USA > Pennsylvania > Allegheny County > Pittsburgh > Biographical review : v. 24, containing life sketches of leading citizens of Pittsburgh and the vicinity, Pennsylvania > Part 46
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In society and in the home circle he was re- markably genial, and a most charming com- panion to his friends and family. His hos- I pitality was unbounded, and his house was the
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ROBERT C. SCHMERTZ.
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scene of frequent but unostentatious gather- ings. During his later years his chief de- light was in watching the development of the rare musical abilities of his three sons, Will- iam, Louis, and Edward Augustus, who are exceptionally skilful musicians, as is their sister, Mrs. Louis M. Plumer. Himself no mean performer and critic, he devoted much time and loving attention to the studies of this home orchestra. His death, which oc- curred May 16, 1888, was not unexpected, as he had been a great, though patient, sufferer for more than a year. To him the words of our poet, W. C. Bryant, are particularly ap- plicable : -
"His youth was innocent, his riper age Marked with some acts of goodness every day : And watched by eyes that loved him. calm and sage, Faded his declining years away. Cheerful he gave his being up, and went To share the holy rest that waits a life well spent."
On December 31, 1852, Robert Charles Schmertz married Mary Eliza McKenna, of Pittsburg. Twelve children were born of this union, and six of them are now living, as fol- lows: Edmund Clarence, of the Brownsville Plate Glass Company of Pittsburg: Caroline, wife of Louis M. Plumer, of this city; Will- iam Erwin, treasurer of the R. C. Schmertz Glass Company ; Edward Augustus, the special subject of this biographical sketch: Louis Robinson, of Butler, manager of the Standard Plate Glass Company ; and Albert, also a resi- dent of Pittsburg. The mother passed to the higher life March 18, 1887. In politics the father was a stanch Republican, but was not an aspirant for political honors. He was a man of eminent piety, and from the organiza- tion of the Grace Reformed Presbyterian Church until his demise was one of its most active and influential members.
Edward Augustus Schmertz acquired a good !
education in his early years, studying first at a private school, then at a public school, and afterward at the Curry Institute. At twenty- one years of age be began his business career as book-keeper for his brother Clarence, re- maining in that capacity until the Browns- ville Plate Glass Company was incorporated, when he became its treasurer, a responsible position, which he is still filling to the com- plete satisfaction of all concerned. After the death of their father the heirs incorporated themselves as the R. C. Schmertz Glass Com- pany. Limited, to carry on the business which their father had left; and in 1891 the com- pany was reorganized under the name of the R. C. Schmertz Glass Company. Selling the factory at Columbus, Ohio, the company used the proceeds in enlarging the plant at Belle Vernon, Pa., and have since carried on a flour- ishing business, the sons having inherited in a marked degree the energy, ability, and in- tegrity characteristic of their honored father. Politically, Mr. Schmertz is a decided Repub- lican; and, socially, he is a member of St. . John's Lodge, No. 219, F. & A. M., of Pitts- burg.
R OBERT WALLACE CUMMINS* is a well-known lawyer and an esteemed citizen of Allegheny County, hav- ing been engaged in the practice of his profes- sion in the city of Pittsburg for a number of years. He was born October 9, 1854, at Jamestown, Greene County, Ohio, a son of the Rev. Cyrus Cummins, who was then pastor of the Presbyterian church of that place. His ancestors for several generations had lived in Pennsylvania, and here his grandfather Cum- mins enlisted as a soldier in the War of 1812, being afterward engaged in general farming. He died at the age of seventy-two years.
The Rev. Cyrus Cummins was born, reared,
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and educated in Huntingdon County, Pennsyl- vania, and was ordained to the Christian min- istry in the United Presbyterian denomina- tion. He served long and faithfully in the pastorates to which he was called, preaching in Greene County, Ohio, fifteen years; in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, ten years; and in Mercer County, fifteen years. He at- tained the age of seventy-six years, dying in 1887. His wife, whose name before marriage was Nancy Collins, survives him, and is now living in Pittsburg. Her father, the late Archibald Collins, a successful farmer, was born in York County, Pennsylvania, of Scotch-Irish ancestry. He also was a soldier in the War of 1812, serving as Captain of a company. He died at the age of seventy-five years, In early life Captain Collins married a Miss Manifold, the daughter of a prominent Quaker family of his neighborhood. The Rev. Cyrus and Mrs. Cummins became the parents of four children; namely, Mary, Archibald, Robert W., and John C.
