The biographical encyclopaedia of New Jersey of the nineteenth century, Part 28

Author: Robson, Charles, ed; Galaxy Publishing Company, publisher
Publication date: 1877
Publisher: Philadelphia, Galaxy publishing company
Number of Pages: 924

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IGH, HON. JOHN J., Mayor of Rahway, was born, March 6th, 1829, in Westfield, New Jersey, and is a son of John and Sarah (Meeker) High, which family and their progenitors have been for a long series of years prominently identified with that town. His father, John High, was a captain in the New Jersey Artillery in the war of 1812, and both his grandfathers participated in the war for independence. James Meeker, his maternal grandfather, was of French de- scent, and during the revolutionary struggle was attached to the staff of Gencral Lafayette. Young High was educated at an academy in Rahway, and in 1846, after leaving

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school, went to New York city, where he effected an en- gagement as a clerk in a wholesale dry-goods house, re- maining there six years. Returning to New Jersey he engaged in business on his own account, starting a store for the sale of manufacturers' hardware, and in which he has continued to the present time. He has always taken an active part in politics, and was a Democrat until 1855, since which time he has affiliated with the Republican party. He was elected in 1861 to the Legislature on that ticket, in which body he served one term. Subsequently he was chosen as a member of City Councils, which position he held for four years, and for three years was President of that body. From 1858 until it ceased to exist in 1865, he was a Director of the Farmers' and Mechanics' Bank of Rahway ; he is at present a Director in the Rahway Savings Bank, and also of the Rahway Fire Insurance Company. He has been foremost among his fellow-townsmen in promoting the welfare and prosperity of his adopted city, and is regarded by all as a valuable and public-spirited citizen. He was married in 1866 to Anna Sheddan, daughter of Rev. S. S. Sheddan, D. D. ; she died in 1872.

UNT, JOHN W., M. D., Physician and Surgeon, was born, October 10th, 1834, in Groveland, Livingston county, New York, and is the son of Elijah and Eunice (Huffman) Hunt ; the former, a farmer by occupation, was born in Pennsylvania, but when about two years of age, in 1796, his father, John Hunt, removed with his family from Pennsyl- vania to Livingston county, New York, and was one of the pioneers of that county, all that part of the State being then a wilderness. Dr. Hunt is of English descent, his great- grandfather's father having emigrated from England to one of the New England colonies. His great-grandfather, William Hunt, was born in Rhode Island, married and re- moved to New Jersey. His grandfather, John Hunt, was born in New Jersey. Dr. Hunt while a youth attended the district school in his native town, where he received a good common-school education. IIe subsequently became a pupil in the Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, at Lima, New York, where he remained three years. Early in life he ex- pressed a desire to study medieine, which was not encour- aged by his parents. His early choice of a profession, however, was never changed, and in the spring of 1856 he entered the office of Dr. Alexander C. Campbell, at Lima, New York, as a medical student. In the spring of 1857 he proceeded to New York city, matriculated at the University Medical College, and attended the summer course of lec- tures, at the same time receiving instruction in the private classes of Drs. T. Gaillard Thomas and William R. Donaghe. He continued at the university, attending the winter course of lectures of 1857-58, and in the spring of 1858 returned to Livingston county, and assisted Dr. Campbell in his practice

