USA > New Jersey > Scannell's New Jersey first citizens : biographies and portraits of the notable living men and women of New Jersey with informing glimpses into the state's history and affairs, 1917-1918, Vol I > Part 53
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As a small boy Mr. Stratemeyer was a great admirer of the works of the late William T. Adams ("Oliver Optic") and Horatio Alger, Jr., but he never dreamed that the time was coming when he would take up the un- finished manuscripts of those authors, yet such was the case. In later years he finished "Oliver Optie's" "An Undivided Union," and also com- pleted several volumes by Mr. Alger, with whom he had been well ac- quainted.
About ten years ago Mr. Stratemeyer's stories became so popular that numerous publishing houses requested him to furnish them with material for book publication. To write any such number of volumes was for Mr. Stratemeyer out of the question, and, as a result, he founded the Stratemey- er Literary Syndicate in New York, designed to meet the demands for fiction for younger readers. This syndicate handles the products of many well- known writers of that class of literature. All the stories which are handled are subject to Mr. Stratemeyer's personal supervision. Up to this date the syndicate has furnished abont four hundred books to nine leading publish- ing houses. The syndicate books are, of course, not to be confounded with Mr. Stratemeyer's own works, which now munber over one hundred titles.
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Mr. Stratemeyer is a member of the Authors League of America, the New Jersey Historical Society, the National Geographic Society, the Wood- craft League, and is also an active member of the Roseville Athletic Asso- ciation. He spends all his spare time in traveling, having made two trips to the Pacific Coast and numerous trips into Canada and along the Atlantic seaboard.
Among the books written by Mr. Stratemeyer are "Old Glory Series" (1898-1903), "Soldiers of Fortune Series" (1900-1907), "Dave Porter Series" (1905-1917), "Frontier Series" (1903-1907), "Boy Hunters Series" (1906-1910), "Rover Boys Series" (1898-1917), "Putnam Hall Series" (1906- 1911), "Stratemeyer Popular Series" (1895-1910), "Colonial Series" (1901- 1906) and "Mexican War Series" (1903-1908).
THEODORE STRONG-New Brunswick, ("Stronghold") -- Law- yer. Born at New Brunswick, January 15, 1863; third son of Judge Woodbridge and Harriet A. (Hartwell) Strong ; married on March 21, 1900, to Cornelia Livingston Van Rensselaer, of the Al- bany branch of that family and a descendant of a long line of patroons of that name and of Philip Livingston, one of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence.
Children : Theodore ; Cornelia Livingston Van Rensselaer ; Kath- erine Van Rensselaer ; Stephen Van Rensselaer ; Benjamin Ruggles Woodbridge ; John Van Rensselaer; Robert Livingston.
Theodore Strong is descended from Elder John Strong, who came from England and settled at Dorchester, Mass., in 1630. His family were prominent in the early history of New Eng- land. Among his ancestors were Governors Dudley of Massachus- etts, Brenton of Rhode Island and Leete of Connecticut. His immediate branch of the family severed its connection with New England life when his grand- father, Theodore Strong, a cele- brated mathematician, was ap- pointed Professor of Mathema- tics of Hamilton College from which he was subsequently called to fill a similar position at Rutgers College.
Mr. Strong received his educa- tion in Rutgers College Gram- mar School and Rutgers College, graduating from the latter institution in the class of 1883. He studied law with the firm of Woodbridge Strong &
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Sons, and was admitted to the Bar as an attorney in June, 1886, and as a counselor in June, 1889. On the dissolution of the firm of Woodbridge Strong & Sons, when his father was appointed Judge, he formed a co- partnership with his brother, Alan H. Strong.
Mr. Strong was elected State Senator in 1900 and in 1903 was ap- pointed a member of the State Board of Assessors, serving two terms and becoming its President. He became very active in politics early in life ; served two terms as member of the Republican State Committee, also served on its executive committee and was a member of the coterie of Re- publican State Leaders once known as "The Big Four."
Upon the appointment of his brother, Alan H. Strong, to be General Attorney for the Pennsylvania Railroad Company and his removal to Phila- delphia, Senator Strong succeeded to his position as Solicitor for that Com- pany in New Jersey and thereupon wholly withdrew from politics and has since devoted himself exclusively to the practice of his profession.
MARK A. SULLIVAN-Jersey City, (15 Exchange Place. )- Lawyer. Born in Jersey City, November 23, 1878; son of Mark and Catherine (Driscoll) Sullivan ; married July 11, 1906, to Elizabeth V. Ward, daughter of John and Mary Ward, of Jersey City.
