USA > New York > Encyclopedia of biography of New York, a life record of men and women whose sterling character and energy and industry have made them preeminent in their own and many other states, Vol. 2 > Part 19
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BUNNY, John,
Inimitable Actor.
It is the fashion among the "intellec- tuals" of to-day to belittle the value of laughter. They can tolerate and even indulge in the grim smile that answers a certain vein of grim humor, almost as acid as grief itself, but with the side- shaking, ear-splitting, soul-clearing roars of the mob they have little sympathy and turn for relief from such sounds to their depressing Ibsens and Maeterlinks, in the strange belief that to be pessimistic is to be wise, that despair is the final phil- osophy. The instinct of the man in the street is much surer. Were he asked if he approved of laughter he might be at a loss for an answer, but he pays it the
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far greater compliment than approval, by seeking it at all costs and wherever it is to be found. And surely there is as much that is good and even sacred in laughter as in tears. It is more nearly related to the object of all existence, if it be admitted that happiness is that object, as it certainly must be. Carlyle did indeed inquire by what act of parliament was it decreed that we should be happy and adjured to seek blessedness instead, but truly in the best sense of the terms they are one and the same thing for it may very cogently be urged that as it must be that to be blessed is to be happy, so also to be happy is to be blessed. And if this be so it is not less undeniable that one of the large factors of happiness is wholesome mirth and laughter. And now if it be asked where such wholesome mirth and laughter is to be found, it may be replied without hesitation in the farces and the horse-play of the people. As Chesterton remarks the tragedies of the people "are of broken hearts, their comedies of broken heads." The man who supplies food for this healthy human craving for fun is a true benefactor and deserves to the full the popular honor that is showered upon him. Turn not up your noses, O you supercilious artists and critics, if he wins his applause be- cause he is clumsy and always hits the wrong man or makes love to the wrong woman, or never ascends a stairs with- out falling down again; of such stuff is our best laughter made, such are the jests of Rabelais, the antics of Falstaff, while the great comedy of Cervantes is but a sort of sublimated music hall farce with Don Quixote as the countryman in town and the windmill a gigantic police- man. Of such also was the fun of John Bunny, whose death on March 26, 1915, at his Brooklyn home removed from our midst one of the most deservedly popular
of all those who have made the moving picture the medium of success.
John Bunny was of English ancestry on his father's side and of Irish on his mother's, but was himself born on the Island of Manhattan, September 21, 1863. He was the first of nine generations who did not follow the sea and the second in that same period that was not a member of the English navy. The Bunnys came from the famous English coast town of Penzance and his mother, who was a Miss Eleanor O'Sullivan, from County Clare, Ireland, where her family was prominent and highly respected. After the usual schooling obtained by the New York boy, Mr. Bunny followed in the steps of the millions and secured the position of clerk in a store in the city. It does not appear, however, that he was particularly suc- cessful in this part of his career and he used to tell a most amusing story at his own expense concerning it. According to him he approached his employer after a few months' work and tactfully sug- gested that an increase of salary would be appropriate to be met by that awful personage with the remark that he had been on the point of discharging the young man as worthless. He went on to say that as far as he could see, his clerk was able to do but two things well, i. e., to make faces and talk loud, and he sug- gested that he try the stage. Whether or not the suggestion was meant in earnest, it was taken so and the long career as an actor was commenced. At first it was a part in a cheap "minstrel show," which proved to be an excellent training for him, especially his last work, with its oppor- tunity for pantomimic action and facial expression. Several such engagements followed one another until in 1883 he was given a part in a play with the happy title of "The Stranglers of Paris." The play had a short run at the Park Theatre, but
