The Biographical cyclopedia of representative men of Maryland and District of Columbia Pt. 1, Part 23

Author: National Biographical Publishing Co. 4n
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Baltimore : National Biographical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 844

USA > Washington DC > Washington DC > The Biographical cyclopedia of representative men of Maryland and District of Columbia Pt. 1 > Part 23
USA > Maryland > The Biographical cyclopedia of representative men of Maryland and District of Columbia Pt. 1 > Part 23

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OX, THOMAS CAMPBELL, Water Register for the District of Columbia, was born on the Heights of Georgetown, in that district, July 1, 1829. His father, Colonel John Cox, was Mayor of Georgetown for twenty-four consecutive years. Ilis maternal grandfather, Mr. John Threkeld, was a large property- owner in the district, and well known in Georgetown. The late Honorable Joseph R. Underwood, for a number of yeurs United States Senator from Kentucky, und a member

of the House of Representatives for several years, was a brother-in-law of Mr. Cox. When the latter was about six- teen years of age, he went to Kentucky, where he engaged in farming with Judge Underwood. After a residence of ten years in that State, be made a short visit to the District of Columbia, and then went to New Orleans, but being attacked with yellow fever while there, on his recovery, he returned to Kentucky. Remaining in that State one year, he again went to the District of Columbia, and was em- ployed in the office of the Clerk of the District Court, his brother-in-law, John A. Smith, being clerk. During Presi- dent Pierce's administration, and while General Marcy was Secretary of State, Mr. Cox was appointed to a position in the State Department. IIe remained in that department about seventeen years, filling various positions of responsi- bility. During the civil war, Honorable William H. Seward, Secretary of State, sent him on a special mission to France. Ile also selected him to entertain the Tunisian Embassy, and was presented with a valuable and handsome gold watch, bearing upon one side the star and crescent, the coat of arms of Tunis, and on the other side a forget- me-not, which were wrought in diamonds and inlaid. When the Commission, under the treaty of Washington, for the settlement of claims, in accordance with the twelfth and following articles of that treaty, was organized, he was recommended by the State Department as its Secretary, and was so appointed; acting in that capacity for both the Government of Great Britain and that of the United States. During the summer, the Commission held its sit- tings at Newport, Rhode Island. Mr. Cox's activity and untiring devotion to the business of the Commission cul- minated in arranging its affairs so that the commissioners were enabled to close up within the time specified by the treaty-an occurrence almost unprecedented. Ile was handsomely complimented by the Commission, and by its order minutes were spread upon its record thanking him for the manner in which he had discharged his duties. Ile also received a letter from the Foreign Office of England, expressing the satisfaction of the British Goverment with his labors in its behalf, and also a letter from the Depart- ment of State of the United States, complimentary to him for his services. On the close of the Commission, Mr. Cox engaged in the real estate business in Washington, with Hanson A. Risley, formerly solicitor of the Treasury De- partment. Subsequently, he was appointed a clerk in the Board of Audit for the District of Columbia. He was next appointed Secretary of the Special Joint Commission created by the two Itonses of Congress to frame a form of government for the District of Columbia. Histexperience and valuable qualifications for the position were specially recognized and duly acknowledged by the commissioners and prominent citizens. Mr. Cox was strongly urged a> commissioner for the District of Columbia when Judge Bryan was appointed. Influential delegations, composed of prominent meu in Washington, Georgetown, and the

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County waited upon the President in his behalf. The death of Colonel Lubey, Water Register of the District, having occurred, he was immediately selected out of a large number of prominent citizens who were candidates, and received the appointment, which position he now tills. Ilis administration of the office shows remarkable executive ability. He has thoroughly reorganized the force, sys- tematized the work of the office, reduced its expenditures, and collected large sums on account of arrears of rents due.

LLINGER, JACOB, Bank President, was born, De- cember 7, 1820, in Bavaria, Germany. He is of Hebrew parentage. His ancestors were natives of Germany for many generations. After getting the rudi- ments of an education, he was bound apprentice for three years to a drygoods merchant, with the express pro- vision that he should have each day two hours for study, which time he diligently improved. When he had finished his apprenticeship, he again, for two years, pursued his studies at the seminary at Ansbach. In this way he ac- quired a liberal education. He then became travelling agent for an optician, which position he held for about a year and a half, and thus gained considerable knowledge of the world, and laid the foundation for future success in business. At the age of nineteen, being induced to come to America, he sailed from Bremen for Baltimore, where he arrived, July 26, 1840. Here he became partner with his brother, Samuel Ellinger, in the live-stock business, in which, by prudent management, he was quite successful. Ile gave up the general stock business in 1861 and has since continued to sell almost solely on commission. He has been President of the Drovers' and Mechanics' Bank ever since it was inaugurated, in 1874, and to his careful and skilful management much of its success is to be attrib)- uted. On August 12, 1845, he married Mary Eliza, daughter of George Baker, of Baltimore. He has six children living.