Children : Elizabeth; Winifred ; Mark; Mary ; Eileen ; Thomas.
Mark A. Sullivan was for four years one of the members of the New Jersey House of Assembly from Hudson county, subsequently a Judge of the Court of Errors and Appeals of the State and is now the Presiding Judge of the Hudson County Court of Common Pleas.
Mr. Sullivan's parents on both sides were natives of Ireland who came to this side however before he was born. He was educated at St. Peter's parochial school and subsequently took the course at St. Peter's College in Jersey City. He read law in the office of Henry Ewald, was admitted as an attorney in 1903 and as a counselor in 1910 and began the practice of the law in Jersey City. In 1906 the democrats of Hudson county put his name upon their ticket as one of their candidates for the House of Assembly and he was elected. He served also in the legislatures of 1908, 1909 and 1910, and had a large hand in shaping the legislation of the four sessions.
In 1910 Gov. Fort appointed Assemblyman Sullivan a Judge of the State Court of Errors and Appeals and he was reappointed by Gov. Wilson in 1911. A few months later he resigned to enter the democratic primaries in Jersey City as a candidate for the Mayoralty. In 1913 Gov. Wilson named Judge Sullivan as Presiding Judge of the Hudson County Courts, and he is still in the position. At the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform Laws for 1913, 1914, 1915, 1916, he was by appointment of Governors Wil- son and Fielder a delegate from this state to the Conference.
THERON Y. SUTPHEN-Newark. (992 Broad Street.) Short Hills .- Physician. Born at Walworth, Wayne county, N. Y., June
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6, 1850; son of Reuben Morris and Hannah Virginia (Morris) Sutphen ; married at Johnsonsburg, to Sarah Locke Vail, daughter of Dr. William P. and Sarah Locke Vail, who died in 1907; 2nd, in 1911, to Emma G. Lathrop, who died in 1912.
Children : first marriage, Dr. E. Blair, Robert Morris, Margaret Morris.
Theron Y. Sutphen comes of a family that has played its part in the development of New Jersey, and himself enjoys a wide distinction in the medical world as an expert in the treatment of eye and ear diseases. The roots of the ancestral tree are found in the old-Twelfth century-town of Zutphen, a fortified town on the banks of the Yssel, nineteen miles from Arnheim. The family seemed to have been powerful enough there to give its own name to the town. For a time part of the Hanseatic League, the town played an important part in the beginnings of Holland and Germany. Probably all of the Sutphins, Sutvins and Zutvins in the United States find their origin there.
The first of the line to cross the seas was Dirck Van Zutphen, who came to the New Netherlands about 1651 and finally settled in Flatbush, L. 1. In time, he sold his farm there and went to live on land in part of what is now known as Bay Ridge on the New York Bay shore front. Later his name appears in the records as that of one of the patentees of New Ut- recht, L. I., under a grant signed by Governor Dougan.
He had a large family ; and his daughters remained in Long Island, continuing the strain there. But the sons, five of them, crossed the two great rivers and, coming to New Jersey, settled in Freehold. Dirck Sut- phen, born in 1719, son of one of these five brothers, is supposed to have been the "Dick" Sutphen who was a Sergeant in Captain Waddell's Com- pany, First Regiment of the first establishment ; and three of his sons are known to have been privates in Captain Walton's Troop of Light Dragoons. The Proprietors' records of that day show that it was upon three farms owned by the family of sous that the famous battle of Monmouth was fought.
Another Dirck, son of one of the five sons, came to be known as a man of large wealth, as wealth went in those days-a slave owner who lived prodigally, till he lost his money and was obliged to rent a farm in Prince- ton to live on and eventually to emigrate, in a canvas-covered wagon, to the shores of Lake Ontario.
Reuben Morris Sutphen, born 1819, the father of Dr. Theron Y. Sut- phen, was of this line. He rose to be a physician of distinction. He had matriculated at the University of New York in 1845, teaching school mean- while to defray expenses and received the M. D. degree in 1847. He prac- ticed for twenty years at Walworth, N. Y., and, coming subsequently to Newark, was in the enjoyment of a large practice there for thirty-four years. He died in 1903 at the ripe age of eighty-four years, at the home of his son in Short Hills.
