USA > Indiana > Vanderburgh County > Biographical cyclopedia of Vanderburgh County, Indiana : embracing biographies of many of the prominent men and families of the county > Part 9
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The regiment was organized at Terre Haute as the Fourteenth. Captain Thompson's company was designated as Company E. Myerhoff was ap- pointed corporal, promoted to sergeant on Cheat Mountain, to orderly-sergeant October 1, 1862, to first lieutenant May 7, 1863, was in command of the com- pany in the famous charge of Carroll's brigade on East Cemetery hill at Get- tysburg, had command of Company H in the battles of the Wilderness, Spottsyl- vania, North Anna and Cold Harbor. Of the twenty-three men that he started with on the fourth of May, three were killed, eighteen wounded, and only two men were left to leave the works when the regiment's term of service expired on the seventh of June, 1864. Captain Myerhoff was seriously wounded thirty feet in front of the breastworks in a lunette he had himself constructed while lying flat behind a log, about five feet long and one foot thick that he had rolled out in front of him to within seventy-five yards of the enemy's breastworks immediately in front of the Fourteenth Indiana. There was an
CAPT. CHAS. H. MYERHOFF.
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open space in the enemy's line, and this When the war was over he returned to Evansville. He entered the com- mercial college of Jeremiah Behm. In 1866 he was employed by Keller & White as bookkeeper, and in the next year went to Boetticher, Kellogg & Co. in the same capacity, where he remained nearly twenty-one years He was sec- retary and treasurer of the Evansville venture was made to cover that space and to prevent a massing of troops for a charge to break his regiment's line. The breastworks were so close that a cap raised on a bayonet would be im- mediately fired upon; the log was re- peatedly hit. He began his work with a tin cup while lying flat under a hot June sun, afterward he was thrown a Union Stock Yards and is now secre- spade with which he finished and at tary and treasurer of the Evansville dusk the battle began to rage furiously. Stove Works. He still remaining in front and calling His civic prominence was principally in connection with drill organizations. He was elected three times successive- ly as captain of the Evansville Light Guards. a prosperous organization. During his captaincy, was elected Sir Knight Commander of Orion Drill Corps, K. of P., and was so thorough in drill that the corps won three prizes, and he was awarded a magnificent gold medal as a prize for best commander at St. Louis, Mo., on August 25, 1880. His drill companies, Red Shirts and Zouaves, in political processions, at- tracted much favorable notice. He was chief marshal of several large political processions; was on the staff of Nation- al Commander-in-Chiefs Kountz, Fair- child and Walker; also on the staff of several department commanders; was member of the national council of administration; district delegate to na- tional encampments; was second com. mander of Farragut Post. to the Fourteenth to hold their fire while he was in front. When dark came some one in the regiment cried "here they come," and in the storm of flying missiles he was wounded; was sent to the officers' hospital in Alexandria, and the fact that he had lived near Gentry- ville, Spencer county, Indiana, and the threat to communicate with President Lincoln caused a reform in that hospital which was appreciated. His regiment was mustered out long before he was able to leave the hospital. When able to travel he came to Evansville and be- came interested in a saw-mill in Spen- cer county, the work being too heavy on account of his wounds he entered the employ of Philip Decker, who was the sutler of the Tenth Tennessee regiment at Nashville, Tennessee. While mak- ing efforts to reach Nashville he was arrested four times for not having a pass, and was soon released after each arrest. The regiment moved from Capt. Myerhoff was married to Miss Jennie Sharra, daughter of Alexander Sharra, of Evansville. Two children have been born of this union, Carl S . born September 22, 1868, and Zulma Nashville to Knoxville, thence to Greenville. At the latter place he slept on President Johnson's tailoring table for several months.
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Lois, born October 7, 1887. Two He is a safe counselor, careful and con- nieces, Miss Emma Wollner and Mrs. Fannie Boicourt, nee Sharra, shared their home with them for years.
