USA > Pennsylvania > Luzerne County > Wilkes-Barre > A history of Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania : from its first beginnings to the present time, including chapters of newly-discovered early Wyoming Valley history, together with many biographical sketches and much genealogical material. Volume V > Part 97
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Dr. Albert Clark Snyder was married, June 11, 1876, to Mary Harleman, of Millport, Carbon County, Penn- sylvania, daughter of Levi and Julia ( Mehrkam) Harle- man, and they became the parents of four children: 1. Myrtle E. 2. Joletta A., wife of Richard Nicholas. of Philadelphia. They have one son, Richard Nicholas. Jr. 3. Lee D., is married and living in Pittsburgh, Penn- sylvania. 4. Lloyd A., also married living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
In White Haven and vicinity a lasting memorial has becn engraved, in skilled service, unselfish devotion, and friendly interest, upon the hearts of the many with whom Dr. Snyder was associated, and few physicians and sur- geons have been more respected and more loved than was he. There is a vacancy in the life of the community, since his passing, June 21, 1928, which only time can fill. and a sense of loss which will long remain.
WALTER H. FAIRCHILD-Seven years ago, in 1921, Walter H. Fairchild, of Freeland, Pennsylvania. began to manufacture confectionery. Today (1928) he is president of the Fairchild Candy Company, which owns a flourishing candy factory and threc retail candy stores, one in Freeland, one in Hazleton, and one in Mahanoy City. Mr. Fairchild is also the founder of a park and picnic ground on the outskirts of Freeland. where a dance pavilion, a large swimming pool, and numerous other attractions for grown-ups and for kiddies attract many hundreds of people during the summer sea- son. Mr. Fairchild is a native of Freeland, and for some years previous to the establishment of his candy manufacturing business was engaged in various lines of business activity, in the employ of others and under his own name.
Walter H. Fairchild was born in Freeland, Pennsyl- vania, August 21, 1890, son of Frank B., a native of Luzerne County, who was engaged as a farmer and as a coal miner, and died in 1918, and of Annie (Van Horn) Fairchild, who was horn in Conyngham, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, and survives her husband ( 1928). After attending the public schools of Upper Lehigh, he secured a position as clerk in a grocery store in Freeland, where he continued for a period of seven years, making him- self familiar with all the details of the business and with the general business conditions of this locality. For some five years he carried on a retail business of his own, handling various lines of merchandise, under his own name, and then he established the first surburban bus service in this vicinity, running to the surrounding mining towns. For two years he continued to transport passengers between Freeland and the various mining towns, and then, in 1921. he sold out and engaged in the manufacture of candies. Since that time he has con- tinued to expand this enterprise, and as the time has passed he has steadily enlarged the scope of his opera- tions, manufacturing and selling at retail from three
retail stores of his own, one located here in Freeland, one in Hazleton, and one in Mahanoy City. With three distributing centers of his own, he is able to market his product very easily, with a minimum of the losses which must be incurred when the middleman stands be- tween manufacturer and consumer, and in 1928 the busi- ness was incorporated under the name of the W. H. Fairchild Candy Company, with Mr. Fairchild as presi- dent. The concern is thoroughly well established, and its reputation for the production of toothsome and health- ful confections is well known in this locality.
A few years ago Mr. Fairchild conceived the idea of building a dance pavilion on the outskirts of Freeland, and in due course of time his idea was transformed into a reality. Later, as the dance pavilion proved to be a success, a small park was developed around it, and from time to time new attractions were added. A picnic ground was one of the first attractions, and then a cement swim- ming pool eighty feet wide and one hundred and sixty feet long drew hundreds of people to the new park. Amusement devices for the kiddies, and numerous novel- ties and attractions for grown-ups have kept the inter- est alive, and the park is now one of the established and well recognized places of amusement in this locality. In his candy business and in the park Mr. Fairchild employs seventeen people regularly, and on occasion this number is somewhat increased to meet special needs. Politically, Mr. Fairchild supports the principles of the Republican party. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of Freeland, and his religious membership is with the Methodist Episcopal Church.
Walter H. Fairchild was married (first), in 1912, to Eva Van Nauker, of Freeland, daughter of William and Fannie Van Nauker. To this marriage one child was born, Elwood Henry, October 20, 1913. Mrs. Fairchild died in December, 1913, and Mr. Fairchild married ( sec- ond), April 20, 1917, Edna E. Radler, of Drifton, Penn- sylvania, daughter of George and Dora Radler. To this second marriage one son has been born, Roy Brundadge, in November, 1918.