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it gave Mr. Bunny an opportunity to show his talent and gained him an en- trance into the realm of legitimate drama. From that time onward, for nearly thirty years, Mr. Bunny acted almost uninter- ruptedly and has taken minor parts in the companies of such world famous men as Edwin Booth and Lawrence Barrett. It was in such an atmosphere that his ideals were developed and his abilities trained in such parts as Shakespeare's clowns, for his gifts from the first were markedly of the comic order. As Touchstone, for in- stance, he distinguished himself highly, and it became easy for him to secure en- gagements with the best companies. He was given parts by Henry W. Savage, William A. Brady, Charles and Daniel Frohman and many others, and supported at various times Miss Maude Adams, Miss Annie Russell and others of the great popular favorites. But while he did well his great success did not come to him except with the entrance of a new form of acting and a new stage, a stage that has already wrought profound changes in the whole theatrical world. This was the moving picture which has grown to such amazing proportions with- in little more than five years. At the time of its appearance the moving picture was regarded with some contempt by the average actor, and they were few indeed who entered it as a profession that were not driven there by necessity. It was not so with Mr. Bunny, who from the first perceived the great possibilities in the thing, not merely from the commercial standpoint, but as a vehicle of wholesome amusement and instruction to great masses of people who could not other- wise come within the healthful influence of the theatre. So it was that he did not scorn a half-casual proposal made to him at that time that he should become a "film artist." On the contrary so strong
was his belief in the new form that he did what was considered a most foolish thing by the majority of his professional friends by declining an excellent engagement on the regular stage and accepting what seemed far less desirable in moving pic- tures. He never had any reason to regret his decision, particularly from a business point of view, for he rapidly emerged into great prominence and ultimately became the most popular actor in that form of amusement. The accounts of the fabu- lous sums earned by him are probably exaggerations, but there is no doubt whatever that the Vitagraph Company, for whose productions he acted consid- ered him as one of their most drawing artists and it is well known that the con- cern does not stint its outlay in securing what it requires. And truly it could afford to be liberal in this case for Mr. Bunny's popularity was simply phenomenal. With the last few years moving picture houses have sprung up all over the civilized world and have even penetrated the un- civilized, and wherever the films have gone there also has gone John Bunny. His face is doubtless one of the best known to the world to-day and would doubtless be recognized over a larger area and in more diverse scenes than most of the crowned heads or the great statesmen of the times. His death was finally brought about by overwork at the head of his own company, which was supporting him in a play known as John Bunny in Funnyland.
Mr. Bunny was married, January 23, 1890, to Clara Scallan, of New York, a daughter of William and Annie (Merry) Scallan, of New York, both of whom were on the stage. Mrs. Bunny herself became an actress at an early age and it was through her work that she met Mr. Bunny. To them two children were born, George Henry and John, now (1916) aged twen-
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ty-three and twenty-one years, respec- tively.
The personal character of John Bunny was a very marked one ; like almost all of the men whose function is to make us laugh he had a deeply serious side to his nature which, however, never eclipsed the kindliness and good cheer that seemed to radiate from him. It did strongly influ- ence his purposes and ambitions, how- ever, which were of a high type and very serious matters to himself. His ideal of his profession and function was extremely high and he had already accomplished and anticipated taking part in other work which should prove of eminent value to thousands of people. One of the things he enjoyed most was taking the part of the immortal Pickwick, the scenes for the picture being made upon the very roads used by Dickens as the background of his great work, and he had an even more am- bitious project in view, involving a jour- ney to Spain and much elaborate prepara- tion for a setting of Don Quixote, and other of the great Spanish romances and plays. The feeling wellnigh of idolatry with which he was regarded by the masses of people never altered these ambitions in the smallest, nor did it change the essen- tial democracy of his nature, which led him to treat all whom he came in contact with as his friends and brothers. Emi- nently characteristic of the sane and pleasant view which he took of the world and life was his disposal of the wealth that came to him. He left, it is said, practically nothing at his death, but every week of his life he shared equally his sal- ary with his wife, thus providing for her most amply now that his great earning power has ceased entirely. He was the kindliest of men and devoted to his fam- ily, fulfilling all the relations of private life with the same consistency that he did the more conspicuous tasks of his public career.
SLOAN, Samuel,
Prominent Business Man.
