USA > Pennsylvania > Cumberland County > Biographical annals of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania : containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens and of many of the early settled families > Part 38
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The Beetem Lumber & Mfg. Co. of Car- lisle. Pa .. with office and mill at Nos. 428 to 442 East North street, yards corner Louther and Spring Garden streets, manufacturers of cash, doors. binds and lumber of all kinds, has the following officers: Reuben Bru- baker. president; Newton C. Wert. secre- tary and treasurer. The company was in- corporated in 1895 with a capital stock of $40.000. The business was originated by George S. Beetem. in 1880, and at his death, in 1892. the firm name changed to H. G. Beetem & Co .. thus remaining until the in- corporation. as given above. The board of directors is composed of men of prominence in the commercial world of Carlisle; H. G. Beeten, John F. Kerr, J. W. Wetzel, Calvin Wagner and R. Brubaker.
In politics Mr. Brubaker is a stanch Re- publican, and one of the most active sup- porters of his party. For some years he served as president of the board of health and has always borne his part in all public improvements.
Mr. Brubaker was married in 1866 to Miss Mary Wert, daughter of Joseph Wert. Mr. and Mrs. Brubaker are members of the Lutheran Church and for the past twenty- five years Mr. Brubaker has been a member of the official board, and was chairman of
the building committee when the present handsome edifice was put up in Carlisle. The pleasant home of the family is at No. 137 East North street, where both Mr. and Mrs. Brubaker welcome their numerous friends with genial hospitality.
HARRY HERTZLER, clerk of Cum- berland county, and one of the prominent residents of Carlisle, was born one and a quarter miles east of Carlisle Nov. 8. 1861. a son of John and Fannie ( Erb) Hertzler. · The father of our subject was born and reared on what is known as the Strickler farm, and received a public school educa- tion. After his marriage he located on the Erb farm, east of Carlisle, and later pur- chased this property of his father-in-law. consisting of 130 acres, whereon he fol- lowed farming until his retirement, in 1873. after an unbroken record of fifty years as an agriculturist. Upon his retirement he moved to Carlisle. In addition to farming he was a large horse dealer, and was successful in all of his ventures. Mr. Hertzler was a kind-hearted, public-spirited man, prompt to assist the unfortunate and to further any measure calculated to prove of benefit to the community in general. Both he and his excellent wife were members of the Men- nonite Church. Both are now deceased, Mr. Hertzler passing away in December, 1896. aged seventy-seven years, and the mother May 13, 1896, aged seventy-six years. She was a native of Lancaster county, daughter of John Erb, who resided near Maytown, but was buried on the old farm in Cumber- land county.
Nine children were born to this worthy couple : Mary married Joseph Ruhl, of Mid- dlesex township, Cumberland county ; Abra- ham is a resident of Indianola, Iowa, a farmer and cattle dealer: John E., residing
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on the old homestead. is a farmer ; Samuel. was until recently. proprietor of the "Frank- lin House" at Carlisle, Pa. : Annie married Rev. J. M. Herr, of Monroe township; Bar- bara married John D. Greybill, of Carlisle : Daniel is a dealer of Carlisle: Harry is men- tioned below; Catherine died in infancy.
Harry Hertzler was reared upon the farm, and like his father was educated in the public schools. In 1876 he came to Car- lisle with his parents and later was assistant to his brother-in-law J. D. Greybill, at the Middlesex mills, and at the Carlisle mills. In 1884 he engaged in a livery business in Carlisle which he conducted until 1894, and he was also interested in handling horses in company with his brother Daniel, ship- ping from the West to Eastern markets. This branch of the business is still continued, but he retired from the livery business in 1894. At that time he took charge of the "Franklin House" at Carlisle, which he con- ducted for five years, or until 1899. when he assumed management of the bottling works. These he operated until Dec. 23, 1902, when he sold the plant in order to give all his attention to his official duties as clerk of the court and recorder of deeds, having been elected to the office in the fall of 1902, upon the Republican ticket. He has also served as a member of the council for two years. He has been auditor and assist- ant burgess, being elected to the latter office by a majority of seventy-two, and council- man from the Third ward by a majority of forty-nine. At the November election in 1902 he carried every ward in the city, thus demonstrating his wonderful personal popu- larity. He has represented his party in coun- ty and State conventions and is a very im- portant factor in its ranks.
Fraternally, Mr. Hertzler is a member of the Masonic order, Cumberland Star Lodge.