ARTHUR F. FUNKHOUSER,
A PROMINENT member of the Evans- ville bar, was born April 24, 1866, and reared on a farm near New Albany, in Harrison county, Indiana. He entered the Corydon high school at Corydon, and was graduated from there at the age of sixteen, when he entered DePauw university at Green Castle, Indiana, pursuing his studies at Asbury college of liberal arts up till 1886. He was a member of Phi Delta Theta fra- ternity, and ranked as captain in the military college, and began the study of law in 1886 with Judge W. N. and R. J. Tracewell, at Corydon, Indiana, remain- ing under their tutorship until August. ISSS, the year of the first Harrison campaign. During the remainder of that year and until May, 1890, he edited the Leavenworth (Indiana ) News. Al- though but twenty years of age, he made speeches throughout that cam- paign in southern Indiana, in the inter- est of the republican party. " In May, 1890, he began the practice of law at Cannelton, Indiana. He succeeded Hon. R. M. Johnson, as prosecuting attorney of the second judicial circuit composed of Spencer, Warrick and Perry counties. December, 1892, Mr. Funkhouser lo- cated in Evansville, where he has since continued the practice of his profession.
servative in his methods, painstaking in the preparation of cases, and always watchful of the interests of his client, and has taken rank among the leaders of the bar. As a member of the bar and as a citizen his probity and high character have won for him the esteem and the kind regard of the community with which he is identified.
Mr. Funkhouser was married to Miss Drude Gray, of Evansville, September 10, 1895
CAPT. JAMES D. PARVIN,
T' HIE newly appointed postmaster of Evansville, was born in Evansville April 8, 1844.
His father, James McMillan Parvin, was born at Winchester, Clark county, Kentucky, May 22, 1818. He came to Evansville in 1840, and for a long time was engaged in the mercantile busines, afterwards moving to Carlisle, Indiana, residing there until his death in 1877. He was a man of prominence in social and business circles, and in politics a staunch republican. He was married September 17, 1839, to Miss Elizabeth Birdsall, a native of New Jersey, and six children were born to them.
When but eighteen years of age James D. Parvin enlisted in the Union army, and was mustered as commissary sergeant in the Sixty-fifth regiment Indiana Infantry, September 1, 1862. and continued as such one year, when, on account of physical disabilities, he was honorably discharged. Regaining
ARTHUR FUNKHOUSER.
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J. D. PARVIN.
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his health, he again enlisted, May 25, 1864, in Company F, One Hundred and Thirty - seventh Indiana Volunteers, where he served until October. 1864. The following February he was com- missioned captain of Company G, One Hundred and Forty-ninth Indiana In- fantry, remaining with his command until mustered out at Nashville, Tennes- see, in October, 1865. He was engaged in Evansville in mercantile affairs until IS86, when he was elected auditor of Vanderburgh county, and the fact that his majority of 957 votes was more than twice as great as that of any other can- didate whose name was on the ticket, demonstrated his great popularity.
Mr. Parvin married Miss Jeannette Ehrman, a native of York. Pennsylvania, October 20, 1868. She was a daughter of Dr. E. J. Ehrman, of Jaxthausen, Wurtemburg, Germany, one of the founders and advocates of the homeo- pathic schools of medical practice in Pennsylvania. James D. Parvin is a prominent member of the K. of P., I. O. O. F .. K. of H., A. O. U. W. and G. A. R. fraternities. He has received from President Mckinley his commission as postmaster of Evansville, the duties of which office he will assume when vacated by Mr. John J. Nolan. which will be about September 15,
Mr. Parvin is ever ready and anxious to fight the battles of his party, and he numbers among his friends many who hold opposing political opinions, and not one among them can say he ever sought or accepted an unfair advantage. His friendship is warm, constant and devoted, and it is enough to say that to IO
those who have come within the charming circle that encloses his intimates, he is a friend indeed and in fact.
FRANK PRITCHETT,
C HIEF of police of Evansville, was born in Evansville, April 14, 1853. His mental training was obtained in the public schools of Evansville, and at an early age he learned the blacksmith trade, which he followed until 1875, when he was engaged in teaming for three years. He was appointed patrol- man of the Evansville police force in 1878, and served one year as deputy city marshal. In April, ISSI, he was appointed deputy sheriff, under Sheriff Thomas Kerth, and during that time was made chief of the city police force. This position he filled to the entire sat- isfaction of his constituents, and when the bill providing for the " metropolitan system " became a law, he was appointed superintendent of the newly organized force, which position he held until ISS6. During the session of the state senate of ISS7 he served as doorkeeper, having made a successful candidacy against twenty-eight opposing applicants for the position. In 1888 he was elected sheriff by a majority of 634 votes, being the only democrat elected on the ticket. He made a race for a second term and was elected by 2,211 votes. He was city chairman of the Central Committee during the campaign of 1897. True to every trust and in a manly way per-
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forming every duty as citizen and officer, took a course at Behm's. Commercial he has attained a high place in popular College. He began his career in the esteem. He is a member of the I. O. O. F., K. of H., K. of P. and the B. P. O. E., of which he is an active and helpful member.
