USA > Pennsylvania > Cumberland County > Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of the Nineteenth Congressional District, Pennsylvania > Part 34
USA > Pennsylvania > Adams County > Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of the Nineteenth Congressional District, Pennsylvania > Part 34
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As a political orator, no less than preacher and lecturer, Dr. Reed has won enviable distinction.
J. HERMAN BOSLER, citizen of Car- lisle, Cumberland County, Pennsyl-
vania, is a man of large wealth, pro- nounced influence and the scion of an old and distinguished Pennsylvania family. He was born in Silver's Spring township, Cum- berland county, on December 14th, 1830, and is the son of Abraham and Eliza (Her- man) Bosler.
The lineage of the Pennsylvania branch of the Bosler family is easily traceable to the pre-Revolutionary period of our history -to a certain John Bosler, who emigrated from Hanover, Germany, and settled be- tween Elizabethtown and Maytown, now known as Bosler's church, Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, in the year 1761.
Here he married a Miss Longenecker and reared a large family of children who grad- ually scattered through the various counties of Southern Pennsylvania. One son, John, married Catherine Gish, of Lancaster county, and removed to Cumberland county, settling in Silver's Spring township. This township became henceforth the homestead cradle of the Boslers in Cumber- land county through the successive genera- tions. To John and his wife, Catherine, were born five children, three sons and two daughters: Jacob D. Bosler, M. D., married Anna D. Herman; John, twice married first, a daughter of Rev. Jacob Keller, and upon her decease a daughter of Geo. Web- bert; Nancy, was also twice married, first to John Rife, and after his decease to Mel- chior Webbert; Catherine, married Dr .-- Fahnstock; and Abraham, the youngest son, who married on February 20th, 1830 Eliza Herman, daughter of Martin and Elizabeth (Bowers) Herman, of Silver's Spring township.
During the early years immediately after reaching his majority, Abraham Bosler en- gaged in mercantile pursuits at Hogues- town, Pa., but a few years later formed a co-partnership with Francis Porter for the purpose of conducting a produce business, which largely consisted in shipping pro- duce by boat on the Susquehanna river to Baltimore. In 1851, Mr. Bosler sold his property interests in Silver's Spring town- ship and removed to South Middleton township, where he purchased a farm upon which was erected a mill and a distillery. These three branches of industry-farming, milling and distilling-continued to engage his attention until 1871, when he retired and removed to Carlisle, where he died De- cember 21st, 1883, in his 78th year. His wife survived him two years, dying in her 76th year. Early in life Mr. and Mrs. Bos- ler united with the Presbyterian church at
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Silver's Spring and at the time of their re- moval transferred their membership to the Second Presbyterian church of Carlisle. They were both progressive and zealous workers in the cause of Christian living and contributed liberally toward the expan- sion of the church's usefulness. Their marital union was blessed by the birth of eight children, all born in Silver's Spring township: John Herman, James William- son, Benjamin C., Joseph, Elizabeth Bow- ers, Mary Catherine, George Morris, and Charles, who died in infancy.
The boyhood life of John Herman Bos- ler was passed upon his father's farm in Silver's Spring township and was character- ized by the common incidents and scenes of rural life. At the age of seventeen he entered as a student of Cumberland Acad- emy and during the years 1850 and 1851 studied at Dickinson College, Carlisle. Upon leaving the college halls he at once entered upon an active business career, which succeeding years have abundantly crowned with success. In the outstart he formed a partnership with his father in the milling and distilling business and contin- ued to be so identified for a period of five years. He then became interested in the iron producing industry in Huntingdon county, where he remained two years. Just about this time, October Ist, 1856, he married Mary J., eldest daughter of James and Martha (Saeger) Kirk, of Mifflin, Juni- ata county, shortly after which he returned to Cumberland county and resumed the milling business, which he suplemented by purchasing and shipping grain in large quantities. This was continued until the year 1870. In 1869, in association with his brother, James W., Mr. Bosler engaged in stock ranching in Nebraska and became a large investor in the cattle business, both in Nebraska and Wyoming, which ventures met with an immediate and emphatic suc-
cess. Later he turned his attention to landed investments, and with his accus- tomed sagacity, became one of the largest purchasers of land in South Omaha in con- nection with his brother George. These lands were subsequently transferred to the South Omaha Land Company, of which Mr. Bosler became Vice-President, and in which he retained a large interest. The operations of this company resulted in the foundation of the town of South Omaha, at that time three miles from the centre of the city of Omaha proper; and so rapid has been its developement, that at the present time it is a corporate part of the city itself. The enterprise proved to be markedly suc- cessful, even beyond the expectation of the founders, and stands out as a fair testimo- nial to their judgment and foresight. While apparently intent upon his western enterprises, Mr. Bosler did not lose sight of his opportunities in the east,especially in his native county. He was naturally attracted to the development of home enterprises and was very prompt to take the initiative in these lines. The foundation of the Carlisle Manufacturing Company, of which his brother, James W. Bosler, was President, was in no small measure due to his impetus and cordial support. He was one of its founders and charter member. This con- concern is engaged in the manufacture of freight, box and coal cars, railroad frogs, switch stands, boilers, horizontal and verti- cal engines and numerous other collateral articles and supplies, comprising a variety and extent of products not exceeded in Cumberland county.
