USA > Illinois > Clay County > Biographical and reminiscent history of Richland, Clay and Marion counties, Illinois > Part 40
USA > Illinois > Richland County > Biographical and reminiscent history of Richland, Clay and Marion counties, Illinois > Part 40
USA > Illinois > Marion County > Biographical and reminiscent history of Richland, Clay and Marion counties, Illinois > Part 40
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ness. Joseph's indisposition, however, was only temporary. He was destined to go through the thick of the struggle. He par- ticipated in nine of the fierce engagements which took place in the vicinity of Georgia. He fought at Buzzard's Roost, Georgia, May 8, 1864; at Burned Church on May 26, at Calfsville, May 19th to the 22d; Culp's House, June 22d; Dallas, also known as Burnt Hickory, May 25th to June 5th; Dal- ton, May 9th and August 14th to 16th and October 13th; Lost Mountain, June 9th to 30th ; near Dalton, January 21, 1864; New Hope Church, May 25th to June 5th; Battle of Resaca, May 13th to 16th; Peach Tree Creek, July 20th. In this last encounter he received a serious wound, a ball striking him on the head. After he had lain uncon- scious on the field for half an hour he was found and taken to a hospital. From there he was shortly afterwards invalided home, where he remained. He received his dis- charge at Indianapolis during the latter part of 1864.
On recovering from his wound and the wear and tear of the terrible conflict, he moved with his family to Richland county, where he had some time before acquired one hundred and twenty acres. At the end of seventeen years of a peaceable farm life, he moved to Olney, where he engaged in the grocery business for a few years, when he once more moved to Claremont town- ship, where his wife died in 1897. Shortly afterwards he again sold his farm and moved into Claremont, where he purchased property. Here a second marriage took
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place on January 18. 1898, when he es- poused Laura Stevens, daughter of Edward and Melissa (Shepherd) Stevens, natives of Illinois. She was born in Lawrence coun- ty, February 7. 1860. Her father was a Civil war veteran. Her mother still lives in Lawrence county with a young daughter. Her mother was born in 1835, and her father in 1836. On the mother's side the grandfather of Mrs. Engle was the first white child born in Lawrence county. In after life this relative took an active part in the Black Hawk war.
Joseph A. Engle's second matrimonial venture has proved to be as much a success as his first. He has been blessed with two more children, Joseph L., and Mary Jo- sephine, aged nine and six years respective- ly.
In early life the subject of our sketch at- tended about three terms in the old sub- scription schools in Parke county, and after- wards attended for an equal period the schools at Sulphur Springs, Indiana. The old time elementary speller and Ray's arith- metic were then used; blackboards were un- known; plain rough planks, propped with stout wooden "pins," were used as seats, and the high desks ranged along the sides of the room for the pupils to write upon.
Joseph A. Engle's mind is still as vig- orous as ever, his health also, though not as robust as formerly, is still good. . His public life has been a most popular one and he well maintains his place as Claremont's premier citizen. He is well and favorably known in fraternal and social circles. He
was formerly a member of the Ancient Or- der of United Workmen, and is a member of the Grand Army Post at Olney, Illinois.
Joseph A. Engle's public life began as a Ward Supervisor in the Third ward at Ol- ney, serving in that capacity for four years. The esteem in which he is regarded by his fellow citizens may be determined from the fact that he is now serving a third term as Mayor of Claremont. In politics he has been an active Republican from the days of the Civil war, and is a vigilant party worker. The first time he cast his vote at a Presidential election it went to Henry Clay, who was then running in the old regime as a Whig candidate. He and his wife are both active and devoted members of the Christian church. They are diligent church workers.
DAVID M. HESTER.