Robert W. Cummins spent his boyhood days in Lawrence County, this State, whither his father had removed from Ohio; and he re- ceived his elementary education in the public schools. In 1874 he began the study of law with D. W. & A. S. Bell, continuing with that firm until after his admission to the bar. Mr. Cummins was subsequently engaged in the iron business with Robert Hare Powell in Bedford County, Pennsylvania, for three years. Coming then to Pittsburg, he embarked on his professional career, opening an office at 153 Fourth Avenue, where he remained in com- pany with Mr. H. S. Miller until 1889, carry- ing on a successful general law practice. Since then Mr. Cummins has devoted him- self mostly to corporation law, and is now solicitor for the Forest Oil Company.
On the 5th of August, 1886, Mr. Cummins
was united in marriage with Miss Minnie S., daughter of Moses L. and Sarah (Nichols) Curry. Their pleasant home in Swissvale has been brightened by the birth of two children, a son and a daughter; namely, Alden M. and Marion Wallace. In politics Mr. Cummins is a steadfast Republican, sustaining the prin- ciples of that party by voice and vote. Both he and his wife are identified by membership with the United Presbyterian church, and are among its most valued workers.
T HOMAS HENRY DAVIS,* whose law office is located at 93 Diamond Street, Pittsburg, has been promi- nently identified with the legal fraternity of this city for more than a quarter of a century. He was born in the borough of Birmingham, now Pittsburg, Pa., August 13, 1843, a son of Thomas and Jane (Burtt) Davis, both of whom were natives of Worcestershire, England. His grandfather Davis and his maternal grand- father, Edmund Burtt, spent their entire lives in England.
Thomas Davis was engaged in the coal-min- ing business in his native country, where he passed the years of his boyhood and early manhood. In 1842 he emigrated to America, and, coming to Western Pennsylvania, settled at first in Allegheny, but after a short time removed to Birmingham, where he established himself as a burner of coke and lime, continu- ing at that occupation until his death, at the age of fifty-six years, in 1863. He was a quiet, modest man, taking no active part in local matters, but served for a while as Street Commissioner. His wife survived him a few years, dying in 1869. Of their family of five sons and two daughters, but two are now liv- ing, namely: James B., of Erie, Pa .; and Thomas Henry. The parents were originally
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communicants of the Church of England; but, after settling in Birmingham, Pa., they united with the Methodist Episcopal church, of which they continued esteemed members as long as they lived.
Thomas H. Davis grew to manhood in Bir- mingham, and there acquired his early educa- tion. In 1869 he entered the law office of Moreland, Moor & Kerr as a student, and two years later was adnfitted to the bar. He at once opened an office in Pittsburg, where by his ability and conscientious attention to the duties of his profession he has won a lucrative practice, his clientage being very ex- tensive. A man of sterling worth, unostenta- tious in his bearing, courteous in manner, Mr. Davis is held in high regard in social as weil as legal circles. For some years he was largely interested in the oil business, but now devotes his entire time to the law.
Mr. Davis married Miss Minerva C. Bedell, daughter of Abner M. and Fidelia (Griffin) Bedell. They have three children, as fol- lows: Amy C., wife of Frazier J. Schaum; Edmund B .; and Herbert A., who is now studying law. Mr. and Mrs. Davis are mem- bers of St. Mark's Episcopal Church; and, fraternally, Mr. Davis belongs to the Knights of the Ancient Essenic Order. Politically, he has been identified with the Democratic party, but, like many other Democrats, at the last national election he cast his ballot for William Mckinley, the Republican candi- date, now President of the United States.
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LARENCE C. RINEHART, M.D., a leading physician of Pittsburg, was born here, January 6, 1844, son of William and Mary (Ing) Rinehart. His fither was born October 1, 1808, in that por-
tion of Pittsburg now called Calhoun Park, then a suburban village. Shortly after the birth of William his parents removed to the city proper, in the city schools of which he re- ceived his education. After leaving school, he joined his brother in a tobacco business, which, established in 1838, came to be ac- counted one of the most successful in the city. He was one of the founders and a director of the Pittsburg Insurance Company. He also served in that capacity on the School Board of the Morganza Reform School, and in 1854 he was nominated as candidate for Mayor of the city by the native American party. In 1835 he married Mary Ing, a daughter of Thomas Ing, who, born in this county, belonged to a Baltimore family of English descent. Born of this union were ten children, of whom five grew to maturity. Of the latter Edward be- came the professor of music in the public schools of his native city; the second son, Clarence C., is the subject of this sketch ; Frank A. is now the secretary and treasurer of the Standard Underground Cable Company; and Frederick is in the Far West. The mother died June 15, 1860. Four years later the father married Mrs. Louisa Hancock, a sister of John J. Gillespie. By his second wife he is the father of Dr. Stanly M. Rine- hart. He was one of the original members of the old Methodist Protestant church, near the corner of Fifth Avenue and Smithfield Street, and for many years a trustee of that organiza- tion.
