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 Epwarp 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. 
Epwarp 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; Epwarp 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 CLus, where he was 
ready to recognize each acquaintance and to accord him a genial 
companionship. Of a generous nature, no one in distress could 
