USA > New Jersey > Biographical, genealogical and descriptive history of the first congressional district of New Jersey, Volume II > Part 42
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Mr. Luerssen is a member of the Excelsior Lodge, No. 54, F. A. M .; Brearley Chapter, No. 6, R. A. M., and the Olivet Commandery, No. 10, Knight Templars; and he is a Noble of the Mystic Shrine of Philadelphia. Also he is connected with the Knights of Pythias and other societies. He is the vice-president of the Mutual Building & Loan Bank and a man of superior business qualifications. In politics he is independent. He was a member of the Old Guard of the Pennsylvania regiment and for fifteen years was the hospital steward of that regiment.
R. S. MOORE.
Glassboro boasts of numerous sterling, progressive business men, and of these R. S. Moore stands in the front rank. The character of a town is necessarily determined largely by the attitude of its representative business men upon all local affairs, and if, like Rip Van Winkle, they retire to rest, while the busy world rushes on toward progress and advancement, the place in which their destiny is cast falls behind in the race.
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As far back as the Moore family can be traced, it has been noted for wide-awake, ambitious members, always ready to perform their share toward the public welfare. Five brothers of the name came to America from Scot- land during colonial days, and from them a numerous posterity has de- scended. One of the number, James D., the grandfather of our subject, was a man of prominence and genius. Acknowledged to be an expert as a civil engineer, he was employed by this government and drew the plans for the aqueduct at Washington, District of Columbia. For a long period he was in the patent office at the capital, and later he carried on a large iron business in Baltimore. In that city his son Thomas T. was born and reared to man- hood. He became a merchant there, and also in Philadelphia, and subse- quently removed to the vicinity of Winchester, Virginia, and carried on a farm. At the time of the breaking out of the Rebellion he was yet a resident of the old Dominion, but he soon joined the Union forces, and served as chief clerk in the commissary department of the federal army. At last he was so unfortunate as to fall into the hands of the rebels, and for thirteen months he suffered the tortures of Libby and Salisbury prisons. During the last years of his career he was engaged in the newspaper business in Cincin- nati, Ohio. He was summoned to his reward in 1878. In his religious be- lief he was a member of the Society of Friends, and his daily life was an exemplification of the noble principles of that sect. His wife, whose maiden name was Francis Cather, and who was a daughter of David Cather, a native of Dundee, Scotland, died June, 1899. Of her eight children six are living. R. S. Moore is the eldest of the children, and the others in order of birth are: Laura; James Prescott, of Chicago, Illinois; James A., of Raven Rock, Ohio; Mary, the wife of James D. Hart; Charles, a resident of the state of Washington; Annie, wife of John Askey, of Baltimore; and Edward, of Washington.
R. S. Moore was born near Winchester, Virginia, February 17, 1849, and attended the local schools, there laying the foundations of his later edu- cation. For some time he was in the employ of the government as a draughtsman, and subsequently he clerked in a store in Hagerstown, Mary- land. In 1866 he came to this county and learned the tinsmith's trade at Newfield. Then he worked for some time in Philadelphia; but, returning to Newfield in 1874, he started in business on his own account, selling stoves and tinware. In 1878 he became a citizen of Glassboro, where he has con- ducted a store similar to the one he owned at Newfield. He has occupied several local offices and is a true friend of the Republican party. A Knight of Pythias, he has passed all of the chairs in the town lodge, and is highly esteemed in the brotherhood.
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In 1867 Mr. Moore wedded Miss Emma A. Mendum, a daughter of James D. Mendum, of Boston, Massachusetts. They are the parents of six children, namely: Carrie, the wife of Max Newman, of Vineland, New Jer- sey; Clarence P., of Jersey City; Bertha A .; Howard, Olive and Edna. The two sons are in the United States mail service. The two younger ones are yet at home, and, with their parents, are much respected members of the community.
