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 55

Author: Sackett, William Edgar, 1848- ed; Scannell, John James, 1884- ed
Publication date: 1917
Publisher: Patterson, N.J. : J.J. Scannell
Number of Pages: 592


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 55


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His son Jan the Third, still made New Utrecht his home however : and in the local annals appears the record of his service in the militia as a Lieutenant. It was not long before the British drove the Dutch out of New Amsterdam ; but from the English Earl of Bellemont, the new governor, who had denounced the execution by the British of Leisler, the Dutch leader, as murder, he in 1700, accepted a commission as Captain of the Militia.


Meanwhile New Utrecht was growing. in population and because it had probably become uncomfortably civilized, Jan the Fourth, his son. came over the river to New Brunswick. There he was listed as one of Colonel Harmens New Jersey Militia, and his name appears among those who made up the first Board of Aldermen of the city of New Brunswick. The city, populated by immigrants from Long Island and Dutch from Albany, soon became too crowded for Jan, and he moved to the less settled valley of the Mill Stone. He came to be recognized as one of the substantial land owners of the county. He was a contributor to the building in 1751 of the square stone church in which Theodorus Frelinghuysen preached. Domine Van Harlin- gen who preached there later was less popular than the great Freling- huysen not because of his smaller ability but because he preached only in Dutch and many of the young people could not understand the language.


Jan the Fifth was a Church Warden of Harlingen in 1754 and either he or his father was one of the founders of the church there. He was one of the Minute Men of that locality in May 75 in Captain Vroom's Company, Second Battalion, Somerset County Militia.


Jan's brother, Ruloff, who was a deputy to the Provincial Congress and


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a member of the Committee of Safety, his brother, Abram, a Lieutenant of Grenadiers, Jan's own son, Abram the younger, his cousins and nephews and relatives by marriage were all in arms against the King and for the country. But there was one heart breaking exception. Jan's older son had been a magistrate and was a Colonel in the British Army at the time of the outbreak of hostilities ; and, refusing to break his oath of allegiance and remaining with the British, became famous in the Van Dyke annals as "The Family Tory." His father required that he deed back the farm he had given him, which Colonel John did promptly enough on the understanding that in case he was killed in the war his wife and children should have it back again. Unwilling to fight against his own people and brothers, he asked to be transferred to the British Navy and he was taken prisoner and confined at Philadelphia till his wife secured his release. Jan the Fifth gave his life to the cause on the battle field of Mommouth.


Abram the Sixth, next in the line, was the half-brother of Colonel John The Tory, but they grew up together and seemed to be close companions till the differences of the war separated them. Abram the Sixth was one of the sons of Jan the Fifth, who took up arms for the American cause One tradition is that after the close of the War a horse galloped up to the porch of his home with a rider so ragged that his wife, with the fear of the Hessians in her soul, sprang for her flint lock to defend herself and kept him pounding at the door till he had convinced her that he was her husband returned from the War. He subsequently became a local magi- strate of his district and perhaps held other county offices.


Abram the Seventh was distinguished in the family annals for his mar- riage to Sarah, the daughter of John Honeyman, a famous spy of the Revo- lutionary era. Honeyman had served under Gen. Wolfe at Quebec, but later on, sympathizing with the American revolt, he sought an introduction to Washington. There were several interviews between himself and the Chief ; and it was arranged that he was to act the part of a spy for the American cause in his part of New Jersey. When he had learned any mat- ter of importance he was to allow himself to be captured by the Americans. This was all carried out as arranged. After he went over into the British lines Washington made an ortentatious offer of a reward for his capture but coupled with the injunction that the Tory be brought unharmed to head- quarters. The capture was made as arranged near Trenton and the Chief saw Honeyman alone for half an hour-then ordered him to the guard house. During the night a slight fire started in the camp and the guards rushed to put it out. When they returned the prisoner was not there. Two days later Washington had recrossed the icy Delaware and won the battle of Trenton. Honeyman was directly responsible for the battle.


Later when Honeyman's escape became known a band of local patriots attacked his home at Griggstown with the idea that he had taken refuge there. They found only the spy's wife and small children ; and to stem the anger of the mob she asked for the leader to come forth. Major Baird stepped out and she handed him a paper, the reading of which quickly dis- solved the crowd. It was Washington's order that she and her children be protected from all harm though no protection was to be accorded to Honeyman himself. All through the war Honeyman was the object of the anathema of his patriotic neighbors while he played the spy for Washing-


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ton. But after the War Washington and several of his generals came to visit him-and the story was out.


