Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1, Part 45

Author:
Publication date: 1900
Publisher: Chicago : J.H. Beers & Co.
Number of Pages: 2390

USA > Pennsylvania > Pike County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1 > Part 45
USA > Pennsylvania > Monroe County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1 > Part 45
USA > Pennsylvania > Susquehanna County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1 > Part 45
USA > Pennsylvania > Wayne County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1 > Part 45

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In 1895 Mr. Ainey was re-nominated and re- elected to the same office by a larger majority than in 1892, which was a flattering testimonial of the people's appreciation of his public services.

Since entering upon the practice of the law Mr. Ainey has been engaged in nearly every homicide case that has been tried in the Susquehanna County Courts during that period, among which the most noted case was that of James Eagan and Cornelius Shew, charged with the murder of Jackson Pepper, a farmer of Rush township, on the night of October 19, 1897, which trial resulted in their conviction for murder in the first degree, at the November term of Court, 1898. Out of seventeen murder trials in the county in the past twenty years but two have resulted in conviction of murder in the first degree, and it is a noteworthy fact and coincidence that the first of these-O'Mara and Irvin, in 1874- was tried by the late Mr. Blakeslee, and the last- Shew and Eagan-by his afterward partner and associate, District Attorney Ainey. "The plea of the District Attorney in the trial of James Eagan," said a writer, "was a magnificent effort, whether viewed from an oratorical or even from a literary standpoint. For more than a year Mr. Ainey had

given time, labor and means to ferret out the as- sassins of Jackson Pepper and bring them to jus- tice; it is not strange, therefore, that he was full of his subject; he needed no notes or promptings in presenting the case to the jury. For an hour the District Attorney held the vast assembly spell- bound by his fervid eloquence and convincing logic. His arraignment of the prisoner at the Bar as one of the murderers of Jackson Pepper was terrible, but terribly just."

Of Mr. Ainey's connection with the prosecution in the Kelly murder case, in 1897, the Susquehanna Transcript in April, of that year, observed: "The splendid ability with which the case was tried-the amount of arduous and careful labor expended in preparation, together with his brilliant opening, and his able and polished argument in presenting the evidence to the jury, were such as to command the admiration of his auditors and add prestige to his legal renown."

In 1893, on the death of ex-Sheriff Jenkins, Mr. Ainey was selected to succeed him as chairman of the Republican County Committee, a position he held until in January, 1899, when he voluntarily de- clined further service. The following resolutions give evidence of the appreciation of his services:

Whereas, The chairman of this committee, Capt. W. D. B. Ainey, has ably, energetically and successfully con- ducted the past six years' political campaigns, beginning with the year 1893, during which time not a single candidate presented by the organization for the suffrages of the Repub- licans of Susquehanna county has been defeated -- either National, State, District or County.

And, Whereas, Capt. Ainey has voluntarily declined to continue to serve as County Chairman, therefore be it resolved,

First, That as Republicans representing our respective district , we desire in the most public and positive manner to express our appreciation of his loyal, faithful and effective efforts in behalf of every ticket and of every candidate upon. every ticket nominated during his incumbency of the office of chairman.

Second, That this record, as previously set forth, rarely equaled but seldom, if ever, excelled, we commend to the Republicans of Susquehanna county as proving that party success comes only through party loyalty. The earnestness and activity of the chairman inspires the whole organization.

Third, That with the voluntary retirement from the chairmanship he takes with him our best wishes; being still a member of this Committee, we solicit his counsel, good cheer and hearty co-operation in the future, by word or pen, to such extent as his private and personal interests will: allow.

Fourth, That a copy of these resolutions be furnished the county papers by the secretary, and that a copy be pre- sented to our Chairman.

Mr. Ainey has been prominent in military cir- cles for a number of years, not only at home but throughout the State. He organized in May, 1891, a local company, at Montrose, of which he was made captain. This company was composed of the best young men of the borough. In May, 1892, the company was merged into and designated as Com- pany G, 13th Regiment Nat. Guards of Pennsylva- nia, Mr. Ainey being commissioned as the com- manding officer to date from May 5, of that year. As such officer he remained with the company, tak-

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CharlesSt Liney

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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

ing an active part in its interests and exerting him- self to promote its proficiency, until the summer of 1895, when owing to the demand upon his time he resigned from the service. In July, 1892, the company to a man went to Homestead on the oc- casion of the strikes and trouble at that point, and there performed service for several weeks until order was restored. Capt. Ainey during his command did much to enthuse in the boys an interest in military affairs which led to the high excellence the com- mand attained. He presented a beautiful gold medal to the company,which was to be shot for, any man to own it being required to win it three times. At the inaugural parade in Washington, D. C., in 1893, Capt. Ainey's company won the beautiful silk flag offered to the most popular company in the parade.

Capt. Ainey outside of his professional duties gives considerable time to business enterprises, a number of which he is interested in, as well as be- ing the holder of considerable real estate in Mont- rose, some of which is the best business property of the borough, the caring for which requires time and thought. Since August, 1895, he has been a part owner and one of the editors of the Montrose Inde- pendent Republican. He is one of the stockholders of the Globe Hardware Co. of Montrose. He is a young man of enterprise and public spirit, actively interested in the borough's and county's welfare.

