USA > New York > Noted living Albanians and state officials. A series of biographical sketches > Part 29
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In 1881 Dr. Trego married Jessie, the youngest daughter of George W. Carpenter, Esq., superintendent of the Albany Water works. But after a married life of about fourteen months, this happy union was sadly terminated by the sud- den demise of Mrs. Trego, the circumstances of which are still fresh in the memory of many of our citizens.
Seeking to promote the physical welfare of the public in the exercise of his best skill in the relief of pain and suffer- ing among both young and old, and in also advocating whatever tends to advance the moral and social condition of the people, Dr. Trego, now in the prime of life and in the midst of an active professional career, has already gained no little distinction among those great and brilliant names which shine as stars in the firmament of the medical world.
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GILBERT MILLIGAN TUCKER.
O NE of the most earnest, active and successful journal- istic workers in Albany is Gilbert M. Tucker, one of the editors and proprietors of the Cultivator and Country Gentleman. He was born in Albany on the 26th of August, 1847, and is a son of the late Luther Tucker, who, in the year 1831, established the old Genesee Farmer, now consolidated with the Cultivator and Country Gentle- man. The elder Mr. Tucker, dying in 1873, left the manage- ment of the paper to his two sons, Luther H. and Gilbert M. The eldest son, Luther, is still at the head of the firm, while, during recent years, Gilbert has been the principal active member most of the time. The other son in this gifted family is Willis G. Tucker, the well-known physician and scientist of this city, a biographical sketch of whom is in- cluded in the present series.
Gilbert M. Tucker, the subject of this sketch, inheriting the high literary abilities of his father, early evinced a great desire to lay out for himself a purely literary career. When about ten years of age he was sent to the Albany Boys' acad- emy, where he spent several years, and in 1865, at the age of eighteen, he had the satisfaction of entering the junior class of Williams college, Massachusetts. Applying him . self with renewed ardor to his books, he was graduated in
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1867, with honor, standing second in his class. During his college life Mr. Tucker paid special attention to English composition, and thus early laid the foundation of his terse, vigorous style; and after graduation it was with compara- tive ease that he took up his pen in an editorial capacity. In 1867 he was taken into the editorial staff of the Country Gentleman, on which he has continued ever since to enrich its columns and advance its popularity, until to-day it is the most widely-circulated publication of the kind in the country. In thousands of the homes of farmers through our land no secular periodical is a more welcome weekly visitor at the fireside than this popular journal. And it may truly be said that there is not a subject of any interest or import- ance to the agriculturist but is ably and thoroughly treated in the light of modern discoveries and improvements, in its interesting and attractive columns. Mr. Tucker's editorial duties are onerous and his literary exertions unremitting. He only allows himself a brief summer vacation. He finds his chief recreation in the study of language, especially that of the English, turning to practical account most of his in- vestigations in this line. While thus employed, year after year, he has taken particular pains to gather around him the principal authorities on linguistic lore. And he has already quite a large private collection of books on philo- logy, particularly dictionaries, including all modern English dictionaries of any note, and a number of those of older date. He has read three able papers on subjects con- nected with the history and right use of English before the Albany institute, which have been printed in its trans- actions. He has also contributed articles on English and other topics to the North American Review, the New Eng- lander and the Presbyterian Review.
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Mr. Tucker was the first person to urge the adoption of a rational system of naming our streets on the numerical plan. He presented a complete scheme to the Albany in- stitute in 1883, proposing that the north-and-south streets be numbered, beginning with Eagle as First, and that the east-and west streets be called avenues, beginning with Liv- ingston avenue as First. North of Livingston Avenue he would use letters, calling Colonie street Avenue A, and so on. The first part of this plan, relating to the north and south streets, has been taken up recently by the committee of the common council, and there seems to be some pros- pect that it will ultimately be adopted, though still opposed by many persons.
In 1887 Mr. Tucker erected a handsome brown stone front house on State street, No. 304, its interior being - tastefully furnished and its walls adorned with oil paintings and other artistic works. And here in his library he finds great pleasure mornings and evenings, in pursuing his liter- ary work, away from the more hurried and confining requisi- tions in the office of the Country Gentleman.