In addition to the foregoing, Mr. Bosler is President of the Carlisle Shoe Factory, a live and progressive concern, an influen- tial director in the Carlisle Deposit Bank, the Merchants National Bank, the Carlisle Gas, Water and Electric Light Co., a·dir- ector of the Cumberland Valley and Dills-
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burg Railroad Company and was President of the Carlisle Land and Improvement Company, which latter is now extinct, to all of which he has contributed an unusual business ability.
In 1891 Mr. Bosler associated himself with a number of enterprising gentlemen, whose purpose was the purchase and devel- opement of large tracts of Western land. The first purchase made by this associa- tion, whose legal designation was the South San Francisco Land and Improvement Company, was in San Mateo county, Cali- fornia, embracing a tract of 440 square miles, bounded on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the North by the Bay of San Francisco. The surface of the land is undulating and covered with a heavy growth of timber, while the soil is arable and productive. It is also prolific of miner- al springs, some of which are impregnated with sulphur and others with iron and lithia in such proportions as to render them highly efficacious as medicinal waters. Deposits of coal have also been found and the land is well adapted to the production of the cereal grains and grass for grazing purposes. Sometime after the first pur- chase, a second purchase of 3400 acres was made by the same company. The capita- lization of the company was fixed at $2,- 000,000.00 and it was designed to comprise in addition to its real estate holdings, a Stock Yard Company, an Abattoir Com- pany, a Banking Company and any other form or function of industrial or financial organization that would contribute toward the more perfect improvement and expan- sion of the Company's interest. This gi- gantic enterprise has so far proved an ex- ceptional venture.
In Cumberland county Mr. Bosler is the owner of a number of farms in whose man- agement and improvement he takes a spe- cial delight, chiefly because it affords him
a restful diversion from his multifold busi- ness connections. This has led him also to ally himself with the Cumberland County Agricultural Society, which has always found in him a valuable co-worker and an interested patron.
While Mr. Bosler's life has been essenti- ally that of a business man, with a multi- plicity of cares, yet he has found time to manifest an abiding interest in other forms of social activity. He is a man of a pro- nounced religions character and has always shown a cordial solicitude for the welfare of the the church and its influence. He is a member of the Second Presbyterian church of Carlisle and has been assiduous and untiring in aiding all its forms of mater- ial and moral beneficence. In politics he has always been a staunch Democrat and has brought to the support of his party the same strength and patriotic zeal that has characterized his business career. In 1888 he served as the Democratic elector from the Nineteenth Congressional District.
Mr. Bosler's career has been among the most conspicuous in this Congressional district. It has been so because of his fam- ily heritage, his distinctive personal success and the high esteem in which he is held by his business colleagues, social acquaint- ances and fellow townsmen. His business relations have been marked with candor, honesty, and a rare good judgment, while his courageous and progressive spirit have added greatly to the wealth and general well-being of his city and county. All these things are in high attestation of the char- acter and demeanor of Mr. Bosler and mark him as a man of distinguished citizen- ship as well as a person of exemplary quali- ties.
Mr. and Mrs. Bosler have had ten chil- dren, six of whom are now living: Gertrude wife of Judge E. W. Biddle; Herman, Sec- retary and Treasurer of the Fidelity and
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Deposit Company, of Maryland, with head office at Baltimore, Md .; Lila McClellan, deceased, wife of Edmund Hooker, of Omaha, Nebraska; Jean M., wife of James I. Chamberlain, Attorney-at-Law, Harris- burg, Pa .; Fleta, unmarried; Kirk, student at Dickinson College, Carlisle; the others died in infancy.