The Mendum family is of English ancestry and early located in New England, where its members have been numerous and prominent. The first American ancestor of this particular line now remembered was John Men- dum, a native of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He was a carpenter by vocation and one of the earliest Universalists in his religious views. He died when about sixty years old. All of his children-John, Mary, Luke, Em- eline, Caroline, James D., and George-attained mature years. James D. Mendum, above mentioned, was born September 14, 1826, learned black- smithing and for years was employed on the numerous ships constructed at the ship and navy yards of Newburyport and Boston. In 1849, after a resi- dence in Boston of seventeen years, he married Caroline A. Dodge, a daugh- ter of Joseph and Abigail Dodge. The Dodge family has been resident in New England from early Colonial days. Mr. and Mrs. Mendum were parents of two children, Emma A. (Mrs. R. S. Moore) and Charles, who re- sides in North Vineland, New Jersey. In May, 1866, Mr. Mendum removed from Boston to Newfield, New Jersey, and bought a farm, which he culti- vated until his failing health caused him to cease. He and his wife then made their home in Glassboro with Mr. and Mrs. Moore. Mr. Mendum died at Trenton, New Jersey, on November 30, 1895. Mrs. Mendum sur- vives him, and is in good health of mind and body. Both of them have been members of the Baptist church for many years.
LUCIUS E. HIRES.
Lucius E. Hires is a native of Salem county, his birth having occurred in Quinton, on the 29th of August, 1860. His parents were the Hon. George and Elizabeth Keasby (Plummer) Hires. His preliminary education, ac- quired in the schools of Quinton and Salem, was supplemented by a course in Swathmore College, and on laying aside his text-books he took up the more difficult lessons of a practical business life, becoming a clerk in his father's store in Quinton. There he remained until 1884, gaining a good knowledge of business methods and procedure. On leaving the mercantile
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establishment he became associated with Robert S. Fogg, in the firm of Fogg & Hires, and embarked in the canning business. From the begin- ning success attended the new enterprise, and their trade has constantly in- creased in volume and importance until they are now at the head of one of the leading industries of New Jersey. The firm name was changed to the Fogg & Hires Company in 1895, which name is a familiar one in the world of trade and is a synonym for reliable dealing. They can a superior grade of tomatoes and the excellence of their product insures them a very liberal patronage. In fact their business has grown to such proportions that three factories are required to supply the demand, and the goods are sent through- out a wide area. The factory at Quinton furnishes employment to two hun- dred and fifty hands during the busy season, while a similar number is found in the factory at Fennsville; and the factory at Hancock's Bridge, purchased by them in 1897, gives work to two hundred employes, making an aggre- grate of seven hundred. The importance to the community of this business may easily be judged, for it not only furnishes a means of living to hundreds of families but also furnishes a market for many gardeners and adds to the commercial activity through its large shipping business.
On the 15th of November, 1883, Mr. Hires was united in marriage to Miss Bessie R., a daughter of Robert Mckinley, of Philadelphia. Their children are Clementine P., fourteen years of age, and Anna S. Their pleasant home in Salem is the center of a cultured society circle and they have hosts of warm friends. In his political views Mr. Hires is a Republican, and is active and influential in the ranks of the party. He served as deputy internal revenue collector of the first district of New Jersey from 1888 until 1890, but resigned during his third year. He is very popular as a citizen and in social and business circles, and enjoys the high regard of all with whom he is brought in contact.
WILLIAM A. WOOD.
Hon. William A. Wood, ex-judge of common pleas and one of the solid men of Salem county, is a prominent citizen of Whig Lane, Upper Pitts- grove township, Salem county. He was born on the farm adjoining that on which he now resides, on December 29, 1828, and is a son of Charles and Harriet (Richmond) Wood. Charles was born on the farm now occupied by our subject, or the one adjoining, and was himself a large land-owner, having in his possession thirteen hundred acres.
His father was Jeremiah Wood, one of four brothers who came to this country from Sweden and settled in New Jersey, one in Woodstown, this
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county, one at Mount Holly, one at Greenwich, Cumberland county, and one at Woodbury. In addition to carrying on his extensive farming opera- tions he also conducted a store, as did his father before him. This store and eight or nine hundred acres of land owned by them are still in the possession of the family. He was a strict Presbyterian and a trustee of the church. The advantages for an education had been very limited, but he developed a shrewd and keen perception that made him one of the best business men in this part of the state. He was united in the holy bonds of matrimony to Miss Harriet Richmond, by whom he had one child, who is the subject of this biography. The father of Mrs. Wood was Nehemiah Richmond, who resided in this neighborhood. He was a soldier in the Revolutionary war and was held a prisoner in New York harbor by the British. His first service in this war was voluntary, and after his time had expired a younger brother was drafted. Thinking him too young to serve, Nehemiah went as that brother's substitute. Charles Wood died in October, 1877, and his wife in March, 1899.
