USA > Washington DC > Eminent and representative men of Virginia and the District of Columbia in the nineteenth century. With a concise historical sketch of Virginia > Part 21
USA > Virginia > Eminent and representative men of Virginia and the District of Columbia in the nineteenth century. With a concise historical sketch of Virginia > Part 21
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diction. Thus Barstow having been de- clared by competent authority elected, his resignation left the office vacant to be filled acording to the provisions of constitution. MacArthur, being unde- niably the lieutenant governor, must of necessity succeed Barstow as governor. During the hiatus MacArthur held his position as governor and administered its duties. The case excited universal in- terest at the time. MacArthur held to In 1888 Judge MacArthur resigned his position on the bench, under the act of congress which permits Federal judges to retire upon full pay after having reached the age of seventy years, and after having served at least ten years. The judge was seventy-three years of age at the time he retired, and had served seventeen years upon the Federal bench, which, together with the two terms he served on the circuit bench in Wisconsin, his position until after the courts had de- gave him a judicial career of at least cided in favor of Bashford, and then gave thirty years. There had been no reports up the office and resumed his duties as of the decisions of the district supreme lieutenant governor, and president of the court since 1840. Judge MacArthur, to senate. Before his term was out, how- supply this want, undertook the task of ever, he was elected judge of the second reporting the decisions of the court in judicial circuit -- the most important in bank, beginning in 1873, and he published the state- and in this position he be- four (4) volumes of these decisions. This was undertaken simply that the law as decided might be preserved and made known in a permanent form. came one of the most popular men in was a labor without compensation, and Wisconsin. His course was so upright, his decisions so just and courageous, and his bearing so blameless, that he was re- elected at the expiration of his first term of six years with great unanimity. In 1870 he was appointed by President Grant an associate justice of the supreme court
Judge MacArthur is singularly well informed in literary affairs. He has been and is still a great reader, and in his life has written for the newspapers and mag- of the District of Columbia. From that azines quite copiously. In 1886, his book time on, Judge MacArthur has been a conspicuous character in Washington. Much of the time he presided in the ceived a decidedly widespread and favor- criminal court and it is generally sup-
entitled " Education and its Relation to Manual Industry" was published, and re- able recognition among eminent educators posed that his tender disposition and and others, and was noticed extensively generous impulses somewhat influenced by the press in terms of high appreciation. his decisions, and prevented his adminis- He is also the author of a book of great tration of severe sentences. The record learning and research, called " The Bio-
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graphy of the English Language, with with rare good taste and elegance, Notices of Authors, Ancient and Modern." and seen on Pennsylvania avenue, on a He also wrote a book of a historic charac- sunny afternoon, would be called an ex- ter, entitled "A Historical Study of ceedingly handsome man. Socially he is Mary Stuart, commonly known as Mary, justly popular. He is a good story-teller, Queen of Scotts, illustrating the injustice laughs well and at the right time, and is that has been done to her Memory and a good listener. He is quick at repartee, Character." He also wrote a volume of never says disagreeable things even to make a point, and is willing to give other people a chance to tell old stories. He is fond of dining out, and at the table he is brilliant and entertaining-being full of anecdote, poetry, reminiscence, and good cheer. His social qualities are of a high order, and they have full bent in Wash- ington. "Essays and Papers on Miscellaneous Topics", also a course of twelve lectures on the subject of "Law as Applied in a Business Education." In history he is particularly intelligent, and has lectured on historical subjects. Scott and Thack- eray are his favorite writers, and he thinks Longfellow the greatest poet. He reads Shakspeare a good deal, but thinks he is The family of Judge MacArthur consists of his wife and one son, by a former marriage. Mrs. MacArthur was the widow of Mr. Hopkins, formerly a rep- resentative in congress from Wisconsin. His son, as already stated, is a major in in the regular army, and an assistant adjutant-general. He was a distin- guished soldier in the rebellion, having enlisted at the age of seventeen and risen too good, or at least not fitted, for the modern stage. He is a great worker at night and burns the midnight oil very reg- ularly. Judge MacArthur devotes much time to benevolent institutions and chari- ties and is foremost in all public affairs. He is the president of the board of regents of the National university, an institution of great promise in Washington city, and he has always taken a leading part in through his gallantry and faithful services movements for social advancement. The to the rank of colonel, the youngest in personal appearance of Judge Mac- the army. At the close of the war he Arthur is very striking. He is tall and entered the regular army.