during the summer. His second full course of lectures he attended at the university the following winter, and gradu- ated in the spring of 1859. Soon after receiving his diploma he presented himself with other candidates for examination by the examining board for Internes to Bellevue Hospital. He was one of the successful candidates and was appointed one of the junior assistants on the house staff. As his ser- vices were not required at the hospital during his six months' term of junior service (unless a vacancy should occur) he ob- tained leave of absence and sailed for England, where con- siderable time was occupied in visiting the English hospitals, chiefly in London. He returned to New York in October, and entered upon his duties on the House Staff of Bellevue Hospital, where he remained until his term of service ex- pired in the fall of 1860. Having determined to make Jersey City, New Jersey, his future home, he at once opened an office there and commenced practice. At the breaking out of the rebellion he was called by his native State to take professional charge of the 10th Regiment, New York State Volunteers, which was one of the first to organize. He at once responded to the call, and, in May, 1861, was commissioned Surgeon of that regiment, and followed its fortunes until the spring of 1862, when he resigned his State commission for the purpose of accepting a United States commission as " Brigade Surgeon," afterwards designated " Surgeon of United States Volunteers." Immediately thereafter he was ordered to take charge of the " Mill Creek General Hospital," near Fortress Monroe, Virginia, then Just opened. Here he was actively engaged until the last of August, when he was attacked with fever, which con . fined him to his bed three months; he was sent north on leave of absence, and in January, 1863, being still feeble and unfit for duty in the field, he retired from the service. Early in March following he visited New Orleans as surgeon of a government transport, and returned much improved in strength. In May he resumed practice in Jersey City, and at once took a prominent position among the profession. In 1864 he was appointed Examining Surgeon of recruits drafted into the service. He is an active member of the Dis- trict Medical Society for the County of Hudson; and as a delegate to the New Jersey State Medical Society for a number of years, he takes a deep interest in the proceedings of that body, and has generally been a contributor to its transactions. He has also at sundry times contributed to the literature of the profession. Dr. Hunt had not prac- tised long in Jersey City before he recognized the necessity of a city hospital, and in 1866 he began to agitate the sub- ject among the profession and others interested in such matters, but it was without avail until two years later, in 1868, when, with the aid of a few of his professional friends, he prepared and submitted to the Common Council, through a special committee of that body, an ordinance, which was passed, ereating the Jersey City Charity Hospital, the first hospital in the State of New Jersey established as a public charity. He was appointed one of the attending surgeons,

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and holds that position at the present time. He is also one ; nition. As a consequence he achieved his ambition, and of the visiting surgeons to the Hudson County Church Hospital. He has always manifested great interest in the institutions with which he is professionally connected, and has devoted to them much time and attention. In fact, in all that pertains to the advancement of his profession or the relief of suffering, he is a zealous worker. He was mar- ried in 1866 to N. Adeline Reynolds, daughter of H. S. Reynolds, Esq., of Springfield, Massachusetts.

OGT, LOUIS C., Journalist, late of Morristown, was born in Hamburg, Germany, May 3d, 1808, and was brought to the United States by his pa- rents in his third year. The family originally settled in Philadelphia, but soon removed to New York, where the father found employment on the Commercial Advertiser, then owned and edited by Francis Hall and Colonel Stone. Several years later, Louis, then a mere lad, was taken into the same office, and, excepting a short time spent on the New York Evening Post as a jour- neyman, he remained therein until 1838, when he settled in Morristown. By this time his three younger brothers, Henry, George and Charles, had all been received into the Advertiser office for the purpose of learning the printing business. Just before Louis Vogt arrived in Morristown the Jerseyman had been the organ of the Democratic party in the county. But differences had arisen between the leaders and its editor, which resulted in the paper taking an independent position. This led to the establishment of an- other paper, which should fill its place, and to the new journal was given the name of The Democratic Banner. Mr. Vogt was engaged upon the Banner, and continued to edit it until the owners required of him the performance of duties obnoxious to his sense of right and self-respect, when he retired. Encouraged by many friends, who did not ap- prove the course pursued by the Banner proprietors in manipulating party affairs, he soon began the publication of the True Democratic Banner, the insertion of the word " True" in the heading being designed to distinguish it as the true or only legitimate Banner of the two publications. The original Banner did not survive the withdrawal of Mr. Vogt, who continued with manly earnestness and vigor to fight the battle of reform within the party, until his efforts were crowned in the rescue of the county from the domina- tion of the opposition. This result was not easily accom- plished. He had to contend against powerful and un- scrupulous foes within the ranks of the organization, who, when they found temptation after temptation unavailing, re- sorted to threats and sought to establish a Democratic jour- nal in opposition. But through all he preserved his fidelity to principle and turned a deaf ear to all personal considera- tions, the while he labored as publisher and printer with in- domitable energy and an ability receiving daily wider recog-