Judge Wood attended the common schools when a lad and then entered Lafayette College, at Easton, Pennsylvania, at which he graduated in 1848, with the degree of B. A., and later received the degree of M. A. from the same institution. He then entered the office of Judge Washington McCart- ney, of Easton, Pennsylvania, with whom he studied law. This Judge was the professor of mathematics at Lafayette when Judge Woods was a stu- dent there, and was admitted to the bar of Northampton county, that state, during the January term, 1851. After remaining there a few months he went on a trip through the western states, and upon his return home became associated in business with his father. In 1855 he engaged in the mercan- tile business in Easton, and seven years later returned to Whig Lane and conducted a store at this place for over a quarter of a century, selling in 1888 to his son. Judge Wood then returned to his farm of three hundred acres, a small portion of which he cultivates, the remainder being rented out to tenants.
He was married to Miss Sabina Snider, of Easton, who died in 1867, leaving four children, three of whom are now living. They are Harry A. and Harriet, at home; and William, who is employed in New York in the rail- road business. The second wife of our subject was Miss Sarah Richmond, a daughter of Ewalt Richmond, of Woodstown, to whom he was united on February 29, 1872, and who died fourteen years later. Six children were the result of this marriage: Herbert, in Philadelphia; and Leon, Lillian, Bessie, Florence and Sarah, all at home.
Judge Wood was appointed a judge of common pleas in 1882 and held
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the office fourteen years. In 1872 he was the grand marshal of the state for the Odd Fellows, and is a man whose influence has been widely felt as a power for good. He inspires confidence and respect by his dignified bear- ing and sound logic, while his genial good nature has won for him the love and esteem of all who have come under his influence. He has been a life- long Democrat and held a number of local offices, the first being as town- ship superintendent of schools in 1851. He was then elected a freeholder and the county collector, holding each office two years.
ROBERT FISHER.
One of the best known real-estate dealers and progressive business men numbered among the representatives of the commercial interests of Ocean City is Robert Fisher, who has traveled extensively in Europe and the United States, is broad and cosmopolitan in his views and work, in his perceptions of the needs of the city which has reached that period in its development when every move exerts a telling influence on the future, and thus his energies both in public and private life have been directed toward the consummation of the success which can arise only from wise adminis- tration of official prerogatives and from a careful conduct of business affairs. He was one of the first real-estate agents to locate in the city and is now one of the representative dealers here. He has been connected with the largest sales of lots that have ever taken place on the island; his business interests are therefore very closely interwoven with the history of the city, while his knowledge of locations and values is of vast benefit to purchasers.
The record of his life cannot fail to prove of interest to the readers of this volume. He was born February 24, 1848, in the county of Antrim, province of Ulster, Ireland, his parents being James and Isabella (Hume) Fisher. The family is of Scotch origin, but the grandfather of our subject, John Fisher, was a farmer of county Antrim and was a member of a yeomanry company of cavalry in the rebellion of 1798. During his military service he participated in a number of hard-fought engagements. He had two children: Charlotte, who became the wife of John Tolerton, a farmer of the Emerald isle; and James. The latter was born in 1791, became an agriculturist of county Antrim and held a membership in the Presbyterian church. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Isabella Hume, was a direct descendant of Earl William Hume, and they had eight children: Hume, who died in childhood, John, Anna, William, Isabella, Mary, Robert and
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Hume. The father of these children died in 1864, at the age of seventy-three years, and the mother passed away at the age of ninety years.