straight as a dart, with just enough fullness In relation to the genealogy of Judge MacArthur it may be stated that the home of the MacArthurs in Scotland was in the vicinity of a somber highland loch, in the midst of which there is a small island, consecrated as the burying place of the MacArthurs for generations back, and there the tombstones bearing the relics of those of that name who were in the crusades can still be found by remov- ing the earth to the depth of a foot or two. The coat of arms is indicative of their participation in the crusades, on about the belt and just enough flush in his complexion to show the good qualities of his cook. He is seventy-seven years old and is beyond question the youngest look- ing gentleman of his age in Washington. His head is large, his forehead high and intellectual, and his features regular. His hair is gray and curls at the ends. His mustache and imperial are well kept and are also gray. His face is full of dignity, but there is a fund of quiet humor in his blue eye that the close observer is sure to detect. He dresses account of the fact that it bears the cross
ham w. a Me Schenny
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and three gold crowns, representing the | Mr. McIlhenney is an expert in all mat- three Saracen nations against whom they bore arms. The war-like proclivities of the race appears to have been perpet-
ters pertaining to gas and its manufacture, and the improvements of a number of ap- pliances and fixtures are the result of his uated, as at least six relatives of the judge mechanical skill. Upon the formation of were present at the ill-fated battle of Culloden, four of whom fell dead on the field, and the two who escaped went abroad; one of these became an exten- sive landowner in Australia, and his de- scendants are now among the prominent and wealthy families in that country. The judge takes considerable pride in his Gælic blood, which mingles in equal pro- portion with the Saxon. He can there- fore judge impartially of the justice with which one part of his forefathers raided upon and stole the cattle of the other. the Belt Line Street R. R. Co., of Wash- ington, he was elected its president, and to him credit is due as the author of the exchange ticket system, now in almost universal use on all street car lines in the country. He is at this time a director in the Washington & Georgetown Street R. R. Co., and is also one of the commit- tee appointed to introduce the cable sys- tem in the city of Washington. Mr. Mc- Ilhenney is a public spirited man in all the term implies, and during his long pe- riod of residence in Washington has been called at various times to fill positions re- GEORGE A. McILHENNEY, quiring the exercise of ripe judgment and executive ability. He is a director of the Corcoran Fire Insurance company, and vice-president of the West End National bank, besides holding minor trusts, among which is that of president of the board of trustees of the Western Presby- terian church, with which religious organi- zation he has been long and prom- inently identified. He was united in marriage May 5, 1868, to Miss Thyrza Virginia Smith, daughter of John R. Smith, of Alexandria, Va.
a prominent citizen of Washington, D. C., and president of the Washington Gas company, is a native of the north of Ireland, and dates his birth from the year 1835. When a mere boy he came to the United States and located in the city of Philadelphia, in the public schools of which city he received a good Enlisgh education. Having early manifested a decided taste for mechanical pursuits, he began while still young to learn the machinists' trade, in which he soon acquired much more than ordinary skill, and afterward turned his attention very largely to gas engineer-
Since the above sketch has been in type, the sad news of Mr. McIlhenney's de- ing, which he has since made a specialty. parture from earth, October 15, has come At the age of twenty-three he accepted to hand, and it is but proper to here in- sert an extract from a leading Washing- ton journal, of October 16, relating to his demise: the responsible position of superintend- ent of the gas works of Macon, Ga., and later, in 1865, accepted a similar position in Washington, D. C., where he still ex- Most remarkable perhaps of Mr. Mc- Ilhenney's recent career is the fact that for the past fourteen years he had been semi-invalid, suffering from partial paralysis, which threatened to carry him ercises direct control of the works, and where, in 1883, he was elected president of the gas company, the duties of which office he has since very ably discharged. off at any moment. Nevertheless, in
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spite of constant illness, he kept close supervision of all his manifold interests, and bore his sufferings with remarkable fortitude. As a gentleman who knew him intimately remarked last evening: "George McIlhenney was never too busy or sick to respond to the call of friend- ship," and this universal kindness and charity was a no less marked characteris- tic of the man than his inflexible integrity. He was the sole architect of his own fortunes, but he builded honestly as well as successfully. The culmination of the malady which ended his life began with an attack of congestion of the kidneys last Tuesday, while in his office. His wife survives him, and other immediate relatives are his brothers John, of Phil- adelphia, and Oliver, of Georgia, with one sister, Mrs. Barr, of Philadelphia. A nephew, James McIlhenney, was asso- ciated with him in business, being superintendent of the eastern station of the gas light company.