Among the men of Marion county who have appreciated present day opportunities and have profited by his ingenuity and per- sistency in the business world as a result of the favorable conditions existing in the great commonwealth of Illinois, is the sub- ject of this sketch, David M. Hester, who . was born in Centralia township, this county, August 16, 1841, the son of Milton P. Hes- ter, of Clark County, Indiana, who married Christina Copple in 1840 in Centralia town- ship. Matthias Hester, the subject's grand- father, was born in Hanover, Germany, and
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came with his parents to America. He mar- ried a Susannah Huckleberry. He was a farmer and he and his wife lived and died in Clark county, Indiana. They were the parents of twelve children. Grandfather David Copple lived near Walnut Hill, Illi- nois, on a farm. The father of the subject came to Marion county, Illinois, in 1839 when he was still single and settled near Centralia on a farm, remaining here until his death in 1905. His first wife died in 1855 and he was again married, his second wife being Martha O. Johnson, of near Mt. Vernon. She died in 1890. He was noted as a great stock raiser. In politics he was a Republican, and was active in church work. He was also a promoter of the gen- eral good of the public. There were eight children born to him by his first union, namely : David M., our subject ; Julia, de- ceased, who married Mark Young, who lived in Salem township; William A. is liv- ing on a farm near Mt. Vernon; John C. is a farmer near Jefferson, Kansas; Sarah E. married A. H. Young, of Centralia; Isaac is single and living on a farm in Centralia township; Samuel M. is living on a farm in Clinton county, Illinois; Mary is single and living on the old place. Four children were born to Milton P. Hester by his second wife, namely: Ella is single and living in Centralia; Albertus V. is farming near Dallas, Texas; Carrie married Mark Anthony, who is a lumber dealer in Streator, this state; Lillian, the fourth child, is the wife of George' Carns, a locomotive engi- neer, living in Centralia.
As already intimated the subject's father located on a farm which he secured from the government near Walnut Hill, Marion county, in 1839, securing from five hundred to eight hundred acres. Our subject lived at home attending the common schools in the winter months until he was twenty-one years of age. He then went to Kansas and located in the eastern part of that state, where he remained a short time. When the call for troops was issued to put down the rebellion he was one of the patriotic sons of the North who responded, having enlisted in November, 1861, in Company H, Ninth Kansas Cavalry, under General Blunt, re- maining in this branch of the service for two years. He was in many battles and skir- mishes in Arkansas and Missouri, being wounded in the left arm and shoulder at Cain Hill. He was laid up at the camp hospital for some time and came home on a furlough, but returned to the service, re- maining three years and three months, hav- ing re-joined his regiment at Duvalls Bluffs, Arkansas. He served in such a gallant man- ner that he became first lieutenant. After the war Mr. Hester returned to Kansas and resumed farming for one year then he came back to Centralia. He had a farm in Kan- sas consisting of eighty acres.
Our subject married Sarah A. Young, of Salem township, in 1867. She was the daughter of Matthew and Sarah (Ware) Young. Nine children have been born to the subject and wife, four of whom are de- ceased. Their names are: Ella, who mar- ried J. P. Rogers, of Salem township; Rose,
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who married William Gaines, of Stevenson township; Mathew married Pearl Hopkins and is living in Salem township; William is living on a farm, having married Effie Mc- Coy; Daisy is living at home. These chil- dren received good educations at the home schools. Mr. Hester is considered one of the best farmers in his community, having made all the improvements on the excellent farm which he has owned for two score years. He successfully carries on general farming and raises some excellent stock of all kinds. He has about five hundred acres of excellent land all in Salem township. He is a loyal Republican, but has held no offices, being content to lend his influence in placing the best men available in the local offices, but prefers to manage his business affairs and keep out of politics as much as possible.
He is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, Chandler Post, at Salem. Both he and his wife attend the Christian church. They are both pleasant people and they have a comfortable home.
JUDGE ALBERT M. ROSE.
A member of one of the honored pioneer families of Clay county, the name Rose has long been closely associated with the history of this section of the state, and the subject of this review, like his father, is numbered among the worthy citizens of this locality. In business he has always been known to be straightforward and reliable, is patriotic in
citizenship, and his social relations ever wholesome. He is esteemed for these com- mendable traits of character together with his cordial disposition and genuine worth, but his name stands out more prominently in connection with the bench and bar of Southern Illinois, where he has long been a prominent figure.
