Portrait and biographical record of Queens County (Long Island) New York, Part 35

Author: Chapman, firm, publishers
Publication date: 1896
Publisher: New York ; Chicago : Chapman Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1220

USA > New York > Queens County > Long Island City > Portrait and biographical record of Queens County (Long Island) New York > Part 35

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From County Wexford, Ireland, where he was born in 1848, Mr. Foley came to America with his parents when he was seven years of age, the family settling in the first assembly district of New York City. His father, Patrick Foley, was engaged in the trucking business there. Seven years after coming to this country his mother died and he was obliged to discontinue his stud- ies in the public schools and begin to earn his own way in the world. In youth he learned the cooper's trade, but never followed that occupa- tion for a livelihood. During the Civil War he was in the employ of the government. At the age of twenty-three he was elected to the com- mon council from the first assembly district of New York, which position he filled from 1873 until 1875. In the latter year the lower house of the New York Board of Aldermen was legis- lated out of existence. Among the other mem- bers of the board at that time was Hugh J. Grant, since mayor of New York, and ex-Sheriff John Riley, who was president of the board and after- ward register of the city of New York. In 1876 Mr. Foley was a member of the assembly, was clerk of Washington Market in 1878, and in 1879 was made deputy sheriff.

During Mr. Foley's period of service as alder- man there was a great deal of excitement over "boodling," and several members of the board were convicted, but the finger of suspicion was

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never pointed to him and his record was clean and honest. In 1883 he was the Tammany Hall candidate for alderman from the first district, and was elected. He ran again in 1884, but in that year a hard fight was made against Tam- many, and he was defeated by only three hun- dred votes. At different times he filled other positions of trust.

In 1890 occurred the marriage of Mr. Foley and Miss Margaret McAuley, whose father, James McAuley, left a large estate, including consider- able realty in Jamaica; her sister is the wife of John Adikes, the extensive wholesale and retail grocer of Jamaica. For two years Mr. Foley was en- gaged in the hotel business in this village, but his property was burned and he then retired from that occupation.' Since then he has given his at- tention to the management of his real estate in- terests and the supervision of his wife's property. They and their children, James P. and Maggie Edna, occupy a pleasant home on Vanderbilt Avenue and Fulton Street. In the spring of 1895 Mr. Foley was made a candidate for the position of village trustee and was elected to the office, which he has since filled. The duties pertaining to his office he has discharged with judgment and tact, so that the people of the village feel con- fidence in his ability.

G I EORGE E. CLAY. People who have real estate for sale should appreciate the importance of placing it with an agent who is thoroughly acquainted with the business and has business connections that enable him to reach the purchaser promptly and secure as early a transfer of the property as is consistent with the best interests of the owner. Prospective pur- chasers should also consult with an agency that is well acquainted with values and has the repu- tation of dealing honorably with all parties to a contract in every instance. Such an agency is conducted by Mr. Clay, who, at his conveniently located office, is prepared at all times to exhibit an excellent line of property, as well as to enter on his books any additional business that may be offered him.

Mr. Clay was born in the city of New York in 1851 to George and Mary (Martine) Clay, the former of whom was born in Greenfield, Mass., and the latter in New York City. The Clays orig- inally came to this country from the Isle of Man, and one member of the family, Stephen Clay,

from whom the subject of this sketch is descend- ed, settled in Massachusetts, while another broth- er went West and founded the family of which the famous Henry Clay was a member. The pa- ternal great-grandfather of our subject, Stephen Clay, was born at Cape Cod, Mass., and became a sea-faring man in the coasting trade. He died at sea. His son, Daniel Clay, was born at New London, Conn., and owned a privateer during the War of 1812. He finally became a druggist of New London and later of Greenfield, Mass., where he was a substantial and well-known citi- zen. When in his prime he met with an accident which resulted in his death. His wife was a Miss Cook, whose mother fitted out many privateers during the War of 1812.