Seth Pritchett (father) was born in Evansville in 1819, and for a time was engaged in the blacksmith business, and at one time was engaged in the carriage business. He married Miss Emma Grant, a native of England, and their union was blessed with five chil- dren, the subject of this sketch being the second.
Frank Pritchett accepted the position as chief of police April 14, 1897, which he has filled with dignity and credit since.
He was united in marriage October 14, 1878, to Miss Louisa Kerth, and to them have been born six children, as follows: Percy, Frank, Florence, Ralph, Myrtle and Lillie.
HENRY REIS,
C ASIHIER of the Old National Bank of Evansville, was born in Germany, February 15, 1847, and is the son of Peter and Elizabeth Reis, and came to America with his parents when he was but two years of age. Ilis father located in Posey county, where he engaged in farming. In 1856 the father died, and the family removed to Evansville.
Henry Reis obtained his early educa- tion in the schools of Evansville and
drug business, but later decided to cx- change it for banking pursuits, and entered the service of the banking firm of W. J. Lowry & Company, and by close application he made himself so valuable that one promotion followed another until October 5, 1872, when he entered the Evansville National Bank as paying teller and in 1873 was appointed assistant cashier of that bank; was promoted in 1875 to cashier, and, when at the expiration of the corporate franchise of the bank in 1885, the Old National Bank succeeded the Evansville National Bank, Mr. Reis was elected cashier of the latter, and has filled that responsible position with credit and dig. nity continuously up to the present time. Mr. Reis has been untiring in his efforts in behalf of the Old National Bank, and his zeal and straightforward manner have done much to promote the interests of that institution.
He belongs to the Royal Arcanum and the Court of Honor, having been chosen the first chancellor of the latter. and is an active and helpful member in both. Mr. Reis is a gentleman of fine personal habits, of exceptional ability; greatly devoted to his business, and is one of the ablest and worthy self-made men of this section of the state.
He was united in marriage in 1869 to Miss Caroline Blass, of Erie, Pennsyi- vania, and he is the head of an interest- ing family, in which the happiest relations are maintained. His home is characterized by the most liberal as well as elegant hospitality, in which a cult-
FRANK PRITCHETT.
HENRY REIS.
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ured wife and daughters, panoplied with the fine graces of womanhood, bear a , conspicuous part with charming cor- diality.
ANTHONY H. BRYAN, M. D.,
PHYSICIAN and surgeon, inventor, author and a citizen of Evansville, was born in Monticello, county seat of Wayne, Kentucky, August 22. 1832, and obtained his early mental training in the common schools and at an acad- emy in Floydsburg, Oldham county. Kentucky.
Ilis grandfather Bryan was a native of Virginia, and married Miss -Hundley, also a native of Virginia. He was engaged in farming and blacksmithing during his life, and moved his family to Kentucky at an early day. Their union was blessed with twelve children, eight of whom were boys. Six of them became physicians, one a lawyer and one a farmer. He and his family were among the best and most highly respected families of Virginia. He was a man of sterling integrity, loved, hon- ored and respected by all who knew him.
Edmund Bryan (father ) was born in Virginia, February 19, 1796, and was yet a baby when his parents moved into Kentucky. He was an erudite, and a distinguished physician, and for many years occupied an honorable place in Kentucky both in professional and social circles. He died August 4, 1863. He was a scholarly and skillful physi- cian, and a graduate of the Ohio School of Medicine of Cincinnati. having re-
ceived his diploma in 1836. He mar- ried Miss Lettice Pierce, a native of Kentucky, born in one mile of Dan- ville, February 23, 1805, in a stone house which stands there to-day. She was a woman of the highest literary attainments, and one whom any person with aspirations for a higher and better life might wish to imitate. Gentle, kind and conscientious, who performed all the duties of a Christian woman with zeal and pleasure. She was a model wife and mother. She devoted much time to literary research and was a woman of the highest intelligence, and wrote a book entitled " The Kentucky Housewife," which was published in 1841. She afterwards prepared another book of about 400 pages on "Baptism," which, however, was never given to the publishers. She was a pattern of love- liness, kind. delicate and refined, and her deeds of charity made her beloved and honored by every one. She passed to her reward at Bunker Hill, Illinois, Monday, January 29, 1877. Dr. and Mrs. Edmund Bryan were the parents of fifteen children, the subject of this sketch being the sixth.