Since 1871 Mr. Tucker has been a member of the Albany institute. For some years he was chairman of its publish- ing committee, and is now its treasurer. He is a member of the American Dialect Society and their Bibliography is merely a continuation of one prepared by him and published in the Albany Institute Transactions. He is also a member of the Fort Orange club, the Press and Ridgefield Athletic club, and the Young Men's Christian association; and a life member of the Young Men's association and the New York State Agricultural society.
In his religious views Mr. Tucker is of the Presbyterian faith, and for several years he has been a member of the
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session of the Second Presbyterian church, Albany. In politics he is a republican.
In 1877 Mr. Tucker married Miss Sara Edwards Miller, a daughter of the late Rev. Dr. William A. Miller, who is still affectionately remembered in Albany, for his Christian works and labors of love in the Dutch Reformed commu- nion. They have two children, and their home is both pleasant and cheerful.
Mr. Tucker is of medium height, rather slender in form, with dark hair and beard; of a courteous bearing and studi- ous habits, with a large forehead, indicative of no little mental force, and a faculty capable of elucidating deep or obscure subjects in general science and literature.
WILLIS GAYLORD TUCKER.
F ORTY-ONE years ago an Albanian, who has already gained an enviable reputation in the medical, scientific and educational world, first saw the light of day. Willis G. Tucker, the subject of this sketch, was born in Albany on the 31st day of October, 1849. His father, the late Luther Tucker, possessed talents of a high order, and his work as a writer and publisher, especially in the direction of agricul- tural science, has long been highly appreciated by the public. This noble pioneer in periodical literature established in 1826 the Rochester Daily Advertiser, the first daily newspaper published west of Albany, still continued under the name of the Rochester Union and Advertiser, a leading and success- ful journal. Fully impressed with the lack among Ameri- can farmers of suitable agricultural information, Mr. Tucker established in the beginning of the year 1831, the Genesee Farmer, which soon won its way into general recognition by leading agriculturists throughout the land, and having pur- chased a farm near Rochester he took especial pride in its cultivation in connection with the management of his new publication. Removing to Albany in 1840 he combined the Cultivator of Albany with his journal, and issued the same as The Cultivator; a consolidation of Buel's Cultivator and the Genesee Farmer. In 1853 he established The Country
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Gentleman, a weekly, with which, in 1866, The Cultivator was combined, and this popular journal is still published by two of Mr. Tucker's sons. Much useful, practical knowl- edge was disseminated in these agricultural papers, tending to further the successful cultivation of the soil, to lessen the labor of the husbandman and aiming to show the means best adapted for obtaining the most profitable results by the tillers of the land. It was a labor of love for Mr. Tucker to write in the interests of husbandry, and the suggestions which he made and the improvements which he introduced came to be generally adopted by those for whom he wrote, and especially by the more intelligent and scientific agricul- turists.
Well does the writer of this sketch remember with what avidity the old Genesee Farmer and Cultivator was received and read at the old-time firesides, and how the name of Luther Tucker came to be a household word in numerous families, who regarded his paper as almost indispensable in their households.
From his childhood Willis G. Tucker evinced a fondness for the natural sciences, and he was early instructed in their elementary principles, and made many youthful experiments in this direction. His habit of thought and natural inclina- tions early indicated that he might eventually devote him- self to scientific pursuits, and at the Albany academy, where eight years were spent, he came under the instruction of teachers whose influence was in every way most benefi- cial. Under the guidance of the late Dr. Jacob S. Mosher he devoted himself assiduously to the study of chemistry, and graduating from the academy in 1866, he became Dr. Mosher's assistant in the laboratory of the medical college, which position he had occupied for some time before leaving
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the academy. A year later he entered the office of the late Prof. James H. Armsby and began the study of medicine, but he still continued to devote much of his time to the study of chemistry and other branches of natural science. From the medical college he was graduated in 1870, but never actively engaged in the practice of medicine; and during the succeeding year he was appointed assistant pro- fessor of chemistry in the medical college, and in 1874, lec- turer on materia medica as well. On the reorganization of the faculty in 1876 he was made professor of inorganic and analytical chemistry, and in 1887 the department of toxicol- ogy was also assigned to him. During these years he has conducted the laboratory classes in practical chemistry in connection with the lectures given ; and as a teacher has been most successful in kindling new ardor and love for science and the method of scientific inquiry in the pupils who have come under his instruction.
