The growth of a century: as illustrated in the history of Jefferson county, New York, from 1793-1894, Part 81

Author: Haddock, John A., b. 1823-
Publication date: 1895
Publisher: Albany, N. Y., Weed-Parsons printing company
Number of Pages: 1098

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He was born at Newfane, Vt., in 1795, almost at the very beginning of that year. His father, Calvin Knowlton, was a lawyer,

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THE GROWTH OF A CENTURY.

and his grandfather was Judge Luke Knowl- ton, one of the original settlers of Newfane. He represented his town in the Legislature of Vermont, in the years 1784, 1788 and 1789; was a member of the Council from 1790 to 1800; a member of the Constitutional Con- vention in 1793, and a judge of the court of Wyndham county from 1787 to 1793. His father died when he was but five years old, and he was early left to his own resources.

In 1811, and during the war of 1812-13, he was employed in General Jenks' distillery at Warehouse Point. This was before the days of temperance societies, and he often counted it as one of the things to be thankful for that he had not grown up a drunkard.

In 1816, when he was just of age, he be- gan business for himself in a general store at Brattleboro, Vt., in which he was fairly successful. In 1824 his uncles (Holbrook & Fessenden, of Brattleboro), had become the owners of property in Watertown, which they had taken to secure a deht. They wished to sell, and it was finally purchased by Mr. Knowlton and Clarke Rice, a young print- er, who was then employed by Holbrook & Fessenden. Mr. Rice came to Watertown at once, and Mr. Knowlton in the following year, 1825.

Their purchase consisted of a book store. bindery, printing office and two paper mills, These were of course hand-mills, and made about 125 pounds of paper each per day. It was difficult to collect rags enough to keep the mills running; people then wore less cotton clothing than now, and the facili- ties for collecting rags were few. But, if it was hard to get rags, it was still harder to sell any considerahje quantity of paper, and much of it found no market until they turned it into school books, blank books and even miscellaneous books for public-school libraries, until the name of Knowlton & Rice was familiar to every school boy in several neighboring counties. In 1854 Mr. Knowl- ton retired from active business, and has lived quietly and happily since then, fond of gardening so long as he had strength for it, and interested in all that was going on about him. Aside from deafness, he has retained his faculties to a remarkable degree. He took pleasure in long walks, and always read his daily paper with interest.

Mr. Knowlton was one of the original

members of the Second Presbyterian, now Stone Street Church, and was elected an elder of that church in 1832, which office he held till his death.

In August, 1830, he married Elizabeth Carroll, by whom he had five children. Three daughters, Elizabeth, Sophia (Mrs. Charles Perkins), and Maria (Mrs. John H. Rice), are dead, while his two sons, John C. and George W., survive him.

While Mr. Knowlton was not one who made many intimate acquaintances, he was yet well known, and his retiring disposition appreciated and respected. He performed every duty devolving upon him with the strictest fidelity. He was one who attended to his own affairs with scrupulous care, and left to others their own freedom to do the same. The city never had a better citizen, nor a more patriotic one; he was always ready to do his full share towards every public improvement. It is very doubtful whether he ever had an enemy, and if by chance any one disliked him, it was because he did not know the man.

He hated wrong and oppression in any form. He imbibed that wholesome principle with his mother's milk. Consequently he was an Abolitionist, and still later a Republi- can, for the logic of fate would not permit him to be anything else. This logic also made him an ardent supporter of that illus- trious Lineoln who was not permitted, as Mr. Knowlton was, to witness the full fruition of all his hopes in an united, great nationality, truly "multum in parvo," many in one. In a few years more of life he would have been a hundred years old, and that is the age of the settlement of this wonderful Black River county, a land unique, set off by itself, of peculiar richness in natural resources, and the birth-place of many great and good men. Mr. Knowlton helped to make it what it is, to improve its literature, its morals, its solid growth, and as such a helper he goes into history. The writer of this sketch is proud to say that this superior gentleman, this able citi- zen, this devoted Christian was one of his earliest and most beloved and respected friends, who counted it " gain " to extend a helping and appreciating hand to a poor man's son.

SALMASIUS J. BORDWELL

WAS the son of Salmasius and Polly (Swift) Bordwell, who were residents of Washington county, N. Y., and had emi- grated from Vermont, though he was born in Massachusetts. In 1816 Salmasius, Jr., was born in Washington county. He had the benefit of the common schools of that time, working on the farm summers and at- tending school winters-completing his scholastic education in the High School at

Kingsbury, Washington county. When 17 years of age he became clerk in a store at Hebron, Washington county, where he re- mained a year, and then went into a store at Troy, N. Y. Here he received a thorough mercantile education, remaining 10 years. In 1844 he began business for himself at Den- mark, keeping the usual miscellaneous assortment of a country store. He remained at Denmark about six years, losing all of his

CITY OF WATERTOWN.

