Men of progress one thousand biographical sketches and portraits of leaders in business and professional life in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Part 99

Author: Herndon, Richard; Bacon, Edwin M. (Edwin Monroe), 1844-1916
Publication date: 1896
Publisher: Boston : New England Magazine
Number of Pages: 1036

USA > Massachusetts > Men of progress one thousand biographical sketches and portraits of leaders in business and professional life in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts > Part 99

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CURRIER, BENJAMIN HALL, of Boston, mem- ber of the Suffolk bar, was born in Newburyport, October 23, 1796 ; died in Boston, December 24, 1894, at the great age of ninety-eight. He was a son of Joseph and Abigail (Tappan) Currier, de- scended on his mother's side from Abraham Tap- pan, who came to this country from Yarmouth, England, in 1637, and was one of the earliest set- tlers in Newbury. He was educated in Newbury- port public schools, and came to Boston in 1815, when he was nineteen years old, walking all the

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way, and began the study of law. He became a successful man in his profession, was for a long period a justice of the peace, and for many years commissioner for every State in the Union. He was past middle life when he was admitted to the bar, on the 5th of March, 1853, in the old Court of Common Pleas of Suffolk County. He enjoyed remarkably good health through his long life, and retained his faculties till the last. He continued in the practice of his profession till he was ninety years, and could see to read and write till he was ninety-five. He was a fond lover of nature, and enjoyed most thoroughly his daily walks, which he

BENJAMIN H. CURRIER.

never failed to take in all kinds of weather except, of course, until the last few years. He walked out five days before he died. He ascribed his excellent health and vigor to his regular exercise in the open air, his moderation in all things, and his cheerful disposition and trust in God. In re- ligious faith he was an Episcopalian, and was one of the original members and proprietors of St. Paul's Church. Mr. Currier was twice married, marrying first, July 12, 1838, Miss Amelia M. Odin, daughter of John Odin, of Boston, who died in 1850; and second, August 5, 1857, Miss Rox- anna Blanchard, daughter of Andrew Blanchard, of Medford. He left four children by his first

wife : Amelia O. (now widow of Joseph Richard- son), George O., Mary L. (widow of Charles H. Richardson), and Harriet W. (wife of Harris M. Stephenson ).

CURTIS, EDWIN UPTON, of Boston, mayor of the city 1895, was born in Roxbury (now of Boston), March 26, 1861, son of George and Martha Ann (Upton) Curtis. He is a direct de- scendant on the paternal side of William Curtis, one of the earliest settlers in Roxbury, landing in Boston from the ship "Lyon " in 1632 ; and on the maternal side from an old Central Massa- chusetts family. His father was for many years a builder, constructing numerous business build- ings in Boston and in Roxbury, and subsequently a lumber merchant; served for four years as an alderman of Roxbury before its annexation to Boston, was an overseer of the poor for a number of years in Roxbury and in Boston, and a repre- sentative in the General Court for three terms. His mother was a daughter of Joseph and Susan (Thurston) Upton, of Fitchburg. Edwin U. Curtis attended the grammar and Latin schools of Rox- bury and the Little Blue School at Farmington, Me., where he fitted for college, entered Bowdoin College, and graduated there in 1882. Three years later he received the degree of A.M. from his alma mater. Choosing law as his profession, he read in the office of Gaston & Whitney, and was admitted to the bar on January 20, 1885. He began practice at once in Boston, forming a partnership with William G. Reed under the firm name of Reed & Curtis, and, with the exception of his terms of municipal service in city offices, has been actively engaged since. In 1889 he was elected city clerk by the city council, and served through re-election two terms. He was elected to the mayoralty as a Republican candi- date in the December election of 1894, succeed- ing Nathan Matthews, Jr., Democrat, by a deci- sive vote of 34.982 to 32,425 over his Democratic competitor, General Francis H. Peabody. Al- though one of the youngest men who has ever been mayor of Boston, Mayor Curtis has shown marked ability in dealing with municipal prob- lems. The most important change brought about in the first six months of his administration was the placing of the fire, water, and institutions departments each under a single commissioner. This reform was advocated by Mr. Curtis before and after his election ; and an act of the Legis-

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lature allowed the change to take effect July 1, 1895. By the same act, with the approval of Mayor Curtis, several departments were consoli-

EDWIN U. CURTIS.

dated in order to secure greater efficiency; and the mayor's term of office was changed from one to two years, to take effect in 1896. Mr. Curtis has always been a stanch Republican, and in 1888 was secretary of the Republican city com- mittee. He is prominent in the Masonic order. connected with the Washington Lodge of Rox- bury, Mt. Vernon Chapter. Royal Arch Masons. and of Joseph Warren Commandery, Knights Templar. He is a member of the Boston Bar Association, of the University, AAlgonquin, Boston. Athletic. Roxbury. Middlesex, and Willow Point clubs, and of the Bowdoin College Alumni Asso- ciation. Mayor Curtis is unmarried.