URTON, JAMES WOOLF, M.D., son of John W. and Eliza Rebecca (Woolf ) Burton, was born in the city of Baltimore, August 17, 1847. His parents are natives of Maryland, and of English descent. They removed from Baltimore city to Long Green, Baltimore County, when the subject of this sketch was a child. His father owns considerable prop- erty, and for several years has served as Justice of the Peace. Dr. Burton attended the public . schools of Bal- timore County until he was fourteen years of age, when he went to Milton Academy, in that county, of which Eli M. Lamb was principal. Upon its suspension, the

year following, he went to Loyola College, in Baltimore, and passed through the regular course, but left without graduating. Hle then read medicine with the late Pro- fessor N. R. Smith, and graduated at the University of Maryland. After attending the hospital in New York, and being surgeon in Long Island Ilospital for one year, he returned to Baltimore County, enriched by the varied experience of hospital practice, and entered upon the regular practice of medicine, in which he has been very successful. Under the law providing for the examina- tion of the militia, he received the appointment of sur- geon of the county. For several years Dr. Burton has taken an active part in politics, and in 1877, was the nominee of the Democratic party to represent his county in the Legislature, to which he was elected by a major- ity of twenty-five hundred. During the session he was appointed on several important committees and proved himself an active and efficient member of that body. Hc boldly advocated economy in all matters affecting the State, and his own county, especially. The adoption of his motion referring the matter of city extension to a se- lect committee, promoted the defeat of that measure. A bill having been intro luced to borrow one hundred thou- sand dollars to meet an indebtedness contracted by the County Commissioners, Dr. Burton offered a motion which caused the reduction of the amount to forty thousand dollars. He also advocated the election of a State Board of Education by the people, instead of the appointment of County School Commissioners by the Court.

5.6 LACKISTON, ANDREW HOOTON, was born May 21, 1844, at " Brighthelmstone," the homestead of his father, David C. Blackiston, in Kent Coun- ty, Maryland. His great-grandfather, James Black- iston, was born July 14, 1744. He married Cath- arine Kennard, of Centreville, Maryland, and died Sep- tember 12, 1816, leaving a son, James Blackiston, Junior, who married Mary Crane, daughter of Captain David Crane, of the Revolution, son of David Crane, the origi- nal owner of the site of Elizabethtown, New Jersey. Andrew Hooton Blackiston was educated and graduated at Washington College, near Chestertown, Maryland, tak- ing the first honors of his class. While reading law he was Professor of Mathematics, for one year, in the Mary- land Agricultural College. He then yeut to the Uni- versity of Virginia and was graduated in the Law School, and continued his studies for six months in the office of Hon. E. G. Kilbourne, in baltimore and was admitted to the bar by the Superior Court of Baltimore City. In January, 1867, he removed to Cumberland, Maryland, where he resided until his death. For a time his younger brother practiced law with him, but after his marriage

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returned to Kent County. Mr. Blackiston acquired an extensive and lucrative practice, and at the time of his death way regarded as one of the leading members of the bar of Cumberland. His integrity and business ca picity were such that he was constantly employed in grave and complicated transactions, and was the trusted attor- hey of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Company, Adams Expres, Company, the First National Bank of Cumber- land, and other corporations. He was a devout member of the Episcopal Church from his earliest manhood, and never gave up the hope of becoming a useful minister of the Gospel. He was a firm Democrat, from intelligent conviction, but not what is called a politician. He was a bright and zealous Free Mason, and was a member of the Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias, Red Men, and other beneficiary societies. He was shot and killed, August 30, 1878, in Cumberland, Maryland, by a member of the Alle- gany bar. A brother lawyer said of him, that " he was courteons, gentle, frank, and true. His force of character, his moral and social qualities were in keeping with the temple in which they were enshrined,-a body the perfec- tion of symmetry, a face and form a model of physical development and manly beauty." He was six feet tall; strictly temperate in his habits, a hard and thorough student, and conscientious and unswerving from the strictest line of duty. He married, May 21, 1874, Elizabeth Smith Pearre, daughter of Judge George A. Pearre, of Cumber- land, Maryland, and had a son, Andrew Ilooton Blackis- ton, born April 21, 1877. -