WILLIAM CRANCH McINTIRE,
one of the most successful patent at- torneys of Washington, D. C., is a native of that city, born in 1841. He wa's edu- cated at Rugby academy, completing his course of studies in 1856, and after six months' employment with Lewis Jol.nson & Co., bankers, was called to the aid of his father, who was then chief draughts- man of the patent office, with whom he remained another half year. At this time he was offered a $1,200 clerkship, but declined, for the pur- from General N. P. Banks in the latter's pose of entering the office of his Red river expedition; he was first taken brother, J. N. McIntire, a patent attorney, to New Orleans and thence to Fort
mand of Milton R. Carey of Richmond, and served as a private about one year, when he was promoted to the staff de- partment of Gen. Holmes' brigade and served until after the battle of Antietam, when he was transferred to the trans- Mississippi department and sent to Little Rock, Ark., as captain and quarter- master, which rank he retained until just before the close of the war, when he was commissioned major. Together with Captain F. O. Snow, Major McIntire organized the trans-Mississippi quarter- master's department under orders from General Kirby Smith. During his con- tinuance in the service, the major took part in the Seven days' fight around Richmond, at Cedar Mountain, Antietam, the Red river expedition, including Mansfield, La., and was sent under special order down the Red to take possession of all the abandoned river and land transportation, and took the first steamboat through the wing dams at Alexandria, La. The major was thrice wounded -first at Antietam, secondly at Little Rock, and thirdly at Mansfield. In September, 1864, about eighteen miles above Natchez, Miss., the major was captured while on his way to Richmond, Va., as a special messenger, having in his charge about forty battle flags captured
and learning the business. This he Lafayette, N. Y., but in December, 1864, was released on an autograph order from President Lincoln, permitting him to re- turn home to the bedside of his dying mother. After the war Mr. McIntire re- turned to his office in Washington, and resumed his business as patent attorney. In this he has prospered and in 1865 be- thoroughly did, and in 1860 opened his own office, meeting with the most flatter- ing success. In 1861 the Civil war broke in upon his business plans and prospects, and, his sympathies being with the south, of which section he considered himself to be a native, he enlisted that year in the Thirtieth Virginia infantry, under com- came the Washington representative of
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Charles M. Keller, the famous New York | pendence -one of them being a lieutenant patent lawyer, and at the latter's death, in the Continental army. became the representative of Mr. Keller's John McKenney, the grandfather of James H., was born in Massachusetts, in 1768, and was married, in 1792, to Mary (Hays) Hanna, the latter a native of Maryland, whose grandmother was an Archer. John McKenney was a cousin of the famous Revolutionary patriot and soldier, General Israel Putnam. John successor, Charles F. Blake, who died about 1882. These facts are simply given to show the confidence the better class of patent men have in the ability and assiduity of Mr. McIntire. The marriage of Mr. McIntire took place, in 1868, to Miss Frances B. Simms, daughter of Alexius Simms of Washington, and the McKenney removed from Massachusetts children born to this union are named to Harford county, Maryland, in 1791, Marie Zelina, and Mathilde Slidell.
and died in 1834; he was the father of
Arthur L. McIntire, father of the three children, among whom was John major, was born in Washington in 1800 (Putnam) McKenney, who was born in and was of Scotch descent. In 1836 he Bel Air, Md., in 1798. He was educated was appointed chief draftsman of the United States patent office and this posi- tion he held until 1861, when he was transferred to the ordnance office of the war department, where he remained until about 1870, when he retired. He was married, in 1830, to Zelina Keller, a James Hall and granddaughter of Rich- native of Bordeaux, France. Major W. ard and great-granddaughter of Andrew C. McIntire is the present commissary Hall, all of Cecil county, Md. John (Put- general of the national guard of the nam) McKenney died in 1882. His son, District of Columbia, on the staff of James Hall McKenney, was born near
General Ordway.