No. 197; St. John Chapter, No. 191; St. Jolın Commandery, No. 8 (of which he is trustee ) ; Harrisburg Consistory, S. P. R. S., 32d degree ; and Lulu Temple, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, of Philadelphia. He is a member and treasurer of Two Friends Lodge. No. 56, K. of P .; treasurer of the K. of G. E., No. 110; member and trustee of the B. P. O. E. ; and a member of the Carlisle Club.
In addition to his other interests Mr. Hertzler acts as secretary of the Star Street Railroad Company and the Steelton, New Cumberland & Mechanicsburg Street Rail- way Company: is treasurer of the Carlisle Horse Protective Association, and is active in all of the leading enterprises of the city. There have been few movements success- fully carried out within the past decade or two in Carlisle which have not directly or in- directly owed their consummation in some measure at least to the influence and enter- prise of Mr. Hertzler, and the city certainly owes much to this eminently enterprising and broad-gauged man.
On Dec. 24, 1885, Mr. Hertzler was united in marriage to Miss Katie Foreman, a daughter of ex-Sheriff James K. Foreman. Mr. and Mrs. Hertzler have a beautiful home at No. 565 South Hanover street, where they show to their many friends a most gracious and lavish hospitality.
DR. EPHRAIM SHULENBERGER. who has offices at No. 150 West High street, Carlisle, is a native .of Mifflin town- ship, Cumberland County, born Nov. 2, 1860, and is a son of John Beatty Shulen- berger, a resident of Shippensburg.
After receiving a common-school edu- cation Dr. Shulenberger graduated from the academy at Newville, taught school for two terms, and then commenced the study of
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dentistry with Dr. D. S. McCoy, of New- ville. In 1882 he was enabled to enter the Pennsylvania College of Dental Surgery. Philadelphia, from which he was graduated in March, 1885. with the degree of D. D. S., and on April 7, 1885. he located in Carlisle, where he has since built up a practice which is constant- ly increasing. Dr. Shulenberger keeps in touch with the latest discoveries and im- provements in his profession, and is a valued contributor to numerous dental journals throughout the country. He is a member of the State Dental Association and also the Alumni Association of his Alma Mater.
In 1897 the Doctor erected his beautiful home on West High street, where he re- sides. He married in 1886 Miss Lillie. daughter of Rev. J. Marion Mickley, of the Reformed Church of Newburg, now of Mc- Knightstown, Adams county. Both the Doctor and his wife affiliate with the Re- formed Church, in which he has served for a number of years as deacon. and for thir- teen years has been an elder. He is a Dem- ocrat in political belief.
GEORGE W. RINESMITHI, one of the leading and successful business men of Carlisle, was born in Perry county, this State. . Aug. 28. 1840, a son of Henry Rine- smith. The father was a weaver by trade, but later in life became a farmer. and died in 1845. the mother passing away the May of the same year. They had nine children, namely: John, who died in Perry county, was a farmer and merchant; David (de- ceased), was a carpenter, but became a farmer, and still later a hotelkeeper ; Samuel, of Blaine. Pa .. is retired (he served in the Civil war ) ; William, a resident of Carlisle, served for three years in the Civil war; Henry, who died in Blaine, was a farmer;
George W. is mentioned below ; Mary (de- ceased) married Solomon Gutshall; Susan is the widow of Frederick Gutshall, of Blaine, Pa .; Elizabeth died unmarried, in Carlisle.
George W. Rinesmith was only five years of age when he lost his parents, and he was bound out to Isaac Buttorff of Perry county, who two years later moved into Cumberland county. The lad remained with his master until after he was eighteen. and only received a very limited education. In the spring of 1859 he went to Mechanics- burg and entered as an apprentice in a tin shop, as he desired to learn the trade of tiu- smith. There he remained until July, 1861. when he went to Washington, D. C., and joined the Quartermaster's Department as assistant wagonmaster, soon afterward be- coming wagonmaster, and remaining in the department until July, 1864, when he was honorably discharged. He located in Car- lisle, purchasing the tin and stove business of Mrs. Monroe Morris, next door to his present location, and carried on the business at the original location until 1870, when he built the structure he now occupies .. His business developed yearly until it reached its present magnitude, and he now carries the heaviest stock in the city, handling al- most everything in his line from a stove to the smallest kitchen contrivance. Owing to his close application to affairs he has been enabled to raise himself from poverty to wealth, and during these years has also managed to exert his influence for good in the community. Although he still super- vises the business, the active work has been done by his sons since 1888. In addition to other interests Mr. Rinesmith is a director of the Farmers' Trust Co. He has also done a great amount of building, having erected fifteen residences, in addition to some
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business blocks, whlie his own residence, at No. 48 East Louther street, is especially comfortable and commodious. He has been a public benefactor and given liberally to- ward objects of worth. For some years he has been a worthy member of the council, as a representative of the Democratic party. Fraternally, he is a member of the I. O. O. F .. Carlisle Lodge, No. 91.