DAL WILLIAM MUIR-Now superintendent of the Upper Lehigh Collicries of the Hazlebrook Coal Com- pany, at Upper Lehigh, Dal William Muir has attained his present high standing solely through his own efforts, and from the humble beginning as an apprentice mining engineer. The engineering profession of the present day has few members who have attained success therein without the aid of what is commonly called higher edu- cation or a college education, but Mr. Muir entered this profession with a limited knowledge comprised of a high school education. During his connection with mining he has served in various capacities and for various con- cerns throughout the Pennsylvania and West Virginia districts, and has become known as one of the leading members of his calling. He also is popular and well liked in fraternal and political spheres.
Born at Shamokin, Pennsylvania, August 31, 1888, Mr. Muir is the son of William D. and Ellen ( Watson) Muir. William D. Muir, born in 1847, at Beaver Meadows, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, was a miner, and it is safe to assume that the son's predilection for this industry was largely inherited. The father died in August, 1922, survived by his wife, Ellen ( Watson ) Muir, a native of Glasgow, Scotland, born there in 1849. Dal William Muir attended the public schools of Shamokin, Pennsylvania, and was graduated from Shamokin High School in 1905. The following year, 1906, he entered upon his apprenticeship as a mining engineer with the Susquehanna Coal Company, at Shamokin, remaining with this company until 1911. From 1911-17 he was a mining engineer for the Hazlebrook Coal Company, at Maryd, Pennsylvania, and during 1917-18 was employed by the Leckie Collieries, at Welch, West Virginia, in an engineering capacity. In the last-named year he assumed his duties as superintendent of the Upper Lehigh Collieries of the Hazelbrook Coal Company, and since his occupancy of this post has materially increased the efficiency of this company's enterprise at Upper Lehigh.
An advocate of the principles of the Republican party, Mr. Muir, while he generally supports the issues and candidates of this party, is not a bitter partisan, but, on the contrary, uses his judgment in exercising his ballot, placing a candidate's capabilities before party affiliations. Affiliated with the Masonic Order, he holds membership in many divisions of this fraternity, among which may be mentioned the Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons; the Chapter, Royal Arch Masons; the Com- mandery, Knights Templar, at Shamokin; and Royal Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic
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Shrine, at Reading. Mr. Muir and his family are com- municants of the Presbyterian Church.
Dal William Muir married, in 1917, Blanche E. Jones, of Shamokin, the daughter of Enoch P. and Sybilla Jones. Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Muir : 1. Mary Elizabeth, born in November, 1919. 2. William Dal, born in April, 1923. Mr. Muir and his family reside in Upper Lehigh.
JOHN T. EVANS-One of Kingston's most con- spicuous industrialists is John T. Evans, owner of the contracting concern of J. T. Evans, and originator of a plumbing and heating system bearing his name that has become widely known throughout the eastern portion of the United States and has been installed in many large factories, hospitals, banks, schools, and public buildings. Mr. Evans' plant, which is located on Market Street, Kingston, as are the showrooms and offices, is admitted to be one of the finest of its kind in the entire country, and several hundred employees are required to carry on the business of this firm. Mr. Evans' industrial accom- plishments comprise only a part of his contribution to this section of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, for he is one of the paramount figures in the political, civic, fraternal, and religious affairs in the county.
Mr. Evans was born April 2, 1886, at Wilkes-Barre, son of James and Ann B. (Thomas) Evans, both natives of Pennsylvania. John T. Evans, after completing the training provided by the public schools of Wilkes-Barre, went to New York City and apprenticed himself to the plumbing and steam-fitters' trade, remaining in New York until he had completed his apprenticeship, and then for an extended period was employed in the metropolitan district and in New Jersey. It was in 1907 that Mr. Evans returned to Wilkes-Barre to accept a position with Weiss & Jones, plumbing and heating contractors, and he was employed by this firm for four years. In April, 1911, he launched his first individual enterprise, under the name of J. T. Evans, his plant and office being located on North Washington Street, in Wilkes-Barre. Success attended his efforts from the start and his operations were carried on successfully in Wilkes-Barre until 1926. At this time Mr. Evans had perfected various innova- tions having to do with plumbing, heating and ventilat- ing, and he came to Kingston in 1926, and here erected his present establishment, including plant, showrooms, and offices. This structure, which is located at Nos. 245-49 West Market Street, was equipped with every modern convenience, scientifically designed, and is admit- tedly one of the outstanding institutions of its kind in the East. One of Mr. Evans' inventions, known as the J. T. Evans System, has proved most efficient, and installa- tions have been made in hundreds of buildings through- out the country. Among the structures using this prod- uct are the Wilkes-Barre Institute; Wyoming Seminary ; Retreat Institution, Geisinger ; Memorial Hospital, Dan- ville, Pennsylvania; Miners' Bank Building, Wilkes- Barre; Brooks Building, Wilkes-Barre, and numerous school buildings in Wyoming Valley. More than three hundred employees are engaged in carrying on the opera- tions of this concern, which include the manufacture of sheet metal, ventilators, heating systems, and plumbing in public buildings, homes, and hospitals.