David Rinehart, his grandfather, was one of Pittsburg's earliest settlers, coming here in the year 1805 from Chester County, his birth- place. David and his wife were members of the First Presbyterian Church, and he became known as one of the prosperous merchants of the place. Though of German origin, his father, Frederick Rinehart, was born in this
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country. David Rinehart married Mary Mahood, who belonged to a Scotch-Irish fam- ily of County Armagh, Ireland, and came to this country in 1800.
Clarence C. Rinehart was educated in the public and high schools of his native city, finishing his education with Professor James R. Newell as his private tutor. He began the study of medicine, but soon afterward entered the army. At the close of the late war he be- came the book-keeper of the First National Bank. After his promotion to the position of teller he remained until February 20, 1868, when, on the sudden death of a cousin, he was needed to fill his place in his father's fac- tory. In 1869 he took up the study of medi- cine in good earnest under Marcelin Cote, and in 1878 he graduated from the Hahnemann Medical College in Philadelphia. He com- menced to practise in Hazelwood, remaining there till 1892, when he removed to his pres- ent beautiful home, one of the magnificent stone residences of the East End. Here Dr. Rinehart carries on an extensive general prac- tice. He is a member of the Allegheny County Homoeopathic Medical Society, and of the State Medical, and Institute of Homo- opathy; vice-president of the East End Doc- tors' Club; and he has been on the staff of Pittsburg Homoeopathic Hospital since the erection of the new building in 1884. He is one of the faculty of the Pittsburg Training School for Nurses, and is known as lecturer on medical diseases and emergencies.
Methodist Protestant Church at the East End, and contribute liberally to its support.
ILLIAM METCALF,* for many years identified with the iron and steel interests of Pittsburg, Pa., was born in the city, September 3, 1838, a son of Orlando Metcalf. He is the descend- ant of one of the early American colonists, records that have been kept in the family for a . number of generations tracing the ancestry back to one Michael Metcalf, who was born at Tatterford, Norfolk County, England, in 1586.
Michael Metcalf was a dornick weaver in Norwich, England, and was a freeman of the city, where all of his children were born. His wife, who was born in a village near Nor- wich, bore him eleven children, as follows: Michael, who died young in England; Mary; Michael; John; Sarah; Elizabeth; Martha; Thomas; Ann, who died in England; Jane; and Rebecca. On account of the religious tyranny of Wren, Bishop of Norwich, Michael Metcalf left his native land, making his escape at the expense of separation from his family. In September, 1636, he sailed from London for New England; but on account of tempests the ship put back to Plymouth, and in the following April he had license to bring his whole family to this country. He landed in Boston with his wife and nine children and a servant. After his arrival in Massachusetts he wrote a letter of true Puritan spirit, start- ing out mild in tone, but, as he warmed to the work, using some very strong English. The letter is preserved in the Astor Library.
On January 6, 1870, he married Laura V. Robson, daughter of John Robson, of Pitts- burg. Of four children born to them, two are still living - Frank A. and Laura B. A Mason of Franklin Lodge, No. 221, since Michael Metcalf, Jr., who was born August 29, 1620, married Mary Fairbanks, and had five children. The fourth, a son, Jonathan, 1870, he has been a member of Duquesne Chapter since May, 1871. Dr. and Mrs. Rinehart are regular attendants of the First ; born in 1650, married Hannah Kenrick. One
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of the children born of this union was Eben- ezer Metcalf, who married Hannah Abil. Their son Benjamin married October 26, 1726, Sarah Abil, who bore him seven chil- dren, of whom Zebulon, born July 11, 1729, married Lydia Bourne, of Lebanon, Conn., October 27, 1754, their youngest son, Armah, being the grandfather of William Metcalf.
Armah Metcalf was born February 14, 1771. In early life he became one of the pioneer settlers of Cooperstown, N. Y., he and three of his brothers having located upon a hill in that part of the town that is still called Metcalf's Hill. He became prominently identified with the interests of the State in which he located, serving as a member of the New York legislature, and in 1811 and 1812 was a member of Congress. He was likewise for a time Sheriff of Otsego County, in which he resided until his death, August 15, 1848. To him and his wife, whose maiden name was Eunice Williams, five children were born, Orlando, the second son, born August 17, 1797, being the father of William.