It was while Dr. Reuben Morris Sutphen was residing in Walworth, that Dr. Theron Y. Sutphen was born. He studied in the schools there, un- til, when his parents came to Newark, he attended and graduated at the High School in that eity. Later he studied at the University of New York
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for a year and, in 1871, entered the Medical College connected with Bellevue hospital, in New York City, receiving his M. D. degree in 1873. Returning to Newark, he engaged in general practice. He exhibited particular skill in the treatment of eye and ear diseases; and his appointment in 1874 as Assistant Surgeon in the Eye and Ear Department of St. Michael's hospital in Newark, not only set his attention the more that way, but also gave him new opportunities for their study. He devoted himself entirely to that line of professional work and has won high rank among the specialists of the country.
Dr. Sutphen is a member of the State and County Medical Societies, the Practitioners Club (Newark), New York Academy of Medicine, Ameri- can Medical Association, Congress of Physicians. Surgeons of America, American Ophthalmological Society, American Olotogical Society and American Association of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology. He is also a member of the Holland Society of New York, a life member of the New Jersey Historical Society, a member of the Essex Club and the Essex County Country Club and has been connected for thirty years with the South Park Presbyterian Church in Newark. While Dr. Sutphen has not been particularly active in political affairs, he is a republican.
V
FREDERICK CHARLES SUTRO-Basking Ridge .- Manufac- turer. Born at St. Louis, Mo., September 7, 1877; son of Ludwig and Lilly ( Fraatz) Sutro, of New York City; married on Novem- ber 30, 1912, to Elizabeth Tallman Winne, daughter of Ogden F. and Jane D. Win- ne, of Kingston, N. Y.
Children : Ogden Winne, born November 26, 1913; Louis Le Fevre, born Decem- ber 3, 1915.
Frederick Charles Sutro grad- uated in 1895, from Columbia Grammar School, New York, and in 1899 from Harvard College with degree of A. B. Becoming a resident of New Jersey in 1901, he was elected President of the West New York Civic Society which, between May, 190S, and November, 1909, re- formed and re-organized the town, saving it from virtual bankruptcy.
The mysterious disappearance of $105,000 of bonds of the school district of West New York emphasized suspicion among the large tax payers that the town government was being at least recklessly adminis-
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tered ; and the Civic Society was the outcome. An injunction secured by Lawyer Herbert Boggs, restraining the town officials from diverting the as- sessment funds to the current expense account, made it difficult for the town officials to raise money at the banks; and the Civic Society had an investigation made by the courts under authority of the Summary Investi- gation law. The taking of the testimony, extended over eight months and costing almost $10,000, resulted in the discovery of defalcations to the amount of about $25,000; and the Civic Society went into politics to effect a complete re-organization of the town government and succeeded in giving the town a new and reliable set of rulers. The $105,000 school bonds were traced to a Cleveland broker who was soon afterward sentenced to a term in the Ohio State penitentiary for another crime. Of the missing bonds, $38,000 were replevined ; but the town had to pay the remaining $67,000 because the bonds were in the hands of innocent holders.
In 1912 Mr. Sutro was appointed by Gov. Wilson to serve on the New Jersey Palisades Inter-State Park Commission for a five year term, and in 1913 Gov. Sulzer of New York named him to serve on the New York Com- mission for the same term of five years. In 1913 the New Jersey Commis- sion selected him as its Treasurer. From 1903 to 1913 he was a member and part of the time Vice Chairman, of the Somerset County Democratic Executive Committee and a member from Somerset of the Democratic State Auxiliary Committee.
In 1915 Mr. Sutro became President of the Sutro Bros. Braid Co .- a manufacturing concern with offices in New York City and a plant in West New York. He is President of the Basking Ridge Improvement Society, and a Director of the Bernardsville National Bank, Secretary of the Mil- lington Field Club, member of the Basking Ridge Presbyterian Church, and of the Harvard Clubs of New York and New Jersey, and an officer and director of various New York charitable institutions.
FRANCIS J. SWAYZE-Newark, (765 High Street.)-Lawyer. Born at Newton, Sussex Co., May 15, 1861; son of Jacob L. and Joanna (Hill) Swayze; married at Newton, on October 13, 1887, to Louise Barrett, daughter of the Rev. Myron and Emma E. Bar- rett.
Francis J. Swayze, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of New Jersey, was considered by President Taft for the distinction of a seat on the Bench of the Supreme Court of the United States. Apart from his professional work, Justice Swayze has been a factor in the civic and educa- tional life of the state.
Mr. Swayze's father, of farmer stock in Warren and Sussex counties, conducted a retail store in Hope, Stanhope and Newton. He was cashier of the Merchants National Bank of Newton from its organization, subse- quently becoming its President. Francis J. Swayze's early education was acquired at the Newton Collegiate Institute, which he attended from 1871 to '75. In '75, he entered Harvard College, graduating with the A. B. de- gree in 1879. The A. M. degree was conferred upon him a year later, and
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in 1916, the degree of LL. D .- which had been conferred upon him by Rut- gers College also in 1911.
