USA > Connecticut > Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial; representative citizens, v. 4 > Part 11
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CRONIN, Daniel Edward, Business Man.
There is a popular notion that merit is very apt to meet with scant appre- ciation of this world until the death of the meritorious startles those about him into an appreciative attitude that comes too late to benefit its subject, that the great dead are honored, the great living abused. Of course there is a certain
basis for this as for every popular notion, but there are also so many modifications and exceptions to it as a rule as to rob it of half its force. The great reformer, it is true, generally fares ill in every clime and time until his bones are dust and his memory canonized, but the reward of any ability short of this superlative de- gree, seems to depend rather upon its form than its power, its kind rather than its degree. To be more explicit : A man will gain recognition quickly enough if his abilities are such as are in demand in the age in which he lives, but not other- wise. The student, for instance, has but a poor portion in the world in an age when all men value war and qualities that excel in war above all else, but in an age of culture and enlightenment he will be valued at his true high worth. And again, in an age when business and in- dustry occupy men's minds, the artist will meet with but scant recognition and the man of business will guide the world's affairs. And surely this is right and as it should be. If the warlike aris- tocracy of old neglected the student, if the industrial leader of to-day gives but little attention to the artist, who shall blame either the one or the other; it is part of the progress of the world. There would be small reason in expecting men to pay for what they do not want or to reward those whose work they do not value. This is an age of great business interests, an age when the world is on the outlook for men who can make things, men who can sell things, who can combine successfully the elements of our physical life, and when it finds such it hastens to reward them with wealth and position. To such men recognition does not come tardily, after their death, but promptly enough, often in their youth or the middle portion of their lives. Such has been the case with Daniel Edward
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Cronin, of Waterbury, Connecticut, a man of the type which the world wants to-day, who, although not a native of the country, has become completely identi- fied with the life of the community of his adoption.
Daniel Edward Cronin was born April 3, 1867, in the County of Cork, Ireland, a member of a family that has dwelt in that region from time immemorial. His grandfather was a farmer there and his father began life in the same occupation, but, being a man of large enterprise, and learning of the opportunity that awaited men of his character in the "New World," he migrated to the United States in middle life with his wife and child, the subject of this sketch. Michael Cronin, as the father was named, was married to Mary Leary, like himself a native of County Cork, and the two, upon coming to the United States made their home in Middletown, Connecticut, where they eventually died. They were the parents of seven children, of whom Daniel Edward Cronin was the eldest, the others, all of whom were born in this country, being as follows: Helen, now the wife of John Hamelton, of Bridge- port, Connecticut, and the mother of five children; William, who was a resident of Middletown, Connecticut, and died there at the age of fifty-five years ; John, who died at Middletown at the age of four years ; Mary, a resident of Middle- town; James, who married Catherine Clifford and now makes his home in Middletown with her and their four children : Elizabeth, now the wife of Frank Henze, of Providence, Rhode Island, and the mother of three children.
Mr. Cronin was but one year of age when he came with his parents from his native land to the United States of America, too young to have formed any associations with the former, so that
while actually born there, he is to all intents and purposes a native American. He passed the whole of his childhood in Middletown, Connecticut, the city to which his parents first came upon reach- ing this country, and it was there that he was educated also, at the excellent public schools. It was in Middletown, also, that he learned the trade of mason, which turned his business activities into the channel in which he has been so suc- cessful for many years. Having mast- ered this craft, however, he did not re- main in Middletown any longer but, at the age of twenty years, left the parental roof and went to Meriden, Connecticut. He remained about seven years working as a mason, and to such good effect that at the end of that period he had laid aside enough money to enable him to engage in business for himself. Accord- ingly he came to Waterbury, where he has made his home ever since, and at once established himself in business as a contractor for mason work and build- ing. He has been extremely successful, the chief factors in this success being his intelligence and business foresight and the absolute trustworthiness with which he has always carried out the contracts placed in his hands. Indeed it was very quickly realized that this was the case, that here was a young man beyond the average in cleverness and sound busi- ness methods, whom it paid well to employ. He has consequently been kept busily occupied ever since, and a great deal of the most important work in the community has been intrusted to him, including the new Young Men's Chris- tian Association building and a large number of the public schools. Many large private edifices such as business buildings have also been put in his hands so far as the mason work is concerned, and his business to-day is larger than at
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any time in his career, and is still rapidly developing.
Mr. Cronin has never been content to give all his time and energies to his private business interests, as it seems un- fortunately is the tendency among suc- cessful business men at the present time, but has always been an active participant in the general affairs of the community and interested in the general cause of civic betterment. He is prominent in fraternal circles, a member of the Benevo- lent and Protective Order of Elks, and he also mingles much in informal social intercourse with his fellow townsmen. He is a Roman Catholic in faith, as his forebears have been from the beginning, and attends the Church of the Immac- ulate Conception in Waterbury.