established in Morris county a Democratic newspaper upon a firm foundation. As a business man he proved himself the possessor of thoroughly progressive ideas. He was the. first to introduce into the county modern improvements in the art of printing, to replace the old-fashioned; slow-going hand presses by better and yet improved appliances, until at last the paper, published in a handsome building erected by himself and furnished with all the latest improvements, was printed by steam-power. Devoted to the printing art, he took great pleasure and pride in gathering recruits into its service from among his relatives and friends, and his advice and assistance were ever ready to render their essays suc- cessful. He lived to see his three sons grow up and become established in the business, as well as eighteen near rela- tives, and nearly all prosperous. He was married, Decem- ber 28th, 1834, and his wife proved a help-meet in the truest and highest sense. When with years came great af- fliction, she nursed, sustained, cheered and helped himn with a devotion and a skill at once rare and beautiful. Origi- nally a man of great physical power, he experienced the first symptoms of paralysis in his lower limbs about 1850, in a stiffening of the knees, which prevented him from running. These became gradually more aggravated, necessitating the use of a cane, then crutches, and then (in 1862) a wheeled chair, in which he was conveyed to and from the office. But the heat of the summer of 1870 prostrated him, and his visits to the office became fewer, until they ceased altogether in the spring of 1875. He died, December 4th, in the same year. Piety distinguished him through life. At fifteen he became a member of the German Reformed Church, For- syth street, New York, and he remained in that communion until his departure for Morristown. On arrival there he connected himself with the Methodist Episcopal Church. During long years of suffering he drew from religion a com- fort and support which rendered him always resigned and cheerful. His death was a public loss.

LMER, WILLIAM, A: M., M. D., Physician, of Bridgeton, New Jersey, was born in that town, October 5th, 1814. He comes of a long line of physicians, his father and grandfather having both been successful and prominent followers of the profession of medicine. His father, William Elmer, M. D., who died in 1836, was also a native of Bridgeton, where he practised for a period of ten years. The mother of the subject of this sketch was also to the manor born, being Nancy Boyd Potter, daughter of Colonel Potter, of Bridgeton. He was prepared for college at the excellent school of Rev. Isaac Brown, at Lawrenceville, New Jersey, and entered the sophomore class at Princeton College in 1830. From this in titution he was graduated in 1832, and honored with the English salutatory oration.

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Having early imbibed a taste for the medieal profession, and determined to adopt it, he then became a student under Dr. Joseph Parrish, of Philadelphia, and matriculating at the University of Pennsylvania, in 1833, he received his degree therefrom in the spring of 1836. The following eighteen months he spent at Blockley Almshouse, than which few better schools for study present themselves to young practitioners. Of this term he served for one year as Resident Physician, and at the end of that time he was elected as Resident Physician of the Children's Hospital. In July, 1837, he returned to his native place and began a practice there which has been continued down to the pres- ent time, and which has been uniformly successful. To-day Dr. Elmer is the leader of the profession in West Jersey, and is thoroughly known throughout that section of the State, honored by his brethren and the community at large. He has always been devoted to medicine, and his devotion and skill have won for him the confidence and esteem of many of the leading physicians outside of the State. He is a Fellow of the New Jersey State Medical Society, and served as its President in 1860; several times he has been chosen President of the Cumberland Country District Medi- eal Society. He was married, December 19th, 1839, to Eliza R. Whiteley, of Wilmington, Delaware, and has four children living, three sons and a daughter; two of his sons are doetors-William Elmer, Jr., of whom a sketch follows, is practising at Trenton ; H. W. Elmer, who was graduated from Princeton in 1866, and from the University of Penn- sylvania in 1869, is associated with his father in practice.

LMER, WILLIAM, M. D., of Trenton, New Jer- sey, was born at Bridgeton, New Jersey, Deeem- ber 14th, 1840. His parents were William and Eliza R. (Whiteley) Elmer. His father is now, 10 and has been for many years, a distinguished and leading medical practitioner in the city of Bridgeton. After the usual preparatory course he entered Princeton College, in 1858, and was graduated therefrom in 1861, receiving in due course the degrees of A. B. and A. M. Coming from a long line of physicians, the family for three generations previous having followed that time- honored profession, William Elmer, Jr., matriculated in medieine at the University of Pennsylvania, in the fall of 1861, at the same time becoming a student in the office of Drs. Leviek, Hunt and Penrose, practitioners in Phila- delphia, who also conducted a private medical class. Pur- suing the regular courses at the University of Pennsylvania, he received his degree of M. D. from that institution in the spring of 1863. The eighteen months following was de- voted to extending his medieal knowledge by a practical course at the Episcopal and Pennsylvania Hospitals. At the expiration of this time he returned to Bridgeton, and was associated in active professional duty with his father

until July, 1869, when he removed to Trenton, in which city he has since resided. Devoted to his profession, he soon took rank among the leaders of the medical fraternity, and enjoys the esteem and confidence of them all, together with that of the community wherein he resides. He is a member of the Mercer County Distriet Medical Society, and at present Vice-President of that body. He is the pres- ent Corresponding Secretary of the New Jersey State Medi- eal Society. He was married, in 1869, to Alice Grey, of Columbia, Pennsylvania.