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SALMASIUS T. BORDWELL.

capital. He came to Watertown in 1850 and became a clerk in the store of Mr. Truman Keeler, a very popular merchant, and one of the most original dealers of the town. Mr. Keeler having sold out his mercantile busi- ness to Candee & Winslow, Mr. Bordwell be- came a clerk with that firm until he pur- chased the interest of Mr. Candee, and be- came a partner with Mr. Norris Winslow. After four or five years, Mr. Bordwell sold his interest in the firm to Mr. Winslow. He then became an employe of the Water- town Steam Engine Company, in a responsi- ble position, continuing for several years.

Mr. Bordwell has held several town and city offices. He has been assessor and street commissioner for a number of years, and was one of the original trustees of the Henry Keep Home.

In 1845 he married Miss Diadema Powers,

and their 50th wedding anniversary will occur March 6, 1895. Mrs. Bordwell was the daughter of Leonard Powers, of Den- mark, and her brother is Isaac P. Powers, a well-known citizen of Watertown.

Few merchants in the city have so exten- sive an experience as Mr. Bordwell. He has seen Watertown grow from a small village to its present proportions, and has been all that time a part of, and participant in, its development.

The Civil War found himself and partner with a large stock of goods, which rose rapidly on their hands. Mr. Bordwell has accumulated a fair competency, and is en- joying it in his mature age. There is no more popular man in Watertown, and no one more deserving of popularity. His acquaintance is extensive throughout the county, and his friends are legion.

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THE GROWTH OF A CENTURY.

SOME COUNTY OFFICERS.

EDGAR CLARK EMERSON, the present judge of Jefferson county, was born in Brownville, January 27, 1850. His parents were Alfred Emerson and Margery (Luther) Emerson. The ancestry upon the father's side were Massachusetts Puritans. The Judge's maternal great-grandfather was a Green Mountain boy-a soldier in the Revo- lution. His maternal grandmother was of Mohawk Dutch. He received a common school and academic education, beginning in his 17th year to teach a common school, working on his father's farm in summer. When 19 years of age he began to read law at home, using such law books as he could borrow in Watertown. This he continued for two years, and in a most studious man- ner.

In the fall of 1870, he attended the Albany Law School, graduating in 1871, when he entered the office of Judge O'Brien, in Watertown, as a clerk and student. There he continued until 1874, beginning practice in 1876, when the firm becaue O'Brien & Emerson, which continued until 1886, when Judge O'Brien was elected Attorney-General of the State. Since then Judge Emerson has practiced alone. He was city attorney in 1878, elected district attorney in 1880, serv- ing three years, and re-elected in 1883.

One of the celebrated cases which occurred during his term of office, was that of David Angsbury, who shot three men in the town of Pamelia in 1881. Augusbury was con- victed of assault with intent to kill. An appeal was taken to the General Term, where the conviction was reversed. Judge Emer- son appealed the case to the Court of Ap- peals, where the decision of the General Term was reversed, and the original convic- tion affirmed by an unanimous decision.

Another case was that of William Stokes, indicted for poisoning his wife. He was con- victed of murder in the second degree. This verdict, hower, was subsequently set aside.

A third murder case was that of Charles Higham, indicted for the murder of Freder- ick W. Eames, in which Higham was ac- quitted.

Another important case was that of Arthur M. Duncan, indicted for murder. In Sep- tember, 1884, one Van Schaick disappeared very mysteriously from the place where he was at work in the town of Adams. On the night of his disappearance, he had an inter- view with Duncan, selling him a horse and buggy, and taking Duncan's note in part pay- ment. Duncan and Van Schaick were last seen together that night at the barn where Van Schaick worked, hitching up the horse. About a week afterwards, Van Schaick's trunk was found empty in an out-house, about half a mile from where he worked. The neighbors organized a thorough search- ing party, and during the search they sent for Duncan, he being the last person seen in