After three months at the Harvard Law School and two years in an offiee, he was admitted as an attorney in 1882 and in June, 1885, as a counselor. He practised law at Newton for ten years but moved to New- ark in 1892. In 1900, Gov. Voorhees appointed him a Circuit Court Judge. In 1903 he was appointed by Gov. Murphy, to the Bench of the Supreme Court of the State as an Associate Justice; when his term expired in 1910, Gov. Fort reappointed him for the second term to end in 1917. In the as- signment of districts by the Chief Justice and his Associates, the Hudson County Circuit-one of the two most important in New Jersey-finally fell to Justice Swayze and he is still presiding there.
Justice Swayze was Overseer at Harvard College from 1909 to 1915; and, for several years, he has been President of the New Jersey Historical Society. He was, for a time, a member of the Committee of One Hundred, appointed by Mayor Haussling in connection with the 250th Anniversary, in 1916, of the founding of Newark.
Justice Swayze delivered an historical address at Newton on the 150th anniversary of the formation of Sussex county; an address in 1912 at Newark on the dedication of the Washington monument, and an historical address at Newark on the 250th anniversary of the foundation of that city.
Justice Swayze is a member of the Harvard Club of New Jersey, and has been President of the Harvard Alumni Association and is one of the Trustees of the Washington Association of New Jersey.
KATE DICKINSON SWEETSER-East Orange, (18 Ivanhoe Terrace.)-Author. Born in New York City, daughter of Charles H. and Mary N. Sweetser.
Kate Dickinson Sweetser is well known in the literary world by reason of her popular "juveniles," as well as her antecedents, who were also "writer folk." Her great-grandfather was one of the founders of Amherst College, and her father founded the "New York Evening Mail," and was also editor of the "Round Table," the first literary weekly of this country. Emily Dickinson, the poet, was her cousin, and throughout the family runs a decidedly literary and artistic vein. Miss Sweetser herself began to write when in her early teens. Her first story was published in "The Churchman," and was followed soon after by a two part one in "The Out- look," and others which were very popular with boy and girl readers in "St. Nicholas."
When scarcely over thirteen years of age, she became annoyed with her young friends who refused to read Dickens' novels, of which she was very fond on account of the pen portraits of boys and girls so wonderfully portrayed in them. Finally she declared, "I am going to make a book of my own, and it is going to have in it all the boys Dickens has made famous. You will have to read it because I wrote it, and then perhaps you will read the books from which the boys are taken." She compiled the book,
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which included Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, etc., and called it "Ten Boys from Dickens." Although it was almost six years before she found a publisher, when at last it was brought out, in its artistic make-up, by R. H. Russell, it was an immediate success, and has led to the publication of that series which has brought its writer much recognition and pleasure. The others of the series are "Ten Girls from Dickens," "Boys and Girls from Thackeray," "Boys and Girls from George Eliot," "Ten Boys from His- tory," "Ten Girls from History," "Book of Indian Braves," "Ten Great Adventurers,"-also "Teddy Baird's Luck," a book of short original stories published by D. Appleton & Co., and "Micky of the Alley," another volume of short stories which had been published in magazines. In the fall of 1917 Harper Brothers, who publish all of Miss Sweetser's juveniles now, are to bring out a new one, which is especially timely, "Ten American Girls. from History."
Miss Sweetser is a member of the Author's League of America, and is frequently seen on ladies day at the Authors Club rooms in Carnegie Hall. She is also a member of the Scribblers Club, and the Monday Music Club of Orange, where she makes her home. It was in Orange, during Amelia Barr's residence in that city, that Miss Sweetser became a pupil of the gifted older writer, and she declares today that most of the valuable "tricks of the trade" she learned in Mrs. Barr's study.
But literary work is not Miss Sweetser's most vital interest. She is especially interested in work with and for girls, as well as many kinds of civic work. When questioned on the subject of her personal likes and dis- likes, she declared laughingly ; "I own up to three fads - human nature, autographed books (of which she has a fine collection) and cats! I like all kinds and conditions of people and always have a common kitchen cat, mostly black, to sit on my desk and edit my masterpieces."
THOMAS WHITNEY SYNNOTT - Wenonah. - Manufacturer. Born at Glassboro, 1845; son of Myles and Harriet Heston (Whit- ney) Synnott ; married at Philadelphia, Pa., in 1872, to Mary D. Eldridge, daughter of Septimus Tustin and Mary Pierce Eldridge. of Philadelphia.