JAMES HALL McKENNEY,
at the academy of Newark, Delaware and for many years was secretary of the Bel Air (Md.) academy, and during that time was editor of the Independent Citizen, a weekly newspaper. In 1832 he mar- ried Miss Mary Jane Hall, daughter of Bel Air, Md., July 12, 1837; he became a resident of Washington city in 1845, and in 1853 entered the office of clerk of the United States circuit court for the Dis- trict of Columbia. Five years later, while still connected with that office, he was 1858, the junior assistant clerk in the
clerk of the supreme court of the United States, is of a very old American family of Scotch-Irish origin, the first of the appointed, on the 15th of November, name to come to America having been John McKenney, who settled near Scar- office of the clerk of the supreme court of borough, Maine (then a part of Massa- the United States by the then clerk, Mr. chusetts), in 1668. To the second Carroll, and on the death of Mr. Carroll generation of this immigrant were born and the appointment of Mr. Middleton numerous children, and of the descend- as clerk, in 1863, he became acting deputy, and after the authorization by
ants of the original immigrant the names of no less than thirteen appear on the law, in 1872, of the appointment of roll of the Massachusetts troops in serv- ice during the war for American inde-
deputy clerks by the United States courts he was appointed deputy clerk of the
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supreme court of the United States, and occupied that position until May 10, 1880, on which day he was selected by the court as the successor to Mr. Middleton, by the unanimous vote of the justices. Mr. McKenney was also elected and served as secretary to the electoral com- mission in 1877 ..
In 1862 he married Virginia D. Walker, daughter of Charles Edward Walker, the brother of Captain Samuel Hamilton Walker of the Texas Rangers and United States volunteers, who was killed at the battle of Humaita, Mexico. The Walkers are an old Maryland family of Scotch descent. The living children of James H. and Virginia D. are Frederic Duncan, Carroll and Charles Albert.
RANDOLPH HARRISON McKIM, D. D.,
the present rector of Epiphany P. E. church, Washington, D. C., was born in Baltimore, April 15th, 1842. On his mother's side he is descended from an English family whicn settled in Virginia about 1620, and which has given many distinguished men to the service of the state, among them Benjamin Harrison, one of the signers of the Declaration of
The following extract from Major W. W. Goldsborough's work, "The Maryland Line, C. S. A.," fully illustrates the daring courage of Lieutenant McKim:
In the battle of Gettysburg, just be- fore the charge made by the Second Ma- ryland Infantry of Gen. Geo. H. Stuart's brigade, on Friday, July 3d, 1863, the commanders of companies informed me (Maj. Goldsborough) that the ammuni- tion was exhausted. The difficulty was to get it, as none was within half a mile, and it was almost certain death to leave the shelter of the breastworks. I reported the matter, however, to Gen. Stuart, whom I found sitting with his staff behind an immense rock, and he told me I had better call for volunteers, ‘General, do not ask one of your officers or private volunteers to perform this duty whilst you have a staff officer left. I will bring the ammunition if I live.' Words that should be written in letters of gold, and they fell from the lips of Lieut. Randolph H. McKim, one of the general's aids. The noble and gallant lieutenant made the venture and succeeded in his mission.
With this duty his purely military serv- ice came to an end, and in May, 1864, he was ordained and entered the field as chaplain to Fitz Lee's regiment, the Sec- ond Virginia cavalry. In 1866 he was ordained priest and took a parish at Ports- mouth, Va. In November, 1867, he took remained its rector for eight years. No-
Independence, William Henry Harrison, charge of Christ church, Alexandria, and ninth president of the United States, and Benjamin Harrison, the present occupant vember 21, 1875, Dr. McKim entered upon of the White House. Dr. McKim re- his duties as rector of Holy Trinity ceived his collegiate education at the church, Fifth avenue and One Hundred university of Virginia. In 1861 he joined and Twenty-fifth street, New York, the quarter of the city known as Harlem. In this charge he remained until November, 1886, when he became rector of Trinity church, New Orleans. Two years later he accepted the charge of the Epiphany church, Washington, D. C., though re- the Confederate army as a private sol- dier, and after participating in the battle of Manassas, served under "Stonewall" Jackson as one of his "foot cavalry" in the famous valley campaign of 1862. Having been promoted from the ranks he was made aid-de-camp to Gen. G. H. Stuart, peatedly invited to other important fields. and through the Gettysburg campaign he Among works published by him are "Pro- served on the staff of that officer.
testant Principles" (Whittaker, 1879) ;
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" The Nature of the Christian Ministry" thirty members of the clan were engaged (Whittaker, 1880); "Sermons on Future in the battle of Culloden, in the interest Punishment" (Whittaker, 1883); in the of Prince Charles. Southern Review an article on "Prayer," and one on "The Incarnation," in Ameri- can Church Review; "Bread in the Des- ert," a volume of sermons (Whittaker, 1887), and various magazine articles and separate sermons.