CURTIS, NELSON, of Boston, paper manufact- urer, was born in Roxbury, January 17, 18644. son of George and Martha Ann ( Upton) Curtis. Ile is a lineal descendant of William Curtis, who came to this country from England, either from London or Warwickshire, in the ship " Lyon," in 1632, and settled in Roxbury. The line runs :

Isaac, fifth and youngest son of William, born in Roxbury: Samuel, ed.3 Isaac's youngest son : Philip, 2d, third son of Samuel. minister of the church in Sharon for upwards of half a century : Francis,5 seventh son of Philip : George." ninth child of Francis : and Nelson.7 His brother is the present mayor of Boston (1895). He was educated in the public schools. at the Chauncy Hall School, graduating in the class of ISS1, and by private tutors. . At the age of seventeen he entered the mills of S. D. Warren & Co. at Cum- berland Mills, Maine, and served an apprentice- ship of three years there at paper-making. Subse- quently he engaged in manufacturing on his own account, giving much attention to the improve- ment of high classes of paper. Of late years he has been most actively concerned in the manu- facture of paper for photographic printing, as president and general manager of the American Photographic Paper Company. He is also ac- tively engaged in wholesale paper dealing on his own account. He is a member of the Boston Paper Trade Association, but not an active club man. In politics he is a steadfast Republican.

NELSON CURTIS.

Mr. Curtis was married June 25, 1888, to Miss Genevieve Frances Young, of Boston. They have two children : Nelson. Jr .. and Frances Curtis.

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CUTTING, FRANK ALEXIS, of Boston, presi- dent and manager of the Cutting Car Company, is a native of New Hampshire, born in the town of Washington, August 16, 1855, son of Alexis and Esther R. (Hill) Cutting. He is of English descent. His father's grandfather first settled at Paxton, Conn., with other brothers. He was edu- cated in the public schools in Lebanon, N.H., and Winchester, Mass., to which places his parents re- moved during his boyhood, and at Comer's Com- mercial College in Boston. He started in busi- ness in Canada at Actonvale, P.Q., December, 1875, when he was but twenty years old, engaging

FRANK A. CUTTING.

in the shipment of hemlock bark to New England tanneries, situated near Boston. Beginning in a small way, he steadily increased his operations until now they extend into Maine, New Hamp- shire, Vermont, New York, and Pennsylvania, and Canadian Provinces ; and he is the largest operator in his line, and the only one who owns and oper- ates a line of railway cars for his exclusive use in his own business. In politics Mr. Cutting is an Independent ; but he takes no active part, devot- ing his time to his business. He is a member of the Calumet Club of Winchester. He married June 8, 1881, Miss Anna Mary Shaw, of Waterloo, P.Q., and resided in that town for three years

after marriage. He then returned to Winchester, which has been his home ever since. Their chil- dren are: Spencer Alexis, Marjorie, and Robert Hill Cutting.

DALLIN, CYRUS EDWIN, of Boston, sculptor, is a native of Utah, born in Springville, Novem- ber 22, 1861, son of Thomas and Jane (Hamer) Dallin. His paternal grandfather, Tobias Dallin, who was born in Ilfracombe, England, and came to America in 1850, was a skilful draughtsman ; and his maternal grandfather, Samuel Hamer, also born in England, had a talent for invention, which one of his sons inherited. Cyrus Edwin Dallin was educated in the district schools, and also in the Presbyterian schools of his native place. There were no works of art in the homes of the people of the settlement, for they had come such a long and arduous journey across the plains that they had brought with them only the barest ne- cessities. Thus it was that he never saw any sculpture, nor even any pictures of sculpture, till after he was sixteen years old. At the age of six he began to show his desire to imitate, and at twelve he modelled some heads in clay. From that time he kept up some sort of art study, copy- ing engravings and drawing from nature as best he could, unaided by any instruction. In 1879 he was working with his father in the silver mines of 'Tintic, Utah, and some beautiful white clay was taken from the mine. With this he modelled two ideal heads. These were shown to all who visited the mining camp; and C. H. Blanchard, a Boston gentleman who had settled in Tintic, was so impressed by them that he advised the boy's father to send him to Boston to study. This his father could not afford to do, so Mr. Blanchard interested Joab Lawrence, of Salt Lake City, in him; and these two men furnished the money necessary for the journey to Boston. In the spring of 1880 he came to Boston, and began his studies. His first work was an enlarged copy of one of Barye's tigers, which he put into terra- cotta. In 1883 he took a studio in Boston, and made his first design for the competition for the statue of Paul Revere. At an anonymous com- petition he was awarded one of the three prizes ; and at a subsequent competition, limited to the three successful competitors, his design was chosen, and a contract was drawn up for the erection of the statue. The city of Boston was pledged to furnish five thousand dollars, and the