Dr. Van Dyke's father was for five years Prosecutor of the Pleas of Middlesex county. He was subsequently for two years Mayor of the city of New Brunswick ; and serving later (1847-'51) as a member of Congress, he saw the stirring time of the war between the United States and Mexico, to which he was bitterly opposed. At the first National Convention of the Republican Party in 1856, when the name of Lincoln was proposed for Vice President, Mr. Van Dyke, then a Justice of the Supreme Court of New Jersey, opposed the selection on the ground that Lincoln was too great a man for any office but that of President, then predicted his nomination in 1860 and was at the convention of 1860 that made Mr. Lincoln President. He subsequently moved to Minnesota where he became a member of the State Legislature and was afterwards appointed Judge of the Third Judicial District of Minnesota.


Dr. Van Dyke himself is a writer of large repute and has been Profes- sor of the History of Art at Rutgers College since 1889. He has also been University Lecturer at Columbia, Harvard, Princeton and other institutions of learning. He has been Librarian of the Sage Library at New Brunswick since 1878 and is a member of the New Jersey State Board of Education and Vice President of the National Institute of Arts and Letters. He was edu- cated at various secondary schools, privately tutored, and prepared for the Military Academy at West Point but declined the appointment. He studied at Columbia University and in Rutgers College and for many years made a specialty in Europe of art studies. He was admitted to the New York Bar but never practised.


Dr. Van Dyke is a member of many societies and clubs, including in New York the University, the Century, and the Authors. His writings have been on art subjects, on nature, history and criticism. He has also been the editor of many art magazines including "The Studio" and the "Art Re- view." His notable books on Art are: "Art for Art's Sake" (1893), "His- tory of Painting" (1894), "Meaning of Pictures" (1903), "Studies in Pic- tures" (1903), "The Old Dutch and Flemish Masters" (1895), "New Guides to Old Masters" (1914). His books on nature include : "Nature for Its Own Sake" (1898), "The Desert" (1901), "The Opal Sea" (1906), "The Moun- tain" (1916). He has published over thirty volumes on various subjects.


BENNET VAN SYCKEL-Trenton .- Jurist. Born in Bethle- hem, Hunterdon Co., April 17, 1830; son of Aaron and Mary (Bird) Van Syckel; married at Flemington, on 1857. to Mary Elizabeth Sloan. daughter of William H. and Caroline Imlay Sloan


Children : (surviving) William S., Charles S .. Bessie.


Bennet Van Syckel sat on the Bench of the Supreme Court of the State of New Jersey for thirty-five years and four months, holding the seat by the appointment of republican as well as democratic governors. Since his retirement from the Bench he has acquired wide recognition as a consulting


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and advising lawyer in important litigations. His legal opinion carries al- most the weight of a judicial deliverance.


Justice Van Syckel is of Holland ancestry and a member of the Holland Society. The first settlers of his line came to New York between 1652 and 1700 and scattered about that part of New Jersey which is now Hunterdon county. The Justice began his education at nine years of age in a boarding school in Easton, Pa., of which Dr. John Vanderveer was principal. He en- tered the Sophomore class of Princeton College at the age of thirteen and graduated in 1846 in the same class with David A. Depue, who was for many years Chief Justice of the state. He studied law with Alexander Wurts in Flemington, was admitted to the bar in 1851 and entered upon the practice at Fleming- ton. In 1869 he was nominat- ed to the Senate by Gov. Theo- dore F. Randolph to be an Associate Justice of the Su- preme Court. The confirma- tion came promptly ; and he sat for many years in the Union and Ocean county Cir- cuit. He was reappointed by Gov. Bedle in 1876, by Gover- nor Ludlow in 1883, by Gov. Abbett in 1890, by Gov. Griggs in 1897 and by Gov. Murphy in 1904. Three months later because of ill health he re- tired.


