USA > New Hampshire > Sketches of successful New Hampshire men > Part 21
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156
JOHN McDUFFEE.
two hundred acres on Isinglass river, held with a view to future manufac- turing needs.
In religion, Mr. McDuffee was brought up under good old Parson Joseph Haven, and has remained a liberal supporter of the Congregational society. In politics, he was an earnest Whig. His first vote was for the electors who chose John Quincy Adams president, and his postmastership was ended by Andrew Jackson. He has always been a decided Republican.
Mr. McDuffee's great amount of labor has been possible only by the vigor- ous constitution which he inherited. The boy, who, before he left home, " carried the forward swath " in the hay-field, made the man who now accomplishes an amount of work which would surprise many younger men. Monday is always given to the Strafford Bank, at Dover; Tuesday, he presides at the Rochester Bank meeting; Wednesday, at the Savings Bank ; and no day is idle.
Of Mr. McDuffee's happy domestic relations nothing need be said. Of his eight children,-naming them in the order of birth, -(1) Joseph, who followed the sea, died (single) on the ocean at the age of thirty-five. (2) Franklin, who graduated at Dartmouth College in 1853, died, after a successful financial career, November 11, 1880, greatly lamented; he married Mary Fannie, daughter of John Hayes, of Farmington, and left two sons, John Edgar (now in the Chand- ler Scientific Department of Dartmouth College), and Willis. (3) John Randolph, graduated at the Chandler Scientific Department in 1857; was a civil engineer in Rochester, and died single, aged twenty-five. (4) Anna M., is the wife of Frank S. Brown, of Hartford, Conn., of the firm of Brown, Thompson & Co. She has one son and two daughters. (5) Mary Abbie, is the wife of Charles K. Chase, a merchant in Rochester, and has two daughters. (6) Sarah died single. (7) George, the only surviving son, is engaged in extensive grain, mill, and lumber business in Rochester ; he married, first, Lizzie Hanson, who died leaving a son ; afterwards he married, second, Nellie, daughter of Dr. James Far- rington, of Rochester, her father being nephew of Dr. James Farrington, M. C. (8) Oliver, died in infancy.
Judged by the success of his work as the banker, as developing by a liberal and wise help every worthy manufacturing enterprise, and as foremost in the building of the various railways centering in Rochester, it is clear that Mr. McDuffee nobly comes into the list of those spoken of in our first paragraph, whose record is in the prosperity of his native town, where ability, sagacity, integrity, and kindliness have united to make that record, as well as his own personal success.
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JOHN C. FRENCH.
PRIOR to 1870, New Hampshire had no reliable fire insurance company. That she now has one that is "sound, solid, and successful," firmly established in the confidence of the country, and steadily growing in strength and stability, is mainly due to JOHN C. FRENCH, who, in spite of much prejudice and distrust, laid the foundations of the New Hampshire Fire Insurance Company, and has since been its leading spirit and manager.
Mr. French came of sturdy stock. His grandfather, Abram French, was a native of Stratham, where he spent his boyhood and learned the trade of a car- penter and builder, in which he soon became known as a skillful and thorough workman. In this capacity he went to Pittsfield to complete the interior of the first meeting-house in that town ; and, when this was finished, erected the build- ings upon the parsonage lot for Rev. Christopher Paige, step-father of the " beau- tiful Grace Fletcher," the first wife of Daniel Webster. Some years later, Mr. Paige removed from town, and the young mechanic bought the place, and in 1796 married Hannah Lane, of Stratham, and established the French home- stead, in which he reared to maturity twelve children, and dispensed for many years the hospitality which his prosperity enabled him to provide for a wide circle of relatives and friends. His numerous children and grandchildren ranked among the reliable and thrifty people of that town.