George Clay was reared in Greenfield, Mass., and followed in his father's footsteps so far as to become a druggist. He also practiced dentistry for about thirty-five years on Clinton Place and Forty-fifth Street, New York City. In 1886 he removed to Brooklyn and there died the follow- ing year, a worthy member of the Episcopal Church. His wife was a daughter of Samuel Mar- tine, a native of New York City, and of French extraction. The latter's wife was of Dutch de- scent. Her father, Stephen Martlyn, held the rank of sergeant in the Revolutionary War, and his name appears on the soldiers' monument of the Colonial army, at Tarrytown, N. Y. The widow of George Clay resides in Brooklyn, and of her six children five are living, of whom the subject of this sketch is the third in order of birth.

In the public schools of New York City George E. Clay received a practical education, after which he entered the College of the City of New York, from which he was graduated with the de- gree of B. S. in 1870. After leaving this institu- tion he was in the civil engineer's office of Spiel- man & Brush, at Hoboken, for six years, during which time he had charge of their office, all their railroad and city surveys and had control of fif- teen engineers. In 1876 he came to Long Island City as assistant engineer on the first ward im- provement and filled this position with marked ability until 1880, when he resigned and embarked in the real estate and insurance business, which he has followed with marked success up to the present time. He also began the publication of the insurance map of Long Island City, which he is still conducting and which is the only one of its kind in the city. Mr. Clay has built and im-

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proved property in all parts of Long Island City, handles a large amount of real estate annually, and has one of the finest residences in the place. It is a commodious and substantial structure, with brown stone front, and is located at No. 167 Eleventh Street.

Mr. Clay was married in Long Island City to Miss Margaret O. Hunter, a native of the place, and daughter of Jacob Hunter, a sketch of whom appears in this volume. They have three chil- dren: Mary, George Hunter and Edna. Mrs. Clay is a leader in the social life of Long Island City, entertains elegantly, and her home is noted for its hospitality. The family are attendants of St. John's Episcopal Church. Politically Mr. Clay is a Republican in national politics. He is a member of the alumni association of his alma mater, is connected with one of its Greek letter societies, and is one of the trustees of the public library of Long Island City.

G EORGE GEMÜNDER. The venerable gentleman who forms the subject of this article and who has gained wide dis- tinction as a violin maker, was born in Ingel- fingen, Wurtemberg, Germany, April 13, 1816, being the son of Johan George Gemünder, him- self a well-known maker of musical instruments. From his earliest boyhood he displayed unusual skill in artistic devices made with his pocket knife and it was his custom, while his playmates en- joyed the usual boyish games, to draw designs or study books pertaining to the history of music. In school he excelled in mathematics, drawing and penmanship, which led his father to send him to a seminary to be fitted for the teacher's pro- fession.

Three weeks of this life was sufficient for the boy, whose ambitions were in an entirely different direction. Going home, he obtained the reluctant consent of his parents that he should devote him- self to his father's occupation. At the age of nineteen, having lost his father, he went abroad and worked successively for various masters at Pesth, Munich, Strasburg and Vienna. He soon knew more than any of his teachers, excepting Vuillaume, the noted violin maker at Paris, in whose atelier he secured employment. The cel- ebrated maestro took such a liking to the skillful German youth that he gave him a place close to himself in his studio and personally instructed him in all the branches and secrets of the art.

Under his instruction the student became so fa- miliar with the construction of the old Italian vio- lins that he could not only perfectly imitate but completely reproduce them.

In 1845, when Ole Bull brought his wonderful Gaspar di Salo to Vuillaume to be repaired by him personally, Vuillaume told him he had a Ger- man in his atelier who could do the work better than himself. Ole Bull was reluctant to intrust his violin in the hands of an unknown German, but Vuillaume had his way. So well was the work done that Ole Bull was profuse in his thanks and expressions of gratitude. For four years Gemünder remained with Vuillaume, but in 1847 he crossed the Atlantic and has since made his home in the United States. Soon after arriving here he made a concert tour of the country in company with his brothers, but the enterprise was a financial failure. He then established himself as a violin maker in Boston, but in 1851 went to New York, where he remained for some time. On closing out his business there he had his atelier in his home at Astoria, Long Island City, where he continued work until advanced years obliged him to retire from active labors. The business is now carried on by his sons, of whom the eldest, George, Jr., is considered the greatest violin mak- er in America since the retirement of his father.