His retirement from the Bench after thirty-five years of service was marked by two notable demonstrations-first on the part of the Bar of the state when it presented, for the Supreme Court room in the State House, a portrait of the Justice; and second on the part of the Bar of the Union county of the gift of another portrait of the Justice to be hung in the chamber in the Court House in which he had long pre- sided. On the occasion of the presentation of the portrait for the State House the late Cortlandt Parker made the presentation speech, and Gov. Murphy made the speech of acceptance. Among the others who gathered to pay court to the Jurist were the late United States Senator Kean, Gov. Stokes, Bishop Scarborough, Congressman Ira W. Wood and the late Judge William M. Lanning. At the ceremony in Union county, May, 1905, ad- dresses were made by Justice Fort, Chancellor Magie, Craig A. Marsh and Richard V. Lindabury ; Judge Benjamin A. Vail accepted the portrait on behalf of the Freeholders.


During his incumbency Justice Van Syckel saw the city of Elizabeth through her perilous bankrupt era and sent the officials whose extravagance and corruption had precipitated the bankruptcy to the state prison. He was also on the Bench during the stress of the excitements, centering in Union


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county, that led to the popular uprising against what is known as the "Jockey Legislature" and later to the amendment of the State Constitution so as to forbid forever the passage of laws contenancing gambling. Since his retirement from the Bench he has been called into consultation upon many important public questions that have come to the front-as to their legal aspects,-and he was also one of the Commissioners who acted on the Morris Canal abandonment. He was also retained by the State as special counsel in a number of matters, one involving the construction of the In- heritance Tax Law. In the suit against the Lehigh Valley Railroad Co .. in- volving the title to the "big basin" in Jersey City, he was retained with Joseph H. Choate to represent the State. Later he was appointed by the Legislature, together with Gov. Wilson and Attorney General Wilson, to draft a bill for the abandonment of the Morris Canal; and he has repre- sented the State as special counsel in other important matters.


Justice Van Syckel is one of the directors of the Prudential Insurance Company of America and a member of the New Jersey Historical Society, the Academy of Political Science of New York City, the United States Bar Association, the Trenton Country Club and the Nassau Club of Princeton.


CORNELIUS CLARKSON VERMEULE-East Orange, (63 Har- rison Street.)-Civil Engineer. Born at New Brunswick, Septem- ber 5, 1858 ; son of Adrian and Maria (Veghte) Vermeule ; married at New York City, June 7, 18SS, to Carolyn Carpenter Reed, daugh- ter of Colonel Horatio Blake and Alida (Carpenter) Reed, of Newburgh, N. Y.


Children : Cornelius Clarkson, Lieut. Inf. O. R. C. U. S. Army, born September 26th, 1895; Warren Carpenter, born October 10th. 1898.


To C. C. Vermeule of old New Jersey stock, belongs the distinction of having executed for his State the first complete topographical survey made by any State in the Union. He began this work for the Geological Survey, as topographer in charge, in 1878, when he was under twenty years of age and successfully completed it within ten years. European surveys had been carried on by Army officers, without strict limitations as to time consumed or cost. In order to meet the more rigid conditions of his task, he was obliged to develop original methods through which he brought the work to a successful conclusion. He is an accepted authority concerning the water power and water supply of this State and has written several works on this subject, which are in constant use. Recently, as engineer of the Board of Conservation & Development, he has designed and constructed a novel sys- tem of concrete jetties for the regulation of Shark River Inlet. Mr. Ver- meule is now in the fortieth year of continuous service to the State Govern- ment.


Although since 18SS he has remained connected with the State as con- sulting engineer, he has simultaneously conducted an extensive private. practice, with an office in New York City, serving as engineer of many muni-


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cipal works and for many private corporations. He was the designing and later the consulting engineer for constructing the Cienfuegos water works, and also the railway and hydro-electric plant of the Cienfuegos, Palmira & Cruces Electric Railway & Power Co. in Cuba. Assisted by his counsel, ex-Attorney General Robert H. McCarter, he conducted a campaign for the re-habilitation of works for the sanitation of Cienfuegos, which had been interrupted by political disturbances and the resulting second intervention in Cuba. This campaign produced results after eight months of continuous and arduous work in Washington and Havana.


Mr. Vermeule's first ancestor in America was Adrian Vermeule, born in Vlissingen, Holland, 1665, who settled at Bergen, (now a part of Jersey City) where he died in 1735. Adrian's son Cornelius, born at Bergen, 1716, died at Plainfield, 1784, was a member of the Provincial Congress of 1775, and of the Committee of Observation. His son, Captain Cornelius, was of the first Somerset Regiment of Militia. The name Cornelius has extended continuously in this branch of the famly since 1440. From 1250 to 1576, they were of Ant- werp and Brabant, and 340 years ago they were fighting the battles of democracy a- gainst the autocratic Phillip II of Spain. on the very ground where the same issue is now being fought. It is worthy of note that if Mr. Vermeule's son, Lieut. Cornelius C. Ver- meule, now at Fort Meyer, Va., shall be ordered thither, he will represent the ninth out of twelve generations of his fam- ily, who have fought for democracy on the soil of Bel- gium, France or America.