Robert Fisher, whose name heads this record, was educated in the na- tional schools of Ireland and the Royal Irish Academy at Belfast, being graduated in the latter institution. He then accepted the position of wine agent for the firm of Dunville & Company, extensive merchants of Belfast, with whom he was associated for six years. He then came to the United States, in 1868, locating first in Brooklyn, New York, whence he removed to Ocean City, February 22, 1880. He was for four years the local secretary and agent of the Ocean City Association, in charge of their real-estate in- terests at this place. He then engaged in the real-estate business for him- self. As the agent for the association he sold many plats of land in the island. He has been in one way and another identified with almost all the important real-estate deals that have taken place since his arrival in Ocean City. He is a very extensive real-estate operator, both buying and selling, and has just completed the largest sale made in Ocean City during the year 1899. He has extensive property holdings of his own, among which is the Bourse building, and he conducts the leading drug store in Ocean City, located in the Bourse building, in which also his large and attractive offices are found.
In July, 1868, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Fisher and Miss Lizzie Swindell Graham, a daughter of Gerald Graham, of county Fermanagh, Ire- land. Two children have been born to them, Anna Hume and Victor Stan- ley.
In politics Mr. Fisher is a stalwart Republican. He served as the mayor of Ocean City in 1894-5, his administration resulting greatly to the benefit of the town and the promotion of its leading interests. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity and of the Presbyterian church. He formerly be- longed to the Methodist Episcopal church at Ocean City and was the superintendent of the Sunday-school; he was also a steward, trustee and exhorter in the church. The First Presbyterian church at this place stands in evidence of his interest in the cause of Christianity, for it was built as the result of his efforts. In July, 1897, he undertook the work, personally soliciting the money for the building fund, and as a member of the building committee he had entire charge of the building operations. Within three weeks of the time he started out with his subscription paper he had a church, and service was conducted on the third Sunday.
In manner Mr. Fisher is cordial and genial. The characteristics of his parentage are shown in the happy blending of the versatility of the wit and genius of the land of the shamrock and the shrewd economy of the fore-
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sight of that of the thistle. With the advantage of talents amounting to genius, and with an inherent brilliancy and versatility of mind that rests only with the reward of high achievement, Mr. Fisher's continued success is established, while no more glowing tribute can be paid than that his emi- nence has been reached by the exercise of his own abilities.
WARREN ATKINSON.
Among the enterprising citizens who have done much to promote the agricultural interests of New Jersey, Warren Atkinson is prominent. Prog- ress, consecutive and marked, has characterized the agricultural interests of the land, and in no country has such wonderful improvement been made either in the methods of farming or in the machinery with which the work is prosecuted. In this respect America has led the world and her example has been followed by all civilized nations, while her agricultural implements have not only revolutionized farming methods in our own country but also in the old world. Mr. Atkinson is one of the most progressive farmers of New Jersey, and his investigation and experiments in the use of fertilizers have been of great practical benefit throughout this section of the state. His property is located in a very rich and productive tract, and the Cherry Lawn farm is one of the finest and most desirable in southern New Jersey.
Mr. Atkinson was born on his farm, which has been in possession of the family throughout an entire century. He represents one of the oldest and most substantial families of the state, its founder in America having been William Atkinson, who in 1683 left his home in England and crossed the Atlantic to the new world, taking up his abode in Burlington county, New Jersey. His son John was the father of Samuel Atkinson, the great-grand- father of our subject. The grandfather, John Atkinson, took up his resi- dence upon the Cherry Lawn farm in 1798 and here made his home until his death, which occurred in 1837. His birth had occurred in Burlington county, in 1756, and therefore he had attained an advanced age when called to his final rest. Like his ancestors, he was a member of the Society of Friends.
George T. Atkinson, the father of our subject, was born on the Cherry Lawn farm, in 1810, and became one of the most prominent and influential citizens in the community. Prior to the war he strongly espoused the cause of anti-slavery, did all in his power to promote that work, and always entertained at his home the abolition speakers who visited this neighbor- hood to address the people upon that all-important theme. Anna Dickin- son came to Mullica Hill and made her first speech under his auspices.