company with Van Schaick. Duncan told the searchers there was no use in searching for Van Schaick, as he had got into trouble and had gone West. The searchers then dis- banded. About a week after this, a brother of Van Schaick received a letter, mailed in Syracuse, purporting to come from his brother; the letter contained the note which Duncan had given for the horse, and direct- ed the brother to collect the note and send the avails, along with his clothes, to Sturgis, Mich. The brother forwarded the trunk of clothing as directed, but it was returned as uncalled for. In the spring of 1885, some little children playing near a school house, about two miles from where Van Schaick worked, found some flowers growing up through a brush-heap, and on going to pick the flowers, discovered beneath the brush the skeleton of a man. The school teacher was a sister of Van Schaick, and on going to the brush-heap she identified the clothes as those of her brother. Judge Emerson was at once apprised of the finding of the body, and he forthwith telephoned to Adams to have Dun- can arrested, and it was done promptly. An investigation developed the fact that on the day the letter was mailed at Syracuse, Dun- can was in that city, and that he had himself procured the writing of that letter. He was indicted for murder in the first degree, tried and convicted of murder in the second degree. He was defended by able counsel, the trial occupying over four weeks, and 200 witnesses were sworn. The case attracted wide interest among the lawyers, one of the ablest of whom, declaring it the finest case of circumstantial evidence he had ever seen tried. Duncan is now serving a life sentence in Auburn prison.

Of the six cases appealed while Judge Emerson was district attorney, he was sus- tained in all of them, with a single exception.

He was elected county judge in the fall of 1892. He became a candidate in June of that year, and although there were several able men in the field, the nominating convention placed him upon the ticket by acclamation.

Judge Emerson was married in October, 1878, to Miss Louise M. Wood, of Rodman. The reside at 46 Arsenal street, Watertown.

In politics Judge Emerson is a pronounced Republican, and a recognized leader in his party. His legal attainments are of a high order, being one of the young men now in active legal practice who will undoubtedly leave a lasting impression upon the com- munity. He is also high up in Masonry, and enjoys the confidence of all his acquaint- ances. Viewed in the light of contempor- aneous experiences, it can be truthfully said that the county officers now serving the pub- lic, are fully equal to those who have at any time preceded them. They have learned to "serve" the public, a trick many officers never appear to understand until once defeated.

VIRGIL K. KELLOGG, District Attorney. WM. W. KELLEY, Deputy County Clerk.

HON. E. C. EMERSON, County Judge.

ROSS SCOTT, Surrogate. JACOB STEARS, Clerk Board of Supervisors.

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CITY OF WATERTOWN.

V. K. KELLOGG.

ON page 287 of this History the reader will find a notice of MR. V. K. KELLOGG, the present able district attorney for Jefferson county, the man who has done and is now doing so much to root out the dens of moral pollution, which, driven from the city or the larger towns, are finding lodgment in so many obscure places, even in the rural dis- tricts, where the assassination of society had gone on apparently unchecked until this fearless officer came to the front in the struggle between morality and depravity. He was born in the town of Rutland in March, 1858, son of Sylvester Kellogg (born at Martinsburg, N. Y , coming to Rutland in 1822). The son attended the district schools for a while, completing his scholas- tic education both at Watertown High School and Hungerford Collegiate Institute. at Adams, N. Y. In June, 1879, he began to study law in the office of Hon. Levi H, Brown, was admitted to the bar in October, 1882, at Rochester. He went to Carthage in November, 1884, and formed a business con- nection with Hon. A. E. Kilby. In 1892 he was elected district attorney by a plurality of 2,678 votes over John Conboy, Democrat. He opened an office in Watertown, January 1, 1893. He is an uncompromising Republican, and has been that from his youth up. The author of this History, in speaking of Mr. Kellogg in a previous notice, said: " We re- gard Mr. Kellogg as one of the brightest young men at the Jefferson county bar, at the present time. He has been unusually useful and acceptable in his position as district attorney, being one of three holding that office who have secured convictions in murder trials, during the 100 years since the organization of the county. He is well grounded in the principles and practice of the law, is an observing and close student, and has underpinned his legal learning with a good sound education. His success in a marked degree is intelligently predicted."

ROSS C. SCOTT,

THE surrogate of Jefferson county, whose face is shown upon the composite page of county officers, is one of the best known and most popular public officers who now serve the people and administer the laws of the county. He was born in Rutland in 1838. and is the son of Henry and Margaret (Pierce) Scott. He was in his youth an unusually studious and teachable boy. He attended the Gouverneur Wesleyan Seminary, gradu- ating, in his scholastic education, from the institution at Lima, Livingston county, in 1860. He was admitted to the bar in 1863, and has been continuously in practice up to the present time (1895), except when hold- ing office. He has been justice of the peace, town elerk, and in the common council of the eity, was elected surrogate in 1877, and has been successively re-elected, being now in his third term.

