Commemorative Biographical Record of Fairfield County, Connecticut

Ii(') 'I'ii ;<|M ;,,v- i;lv/ Ml; h, ; a^. COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 201 not have time after I decided to enter this class to complete the whole preparatory course." The Professor commenced to close the book with a look on his face which seemed also to young Hol- lister to close the door of hope for admission to the class. In a fit of desperation the applicant exclaimed, " I can give you the derivation and meaning of every word on the page, construct the sentences properly and parse them correct- ly." With a doubtful smile upon his face the Professor told him he might try it. The trial proved that the boy had a fair knowledge of the principles and construction of the Latin language, and the Professor called a halt. The Professor then turned to another portion of the book and asked if he could read that. It was simply a narrative, and the boy replied, "I never saw it before, but I can read it," which he did to the entire satisfaction of the Professor. "Now, young gentleman," inquired the latter, "tell me why you did not attempt to read my first selec- tion .■"" " Because, " replied he, ' ' it was a speech, and I knew nothing whatever of the occasion or subject matter, and could not enter into the spirit of it so as to translate it intelligently, and knew I should only make a fool of myself if I attempt- ed it." A pleasant smile spread over the Profes- sor's fatherly face as he expressed himself satis- fied, and he proved ever afterward during the entire college course a most kind and considerate friend. Young Hollister, in his senior year, was chosen first president from his class of the Lin- onian Literary and Debating Society, an honor which was then esteemed second to none in col- lege life. Before entering college he had for a time studied law, and immediately after his grad- uation he entered the law office of his brother, the late Gideon H. Hollister, of Litchfield, author of a history of Connecticut and graduate of Yale, class of '40. In the December following his graduation, 185 i, he was admitted to the Bar of Litchfield county, at once located at Salis- bury, Conn., and opened an office for the prac- tice of law. In 1854 he removed to Bridgeport, where he soon after purchased several tracts of land in and about the city, and took needed ex- ercise and recreation, devoting his leisure time to the opening up and developing of the property by streets and avenues, upon which many pleasant homes have been erected, and a fiourishing vil- lage now exists. In 1866, he received the de- gree of M. A. at Yale. During his long years of residence in Bridge- port Mr. Hollister has always been closely identified with the improvements and public in- stitutions of the Park City and its environs. He has served as a member of the city government. In 1858 he was elected judge of probate for the district of Bridgeport, and was re-elected in 1859. On August 16, 1862, he was appointed, by Pres- ident Lincoln, collector of Internal Revenue for the Fourth District of Connecticut, and after the consolidation of the Second and Fourth Districts, in October, 1873, he was appointed collector of the consolidated district by President Grant, which ofhce he held continuously until Septem- ber I, 1883, when upon the consolidation of all the districts in the State, with office at Hart- ford, he retired from the public service, having been continuously in the office for over twenty- one years, and having served under the following six Presidents: Lincoln, Johnson, Grant, Hayes, Garfield and Arthur. During this time he also held the office of receiver and disburser of the public funds for the government, and was also re- ceiver of commutation money during the Civil war, thus handling in these various offices many mil- lions of dollars, without loss to the government or the discrepancy of a farthing from first to last. Throughout the Civil war Mr. Hollister was an ardent supporter of the government. He was not subject to military duty, owing to the acci- dent he met with in youth, heretofore referred to; yet he sent two good substitutes to the cause to represent him on the field, while he at home assisted in various ways in rendering those im- portant services which were so essential to the success of the cause. By means of his official relations to the government Mr. Hollister was brought into frequent contact with President Lincoln and the heads of the various depart- ments at Washington, civil and military, being thus enabled to serve his city and district in a number of very important matters, especially in relation to the provost marshal's office in his dis- trict, which at a most critical period was a source of much uneasiness and anxiety to those who were engaged in recruiting men for the service. Mr. Hollister's professional life in Bridgeport covers forty-odd years of the city's history. Of the seventeen practicing lawyers here on his coming, two of them moved away, four still sur- vive, and the others have been called to their reward. On his advent into the city Mr. Hollis- ter at once began an extensive practice, which continued to increase until he entered upon the collectorship at the beginning of the war of the Rebellion. For the twenty-one years following he gave his best energies and the most of his time to his official duties, and upon retiring from office he received the highest testimonials for his long, efficient and faithful service. iOS iu.i\ :.. CI.;.' ..II ,'i, ■}■.'