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She was then only seventeen years of age and was employed in the mint in Philadelphia. After the war, when the cause for which he had labored so earnestly had been adopted through the laws of the land, he was active in promoting the work of the Freedmen's Bureau, and subsequently he gave a hearty support to the Prohibition movement and voted with the party which advocates the abolition of the liquor traffic. In his business dealings he was very successful, and his energy, diligence and close appli- cation brought him a handsome financial return for his labors. His life was a long, useful and honorable one, and at the advanced age of eighty- five he was called to the home beyond. He had long been a faithful member of the Society of Friends and did much for the advancement of their cause. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Elizabeth Bond, was a daughter of Jesse Bond, of Salem county, and died in 1893. Of their six children, four are living: John, a resident of Kentucky; Lydia, the wife of Robert Cumley; George, who is also living in Kentucky; and Warren, of this review.
The present proprietor of the Cherry Lawn Farm is both widely and favorably known in Gloucester county, where his entire life has been passed. He attended the local schools of the neighborhood, and when seventeen years of age crossed the continent to California, where he spent two years. He then returned to the old homestead, and became its owner at the time of his death. He here has one hundred and fifty-three acres, and also has a small place of thirty acres in Mullica Hill. He has transformed a rather unproductive tract into one of the finest farms of the entire locality, doing this by means of fertilizers. He has studied closely the needs of the soil and how best to supply them, and as a result he gained a knowledge of fertilizers which has proved of great practical benefit. He hired manufac- turers to produce his fertilizers according to the formula he gave, and so successful was he in the cultivation of his land by these methods that his neighbors began to come to him for fertilizers and he has now quite an extensive sale in that line. It was supposed that the soil of southern New Jersey was almost utterly unfit for farming purposes, but he has demon- strated the fact that it can be made very rich and productive and will yield an excellent profit on the money invested. He raises large crops of aspara- gus, potatoes and hay, and in 1897 sold twenty-four thousand bunches of asparagus and forty-eight hundred bushels of new potatoes in addition to other large crops. He also raises sheep and hogs, and in all departments of his business is meeting with very gratifying success. His farm is one of the finest in southern New Jersey, and is improved with all modern acces- sories and conveniences. In addition to the pleasant and commodious
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residence there are upon the place a large fertilizer house, ice-house and cold storage, asparagus-packing and crib house, wagon sheds, and horse. cow and sheep barns, with a geared power wind-wheel sixteen feet in diameter.
Like his ancestors, Mr. Atkinson is a member of the Society of Friends, and one of the faithful representatives of the organization. His religious belief finds exemplification in his daily life, being manifest in his honorable business methods and his reliability in all trade transactions. In this county, which is the ancestral home of the family, he fully sustains the high reputa- tion which the Atkinsons have always enjoyed, and in the history of south- ern New Jersey he well deserves mention among the honored citizens.
EDWARD S. IRELAND.
Edward S. Ireland is a railroad conductor residing at Mullica Hill. He was born in Williamstown, New Jersey, July 24, 1853, and is a representative of an old family of that locality, of English origin. His grandfather, William Ireland, took up his abode in Williamstown about the year 1820, and there the father of our subject, Edward S. Ireland, Sr., was born and reared. Mr. Ireland, whose name heads this sketch, spent the days of his childhood and youth in his native town and acquired his literary education in the common schools. He lived with his uncle Andrew during his boyhood and assisted him in the barber shop, but about 1873 entered the employ of the Williamstown & Delaware River Railroad Company, which has since sold its property to the Philadelphia & Reading Company. He was employed as a brakeman for two months, then became a fireman, and in 1876 was made an engineer. In 1883 he became a conductor on a freight train, but after a year was again promoted, this time to the position of passenger con- ductor. He has since served in that way and is a most careful and capable employe of the road. His courtesy to his patrons has made him very popu- lar with the traveling public, and he has the confidence and respect of the corporation which he serves.
On the 6th of April, 1874, Mr. Ireland was united in marriage to Miss Annie E. Moore, a daughter of William C. Moore, of Philadelphia, and they have one child, Harry B., who is now employed in a wholesale notion house in Philadelphia. In his political views Mr. Ireland was a stanch Republican and has been an active factor in political circles of Monroe township. He attended the Methodist Episcopal church and contributed to its support, and is a public-spirited, progressive citizen who manifests a deep and active interest in the welfare of the community.
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