USA > Pennsylvania > Cumberland County > Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of the Nineteenth Congressional District, Pennsylvania > Part 41
USA > Pennsylvania > Adams County > Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of the Nineteenth Congressional District, Pennsylvania > Part 41
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Mr. Heiges was induced to accept, re- luctantly, at a crisis, the nomination of his party in 1885 for the office of chief burgess of the historic borough of York, to which office he was elected by a large majority, and re-elected in 1886. Three years before a majority of the voters had declared for a city charter, which was refused by the State authorities on the ground of non-compli- ance with certain technicalities of the law. In 1886 another election was held to ascer- tain the wishes of the voters on the ques- tion, the details of the election being care- fully supervised by Chief Burgess Heiges, and whilst a large majority of the voters again voted for a city charter, the granting of a charter was strenuously opposed be-
fore the State authorities by able counsel, and as earnestly advocated by Mr. Heiges, who demonstrated, to the satisfaction of the authorities, that all the requirements of the law had been fulfilled, and a charter was obtained, since which time York has be- come one of the most flourishing towns of the East.
Mr. Heiges declined a nomination for the mayorality, preferring to be known as the last chief burgess of the Yorktown of the North, where the Continental Congress sat from the 30th of September, 1777, until the 27th of June, 1778.
Mr. Heiges has been a member of St. John's Protestant Episcopal Church of York, Pa., since 1865, and for many years was choir master of that church.
He is also a member of the "Lawyers' Club," of Philadelphia, Pa .; is a member of the Commercial Law League of Amer- ica; has been a member of the Executive Committee of the Pennsylvania State Bar Association, and is now a member of the Membership Committee of said Associa- tion; is a member of the American Aca- demy of Political and Social Science; a member of the Pennsylvania German Society; a member of the Pennsyl- vania Forestry Association; a member of the York County Historical So- ciety, &c., &c .; was the member for York County for many years of the Democratic Central Committee of Pennsylvania, and was elected for his county in 1891 a mem- ber of a proposed Constitutional Conven- tion to amend the Constitution of the State.
He is and has been for several years past, vice-president of the "York Club," the old- est social organization in the city, the mem- bership of which is limited to forty gentle- men.
Mr. Heiges is yet in the prime of life, of continued studious and industrious habits, capable of performing a large amount of
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professional and literary work, than which which nothing affords him greater pleasure. He has well equipped law, scientific and lit- erary libraries, is an omniverous reader of entertaining and instructive works in Ger- man and French, is familiar with Latin and well read in the English classics.
He does a large collecting business, be- ing local correspondent for many responsi- ble general collecting agencies, notably, for many years, of the "Lyon Furniture Asso- ciation," and has an extensive Orphans' Court practice.
An older brother, viz .: Samuel Beelman Heiges, is and has been since January Ist, 1894, chief of the division of pomology, United States Department of Agriculture. At the time of his appointment there were candidates for the position from nearly every State in the Union.
Other brothers and sisters of Mr. Heiges were and are as follows: John M. Heiges, the oldest of the family, who died February, A. D. 1882; Jacob D. Heiges, D. D. S., of York, Pa .; sketches of both of whom ap- pear in another part of this volume; Maria J. Heiges, a much beloved sister, who died October 23d, 1888, after an illness of but three days, from pneumonia; and Elizabeth A., intermarried with William N. Seibert, one of the most prominent members of, if not the leader at the New Bloomfield, Perry county, Pennsylvania, bar.
The father of Mr. Heiges was born in Franklin township, York county, Pa., De- cember 16th, A. D. 1800, and died January 14th, A. D. 1866, after an illness of five days, from pneumonia. Mr. Heiges' mother was born in Carroll township, York county, Pa., December 8th, A. D. 1805, and died after a brief illness, September 9th, A. D. 1886, at the advanced age of nearly eighty-one years. Her parents, John Mumper and Jane Beelman Mumiper,
died in the sixties at the advanced age, re- spectively, of 81 and 82 years.
Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Heiges, the elder, a dearly beloved daughter, Helen Days Heiges, who died March Ist, 1896, aged 20 years. Miss Heiges was a beautiful and lovable girl who by her sweet character and her ever readi- ness to please and help others had endeared herself to a very large circle of friends. She was very prominent in York society, par- ticularly in musical circles, she being an ac- complished pianist, and having studied at the Peabody Institute, Baltimore, after grad- uating with first honors from the York High School in the class of 1892. Her death was a great shock to all who knew her, and the sympathy of all went out to Mr. and Mrs. Heiges in their bereavement.
