184 THE PORTRAIT GALLERY 



A SCION OF BIG BUSINESS 



72. The foundations of the great packing business of Morris 

 & Co. were bequeathed by Nelson Morris to his son Edward 

 Morris. In the later years of his father's life the younger Morris 

 had manifested a genius for business that compelled a hearty 

 recognition when he succeeded as its head. Frequently the sons 

 of rich men have scattered the fortune handed them by their 

 fathers, but Edward Morris conserved and enlarged the estate. 

 He had been at the head of the packing business for only a few 

 years when he bought from the other heirs their entire holdings 

 in the packing company, at a cost of fifteen million dollars. 

 This was one of the most gigantic transactions recorded in the 

 commercial world at this time. Mr. Morris had a genius not only 

 for the packing business, but for other lines. He was counted 

 as one of the largest bank stock holders in the city of Chicago, 

 and his name appeared on the directorate of numerous stock com- 

 panies. Few men of such large affairs have continued in such 

 close personal touch with their undertakings, but the habits of 

 industry inherited from his father clung closely to him and he 

 knew intimately each detail of his large plants. 



Edward Morris was born Oct. 1, 1865. His early life was 

 very closely allied to the business of Nelson Morris & Co., and 

 his collegiate training was limited. Mr. Morris, however, was 

 widely read, and discussed interestingly any subject in business, 

 music, art or literature. On Oct. 1, 1889 he married Helen 

 Swift, and to this union were born four children; Edward Mor- 

 ris, the present head of the business, Nelson, Ruth and Helen 

 Muriel. His happiest moments were spent in his own home, but 

 he was very much interested in the financial development not 

 only of Chicago, but of the country at large. Mr. Morris was a 

 familiar figure at the Saddle and Sirloin Club, where he was 

 ready to recognize each acquaintance and to accord him a genial 

 companionship. Of a generous nature, no one in distress could 