It was while residing in Meriden that Mr. Cronin was united in marriage with Margaret Cary, of that city. Mrs. Cronin is a native of County Cork, Ireland, but came to this country as a young girl entirely by herself, an act of faith and courage which so many of her country- women have given us striking examples of, the greatness of which we are only too apt to overlook.
CARMODY, M. F., Public Official.
In a city such as Waterbury, Connec- ticut, full as it is of prosperity and the makers of prosperity, with its lists of citizens, crowded with capable and suc- cessful men, it is difficult to single out any particular figures as worthy of espe- cial note. Such, however, is indubitably the case with the career of M. F. Car- mody, the distinguished gentleman whose name heads this brief sketch and whose death on August 23, 1916, left a gap among the ranks of his associates which it will be difficult to overlook.
Born August 23, 1853, in Ireland, he came to the United States with his parents when only three months of age, so that all his childish associations were with the land of his adoption. He came to swell the train of his countrymen that have made their way from the "Emerald Isle" to the great republic of the West, there to find wider opportunities for en- deavor and a more open and freer field for self expression and development. He came also to add to the list of his coun- trymen who have identified themselves closely with the life of this country and who have made names for themselves in all of its varied departments of activity.
Mr. Carmody's education was received in the public schools of Waterbury, where his parents had settled and made their home upon their arrival in the United States. Completing his studies in these institutions at an early age, he be- gan at once the business career in which he was so successful, directing his atten- tion principally to the opportunity offered by real estate in that prosperous and growing community for successful in- vestment. His instinct proved well nigh infallible and his investments were uniformally successful so that he was regarded as one of the most substantial citizens in the community.
But it was in another sphere of activity that Mr. Carmody became best known, the political sphere, namely. Mr. Car- mody had always been a staunch member of the Democratic party, and while still a very young man he began to take an active part in local politics, allying him- self with the local organization of his party in Waterbury. His political col- leagues, perceiving that he was possessed of an unusual capability for affairs and also that he enjoyed a very considerable popularity in the community, came to regard him as available material for
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office and it was not long before he began to hold a number of positions in Water- bury. One of the first of these was that of school auditor, a post in which he served his fellow townsmen well. He then was appointed deputy United States marshal and then deputy sheriff and in all of these proved himself an efficient public officer. Mr. Carmody was equally well known in religious circles in Water- bury. He was an ardent Catholic, at- tending St. Margaret's Church in the city, and a very religious man, observing all the rules and regulations of his church most scrupulously and doing much to advance the cause of religion generally in the community. He was also very well known in social circles and was a member of a number of important organizations, among which should be numbered the Sheridan Council, Knights of Columbus, and Court Shield, Foresters of America. About seven years before his death, Mr. Carmody revisited Ireland, spending some time at the forgotten place of his birth, a visit upon which he always looked with the greatest pleasure.
Mr. Carmody was united in marriage on July 2, 1877, with Mary Gorman, a native of Tariffville, Connecticut, and a daughter of James F. and Jane (Wilson) Gorman, old and well known residents of that town. Mr. and Mrs. Carmody were the parents of seven children, two sons and five daughters, as follows: Dr. James Carmody, a prominent dentist of Water- bury ; George, a graduate of Georgetown College, Washington, D. C., and now makes his home in that city, where he is associated with Senator McClean ; Mary E., Annie M., Jennie G., now a school teacher, Catherine I., who is also engaged in the profession of teaching, and Eme- line W.
Mr. Carmody was a man of unusual character and one of his chief character-
istics was his strong love of his fellow human beings, it being his delight to mix in informal social gatherings where he could come into the most natural and spontaneous associations with them. He was very fond of out-door sports, par- ticularly those connected with the water, and here again he enjoyed the society of his fellows in the healthy competition which such sports stimulate. One of his chief delights was in the telling of stories to those about him, a delight which was shared by his auditors as he was a most accomplished narrator. He was one of those rare individuals who seem, so far as their feelings are concerned, to have drank at Ponce de Leon's fabled foun- tain and gained the secret of eternal youth. His heart never grew old, and to the last he always preserved a fresh, opti- mistic, youthful outlook that was ex- tremely attractive. His enthusiasm was youthful, as were his sympathies also, and his heart made that spontaneous and warm response to the advances of others which passes with most men with the destruction of their illusions. Another point in which this seemingly perennial spirit manifested itself was in the keen love of nature and out-door life always displayed by Mr. Carmody, and fishing and hunting were especially favorite occupations and he used to take what time he could spare from his manifold duties to devote to these pleasures. Not- withstanding his youthful heart and mind, Mr. Carmody did not lack those qualities of maturer development which are essential to the success of a man upon whose shoulders are fallen large responsibilities and the conduct of im- portant affairs. His foresight was clear, his judgment unclouded, and he never allowed personal proclivities and pre- possessions to interfere with the applica- tion of those principles of practical life
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which he knew perfectly well were essen- tial to its proper conduct. Given this saving reservation, the spontaneity and enthusiasm of his feelings and manners were rather a strength than a weakness, since they inevitably called forth the same feelings in those he dealt with, with the result of placing everything on a frank and friendly feeling which greatly facilitated business dealings of all kinds. His manners were genial and kindly, and he was altogether as universally liked as he was respected for his position and in- fluence.