• :. ->\i '!'; i' ■! 202 COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Numerous and varied are the enterprises and movements, with which the name of our subject has been identified, that have aided in the city's growth and in its social progress. He has ob- tained from the Legislature of the State many charters of public interest, among them the Boys Club; the Citizens Water Company, now consolidated with the Bridgeport Hydraulic Com- pany; the Bridgeport and West Stratford Horse Railroad Company, of which he was president for several years, but which is now consolidated with the Bridgeport Traction Company ; the Strat- ford Land and Improvement Company; the City Savings Bank, of which he is president; and the Young Men's Christian Association. Mr. HoUis- ter is a member of the Board of Trade. He is one of the trustees of the Bridgeport Orphan Asylum, and is its legal adviser. On first coming to Bridgeport himself and his late lamented wife, Mary E. Hollister, united with the First Presby- terian Church of that city, of which he has ever since been an active member, and has devoted much time and labor to its welfare. He has been an elder of the Church for upward of thirty years, is now the senior elder and treasurer of the same, and one of the Society's committee. The beautiful church chapel, Sunday-school building and parsonage of the First Presbyterian Church, corner of State street and Myrtle ave- nue, Bridgeport, are in a great measure the re- sult of his planning, earnest labors and unflag- ging zeal, as he was the chairman of the building committees, and assisted in securing the land for the purpose. He was one of the three origi- nal organizers and managers of the Boys Club of Bridgeport, is one of its vice-presidents, and is active in its management. On the close of his official career Mr. Hollister formed a partner- ship with William H. Kelsey, of Bridgeport, under the name of Hollister & Kelsey, for the practice of the law, which co-partnership has since continued. Socially, Mr. Hollister is a member of the Seaside Club; is also a member of St. John's Lodge, F. & A. M. Politically, he was first a Whig, casting his first vote with that party, and on the organization of the Republican party he espoused its principles, and has ever since been an ardent supporter of its policy. On Septem- ber 23, 1852, Mr. Hollister was married to Miss Mary E. Jackson, of Brooklyn, N. Y., born May 2, 1830. She was a graduate of Packer In- stitute. To this union were born two children, both daughters, to wit: (i) Harriet Lydia, born August 13, 1853. who married F. W. Read, of Bridgeport, and has five children — three sons and two daughters; one of the sons is in Yale College, and another will soon enter that insti- tution. (2) Mary Frances, born April 29, 1855, also married, but died without issue. The mother was called from earth June 4, 1896. The following is a verbatim copy of the ad- dress given by Mr. Hollister to the Yale Alumni Association of Fairfield county in October, 1888; YALE LAWYERS OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY. Hon. D. F. Hollister, A. M., '51. Mr. President and Brethren: It may seem the height of presumption for one man to attempt to speak for so many distinguished orators as are to be found among the Yale lawyers of Fairfield County. Yet, in obedience to your behest, Mr. President, I will make the effort. In doing this, I console myself with the thought that should I fail to do the subject justice (as I certainly shall), every one is a host in himself and abundantly able to make up for my deficiencies. In the remarks that I may make I shall abstain from the mention of individual names; where all have done so nobly, discrimination would be invidious. Should it be the desire, however, of any to enter somewhat more into detail, 1 would refer them (especially so far as relates to the livmg) to that wonderful compendium of biographies, autobiograiJliies and caricatures entitled "The History of Fairfield County." In every department of human activity the wide world over, wherever honest labor, mental or physical, is to be per- formed, there, foremost in the foremost rank, are to be found the sons of Yale.