ROOTON, ANDREW, was born January 1, 1786, and died May 12, 1874, the son of Captain John Hooton, of the English Army, who was born the 27th day of the first month, 1752, and married, the 7th day of the fourth month, 1780, Rachel Mott, who was born the ftth day of the fifth month, 1757, the daughter of Jacob and Keziah Mott, Orthodox Quakers, of Hempstead, Long Island, New York, and a cousin of Elias Hicks, the founder of the Hicksites, Captain John Hooton was the son of John Ilooton, who was born the 7th day of the sixth month, 1700, and married, the 21st day of the second month, 1737, Sarah Kay, daughter of Thomas Kay, of Wigdon, County of Cumberland, England. John Hlooton was the son of Thomas Hlooton, who married Mary Lippincott, of Shrewsbury, England; moved to Bur- lington, in 1677, and afterwards settled in Moorestown, New Jersey. The Hootons were Orthodox Quakers and suffered for conscience sake. Mrs. Mary (Mckenzie) Ilooton was born January 9, 1786, the daughter of Daniel and Katharine MeKenzie, Presbyterians, of Scotland. She died April 9, 1824, and claimed to be descended from Wil- liam Mckenzie, who personated Prince Charles, and died in his stead.

URDETT, SAMUEL S., Lawyer, of the firm of Curtis, Earle & Burdett, Washington, District of Columbia, was born February 21, 1836, at Broughton Astley, Leicestershire, England. Ile is the fourth son of the Rev. Chency and Elizabeth (Swinfin) Burdett. Ilis father was of an old Northamp- tonshire family, and when quite young, became a protege of the celebrated Baptist divine, Rev. Robert Ilall, by whom he was prepared for the ministry. Ilis mother was of the Leicestershire family of Swinfins, who, for many generations, held prominent civil trusts in that county. Upon her marriage with the Rev. Cheney Burdett, the name became extinct, as she was the last of the family. Samuel S. Burdett, the subject of our sketch, came to the United States at the age of twelve years, with an elder brother. They were sent forward by their father, who was an ardent Republican, and with the expectation that he would soon follow with the rest of the family. Ile (lied, however, soon after, and thenceforward Samuel was left to his own resources. He began the struggle of life, a mere boy, in Lorain County, Ohio, working on a farm during the summer months, and attending district school in winter, until sixteen years of age. During the next four years, he divided his time between farm work and Oberlin College, where an academic course was pursued. At the age of twenty, he went to the State of Iowa, studied law, and was admitted to practice. At the break- ing out of the war of the rebellion, he cnlisted as a private in the Union army ; served three years; was promoted to a captaincy, and mustered out in that rank on expiration of the term of enlistment. In the fall of 1865, he removed to St. Clair County, Missouri, and resumed the practice of law. Mr. Burdett was a Presidential elector on the Re. publican ticket for the Second District of Iowa, in the campaign of 1864; Circuit Attorney for the State of Mis- souri ; member of the Forty-first and Forty-second Con- gresses from the Fifth District of Missouri; and Commis- sioner of the General Land Office, from June 1, 1874, to May, 1876. On account of ill health, in the month of June, 1876, he started on a tour around the world, in which he visited England, the Southwestern coast of Africa, the islands of St. Helena and New Zealand, and the continent of Australia, returning by way of the Sand- wich Islands to San Francisco, where he arrived in August, 1877, with perfectly restored health. In March, 1878, he became a partner in the well-known law firm of Curtis and Earle, of Washington, D. C. On receiving the appoint- ment of Commissioner of the General Land Office, Mr. Burdett made himself master of all the details of that in- tricate Bureau, and is confessedly as able a chief as it ever had. As a lawyer, he ranks among the first. In the celebrated MeGanahan case, that has been pending before the courts and Congress for twenty years past, and was under investigation by the Senate Committee on Public Lands during the Forty-fifth Congress, he was associated G

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with ex-Attorney-General Black, Judge David S. Wilson, of lowa, and his partner, W. W. Curtis, for the defence, against ex.Senators Carpenter and Logan, Robert Inger- soll, Eben C. Ingersoll, ex-Representatives Shellabarger und Jeremiah Wilson, of Indiana, and C. P. Shaw, of New York. His argument in the case was considered the most thorough, able, and convincing that was made on either side; being a thorough exposition both of the laws of the United States and Mexico, relating to public lands and land titles, and largely contributed toward winning from the committee a unanimous report in favor of his clients. Mr. Burdett is a gentleman of commanding physique, and possessed of fine social quali- ties. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, holding the grade of Past Master and Past High Priest.

