Bio- Sawyers
SURNAMES: LYON, ROTH, KESLER/Kester?
Representative of the best type of citizenship. Jay Orley Hayes
is justly accorded a prominent place in the business, municipal and
social life of San Jose. His name is widely known and carries
with it an influence which ever wields its power toward the betterment
of the community in every way, its moral upliftingm its physical
welfacer, the promotion and upbuilding of all enterprises calculated to
increase the prosperity of city, county and state. First a
citizen and patriot, Mr. Hayes labors with untiring zeal for the best
interest of the country; afterward a Republican, he gives his
strongest support to the advancement of the principles he
endoreses. Through not known as a politician, he was selected by
his friends as a candidate for boernor at the time that Governor
Pardee, then the incumbent, ran for office. Although defeated,
this action, the result entirely of his standing as aman and citizen,
brought Mr. Hayes prominently before the public and has added to his
following many influential men of the state, who appreciate his
sterling integrity and ability. Absolutely sincere and honest and
imbued with the highest and best motives, he is an ideal citizen,
willing to spend his time and money in the betterment of the conditions
of town, county and state. The value of his work thus far in San
Jose and civinty has ample testimony in a clean city government, good
streets, good schools, good buildings, all of which have felt his
strong and earnest effort. What has been done locally can
be done gernerally for the entire state, should opportunity and the
call of duty ever demand that he give up the peace and quiet of his
prinncely home for the turmoil and arduous task of a great public
office. Mr. Hayes' personal magnetism is of that lasting
order that comes only from the conviction of meeting a truly honorable
man and one who loves his fellow-men. This feeling is heightened
when one is permitted to observe him in his home, which is the
best test, after all--- his devotion to his family, to his church
duteis, impress one that he is an example of true life precepts which
he has been taught and which he has followed from infancy.
A native of Waterloo, Jefferson County, Wis., Mr. Hayes was born
October 2, 1857, a son of Anson E. Hayes, the representative of an old
American family of Scotch descent, the first member of which setting in
Connecticut in 1683. For many generations the family flourished
in the New England states, various members adding luster to the name
through their association with the early colonial history. In
time the family name became a familiar one in the state of the middle
west. Mr. Hayes was reared in Wisconsin, receiving his
preliminary education in the common schools of his native city. Upon
the completion of the common school course he entered the
University of Wisconsin at Madison, and was graduated in 1880 with the
degree of LL B. He also studied law in the office of Gen. WIlliam
F. Vilas and was admitted to the bar one year after his brother,
Everis Anson Hayes, whith whom he has
been associated in both a professional and business way. They
began tghe practice of law in Madison and continued in that location
for two years, when they removed to Ashland, there forming a partership
with Col. John H. Knight. A large and lucrative practive was
established in the four years following, their prestige extending
throught Ashland and Bayfield counties. The partnership was
dissolved in 1886, when the Hayes brothers located in Ironwood, Mich.,
where they had previously acquired extensive interest in iron mines of
the Gogebic iron range. For one year they gave their sole
attention to these interests. In the spring of 1887 they came to
California and in the vicinity of San Jose purchased a fine ranch for
their home. This property they have improved and developd,
conducting a fruit enterprise which has added no little to the presige
of Santa Clara County in this line. Mr. Hayws is secretary and
treasurer of the Harmony Iron Company. In 1900 the Hayes brothers
became the owners of teh Herald, the leading evening paper of San Jose,
and in 1901 purchased the Mercury, the only morning paper in that city;
the two papers were later consolildated under the name of the San Jose
Mercury-Herald and Mr. Hayes is the president of the Mercury-Herald
Company, owners of these newspapers. Mr. Hayes has spent much
time in the iron mines in Michigan during the last few years and almost
all the thirty months immediately after the war. Fortunately
their mines producted a high grade of ore that found a ready sale and
when other mines were closed down, their mine was oeprated during the
entire period without situation.
Mr. Hayes was married June 16, 1885 , to Clara I. Lyon, daugher of
ex-Chief Justpice W. P. Lyon, of the Supreme Court of Wisconsin.
They are the parents of five children: Mildren M. now the wife of
A. E Roth, comptroller of Stanford University, Lyetta A., Elystus L,
Miriam F., now the wife of Edgar C. Kesler with Robert Dollar Company,
San Francisco, and J. Orlo. Mr. Hayes has taken a prominet part
in the organization fo the California Prune & Apricot Growers
Association, having been a director since its orgasnization and is a
member of its executive committee and has give much time and thought to
its upbuilding, realizing that in the success of the asssociation
depends the further prosperity of the prune and apricot growers of
California. It is the consensus of opinon of men of affatis that
he has had more to do with the growth of the association than ony other
person. He is a man of varied and large interest in California,
but is particularly found of Santa Clara County and optimistic for its
rapid growth and fuutre greatness. A very prominent Republican in
state and national politics, he was for years, a member of the State
Central Committee and its executive committee and for eight yeasr
served as vice-chairmn and has been prominent and active in al lthe
great movements of the Republican party in the sate. He was
delegate-at-large from California to the national Republican convention
at Chicago that nominated Hughes for president in 1916 and was
amember of the notification committee that proceeded to New York and
notified Mr. Hughes of his nomination for president by the Republican
convention at Chicago.