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Perkins, George Clement

banker, legislator, governor, United States senator, was born in 1839, in Kennebunkport, Maine. At the age of twelve years he went to sea as a cabin boy; followed this calling and that of a sailor for several years; and in 1855 shipped before the mast on a sailing vessel bound for San Francisco, Cal.

He engaged in business at Oroville and was very successful; and subsequently engaged in banking, milling, mining, and the steamship business, in which he has been engaged during the past twenty-three years, operating steamships on the coasts of California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Alaska and Mexico. In 1868 he was elected to the state senate, serving eight years. He has been president of the Merchants' exchange in San Francisco.

In 1879 he was elected governor of California, serving until January, 1883. He was appointed United States senator in 1893 to fill, until the election of his successor, the vacancy caused by the death of Hon. Leland Stanford, and took his seat Aug. 8, 1893. He was re-elected in 1897 for term ending in 1903. was