While Mr. Evans is a Republican and usually exer- cises his suffrage in support of his party's projects, he has consistently refused to accept the emoluments of public office. However, he has assumed an important rôle in the conduct of civic movements and is enrolled with many fraternal societies. Among these are listed the Junior Order of United American Mechanics; Lodge No. 109. Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks; Land- mark Lodge, No. 142, Free and Accepted Masons; Key- stone Consistory, Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite; Irem Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. The Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce has found Mr. Evans of great worth in their proceedings, and he never hesitates to assist in any worthy project for civic welfare. His religious convictions conform to those advocated by the Presbyterian Church, of which he is a loyal member.
John T. Evans married, April 14, 1914, Mable B. Saums, native of Wilkes-Barre and daughter of O. W. and Mary ( Buchanan) Saums, the father born at Bridge- port, Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. Evans have one daughter : Mary Ann, born October 7, 1915. Mr. and Mrs. Evans and their daughter reside at No. 241 Reynolds Street, Kingston.
PERCY WILLIAMS, D. D. S .- Native of Nanti- coke, where he now (1928) engages in the practice of
his profession, Percy Williams, doctor of dental science, was born March 15, 1895, a son of Evan J. and Rebecca (Evans) Williams, both of whom were natives of Wales. Evan J. Williams came to the United States early in life, located in Nanticoke, here was wed, here lived and died. He was by trade a tailor, and for several years prior to his death, March 3. 1927, lived in retirement ; the seventy-six years of his life were replete of useful- ness. and the place that he occupied in general affairs in Nanticoke large. He was a vice-president of the Nanticoke National Bank, and a vice-president and direc- tor of the Nanticoke Construction Company. He attended the schools of the community where he was born, was a believer in education, and for fifteen years served to the benefit of the public on the Nanticoke school committee. A Republican, he was staunch in support of the princi- ples of the party and possessed of a considerable influ- ence in matters political, which he exercised with discre- tion, always to the good of the citizenry at large. For a time he acted on the town council, and his record there is meritorious, illustrative of his interest in community progress. Evan J. Williams participated actively in fra- ternal works, and was a member of Nanticoke Lodge, No. 541, Free and Accepted Masons; Royal Arch Ma- sons; Caldwell Consistory, Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite; Knights Templar; and Irem Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. He was a communicant and deacon of the Baptist Church, and most gencrous in his contributions to charity, without regard for race or creed or other limiting and non- humanitarian consideration. Evan J. and Rebecca ( Evans) Williams were the parents of seven children, all of whom are living: 1. Sarah, wife of Jenkin Evans, of Nanticoke. 2. William G., a tailor, Nanticoke. 3. Evan J., automobile dealer handling the Paige car, Nanti- coke. 4. Richard T., dealer in paper at wholesale, Nanti- coke. 5. Pessie, wife of William H. Roberts, a plumber, Nanticoke. 6. Percy, of whom further. 7. Oscar, doctor of dentistry, practicing in Glenlyon.