F RANKLIN GARDNER, retired man- ufacturer and business man of Car- lisle, Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, was born in Hellam Township, York County, Pennsylvania, on December 11th, 1820. He is a son of Martin and Mary (Thomas) Gardner.
The Gardners are of German lineage and the name has been prominent in Pennsyl- vania biographical history for a number of generations, the great grandfather of our present subject having located in York County while it was still in a semi-pioneer state. Here he secured a patent for six hundred acres of land in Hellam Township from the Penns, which at the time of his death descended to his heirs and became the homestead of the family in York County. Upon this homestead Martin Gardner, grandfather, was born, reared and demised. He was a steady, industrious far- mer, a member of the Lutheran church and brought up to maturity, with his accustom- ed care, a family of six children: Mrs. George Smyser (deceased), of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; Mrs. Samuel Weiser, late of York; Michael, (deceased), ex-sheriff of York County; Martin, father of Franklin; David, a farmer by occupation, deceased in Harrisburg; Daniel, a farmer and at the time of his death a citizen of the State of Ohio.
Martin Gardner, father, like his progeni- tors for several generations, was a native of York County, Hellam township, and was brought up to and chiefly followed agricul-
tural pursuits. For a period of eight years he served as steward of the York county almshouse and subsequently removed to the city of York, where he lived in retirement until his death in the year 1837. Near the close of the war of 1812 he was drafted into the United States military service but be-
fore the order came to march to the front that memorable struggle had closed. He was a Lutheran in his church membership and a Whig in politics. His wife was a daughter of John Thomas of York county and bore him six children, tive sons and one daughter: Franklin; Israel, late of Carlisle; Martin, a machinist, now located at Al- toona, this State; Henry, a citizen of Har- risburg; Albert, a machinist, located at Al- toona, and Lucy, wife of Danford Edmars, State of Indiana.
Our subject, Franklin Gardner, was brought up on the old homestead farm until he attained his eighth year and received the educational advantages afforded by the common schools of York county at that time. In 1840, when twenty years of age, he directed his steps to Carlisle, Cumber- land county, where after working a short period in a foundry he succeeded his for- mer employee and began his independent struggle by starting in a small way, a machine shop and foundry combined on the corner of Bedford and High streets. At first the heavier machinery was operated by horse power but on July 4th, 1842, the latter was superseded by steam power, the introduction of which marked the advent of the first steam engine in Carlisle. Through this and other constant additions from time to time the business kept expanding and in 1848 William J. Brown was admitted to a partnership interest, the firm name becom- ing Gardner & Brown. In 1851 the works were destroyed by fire and compelled a reconstruction. At this juncture Mr. Brown retired from the partnership and the
Dr. E. Niter
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work of rebuilding was begun and com- pleted by Mr. Gardner, who continued sole proprietor until 1857. During this year E. Beatty secured an interest and the business was conducted as Gardner & Company un- til 1880 George Butem (deceased) having been admitted into the partnership in 1867. At this time the facilities, output and gener- al business of Gardner & Company had grown from the very modest beginnings of 1840 to very generous proportions, involv- ing assets of more than $75,000, and a va- riety of manufactured implements and foundry work not excelled in the county. In 1880 Mr. Gardner closed out his inter- ests in the foundry and machine shop to what is now known as the Carlisle Manu- facturing Company. In 1883, in conjunction with his two sons, Edward J. and John H., Mr. Gardner built and organized the Letort Axle Works, located in the eastern part of the town, and maintained an active interest in that well known industry until August Ist, 1896, when he retired and the firm became F. Gardner's Sons. This estab- lishment engages in the manufacture of axles for all kinds of carriages and vehicles, besides the general iron products of a ma- chine shop. It employs about sixty men and has a weekly pay roll of about four hundred dollars. In point of the excellence of its products, financial stability and tact- ful management it ranks with the first in- dustries of the county. In addition to the foregoing interests Mr. Gardner is a large real estate owner, and director of the Gas and Water Company for thirty-five years, and has many lesser business connections. He is an active member of the Lutheran church a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and has been conspi- cuous as a man of public spirit and civic pride. His business success, no less than his standing as a citizen, has been due to his characteristic energy, business methods
and uncompromising honesty. During the long years of residence in his adopted home he has seen it developed from a hamlet of less than four thousand people to a beauti- ful city replete with industry and educa- tional institutions and can rest secure in the knowledge that he has done his share in its expansion.
