USA > New Jersey > Passaic County > Paterson > Paterson, New Jersey : its advantages for manufacturing and residence: its industries, prominent men, banks, schools, churches, etc. > Part 25
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WILLIAM NELSON is a lawyer of Paterson with a spec- ial fondness for difficult cases, especially those involving research into the history of the law and into the history of land titles in Passaic county. Probably no lawyer in New Jersey has drafted as many of the existing laws of the State. His first important effort of that kind was the draft- ing of the city charter of Paterson, in 1871, which was en- tirely his work, and which was so broadly and elastically
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framed that it has met the requirements of the city with very little change for twenty years. Hundreds of other statutes relating to State, County and municipal adminis- tration, and to subjects of the widest variety, have been drawn by him, and they have been so perspicuously and skilfully framed that in few instances have the courts been invoked to interpret them, and in those cases their consti- tutionality has been invariably sustained. This class of work has been very useful to him in his practice, making him constantly familiar with the changes in the laws. lle is counsel for a number of corporations and estates.
Mr. Nelson has always taken a great interest in politics. and in August, 1865, when but eighteen years of age, he made, alone, a tour of Passaic county. for the purpose of organizing Republican clubs. For many years thereafter he took a very active part in the campaigns of his party. being secretary of the county committee for many years. subsequently a member of the committee, and in other ways influential in the party management. In April. 186S, when but a few weeks more than twenty-one years of age, he was elected a member of the Board of Educa- tion from the Second ward, and re-elected in 1869 for two years. During his three years of service in that body no member was more active and indefatigable than he in de- veloping and improving our public school system, for which work he was specially fitted, not only by education but by experiance as a teacher, having taught in country schools at South Orange and Connecticut Farms in IS64 and 1865, and in a large German-English school in New- ark in 1864, when but seventeen years old. In IS76 he was one of the official reporters of the Republican Nation- al Convention at Cincinnati, and was Recording Secretary of the Republican National Convention at Chicago in iSSS, and was the first officer of that conven- tion to announce to General Harrison the next day, at Indianapolis. his nomination for the Presidency. Of late years his increasing practice has constrained him to take a less active part than formerly in politics. but his influence and counsel are still in request in city, coun- ty, district and state.
In addition to attending to his large and growing prac- tice, Mr Nelson finds time to fulfil the exacting duties of Clerk of the Board of Chosen Freeholders of the County of Passaic. an office he has filled since IS71, by annual election, and except two or three times, by the unanimous vote of the Board, so useful has he made himself to the members, who always find him prompt, attentive and obliging. His knowledge of county affairs, by reason of his long connec- tion with the Board and his constant study of legislation affecting counties, is of great service to the Freeholders.
He is also a Director of the Paterson Mutual Building and Loan Association, with which he has been connected since its organization in 187S. He is a Trustee and an Elder of the First Presbyterian church, and is an active member of the Board of Trade. He has served for sever- al years as a member of the Advisory Board of Managers of the Paterson General Hospital, and has been one of the
most active members of the finance committee which has raised nearly $40,000 for a new hospital, and is a member of the building committee charged with the crection of the contemplated structure, now under way. He is a trustee of the Pennington Methodist Episcopal Seminary located at Pennington, N. J.
When these multifarious duties are out of the way. which is accomplished by unremitting application, untiring in- dustry, and systematic arrangement of uis business, Mr. Nelson seeks relaxation in literary work, to which end, as well as for the gratification of his tastes in that direction. he has fitted up at his attractive residence. No, 2SS Broad- way (which is pictured on another page), a handsome li- brary. where are massed together nearly 3,000 volumes in all departments of literature, of all times and in many lan- guages, besides which he has 4,000 or 5,000 more in other parts of his house, making altogether one of the largest and most valuable private libraries in New Jersey. espec- ially rich in works on American, particularly New Jersey. history, on Mormonism, occult science, and out-of-the-way literature, some interesting specimens of incunabula, print- ed as early as 1471, and a very large collection of manu- scripts and unique documents and autographs of persons distinguished in literature and history, the accumulation of years, and the gatherings of his travels in America, Cana- da and Europe. Mr Nelson is Corresponding Secretary of the New Jersey Historical Society, and is one of the editors of the New Jersey Archives, published under the direction of that Society. He is a member of the New York Geneological and Biographical Society, of the Amer- ican Archaeological and Numismatic Society, of the Medi- co-Legal Society of New York, of the Congres Interna- tionale des Americanistes, and of other literary and scien- tific societies. He has managed to find time to publish a number of legal, historical and biographical monographs, some of which have attained a wide reputation. He has the largest collection of material extant for a history of Paterson, which it is expected that he will some day pub- lish.
