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Michael Rickard was born February 2, 1837, in the little village of East Creek, New York, a son of Thomas and Eliza- beth (Gorman) Rickard, old and highly respected residents of the place. His early years were spent, however, at Little Falls, New York, in which city he at- tended school and received his education. It was during this portion of his life, spent as it was in the splendid climate and invigorating rural surroundings of Central New York State, that Mr. Rick- ard acquired that rugged physical health that stood him in such good stead in after life and in the midst of heavy labors.
While still little more than a lad he gave up his studies and began his long associ- ation with the railroads that was to lead into so brilliant a career. Little did he imagine that this would come about, ex- cept in the more or less vague way in which youth always plans for future ac- complishment, nor is it to be wondered at that it was scarcely to be foreseen, when it is considered that his first associ- ation with the railroads was in that most humble capacity of train hand. However, Mr. Rickard was no ordinary train hand and he filled one after another the vari- ous ranks that intervened between that and the responsible position of engineer, filled them for much shorter periods than most of his fellows, pushed ahead, as he was from rank to rank. And yet this preliminary part of his career was, as a matter of fact, the longest part of it. Mr. Rickard was gifted with the ability of carrying out his duties in whatever posi- tion he happened to be placed with the closest observance of detail, and yet, at the same time, regarded these duties and the position itself in their larger aspects It was for this reason that he soon be- came a great leader among his fellow engineers and a particularly influential figure in the powerful organization known as the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engi- neers. At about this time he removed from Little Falls and came to the city of Utica to live, and it was here that he played an active part in the affairs of this order. But it was not by any means to this in- terest that Mr. Rickard confined his en- ergies, however much he might feel its importance. He rightly felt that the way to exercise the strongest influence upon the conditions that he had at heart to alter was not merely as an engineer, how- ever sincere and strong a one, but rather as a public man, a man who was popular and wielded influence with all classes of
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people. Then, too, his interests were of a kind not to be confined to any one de- partment of affairs, and it was conse- quently the most natural thing in the world that he should begin to participate in the public affairs of Utica shortly after he had come there to dwell. He was a member of the Democratic party and allied himself with the local organization thereof and soon made his voice promi- nently heard in the party councils. His influence, indeed, soon began to make it- self felt outside of the immediate neigh- borhood and he began to have a State- wide reputation as a forceful and intelli- gent speaker. In the year 1888 he re- ceived the appointment as a New York State railroad commissioner and at once found himself in a position to most effec- tively carry out the reforms he had so long set his mind upon. He quickly set himself to introduce and urgently press upon both bodies of the State Legislature such reform legislation as he thought most desirable, a matter not at all easy of accomplishment, as anyone who knows the ways of legislatures will testify, but which he accomplished with remarkable success, and so became the originator of much of the recent railroad legislation in New York. He now began to be recog- nized as one of the State leaders of the party and found it convenient to remove bis home to Albany where he continued to reside during the remainder of his life. During the years that followed he held many offices and in all of them served with distinction and made for himself a reputation as a disinterested and efficient public servant.
Mr. Rickard was prominent in the so- cial and club circles of Albany and to some extent of New York City and was a member of the Manhattan Club and others in the latter place. In his religious belief Mr. Rickard was a Catholic and all
his life was an ardent worker in the cause of the church, liberally supporting the parish of the Cathedral in Albany, of which he was for long a member, espe- cially its philanthropic work.
On September 21, 1866, Mr. Rickard was united in marriage with Elizabeth Collins, a daughter of Patrick and Han- nah (Cashman) Collins, of Amsterdam, New York, where also she was born. To theni were born five children as follows: Jane, now the wife of Frederick Howell, of Albany; Raymond, who resides in Albany; Emmett, deceased; May, who resides in Albany; and Edward, a resi- dent of New York City. Mrs. Rickard survives her husband and is still living in the charming home at No. 379 State street, Albany, New York.
VAN LEUVEN, Cornelius Myer, Agriculturist, Prominent Citizen.