On March 24th, 1842, Mr. Gardner was joined in marriage with Sarah Jane Abra- hams, daughter of Jacob Abrahams, of Car- lisle. This union resulted in the birth of ten children: Carolina, widow of William Maize, of Pottsville, Pennsylvania; Martin, deceased; Annie, wife of Henry W. Bow- man, of Philadelphia; Alice, wife of J. R. Butem, of Philadelphia; Edward J., mem- ber of F. Gardner's Sons; John H., mem- ber of F. Gardner's Sons; Laura, wife of Charles P. Adams, Attorney-at-Law, of Carlisle, Pa., and three deceased.
R EV. HENRY EDWARD NILES, D. D. Since April 16, 1865, Dr. Hen- ry Edward Niles has been pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, of York. One of his first public appearances here, was April 19th, 1865, when he delivered the ora- tion at the Lincoln funeral services in Christ Lutheran Church.
During these years his strong character and devotion to principle and duty, aided by a peculiarly responsive sympathy and enforced by no ordinary eloquence and a ready pen, have made him an influential factor in the religious and intellectual life and development of the town and county.
Under his charge the Church has con- stantly increased in numbers, philanthropy and influence; branches have been estab- lished in the north and south section of the city, known as the Westminster and Cal- vary churches; and the parent organization is now larger and more active than ever in its history.
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He was largely interested in forming plans upon which his intimate friend and elder, Samuel Small, founded the York Col- legiate Institute, of which he has from the beginning been a Trustee.
He is also a Trustee and active friend of Lincoln University; and has given much thought and care to the Board of Minister- ial Relief of the Presbyterian Church, of which for many years, he has been a mem- ber.
In 1874 he was moderator of the Synod of Philadelphia, and in 1877 was Associate Member of the Pan-Presbyterian Council which met at Edinburgh, Scotland.
Nor have his energies and talents been devoted by any means exclusively to his own church and to Presbyterian institu- tions.
All wise reforms in morals and politics have had in him a fearless and judicious advocate, and he has been a strong support for all movements of evangelization and philanthropy.
Before the union of the Old and New School, in 1870, he and his church were connected with the latter branch and his ecclesiastical tendencies have always been in favor of all liberty of thought and ex- pression, consistent with devotion to fun- damental truth.
Dr. Niles is of an old New England family. He was born August 15, 1823, at South Hadley, Mass., the second child of William Niles and Sophia Goodrich; and was descendant in the seventh generation, from Captain John Niles, who came from Wales in 1630, settled in Abington, Mass., and afterwards moved to Braintree.
William Niles moved with his family to Spencertown, Columbia county, N. Y., when Henry was about five years old; and the boy spent his youth amid the beauties of the Hudson River and Berkshire Hills.
He was graduated from Union College,
Schenectady, N. Y., in 1844, and from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1848; and was ordained by the Presbytery of Co- lumbia and installed pastor at Valatie (Kinderhook), N. Y., October 24, 1848.
In 1855 broken health compelled him to spend about a year in travel and recreation; after which he supplied the church at An- gelica, N. Y.
From 1859 until the outbreak of the war he served as pastor-elect of the North church of St. Louis, Mo.
In 1861 he was called to Albion, N. Y., from whence, after a very successful minis- try, he came to York.
In 1875 he received the degree of Doctor of Divinity from Wooster University.
June 26, 1850, at Lowell, Mass., Mr. Niles married Jeannie E., daughter of Sum- ner Marsh; whose qualities and efforts have so supplemented and aided his, as to make their lives a harmonious whole of joint de- votion to all that is good, unselfish and beautiful.
They have three living children: Henry Carpenter, born at Angelica, N. Y., June 17, 1858, a member of the York bar; Alfred Salem, born at St. Louis, October 28, 1860, a lawyer at Baltimore, and Edward, born at York, September 18, 1868, pastor of the Reformed church at Gardner, N. Y.
H ON. JAMES M. WEAKLEY, a pro- minent lawyer of Carlisle and a dis- tinguished citizen of the Cumberland Val- ley, is a son of James Weakley and Eliza- beth (Lockhart) Weakley. He was born in Dickinson township, Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, April 12,1839. He is fourth in descent from the pioneer James Weakley, Sr., of English descent, who settled as early as 1725, on the Yellow Breeches, in what was then called Pennsborough township. Here he purchased a tract of six hundred acres of land from the Penns, on which he
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Imreally
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NINETEENTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT.
built a house, enclosed by a stockade for the protection of his family and neighbors from the attacks of the savages during the Indian troubles. He increased his possessions con- siderably by purchasing, and at his death was the owner of large estates in lands. His family consisted of six sons and five daugh- ters.