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rest was to be raised by subscription. The com- mittee in charge of the matter has never fulfilled its trust, and the city still is without a statue to her famous hero. In the spring of 1888 Mr. Dallin exhibited his first life-size figure, entitled " Indian Hunter," at the exhibition of the Ameri- can Art Association, New York, and was awarded the gold medal of the year. He also modelled busts of James Russell Lowell and Oliver Wendell Holmes. In August of the same year he went to Paris to continue his studies, where he worked under Henri Chapu and at the Ecole des Beaux Arts. While in Paris, he modelled an equestrian

C. E. DALLIN.

statue of Lafayette, which was exhibited at the Exposition in 1889. He also made his first exhibit at the Salon of 1890, and was awarded Honorable Mention for his statue entitled " The Signal of Peace." This statue was afterward put into bronze, and at the World's Fair at Chicago was awarded a medal and diploma. Judge Lambert Tree, of Chicago, purchased the work; and it was unveiled in Lincoln Park in June, 1894. After his return to Boston in 1890 he modelled the " Awakening of Spring," which was shown at the Society of American Artists, New York, in 1891. Mr. Dallin remained in Salt Lake City from 1891 to the close of 1893 ; and,

while there, he modelled several busts, among them a marble bust of Dr. Hamilton, which was exhibited at the World's Fair. He also made the model for the bronze angel on the spire of the Mormon Temple of that city : an equestrian design for a statue of Sheridan, which won a prize at the competition at Chicago; a statuette of " Sunol," which was cast in silver, and presented to Robert Bonner. He is now at work on a Pioneer Monu- ment for the same city. Since his return to Bos- ton, in December, 1893, he has modelled a bas- relief, " Mother and Child ": " Despair," a nude female figure; a design for a statue of Sir Isaac Newton, for the Congressional Library at Wash- ington ; a design for a statue of Robert Ross, which took a prize in the competition at Troy : and a design for a statue of Hancock for the city of Boston. He has been appointed instructor in modelling at the Drexel Institute, Philadelphia, for the year 1895-96. He is a member of the Twentieth Century Club and of the Art Club of Boston, of the University Club of Salt Lake City, and of the National Sculpture Society of New York. Mr. Dallin was married June 16, 1891, to Miss Vittoria Colonna Murray, of Boston, who was for some years a teacher in the Girls' High School. and also in the Boston Normal School. They have two children : Edwin Ber- tram and Thomas Sidway Dallin.

DARLING, MAJOR CHARLES KIMBALL, of Boston, member of the bar, is a native of Vermont, born in the town of Corinth, June 28, 1864, son of Joseph and Mary Alice (Knight) Darling. On the maternal side he is descended from John Knight, who came from England and settled in Newburyport in 1635. His father's ancestors are traced back for several generations among the sturdiest families in Maine and New Hampshire. His father is a leading lawyer in Vermont, resid- ing in Chelsea. His early education was acquired in the schools of his native town. He was fitted for college at the Barre (Vt.) Academy, and was graduated at Dartmouth College in 1SS5. He was also for nearly two years a cadet at the United States Military Academy at West Point. Upon leaving college, he went to Fitchburg, Mass., and was employed there in various lines of work by the Fitchburg, Old Colony, and Cheshire rail- roads. In these pursuits he continued until 1891, when he became connected with the Fitchburg

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Daily Sentinel, with which he remained until 1893. meanwhile taking up the study of law, and later completing the course at the Boston University

CHAS. K. DARLING.

Law School. He was admitted to the Worcester County bar in June, 1895. In 1894 he was ap- pointed editor of the " Early Laws of Massachu- setts" in the office of the Secretary of the Com- monwealth, which position he still holds. In September, 1887, he was appointed sergeant major of the Sixth Regiment. Massachusetts Vol- unteer Militia, in February, 1889, was commis- sioned adjutant, and in April. 1893, became major, his present rank. While residing in Fitchburg, he was concerned actively and prominently in public affairs, serving on the School Committee for three years, and for several terms as clerk of the Com- mon Council and of committees. In politics be is a Republican. He is an able speaker, and in de- mand especially on patriotic occasions. Major Darling is prominent in the order of the Sons of Veterans. U.S.A. Passing through the various camp and division offices to the command of the Massachusetts Division in 1891-92, he was in 1893 appointed by Commander-in-chief Joseph B. Maccabe adjutant-general of the organization. At the Thirteenth Annual Encampment, held at Davenport, la., in August, 1894, he was elected

a member of the council in chief, and was made secretary of that body. He is also connected with the order of Odd Fellows. He is historian of the Massachusetts Society of the Sons of the Ameri- can Revolution, a corresponding member of the Fitchburg Historical Society, and a member of the Fitchburg Athletic Club. Major Darling is unmarried.