B BAKER, CHARLES HENRY, Lawyer, was born Feb- ruary 12, 1830, near Chestertown, Kent County, Maryland. Ile was the son of Thomas and Ann Cosden (Moffitt) Baker, and educated at Washing- ton College. At the age of eighteen years, he left college, and was employed as a teacher in one of the pub- lie schools in Kent County. While serving in this capac- ity, he devoted his leisure hours to the study of the law. He is a highly esteemed member of the Methodist Episco- pal Church, and has been a very popular local preacher since 1856. In 1871, he commenced the practice of law in Chestertown, and, owing to his high standing in the community and unsullied reputation, immediately obtained a lucrative business, which he still enjoys. He married, November 21, 1861, Mary Lonisa Young, the eldest daughter of William Young, deceased, of Baltimore city, and has two children living, Idell and Lelian Baker. Ilis father, Mr. Thomas Baker, a thrifty, well-to-do farmer, highly respected by all who know him, has held many important public positions in Kent County. Both father and son, are conservative constitutional Democrats.

BENTLEY, CHARLES WILLIAMS, Manufacturer, was born in North Stonington, New London County, Connecticut, July 2, 1815. Ilis parents were George Washington and Anna Bentley. They lived on a large but very rough farm, on which they raised the usual products of that section of country, together with sheep and cattle, and from which they sup- plied the neighboring seaports with shiptimber and fire- wood. His father was a man of good moral habits, integ- rity, industry, remarkable energy, and great mechanical talent. He was skilled in all branches of mechanics, and

applied himself to each as occasion required. He was bold, stern, and severe, having a will-power and endur- ance that knew no failure. His mother's maiden name was Anna Williams. She was of good family, and inher- ited some of the best blood of the Revolution. The very opposite of her husband in traits of character, she was mild, confiding and affectionate. Mr. Bentley's character- istics are a commingling of those of both his parents. The one class has won for him large success in business ; the other, has caused some of the greatest mistakes of his life. Ilis early life was rough and severe; hard work and many privations made him long to escape from the re- straints of home life. His first desire was to go to sea. Accordingly, when sixteen years old, he took the advantage of a partial consent previously given, as also a brief ab- sence of his father, and left home, to the great distress of his mother, and shipped on a coasting vessel. He was not permitted to enjoy his bent in this direction very long; for on his first visit home, he was taken to Norwich, about ten miles distant, and bound apprentice to a house-building firm for three years. That firm, in connection with extensive house- building operations, had a steam-planing mill and ma- chinery for other wood-work. There, he first learned to run a steam engine. There, too, he commenced the study of machinery, as well as house-building ; working twelve hours a day, and studying and drawing at night. This night work was performed under many disadvantages, as he had no teacher, and this first brought him to see the need of drawing-schools, and their importance to the youth of the land. His school education was limited to three or four months in the year, in the district school until he was sixteen years of age. In all his after-life he has felt the need of a thorough education. After having completed his apprenticeship, and worked some time as a journeyman, and afterwards on his own account, he again entered the service of his old employers, who had taken large con- tracts from the Canton Company of Baltimore. In the fall of 1837, he went to Baltimore, and soon after took entire charge of the work at Canton. On completion of the contract, at the earnest request of the agent of the Canton Company, he agreed to remain and become a partner in business, the agent furnishing the capital. Hle commenced business, by erecting the first fully equipped sash and door factory in the State. He was ahead of the times, there being strong prejudice against machine-made work. It was an np-hill business ; and his partner, soon after, losing his position, left for his home in Connecticut, which compelled Mr. Bentley to sell out the business at a great sacrifice. In 1840, his attention was directed to the great need of a fuel- saving steam boiler for cooking and agricultural purposes, which resulted in the upright tubular boiler, so extensively known and used at the present day. It was constructed of wrought and cast iron combined, and on that he obtained a patent. The only change in the boiler from that time is, it is now made wholly of wrought iron. It is the most