In this capacity his relations with the college are still continued with an increasing reputation and a wide-spread usefulness. But Dr. Tucker's work as an instructor has not been confined to the Albany Medical college alone. Since 1874 he has been lecturer on chemistry at St. Agnes' school, and at different times he has been professor of chemistry at the Albany academy, the Albany Female academy, and from 1876 to 1887, at the Albany High school. Largely through his instrumentality, in 1881, was founded the Albany College of Pharmacy, created by the board of governors, as a de- partment of Union university. From the outset he has been professor of chemistry in this new school, and for sev- eral years was its secretary and is now the president of its faculty. From a small beginning he has seen this school grow into one of the most successful of its kind in the land.
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The times require and the law demands a greater degree of scientific knowledge on the part of the pharmacist than was formerly deemed necessary, and this knowledge it is the aim . of colleges of pharmacy to impart. Though established only nine years ago, the Albany College of Pharmacy has received the hearty support of pharmacists throughout the state, and met with a success greater even than its originators had an- ticipated.
The state board of health was created in 1880, and the fol- lowing year Dr. Tucker was appointed one of the public anal- ysts to the board, a position which he has continued to hold to the present time. During these years he has investigated and reported upon many of the public water supplies of the state, examined hundreds of samples of drugs, and made special study of matters pertaining to sanitary science, es- pecially in the direction of food and drug adulteration. For many years he has given much attention to water anal- ysis, and from the outset opposed the plan, afterward adopted, of taking the city supply from the Hudson river. A few years since he analyzed for the city board of health the waters of the public wells, and recommended that the greater part of them be closed. As an expert in medico- legal cases, his services as a toxicologist have frequently been rendered in court and in many cases his testimony has been of much service to the people.
In 1882 Dr. Tucker was chosen registrar of the Albany Medical college, as the successor of the late Dr. Jacob S. Mosher, and he was one of the originators of its alumni as- sociation, and since its organization in 1874, has been its secretary. He is a member of various scientific societies throughout the country and is a fellow of the Chemical soc- iety of London.
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As a writer, Dr. Tucker has been a frequent contributor to scientific journals, particularly on his favorite chemical subjects. His style is plain, forcible and concise, and his statements are founded on the true principles of a demon- strable science. For several years he was one of the editors of the Albany Medical Annals, and contributed to its pages many an original article of his own.
He is a great lover of books and has collected a large li- brary in which most of the great masters in literature are represented, as well as a working library well stocked with the latest authorities and works of reference in science.
The honorary degree of Ph. G. was conferred on him by the Albany College of Pharmacy in 1882, and the same year he received from Union college the degree of Ph. D.
In his personal appearance Dr. Tucker is about the me- dium heighth, slender in form, with a wiry constitution, and a strong sympathetic nature. Scarcely yet in the prime of life, many years of labor are spread out before him - years which in all probability will crown a successful career in the cause of medical and sanitary science.
Sincerely Yours Albert Fander Veen
ALBANY, NY
ALBERT VANDER VEER.
"A wise physician, skill'd our wounds to heal, Is more than armies to the public weal." - POPE - The Iliad.
N ALBANIAN who stands at the head of his profes- sion as a surgeon, and whose fame is extended far beyond the limits of the city, is Dr. Albert Vander Veer. Born in the town of Root, Montgomery county, N. Y., on the Ioth of July, 1841, his earliest days were quietly passed amidst pleasing scenes of rural life. He is a son of Abram H. Vander Veer, who in 1828 erected for tannery purposes the first building at what is now called Rural Grove. He comes from good old Holland stock, a race which has done so much in the interest of colonization, civilization and the development of moral and intellectual powers.