Judge Scott has been unusually successful in having his decisions as surrogate sustain- ed by the Court on Appeal. When he ran as a candidate for the third term, a party who had tried to get away with the principal part of of a dead client's large estate, receiv- ed a decided set-back from Scott, made a political onslaught upon the Judge, and en- deavored to defeat his re-nomination, but the move was defeated at the polls, and Judge Scott was re-elected for the third time. It was a merited tribute to his ability as a lawyer and to his integrity as a man. He has been an unusually faithfully and ac- commodating officer. His office is a model one, and an excellent example for other officers to follow.

WILLIAM W. KELLEY,

WHO holds the responsible position of deputy clerk, was born in Wilna, about a mile from Carthage, October 29, 1862. He had the ad- vantages of the excellent public schools of Wilna, completing his scholastic education at the Ives Seminary, in Antwerp, and at the Potsdam Normal School. Like so many of the bright men who are now in active life in Jefferson county, he taught school for five years, and received the highest honor the State could confer upon him in that relation, by giving him its formal certificate as a teacher. In 1888 he began the study of law at Carthage, with the distinguished firm of Kilby & Kellogg. In 1891 he completed his law studies at the Cornell Law School, graduating with the degree of Bachelor of Laws. He was admitted to the bar Novem- ber 17, 1891. Since March, 1892, he has been connected with the Jefferson county clerk's office, acting as deputy under County Clerk Pierce, and Mr. Pierce has been altogether fortunate in his selection, for during his long sickness, the business of the office, always exacting and continuous, moved on without any perceptible break. Indeed, it may be said that old Jefferson was never more ad- vantageously served by its public officers than at the present time. They are an efficient lot of men, courteous, with level heads, and always leaving an impression upon the visitor that they know their duties as public officers, and desired to discharge them without hateur or brusqueness-two fatal manuerisms only too often indulged in by public officers in this free America. Mr. Kelley has a kind heart, as shown by his benevolent face, and his abilities are as marked as his manner is courteous and gentlemanly. A pleasant man to meet.

MR. JACOB STEARS, the well-known and ever-capable clerk of the Board of Super- visors, was too ill when this number of our History went to press, to give any details of his life. His illness is the result of long and protracted exertion during the late (1894) session of the county Legislature. His biographical sketch will appear later.

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THE GROWTH OF A CENTURY.

SOME BUSINESS SKETCHES.

FRANCIS E. JOSLIN was born in the town of Champion in 1851. His parents were Philander and Philnea (VanDusen) Joslin. He was an attendant at the common schools, but finished his scholastic education at the Ives Seminary in Antwerp. He taught school in Champion and in Rutland for six winters, and worked upon the farm sum- mers. He was married in 1873 to Miss Mary Frances, daughter of Mr. Joseph Wise, Mr. Joslin accepted a position with Mr. Wise in his manufactory, where he continued for 12 years. Becoming tired of the confinement and monotony of the shop, he changed bis residence to Charlottesville, Va., where he en- gaged in merchandizing. The investment proving unremunerative, he returned North, and accepted a position with James Wise, successor to Joseph Wise, and has been fore- man of that large shop for the past four years. Mr. Joslin is quite an extensive farmer as well as mechanic, owning 56 acres on Pearl street (the old Factory road). His farm is part of the Normander farm and the David Waters farm. Here he has made con- siderable improvements, and keeps a number of cows, horses, etc. His nearness to city stables gives him cheap manure, and the very superior soil which constitutes his farm,, gives him the largest crops. He has also a fine orchard. Mr. Joslin is a progress- ive, enterprising man, and his success is assured, both as a farmer and mechanic.

Mr. and Mrs. Joslin have reared two sons, Charles E. and Orrin Philander. They are both in school, the eldest now taking a final post-graduate course in chemistry. Mr. Joslin is distinguished for his amiability and careful respect for the men and boys under his control and instruction. His placidity of bearing is not often provoked into irritation or anger-a loveable, kind-hearted man, with many friends, for he shows himself friendly.