The late Samuel Sloan, of Rochester, New York, was one of those men whose lives and characters form, the underlying structure upon which are built the hopes of American institutions. The careers of such men as he show the possibilities open in a commonwealth like New York to those who possess good business abil- ities, and the high integrity that informs alike the good citizen and the good busi- ness man. His ambition along the worth- iest lines, his perseverance, his steadfast- ness of purpose and tireless industry, all jurnish lessons to the young business man of coming generations, and the well earned success and esteem he gained prove the inevitable result of the practice of these virtues. His whole life was de- voted to the highest and best, and all his endeavors were for the furtherance of those noble ideals he made the rule of his daily life. The success he won as a busi- ness man never elated him unduly, nor caused him to vary from the modest sim- plicity of his manner. His was a nature of singular sweetness, openness and sin- cerity, and he probably never had an enemy. Any estimate of his character, however, would be unjust did it not point to the natural ability and keen mental gifts which he improved by daily and hourly use. He succeeded better than the average business man because he had a wider intellectual equipment than the ordinary shrewd business man. He had a profound knowledge of human nature, his judgment was sound and unerring, his personality strong and dominating, and his power over other men was not the result of aggressiveness, but of the mo- mentum of character.
Samuel Sloan, son of Timothy Sloan, was born near Belfast, Ireland, in 1828, and died in Rochester, New York, Sep-
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tember 1, 1903. He was educated in his native country, and he soon realized the fact that the New World offered better opportunities for advancement to a young man of energy and ambition, and, imbued with this idea, he came to the United States in 1848. Upon his arrival here he at once set about securing a suitable posi- tion, and this he found in the first whole- sale dry goods house on Broadway, New York City. This house was largely en- gaged in the Australian shipping busi- ness, and as it became necessary to send a representative of the business to Mel- bourne, Australia, in 1854, Mr. Sloan was selected for this responsible post, and rep- resented the interests of the firm in Aus- tralia until 1860, when he returned to this country. Shortly after his return, he took up his residence in Rochester, New York, where he became associated in a business partnership with R. E. Sherlock, in the conduct of a steam and gas fitting busi- ness, the firm name being Sherlock & Sloan. This association was a mutually profitable one, the business expanding from time to time, until it was broken by the death of Mr. Sherlock, when Mr. Sloan became the sole proprietor. Gradu- ally the sale of plumbers', steamfitters' and engineers' supplies had been added, until the business had grown to one of much importance, and the annual sales were correspondingly large. In the mean- time Mr. Sloan had become more or less closely identified with a number of other business interests of varied character and scope. In financial circles he was a factor to be reckoned with, and was president of the Mechanics' Savings Bank, and a mem- ber of the board of directors of the Gene- see Valley Trust Company. The private life of Mr. Sloan was as useful and ex- emplary as his public career. In the cause of religion he was an active worker, and served as elder of the Central Presby-
terian Church for more than thirty years, while his material support of this institu- tion was a most generous one. His dona- tions to charitable purposes were also large, and he was a member of the board of directors of the Rochester City Hos- pital, and one of the original trustees of the Reynolds Library. His personal in- terest in both of these institutions never abated, and he furthered their advance- ment and growth to the best of his ability.
Mr. Sloan married (first) in 1865, Mary Eveline Vosburgh, who died in 1882; hẹ married (second) 1885, Mrs. Hanna (Cur- tis) Jones, who died in 1897. By his first marriage he had one son, William Eyres . Sloan, who is now at the head of the large establishment founded by his father. It may truly be said of Samuel Sloan that earnestness and thoroughness were the keynotes of his character. The serious spirit which marked the commencement of his business career remained with him throughout his life. He could not do any- thing without putting his entire mind and heart into the undertaking, and under those conditions, it was but natural that success should attend his efforts.
LATUS, George,
Business Man.
The due reward of merit, it is often claimed, is generally withheld until death has rendered its payment vain and a tardy honor paid to the memory of him whose right was recognition in his lifetime is all that can be done to make amends for past neglect. It is probable, however, that this is less the case in communities where truly democratic institutions prevail, such as the United States, than of other parts of the world, since the peoples of these communities are ever on the outlook for ability and talent which are recognized as the most valuable of marketable commodi-
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ties. It was surely not true in the case of George Latus, whose name heads this brief article and whose death on April 17, 1915, was a loss to the whole community, for from his youth onward his business capacity met with the recognition it de- served, and he forged for himself a promi- nent place in the business world and a position of regard in the hearts of his fellow citizens. New York City was the scene of his life-long activities and his home until within a few years of his death, when he removed to Mount Ver- non, without, however, giving up the busi- ness connections in the city.