Enoch, the oldest son of Abram French, who married, in 1823, Eliza Cate, of Epsom, -a most estimable woman, -and settled on an adjoining farm, was the father of five children. The only survivor of this family is the subject of this sketch, John C. French, who was born March 1, 1832, and spent his boyhood upon one of the rocky farms in Pittsfield. His opportunities for obtaining an education were very limited, but his ardent desire to learn impelled him to sup- plement his common-school privileges by reading at home, and afterwards to obtain, by working on a farm summers and teaching winters, the money to pay his expenses for several terms at the academies at Pittsfield, Gilmanton, and Pembroke. What he learned at these institutions only fed his ambition to know more; and, as there was little opportunity for him to gratify his tastes and aspirations at home, when he became of age he made an arrangement with J. H. Colton & Co. to solicit orders for their mounted maps. The tact and activity which he showed in this work led his employers, a year later, to give him the Boston agency for " Colton's Atlas of the World," then in course of preparation ; and in this he won another success, selling over twelve hundred copies of this large and expensive work. In 1855 he was appointed general agent for the house for New England, and subsequently gave considerable time to the intro- duction of Colton's series of geographies into the public schools; and was after- wards employed by Brown, Taggart, & Chase, and Charles Scribner & Co., in bringing out their school publications. While thus engaged he was able to gratify his fondness for travel, observation, and reading; gained an acquaintance with the leading authors, teachers, publishers, and other prominent educators,
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JOHN C. FRENCH.
and a knowledge of the local history, industries, and resources of all the prin- cipal towns in New England. He also learned thoroughly the art of advertising, and of putting books upon the market in a way to command popular favor.
During the eight years he was thus employed, he made frequent journeys to Pittsfield, and spent a portion of each season there with his parents, to whom he was devotedly attached ; but in May, 1866, having been appointed state agent of the Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Company, he established his residence in Manchester, which has since been his home, though he still retains possession of the beautiful homestead farm upon which he was born.
Three years later, having become interested in and familiar with the insurance interests of the state, he conceived the idea of establishing a stock fire insurance company, and by untiring persistency and zeal overcame the almost universal prejudice against such an organization, enlisted in its support some of our most prominent citizens, secured a charter and the capital stock, and began the business which under his energetic and prudent directions has since grown to great pro- portions. To this company he still gives his undivided time and efforts, refusing to accept political office, declining all inducements to go elsewhere, resting entirely content with the success he commands in and from the company's office. His wide and varied experience has given him a great insight into business affairs and productive industries, and also an extensive and invaluable knowl- edge of men, and these acquirements and all his native abilities he is bringing to the service of the company in the enlarged and enlarging sphere of his official duties. That he does not labor in vain is shown by the fact that the New Hampshire company, so recently established, has increased its capital stock from one hundred thousand to five hundred thousand dollars, and its cash assets to nearly a million, that it commands the countenance and assistance of many of our most prominent men, and enjoys a national reputation for prudent manage- ment and financial success.
Mr. French has always taken a lively interest in his native town, and, when the project for building a railroad which would promote its growth and prosperity took shape, he gave himself heartily to the support of the enterprise, and it was largely through his efforts that the three hundred and fifty thousand dollars necessary to build the Suncook Valley road was secured, by subscriptions to the capital stock and gratuities from the towns along the line. As one method of helping this work to a successful completion. he established the Suncook Valley Times - a weekly paper - at Pittsfield, and for two years contributed regularly to its columns a series of historical and biographical articles, which attracted much attention in the locality, and were widely copied and read elsewhere. He also at one time published and edited at Manchester a journal devoted to insur- ance interests ; and in these publications, as well as in those of the New · Hampshire company, has established a reputation as a vigorous, versatile, and popular writer.
The zeal, fidelity, and success with which he has managed the various inter- ests intrusted to him have been highly appreciated. and numerous testimonials have borne witness to the satisfaction of his employers. The records of the New Hampshire company contain a resolution passed unanimously by the stock- holders, in 1871, in which the unparalleled success of the company is ascribed mainly to his zeal and efficiency ; and a similar resolution is inscribed upon the books of the Suncook Valley Railroad.
Mr. French, while not a politician, takes a deep interest in public affairs, and his help can always be depended on for whatever promises to promote the public good and the well-being of the community in which he lives. He is a genial companion, a stanch friend, and a man who wins and holds the good opinions of
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JOHN C. FRENCH.
a very large circle of acquaintances. He is a member of Trinity Commandry, Knights Templar, and a director of the Merchants National Bank.