DAVIS, HORATIO, of Boston, manufacturer. was born in Boston, April 6, 1857, son of William and Maria ( Davis) Davis. He is a direct de- scendant of William Davis, born in Wales, 1617. died in Roxbury. Mass., 1683, the line running : Ebenezer, his son, born in Roxbury 1678. died 1712: Colonel Aaron Davis, born 1709. died 1777, in Roxbury: Moses Davis, born 1744, died 1823 : William Davis, born 1770, died 1850 : and William Davis, father of Horatio, born 1801. died 1865. Colonel Varon Davis was a delegate to the three Provincial Congresses of Massachusetts, 177 1 75, representing the town of Roxbury, and was colonel of Massachusetts militia ; and Moses Davis was a "minute man " at Lexington. Ho-

HORATIO DAVIS

ratio was educated at private schools in Roxbury. and also at Jamaica Plain. Ile was fitted for college, but did not enter, taking a business op-

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portunity instead. He entered the factory of the Pearson Cordage Company, Roxbury, on the first of January, 1877, to learn the cordage business practically, and remained there until May, 1880, when he entered the service of the Boston Cord- age Company. In the following December he was appointed superintendent, and made a director. He continued in connection with the manufacturing and selling departments until No- vember, 1891, when he was appointed manager. In March, 1894, he was appointed manager of the Chelsea and Standard Cordage Companies, and in November following was also made treas- urer of the Sewall & Day Cordage Company and Boston manager of the United States Cordage Company. Mr. Davis was a member of the first Corps of Cadets for three years. He is now a member of the New England Historic Genea- logical Society, of the Sons of the Revolution, and of the Union, Puritan, Exchange, Country, Ath- letic, and Eastern Yacht clubs. In politics he is Republican in national elections, and Indepen- dent in State and city. Mr. Davis is unmarried.

DEMING, EDWIN DUANE, of Boston, editor of trade papers, is a native of New York, born in Chautauqua, June 18, 1856, son of L. C. and Janette (Burt) Deming. He is descended from John Deming, who settled at Weathersfield, Conn., early in the seventeenth century,-about 1617; and on the maternal side from the Burts of New Hampshire. He was educated in the common schools and at the Collegiate Institute. His father and grandfather were engaged in the lum- ber and tanning business, and he was brought up in that line. He, however, early learned the printer's trade, and engaged in the newspaper business. At first he was with papers of the oil region in Pennsylvania, where new towns were springing up through the discovery of oil. At the age of twenty he purchased a local paper at Sugar Grove, Penna. Later he owned the Fulton Times of Fulton, N.Y., and the Enterprise of Gowanda, N.Y. He was also some time in the employ of the New York Times as a reporter, and subsequently of the New York Herald as a special correspondent. For a time, also, he was one of the publishers of a daily paper at Grand Rapids, Mich. Since about 1884 he has been connected with trade papers. Becoming asso- ciated with the Shoe and Leather Review, of which

he was for about four years the editor, he came to Boston for that paper in 1888, and is still associated with it. He also conducts the Ameri-

ED. D. DEMING.

can Glover, the only paper representing the glove trade in all its branches of leather and fabric goods. He belongs to the Masonic orders. He was married February 22, 1881, to Miss Emma Woodward, of Buffalo, N.Y. They have no children.

DEVER, JOHN FRANCIS, of Boston, alderman, was born in Boston, May 22, 1853, son of Mar- garet (Doherty) and Neil Dever, both of whom were natives of Ireland. He was educated in the Boston public schools, graduating from the May- hew School in 1866. Upon leaving school, he went to work as office boy for the Newton Oil Company at No. 3 Central Wharf. A year later he entered the employ of the New England News Company as a "pick-up " boy, from which he was soon promoted to the position of order clerk, and then to that of entry clerk. He remained with this company eleven years, finally leaving to take a position in the office of the Boston Courier. September, 1879, he left the Courier to enter the office of the registrars of voters as an extra clerk. The following November he was elected