FLORIAN OBORSKI was born in Warsaw, Poland, on April 20, 1840. He graduated from the college of his native place, where he also received his first musical edu- cation. Early in life he evinced a taste for music and took part first as alto and subsequently as baritone in a num- ber of oratorios and cantatas rendered in his native city. Having devoted a great deal of time to the study of the piano and organ, he was made the organist of a large musical organization and was subsequently appointed ac- companist in the Warsaw Musical Society. While acting in this capacity his polonaise for grand orchestra was sel- ected as a part of the programme of a concert given under the direction of the celebrated Moniuszko. Having com- pleted his musical education he came to this country in 1872, and after giving a few concerts in New York and Brooklyn accepted the directorship of St. Cecilia's Society.
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In May. 1874, he was appointed organist of the First Pres- byterian church of Paterson, succeeding Mr. Percy Goet- schius. Mr. Oborski's advent to Paterson was very for- tunate for the interests of music in this city. When he arrived here little had been done in the field of music ; few concerts or musical entertainments worthy of note had been given, and it soon became apparent that Paterson needed some such person as Mr. Oborski. Ilis ability and talents were recognized at once and he became the center of everything that was new or classic in music. The im- petus thus given to music resulted in the formation of a number of musical organizations, with all of which Mr. Oborski was more or less intimately connected. Paterson had obtained importance in the manufacturing and com- mercial world and it now came to the front as a music lov- ing community. The influence of Mr. Oborski can hardly be overestimated. Ile cultivated the public taste and by giving renditions of well known musical compositions instilled that love of classic music which has made Paterson audiences ever partial to everything superior in the line of music. He was the conductor of the German Quartette Club and the Swiss society, the "Gruetli Maennerchor," and with these two associations twice took second prizes in the inter state competitions of the singing societies held annually in New York. In 1874 he accepted the position of director of the Paterson Musical Union, recognized for many years as the leading musical society in Paterson. Under his direction the oratorio "Christus" with orchestra and chorus, was rendered for the first time in Paterson. The society gave a long series of public concerts and re- hearsals, many of them for charitable objects, the pro- grammes including Mendelssohn's opera "Loreley." Gounod's St. Cecilia Mass and other performances, which attracted not only the general public of Paterson but many music-loving persons from other cities. The Paterson Musical Union furnished the chorus and some of the solo parts for the Minnie Hauk opera company when that or- ganization rendered a scene from Wagner's "Lohengrin" in Paterson ; the work of the society received the highest compliments from the distinguished prima donna. Mr. Oborski resigned as director of the Paterson Musical Union in ISS5. For some years he was conductor of the Paterson Choral Society, the Boys' Musical Club and the Paterson Glee Club. In 1887 he accepted the position of director of the Paterson Philharmonic Society, an organi- zation composed of prominent young men ; under his able leadership he soon brought this society to a standard of perfection equalled by no previous organization of its kind in Paterson. Mr. Oborski has had charge of the music ren- dered at every public demonstration of importance since his advent in Paterson, at the Centennial concert in 1876, the centennial celebration of the Grand Lodge of Masons of New Jersey, and the public obsequies of P'residents Gar- field and Grant.