Mr. French married, in 1858, Annie M., daughter of L. B. Philbrick, Esq., of Deerfield, and has three children,- Lizzie A., Susie P., and George Abram, -who reside with their parents.
HON. THOMAS COGSWELL.
THE town of Gilmanton has always been distinguished for its strong and able men, who have exercised a powerful influence in the affairs of their town and state. It has furnished men to fill nearly every position of trust and honor within the gift of the people of our state, and it has ever been proud of her illustrious sons. Among the very strong men of this old town stood Hon. THOMAS COGSWELL, who in the year 1820, at the age of twenty-one, moved hither from Atkinson, N. H., where he was born December 7, 1798. He was one of a family of nine children of William and Judith (Badger) Cogswell, eight of whom lived to years of maturity. He settled on the farm formerly occupied by his grandfather, the Hon. Joseph Badger, and with strong hands and indomitable courage commenced gaining a livelihood for himself and young wife, Mary Noyes, whom he married just prior to moving here. He soon attracted the atten- tion of the older settlers, and in a short time became one of the leading men in the town ; and ever afterwards took an active part in all its local affairs, and for the whole period of his life was honored and respected by his neighbors and towns- men, and received at their hands every office within their gift.
There is no position that more truly shows the strength and power of a man than that of moderator of a New Hampshire town-meeting ; but for many suc- cessive years he was chosen to preside over the deliberations of the annual and other meetings in this, then, large town, and always did so with great dignity, and to the perfect satisfaction of all. He was also chosen one of the board of selectmen, and represented the town in the legislature, and while a member of that body introduced and supported a bill to repeal the law authorizing imprison- ment for debt. For ten years he was a deputy-sheriff for the county of Strafford, before its division, and during all this time was actively engaged in the duties of the office. He was also treasurer of the county for three years. In 1841 he was appointed one of the judges of the court of common pleas for the new county of Belknap, and held that position until the year 1855, when the judi- ciary system of the state was changed. In 1856 he was elected a member of the governor's council from district number three. He was a justice of the peace and quorum for over forty years. He was an officer in the New Hampshire mili- tia, and attained the rank of captain. He was of Revolutionary stock, his father and seven uncles having served in that war, and performed, in the aggregate, thirty-eight years of service.
For seven years in succession he taught the winter term of school in his dis- trict, at the same time performing all the work incident to his farm, and during his whole life was interested in and a promoter of education. Gilmanton Acad- emy, an institution established by the efforts of his grandfather, Gen. Joseph Badger, and his uncle, the Hon. Thomas Cogswell, with the assistance of many other strong and good men, early received his aid and co-operation, and he was one of its board of trustees up to within a few years of his death. In early life he became a member of the Congregational church at Gilmanton Iron-Works,
Thomas Cogswell
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HON. THOMAS COGSWELL.
and was deacon of the same for many years; and always gave freely of his means for the advancement of the cause of the Christian religion.
Notwithstanding the many and various duties imposed on Mr. Cogswell by his almost continuous service in some public position, he was a large and successful farmer, and by his own exertions added year by year to his original farm, so that at his death he owned in one tract nearly one thousand acres of valuable land. He was a great lover of the soil and was always interested in the cause of agriculture, and was in every respect a well informed and successful farmer.
He possessed, to an uncommon degree, strong natural powers of mind, and was capable of grasping difficult questions and giving a good legal opinion. His mind was essentially judicial, and, had he devoted himself to the study and prac- tice of law, would undoubtedly have been a leading mind in that profession. For many years he was consulted by his neighbors and townsmen upon the troubles that frequently arose between them, and to his credit, by his clear and practical judgment, saved, frequently, long and expensive litigation. He was true to every trust committed to him, and was scrupulously honest and exact in all his dealings.
In politics, Thomas Cogswell was a Democrat to the end of his life. During the war of the rebellion, he was a strong supporter of the government, and a friend and well-wisher of every soldier in the field. He saw clearly and plainly that his duty as an American citizen was to render all the aid in his power to help carry on and bring to a successful close the terrible struggle then going on. He was a lover of his country and delighted in its free institutions ; and, although strong in his political faith, was not a partisan.