The violin, the soul of the orchestra, which, with its brilliant tone, more than any other in- strument accords with the human voice, has been for ages a miracle, an unsolved problem to the musical world. It is generally known that the great Italian master Gaspar di Salo, also Maggini of Brescia, N. Amati, A. Guarneri, Joseph Guar- neri and Antonio Stradivarius of Cremona, made, up to the eighteenth century, by far the finest violins, and that after their death the art of violin making was lost sight of for a long time. These old Brescia and Cremona violins, so renowned for their pure, full and sweet tone, command fab- ulous prices on account of the prevailing opinion that they were perfect, and that, the secret of their manufacture having been buried with the old masters, all further experiments would be useless. If it were true that the original violins cannot be reproduced, there would be nothing left but to imitate their construction as nearly as possible. However, even the most perfect imitation en- countered another seemingly unsurmountable dif- ficulty, growing out of the universal belief that age alone imparts the desirable tone to the in- struments and that it is impossible to make new

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violins capable of competing with the genuine old Cremonas.

At that period Vuillaume began the manufac- ture of his instruments, which inaugurated the second era in the history of the violin. His imi- tation of the old masters was so perfect that in appearance and outer construction his violins could not be distinguished from the Cremonas. In addition to this, by means of a peculiar chem- ical treatment of the wood, he gave them an ap- parently old Italian tone. For a time he removed all objections, but it was soon discovered that the tone, though brilliant, was wooden and sharp, and that no soul can be infused into the violin by chemical treatment of the wood. It also became apparent that the artificially created tone wore away in a few years. For this reason the preju- dice against new violins became stronger than ever.

The third and last era of the history of the vio- lin is that inaugurated by Gemünder. He found that selection of proper material is the first re- quirement. He also found that not every piece of wood is appropriate, but only such as are en- dowed with a mysterious musical vibration. A lucky accident bestowed upon him a rich treasure of "singing" wood. H. Eckhardt, one of the fa- mous musicians of America, formerly of New York, but now of Columbus, Ohio, an intimate friend of Gemünder, met somewhere in New York many years ago workmen engaged in tearing down an ancient Dutch church, from which they were hauling away cartloads of the old pine boards and rafters. The veined timber attracted Eckhardt's attention. He at once determined that Gemünder should have it, and he according- ly followed the carts and marked the place where the timber was unloaded. Then hastening to Gemünder's shop, he brought the violin maker back with him. It was at once apparent to the practiced eye of the expert that this was the finest violin wood he had ever seen, and hc gladly prom- ised Eckhardt the first instrument made from it. The whole pile was bought for a few dollars and carefully stowed away for future use. This is the richly veined "singing" wood used in the manu- facture of all his violins, and the first instrument manufactured, a masterpicce of art, is now one of the most prized treasures of the musician.

While imitating the Cremonas, Gemünder still has essential differences in the manufacture of his instruments. Profiting by their experiments, he has avoided their errors. His intelligence, his

mastership in mechanics, his thorough familiarity with all applicable rules of mathematics and acoustics-in a word, his genius -- enabled him, while discarding the artificial means of Vuillaume, to impart to his violins at first and for all time that noble sympathy and tone quality otherwise only found in the old Cremonas.

The greatest artists of the century have been unanimous in their praise of the Gemünder vio- lin. Ole Bull, after having long played upon onc, said it was one of the "most splendid and best conserved Stradivarius" he had ever seen, and when he finally discovered his mistake, he ex- claimed: "No man in the world but Gemunder can do that!" The renowned Vieuxtemps also mistook a Gemünder violin for a Strad. Ge- münder sent one of his instruments, called the Kaiser violin, to the World's Exposition at Vi- enna. That he made it with his own hands was attested by his own evidence and that of num- erous prominent musicians. The "Vienna Ex- position Gazette," August 17, 1873, says: "The sound of this instrument is really strong, beauti- ful and sympathetic, yet it has not that peculiar young tone characteristic of even the best mod- ern violins." The prize judges and art critics, though unanimous in their praise of the Kaiser violin, refused to award it the prize, contending that it was an old Cremona, which certainly is the highest compliment attainable by any violin maker.

I SAAC C. HENDRICKSON. To be descend- ed from ancestors whose names are honorably associated with the annals of our country is an honor in which one may take just pride, but it is equally gratifying to the biographical writer to record the deeds of those who, through active and useful careers, have preserved untarnished the good name they bear and have even added lustre to the ancestral history.