ARTHUR BREAM PEARCE was born in the year 1845, at Stockwell, a suburb of London, and came to this country at an early age. He engaged in business in New York City for a short time prior to settling in Paterson He was first employed in the drawing office of the New Jersey Locomotive and Machine Company, afterwards the Grant Locomotive Works, and, attracting the attention of Mr. D. B. Grant, who then managed the works, was offered and accepted a position in his office, where he remained until the failure of the works in 1874. He was then employed by Receiver Pierson, and at the re-organization Mr. Grant made him Assistant Superintendent, which position he held until he resigned in May, 1876. He then associated himself with Mr. James Johnston who had severed his con- nection with the Paterson Iron Company, and bought the old Union Bolt Works. He assisted in changing the entire character of these works from a manufactory of bolts, etc., to a foundry, machine shop and bridge works, where for many years were turned out some of the largest castings and forgings in the State. Some of the principal con- tracts which were successfully carried out by these works were furnishing the iron work for the stairways, etc .. for the Stevens' building in Wall street, New York, and the large apartment house on the corner of East 1Sth street and 4th avenue, New York, erected by Edward Matthews. The greenhouse and conservatory and iron building about 600 feet long and 45 feet high for Mr. Jay Gould at Irving- ton, N. Y , was built at these works and erected by them ; also the iron work for the pier of the Iron Steamboat Com- pany. Many of the road bridges in Passaic County, and some for Central America were built at the Union Bolt Works. Complications arising out of the failure of Grant & Ward, and the change in the officers of the New York, Lake Erie and Western Railroad in ISS4, with which company he had large transactions, compelled Mr. Pearce, who was then president of the works, to apply for a re- ceiver. Ile was then employed as manager of the Coates- ville Iron Works, Coatesville, l'a He soon afterwards formed a partnership with Thomas Rawson for the manu- facture and repairing of screen plates used in paper and pulp mills. In this business he has been very successful, with the assistance of his partner building up one of the largest concerns in this line in the country.
In politics he is an active Republican ; he was employed by the Board of Aldermen as clerk to the committee ap- pointed to codify the ordinances of the city, a work which had not previously been undertaken. He was offered and refused a nomination for the assembly. He was a candi- date for Commissioner of Public Instruction in the Seventh Ward in 1876, and although the usual majority against the Republican ticket is about 350 he was beaten by only 21. Removing to the 4th Ward he was elected a member of the Board of Education in 1883, and was made President of the Board of Education in the following year. He was re- elected in 1889 and is now serving his second term. He was appointed clerk to the Commissioners for the adjust- ment of arrearages of taxes in iSSS, which position he
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now holds. He was appointed by President Harrison Su- pervisor of the Census for the First District of New Jer- sey, comprising the counties of Passaic. Bergen, Morris, Sussex, Warren and Essex, with a population estimated aproximately at 523,500, and at its completion was con- gratulated by the Superintendent of Census as being one among the first supervisors to complete his work.
CHARLES R. PEIGRAM was born near Cologne in Ger- many, and received a good education in the schools of his native land. His father was a physician. After having spent a number of years in travel on the continent, Mr. Pelgram came to this country, arriving here shortly after the war of the secession. He was employed in a silk mill and having thoroughly mastered the business was made Superintendent for William Strange & Co Mr. Pelgram was a man of great force of character and energy and he soon recognized the fact that he could accumulate a fortune and make a mark for himself. He accordingly founded the firm of Pelgram & Meyer, which in an incredibly short space of time became one of the foremost silk manu- facturing firms in the country. The masterly management of Mr. Pelgram, who had the entire charge of the mills, was soon recognized by his competitors but he was ever far in the lead. He devoted himself assiduously to his business and saw as the result of his efforts the erection and equipment of one mill after another, until the firm was among the largest manufacturers in the country. Ile erect - ed for himself a magnificent residence at Riverside, but unfortunately was not permitted to indulge long in the en- joy ment of it. His death occurred on November 15, 1887. In business Mr. Pelgram was the soul of honesty and en- ergy and he was ever ready to recognize merit wherever he found it. Socially he was pleasant and genial in dispo- sition, and his death caused pangs of regret in many hearts. Mr. Pelgram was only forty-three years of age at the time of. his death, and it was certainly to be regretted that a career so promising and so fraught with benefits to a great many, should have been cut short in the prime of its exis- tence.