Mr. Cogswell was noted for his energy and force of character; and, when he had once made up his mind as to a certain course to pursue, he never changed it until he was thoroughly satisfied that he was wrong. He was a natural leader among men, and possessed the characteristics of a great general. He was a ready and fluent public speaker, and few men could better entertain an audience. He excelled in strong common sense, and could state exactly his position on any subject that interested him. He was always well informed, particularly on the history of his country and its many political changes. He was of commanding appearance, and was a noticeable person in any assembly. He was of an affec- tionate disposition, and sympathized with the afflictions of others. He died August 8, 1868, and was buried in the old historic burying-ground in Gilmanton, near the dust of his illustrious ancestors; and in his death the town lost a wise counselor, the poor a generous friend, and the community at large an honest and upright man.
There are four children now living,- Mary C. Burgess, wife of the late Dr. Burgess, now living in Boston, Mass .; Martha B. Batchelder, wife of the late Dr. Batchelder, also residing in Boston; James W. Cogswell, sheriff of Belknap county ; and Thomas Cogswell, a lawyer, residing on the old homestead at Gilmanton.
HON. PERSON C. CHENEY.
BY COL. DANIEL HALL.
PERSON COLBY CHENEY was born in that part of Holderness, N. H., which is now Ashland, February 25, 1828. He was the sixth child in a family of five sons and six daughters, -children of Moses and Abigail (Morrison) Cheney, - nine of whom still survive.
Of his sisters, Sarah B. is the wife of Rev. S. G. Abbott, of Needham, Mass. ; Abby M. is the widow of George Washburn, late of Goffstown, N. H .; Ruth E. is the wife of Joseph W. Lord, of Wollaston, Mass .; Marcia A. is the wife of J. P. F. Smith, of Meredith, N. H. ; Hattie O. is the wife of Dr. C. F. Bonney, of Manchester, N. H.
Of his brothers, Rev. O. B. Cheney, D. D., is the president of Bates College, Lewiston, Me., and has mainly laid the foundations of the success and popularity of that excellent institution of learning; E. H. Cheney is the editor and pro- prietor of the Granite State Free Press, Lebanon, N. H .; and Moses Cheney, a manufacturer of paper at Henniker, N. H., is retired from business.
The square, old-fashioned New England house, where the family resided, is still to be seen. It stands in the picturesque village of Ashland, overlooking the valley below, and commanding a view of lofty hills and beautiful scenery. The childhood of the subject of this sketch was passed in this venerable mansion, but his boyhood and early manhood were passed at Peterborough, N. H., where his father was engaged in the manufacture of paper. This gave him an early and intimate acquaintance with the paper business, enabled him to gain a knowledge of all its details, and gave him those habits of industry and self-reliance, which, upon the basis of a strong natural sagacity and force of character, have distin- guished his business life. He acquired a fair education in the ordinary branches of knowledge, in the academies at Peterborough and Hancock, N. H., and Parsonsfield, Me.
His father removed to Holderness in 1845, having sold his interest to A. P. Morrison ; and Person C. Cheney assumed the management of the paper-mill at Peterborough. In 1853 a firm of which Mr. Cheney was a member built another paper-mill at Peterborough ; but he soon bought out the interest of his associates, and continued business in Peterborough till 1866.
Mr. Cheney took an early interest in politics, and represented the town of Peterborough in the legislature in 1853 and 1854. He entered ardently into the memorable events of 1860 and 1861, and zealously aided and promoted the prep- aration of his state for the great struggle to maintain the Union. In due time he offered his personal services, and in August, 1862, was appointed quarter- master of the 13th Regiment, N. H. Vols., and proceeded with the regiment to the seat of war. Joining the army of the Potomac, he rendered faithful service to the regiment and the country until exposure and overwork in the campaign before Fredericksburg brought on a long and dangerous sickness. Barely escap-
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HON. PERSON C. CHENEY.
ing with his life, he was compelled to resign and return home. He received an honorable discharge in August, 1863. From that time till the close of the war the Union cause at home had no more earnest or efficient friend and champion. In 1864 he was chosen railroad commissioner of New Hampshire, and served three years.