There is no part of the country more completely invested with the atmosphere of our romantic past than the Valley of the Hudson River from its mouth to its headwaters. And there is no region that enjoys a more lavish dispensing on the part of nature of its charms and beauties, so that these together combine to make it one of the most delightful spots in which a man can make his home. The abrupt yet gracious scenery is clothed with countless traditions from the far-off, half- magic legends of the most poetic of the Indian peoples down to the stirring facts associated with the birth of our own people and their final consolidation as a nation. Of all the elements that went to form the new and great people of the youthful republic, none took a more im- portant part in the process than the Dutch who settled in this Hudson Valley and the country adjacent, none that gave its char- acter to the romantic associations more
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completely, nor colored the subsequent development of the society there. It was with the career of these great people that the romantic eye of Washington Irving was most particularly charmed, and it was his pen more than any other that has crystallized those dim traditions into the famous tales that reconstruct for us and for the future a social status possessing a most definite and characteristic beauty of its own. Many of the descendants of these worthy and courageous people, who braved the wilderness and all its un- known perils, still inhabit the neighbor- hood of their father's exploits and the names that were then prominent are prominent to-day. A striking example of this is to be found in the well-known Van Leuven family of which the late Cor- nelius Myer Van Leuven was a distin- guished representative, and which from early days down to the present has held a prominent place in the regard of the community. Although not a native of Kingston, New York, Mr. Van Leuven's career was identified with that prosper- ous city and his death there on December 5, 1888, was a very real loss to the city generally.
Cornelius Myer Van Leuven was a son of Andrew and Lea (Myer) Van Leuven, and was descended on both sides of the house from old and prominent families of the State, his mother's family, the Myers, having been conspicuous in the life of Albany county for many years. The birth of Cornelius M. Van Leuven took place on August 7, 1803, probably at Rens- selaerville, Albany county. It was here that he spent the early years of his life and received his education and formed all the associations of childhood. When a very young man his parents removed to Kings- ton with their entire family and this place was his home from that time until the close of his life. His parents, with the
remainder of the family, removed to the Western part of New York State and set- tled in the vicinity of the little town of Lyons, remaining there until the former died, when the children went still further west and made their home in Michigan. Cornelius M., on the contrary, remained in Kingston, where he had already formed strong ties, his marriage being the greatest of these, besides which he also had business interests. When the Van Leuvens had first come to Kingston they had purchased a fine farm situated on what was then known as the old Plank road, now the Delaware Pike road, where Andrew Van Leuven carried on successful farming operations for a number of years. With his marriage, however, Cornelius M. Van Leuven became the owner of a valuable farm, for many years the old De- Witt homestead upon which stood one of the most charming of the old farmhouses in that region. The old DeWitt mansion was a perfect model of the colonial archi- tecture of the eighteenth century, when it was built, and until its destruction a few years ago was one of the landmarks of the countryside. Here Mr. Van Leuven continued to reside and was highly suc- cessful as a farmer during the remainder of his life.
Mr. Van Leuven was a prominent figure in the general life of the commu- nity where he resided and was identified with many important movements under- taken with the welfare of the city as their objective. A Whig in politics, he was an ardent worker in the cause of his party but, being of a retiring nature, he con- sistently refused all offers of public office, preferring to remain in private life and exert what influence he could in that ca- pacity. He was a member of the Agri- cultural Society of Kingston and active in the interests of the farmers in that local- ity. In the matter of religion he was
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affiliated with the Dutch Reformed church, being a life-long member of the First Church of that denomination in Kingston and very prominent in its work. He was a member of its consistory for many years and gave liberally to the many philanthropic movements connected with the work. Like himself all the members of his family were connected with this church, and like himself all were strongly religious in their beliefs and feelings.
