COL. J.C. HAINES. – This gentleman was born February 14, 1850, at Hainesville, Lake county, Illinois, his father being the late Honorable E.M. Haines of Illinois, who was twice speaker of the House of Representatives of that state, and for a short time acting governor, and also the author of several treatises and text books on law. He is also a nephew of Honorable John C. Haines, who was twice mayor of Chicago and for many hears a prominent banker in that city. Our subject acquired his early education in the public schools, and completed his studies at Williams College, from which he graduated in 1870, taking third honors in the class, the same that Garfield took at the same institute. He entered the law department of the Chicago University in the same year, and graduated therefrom in 1871, and was admitted to the bar of the State of Illinois in that year.
In 1872 he was appointed city justice of Chicago by Governor Palmer. He served in this position for four years and was then re-appointed by Governor Beversers consisting of three, who canvassed the returns of Cook county when a strong effort was made by the Democrats to throw out the votes of one of the Republican electors of the State of Illinois on the ground that his name was misprinted, the result of which would have been to elect Tilden as President. Two members of the board, our subject being one of them, counted the votes given this elector; and he was given the certificate of election. At the expiration of his second term as justice, he resumed the practice of his profession in Chicago, and continued therein until 1880, when he came to Washington Territory, resuming the practice of law. In that year he became a member of the law firm of Struve, Haines & Leary, which, by Mr. Leary’s retiring, and Mr. McMicken entering, became the present firm of Struve, Haines & McMicken. This firm has always been one of the leading law firms of Washington, and is now and has been for several years the firm of attorneys retained by nearly all the prominent corporations in that commonwealth.
Colonel Haines has been identified for the last six years quite prominently with the National Guard of Washington, serving as captain of Company B during the Chinese riots of 1886. In 1887 he was elected to the colonelcy of the First Regiment, a position which he now holds, having been re-elected for a second term. He was in command of the military for two weeks immediately following the great fire of June 6, 1889, which destroyed the business portion of Seattle, during which time the city was guarded entirely by the regiment. He has always been an active Republican, and has been prominently identified with that party since being a resident of Washington. He was chairman of the King county delegation in several territorial conventions, and was chairman of the delegation to the last state convention. During his residence in the state he has been connected with the trial of nearly every important case in Washington.