CHASE, Isidore, Merchant.
The passing of the last two or three centuries has been marked by one of the profoundest changes in the structure of society that has ever taken place and which is so tremendous that we do not as yet even begin to realize its signifi- cance or the far-reaching consequences that have still to spring from it. It would be out of the question and quite out of place to attempt even to suggest in an article such as this the magnitude and multitudinous aspects of a move- ment such as this involving, as it does, the growth of democracy, the new ideal of the citizen, the education of the so- called lower classes and any number of equally significant tendencies whose end is not yet. One aspect of this change is important to our present purpose, how- ever, that which may be described as the alteration of the very base of our social fabric from a military to an industrial character, the exaltation of the whilom humble merchant and manufacturer and the humbling of the professional warrior to a comparatively unimportant place. There is no race the status of which has been so profoundly modified by this
great change as the Hebrew, which for centuries suffered a most unjust con- tempt and is now only beginning to re- ceive the recognition due it as an agent of enlightenment, progress and peace. Certainly we have found in this country that the members of this great people make citizens unsurpassed in public spirit and all the civic virtues, certainly we found them to have taken a foremost part in the development of mercantile and business interests in every community where they have settled. Many indi- vidual cases might be cited to illustrate the truth of this but none more worthily than that of Isidore Chase, the distin- guished merchant of Waterbury, Con- necticut, whose name heads this brief appreciation.
Isidore Chase is a son of Samuel and Jeannette (Bach) Chase, highly respected residents of Posen, Prussia, where the father was born and died at the age of forty-five years. One of their six chil- dren was Isidore, who was himself born in Posen, August 22, 1852, where he lived and received his education until he reached the age of fourteen. He then came to the United States and remained in New York City for about six months, doing what work he could find, and eventually came to Waterbury, Connec- ticut, which has remained his home and the scene of his business activities from that time to this. For a time after com- ing to the Connecticut city, he travelled through the State peddling goods of various kinds and showed a marked business ability in even these humble transactions. He had an elder brother, Max Chase, living in Waterbury about this time, however, and when this brother opened a small millinery store shortly after his coming to the town, the younger man was given a position there- in which he filled with faithfulness and
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efficiency. This little shop was the origin of the present great establishment of I. Chase & Son. The younger brother gradually took a more and more active part in the affairs of the business which was constantly increasing in size and eventually, upon the retirement of Max Chase, took charge of the concern completely. Under his vigorous but careful policy, the business has rapidly developed until it is now the largest exclusive millinery house in Waterbury and one of the largest in the State. In the year 1902 Mr. Chase admitted his son Samuel into the concern as a partner, and the younger man has given every evi- dence that he inherits his father's busi- ness capacity, and the house of I. Chase & Son seems destined to as bright and prosperous a career in the future as it has had in the past.
Large as has been Mr. Chase's accom- plishment in the business world, impor- tant as his activities have been in mer- cantile circles, he has not confined himself to private affairs and interests, but has displayed a public spirit very character- istic of his race and given much of his time to public affairs. Besides his per- sonal business, then, Mr. Chase has inter- ested himself in the growth of real estate values and the development of property in his adopted city and has always invested with an eye, not only to his own advantage, but to that of the community generally. He is at present the owner, among other properties, of the handsome Chase Building, in which his millinery establishment has been located since 1912. He is also connected closely with financial matters and is a director of the Merchants' Trust Company of Waterbury. Outside of the realm of business altogether Mr. Chase has been well nigh equally active, and is even now prominent in many important movements
in the city. He served for a two-year term on the board of finance in the city government, a post for which his emi- nent business ability fitted him, and he is now and has been for the past twenty years a member of the board of educa- tion, this question having always been of great interest to him. During this period he has rendered a most valuable service to the community at large in the thoroughly enlightened stand he has taken on all matters pertaining to the education of the children and the im- provements in the school equipment that he has advocated. Socially Mr. Chase is a conspicuous figure and a member of many important clubs and organizations, among which should be mentioned the great Hebrew society of Bnai Brith, Harmony Lodge, Masonic order, of which he has been a member over forty years, the Benevolent and Protec- tive Order of Elks, the Concordia Sing- ing Society and the Waterbury Turn Verein. He is a faithful member of Temple Israel Congregation and a very charitable man, assisting materially many philanthropic movements. notably the Home for the Aged and Infirm Members of the Bnai Brith, of which he is a member of the governing board.