Mr. Van Leuven married Mrs. De Witt, the widow of Isaac DeWitt, a prominent Kingston farmer and a member of one of the oldest New York families, through whom the farm already mentioned be- came first the property of his wife and later, through her second marriage, passed into the hands of the Van Leuvens. Mrs. Van Leuven was herself one of a very old and prominent New York family, being descended from ancestors on both sides of the house who were residents of those parts before the Revolution. Before her first marriage she was Margaret Van Keuren, of Kingston. Her mother, Mrs. Van Keuren, was a Miss Sleight and in this family there has descended a house even more interesting, if possible, than the old DeWitt mansion. The Sleight house is still standing, and having been erected in pre-Revolutionary days has seen some stirring times in the course of its existence. It was partially destroyed during the Revolution when the British soldiers burned Kingston, but being built of stone it resisted the flames better than most of its neighbors and to this day the original walls and floors are in place. The old house stands on the corner of Green and John streets, Kingston, and has al- ways been in the possession of the Sleight family which, like itself, has been identi- fied with Kingston since the days before American independence. Mrs. Van Leu- ven was the mother of two daughters by
her former marriage when she wedded Mr. Van Leuven, both daughters now deceased ; and had two children by her sec- ond marriage, a boy and a girl : James and Mary, the former deceased. The son, James, was born in Kingston, and after obtaining his education at the local schools engaged there in farming and later in the banking business, and was president of the New York State Bank of Kingston. He was married, September 30, 1875, at Kingston, to Ann Benson, a daughter of Anthony and Jeanette (Ten Eyck) Benson, of Kingston. They were the parents of one son, Cornelius, who was born May 27, 1880, and married Eleanor Chase Emerson, of Wilmington, North Carolina, where they now live. One child, Lillie Emerson Van Leuven, was born to them, April 8, 1907. The second child of Cornelius Myer and Margaret (Van Keu- ren) Van Leuven, Mary, still makes her home in Kingston where she is a well- known figure in the best social circles. She is keenly interested in the local his- tory of her native town and the whole surrounding district and is a great stu- dent in genealogical matters especially with reference to the many distinguished houses from which she traces her descent.
Cornelius Myer Van Leuven was a man of a type which is valuable in any com- munity. Perfectly content with the call- ing of his fathers for generations, he brought to his agricultural operations a keen intellect and a progressive character that made of it a great success and placed him among the most prominent citizens of the place. His judgment in all matters was most excellent and he made use of every opportunity to the full. The city of Kingston owes him much for the pub- lic-spirited way in which he handled his own interests and those of a semi-public character, which doubtless resulted in stimulating its affairs. He was perfectly
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devoted to his immediate family and found no other happiness so great as the intimate intercourse with his own house- hold about his own fireside.
EILINGER, Frederick Rudolph, Expert Chemist.
Frederick R. Eilinger, who had been in the employ of the city of Rochester as chemist to the board of health for a quar- ter of a century, and in point of service the oldest officer of that important board, was born June II, 1863, son of Henry and Mary (Hussong) Eilinger, of Germany, and his death occurred in Rochester, New York, March 15, 1916.
The early life of Frederick Rudolph Eilinger was spent in attending the Ger- man private schools of Rochester, com- pleting his studies at the age of seventeen years, when he became an employee in a drug store, and later he attended a school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and sub- sequently graduated at the College of Pharmacy, Philadelphia. He was ap- pointed city chemist by the Common Council, in 1891, Dr. J. J. A. Burke then being chief of the department of health, and he was succeeded by Dr. Sibley, both of whom are now deceased. Later Dr. George W. Goeler became head of the department and he came to rely upon his chemist's judgment and long experience as had his predecessors. Mr. Eilinger was a close friend of Dr. Goeler, who collaborated with him in his work. Mr. Eilinger was connected with the board of health during all the long years in which the milk campaign was being waged, and it was due to him, as much as any one, that the technical details for both the chemical and bacteriological ex- aminations of milk were prosecuted. Ex- actness was his hobby and he could do the same kind of work over a thousand times, and the last analysis would be as
carefully done as the first. In all his work he was singularly fair, and the men whom he appeared against in court, as well as those for whom he appeared, had a like respect for him. His conclusions carried with them the weight of an authority and were never seriously questioned. He gave his life to the service of the city, having no other professional interests, and his devotion to the cause of public health was remarkable and continued the ruling passion of his life until its very end. He was particularly valuable in the position he filled so long, not alone for his technical and professional knowledge, but for his conscientious performance of his duty, and to him is given the major credit for Rochester's preëminence among American cities in the purity of milk sold in the city. Mr. Eilinger was a mem- ber of Valley Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons; Tippecanoe Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows; and Flower City Lodge, Independent Order of Foresters. He was a good student, a careful chemist, a delightful companion, and was highly regarded by all who knew him.