Albert M. Rose, Judge of the Fourth Ju- dicial Circuit, was born in Bible Grove township, Clay county, September 26, 1862, the son of Drury Rose, a native of Grayson county, Kentucky, who came to Illinois in 1856, settling first in Edwards county, then in a short time removed to Clay county. By trade a carpenter, but he always took an interest in local public affairs and very ably served his community as Justice of the Peace for a period of sixteen years. He moved from Bible Grove township to Clay City in 1891, where he lived until his death in 1897, closing a busy and useful career, mourned by a host of people to whom he was known as a kindly and honorable man. the paternal grandfather of the subject was also a native of Kentucky, who came to Illinois when a young man, settling in Clay county among the pioneer element, where he played well his part in the early struggles of the locality and established a good home amid primitive conditions. The mother of Judge Rose was known in her maidenhood as Caroline Ackison. whose people were from Pennsylvania. She was born in Illinois, spent her life here and passed to her rest in 1905, remembered by a wide circle of friends as a woman of many
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beautiful attributes of character. To Mr. and Mrs. Drury Rose the following chil- dren were born: Mary Jane, wife of Henry Crum, of Bible Grove township; Albert M., the subject of this sketch; Rosa, wife of George Stang, of Watertown, Illinois; Ophelia, wife of Frederick Lyons, of Water- town, Illinois; Stephen H., also living in Watertown, where resides the next child, Addie, the wife of William Ausbrook; La- vina, Althea, wife of Godfrey Peterson. The ninth and tenth children are deceased. Thomas B., died in the Philippine Islands, while a soldier in the regular United States army in 1904. George died in infancy.
Judge Rose spent his boyhood days on the farm, where he remained until twenty- one years of age, assisting with the work about the place and storing up the qualities of a sturdy manhood, successfully managing the farm while his father, who was a car- penter, as already intimated, worked at his trade. Not satisfied with a common schooling and actuated by a desire to fol- low the legal profession, Albert M. Rose entered Vincennes University from which institution he graduated in 1888, having made very creditable grades and estab- lished an excellent record for scholarship. After leaving college Mr. Rose turned his attention to teaching which he followed with much success until 1891, winning the hearty approbation of both pupils and pa- trons, studying law in the meantime, first under Barnes & Ramsey, attorneys of Louisville, in 1888, making rapid progress. He was admitted to the bar in August, 1890, at Mount Vernon, and began practice in the
spring of 1891 in Louisville, where he has been practicing continuously ever since, his success having gradually increased until he now has a liberal patronage and has be- come one of the leading attorneys in the southern part of the state.
The local leaders of the Democratic party early noted his talents and general favor with the public and sought him for office, first serving as Trustee of Louisville for a period of six years, during which time he assisted in securing the installation of electric lights and water works, also se- cured sidewalks and in many ways rendered lasting good to the town. In November, 1906, Mr. Rose was elected to fill a vacancy in the Fourth Judicial circuit, the term ex- piring in June, 1909. He has so ably and faithfully performed the duties of this re- sponsible position, that he is regarded by all concerned as one of the best jurists in the district, his decisions showing a trained and acute legal mind and a desire to be fair and unbiased in all cases, weighing carefully in the judicial balance all details of whatever case he has in hand, feeling the weight of his responsibility and ever desiring to dis- charge his' duties in a manner that meets the approval of his constituents.
The domestic life of Judge Rose began December 28, 1892, when he was united in marriage with Lulu Branson, of Wayne City, Illinois, the talented daughter of Dr. J. M. Branson, a well known physician of that place. To this union one son, Robley Branson Rose, now a bright lad of fourteen years, has been born.
In his fraternal relations the judge is a
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member of the Masonic Brotherhood, also the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and in politics he affiliates with the Demo- cratic party, as intimated in a preceding paragraph. Mr. and Mrs. Rose are faith- ful members of the Christian church.
The law office of our subject is always a busy place where numerous clients and friends of the judge gather, and it is equipped with one of the most extensive law libraries to be found in this locality. When he first began practice he formed partner- ship with John A. Barnes in 1891, the firm being known as Barnes & Rose, but the for- mer left the firm in 1896, and the subject has had different partners since then. Yet in the prime of vigorous manhood and hav- ing accomplished so much that merits the praise of his fellow men and gained a firm standing in the affections of the people of this vicinity, the future to such a man as Judge Rose must necessarily be replete with honor and success.
HON. THOMAS E. MERRITT.
During the dark days of the Revolution, the colonies had no defender more loyal than Ebenezer Merritt, our subject's grand- father, who served with valor until captured by the British when he was placed in an old hulk of a ship in New York harbor. In after years he was wont to say that the sweetest morsel of food he ever tasted was a rotten Irish potato, which he found in his prison.