In 1866, Mr. Cheney removed to Manchester, and formed a partnership with Thomas L. Thorpe, as a dealer in paper stock and manufacturer of paper at Goffstown. In 1868 the firm of E. M. Tubbs & Co., of which Mr. Cheney had been a member three years, bought out the interest of Mr. Thorpe, and the business was continued under the name of P. C. Cheney & Co. In 1870 the mill at Goffstown was destroyed by fire, but was replaced by a new mill, and the business enlarged by rebuilding the old mill at Amoskeag village.
Mr. Cheney, upon becoming a resident of Manchester, became at once thoroughly and prominently identified with the development and prosperity of that rapidly growing city ; and very soon his business capacity and integrity, his liberal spirit and engaging manners, attracted attention to him as a man not only highly fitted for public honors, but as pre-eminently capable of commanding them at the hands of the people. He was brought forward as a candidate for mayor of Manchester in 1871, and elected by a larger majority than any candidate had received since 1863. He performed the duties intelligently and to general acceptance, but declined a re-election. In 1874, at its organization, he was chosen president of the People's Savings Bank, and still retains the office.
In 1875, under peculiar circumstances, Mr. Cheney became the Republican candidate for governor. In 1874 the Republicans had lost the state for causes which it would not be useful to recite ; and the Democrats, having control of every branch of legislation, had used their power to fortify themselves in the possession of the state government, by making new ward divisions in the city of Manchester, and redistricting for councilors and senators, in such a manner as to put their adversaries at great disadvantage, and render it almost impossible to recover the state. Under such circumstances it became absolutely necessary for them to place at the head of the ticket a name of the greatest personal popu- larity. Such were the prestige of Mr. Cheney, gained by his successful adminis- tration in Manchester, his personal magnetism among those who knew him, and his well known energy as a canvasser, that, unexpectedly to himself, he was selected as the standard-bearer of his party, and the result proved how wisely. The hottest campaign ever known in a state proverbial for the violence of its political contests ensued, and there was no choice of governor by the people ; but Mr. Cheney had a plurality of the votes cast, although Judge Roberts, his competitor, received the heaviest vote his party had ever polled in New Hamp- shire. The Republicans secured a majority in the legislature, which elected Mr. Cheney governor. In 1876, Gov. Cheney was again a candidate, and after a canvass which exceeded in intensity even that of 1875, he was re-elected by a flattering majority of the popular vote, which was heavier than had ever before been cast in New Hampshire. Mr. Cheney brought to the office of governor a patriotic love for the state and solicitude for her good name, a clear insight, great executive ability, thorough business habits, and personal dignity, urbanity, and tact of a high order. These qualities, combined with his undoubted integrity and earnestness of purpose, enabled him to give the state a most prudent and successful administration of its affairs. The retrenchment of expenses, so much needed in a period of financial depression following years of sharp distress, was kept steadily in view, and a thorough business system inaugurated in all branches of the government; the affairs of the adjutant-general's office were redeemed from years of neglect and confusion ; the state debt was materially reduced ; at his
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HON. PERSON C. CHENEY.
suggestion a law was passed requiring vouchers to be filed for all disbursements from the governor's contingent fund; and the finances of the state were left in all respects upon a sound and stable basis. The prominent part of New Hampshire in the Centennial Exposition was due largely to his foresight, his faith in its benefits, and his untiring efforts in its behalf. None who participated in them will ever forget the brilliant success of "New Hampshire Day" at Phila- delphia, or the reception of Governor and Mrs. Cheney, during his term of office, to the members of the legislature and the citizens of Concord, at White's Opera House, which was a memorable social event.
Gov. Cheney retired from office with the universal respect and esteem of men of all parties, and has since devoted himself closely to business. On the death of his partner, Dr. Tubbs, in 1878, Gov. Cheney purchased his quarter interest, and thus became sole proprietor of the business. The following year he con- verted the property of the old " Peterborough Company " at Peterborough, into a pulp-mill, and obtained an amendment of the charter, by act of the legislature, changing its name to the " P. C. Cheney Company." This charter is among the oldest in the state, having been granted in 1833, and bears the names of Charles H. Atherton, Samuel Appleton, Samuel May, Isaac Parker, Nathan Appleton, and others, as grantees. The original charter authorizes the company to extend its operations to any town in the state.
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