It is therefore a pleasure to present the life sketch of Mr. Hendrickson, for the benefit of this and coming generations. His position through- out Queens County is one of such influence that a narration of the events of prominence in his life will be of common interest to all. Residing in · Jamaica, he wields an influence in business and monetary matters not only in this village, but throughout the surrounding country, and his siic- cess as a lumber merchant has been such as to prove his staying qualities in commerce.

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Born in the town of Hempstead, Queens Coun- ty, June II, 1834, our subject was the only child of Isaac C. and Ann (Remsen) Hendrickson. His father, who was born in 1814, began farming pur- suits in early manhood, but died when only twen- ty-three. The grandfather, Richard, was a son of Maj. John Hendrickson, who gained his title through service in the Revolution. The history of the family in America dates back to 1635, when two brothers, Hendrick and William, came from Sweden, one settling in New Jersey, the other in Queens County. The descendants of the latter are now very numerous, and many of them still remain in this county.

The mother of our subject was a daughter of Rem Remsen, of Springfield, and a sister of Isaac B. Remsen, of Jamaica, to whose sketch the read- er is referred for the family history. After the death of Isaac C. Hendrickson, in 1837, the moth- er married Benjamin Smith; she died in 1853. Our subject grew to manhood in Jamaica and was educated in the old Union Hall Academy. At the age of eighteen he began to teach a district school in Ulster County, N. Y., and for two years he followed that occupation. In 1856 he began in the coal and lumber business in Jamaica and this he has since followed with marked success, having at different times had several partners, but for the past few years has been alone.

The connection of Mr. Hendrickson with local affairs has been important and noteworthy. For several years he was a member of the board of village trustees and for some time he was on the board of education. Assisting in founding the Bank of Jamaica, he is now a stockholder and di- rector in this flourishing institution. Perhaps the work of which he is most proud is his connection with the establishment of a State Normal School at Jamaica. He was a member of the board of control with Gov. Richard C. McCormick and John O'Donnell, and they succeeded after hard and judicious work in securing an appropriation of $100,000 from the state. The buildings are now in process of erection and the school will soon be opened. Without doubt it will be of the greatest value to the village, increasing its fame and advancing its material progress.

For many years Mr. Hendrickson has been a trustee in the Presbyterian Church and is now a deacon. Socially he is a Mason, and at one time was senior warden of his lodge. In 1855 he mar- ried Annie Carpenter, sister of John R. Carpen- ter, one of the leading business men of Jamaica.

At her death she left a son and daughter, Na- thaniel C. and Caroline E., the latter a graduate of Union Hall Seminary, Jamaica. The former, who is a graduate of the University of New York and of the Columbia Law School, has his law office in the Potter building, New York City. For his second wife Mr. Hendrickson was united in marriage with Miss Elizabeth M. Baylis, who is a member of one of the old families of Hunting- ton. He is a man of sterling worth, upright and honorable in all the relations of life, and a straightforward business man whose worth is ac- knowledged throughout the village and county. In politics he is a stanch Republican.

H ENDRICK HENDRICKSON, who for several years has served as one of the jus- tices of the town of Jamaica, was born in the village of Springfield, Queens County, Octo- ber 3, 1833. The family has been identified with the history of Long Island since a period very early in its settlement, and while some have re- moved to other portions of the United States, there are still many of the name to be found in this locality. Grandfather Abram Hendrickson, who was a native of the island, served with valor in the War of 1812.

The parents of our subject, William L. and Maria (Bennett) Hendrickson, were born re- spectively in the villages of Springfield and Ja- maica. The former was one of four brothers, the others being Hendrick, Abraham, a resident of Jamaica, and James, whose home is in New York. The early days of William L. were spent upon the homestead, and, arriving at man's estate, he devoted himself to the cultivation of a farm. In this occupation he continued to engage until his death, which occurred in 1856. His wife sur- vived him many years, dying in October, 1894, when nearly ninety-four years of age.