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THOMAS WILLIAM RANDALL, counsellor-at-law, was born in Buckinghamshire, England, about twenty miles from London, and within two miles of the historic Wind- sor castle, on June 244th. 1853. and is a descendant of some of the most substantial and oldest families in that locality, both on the paternal and maternal side. He arrived in the United States with his parents in June, 1866, and resided with them in Bergen County, and later at Hawthorne, in this county, until he entered upon the study of his profes- sion. Mr. Randall first studied in the office of Judge Hopper, in Paterson, and afterwards with Messrs. Pen- nington & De Witt, of Newark, and also attended the Co- lumbia Law School, in New York. He was admitted to the New Jersey bar at the June term of the Supreme
Court, in 1877, and, after spending some time abroad, re- turned to this city and settled down to the practice of law, in which he has been actively engaged ever since. Mr. Randall is a Republican in politics, but takes no active part therein, and has never held any political office. He has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Second Presbyterian church for a number of years past, and a di- rector of the Paterson Mutual Building and Loan Associ- ation since its organization in 1878. He is also one of the managers of the Passaic County Bar Association, and a member of the Board of Trade. In his profession he con- fines himself to office practice, owing to an exceedingly delicate constitution which renders him unable to endure great excitement or nervous strain. He is counsel for ma- ny families, estates and corporations, and is well established as a trusted and careful legal adviser. He is an extensive and versatile reader, and his tastes and habits are quiet. literary and refined In 1879, he married Miss Jennie S. Perry, a well-known and highly esteemed teacher in the public schools of this city, and at one time principal of School No. 2.
JOHN REYNOLDS, President of the Paterson Savings In- stitution, was born in the north of Ireland on March 11th, IS26. He came to this country when an infant one year old. The family resided in Rockland county, N. Y., and Bergen county, N. J., and came to Paterson about 1833. After a common school education. at an early age he went with Stephen Allen to learn the trade of tobacco, snuff and segar manufacturer, which he followed until IS52, when he entered into partnership with Stephen and John Allen, un- der the firm name of Allen, Reynolds & Co. He was af- terwards associated with these gentlemen in the firm of Alpheus S. Allen, and continued in this firm in business until 1872, when the business was sold to Allen & Dun- ning. In i'859 and 1860 Mir Reynolds served as a member of the Board of Education, and 1865 he was elected from the Fourth Ward as a member of the Board of Aldermen. While a member of this body, Mr. Reynolds served with distinction and credit to himself and the city as a member of many important committees, and, together with the late Haimagh Van Winkle, acted as a committee to negotiate for the purchase of the present poorhouse farm, in which the city received a fine piece of property at a very reason- able price. In 1864 Mr. Reynolds was elected a member of the first board of directors of the First National Bank, and is one of the three original members who are still act- ing as such He is at present vice-president of that insti- tution, having been elected in January in 1883. He was one of the incorporators of the Paterson Savings Institu- tion, and was appointed surveyor and appraiser of said in- stitution in 1872, and on January 14th, 1873. he was elec- ted vice-president in connection with his other office. Ite was elected president January 11th, 1876, a position which he has ever since occupied. In 1872 he was elected presi- dent of the Paterson Gaslight Company, a position which
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he still holds, and up to ISS9 he was for many years the president of the Acquaekanonk Water Company. Mr. Reynolds owes his present position in life to his own en- deavors, his uniformly courteous manners, and his deter- mination at all times to be upright and liberal. Principally through his endeavors the Paterson Savings Institution has attained the high rank it holds among the banking institu- tions of the state, and the many depositors of the institution testify to the confidence they repose in his ability. Mr. Reynolds has on a number of occasions been selected to manage large estates and trust funds and he has always acquitted himself to the satisfaction of all interested. No man ranks higher in the estimation of the public or counts his friends in larger numbers than Mr. John Reynolds.
FRANCIS SCOTT was born in Paterson on August 28, IS57, and was educated in the private schools of Paterson and at Yale College. He was admitted to the bar at the November term, 187S, of the Supreme Court, and became a counsellor at law in ISSI. He was City Counsel of Pat- erson during 1SS5 and 1886, and was made Judge of the Paterson District Court in ISSS for a term of five years.