On March 24, 1864, Mr. Rinesmith married Miss Alice Mater, daughter of George Mater, and six children have been born of the marriage: Harry F., a tinner. married Lillian Moudy, and has one child, Fay ; Clayton R., who with Harry, conducts the father's business, married Minnie Leop- ard: Adaline married Robert Rupp, of Co- lumbia, Pa .; Charles lives at home: Her- man, a cutter at the Lindner shoe factory, is at home ; William W., who is in the poul- try and egg business in Carlisle, married Mary Ritner, and they have had three chil- dren, Mildred, Lester and an infant.
FRANK P. STROCK is senior mem- ber of the firm of F. P. Strock & Co., dealers in furniture, located at No. 27 South Hanover street, Carlisle, a house of relia- bility and business enterprise, one of the leading ones in the city. It was established March 2, 1901, and occupies three floors of the present building, the dimensions of which are 120 x 28 fet, with two additional storage buildings used as warehouses. A full line of first-class reliable furniture of all kinds is carried, as well as pictures and frames of all kinds. The firm is composed of F. P. Strock and E. R. Hutton, both old "knights of the grip."
Frank P. Strock is a native of Cumber- land county, Pa., born March 5, 1864, and was reared in Carlisle. His parents, Jacob H. and Angeline (Fissel) Strock, were both
residents of Carlisle. Mr. Strock was edu- cated in the public schools and in 1876 entered the mercantile establishment of John E. Burkholder, as a clerk, and remained some four years, going then in the same ca- pacity to Niles M. Fissel, with whom he continued two years. He then spent three years learning the trade of carriage trin- ming. after which he engaged as a clerk in the dry-goods establishment of Leidigh & Birnie, going later to J. W. Plank. About one year afterward he left Carlisle and en- gaged with the dry-goods house of Lyter & Fahnestock, at Harrisburg, as manager, continuing with that firm five years. Mr. Strock then went out as a traveling sales- man for three years, at the end of that period locating at Sacramento, Cal., where he had charge of the silk and dress goods depart- ment of the house of Wienstock, Lubin & Co .. for one year. Upon his return to Car- lisle he was again employed with Mr. Plank for some two years, and then embarked in his present business. His long experience in dealing with the public has given him con- fidence and thorough comprehension of what best pleases the buyer, and with this knowledge and a pleasant, accommodating manner, and honest, first-class goods, he has made his personal venture a complete success.
In politics Mr. Strock is an ardent Dem- ocrat and a very useful member of his party. He belongs to a number of fraternal organi- zations, the Masons, the Royal Arcanum, the P. O. S. of A .. and the B. P. O. E., No. 578. being a charter member of the latter. In 1859 the Empire Hook and Ladder Co. of Carlisle was formed, and although but a lad of eleven years he joined the organiza- tion. in which he has ever since been active, has served as trustee and secretary, and in. November. 1902, was elected president.
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In 1885 Mr. Strock was married to Maud Josephine Reese. a daughter of John M. Reese. of Harrisburg. and they have one son. Leroy, still a student. Mr. and Mrs. Strock belong to the Lutheran Church, lib- erally contributing to its support. He is one of the progressive and public-spirited men of the city and is justly held in esteem.
J. C. MENTZER. one of the extensive land owners of Frankford township. Cum- berland county, and a man widely and favor- ably known, is a son of John J. Mentzer, and grandson of Henry Mentzer. The fan- ily is of German descent. but the exact time of its establishment upon American soil is not definitely known.
John J. Mentzer was born in Cumber- land county. Feb. 21. 1830. and located in North Middleton township. He followed the blacksmith trade all his life. In 1852 he married Annie B. Beistline, daughter of Michael and Catharine ( Zimmerman ) Beist- line, and in 1853 he removed to Frankford township, where he purchased a farm. He met his death by falling off a wagon, Jan. 21. 1885. His widow is living with her son, in Frankford township. Children as fol- lows were born to Mr. and Mrs. J. J. Ment- zer: J. C. is mentioned below : Anna C. died in Illinois : Laura J. married W. W. Thum- ma, and lives in Frankford township : Maggie M. married Charles Bowman and lives in North Middleton township: John H. died in Frankford township.