Orlando Metcalf grew to man's estate in Central New York, and, after his graduation from Union College, began the practice of law in Canton, Ohio, continuing there until 1835, when he came to Pittsburg, where he was an honored member of the legal fraternity of this county until his death, which occurred in Sep- tember, 1851, during the terrible epidemic of cholera that then ravaged the country. He married Mary Knap, whose ancestors were early settlers of New York, locating there .when the Indians were numerous and power- ful, often terrorizing and murdering the whites, her great-grandfather Knap having been a victim of their cruelty, his dead body being found near his home pierced by an arrow. Another of her ancestors, Loomis by name, served in the Revolutionary War as
Sergeant of a company. Ten children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Orlando Metcalf, and three of them are living, namely: Mary C., in California, the wife of Robert Bruce, whose father, a Scotch Covenanter, was a leading divine of Pittsburg; William; and Orlando, of Oakland, this county. Of the others four died in childhood; Emma, in mature years ; Charles, in 1851, a victim of the scourge that caused his father's death; and Elizabeth, in 1865.
William Metcalf laid a substantial founda- tion for his education in the public schools of this city, and in 1858 was graduated from the Polytechnic College of Troy, N.Y. He im- mediately went to work in the iron industry in Pittsburg, where during the war he had charge of the cannon foundry. In 1868 Mr. Metcalf embarked in the steel business, in which he successfully continued for many years, not giving up the active management of the same until 1895. In 1889 the Crescent Steel Company was organized, he being made one of the directors, an office which he has since filled most creditably to himself and for the good of the company. Mr. Metcalf is an engineer of far more than local repute, being a thorough master of the many branches of that profession known to the industrial world, and is identified with many guilds, being a member of the American Society of Civil En- gineers, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the American Institute of Min- ing Engineers, and the British Institute of Civil Engineers. He is president of the Homoeopathic Hospital of Pittsburg. In re- ligion he is an Episcopalian, and in politics is a decided Republican.
On December 1, 1864, Mr. Metcalf married Miss Constance D. Fries, daughter of Adam Fries, the descendant of one of the old and respected families of Eastern Pennsylvania.
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Mr. and Mrs. Metcalf have six children, as follows: Charles, who is engaged in the alu- minum business in Pittsburg; William, Jr., engaged in the foundry and machine business in this city; Elizabeth K .; Christiana B .; Orlando; and Paul, now a student at Yale University.
ROFESSOR LEVI LUDDEN, PH.D., the principal of Park In- stitute, Wilkinsburg, was born in Peru, Me., son of Timothy and Bethia (Fobes) Ludden. One of the Professor's ancestors, who originally came from Wales, took part in the Boston Tea Party. The paternal grand- father, also named Levi, was a native of Mas- sachusetts, and a farmer. Professor Ludden's maternal grandfather was Benjamin Fobes, a farmer of Maine. His maternal grandmother, whose maiden name was Annette Soule, de- scended directly from George Soule, who came over in the "Mayflower." In early life the father was a teacher. Later he commanded a company of soldiers in the Madiwaska War, and then, having studied law, was Judge of Probate for many years in Oxford County, Maine. At the time of his death, in 1859, he was the reporter of law decisions for the State of Maine. Both he and his wife were strict Calvinist Baptists.
Levi Ludden, the subject of this sketch, spent his boyhood on his father's farm in Ox- ford County. When old enough he was sent to Hebron Academy for three years to prepare for college. Then he entered Colby Univer- sity, from which he graduated in 1859. After leaving college he had been engaged in teach- ing, when, in 1862, influenced by his patriot- ism, he enlisted in the District of Columbia Cavalry, a battalion of five hundred men from Maine. He was in active service for a year
and a half, rising from the rank of Corporal to that of Lieutenant. In the spring of 1864 he took charge of a colored company, and was at Appomattox on the morning of General Lee's surrender. His regiment was then sent to Texas; and he remained there until Decem- ber, 1865, when he was mustered out at New Orleans. He took part in the battle of Appo- mattox, and was slightly wounded. In Janu- ary, 1866, he came to Wilkinsburg, and has made his home here since.
On the 4th of September, 1859, Professor Ludden was married to Miss Sarah Williams Dudley, a daughter of Samuel and Sarah Brack- ett (White) Dudley. Two children blessed the marriage, namely: Gertrude Virginia, now the wife of Charles D. Armstrong, of the firm of Armstrong Brothers, manufacturers of cork goods; and Clarence Dexter, a draughts- man and mechanic in the employment of his brother-in-law. Professor and Mrs. Ludden are members of the First Presbyterian Church of Wilkinsburg, and he has been an Elder in the church for twenty-five years. In politics he is a Republican, and he is a member of the Royal Arcanum.