Mr. Eilinger married, July 26, 1914, Jennie Sodeman, of Attica, New York, who survives him, daughter of Charles and Sophia (Witman) Sodeman.
PARKER, Charles,
Expert Mining Engineer.
The great enterprise and ability so characteristic of the race from which he was sprung was exhibited in a unusual- ly high degree in the career of Charles Parker. His life was passed in the most various parts of the world, in the pur- suit of a calling requiring the extreme of courage, coolness and initiative, and the versatility displayed by him in meeting new conditions and the courage in carry- ing into effect what his judgment directed formed the basis of his success.
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Born at Inverness, Scotland, on May 15, 1860, Charles Parker came of a family in which culture and a high degree of education were traditions. From the ear- liest years of his life it had been arranged that he should be no exception to this and his father sent him accordingly to the best schools where he quickly proved him- self a student of unusual aptness and dili- gence. Upon completing this prepara- tory course, he went to England and en- tered Kings College at Oxford. At this famous university he carried on a very extensive series of studies and maintained in all of them the high reputation as a student which he had already gained in school. The atmosphere of Oxford and its wonderful traditions operated strong- ly on the imagination of the young man and gave him a very strong taste for the life of scholarship which he had such ample opportunity of witnessing there. It was an age, however, when science was beginning to take the immense place which it now occupies in our studies and Mr. Parker's practical Scotch mind in- clined him to the scientific side of the curriculum in as far as his choice for a career in life went. He did not, however, neglect the classical aspect entirely, and at his final graduation he was the posses- sor of many degrees, both academic and scientific. At the age of twenty-one, he left Great Britain entirely and came to the United States where he took a course of civil engineering at the well-known Stevens Institute at Hoboken, New Jer- sey. He also attended Columbia Uni- versity and studied the subject of phar- macy there. Of an extremely enterpris- ing nature, it was Mr. Parker's great de- sire to see the world and he felt himself amply prepared to earn his livelihood in any quarter in which he might happen to locate. Leaving the East he went to the prosperous and progressive City of
Seattle, Washington, where he practiced pharmacy for about one year. The great mining interests of the West, however, appealed to his fondness for enterprise and afforded an unusually fine opportu- nity for the use of his many scientific acquirements. He became a mining en- gineer and followed that profession throughout the remainder of his life. This is not a profession calculated to al- low a man to remain settled in any one place for a great period and certainly Mr. Parker's life bears witness to this fact. Western America was traversed pretty thoroughly by him, his first important business being near Leadville, Colorado, in the little mining settlement of Granite. Here he remained upwards of three years and then went to British Columbia where he stayed in various places aggregating about the same period. Returning to the United States, he was engaged in mining operations in Oregon for some five years and once more spent about a year in the City of Seattle, but North America was not the only region in which Mr. Parker carried on his activities. For some time he stayed in Peru and other parts of South America and later still was en- gaged in extensive operations in the great mining region of South Africa. He be- came very prominently known in his pro- fession throughout the world and was re- garded as a high authority on many min- ing questions. A strong and decisive per- sonality and a readiness to take advan- tage of opportunities quickly, added to his great technical knowledge of his sub- ject, made him a highly successful opera- tor and brought him to the front of his profession. During the latter part of his life it was his business to promote mines and in this branch of his work he had connections in all parts of the world. It is scarcely needful to say that he was an immense traveler and few men have been
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more continually busy than was he. He by no means lost touch with the affairs and interests of his native country and his name was well-known in many scientific circles there. He was a member of the Mining and Metallurgical Institute of England, of the Institute of Civil Engi- neers of that country and a Fellow of the Royal Geological Society of London. He was also a member of the Horticultural Society of England and was all his life highly interested in the scientific culture of plants.