The father of our subject, Hon. John W. Merritt, was born in the city of Albany, New York, July 4, 1806, and in his early youth evinced a very decided literary taste, contributing articles to many of the most prominent magazines of that day. Entering the practice of law, he built up a lucrative business in that line in connection with J. J. Brady. Meantime he also invested in real estate and so fortunate was he in his speculations that he became independent at a comparatively early period of life. How- ever, the crisis of 1837 destroyed the value of his investments and made him a poor man once more. Deciding to seek a home in the West, Mr. Merritt came to Illinois in 1840, and settling in St. Clair county es- tablished The Belleville Advocate, which he successfully conducted from the year 1848 until 1851. Meantime he also superin- tended the management of his farm and con- tributed to eastern magazines and New York papers. He also wrote and published a novel called "Shubal Darton." Coming to Salem in 1851, he established The Advo- cate, of which he was proprietor and editor for many years.
In 1861 he was elected Assistant Secre- tary of the Constitutional Convention and in the following year became a member of the Legislature.
The State Register at Springfield having lost its prestige, Mr. Merritt with his son, Edward L., assumed editorial charge of the paper in January, 1865, and attempted to place it upon a substantial footing. The enterprise though not prudent proved a suc-
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cess. For some years Mr. Merritt conducted its editorial columns with great ability and during a portion of that time supplied The St. Louis Republican with its Springfield correspondence. As an editor he justly at- tained celebrity throughout the country and was one of the most successful journalists of the day. His county may well feel proud of his life and labors. He was modest, un- assuming, never ambitious for worldly dis- tinction and preferring the success of his friends to his own. In politics he was an old-school Democrat and was one of the most influential workers in his party throughout the state. He was devoted to the doctrines of the Episcopal church and was a faithful member of that denomination. In disposition mild, he never used profanity and was also a man of temperate habits, never tasting intoxicating liquor through- out his life. He married in Rochester, New York, in August, 1827, Julia A. De Forrest, who was born in Oswego, New York, and there received a good education. Ten chil- dren blessed this union, of whom five are now living.
During his residence in New York, John W. Merritt served as Alderman and aided in formulating a new plat of the Fifth Ward, which he represented in the Council. In 1860 he was a member of the state dele- gation to the National Democratic Conven- tion at Charleston, South Carolina, later was present at the recall of that convention in Baltimore, Maryland, where Stephen A. Douglas was nominated for the Presidency. He was president of the first Press Associa-
tion held in the state of Illinois, and was at the time of his demise the oldest Odd Fellow in Salem. While uniformly success- ful in business enterprises, he nevertheless met with reverses and at one time lost by fire two valuable blocks of buildings in Brooklyn. By his long and virtuous life he left a name to which his descendants may point with pride and when, November 16, 1878, he departed this life, he left many warm friends to mourn their loss. The fu- neral services were largely attended by the citizens of Salem and Marion county, as well as many friends from a distance.
Thomas E. Merritt, our subject, was born in the city of New York, April 22, 1832. He was brought in childhood to Illinois and received a good education in the schools of Belleville. Before attaining his majority he went to St. Louis, where he learned the trade of carriage and omnibus painting in the shops of Theodore Salom, serving a three years' apprenticeship at the trade. Afterward he followed the occupa- tion for four years in St. Louis. He then came to Salem and in 1859 began to read law with P. P. Hamilton, an attorney of this place, now deceased. In 1862 he was ex- amined before the Supreme Court and was admitted to the bar, after which he opened an office in Salem and has since made this city his home. Always a stanch Democrat, reared in the faith of that party, Mr. Merritt early became an active worker in its ranks. În 1860 in Romine township, Marion county, he made his first political speech and since then has participated in every cam-
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paign. Until. 1875 he stumped every town- ship in the county each campaign year.