MR. C. C. SHELBY was born in Strasburg, France. September 29th, IS41. He came to this country with his parents when but a youth, and settled in Marietta, Wash- ington County, Ohio, in an Indian hut. At the beginning of the war of the rebellion Mr. Shelby enlisted in an Ohio regiment, but was not taken on account of ill health. He was then engaged as porter in a hotel at Marietta. In 1862 the patriotic citizens of Marietta raised an American and rebel flag on Front street, and Mr. Shelby, who was on his way to the depot, saw that the bystanders were greatly excited over the two flags. Some wished to see the American flag remain afloat, and others the rebel flag ; but Shelby who had a great deal of respect for his country ascended the flag staff and pulled down the rebel flag ; this caused considerable indignation among the Confederates, and he was chased about the city. After a lively run he escaped to the wharf where he was put aboard a steamer by his cousin, Mr. HI. Best, and sent to Pittsburg, Pa. After reaching Pittsburg, Mr. Shelby concluded to go to New York City : but having only enough money to carry him to Harrisburg, was compelled to work his way as best he could the remainder of the journey. After extreme difficulties he reached New York and immediately applied for a position in the Erie depot (the Erie at that time oc- cupying a portion of the Pennsylvania Railroad), and was employed in the railroad yard washing ears, etc., at 60 cents per day. He worked diligently for one year, and then enlisted in the 21st New Jersey regiment, but was re- fused again. Mr. Shelby did not like the idea of being refused as a soldier, so repaired to Hackensack, N. J., and enlisted in the 22d New Jersey regiment and was ac-
cepted. After serving his time as a soldier, he returned to New York, and again took up his vocation washing cars ; he was soon promoted to oiling car wheels, then to brakeman, then to baggage master, and finally to conduct- or on the Newark branch. Ile was the first conductor on that branch. He was soon transferred to the Hackensack branch of the Erie, where he remained for a very short time.
As an inventor Mr. Shelby has but a few equals, as he. has invented many valuable contrivances and obtained pat- ents on them. His first invention was a folding barrow, his second a railroad switch, the next a hat fastener, a hose supporter, and to-day Mr. Shelby is the inventor of one hundred and three different patents which have all been duly filed in the patent office at Washington, D. C. Af- ter several years hard labor, Mr. Shelby desired to go into business for himself, but his capital was limited, and he was forced to borrow the money to start with. He finally obtained enough money, and started a place in 6th avenue. New York, in a hallway. He was so encouraged over his first day's proceeds, which amounted to twenty dollars, that his success seemed to be pictured before him, and he forged ahead, and to-day he has retired from business, having amassed a considerable sum of money from his va- rious inventions. Mr. Shelby is at present manager of the Silk City Garter Manufacturing Company, which is loca- ted in Van Houten street.
THOMAS C. SIMONTON, JR., was born in the City of New York, but before he was a year old his parents re- moved to Paterson, and he has resided here ever since. In IS74 he entered the office of Ilon. G. A. Hobart as a law student, and in June of 1877, he was admitted to the bar of New Jersey as an attorney ; in June, ISSo, after the expi- ration of the necessary three years of additional study, he was admitted as a counsellor at law of the State. Mr. Si- monton is also an attorney and counsellor at law of the State of New York, and at times practices law there. In ISS7 he was appointed City Counsel of Paterson for one year, and in ISSS was re-appointed to the same office for a period of five years. He is an active member of the Re- publican party. Mr. Simonton has a fine law practice, and that combined with his office as City Counsel, makes him an extremely busy man. He is still a young man, be- ing 36 years of age.
WILLIAM M. SMITH, at present Clerk of Passaic county, was born in Paterson, on June 14, 1854 ; he was a son of Mr. Samuel Smith, elsewhere mentioned as one of the pioneer manufacturers of the city. He attended the public schools and was under the instruction of Rev. George B. Day and Rev. J. L. Hurlbut : in 1874 he graduated from the College of New Jersey at Princeton. He studied law in the office of Mr. William Pennington and was ad- mitted to the bar in 1877. Ile was married in December,.
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1879, to Miss Flora L., daughter of Mr. Robert S. Hughes, of Paterson. In iSSI he was nominated as candidate for County Clerk by the Republican county convention, and such was his popularity that the Democrats did not consid- er it worth while to make any nomination against him. In 1886 he was again nominated and this time elected by a plurality of 2857 votes, larger than any ever given in Passaic County.
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