 

 in Rose Hill cemetery and will later on be removed to 

 the family burying ground in St. Louis. 



The active pall-bearers were: Franc E. Gardner, 

 of tin' Gardner-Barada Chemical Co.. of Chicago; 

 John Washburn, of the Continental-Commercial Na- 

 tional Bank. Chicago; Henry Glidden, of Highland 

 Park. Tll. : Joseph G. Cary. of the Deming & Gould 

 Co., Chicago; H. E. MacConaughey. of the Deming 

 & Gould Co.. and C. M. Mitchell, of the Deming & 

 Gould Co. 



Among the honorary pall-bearers were: Charles 

 E. Wilcox, of Sprague, Warner & Co.. Chicago; Wm. 

 T. Gould, of Los Angeles, Cal. ; Wm. Kothe. of Kothe. 

 Wells & Bauer, Indianapolis, Ind. ; B. M. Fernald, of 

 Fernald. Keene & True Co.. West Poland. Me., and 

 Wm. B. Dudley, of IT. H. Dudley & Co., New York. 

 New York. 