Percy Williams received his early school training in the public schools of his native city, and graduated from Nanticoke High School with the class of 1913. He matriculated in the fall .of that year in the University of Pennsylvania, department of dentistry, and took his doc- tor's degree in 1916, well to the forefront of his class. Without delay he established himself with offices in Nanti- coke, at No. 53 South Market Street, and has con- tinued in his profession at this address during the years succeeding. His clientele is large, and has expanded steadily. Doctor Williams enjoys the highest of standing in the dental associations of county and State, and is a member of the American Dental Association. Al- though he devotes the greater part of his time to the demands of the profession, he is an interested participant in all matters pertaining to Nanticoke, and especially those pertaining to its advancement. He is a director of the Nanticoke National Bank, of which his father was at one time vice-president, and his assistance in the direction of this institution is appreciated by asso- ciates, who regard his judgments in matters financial, justifiedly, as sound. He is a member of Nanticoke Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons; Caldwell Consistory, Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite; and Irem Temple, An- cient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. He is a communicant of the (Nebo) Baptist Church, in which his father was a deacon and is devout in its service. Toward appeals of charity he deals with a large heart.
On August 21, 1917, Dr. Williams was united in marriage with Ann Morgan, a daughter of Thomas J. Morgan, postmaster of the Nanticoke office; and they are the parents of three children: Ruth, Thomas Percy, Jr., and James M. Before her marriage Mrs. Williams was engaged as a teacher in the public schools of Nanti- coke, and she is a gifted woman of great refinement and sound intelligence who is popular in the circles with which she has contact. The family reside at No. 333 East Main Street.
ARTHUR B. SCHOOLEY-Utilizing his many years' experience in banking and finance in the conduct of the agency he now holds for the Union Carbide Com- pany, Arthur B. Schooley of Wyoming, Pennsylvania, is supplying a vital need for residents of Kingston and vicinity who are unable to obtain gas from the public utility companies because of their isolated residence. He has not, however, abandoned his financial interests, retain- ing his connection with the First National Bank of Wyoming, assisting that institution materially in his offices of director and vice-president. Mr. Schooley was born April 26, 1886, at Wyoming, son of Jesse B. and
Percy Williams .D.S.
219h. Statero
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Minnie E. (Steele) Schooley. The father, who passed away January 31, 1924, was a native of Wyoming, hav- ing been born in 1854. He was a familiar figure in banking circles of Luzerne County, where for many years he was a director and vice-president of the First National Bank of Wyoming. Minnie E. (Steele) Schooley, who survives her husband, was born in 1865, at Wilkes-Barre.
Arthur B. Schooley received his preliminary training in the excellent public schools of Wyoming, after which he entered the Harry Hillman Academy in preparation for further studies at Lafayette College. After devot- ing himself to the courses prescribed by Lafayette Col- lege, he graduated therefrom in 1910. He was then employed for a short time in the Second National Bank, after which for eleven years he was with the Wyoming National Bank, of Wilkes-Barre. At the end of that time, giving up his position in the bank, he followed various pursuits until April, 1928, searching incessantly for the vocation that would prove most acceptable to his talents and desires. This he found with his acceptance of the Pyrofax Gas Cooking Agency of the Union Car- bide Company, with its home office in New York City. Mr. Schooley's business headquarters are at No. 635 Market Street, Kingston, and from this point he operates throughout the surrounding territory. His patrons are drawn mostly from the many residents of the section who reside at points distant from gas mains, and thus are unable to obtain this product from the public service corporations. The equipment and product afforded by the Schooley concern add greatly to the convenience and welfare of these people, and the business is rapidly increasing the extent of its operations.
A Republican in political affairs, Mr. Schooley has not cared to avail himself of the emoluments of public office which might have been his, had he so desired. However, he has evidenced considerable interest in frater- nal organizations, among his affiliations therein being Wyoming Lodge No. 468, Free and Accepted Masons ; Dieu le Veut Commandery, No. 45, Knights Templar ; Keystone Consistory, Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, of Scranton, and Irem Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, of Wilkes-Barre. Mr. Schooley and his family are communicants of the Pres- byterian Church, and as previously noted, he retains his banking affiliations with the Wyoming institution in which his father had so long served.
The marriage of Arthur B. Schooley to Olive Lewis occurred June 2, 1914. Mrs. Schooley is the daughter of Mrs. Edith Lewis of Wilkes-Barre, and two chil- dren have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Schooley: Jesse B., 2d., born April 17, 1915, and James Robert, born December 20, 1920. The home of this family is located at No. 34 West Eighth Street, Wyoming.
M. STANLEY JOHNSON-Native of Luzerne, Luzerne County, M. Stanley Johnson has witnessed wide changes in the community since the time of his boyhood, and from the year of first participation in business here has contributed materially to the communal evolution. Today he is accounted among the foremost commercial factors in the Luzerne area, a continuous influence toward its prosperity.