ANNON, GARRIT S., Lawyer, of Bordentown, was born in Somerset county, New Jersey, being the son of Rev. James Spencer and Catharine (Brevoort) Cannon, both natives of the same . State. His father, whose eminent qualifications and long and distinguished services as a minister received recognition in the degree of Doctor of Divinity, bestowed on him by Union College, was for years Professor of Theology in the Dutch Reformed Theological Seminary at New Brunswick. He held for the same period the chair of Metaphysies in Rutgers College. In both of these de- partments of science and religion he was an acknowledged authority, and certainly in his time had no superior as a teacher. He died in 1852, having filled the professorship of theology in the seminary for thirty years. His wife was born in Bergen county, New Jersey, descending from a family that had long been settled in the State. The early education of Garrit S. Cannon was eondueted at the Rut- gers College Grammar School, in New Brunswick. It was here that he made his preparations for an academic career. In 1829 he entered Rutgers College, from which, after passing through all the studies of its comprehensive four years' course, he graduated in 1833. Immediately after leaving college he commenced the study of law in the office of B. R. Brown, of Mount Holly, and in November, 1836, was licensed as an attorney, and three years after as eoun- sellor. Being thus qualified for a professional career, he removed to Bordentown and engaged in practice, which has uninterruptedly engaged his attention ever since. He was appointed to the Prosecuting Attorneyship of the county by Governor Daniel Haines, in 1850, and so acceptably discharged all the varied and weighty responsibilities of this office as to merit a reappointment, in 1855, at the hands of Governor R. M. Price, and a second reappoint- ment at the hands of Governor Joel Parker, in 1865. Dur- ing this period he more than satisfied all claims of the people against a public funetionary, and secured a reputa- tion second to that of no other member of his profession in the State, as an earnest and foreible lawyer and a fearless Prosecuting Attorney. President Pierec honored him, in 1853, with the appointment of United States District At- torney for the State, and President Buchanan reaffirmed the

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wisdom of his predecessor's choice by reappointing Mr. Cannon to the same office in 1857. As a pleader he is not surpassed by any other in his section of the State. His presentation of the fact and the law of a case; his keen analysis of evidence; his citations of authorities in support of his arguments, are rapid, clear, decisive. Fcw men are more fluent in speech, more thorough in preparation, more brilliant in legal strategy. Early in life he manifested a deep interest in politics, and identified himself with the old Jeffersonian Democracy. In 1845 he was elected to the lower house of the State Legislature, and served his con- stituency with ability and zeal. Though still true to the party of his first and only choice, he no longer is an active leader, devoting all his time to his professional duties. He has given his support to all measures for local governmental improvement, and to enterprises calculated to increase the comfort of his fellow-citizens and to beautify the town in which he resides, IIe is President of the Gas .Company, of Bordentown, and President of the Water Works Com- pany, and has been a director, as well as the attorney, of the Bordentown Banking Company ever since its organiza- tion. He is an energetic, public-spirited citizen, and enjoys the esteem of all his fellow-townsmen. In November, 1839, he was married to IIannah Kinsey, daughter of Charles Kinsey, Esq., of Burlington, New Jersey.

INFIELD, HON. CHARLES HARDEN- BERGH, Lawyer and ex-Senator, of Jersey City, was born, November 8th, 1829, in the town of Deerpark, near Port Jervis, New York. He is the fifth son of Henry and Deborah (West- brook) Winfield. His father was a Pennsylvanian by birth, and by occupation a farmer. His mother was from Sussex county, New Jersey. He obtained his pre- liminary education at the district school of Westfall town- ship, Pike county, Pennsylvania, across the Delaware from Port Jervis, and pursued his academical studies at Decker- town, New Jersey, under the care of the late William Rankin. He entered the sophomore class in Rutgers College, New Brunswick, in the fall of 1849, and gradu- ated in 1852, standing fourth in his class. In 1855 he received from his Alma Mater the degree of Master of Arts. Having selected the law as his future profession, he entered the law office of the late Chancellor Zabriskie, of Jersey City, in October, 1852. After three years of study under his able preceptor he was admitted to the bar, No- vember 8th, 1855. He immediately began the practice of the law in Jersey City, where he has since been constantly engaged in the duties of his profession. At the present time (October, 1876) there remain in active practice but three lawyers who were in their profession in Hudson county when he came to the bar. He ranks high in the criminal branch of his profession, and is expert in the man-