Mr. Parker was united in marriage, on November 28, 1893, at Yonkers, New York, with Adelaide Scott, a daughter of Archibald and Jane (Dimond) Scott, of New York City. Mrs. Parker, like him- self, was of Scotch descent. For some time they lived at Leadville, Colorado, and then Mrs. Parker accompanied her husband to the various points in the United States that his business led him. Upon his leaving the United States for South America, she returned to the East and made her home in Yonkers, and that city was Mr. Parker's headquarters from that time until his death. He and Mrs. Parker had a delightful home there and in spite of the many absences which the nature of his business required, a great part of the former's time was spent there. It was there that his death finally oc- curred, on December 15, 1914. To Mr. and Mrs. Parker three children were born : Adelaide Helen, Ethel Winifred and Mar- guerite Florence. Mr. Parker is survived by his wife and children.
ROMER,William, Lawyer,
The legal profession has even been ably and worthily represented at White Plains, and prominent among those later mem- bers who during the last thirty years and
more fully maintained its old-time pres- tige was the late William Romer, not many years deceased. Mr. Romer had a long and brilliant professional record and before coming to White Plains had been one of the ornaments of the bar of the City of New York.
William Romer was born at Pleasant- ville, and was the son of James H. Romer. His literary education was liberal and his professional equipment prepared him to take the high place at the bar which he afterward attained. For many years he had an office in New York City, situated in the World Building, and the large practice which he built up and for many years retained proved that natural talent no less than thorough equipment had fitted him for his chosen profession. He possessed to an unusual degree the judi- cial mind and his acute perceptions and readiness of resource, combined with his wealth of legal knowledge, rendered him a formidable antagonist. Eventually, Mr. Romer was forced by impaired health to relinquish his work in New York and to withdraw to the comparative quiet and seclusion of White Plains. Here his pro- fessional duties were less onerous and it thus became possible for him to indulge his taste for reading and literary pursuits. These were far from being solely the result of education, his years at Wesleyan University, of which institution he was a graduate, having merely fostered what nature had already implanted. He was especially interested in local history and after taking up his abode at White Plains made a study of its records and traditions as well as of those of Westchester county. On this subject he was a recognized authority, being frequently appealed to for the settlement of disputed points. Mr. Romer was a brilliant conversationalist and a man of most attractive personality. His friends were legion and he numbered
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among them many of the prominent men of the State. Among the organizations to which he belonged was the Westches- ter Bar Association and at the time of his death he was the oldest member of that body. He was a member of St. Paul's Methodist Protestant Church.
Mr. Romer married Elgiva E., daugh- ter of George H. Purser, of Yonkers, New York, and they were the parents of two sons: William Purser and Charles H. To the ties of home and kindred Mr. Romer was always sincerely devoted and his happiest hours were those passed at his own fireside.
The loss of such a man to his commu- nity leaves a void better imagined than described. When, on August 30, 1913, this venerable lawyer, useful citizen and worthy man was gathered to his fathers the sense of bereavement was well-nigh universal. He was in the seventy-ninth year of his age and for thirty years had been a resident of White Plains. Even now, so vividly remembered is he that his friends and neighbors almost expect to meet him in the places where he was so long a familiar and revered presence. In the annals of the Westchester county bar are inscribed many names to which the present members point with just and laudable pride, but truly can it be said that not one among them represents a record longer or in all respects more un- impeachably honorable than that of Wil- liam Romer.
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