They moved to Louisville, Kentucky, in 1848, at which time Anthony H. entered the medical department of the University of Louisville, which he attended in winter, working in the summer until 1854, when he entered the class of that year and remained in the university two whole years, gradu- ating February 27, 1857. Dr. Bryan was in the college on that memorable day, the " Bloody 6th" of August, 1855, and helped to care for the unfortunate
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who were wounded in that desperate riot. Leaving the college. Dr. Bryan began the practice of medicine in Shelby county, Kentucky, March 7, 1857. Afterwards he located in Westport, Kentucky, and in August, 1859, moved to McLean county, Kentucky, where he practiced medicine for seventeen years, and removed to Evansville in 1876, where he has followed his profes- sion continuously, and he has been eminently successful, while his social relations have been of a most gratifying character. He has not sought to obtain a popularity not wholly merited. But performing every duty without ostenta- tion and carrying into his professional work the suggestions of a gentle dispo- sition and a kind heart, he has endeared himself to all with whom he has come in contact. He is still a diligent stu- dent of medical science, and readily adopts the new discoveries which prom- ise relief to the suffering, but he is not easily carried away by new and untried doctrines and methods. He is a mem- ber of the Vanderburgh County Medi- cal Association, was at one time corres. ponding secretary of the Green River Medical Society. He was physician to St. Mary's hospital charity department in 1876. He was professor of general Pathology in the Evansville Medical College in the fall and winter of 1876-7. He was county physician from March, 1878, to April 23. 1879 and it is a matter of record that the mortality in the almshouse during his administra- tion was less than at any other period in the history of the county, being barely one death per month. He is a master
and also a Royal Arch Mason, having attained the first three degrees at West - port, Kentucky, in 1858, and the chap- ter degree at Owensboro, Kentucky. in 1865. He has never sought any polit- ical preferment, but affiliates with the democratic party, and although, firm. positive and outspoken in his political views, he is highly respected for his fidelity to his convictions and honesty of purposes. He is a strict and consistent member of the Trinity Methodist Epis- copal church.
Dr. Bryan is the patentce of the "Au- tomatic Pump and Water Elevator, " a device for raising water to any height and distributing it over the house as desired. It is particularly ap- plicable to hotels, where guests may have water at any time, by turning the water cock, thus avoiding much incon- venience and annoyance. It is equally desirable on account of its labor-saving qualities. in ordinary homes, where the spring is far down the hill from the res- idence.
The machine proper is lined with porcelain and supplied with galvanized pipe, for distribution, so it is impossi- ble for the water to rust or corrode by standing therein. Dr. Bryan's inven- tion is certainly a great stride to the fore and must some day rank with the most useful inventions of the .age. Nearly every great invention has had literally to be forced into public ac- ceptance. The Elevator was placed on exhibition at the World's Fair in 1893 and Dr. Bryan was awarded a medal by the executive committee on awards. The Inventive Age of February 24,
DR. A. H. BRYAN.