The first National Democratic Conven- tion that he attended was held in St. Louis when S. J. Tilden was nominated President in 1876. Later, he was sent as a delegate for the state-at-large to the convention that nominated Gen. W. S. Hancock, in 1880, and the night before the convention met he made a speech in favor of Col. W. R. Morri- son on the steps of the Burnet House, Cin- cinnati. At the next national convention he was alternate-at-large, and as Col. W. R. Morrison, who was delegate-at-large, was appointed on the Committee on Resolutions, and obliged to give his entire time to the work of that body, Mr. Merritt took his place in the convention. It was this assem- bly that nominated Grover Cleveland at the time of his first term. Our subject was a delegate from the Nineteenth Congressional District to the convention at St. Louis that nominated President Cleveland the second term. In 1892, he attended as a citizen the convention at Chicago which nominated Cleveland the last time. During the three campaigns in which that famous man was the presidential candidate, our subject made fifty-six speeches in Illinois, and at the time believed that his party promised more than it could fulfill.
In 1868 Mr. Merritt was elected to the State Legislature and was a member of the House of Representatives for fourteen con- secutive years. In addition he served as State Senator for eight years, from 1882 to 1890, thus making a legislative experience
of twenty-two years. He was a member of the joint session which elected John A. Lo- gan three times and defeated him once, also the joint session that elected Richard Oglesby United States Senator and those that elected Shelby M. Cullom and John M. Palmer. In 1875, he was a leading member of the House when the city judge of East St. Louis was to be impeached, and through his influence the measure was reconsidered and laid on the table. During the same year he secured the passage of the first coal mine bill through the legislature, which was the first act ever passed in the state in the inter- est of the coal miners. Hon. John M. Pal- mer, State Auditor and Secretary of the State, gave to Mr. Merritt the honor of passing the bill assessing the capital stock of corporations, and he was banqueted after- ward. In 1871, he introduced and secured the passage of the bill compelling railroads to pay for burning property along their lines, which has since been warped by the construction placed on that act by the Su- preme Court. He was prominent in the at- tack made upon state officials for extrava- gant expenditures, and in that way saved to the tax payers of Illinois more than enough to pay the entire expenses of that General Assembly. His services in that capacity were so greatly appreciated throughout the state, that many of the papers advocated his nomination as Governor of Illinois. Another bill introduced by Mr. Merritt was that of allowing parties to sue before the Justice of the Peace for killing stock along the rail- roads. The anarchist bill introduced by him
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in 1887, and passed June 16th of that year, was the cause of the greatest fight of his life. Afterward it was published by Great Britain, France and Russia, while at the meeting of the United States National Bar Association at Saratoga, New York, the President gave one hour to its consideration before that body. Mr. Merritt worked long and faithfully upon the bill which finally passed, receiving one hundred and eighteen votes in the House.
The Anti-Trust bill, January 22, 1889, was the first ever introduced in the state. This passed the Judiciary Committee by one majority, and the House by one hundred votes, but was hung up in the Senate by the two-thirds rule. While a member of the Senate, Mr. Merritt introduced a bill to compel insurance companies to pay the full value of the policy for destruction of prop- erty. This he passed twice through the Senate, and it was defeated in the House. He passed it twice in the House and it was as many times defeated in the Senate. In 1868 he introduced in the House a bill se- curing the investigation of the proceeds for the sale of lands and other moneys connected with Irvington Agricultural College. After investigation, the State Auditor and Secre- tary of State took possession of the institu- tion, and from the wreck saved to the state a large amount of money.
In 1868 Mr. Merritt introduced a resolu- tion calling upon the Secretary of State to account for the interest received by him on about three million dollars of surplus money that was lying idle in the treasury and could
be used only to pay off the old state indebt- edness which was held by English capital- ists in the shape of state bonds, this money being set aside to pay the bonds as they be- came due. It had been collected from the Illinois Central Railroad as seven per cent. of its gross earnings, and was invested in United States ten per cent. gold interest- bearing bonds. The resolution introduced by Mr. Merritt was to the effect that the Governor and Attorney-General of Illinois should look after the interest of this money and report their action to the next session of the General Assembly. He passed the resolution through the House, but by a strong lobby it was defeated in the Senate. In 1872 three million dollars' worth of these bonds became due and were paid in New York in gold, to the English bondholders, the Secretary of State having to purchase the gold in New York. He notified Gould and Fisk that he would require so much gold on that day. By bulling the market, gold advanced one-third of one per cent., so that the three million dollars paid that much premium. The State Treasurer making by this deal the interest on United States bonds that this money was invested in, came out four hundred thousand dollars ahead, which was a loss to the people of the state by the defeat of the resolution in the Senate.
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