J. C. Mentzer was born in 1852, in North Middleton township, this county, and as he grew up attended the schools of Frankford township until he was nineteen years of age. Then he devoted himself to farming, and remained at home until he was twenty-two years old, when he went to Illinois. He re- mained there for two years, engaged in farm-
ing. and returning home at the expiration of that time worked for two years for his father. He then went to work for Jacob Kost, in his tannery, where he is still employed, being yard boss of the plant and engineer. Mr. Mentzer owns three fine farms in Frankford township, but does not farm them for him- self. his time being entirely occupied by his duties at the tannery.
On Feb. 17, 1887, Mr. Mentzer married Annie S. Erford, daughter of J. J. Erford, an extended sketch of whom appears else- where, and one child, Olivia Blanch, was born to them Feb. 12, 1888.
In politics Mr. Mentzer is a Democrat. although he does not confine himself strictly to party lines, preferring to vote for the man he deems best suited to the position in ques- tion. He is a man of probity, uprightness and integrity, well qualified for his position of trust, and one capable of maintaining his own under any circumstances.
JOSEPH H. SNYDER, junior mem- ber of the mercantile firm of Behney & Sny- der, of Carlisle, was born Jan. 8, 1866, at Reading, Pa., a son of John B. and Rebecca ( Hildebrandt) Snyder. Grandfather Sny- der married a Miss Bertolet, a member of one of the old Huguenot families of Berks county, and he was long a popular hotel keeper in Reading, in which city the family is an old one. It was supposedly founded by Huguenot refugees.
John B. Snyder was also born at Read- ing. Pa., and was mainly educated at the Norristown Academy. By trade he was a mechanic, but his interest in and talent for music gave him other occupation. For a number of years he was leader of the Ring- gold band, and for some twenty-five years led the orchestra in the Reading Opera House. His proficiency in band music gave
Sony Johns Mention A 21 Fit 1830
I. C. Mentzen
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him a wide reputation, and he had his hands full instructing all through his own and neighboring counties, sometimes composing music. He was well known in Reading. where for years he was tax collector and held other civic offices, on more than one occasion being a useful member of the city council. In politics he was a Republican and active in work for the party. He died Nov. 1, 1900, aged sixty-three years. Mr. Snyder married Rebecca Hildebrandt. daughter of Joseph Hildebrandt, a well- known hat manufacturer, and the pioneer in that business at Reading. Mr. and Mrs. Snyder had a family of seven chil- dren, of whom six survive: George H., a tax collector of Reading; Bertolet H., who died aged thirty-two years (he was a master of the cornet and traveled all over the count- try with his instrument) ; Minnie K., wife of J. C. Beliney, of the firm of Behney & Snyder; Joseph H. : Laura, wife of George C. Straub, of Reading ; John H., a manu- facturer of jewelry. of Reading; and Ar- thur G., manager and part owner of the King Dramatic Co.
Joseph H. Snyder spent his boyhood and early life in Reading and obtained his education in the Reading schools. At the age of twenty he went West and worked at the machinist's trade for several years at St. Paul, Minn., and for three years was identified with the Chicago & Great West- ern Railroad. Later he accepted a profit- able mercantile clerkship in which he re- mained until 1896, when he returned to Reading, and in the same year became asso- ciated with J. C. Behney. the present part- nership being formed. Mr. Snyder is a young man full of business enterprise, a member of the Carlisle Board of Trade, and one of the busy and public-spirited citi- zens of that place.
In 1889. in Reading, he was married to Maggie, daughter of Jacob Doughty, and the two children of this union are: Arthur B., fifteen years old, and Jennie M., eleven years old, both bright students in the local schools. Religiously, the family is asso- ciated with the Reformed Church.
SAMUEL J. HARRIS, ex-sheriff of Cumberland county, and a very prominent man of Carlisle. was born at Shippensburg Nov. 20, 1843. son of Samuel and Eliza- ( Line) Harris.
Samuel Harris was born Sept. 10, 1811. and died Nov. 12, 1877. When a boy he came to Cumberland county and here passed the rest of his life. He was a blacksmith and followed that trade successfully all his life, being a thorough mechanic and pos- sessed of considerable inventive genius. About 1867 he invented the Harris double harpoon hay fork. He was a hard-working industrious man. and no doubt hastened his death by overwork. He was one of the pro- gressive men of his county, always ready to assist in anything for the public good, was a devout Christian and an earnest worker in the Church of God, and a close student of the Bible. with which he was very famil- iar being able to quote from almost any part of the Scriptures. In politics he affiliated with the Democratic party. He served five years as justice of the peace at Shippens- burg.