M. Stanley Johnson was born June 3, 1887, a son of the late Henry C. Johnson. Henry C. Johnson was a native of Kingston Township, Luzerne County, born in 1849. He secured a sound academic instruction, went to work in the mines of Luzerne, later became tax collector, and eventually found extensive success as retail lumber and hardware dealer, which business he continued until the time of his death. He was one of the organizers of the Luzerne National Bank, of which he was vice-president and member of the directorate. For some time he served on the borough council. At his death, in October, 1919, the community loss was made manifest in tributes which came from every side. Henry C. Johnson married Emma Lamereaux, who was born in Jackson Township, Luzerne County, in 1852, and who survives her husband and makes her residence near her son, M. Stanley Johnson.
Having received his elementary school instruction in the public places of learning in Luzerne, M. Stanley Johnson prepared for college at the Hillman Academy, and matriculated in the University of Pennsylvania, from which he took the degree of Bachelor of Science in Economics, 1911. In that year he joined in association with his father in the hardware and lumber business, which the elder Mr. Johnson had founded in 1902; and at the death of his father in 1919 he succeeded to con- trol. This he lias retained with increasing fortune, under
the old name style of the Henry C. Johnson Company, employing fifteen persons the year around. Mr. Johnson is a Republican, supports the principles and candidates of the party, and owns to considerable political influence in Luzerne, city and county. Fraternally, his interests are wide, notably in Masonry. He is a member of King- ston Lodge, No. 395, Free and Accepted Masons; She- kinah Chapter, Royal Arch Masons; Dieu le Veut Com- mandery, Knights Templar, Caldwell Consistory, Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, at Bloomsburg, and Irem Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. Also, he is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows, as member of Lodge No. 935; is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Mt. Greenwood, Pennsylvania, and a communicant of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which he serves on the official board and holds the office of treasurer. In 1919, when he came into his father's busi- ness, Mr. Johnson became a director of the Luzerne National Bank. During the World War he assisted materially in the several campaigns of financial appeal.
M. Stanley Johnson married, June 3, 1915, Anne Crans- ton, of Kingston, a daughter of James M. and Lydia Cranston; and their children are: 1. Henry C., 2d, born in February, 1918. 2. Malcolm Stanley, Jr., in March, 1922.
WILLIAM WATKIN WATERS, M. D .- In the history of the medical profession, there are no more inspiring records than the careers of men who through obstructions and determents have ever held aloft the ambition to be of service to humanity, and having attained their goal, have devoted their lives to the alleviation of suffering and the promotion of health by the prac- tice of their noble profession. One of Pennsylvania's most progressive physicians, Dr. William Watkin Waters, of Nanticoke, was employed in the coal mines of this region for eleven years and had become connected with the rock contracting business before he felt the desire to become a physician, but with this idea in mind, he diligently labored and studied energetically until he was rewarded for his endeavors by obtaining his degree of Doctor of Medicine. Dr. Waters came to Nanticoke in 1912 and opened his office for the practice of his profession, specializing in surgery, in which he has estab- lished a splendid reputation as a surgeon of expert ability and skill. His success was evident from the begin- ning due to his deep care and consideration for all his patients and the courteous and affable manner with which he treated his discriminating and steadily increasing practice. In the civic and fraternal life of this town he is a popular and esteemed figure devoting much of his leisure time to the activities of the Masonic Order, while in church affairs, he is prominently active.
Dr. Waters was born in Nanticoke, July 25, 1886, son of Ivor J. and Catharine (Sims) Waters. Ivor J. Waters, now deceased, was a mine foreman for the Susquehanna Coal Company for many years and was active in public affairs, serving on the Town Council and Board of Education for six years. In fraternal circles, he was a leader, being treasurer of John Bunyan Lodge, Knights of Pythias, and was for many years a member of Nanticoke Lodge, No. 541, Free and Accepted Masons; the Keystone Consistory of Scranton, and Irem Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. He was a member of the Welsh Baptist Church. Mr. and Mrs. Waters had seven children who grew to maturity : 1. William Watkin, of whom further. 2. Dr. Watkin, a dental surgeon of Wyoming. 3. Mrs. Paul Yecker, of Lancaster. 4. Taliesin, a manufacturer and merchant of New York City. 5. Dr. Catharine, a dental surgeon of Nanticoke. 6. Mrs. William Smith, of Washington, District of Columbia. 7. Via, now deceased, married Eli Githing, of Nanticoke.
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