Mrs. Vermeule's father was Colonel of the 22nd N. Y. Cav- alry and later of the 5th U. S. Artillery during the Civil War, and won distinction at the bat- tle of Winchester. Her grandfather, Benjamin Carpenter, was one of the early steamboat owners on the Hudson.


Mr. Vermeule was prepared at Rutgers Preparatory School and gradu- ated from Rutgers College in 1878. Immediately upon his graduation, he became connected with the Newark Aqueduct Board, and a few weeks later began the State survey. He is the author of many papers on hydraulics. drainage of wet lands, forest influences, etc. In 1894, he completed a volume entitled "Water Supply, Water Power, The Flow of Streams and Attendant Phenomenae" and in 18SS was published his "Physical Descrip- tion of New Jersey." He also prepared papers on "Forests and Water- supply," "Forests and Climate," and many kindred subjects. He prepared


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for the New York State Museum at Albany, a map of Manhattan as it was in 1776.


Mr. Vermeule is a member of the Century Association and the Holland Society of New York, the Sons of the American Revolution, the New Jersey Historical Society and the American Water Works Association.


WALKER WHITING VICK-Rutherford, (16 Addison Avenue.) -Exporter. Born at Wilmington, N. C., August 16th, 1878; son of Samuel W. and Katherine ( Rothwell) Vick ; married at New York City, on October 15th, 1902, to Sadie Averill Plunkitt, niece of former Senator George W. Plunkitt, of New York.


Children : Helen M., born August 5th, 1903; Walker W. Jr., born April 29th, 1905 ; Sally P., born December 19th, 1908; Rosemary P., born June 5th. 1912; Ruth M., born July 29th, 1917.


Walker W. Vick was Receiver General in 1913-14 of Santo Domingo; and, becoming convinced as to the attempt to exploit this small nation for which we acted responsibly in a fiduciary capacity, he initiated and forced the investigation into the course pursued by James Mark Sullivan, the United States Minister there, which attracted national and international at- tention, and assisted in the settlement of the revolutionary disturbances on the Island. The findings of U. S. Senator James D. Phelan of California. Special Commis- sioner of President Wilson, more than confirmed all of Mr. Vick's contentions. The Do- minican Chamber of Com- merce, prominent merchants and managers of various en- terprises on the Island, many of the Dominican Senators and Deputies as well as all of the American business inter- ests, joined in a public testi- monial to Mr. Vick for his work there, and President Wilson himself sent him a warm letter of appreciation. While in Caribbean waters Mr. Vick visited Hayti also and made a report that clearly indicated that American occupation of the Island and treaty control was the only method of ending internal disturbances. Furthermore, Mr. Vick recom- mended for some years changes in Santo Domingo which have recently been affected through American military occupation.


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All of these activities of Mr. Vick in the West Indies followed unselfish and enthusiastic work for the political advancement of Woodrow Wilson. He had known President Wilson's father intimately and the President him- self during their residence in Wilmington, N. C., and he was deeply inter- ested in Dr. Wilson's gubernatorial canvass in 1910. He became first lieu- tenant to William F. McCombs in 1911 and aided him till after the close of the National campaign of 1912, probably having been more intimately ac- quainted with the campaign than anyone. He officiated as Manager of the General Headquarters of the Woodrow Wilson pre-Convention campaign Committee and served as Assistant Secretary of the Democratic National Committee in 1912 and until the St. Louis Convention 1916. One of the features of Mr. Vick's work during the 1912 campaign was the organization of the savings and strict business system conducted at the National Head- quarters, in such marked contrast to other campaigns. When preparations were being made for Wilson's inauguration as President, Mr. Vick was sent to Washington as Secretary of the Inaugural Committee to supervise them and was accorded much of the credit for the success of the imposing func- tion of 1913. Mr. Vick was a delegate from the Sixth New Jersey District to the St. Louis Convention that renominated President Wilson in 1916.