The family of which our subject is a member consisted of four sons, of whom he and John S., of Jamaica, are the only survivors. Daniel B., who was a farmer, died on the old homestead in 1888; William L., who carried on a large express business in New York City, accumulated a for- tune and died there. The education which our subject obtained was such as the common schools afforded, but while it was limited, he has con- tinued in self-culture throughout life, and has at- tained a far better intellectual development than many whose opportunities were greater. He is

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blessed with quick perceptive faculties and a mind adapted to logical reasonings and sound conclu- sions. Of his personal characteristics, it may be said that he is a man of great natural force, strict integrity and unquestioned veracity, endowed with strong impulses and an inherent love of truth and justice. He is a warm friend to all who prove themselves honest and true, and an unrelenting foe to all that is treacherous, mean and dishonest.

In early life Mr. Hendrickson gave his atten- tion largely to the management of a farm, upon which he raised cereals and garden products. Later he was engaged as a dairyman and still later carried on a meat business. His interest in pub- lic affairs has continued throughout his mature years and has led to his recognition as a man of fitness for positions of trust and responsibility. In 1867 he was elected town collector and served in that capacity for three years. He was excise con- missioner for six years, and in 1884 was chosen a justice for the town of Jamaica, which position he has held since, discharging its duties with cred- it to himself and to the satisfaction of all con- cerned. In his political faith he is a Democrat, and has never swerved from his allegiance to that party.

In 1854 Mr. Hendrickson married Miss Anna C. Snediker, of Jamaica, who passed away in 1870, having had two children, Georgia E., wife of Ben- jamin Doughty, and Anna C., widow of the late Harry Hardenbrook. The second marriage of our subject took place in 1880, when Catherine L. Clark, of Brooklyn, became his wife. They have a neat and comfortable home, and are high- ly esteemed by the people of the town.

M AXIMILLAN F. KASTNER, president of the board of education of Long Island City, was born in New York City, No- vember 26, 1854. He is a son of Adolph Kastner, a native of Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, and a goldsmith journeyman by trade, who, after his marriage, came to New York City and for a short time worked at his trade there. From that he turned his attention to ornamental decorations, in which he worked, in conjunction with his brother Carl, until 1864, when he accepted the position of ornamenter and japanner for the Steinway Piano Manufacturing Company. He continued with that firm in Steinway until his death, which oc- curred in 1878 at the age of fifty-one years. In religious belief he was a Lutheran. His wife,

who passed away four years after his demise, bore the maiden name of Rose Schmauder and was born in Eslinger, Germany.

The family of Adolph Kastner consisted of nine children, all of whom survive, five being residents of Steinway, while the others are in New York. Maximillan F., who is fourth in order of birth, was educated principally in the Fifty-first Street Grammar School, New York City. At the age of sixteen he began to assist his father, under whom he learned his trade. Leaving the factory, he be- came interested in glass sign painting, a trade that was then in its infancy and in which he con- tinued successfully for six years in New York City. In 1878 he succeeded, at his father's death, to his position of ornamenter and japanner for Steinway & Sons, and returned to Steinway, where he was thus employed for seven years, fin- ally resigning in order to engage in business on his own account.

The first contract given Mr. Kastner was that of painting the cars for the Steinway Railroad, and later he did considerable house and sign painting, the latter being his specialty. His contracts are made, not only with parties in Long Island City, but also for work in Brooklyn and New York, and during the busy season he employs from fif- teen to twenty men. His business location is on the corner of Potter and Albert Streets. Among his contracts were those for finishing William Steinway's private office in Fourteenth Street, New York; the Foster residence in Grand Ave- nue, Astoria; the house owned by Francis J. Oaks in Steinway; the Steinway residence, kin- dergarten and library; the Union Church in Steinway, including the decorations of the pipe organ, and the homes of Philip Burkhart and Adolph Burkhart. He also erected and designed the interior decorations for his residence at No. 229 Purdy Street.

In New York City, Mr. Kastner was united in marriage with Miss Kate Bender, daughter of Louis Bender, who was engaged in the whole- sale meat business in that city. They are the par- ents of four children: Rose, Matilda, Maximillan F., Jr., and Norbert C.

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Portrait and biographical record of Queens County (Long Island) New York, Part 35

Author: Chapman, firm, publishers Publication date: 1896 Publisher: New York ; Chicago : Chapman Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 1220

Author: Chapman, firm, publishers
Publication date: 1896
Publisher: New York ; Chicago : Chapman Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1220