His ancestors on his father's side came from Alkmaar, Holland, in 1639, just nineteen years after the Pilgrim Fathers landed on Plymouth rock, where -
" Amidst the storm they sang, And the stars heard, and the sea;
And the sounding isles of the dim woods rang To the anthem of the free."
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They settled first on Long Island, then in New Jersey. His ancestors on his grandmother's side were also Hollanders of the name of Vancovenhoven, a name which was gradually abbreviated into that of Conover; and this was his grandmother's maiden name. This estimable lady lived amidst stirring times in our country's history. When she was a little girl the battle of Monmouth was fought on the 28th of June, 1778, on her father's farm in New Jersey. She witnessed the terrible conflict on that hot June day, and in the evening heard the groans of the wounded and dying as they were gathered and sheltered in the house and out- buildings of her father, where she carried water to cool their parched lips. In after years she loved to repeat to her children the story of that battlefield, impressing upon them the inestimable blessings of civil liberty.
The Vander Veer family have also been noted for their lofty, undying patriotism. William Vander Veer, a relative of the present doctor, was an officer in the Revolutionary army, and a surgeon in the war of 1812. In the war for the Union Col. Frederick Vander Veer, a cousin of the doctor, commanded a brigade under Hooker, at Lookout Mountain, and was one of the first to scale its rugged sides and plant the " stars and stripes" on its heights. General William Vander Veer, another relative of the doctor, originally settled in Iowa, where he became a member of congress, and also a general in the civil war. He now resides in California. Captain Garret Vander Veer, a brother of the doctor, was one of the bravest young men who died upon our country's altar. The thunder of Sumter's guns stirred his young patriotic spirit into action, and he could not rest till he enlisted in the service, raising a company by his own efforts. He made a splendid officer, but his career was
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cut short. In the fierce fight at Olustee, Fla., in 1863, he was wounded three times during the day, but refused to leave the field or turn his back upon the foe. He fought with desperate bravery, and after the conflict was over, he was removed to Beaufort, where he died of his wounds three days afterward, at the age of thirty-two. Had he lived a few days longer he would have received his commission as lieutenant colonel of the 115th N. Y. Vols. Three years later his remains were brought back to his home in the north and consigned to their last resting place, at Fultonville, N. Y., with martial honors, and amidst the tears of loved ones and the friends of his youth. The G. A R. post at Fultonville is named after this young man of Spartan courage.
Dr. Albert Vander Veer, the subject of our brief memoir, was sent at a tender age to the public school at Palatine. From a child he loved his books, and consequently his pro- gress in the first lessons of education was not slow. In the old school-house at Palatine he was fitted for the Canajo- harie academy, where he became a diligent and successful student, laying the foundation of a substantial intellectual fabric.
But there was one subject that from boyhood engaged his special attention. It was that of medicine, and his inclina- tions were so strong in this direction that when a mere boy he found great interest and satisfaction in dissecting birds and various small animals. The choice of his profession being now fully decided upon, at the age of eighteen he com- menced the study of medicine in the office of Dr. Simeon Snow, of Root, N. Y., the father of Mrs. Vander Veer, and also of the late lamented Dr. Norman L. Snow, of Albany. He was now in his proper element, and for a year studied the various medical text-books with all the enthusiasm and devo-
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tion of a genuine student. He was desirous of learning all that was worth knowing within the range of his profession. To continue his education in a larger sphere he came to Albany and entered the office of Dr. John Swinburne, the well-known surgeon. It was even then his early ambition to rise to eminence in surgery, his chosen field of labor, and how successfully he attained this object his later career has fully shown.
