The Biographical Dictionary and Portrait Gallery of Representative Men of Chicago, Milwaukee and the World's Columbian Exposition

              BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY AND PORTRAIT GALLERY.
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family removed West and located in Evanston, one of Chicago's most charming suburbs. Here he received his education and graduated from the Evanston High School in 1871. His inclinations and desires were strongly in favor of the career of a railroad man, consequently he obtained a posi¬ tion in the general passenger and ticket office of the Chicago and North-Western Railroad, in a minor capacity—that of " foreign check clerk." For twenty years he remained in the service of this gigantic corporation, and by the faithful and honorable discharge of his duties he rapidly ad¬ vanced, and when he resigned his position to accept the office he now holds, he was occupying a high position of trust. His record while in the employ of the Chicago and North-Western was clean, and his appointment to the high position on the executive staff of the World's Fair w^as not only unanimously approved by the officials of the Exposition, but the officials of the different railroad lines centering here-deemed the appoint¬ ment extremely good. He is thoroughly familiar with the vast railroad system centering in Chicago, as well as with their connections stretching over the entire continent. Pie knows how to create a passenger traffic, and how to draw it here, besides possessing that invaluable accessory of a success¬ ful railroad official—a wide and popular acquaint¬ ance among railroad men. His connection with the North-Western Railroad has caused him to visit all sections of our country and Canada, and, it is needless to state, he has formed the acquaint¬ ance of men of prominence throughout the conti¬ nent that will be of great advantage to him in the position he now holds.
Mr. Jaycox is one of the few men who have had Masonic interests at heart, and as such he was crowned with the highest honors at an early age. During the last triennial conclave he was on the staff of the Grand Commander of the State of Illinois, and he was the youngest Knight Tem¬ plar in attendance that had passed through all of the chairs, and it is certainly true that he is the most prominent Mason of his age in the country. His Masonic record is one of which he should feel proud. He was raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason in Evans Lodge, 524, F. and A. M., September 12th, 1882 ; January 26th, 1883, he was made a Royal Arch Mason in Evanston Chapter, 144;   he was created a Knight Templar
in Chicago Commandery, 19, K. T., on September i6th, 1883. Having been a member of that com¬ mandery for one year, he was elected by unani¬ mous vote Captain-General, for the purpose of taking the commandery to St. Louis to participate in the triennial conclave. Afterward demitting from the Chicago Commandery, he became a charter member of Evanston Commandery, 58, K. T. An incident that shows far better than words the esteem in w^hich Mr. Jaycox is held by his fellow Knights, is the fact that shortly after the commandery was constituted he was elected its Eminent Commander. He was chosen for the position, not only because he was universally es¬ teemed by all its members, but also because he was the Sir Knight deemed most eminently fitted to impregnate the proper spirit into the command¬ ery. At the time of his election as Eminent Commander, the membership of the commandery was the smallest of any in the State, and after his year of service the membership of the command¬ ery was doubled, and its standing w^as raised until it was second to none in that commonwealth.
A prominent member of the Evanston Com¬ mandery, in speaking of the reason why Mr. Jaycox, although comparatively speaking a very young man for the high office, was chosen Emi¬ nent Commander, expresses himself in the follow¬ ing terms: "Mr. Jaycox was chosen because of his personal popularity and fitness; his service lifted the commandery out of the slough of de¬ spond." At the next annual conclave, he was again chosen for the position he had filled so sat¬ isfactorily, but he declined to serve.
The following extracts from the Chicago Times explain his Masonic record in brief, the first from the issue of November 2d, 1890, as follows:
'^ Sir Knight Jaycox is one of the most enthusiastic workers in the commandery, and a leader in all that pertains to the welfare of all the Masonic bodies with which he is identified. He was made a Mason in Evans Lodge only about seven yeais ago, and within this comparatively short period he has earned and received honors in the craft of which many vet¬ erans might feel proud. Passing through the veils of Evans¬ ton Chapter, he entered the ranks of Knighthood in Chicago Commandery, No. 19, where he was soon elevated to the office of Captain-General. He retired from that body to become a charter member and take part in the organization of Evanston Commandery, of which he has always been a most active member and faithful, efficient and successful commander."
The other extract, from the Sunday Times, of