Samuel Harris married Eliza Line, and their family consisted of .eleven children, as follows: Daniel. who died at Oakville. Cumberland county, in 1885, when about fifty-three, was a blacksmith, although he had retired at the time of his demise (dur- ing the Civil war he served in the Union cause, enlisting in August, 1862, and after serving three months. assisted in raising
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Company D. 130th P. V. I.) ; Martha is the widow of John C. Martin; William died young : Elizabeth died young; Miss Sarah is a resident of Shippensburg ; Samuel J. is mentioned below: Elizabeth became the wife of Horace A. Tolhelm. of Philadel- phia: John W. lives in Creston, Iowa, and is a blacksmith: Mary died young; Jennie married F. N. Christman, of Harrisburg ; William (2), who died in Williamsport, was a blacksmith.
Sammuel J. Harris was reared to the work of a blacksmith, and received but a limited education, but owing to close ob- servation and natural intelligence he is never the less a very well posted man. His busi- ness career began when he was fourteen, when he went into the shop with his father. In 1862. when he was only nineteen, he en- listed in Company D. 130th P. V. I .. for nine months, and served as corporal, par- ticipating in the battles of Antietam and Chancellorsville; at the former battle he was wounded in the groin with a shell. After the close of his term of service he returned to his farm and assisted his father under the firm name of Harris & Sons. After his father died the business was con- ducted by Harris & Bro., and still later by Samuel J. Harris. He continued in busi- ness until 1897. when he was elected sheriff of Cumberland county, serving a term of three years. He has always been a stanch Democrat, and when he was elected he had the handsome majority of 900. thus prov- ing his personal popularity. Mr. Harris is a member of Capt. Colwell Post. G. A. R., No: 201 ; and of the I. O. O. F .. Cumber- land Dsxlge, No. 90, and Encampment No. 34. Ile has represented his lodge to the Grand Lodge, and has been a member of the order since he was twenty-one years of age. Since 1878 he has been a trustee of
the Shippensburg Normal School, and he is very popular in all the relations of life.
On October 31, 1868, Mr. Harris was married to Laura B. Haller, daughter of Henry Haller, of Shippensburg, who died January 16, 1875, leaving one child, Carrie A., now the wife of Frank Gates, of Ship- pensburg. On Jan. 11, 1880, Mr. Harris was married to Sallie Diffenderfer, daugh- ter of John and Rebecca Diffenderfer, and they have three children, Roy D., Rebecca and Samuel, Jr. The family affiliate with the Church of God.
BENJAMIN W. HOSLER, one of the live, active business men of Carlisle, was born in North Middleton township, Cum- berland county, Jan. 13, 1860, a son of Ben- jamin and Elizabeth ( Mordorf) Hosler.
The Hosler family is of German de- scent, and was founded in America at an early day. Benjamin Hosler, the father, was a native of Lancaster county, Pa., came to Cumberland county with his mother when a young man, and here learned the trade of a carpenter and builder, and for years was one of the leading contractors of Cumberland county. His home was about one and one-half miles north of Carlisle, where he owned a small farm on which many of the buildings standing to-day are evidences of his enterprise and thrift. About 1849 or 1850 he went to California, and engaged in gold mining for some eigh- teen months. In 1873 he went to the cast- ern part of North Carolina, locating near Newbern, and manufactured lumber for seventeen years. Returning to Carlisle, he associated his son Benjamin W. with him in a creamery business. Mr. Hosler died Jan. 20, 1902, aged eighty years, and his excellent wife, who was a native of Cumber- land county, died in 1876, aged fifty-eight
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years. Both were members of the German Reformed Church. Their children were as follows: Jolin T .. deceased; Amanda, wife of Adam Egolf, of Harrisburg : Sarah, who married Jerome Kauffman of Carlisle; and Benjamin W.
Benjamin W. Hosler, the youngest of the family, was reared on the farm and edu- cated in the public schools. Like many an- other farmer's boy. upon ending his public school career he began to teach school him- self. continuing thus for nine years in Cum- berland county, after which he spent three years in North Carolina with his father. Returning to Carlisle. in 1890, he engaged in the creamery business, and since about 1893 he has had charge of the entire busi- ness, operating several creameries, includ- ing one in Carlisle which he founded upon locating in the city in 1893. He manufact- ures butter, the product being marketed to Philadelphia and Camden, and also oper- ates a milk department which is one of the best in the city. In 1899 he began the man- ufacture of ice cream, which enterprise has grown to considerable proportions, Mr. Hosler selling at wholesale in different por- tions of the country, as well as to the retail trade. In the spring of 1903 he established a wholesale and retail milk and ice cream depot at Harrisburg (the ice cream being manufactured in Carlisle), and he also has an extensive creamery at or near Bain- bridge, in Lancaster county.
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