In the autumn of 1861 he attended a course of lectures at the Albany Medical college. The civil war was now raging, and the call for surgeons as well as for soldiers was urgently made. Young Vander Veer, filled with ardor for his pro- fessional work, desired to go to the front, and prepare him- self to attend to the wounded in the field or hospital. He first served at the Ira Harris hospital as a state medical cadet, and in May, 1862, was one of the original " one hun- dred," commissioned as a United States medical cadet, and ordered to report for duty at Columbia College hospital at Washington, D. C. While performing his regular duties at his post he also attended a course of lectures at the Na- tional Medical college there, where he had a wide field for study and observation, and where his attainments in his pro- fession were soon so high that at the close of 1862 this in- stitution conferred upon him the degree of M. D. He was immediately, on examination, commissioned by Surgeon- General S. O. Vanderpoel as an assistant surgeon of the Sixty-sixth regiment of New York volunteers, and in the following year was advanced to the grade of surgeon with the rank of major. In the army he performed most effi- cient service in behalf of the wounded soldiers, working day and night, and trying by all possible means to alleviate their sufferings and save their lives. He served thus faithfully
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with the Sixty-sixth regiment until the close of the war, and was mustered out in September, 1865. His medical record during the war was a splendid one. His experience as a surgeon was of inestimable advantage to himself as well as to his regiment, the fruits of which he has ever since been gathering with abundant success.
Dr. Vander Veer is one of those physicians whose thirst after knowledge pertaining especially to his profession can never be satisfied, and to perfect as far as possible his at- tainments in medical science he attended a full course of lectures in the autumn and winter of 1865 and 1866, at the College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York city. In the spring of 1866 he returned to Albany - the scene of his earlier studies, and established himself in the general prac- tice of his profession, where the passing years ever since have witnessed his remarkable success as a most skillful surgeon.
In the summer of 1869 Dr. Vander Veer was appointed to the chair of general and special anatomy in the Albany Medical college, from which, about the same time, he re- ceived the honorary title of M. D. He now became attend- ing surgeon in the Albany hospital, and in 1874, was ap- pointed to the same position in St. Peter's hospital.
With a view of studying the various modes of treatment adopted by the great surgeons of the old world Dr. Vander Veer visited Europe in the fall of 1874, and there, during the winter, found time to gratify his special taste and to further enrich his stores of medical learning. Returning home in the following spring he was prepared to resume his professional work with renewed zest. On the re-organiza- tion of the Albany Medical college, in 1876, he accepted the professorship of the principles and practice of surgery. In 1882 he was appointed to the position which he still holds
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in the college - that of professor of surgery and clinical sur- gery. Several of our leading literary institutions now grace- fully recognized his intellectual qualities by the bestowment of their honors. In 1882, Williams college gave him the degree of A. M., and in 1883, Hamilton and Union colleges that of Ph. D.
As a teacher in the Albany Medical college, Dr. Vander Veer has labored assiduously, and success has crowned his well-directed efforts in the cause of maimed and suffering humanity. His lectures to the students are evidently pre- pared with great care and research, while they are delivered with force and earnestness. The doctor has always cher- ished the best interests of this time honored institution with which he is connected, as well as of the medical profession in general.
In 1884, feeling greatly in need of a season of rest and re- laxation from the close and confining duties of his professor- ship and practice, he again sailed for Europe, accompanied by his wife and young son. While abroad he met with a warm reception from eminent surgeons and physicians, for his high reputation had already preceded him. He was cordially entertained by Mr. Lawson Tait, F. R. C. S., whose fame as a surgical specialist is world wide. In the interests of his profession he read a paper before the International Medical congress at Copenhagen. After visiting various points of interest abroad he returned home greatly invigor- ated in body and mind. Outside of his own profession, it may be here stated that the doctor is a great lover of the fine arts, and while on the other side of the ocean he visited many of the famous galleries of Europe, studying with absorbing interest and delight the works of the great mas- ters in sculpture, painting and engraving.
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Dr. Vander Veer has been president and a member of both the county and state medical societies. He is more- over a member of the Boston Gynaecological society ; the British Medical association : the International Medical con- gress held at Copenhagen in ISS4 : the British Gynaecologi- cal society : the American Surgical association : the Holland society of New York, of which he is now vice-president for the Albany district : the American Medical association : the New York Medico-Legal society ; the Albany institute. and the American association of Obstetricians and Gynaecol- ogists.
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