Their only remaining child is a son, Stuart Sprigg Heiges, who was born No- vember 12th, 1882, and has just completed his second year at the York Collegiate In- stitute.
R. HATHAWAY SHINDEL, the cap- able and efficient cashier of the City Bank, of York, is the eldest son of Jacob G., and Abigail (Hathaway) Shindel, and was born at Selins Grove, Snyder county, Pennsylvania, September 29th, 1850. Hon. Jacob G. Shindel is of German descent and is a native of Northumberland county, born in the year 1818. He was educated and spent the earlier years of his life in his native county. Subsequently he removed to Selins Grove, Snyder county, and en- gaged in general mechandising for a time, but later engaged in the drug business, in which he has since continued .. He is an old time Democrat, but being a man of unusual popularity was elected associate judge on the Democratic ticket in a county strongly Republican. He was one of the stalwart men of his county, useful in both
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public and private life. He married Abi- gail Hathaway whose father, Reuben Hath- away, was of English descent and resided in Snyder county. This union was pro- ductive of three children, two sons and a daughter: R. Hathaway, subject; James C., Lutheran clergyman, Lancaster, Ohio; and Susan, wife of Simon L. Kamp, a resident of Ridley Park, Delaware county.
R. Hathaway Shindel grew to manhood in his native village, received his educa- tion in the public schools and the mission- ary institute now known as Susquehanna University, and then became a clerk in his father's drug store, where he remained for six years. Leaving the drug store he was appointed station agent at Selins Grove for the Lewistown and Sunbury R. R. Com- pany, whose service he left some years later to enter the Snyder county bank as teller. He was subsequently promoted to the posi- tion of cashier and served in that capacity until 1876, when he removed to York and became bookkeeper in the First National Bank, of that city, which he held until the year 1887. In that year the City bank, of York, was organized, and he was elected to his present position in that institution. During his many years of service, Mr. Shindel has been a careful student of bank- ing institutions and systems, and has proved himself a careful and painstaking official. He is recognized as a conserva- tive financier, a man of undoubted integrity and ample mental equipment. After com- ing to York he interested himself in a num- ber of its business enterprises outside of the bank with which he is connected, pre- ferring to aid the progress of home indus- try and home enterprise, even when it seemed more advantageous to indulge in foreign investments. He is a stockholder in the York Safe and Lock Company, a stockholder and director of the York Tele- phone Company, and a stockholder and
treasurer of the Westinghouse Electric Light Company, and other lesser concerns. He is a member of the Masonic Fraternity in high standing and also of several secret and beneficial organizations, among which may be mentioned the Junior Order United American Mechanics and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.
In December, 1872, Mr. Shindel was married to Mary B. Hummel, a daughter of L. R. Hummel, of Selins Grove, Snyder county. Mrs. Shindel died in August, 1880, and two years later Mr. Shindel wed- ded Lizzie M. Schall, a daughter of Jacob D. Schall, president of the First National bank, of York. In matters of religion he has always been an adherent of the faith, and is an active member of the Episcopal church, of which organization, in York, he is a vestryman and treasurer. In politics he has always given a warm and cordial support to the Republican party. Under the first city charter of York, he was elected a member of the common council, and in 1889, the additional honor of city treas- urer was conferred on him. After serving one year as city treasurer, the law then reg- ulating the election of city officials in the State of Pennsylvania was declared uncon- stitutional, and after the requisite legal change was made, he was renominated and elected for a term of three years under the declared constitutional requirements. Mr. Shindel is President of the Sixth Ward Republican club, and was made vice president of the Republican State League, when it met at York in 1895, and again in 1896, when that body convened in Erie, Pennsylvania. He was a delegate to the Republican Na- tional convention, which met at St. Louis, Missouri, in June, 1896, and was an ardent supporter of Major William McKinley, the successful candidate for President. Mr. Shindel has taken an intelligent and far
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reaching interest in the recent campaign of his county and State, is well informed upon financial and economic questions and has been solicited by his friends to present him- self for State Treasurer, an office for which he is amply qualified, both in point of prac- tical business ability and personal charac- ter. He was one of the Republican elec- tors of Pennsylvania who elected Major William McKinley President of the United States.