George Latus was born November 6, 1852, in that part of New York City that, perhaps, more than any other, retains its old-time atmosphere, Greenwich Village, as it is still known. Here he passed many years of his life and here it was that he engaged in business. After completing his education, which he did at the local public schools, Mr. Latus entered the butcher's business, establishing himself at No. 124 Greenwich avenue, where the enterprise prospered from the outset. The success that he met with was fully de- served for he brought to his work the ut- most devotion and the soundest of busi- ness principles were observed by him in all his dealings. It was in the year 1880, when Mr. Latus was twenty-eight years of age, that he founded the butcher busi- ness, and during the thirty-five years in which he continued it there was a steady increase of trade until it was one of the largest houses of the kind in that neigh- borhood. In spite of the fact that he re- moved to Mount Vernon in 1909, he con- tinued to actively manage its affairs until his death.
On December 21, 1872, Mr. Latus was united in marriage with Caroline Bender, of New York City, a daughter of Theo- bold and Caroline (Brown) Bender, of
that place. To them were born two chil- dren, Caroline, now Mrs. F. A. M. Bryant, of Mount Vernon, and Julia, now Mrs. A. Q. Elgar, of Wakefield. Mr. Latus is sur- vived by his wife and two daughters, the former at the present time making her home at No. 118 South Eighth avenue, Mount Vernon.
KIPP, George Washington, Representative Citizen.
In the death of George W. Kipp the city of Ossining lost one of its most prominent, influential and useful citizens. He was a man of the highest integrity, of warm heart and generous impulses, de- voted, next to his home and family, to the promotion of the public welfare and the improvement of the condition of man- kind. Mr. Kipp was descended from a very early American family, which was a very ancient one in Holland. The name is of Dutch origin and has been promi- nently identified with New York from a very early period continuing down to the present day. There is some dispute of authorities as to the parentage of the im- migrant ancestor, who was probably de- scended from Rulof Kype, of Holland. The name was sometimes written Kype after its arrival here.
Henry Hendricksen Kip came before 1643 to New Amsterdam with his wife (probably Tryntje Droogh) and five chil- dren. That he was a man of consequence is shown by the fact that his arms were painted on one of the stained windows in the first Dutch church of New York. He was a tailor by occupation and is some- times called Henry Snyder Kip. He re- ceived a patent, April 28, 1643, of a lot east of the fort on the present Bridge street near Whitehall, where he built house and shop. Being incensed by the cruelty of Director-General Kieft, by
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whose order more than one hundred In- dians, men, women and children, were brutally massacred, he boldly opposed the director-general and refused to join in any recognition of him. The latter was very shortly recalled and immediately there- after Kip became a leading man in the community. He was appointed a member of Governor Stuyvesant's council, Sep- tember 25, 1647, and again in 1649-50. He was appointed schepen, or magistrate, February 2, 1656, and admitted to all the rights and privileges of a burgher, April II, 1657. He subscribed to the oath of allegiance to the British government in October, 1664, and was assessed with others in the following year to pay for the maintenance of soldiers in the garrison. Both he and his wife were members of the Dutch church. He died at Kippen- burg, the date being unrecorded and the location being unknown. Jacob Kipp, second son of Henry H. Kip, was born May 16, 1631, in Amsterdam, Holland, and died about 1690, in New York. In 1647, when sixteen years old, he was a clerk in the provincial secretary's office at New Amsterdam, and in December, 1649, was acting clerk in Director Stuyvesant's council. He was appointed, January 27, 1653, the first secretary of the court of burgomasters and schepens. He resigned this office, June 12, 1657, and engaged in brewing and also conducted a store. He was a member of the board of schepens in 1659, 1662-63-65-75, and was president of the board in 1674. Among others he peti- tioned for the establishment of a village in the Wallabout district, across the East river, where he had lands, but probably never lived there. He, or his father, se- cured a patent of one hundred and fifty acres on the East river at what is still known as Kipp's Bay, and built a house there in 1655. This was rebuilt in 1696 and was occupied a short time during the