When Professor Ludden came to Wilkins- burg, he taught for three years in the acad- emy, assisted by his wife. He was then called to the Western University of Pittsburg, where he was principal of the preparatory de- partment for twenty years. At the end of that time the institution was reorganized, and its name changed to Park Institute. Pro- fessor Ludden has continued to be at its head, and his untiring efforts have raised the school to its present high standing. His experience as an instructor and his familiarity with edu- cational problems, of which he has made a close study, are of unsurpassed value to the institute. Instead of tiring of his occupation, the Professor enjoys teaching now better than
J. GUY MCCANDLESS.
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ever. His fine residence in Pittsburg, 300 Lexington Avenue, he built in 1896. The degree of Doctor of Philosophy was conferred on him by the Western University.
R. J. GUY MCCANDLESS, a prom- inent physician of Pittsburg, was born at Perrysville, Allegheny County, January 1, 1839, son of Dr. Alexan- der G. and Margaret A. (Guy) McCandless. His great-grandfather, Witham McCandless, a farmer by occupation, who emigrated from Scotland to the north of Ireland, and thence to America, died in Washington County, Penn- sylvania. Witham's son, Archibald, who was born in Allegheny County in 1756, removed to Illinois, and died in Macomb, McDonough County, of that State. Of a retiring disposi- tion and an earnest Christian, Archibald was for nearly fifty years an Elder in the Presby- terian church. He married Elizabeth Mc- Candless, who died February 25, 1838. She joined the Presbyterian church at the age of fifteen years, and throughout her life took a deep interest in church work.
Alexander G. McCandless, one of Archi- · bald's thirteen children, was born January 15, 1816, in Allegheny County. He had practised medicine for many years before removing to Pittsburg in 1849. There be owned real estate, and built several houses upon Centre Avenue. He died February 24, 1875. On February 15, 1838, he was married by the Rev. John K. Cunningham to Margaret A. Guy. The Guys were settlers of Allegheny County while the hostile Indians infested the district, and often compelled them and their neighbors to seek refuge in the old fort. The father of Mrs. Margaret McCandless was a farmer and a stanch Presbyterian, being for many years an Elder in the church. Of his
nine children one died in infancy. Those still living are: William and Josiah Guy, who are residing in Allegheny County ; Eleanor Dun- can, who lives in Cleveland, Ohio; and Mary Elizabeth Johnson, a resident of Coraopolis. The children of Dr. Alexander McCandless were: Josiah Guy, born January 1, 1839; Elizabeth Jane, born February 24, 1845 ; and Alexander William ÆEsculapius McCandless, born May 5, 1849, who is a retired physician. Elizabeth, now residing with her mother, is the widow of Phineas R. Gray, a druggist, who died October 14, 1873.
J. Guy McCandless, after receiving a com- mon-school education in Pittsburg, attended the Cleveland Medical College for a year, and graduated from the Jefferson Medical College in 1863. He at once entered the army as sur- geon of the Fifty-second Penn Volunteers, and served for two years in the Civil War. At the battle of Gettysburg a cotton factory in Harrisburg was turned into a hospital for the wounded, and he remained in charge of it for a year. After the war was over, he settled in Pittsburg, where he has built up a large and successful practice. He is a member of the Allegheny County Medical Society, the State Medical Society, and the National Soci- ety, also a comrade of the G. A. R. and a Free and Accepted Mason.
Dr. McCandless first married Emma Jones, a daughter of Isaac Jones. The only child of this union is Guy McCandless, who is now engaged in real estate. In 1876 he contracted a second marriage with Margaret E. Cluley, daughter of John F. Cluley. By her he is the father of Walter C. McCandless, now a medi- cal student; of Ida May, who attends the Pennsylvania College for Women; and of Alexander Wilson, who is also a student. Since 1875 he has been an Elder in the Sixth Presbyterian Church. In politics he is an
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earnest Republican ; and he has represented his ward in the Select Council for sixteen years, serving as president of the Council for part of that time. The water-works system, as now operated, was started during his admin- istration, he being chairman of the Water Works Committee during the term of its construction. Still interested in this work. he is a member of a commission for purer city water. He is coroner physician, has been for ten years the Registrar of Vital Statistics, and by the appointment of the Governor has been the surgeon of the Four- teenth Regiment of the National Guards for twelve years. Tall and commanding in figure, with much elegance and suavity of manner, Dr. McCandless has an attractive personality.
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