R EV. ABRAHAM G. FASTNACHT, pastor of the Union Evangelical Lutheran church, of York, was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, June 30th, I845. He is a son of Jehu and Mattie Fastnacht, both natives and lifelong resi- dents of Lancaster county. After a thor- ough preparation, Mr. Fastnacht entered Pennsylvania College at Gettysburg, Penn- sylvania, from which he was graduated in the year 1870. Immediately following he entered the Lutheran Theological Semi- nary at the same place, graduating in 1873. He was licensed to preach by the East Pennsylvania Synod in 1872 and ordained by the West Pennsylvania Synod of the Lutheran Church in the year 1873. His first call was received from the charge at Mt. Holly Springs and Boiling Springs, Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, where he remained as pastor until the year 1875, when he resigned on account of failing health and removed to Gettysburg, Adams county. Here he was employed for some months by the Board of Publication of his church, and his health having improved in the meantime, he accepted a call from the Union Evangelical Lutheran church, of York, Pennsylvania, in 1877. Since that date he has been a devoted and courageous servant of his church and his faith in that city.
The church of which Rev. Fastnacht is
pastor was organized in 1859, and in the same year was erected on Market street, near Penn, a house of worship, which has been improved and enlarged until it is now a tasteful edifice with a seating capacity of about six hundred. During the pastorate of Rev. Fastnacht, this church has in- creased in membership from about three hundred to almost seven hundred; while the Sunday school has grown to an aggregate of over six hundred members.
On June 10th 1873, Rev. Fastnacht was united in marriage with Mary Emily War- ren, daughter of Hiram Warren, of Gettys- burg, this State. They have three children, a son and two daughters: Allie Estella, Edmund W., and Minnie M.
For twenty years Rev. Fastnacht has preached to increasing congregations at York, and his labors, from a moral and spiritual point of view, have been crowned with gratifying success. He has been hon- ored with official positions in the higher assemblies of his church, was president of the West Pennsylvania Synod and was dele- gated by that body as a representative to the General Synod of the United States. For several years he has been a trustee of the York County Academy and the Tressler Orphans' Home at Loysville, Pa. Nothing more laudable can be said of Rev. Fast- nacht than that he has given the best years of his life to aid the moral growth and the spiritual unfolding of his fellow man.
H ENRY CLAY WHITING, PH. D., professor of Latin in Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pa., is a son of Samuel and Mary (Keeney) Whiting, and was born at Speedville, Tompkins county, New York, March 27, 1845. The Whitings are of English origin and are decended from three brothers who left England on account of re- ligious persecution and came to this coun- try at an early day. One located in
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Boston, the second settled in Virginia, and the third made a home for himself in the far South. Dr. Whiting is a member of the Boston branch of the Whiting fam- ily and his grandfather, Samuel Whiting, removed from Boston to Speedville, New York, where he continued to reside until his death, which occurred in 1851, at the age of sixty-seven years. His son, Samuel Whiting, was the eldest of a large family of children and first saw the light of day in Boston, on March 6, 1816. He removed to New York, and became a leading business man there, where he died November 6, 1875. He was an active Methodist and temperance man, being a trustee and one of the chief officials of his church and a leading and influential member of his Lodge,Sons of Temperance. Mr. Whiting married Mary Keeney, who was a daughter of William Keeney, of Speedville, New York, and passed away June 16, 1848, aged 24 years, leaving two children: Dr. Henry Clay and Josephine G., who married Daniel Smith and is now dead.
Dr. Whiting was thrown upon his own re- sources during his youthful days and after attending Oswego and Ithaca Academies he entered Union College, Schenectady, N. Y., from which he was graduated in the class of 1867. Leaving college he served as principal of Franklin Academy, Prattsburg, New York, for one year, and of the classi- cal department of the Schenectady Union schools for two years and then entered Drew Theological Seminary.