Children : Clayton Eldridge Synnott, born in 1876.
Thomas W. Synnott's ancestry gives him admission to membership in the Society of Colonial Wars and of the Sons of the Revolution. A Presby- terian in doctrine, he is President of the Board of Trustees of Princeton Theological Seminary and is otherwise interested in religious work. He is a member of the Presbyterian General Assembly's Committee on Evange- listic Work, of its Board of Publication and Sabbath School Work, of the Board of Aid for Colleges of the Presbyterian Church of the United States, of the Executive Committee of World's Sunday School Work and of the Presbyterian Historical Society. He is also President of the Gloucester County Bible Society, Vice President of the New Jersey State Sunday School Association, Treasurer of the Inter-Church Federation of New Jersey, Vice President of the Lord's Day Alliance of the United States, and President of the New Jersey State organization whose efforts to enforce observance-
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of the Sabbath, in Atlantic City especially, have attracted wide attention.
In business life he was an important factor until he retired from active work in 1892 to devote himself to the field of philanthropy. From 1870 he was the guiding force in one of the oldest and largest glass manufacturing establishments in the country. The plant at Glassboro was acquired by Col. Thomas Heston, his great- grandfather, at the close of the Revolution. It was long known as Heston's Glass Works, but the title was changed later, and the busi- ness has for many years been conducted under the name of the Whitney Glass Works. Mr. Synnott became the first Pres- ident of the Whitney Glass Works when it was incorpor- ated, and he retained that po- sition until he retired from ac- tive business in 1892. Though now giving his time to benevo- lent work he is still serving as a director of the company and is one of its largest stock holders.
While a republican in poli- tics and a member of the Union League of Philadelphia, Mr. Synnott has declined all offers of political preferment. Governor Fielder however in 1915 appointed him a member of the State Board of Education and he accepted the position. His term will expire in 1923. Besides the organization memberships already referred to, Mr. Synnott is President of the First National Bank of Glassboro, Trustee of Lincoln University, Kes- wick Colony, School for Christian Workers, and a member of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, New Jersey Historical Society, National Institute Social Sciences and the National Economic League.
JEAN R. TACK-Newark. (16 Wright Street. )-Jeweler. Born in Newark, on March 27th, 1875; son of Jean and Amelia ( Locher) Tack ; married at Newark, on March 16th, 1904, to Amelia Ger- trude Eberle.
Jean R. Tack has been President of the New Jersey Retail Jewelers Association for four years, is Vice President of the American Retail Jewel- ers Association and has been the official representative of the National As- sociation at many state conventions in the South and West. Also, repre- senting the 4,000 retail jewelers throughout the country, he is a National Councillor to the United States Chamber of Commerce at Washington.
Mr. Tack began his education at the Green street elementary school,
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and continued under private tutors and is a graduate of the Newark Busi- ness College. At the age of fourteen he began to acquaint himself with the jewelery business and the watch making trade and later the optical profes- sion, in his father's establishment. While remaining active in business, he took a course in the study of optics at the Philadelphia Optical College and in 1890 was awarded the degree of Doctor of Optometry. He succeeded to the business in 1899 when his father retired and opened a new store opposite
the Jersey Central Railway station on Broad Street.
The rapid growth of the business made larger quarters necessary and the new loca- tion at 857 Broad Street was secured. He acquired owner- ship of the Weequahic Cut Glass business and the stock was added to that in the Broad Street store. The exac- tions of the increased business made it necessary for Mr. Tack to turn over the optical branch to assistants and even to place the watch and jewelry departments in the hands of efficient department heads. He continues however to give per- sonal attention to the selection and purchase of the loose and mounted diamonds the estab- lishment requires. Mr. Tack's years of study of gems of the first water has made him a recognized diamond expert.
Notwithstanding the demands of business, Mr. Tack finds opportunity for participation in the civic and social life of the community. He is a member of the Newark Yacht Club and was its Commodore in 1898-'99-1900. He has been Secretary and Treasurer of the South Broad Street Merchants Improvement Association for many years and was chiefly instrumental in securing the extension of the white light district from North Broad Street down through South Broad Street. He is Chairman of the Vigilance Com- mittee of the Advertising Men's Club and is an active member of the Rotary Club, the Credit Men's Club and the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce. His activities in the Retail Jewelry Association have been particularly directed to the prosecution of "fly-by-night" jewelry adventurers.
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