agement of a cause and the examination of witnesses. In 1865 he was counsel in the case of Bonker & Wood vs. Randel, Helm & Co. The plaintiffs sued to recover the contract price of an engine, placed in a tug-boat. The defendants insisted that the engine was not constructed according to the contract, and desired to recover their damages. As the law then stood this could not be done; the only remedy was to bring a cross-action. Hence the defence was ruled out; but Mr. Winfield, being convinced of the justice of his claim, carried the case to the Supreme Court, and there succeeded in establishing the principle of recoupment. In 1865 he was elected by the Democratic party of Hudson county to the State Senate for a term of three years, taking his seat in January, 1866. While a member of that body he was its acknowledged leader in debate, and took an active part in all questions pertaining to the welfare of his constituents and the State at large. His opposition to the bill to establish a Board of Police Commissioners for Jersey City was persistent, manly and eloquent, and marked the course which his party has since pursued in its opposition to local commissions for the rule of municipal bodies. Notwithstanding a trained party vote against him, he succeeded in engrafting upon the bill sev- eral amendments of importance to Jersey City. Through blunder or fraud these amendments were not incorporated in the bill signed by the Governor and filed with the Sec- retary of State. This state of facts presented a serious question, and it afterwards came before the Supreme Court on application for mandamus to compel the old police authorities to surrender the police property in their posses- sion to the new Board of Commissioners. Senator Winfield and the present Associate-Justice, Bradley, of the United States Supreme Court, were retained to resist the applica- tion. The court granted the writ, and established or con- firmed the doctrine, that, without special legislation for that purpose, there was no authority to inquire into the question whether the bill signed by the proper officers, and filed in the office of the Secretary of State, ever passed the Legislature. It was a record behind which they could not go, though admitted to be a fraud and a cheat. Among other impor- tant bills which have added greatly to the population and taxable wealth of Hudson county, he sustained what was known as the " Harsimus Cove bill." This was to author- ize the United Railroad Companies to construct a spur from their main line, at Bergen Hill, to the Hudson river, at Harsimus, and improve the lands under water. The bill passed, the road elevated above the streets was constructed, the State received $500,000 for the lands under water, and the abattoir and cattle-yards-the largest on the Atlantic seaboard-were built. Previous to his election to the Senate, the Legislature had rejected the Thirteenth Amend- ment to the Constitution of the United States. During his first year, the Republicans being then in the majority, a resolution to approve the said amendment was brought for- ward. This was opposed by the Democrats on the ground

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that the previous action of the Legislature could not be re- considered. Senator Winfield here proved himself above the mere partisan, and took a decided stand against the views of his own party. He voted for its adoption. During this same session (1866) he took a bold stand against the attempt of the House of Assembly to impeach Chancellor Green and Judge Van Dyke, on the petition of Mr. Charles F. Durant. In 1867 the Legislature approved the Four- teenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. This was opposed hy Senator Winfield and his party. In the session of 1868, this amendment not yet having received the approval of the requisite numher of States, the Demo- crats being then in the majority, a resolution was introduced to withdraw the approval of New Jersey. This resolution was supported hy Senator Winfield in a speech which was pronounced a masterpiece of logic, law and eloquence .. As a public speaker he ranks high in the popular favor. His latest effort of decided merit was his Centennial Oration, delivered in Jersey City, July 4th, 1876. In 1872 he pub- lished a " History of the Land 'Titles in Hudson County, from 1609 to 1871," a royal octavo volume of 443 pages, with maps. This work is a thorough and exhaustive com- pilation, and an acknowledged authority upon the subject. In 1874 he published a " History of Hudson County, New Jersey, from its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time," an octavo volume of 568 pages. Both of these works not only prove a versatility of talent in the author, but exhibit a depth of research and comprehensive grouping of facts which, while they impart valuable information, furnish attractive reading, the true forte of the popular historian. He was married, February 14th, 1856, to Harriet Mc- Dougall Allen, of Schenectady, New York.

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The biographical encyclopaedia of New Jersey of the nineteenth century, Part 28

Author: Robson, Charles, ed; Galaxy Publishing Company, publisher Publication date: 1877 Publisher: Philadelphia, Galaxy publishing company Number of Pages: 924

Author: Robson, Charles, ed; Galaxy Publishing Company, publisher
Publication date: 1877
Publisher: Philadelphia, Galaxy publishing company
Number of Pages: 924