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1894, contained the following: The upon the rudder of the bark, and in his diploma, which is the work of . Will H. right he holds a globe, mounted with a Low, is pronounced a particularly fine cross. On the side of the barge is shown the coat of arms of the countries most prominently represented at the Fair, while the four figures which pro- pel the craft are typical of Europe, Asia, Africa and South America. The blank space for the language of the award is intended to hold three hundred words of printed matter, the fac simile autograph of the individual judge, the attest of the international committee of judges by its presiding officer, and the autograph signatures of the proper exposition officials. piece of art. In the upper portion is an arch, through which is given a view of the Court of Honor and surrounding buildings, as if taken out in Lake Mich- igan, looking down over the Peristyle. To the left of this arch is Columbia in a reclining position, resting on a buffa- lo's head stretching forth her hand to three young Americans, located just to the left of the base of the archway birdseye view of the White City. These three young Americans represent the white, the colored and the Indian chil- dren of the land. The keystone of the arch is formed of the American coat of DESCRIPTION OF MEDAL. arms, with the eagle quite pronounced. Resting on a console in the upper right hand corner of the diploma form is art, with the mechanical industries similar- ly represented on the opposite side. Below the arch giving the view of the Exposition grounds is the blank space for the language of the award, about eight inches square. The base line supporting Columbia and the young Americans is sustained by massive col- umns on either side, on which appear the names of the countries, which by exhibition and otherwise assisted in making the Columbia Exposition a grand success. Just to the left of the space for the inscription of the award is the figure of Fame standing, tiptoed, upon the stern of a barge and handing to Columbia a laurel wreath. In the stern of the barge stands Columbus, with face and line of vision raised toward Columbia. His left hand rests
One side of the medal is historical and the other emblematical. The his- torical side represents Columbus step- ping from his boat. This view of the medal is not in the least perspective in design, that effect or quality having been cut off by the broad folds of the flag of Spain, which is borne by the sailor who stands directly behind the figure of Columbus, whose head is raised on high, giving thanks to the Almighty. The reverse or emblemati- cal side is supposed to typify America. It represents a splendid specimen of lusty young manhood. This figure, entirely undraped, leans easily against a ponderous oak tree, and holds in his right hand three wreaths. In the dis- tance stand the pillars of IIercules, bearing in scroll the legend of "Plus Ultra." The oak is intended to typify great strength, and the boundary posts of the ancient world, with their legend,
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suggest how much the new world sur- passes that known to the inhabitants of classic lands. The original plates have been so arranged that the name of the recipient will be placed on each medal and the whole will appear as complete as if each single medal was the only one struck off.
Aside from his professional and other duties, Dr. Bryan finds considerable time to devote to scientific research, and is now preparing a work of science in which he proposes to elucidate many important and heretofore unsolved ques- tions. He will give a complete explan- ation of sun spots and also of the incan- descent state of the earth's interior. He will tell what a comet is and how and why its nebulosity is effected and affect- ed, and why it describes a circuit differ- ent from the orbit of the planet and how and why the tail of the planet is formed. He will also make plain many other questions which are puzzling the scien- tists of the day. The work which was sent to Washington, D. C., some time ago for copyright comprises a system of philosophy entitled " Philosophic Consideration of Universal Cosmogony and Electro - Planetory Phenomena." His thoughts are original and his mind is capable of great research. He can divest difficult subjects of their obscu- rity and readily see through the mazes of mystifying and intricate problems.
On May 25, 1897. there was an enter- tainment at the Peoples Theatre in Evansville commemorating the 53d an- niversary of the first telegraph message, and the manager, Mr. N. M. Booth, advertised that at the close of the pro-
gram a gold medal would be awarded for the best answer to the first message " What hath God Wrought?" Dr. Bryan's reply was among a great many others and the committee, after exam- ining each and every one, quickly de- cided that Dr. Bryan had answered the question most completely and compre- hensively of all and he was duly award- ed the medal. His answer was, " The annihilation of distance." There could not be a more perfect answer to that question and a notable thing is that the answer contained the same number of words as are in the question. The telegraph has practically annihilated distance. There was a time when re- gions and places on the surface of the earth were in all respects separated from each other by measurable distance. The time required for communication from point to point was governed by the speed of such methods. horse or ship, or foot, as might convey a man, a messenger. Very nearly in a related correspondence was there a wideness of separation in feeling among communi- ties and nations. Sympathies were nar- rowed, neighborly feeling could not grow, and in times of trial the hands which might have helped were too late in coming. Numberless were the in- stances of resulting evils, greater or lesser, for even battles were fought after the nominal return of peace, but before it could be announced in the op- posing camps. The world before the telegraph and the world since its com. ing are hardly the same, in many great features, but the transition from the old to the new is already an almost forgot-
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ten story. We are so accustomed to the news of all the earth that we receive it like the air, and think and talk as if our ancestors had done as we do. Dr. Bryan received many congratulations upon the reply given, among them being those of the editor of the Telegraph Age
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