In this institution (Drew) he also served as Adj-Professor of Ancient Language for four years at Madison, New Jersey, from which he was graduated in 1873. After graduation he served as professor of an- cient languages in Centenary Collegiate In- stitute of Hackettstown, New Jersey, from 1874 to 1878, as vice-president of Penning- ton Seminary, of Pennington, New Jersey,
for one year, and in June, 1879, was elected Professor of Latin and German in Dickin- son College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Four years later he was elected Professor of Latin alone and has brought his department up to a high standard of efficiency and excellence. Dr. Whiting was graduated from Ithaca Academy and while at Union College was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Psi Upsilon Societies and President of the Philomethean Society, be- sides serving as editor of the Union College magazine and acting as captain of its base ball nine. He has served since 1885 as treasurer of Dickinson College. In 1886 he formed the first chapter there of the Phi Beta Kappa Society in the State of Penn- sylvania and became the President.
On November 21, 1867 Dr. Whiting mar- ried Mary Louise Freeman, a daughter of J. R. Freeman, of Schenectady, New York, and to their union have been born six chil- dren: Henry F., adjunct professor of Latin and Mathematics in Dickinson College; Leonora; Earl, deceased; Helen; Mabel, deceased, and Paul.
Dr. Whiting is a member of St. John's Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons, and is interested in the Lindner Shoe Com- pany, which he helped to organize in 1892, and of which he served as president and treasurer for some time. He is a trustee and steward of Allison Memorial Metho- dist Episcopal church of Carlisle, and is also a member of the Central Pennsyl- vania Conference. Dr. Whiting aside from his immediate collegiate duties has written much of interest and usefulness. He is the author of an edition of "Seneca's Morals," published by Harper Brother in 1875, and has besides contributed several articles to McClintock and Strong's Theological En- cyclopedia. He furnishes numerous articles to the general press. Dr. Whiting received the degree of A. B. from Union College in
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1867, the degree of B. D. from Drew Theo- logical Seminary in 1873, and that of Ph. D., from the Illinois Wesleyan university, in the Centennial year of the Republic.
B. F. SPANGLER, M. D., one of the older and most prominent physi- cians of York, is a son of Rudolph and Sarah (Harbaugh) Spangler, and was born in Jackson township, York county, Penn- sylvania, February 21, 1844. The Spangler family is one of the prolific and most in- dustrions in Southern Pennsylvania, every generation of which has been represented by many excellent business and profes- sional men. Rudolph Spangler was a son of Henry Spangler, and died 1851. He had been a consistent member of the German Reformed church from early life and was an exemplar of diligence and honesty- worthy of imitation. He married Sarah Harbaugh, a daughter of Jacob Harbaugh. She was a native of York county, born on February, 1807, and is still living. To this union were born eleven children, among whom are the following: Dr. Benjamin F., subject; Edward W., attorney-at-law, York; Dr. Jacob R., a practicing physician, of York.
B. F. Spangler was reared on his father's farm, received his education in the common schools and the York County Academy, and served in a mercantile establishment, in a clerical capacity, until Angust 7th, 1862. At the age of 18 years he enlisted in Company K, 130th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volun- teers, and went to the front during the civil war in the defense of our country. He par- ticipated in the battles of Antietam, Fred- ericksburg and Chancellorsvi.le. He was pro- moted to 4th sergeant during his term of service and was honorably discharged in May, 1863. Upon his return from the army he spent one year in the pursuit of special studies at the York County Academy, and
then took a full course of training in busi- ness at Eastman Business College at Poughkeepsie, New York.
After the completion of this course he went to Indianapolis, Indiana, where he engaged in the life and fire insurance busi- ness for a short time, and then returned to York. Here he read medicine under the preceptorship of Dr. Charles M. Nes, and entered Jefferson Medical College, Phila- delphia, from which he was graduated in March, 1868. He then returned to York, where he opened an office and began the practice of his profession. He steadily rose in the ranks of the medical fraternity to a position of prominence and honor and now ranks among the leading members of his profession.
On November 12, 1868, Dr. Spangler was married to Ada E. Nes, a daughter of Hon. Henry Nes, M. D., one of the leading pub- lic men of Southern Pennsylvania, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this volume. To this union five children were born, of whom two are living, viz .: Theresa J., and Chauncey K., the latter a member of the firm of Waltman & Spangler.
During the course of his professional life Dr. Spangler has taken an active part in many of the movements for the advance- ment of the profession of medicine. He has been a member for many years of the York County Medical Society, with which he has been frequently connected in an official ca- pacity. Some years ago, however, he left that body and identified himself with the Medico-Pathological Society which dis- solved in 1896, and afterwards was again elected a member of the former Medical Society. He is a member of the Pennsyl- vania State Medical and National Medical Societies, served on the board of medical examiners for pensions during Harrison's administration, and has been variously hon- ored as a professional man and citizen.