The Vick family line is an old one. It is of Norman origin and is quoted in Burke's and other established works on heraldry. The family came to Virginia in the early sixteenth century ; but Mr. Vick's immediate branch moved to Edgecombe, now Nash county, North Carolina, and served in the American Revolution from that State. Some of his forebears afterwards went to Mississippi an established the town of Vicksburg. The family is also related to the Vicks of Canada and of Rochester, N. Y., who came here about a century ago.


Mr. Vick has traveled extensively in South America, Mexico, Southern Spain, throughout the West Indies and over other sections. He came to New York eighteen years ago. He was engaged for years in mining, smelting and industrial enterprises and was a contributor to magazines and news- papers. During the Spanish American War he served in the United States Navy ; in 1912 was President of the United Spanish War Veterans Encamp- ment Commission ; and in 1917 was appointed Assistant Quartermaster General of the Spanish War Veterans. He was active in the campaign re- sulting in the Panama Exposition in San Francisco. In 1915 he actively engaged in the extension of export and import trade to South America, Cen- tral America, the West Indies, Australia, the Philippines and the Far East as well as throughout Europe. He is the general manager of the Factory Products Export Corporation and Manufacturers' Agents Company, Inc., of New York, Vice President of The Cuyahoga Stamping & Machine Co. of Cleveland, Ohio, etc.


He is a member of the American Manufacturers Export Association, Chamber of Commerce of the U. S., Pan-American Society, the Russian American Chamber of Commerce, and other commercial bodies.


Mr. Vick is a member of the Rocky Mountain Club and the Lawyers Club of New York, the Club Union and Casino de Juventud, Santo Domin- go, the New York Press, the New York Southern Society, the North Carolina Society of New York, the Japan and Mexico Societies, John T. Hilton Camp No. 3 United Spanish War Veterans, No. 547, B. P. O. E. and the Demo-


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cratic Club of Rutherford. the National Security League and the Navy League of the United States.


V


GEORGE A. VIEHMANN-New Brunswick, (358 George Street.) -Lawyer. Born in New Brunswick, on November 29, 1868; son of Anthony and Sophia Louisa (Litterest ) Viehmann : married at Con- cord, N. H., on November 29th, 1897, to Mary Abbott, daughter of Franklin Abbott and Asenath Dow, of Concord. N. H.


Children : George A. Jr., and Mary A. Vichmann.


George A. Viehmann, besides his professional labors, is interested in politics, fire insurance. banking, agriculture and poultry. His activities in politics led to his nomination by the democrats for Mayor of the City of New Brunswick in 1900 and he assumed office in 1901. He is now President of the New Brunswick Fire Insurance Company, control of which he pur- chased in 1903. In 1915 he was made President of the New Jersey Fire Insurance Company of Newark. He is also President of the Middlesex Title Guarantee and Trust Compa- ny, and a Director in the Perth Amboy Trust Company of Perth Amboy, the Federal Trust Company of Newark, and a number of other corpo- rations.


The establishment of the New Jersey State Chamber of Commerce. which has de- veloped into a powerful factor in the affairs of the State of New Jersey, is due almost en- tirely to his initiative and en- ergy. This organization num- bers among its members prac- tically all of the prominent citizens of the State. It main- tains offices at Newark and a large force of employees to in- vestigate problems of general importance to the State, ren- der reports following their in- vestigations and its work is now recognized as being of great importance in getting at the true facts and conditions of state matters. These investi- gators are men with college training and specially qualified to make investi- gations ; and the existence of a service organization, whose reports are fear- less, thorough and impartial, is being recognized not only by the business interests of the State, but by the executive officials.


It was through its analysis and investigation that the "Full Crew Act" was repealed. It was due to its work that the Highway Commission was


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able to make an intelligent and complete report and thereby put Governor Edge in position to induce General Goethals to head the improvement ; the finance measures of Assemblyman Pierson, which are going to be of great value in systematically handling the business affairs of the State, were like- wise the product of State Chamber work.


Mr. Viehmann is recognized, because of his study of State problems and his supervision of the work of the New Jersey State Chamber of Commerce, to be one of the well informed men in the state on general economic mat- ters, and the New Jersey State Chamber of Commerce has become, under his supervision, a force in civic affairs that other States are copying by organizing institutions of a similar nature.


On his country estate, "Overlook," between New Brunswick and Bound Brook, he devotes himself to farming and particularly to the breeding of poultry.




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