Malcom McLachlen, father of the sub- ject of this mention, was born in the Scotch settlement at Caledonia, Livings- ton county, New York, March 28, 1826. While a young man he learned the dry goods business at Rochester, and was en- gaged in that occupation in the towns of Geneseo, Le Roy and Mount Morris, re-
John McKim, Jr., grandfather of Rev. McKim, came to this country when a boy from Londonderry, Ireland, in 1780; he moving, in 1865, to Ypsilanti, Mich., where was descended from the McKim who was he was engaged in the general merchan- dise business; was engaged in the lumber business at Cincinnati, Ohio, for a time, knighted at the siege of Londonderry. He became a successful merchant in Bal- timore, and the owner of numerous clip- in connection with Charles Begole of per ships, among others the famous "Ann Flint, Mich .; also had pine land interests McKim." During the war of 1812, he in Montcalm county, Mich. In 1871 he advanced the government a large sum removed to Neosho county, Kas., where (said to have been $200,000), to aid in the he was engaged in the general merchan- prosecution of the war. He was also one dise and cattle business, dying at Thayer, of the projectors and active supporters of Kas., in the year 1888. Malcom McLach- `the B. & O. R. R. The father of Dr. len was a man of great integrity and of McKim was John S. McKim, born in 1800, and died in 1865. John S. McKim was the owner of " Belvidere," in Balti- more, which, at one time included all that portion of the city now included in Eager, Chase, Biddle, also Charles, St. Paul and North streets. sterling principles; was always successful in business and by his cheerful, kindly disposition, always popular. His wife, whose maiden name was Julia A. Begole, was the daughter of William Begole, who served in the war of 1812. The Begole family are of French origin, the first rep- The motto of the coat of arms of the McKim family reads: " Viribus virtus." resentative of that family in America be- ing a clergyman, who was driven out of France by persecutions in the eighteenth ARCHIBALD MALCOM McLACHLEN, century. Josiah W. Begole, the eldest son of William Begole, has represented Michigan in congress and later as gov- ernor of that state.
a prominent dealer in real estate in the city of Washington, District of Columbia, is a native of Livingston county, New York, born in the town of Geneseo, on indicated by the name, the McLachlen family is of Scotch origin. Representa- tives of the family came to America about the year 1740 from Invernesshire, Scotland. Historical records show that was appointed postmaster.
Archibald M. McLachlen was educated the second day of September, 1857. As at Ypsilanti, Mich., in the state normal and at the state university at Lawrence, Kas. He left school at an early age, en- gaging in the drug business at Altoona, Wilson county, Kas., where in 1875 he
He dis-
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charged the duties of that position for company he is a director; was one of the two years. Then disposing of his business incorporators of the Capital Trust com- pany, also one of the founders and is a director of the Security Investment com- he located in the city of Thayer, where for about a year he carried on the drug business, which he abandoned on account pany, was also one of the organizers and of failing health. With his team and is now secretary and treasurer of the wagon he crossed the plains into Colorado Brookland Building association, as well and New Mexico. This trip with out- as vice-president of the local board of the door camp life restored in a measure his Co-operative Building bank of New York. health. He remained at Las Vegas, New All of the companies, it may be remarked, Mexico, about one year and thence re- have proven successful as evidenced by moved to Denver, Col., in both places dividends paid. being engaged in mercantile and mining pursuits. Returning to Kansas he was for a short period associated in business
While in the government service Mr. McLachlen was elected secretary of the Kansas State Republican association and with his father at Thayer, Kas., and for served in that capacity for several years, a short period was assistant cashier in the rendering the republican party efficient City bank of Osage Mission. By invita- service. tion of Hon. Dudley C. Haskell he re-
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