It was at New Haven, Connecticut, on February 22, 1882, that Mr. Chase was united in marriage with Sophia Zunder, of that city. Miss Zunder was a daugh- ter of Maier Zunder, one of the most prominent citizens of New Haven, a man most closely associated with the educa- tional situation there, for whom one of the city schools was named. He was also a successful financier and was presi- dent of the National Savings Bank of New Haven. To Mr. and Mrs. Chase three children have been born as fol- lows: Samuel, already mentioned as his father's partner, a graduate of Peekskill
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Military Academy of New York in 1902, and married in 1913 to Florence Novit- sky, of Jacksonville, Florida ; Albert, who died in 1888 at the age of fourteen months; and Jeannette Zunder, born April 13, 1899, now (1916) a student in the Waterbury High School.
WEIDIG, Valentin K., Business Man.
This country has the greatest possible reason for feeling proud of the great ele- ment in its citizenship drawn originally from German ancestry, and which has contributed and still contributes to the activities of the country some of the most eminent men in all the callings. There are few families, however, of this great element that possess a greater claim to distinction than that which bears the name of Weidig, as represented here by Valentin K. Weidig, the success- ful merchant of Unionville, Connecticut, whose sudden death there on December 14, 1915, at his home on Water street, was felt as a severe loss by the entire community.
The Weidig family had its origin in Austria whence it came, in 1670, to Bavaria, and has made its home in the latter place ever since. The Weidigs be- longed to the aristocracy both in their original Austrian home and in Bavaria, holding always an important position in the conduct of public affairs and in the regard of their fellows. The family coat- of-arms, which is preserved in a collec- tion in Germany, has come down from a great antiquity. It consists of a shield of gray and green surmounted by a crest of two willow branches crossed.
The parents of Mr. Weidig were John and Barbara Weidig, residents of the town of Eldman, Bavaria, and it was here that Valentin K. Weidig was born,
March 1I, 1859. His education was similar to that of other boys of the better classes in Germany in that day, but Valentin K. was unusually alert and in- dustrious as a student and went rapidly through his courses, graduating at an early age. After learning all that was to be learned at the Volkeschule, the lad entered his father's establishment there to learn another and even more immedi- ately useful branch of knowledge, a trade wherewith to support himself. It was that of metal working and in it he grew quickly expert until he was acknowledged as a master of his craft. Nor was it only in the mere manual skill and dexterity required in the trade itself that the youth grew proficient, but in the matter of the business end of the establishment he also gained a wide knowledge, so much so that when only sixteen years of age, his father having received a shock that incapacitated him from participation in his business, the young man stepped into the elder man's place and most suc- cessfully conducted the business for up- wards of two years, which was the time that it took the latter to recover. He was eighteen years old at this time and he entered into a partnership with his brother and the two young men operated a business for two years. He then travelled to all parts of Germany and Austria to carry on his work and gain a wider knowledge of his business. It was out of the question that so enterprising a nature as that of Mr. Weidig should not chafe under the restraints upon trade then existing in his own country, and turn with enthusiasm towards the great western republic of which accounts were many in the days of his youth. He re- mained several years longer in Germany, however, although he yearned ever more and more to try his fortune in the "New World," until at length, in the year 1884,
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having reached the age of twenty-five,. veloped to a great size, in order that he he finally determined to take the step and accordingly set sail for the United States. Arriving in this country, he came directly to Connecticut and settled in the town of Unionville, near Hartford, which remained his home from that time until the time of his death.
Mr. Weidig first secured a position in the employ of the late H. K. Vos Burg and worked in his establishment which was long known familiarly as "four nine- ty-nine," now the site of the late E. T. Thompson's grocery store. For several years he remained in this employ, exer- cising all that time the strictest economy with a view to saving up enough capital to start himself in business independ- ently. This he was successful in doing and in 1888 he established himself in a hardware business on Water street, Unionville, and at once began to prosper. He also began to take contracts for plumbing and heating systems, and as this was very much in line with the trade he had learned in his native land he was able to do an unusually high class of work and establish an enviable reputa- tion. It was at a time when skilled metal workers were none too plentiful in the region and such work as that done by Mr. Weidig was in great demand. In- deed it is said that he was the first man in Unionville that understood the repair- ing of copper parts of machines and mechanisms of all kinds, so that prior to his arrival there the mill owners and others who possessed such copper work had been obliged to send to other places for workmen to repair them. Thus Mr. Weidig was able to supply a long-felt want and. of course, all such work came to him. This and the plumbing business grew to such dimensions that he was eventually forced to give up the general hardware establishment which he had de-
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