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to the House of Representatives from the Twenti- eth Suffolk District as a Democrat, defeating his Republican opponent by five votes. A recount was had, and Mr. Dever lost three votes, and his opponent gained two, which made a tie vote, each candidate having one thousand one hun- dred. His competitor petitioned the Legisla- ture (1880) for the seat, claiming that a man living in Precinct I had voted illegally on a name similar to his in Precinct 3. The com- mittee on elections decided that the man in ques- tion had a right to vote in the ward; and, his name not being checked on the list in Precinct 1,

JOHN F. DEVER.

it was held that his vote should count. This de- cision caused the vote to remain a tie; and the committee further recommended the issuance of a precept for a new election by the Speaker. The recommendation being adopted, the election was held in February; and Mr. Dever triumphed by a majority of two hundred and thirty-two. He was re-elected for 1881, and at the end of that term voluntarily retired from elective office. During Mr. Dever's term of service in the Legis- lature he was employed by the registrars of voters as an assistant registrar and extra clerk, when that body was not in session ; and in May, 1882, he was made a regular clerk, and continued in

that position until June, 1885, when he was appointed as chief clerk in the mayor's office by Mayor O'Brien,- an appointment made necessary by the revision of the city charter. About a month after this appointment the mayor named him superintendent of streets, having removed the official who held that office. The Board of Aldermen was composed at that time of three Democrats and nine Republicans, and he failed of confirmation. Upon Mr. O'Brien's re-election in 1886, one of the latter's first acts was to send his appointment to the Board of Aldermen again, that body consisting that year of six Re- publicans, five Democrats, and one Independent Democrat. He failed again of confirmation, re- ceiving but six votes, one of the regular Demo- crats voting against him, and one Republican and the Independent voting for him. During all that time he was holding his place as clerk for the mayor, and continued to do so until the election of Mayor Hart in December, 1888. In January, 1889, Mr. Dever became associated with the New England Piano Company, one of the largest piano manufacturers in the country, with warerooms at No. 200 Tremont Street and factories at Rox- bury, as its local representative; and from that time he has been associated with it, meeting with notable success. In December, 1891, he re- appeared in politics as the Democratic aldermanic candidate in the Tenth District, the district system being in vogue at that time. This district has been considered a strong Republican one; but that year Republicans, not being satisfied with their regular nominee, nominated an Indepen- dent, thus insuring Mr. Dever's election. When the votes were counted, it was discovered that he had obtained a majority of eighty-five votes over his two opponents. The following year he was re-elected over his Republican competitor by a majority of two hundred and thirty-five ; and from that time on the district has been classed as Democratic. The next year the candidates ran at large, owing to the acceptance by the people of Boston of the legislative act; and Mr. Dever, being a candidate, was again re-elected, receiving the second highest vote cast for the aldermanic ticket. Being a candidate the following year, he was again re-elected to serve in the board of 1895, receiving a very flattering vote. Mr. Dever is connected with numerous fraternal organizations : a member of the Knights of St. Rose ; deputy grand knight of Mt. Pleasant Council, Knights of

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Columbus ; past ruler and present counsellor of Montgomery Assembly, Royal Society of Good Fellows ; past chief ranger Mt. Pleasant Court, Catholic order of Foresters; and a member of the Boston Highland Mutual Relief Society, and of the American Benefit Society. He is also a member of the Roxbury Military and Historical Society, of the Montgomery Veteran Light Guard Association, and of the Young Men's Catholic Association of Boston College. Of the latter he has been a director and financial secretary for eight years, and is at present one of the trustees. When the college association was started, he took great interest in amateur theatricals, and has played such characters as Macbeth, Hotspur in " Henry IV.," Rover in "Wild Oats," Choppard in the "Lyons Mail," Bill Sykes in "Oliver Twist," and numerous other minor characters. In politics he has been an active Democrat since he reached the voting age, and has been a mem- ber of the Democratic ward and city committee since 1874, being its secretary during 1876-78. His club associations are with the Clover Club, the Roxbury Bachelor Club, and the Roxbury Club. Mr. Dever was married June 3, 1880, to Miss Katherine Josephine Dowling. His family consists of four children : John Francis, Jr., Esther Cobb, Margaret, and Grace.

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Men of progress one thousand biographical sketches and portraits of leaders in business and professional life in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Part 99

Author: Herndon, Richard; Bacon, Edwin M. (Edwin Monroe), 1844-1916 Publication date: 1896 Publisher: Boston : New England Magazine Number of Pages: 1036

Author: Herndon, Richard; Bacon, Edwin M. (Edwin Monroe), 1844-1916
Publication date: 1896
Publisher: Boston : New England Magazine
Number of Pages: 1036