CHARLES T. WOODRUFF, who died in Watertown on November 30, 1894, is believ- ed to be the last of that noted family, whose sons have left a marked impression upon the civilization and the utility of our time, Theodore T. Woodruff (see page 32), was the unchallenged originator of the sleeping car, an invention now word-wide in extent and marked in the benefit it has conferred upon the travelling public. His brother Jonah is remembered as our native artist, having been the painter who made the re- markable callection of portraits of early settlers, once belonging to Mr. George W. Wiggins, and still to be seen in his former clothing store, the Great Wardbobe. Jonah also became a sleeping-car inventor-his plan (it was a good one), carrying all the bedding and appurtenances beneath the floor, thus relieving the car from that peculiar motion so observable in a Pullman when passing curves, caused by their top-heaviness from carrying so much weight near the roof. Charles T. was a less pretentious man, but

he had a kind heart, was a thorough busi- ness man, and left an unsullied name.

WILLIAM J. KELLS, a citizen of Water- town, was born in the Province of Ontario, near Kingston, in 1855. He was the son of Robert Kells, who was a native of Ontario. William J. attended the common schools of that locality, in his 17th year removing to Syracuse, N. Y., where he took a business course from a private teacher. At Syracuse he commenced to learn the tinsmith business, which he continued four years-graduating as a journeyman, and in his third year of his apprenticeship he was foreman of the shop. In 1877 the firm by whom he was employed, failed in business, when he came to Watertown, and in 1878 entered the em- ploy of the Hitchcock Lamp Company. After six years he had charge of the mechanical department of the lamp works, and is now employed in that capacity.

In 1882 he married Miss Althea E. Ayer, of Watertown, and they have had two children, one of them now surviving, aged eight years.

In 1882 Mr. Kells bad something of a Western experience. He purchased half a section in South Dakota, and actually began farming there, having broken up 100 acres and sown it to wheat. But inability to get this crop to market, dampened his Western ardor, and having sold at a fair advance, he parted with his possessions, considering that Watertown was a place good enough for himself and family to live in.

He has been something of a builder in Watertown, having built eleven houses and dealt in many more. Most of his real es- tate deals have been on the north side of the river. His residence is at 59 Lynde street, corner of Lansing, where he has an unusually fine residence for a working man.

AMONG the tailoring establishments of Watertown, is one that should have been noticed in its proper place among the busi- ness interests of the city. The great firm of Wanamaker & Brown, of Philadelphia city, have a branch establishment in Watertown, where samples are shown, measures taken, and all the manipulations of the clothing trade is gone through with, except the actual manufacture. That is done at Philadelphia by the most perfectly trained corps of cut- ters and makers to be found in America, per- haps in the wide world. Their rooms are at room 16 Burdick block, where thousands of samples are shown. Mr. Ira L. Rowlson has charge of the measuring, a gentleman whose large experience in his line insures a perfect fit. Mr. Gifford Brown is the sales agent. Those who have dealt with this agency speak in the highest term of the treatment they receive, and of the accuracy of the fits. One thing is certain, they have a wide range of samples, and the Philadelphia firm is one whose integrity and reputa- tion for fair dealing is world-wide.

377

ADAMS,

TOWNS OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.

ADAMS.

THIS, one of the oldest and certainly one of the most important towns in the county of Jefferson, comes first in alphabetical order. Its early importance, its historical record, the number of the great and good men who have made its history illustrious, seem to demand more than an average historian. The author of this work considers himself fortunate in having secured for the important labor of "writing up " the town of Adams, a lady who was born there, and, like all true souls, still clings to her birth-place and the early associations of her childhood with undying affection. Mrs. E. J. Clark, wife of the veteran Democratic editor so long identified with journalism in old Jefferson, in her mature age is as sprightly and full of remi- niscences as in her early womanhood, and hrings to her laborious task mature ability, great capacity for observation, a facile pen and the true historian's desire to search out and develop everything that may bring to light the incidents and events which those "heroes of discovery," whom she knew in her childhood, had helped to weave into the per- fect web of history. To these, "their names remembered or forgotten," is due the grand- est praise, the most enduring monuments. And it is fortunate for Adams and for us, that the oldest town in the county should have the ablest historian, " to the manor born," and able to take up the thread of history, even as she in early life received it, and pass on its unbroken line to those who shall come after us. We give the entire history of Adams. just as she has written it, and to her, and not to us, should come all the honor and the praise that are due to so good a work, done without pay, and offered by Mrs. Clark as her personal tribute to the history of Jefferson county. J. A. H.

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The growth of a century: as illustrated in the history of Jefferson county, New York, from 1793-1894, Part 81

Author: Haddock, John A., b. 1823- Publication date: 1895 Publisher: Albany, N. Y., Weed-Parsons printing company Number of Pages: 1098

Author: Haddock, John A., b. 1823-
Publication date: 1895
Publisher: Albany, N. Y., Weed-Parsons printing company
Number of Pages: 1098