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Aside from his professional interests Dr. Spangler has been a factor in financial and other business concerns of his city. He was one of the organizers in May, 1883, of the Drovers' and Mechanics' National Bank of York, and in its directory for several years. Two years ago, 1894, he was re- elected to a directorship, and is now serving in that capacity. He is a Republican in politics, a member of General Sedgwick Post No. 37, Grand Army of the Republic, and bears the stamp of an active energetic and useful citizen. Dr. and Mrs. Spangler are members of the First Presbyterian church, of York.
R EV. W. S. VAN CLEVE, a promi- nent and hard-working minister of the Presbyterian church at Gettysburg, is the son of Obadiah and Charity (Reese) Van Cleve, and was born June 18th, 1835; near Waynesburg, Green county, Pennsyl- vania. The family is of Dutch lineage, hav- ing originated in Holland. The latter gen- erations were, however, born in this country. William Van Cleve, the paternal grand- father of our subject was a native of New Jersey, and married Cassey Townsend, of Delaware, in 1790. The father was born near Mercersburg, in Franklin county, Pennsylvania. He was a close reader and though he never had any other than a com- mon school education developed into a well informed man. He was fond of books and reading, and was endowed with more than ordinary natural ability. He was a farmer by occupation in Green county where he lived, and followed that occupation most of his life. Though he was in later life a Re- publican he was in earlier life a Democrat, the late Civil war changing his political opinions. Before that change, however, he acquired sufficient prominence in Demo- cratic councils to secure the nomination and election to the county treasureship. He
then gave up farming and moved to the county seat, where he remained up to near the time of his death. Mr. Van Cleve was a member and elder of the Presbyterian church at Waynesburg for over 40 years. He was one of those quiet, unostentatious men who think and act with calm and de- liberate and, as a rule, the best of judg- ment.
He was married in 1821 to Charity, daughter of William Reese, of Green county, Pa. They had five children: John H .; Katharine, widow of Madison Moore; W. S .; Mary, wife of Samuel Clevemyer, and Elizabeth, deceased.
The father died February 22nd, 1873, and the mother February 14th, 1874.
Our subject began his education in the public schools of Green county and gradu- ated from Waynesboro College in class of '61. He fitted himself for the ministry at Allegheny Seminary, from which he was graduated in the class of '64, and was or- dained by the Washington Presbytery. He received his first call from the Presbyterian church at Niles, Ohio, but owing to a ser- ious illness he did not remain there. When in better heatlh, he took a charge and was installed pastor of the church at Frankfort Springs, Beaver county, Pennsylvania, where he remained two years and then came to Gettysburg, his present home. He has been here twenty-eight years and in that time has labored faithfully to build up the Lower Marsh creek and Great Conewago churches. These churches are among the oldest in the Presbytery of Carlisle. Rev. Mr. Van Cleve is a Republican in politics, but is of a liberal disposition in the exercise of his franchise and makes it a rule to vote for "the best man" in local elections. In 1864 he married Anna, daughter of Ebenezer McClormic, of Iowa City. They have seven children: James R., of Kansas City, travel- ing salesman for the Standard Implement
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Company; William C., druggist at Gettys- burg; Carrie H .; Annie M., deceased; Robert M., deceased; Mary D., and Eliza- beth C.
R OBERT L. JONES. That America possesses many advantages for men of energy and comprehensive ability, is well illustrated by the very successful career of Robert L. Jones, of Delta, Pennsylvania, wnc was born at Penmachnoshire, Carnar- von, Wales, 1841, and emigrated to the United States in 1860. His parents were natives of Wales and never left that coun- try. Of the six children, however, four came to America, the eldest, of whom is John W., who arrived here in 1857 and engaged in the slate business in West Ban- gor, where he now lives. Three years later the third oldest member of the family and subject of our sketch came over from Wales, and in 1888 their sister, Mrs. Rich- ard Roberts, and her husband, crossed the ocean and have made Delta their home. The second child, Mrs. Richard Jones, came over in 1890 and now resides in South Del- ta, and the next younger member, William Penn, who is now superintendent of the slate quarries, owned by our subject, Rob- ert L., emigrated in 1886.
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