Revolution as a headquarters by General Washington. It stood on East Thirty- fifth street and remained until 1851, when it was torn down. His city home was on what is now Exchange place in 1657, and he owned several houses on lots in that vicinity, his residence being in 1665 on Broad street near Exchange place and probably continued there until 1674. In 1686 his residence was described as "be- yond the fresh water," probably meaning the farm homestead above described. He married, March 8, 1654, Maria, daughter of Dr. Johannes and Rachel (Monjour) de la Montagne, born January 26, 1637, at sea off Madeira, while the parents were en route for America. She was living in 1701. Dr. de la Montagne was born in 1592, a Huguenot of great learning, and served in the governor's council and as vice-director at Fort Orange (Albany). Johannes Kipp, eldest child of Jacob and Maria (de la Montagne) Kipp, was bap- tized February 21, 1655, in New York, and was a brewer in that town, where he died in 1704. He married, September 4, 1681, Catharine, daughter of Dr. Hans and Sara (Roelofs) Kierstede. Benjamin Kipp, youngest child of Johannes and Catharine (Kierstede) Kipp, was born in 1703, and settled in Westchester county, New York, where he purchased a farm of four hundred acres, and died May 24, 1782. He served as justice of the peace under the Colonial government. He mar- ried Dorothy Davenport, who died Sep- tember 3, 1807. Abraham Kipp, third son of Benjamin and Dorothy (Davenport) Kipp, was born March 23, 1743, in New York City, and married Phebe, daugh- ter of Samuel Haight. Samuel Kipp, only son of Abraham and Phebe (Haight) Kipp, married Elizabeth Cypher, and they were the parents of Abram Kipp, born in September, 1798, in New York, died at Sing Sing, April 30, 1887. He was a use-
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ful citizen, engaged in business in Ossin- ing, then called Sing Sing, where he was a furniture dealer and undertaker. He married, April 10, 1822, Sarah Smith, born October 11, 1804, died July 7, 1890, daugh- ter of Caleb Smith, born 1753, and his wife, Elizabeth (Sherwood) Smith, born January 6, 1762, died January 27, 1848. Their children were: Samuel C., Leonard R., Elizabeth A., Benjamin Franklin, Abraham, George Washington and Mary Elizabeth.
George Washington Kipp was born De- cember 16, 1842, at Sing Sing, and grew up in his native place, enjoying the ex- cellent educational advantages afforded by the grammar school of that village. He was an independent and industrious youth, and determined some time before attaining his majority to engage in a busi- ness career. At the age of eighteen years he entered the wholesale dry goods house of Haviland, Lindsay & Company of New York City. Here his keen business sense and devotion to the interest of his em- ployers gained him rapid promotion, and he became one of the most useful em- ployes of the establishment. His leisure time was not spent in dissipation, but he endeavored to improve his knowledge by study and cared for his earnings in a shrewd and proper way, so that he was soon enabled to engage in business on his own account. At the age of twenty-eight years he became a partner with his father in the furniture and undertaking business at Sing Sing, under the title of Abram Kipp & Son. At this time the father was more than seventy years of age, and he very gladly relinquished the responsibilities and principal labors of the business to his son and partner, and in course of time a nephew, S. C. Kipp, Jr., became a partner in the business, which was conducted under the name of G. W. & S. C. Kipp, Jr. The continued success of the business,
which was long ago founded at Ossining, was largely due to the business ability, high character and popularity of George W. Kipp, who had multitudes of friends among the people of Ossining and vicin- ity. In the early days of the business the facilities and methods now in vogue did not prevail, but Mr. Kipp was always alert for opportunities to improve his business, and every improvement was adopted by him among the first. He was gifted with a high order of intelligence, and his kind and affable manner, his sin- cere sympathy with the unfortunate and bereaved, and his prompt and careful at- tention to every detail gained him great popularity, and he continued to prosper until his death, which occurred January 10, 1908.
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