C.W. Bentley

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extensively used boiler in the United States. At the time of its first construction, steam was but little used, except as motive power; since then, Mr. Bentley has introduced it inta fourteen different branches of business where it had not been previously applied. He commenced business with this boiler as an exclusive specialty. Through agents he introduced it into Philadelphia, New York and Boston, and for a few years had the exclusive business in this line. He travelled much of the time himself, and put them up in various parts of the country, in hotels, almshouses, peni- tentiaries, and manufactories. In 1842, for its adaptation to agricultural purposes, he received from the Baltimore County Agricultural Society the award of a silver snuff box. From this small beginning, his business increased, until, in 1848, he had established a foundry, machine shop and a boiler shop, employing from eighty to one hundred hands, manufacturing all kinds of boilers, steam-engines and machine work. In 1850, he received the first gold medal ever awarded by the Maryland Institute for a steam- engine. While engaged in the erection of mills in Georgia and Florida, Mr. Bentley contraeted a disease which com- pelled him to desist from further close application to busi- ness, and in 1855, he gave up the engine and machine branches of his manufactures, lle then established the Baltimore Steam-Boiler Works, which is now the oldest and largest private boiler-shop in this country. In 1858, he purchased the extensive property on the Northern Cen- tral Railroad, now known as Bentley Springs. It was then unimproved. He built the store, Bentley Station, the hotel so widely known as the Glen House, together with several dwellings. The Glen House afforded accommoda- tions for two hundred sunumer boarders, and was a most successful enterprise until its destruction by lire in 1868. He established the post-office there, and was post-master until 1875-a period of about sixteen years, About 1843, he joined Jefferson Lodge of Odd Fellows, but for want of time, gave it but little attention, and lost his membership after a few years. For many years he has been an active member of the Masonic Order. Ile took the three degrees of Blue Masonry in Concordia Lodge, and shortly after the Royal Arch in Jerusalem Chapter. Hle subsequently with- drew from Concordia Lodge and established Bentley Springs Lodge, and served as its master until 1874, and is now Past Master of Charity Lodge, Parkton. He is at this writing ( 1878), Representative of the Grand Lodge of New Jersey to the Grand Lodge of Maryland. But the source of Mr. Bentley's greatest and most abiding usefulness is to be found in his association with the Maryland Institute for the Promotion of Mechanic Arts, from its commencement in 1847, to the present time ( 1878), having been for more than a quarter of a century one of the most active in its formation, and a member of its Board of Managers for twenty-eight successive years. He has been a member of its Committee on Exhibitions for many years ; superinten- dent of its second, and chairman of its third and twenty-

fifth and twenty-sixth exhibitions; a member of its Commit- tee on Schools of Design, for twenty-eight years ; viee- president of the Institute for many years, and president for two years. During all this time he has labored, with a de- votion and self-sacrifice which have but few equals, in or- ganizing, systematizing, and perfecting these schools, and in encouraging and elevating the exhibitions of the Institute. Mr. Bentley claims no exclusive merit in all this; he was but a co-laborer with many in these praiseworthy under- takings. In the commencement address to the School of Design of the Maryland Institute for the Promotion of the Mechanic Arts, delivered by James Young, Esq., May 31, 1870, we find the following apostrophe to Mr. Bentley : "To you, the respected Chairman of the Committee on the School of Design, too much praise eannot be awarded. Al- most from its inception to the present time you have been its firm and steadfast friend, its chairman, and have never grown weary in the faithful discharge of the arduous duties attendant on the office. Amid the bustle and care incident to conducting an extensive business, in the bosom of your family circle, its success has ever been prominent in your mind. What was best to be done, and how to do it best, has occupied your thoughts as your head rested on your pillow at night, and as you rose up in the morning; and now, sir, after the lapse of years, with the weight of age pressing heavily-and you have grown gray in the service -you have the gratification of witnessing the fruition of your proudest aspiration, the complete success of your much-cherished desire ; the bread cast upon the waters has returned after many days. Go on, sir, in the accomplish ment of still greater good; go on in the effort to elevate and ennoble the standard of the Mechanic Arts, and the name of Charles W. Bentley, and the recollection of what he has done for the youth of this city, will go down to fu- ture generations, as one of the benefactors of the age in which he lived, in connection with Franklin, Fulton, Ark - wright, and others renowned in history. Long may you live, and long may you continue as the honored and re- spected chairman of the School of Design of the Maryland Institute for the Promotion of the Mechanic Arts." Until about fifty years of age, Mr. Bentley's principles ou matters of religious faith were those of the infidel. At about that period of life, he began to change his opinions, and in 1868, he united with the Methodist Episcopal Church, and has since continued an active aud zealous member, filling various important positions, such as trustee, steward, class leader, Sunday-school superintendent, manager of camp meetings, delegate to lay conference, Sunday-school con- ventions, etc. He was formerly an old-line Whig, but since its day has belonged to no political party. He has been an unswerving Union man and lover of his country. He was married to Miss Ann Owens Laty, daughter of the late John J. Laty, of Baltimore, July 18, 1841, by whom he has had nine children, four sons and five daughters, whose names are, John Edward, who married Hattie Ann,

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The Biographical cyclopedia of representative men of Maryland and District of Columbia Pt. 1, Part 23

Author: National Biographical Publishing Co. 4n Publication date: 1879 Publisher: Baltimore : National Biographical Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 844

Author: National Biographical Publishing Co. 4n
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Baltimore : National Biographical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 844