His son, James Weakley, who inherited the tract purchased by his father from the Penns, served two enlistments during the Revolutionary war, retiring with rank of Captain. He lived on the home farm until his death in 1814 at the age of eighty-four years. He married Rebecca Mckinley, by whom he had four sons, Isaac, James, Na- thaniel and William, and four daughters, Mrs. Jane Woods, Mrs. Rebecca Boden, Mrs. Elizabeth Woodburn and Nancy Weakley. William died in early manhood. All his other children lived to an advanced age.
James Weakley, the second son of Cap- tain James Weakley, born April 16, 1785, inherited the home of his ancestors. When he was more than forty-five years old, he encountered financial trouble and the old homestead was sold from him. He then married Elizabeth Lockhart, the daughter of a farmer in Dickinson township, and began anew. Engaging in the manu- facture of lumber, by hard work and severe economy he soon began to acquire pro- perty. When he retrieved his fortune he purchased a farm in Penn township, to which he removed in 1847, and resided there until his death. In 1861, then seventy- six years old, he re-purchased the old home- stead, paying for it a price four times greater than it brought when it was sold from him in 1835. He died August 30, 1873; his wife had passed away June 7, 1854. He was a strong, earnest indomitable man.
His family consisted of three sons and
one daughter, William H. and Wilson C. Weakley, who are farmers in Dickinson township; Rebecca C. Weakley, and the subject of the present sketch.
James M. Weakley was reared on his father's farm, received a fair academic edu- cation, and in 1860, began the study of law with William H. Miller, of Carlisle. He was admitted to the Cumberland County Bar in 1862, and has been in active practice ever since in the courts of this and other counties of the State. Mr. Weakley, on September 12, 1865, was married to Mary F. Sullivan, who died March 1, 1880. He has had three children, Florence, who died in childhood; Mary F., a graduate of The Academy of the Visitation, Georgetown, D. C., and Francis J., a graduate of St. John's College, Fordham, New York city, and of the Dickinson School of Law, who is now practicing his profession in Jeffer- son county, Pennsylvania.
For several years Mr. Weakley was inter- ested in journalism. He was for eight years editor and part owner of the Carlisle Her- ald, the Republican organ of Cumberland county, and for two years editor of the Car- lisle Leader. He is a member of the Second Presbyterian church, of Carlisle, and a past master of St. John's Lodge, Free and Ac- cepted Masons. He was several years presi -- dent of the Cumberland Valley Mutual In- surance Company, and has held other po- sitions of trust and responsibility.
His political career began in 1865, when he was elected a member of the Borough Council, in which he served until 1868. The year following he was appointed by Gover- nor Geary Assistant Secretary of the Com- monwealth, which important and respon- sible position he filled from 1869 to 1872. In 1871 he was elected State Senator from the district composed of Cumberland and Franklin counties and was a member of the Senate for three years serving on the com-
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mittees on Corporations, Judiciary General and Constitutional Reform. Just prior to his election to the Senate he was chosen a member of the School Board of Carlisle,and was re-elected four times, being President of the Board the last ten years of his ser- vice.
In 1891 he was elected professor of Pleading in the Dickinson School of Law, and the following year was made Pro- fessor of Equity. He has filled these posi- tions ever since. Since his retirement from politics Mr. Weakley has engaged actively in the practice of the law and has main- tained a high position in his profession. He has had a varied, honorable and successful career.
H ON ROBERT M. HENDERSON, a distinguished citizen of Carlisle, son of Wm. M. and Elizabeth (Parker) Hend- erson, was born March 11th, 1827, in North Middleton township, Cumberland county, Pa. He was educated in the public schools of Carlisle; and at Dickinson College, grad- uating from the High School in 1838, and from Dickinson College in 1845; studied law with Hon. John Reed and was ad- mitted to practice Ang. 25, 1847. He was elected by the Whigs a member of the Pennsylvania Legislature in 1851; and re- elected in 1852. At the outbreak of the Re- bellion he was chosen, and duly commis- sioned April 21, 1861, Captain Co. A, 7th Penn'a Reserves, 36th Pa. Volunteers. This regiment was attached to 2nd Brigade, Mc- Call's Division, Army of Potomac, and served through the Peninsular campaign; and afterwards joined the army of Northern Virginia under Gen. Pope, and engaged in the battle of Bull Run (second). During this engagement Col. Henderson while making a charge was shot through the body with a minnie ball, and carried from the field.
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