As president of the Y. M. C. A. he is active in that cause. He is secretary of the Susquehanna County Historical Society. For years he has been one of the trustees of the Presbyterian Church of Montrose, of which himself and wife are members, and in which Mr. Ainey is a ruling elder. In the early days of the Y. P. S. C. E. he was active in the work, as he has since been in the advancement of morals and Christianity. Socially he is prominently and closely identified with Masonry and Odd Fel- lowship. He was for two years Master of New Milford Lodge No. 507, F. & A. M. He is a mem- ber of Melita Commandery, K. T., at Scranton. He is Chief Patriarch of Encampment No. 32, and Noble Grand of Subordinate Lodge No. 151, both at Montrose.

On October 10, 1888, Capt. Ainey was mar- ried to Emma, daughter of Theodore A. and Eliza (Drake) Lyons, of Montrose, and to the union were born children as follows: David C., Kathleen E., and William T. (deceased). The Lyons family have been prominent in Foreign Missions. Rev. Lorenzo Lyons, great-uncle of Mrs. Ainey, was early in the missionary work in the Sandwich Islands, while Rev. Lorenzo Lyons (2), an uncle of Mrs. Ainey, was early in that work in Syria, as was also his daughter Mary Lyons.

CHARLES H. AINEY, of Montrose, a lawyer by profession, though temporarily manager in charge of the Globe Hardware Co., of Montrose, in which he is pecuniarily interested, is the son of Dr. David C. Ainey, of New Milford, and brother of Capt. William D. B. Ainey, of Montrose. Mr. Ainey was born May 31, 1870, at New Milford, Susque-

hanna Co., Penn. He was there reared and par- tially educated in the public schools, attending also Wyoming Seminary, at Kingston, Penn. He read law in the office of his brother, Capt. Ainey, at Mont- rose, and was admitted to the Bar of Susquehanna County at the April term of Court, 1897. He has been engaged in various business enterprises, one of which is the Globe Hardware Co., which has one of the best equipped and stocked hardware es- tablishments in northern Pennsylvania. Mr. Ainey is one of the most popular and genial men-traits characteristic of the Ainey family-of Susquehanna county, and has met with success in his business and professional career. He was chosen one of the three county auditors in 1896, and has recently re- ceived, under the McKinley administration, the ap- pointment as supervisor of the census of the dis- trict comprising the five counties of Bradford, Sus- quehanna, Wayne, Sullivan, and Wyoming. So- cially he is a member of New Milford Lodge No. 507, F. & A. M .; Warren Chapter, Montrose, R. A. M .; Montrose Lodge No. 151, I. O. O. F., and Montrose Encampment No. 32.

On January 25, 1893, Mr. Ainey was married, at St. Mark's Episcopal Church, New Milford, to Miss Harriet E. McCollum, daughter of George B. and Lucia (Garratt) McCollum, and granddaugh- ter of Horatio Garratt, of New Milford.

JOSEPH PARSON HAMLIN (deceased). Each day, each year, brings us nearer to that not far distant time when we can no longer mingle, in our daily lives, with those brave energetic souls who went into those haunts of wild beasts and untutored savages, and wrought out of that wilderness for us an abiding place 'mid peaceful and cultured surroundings. As each one of those once stalwart pioneers lays down all earthly care, the young- er generation loses just that much of its support, and places more responsibility on his untried shoul- ders. So, when Joseph Parson Hamlin, on Septem- ber 20, 1898, passed to his last rest, the community in which he had lived so long, awakened to a reali- zation of how much it had depended on his advice, his noble example, and of all it had lost.

Mr. Hamlin was born in Glenville, N. Y., June 22, 1822, a son of Salmon and Clarissa ( Weils) Hamlin, both of whom were born and reared in Connecticut. After their marriage the parents re- moved to New York, where the father followed the cooper's trade ; thence in 1830 came to Forest Lake township, Susquehanna county, and there Salmon Hamlin purchased wild land, improved to the extent of a small log house. Here he made his home with the exception of the few years he lived with his sons in Warren, Bradford Co., Penn. Both he and his wife died on the old home farm in Forest Lake. Their children were: (1) George, who married Lucy A. Blair, and lived in Forest Lake, where he died in July, 1899, leaving three children, Edson; Estella (Mrs. Jacob Dimon, of Fairdale) and Fre- mont. (2) Joseph Parsons. (3) Jerusha, who mar-

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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

ried Joslin Blair, and settled in New York State, where she died leaving four children. (4) William, who married Rosetta Webster, and went to Warren, Penn., later moving to Marathon, N. Y., where he died in 1896, leaving two daughters, Harriet ( Mrs. John Livingston, of New York) and Clara ( Mrs. William Pease, of New York). (5) Seth, who en- listed in the Union army during the war of the Re- bellion, and was killed at the battle of the Wilder- ness. He had married Miss Esther Merrill, of Broome county, N. Y., and they made their home in Warren, Penn. The widow died in 1886. (6) Eliza, who wedded O. G. Pitcher, and first lived in Warren, later going to New York State. (7) Ruth, who married Daniel Boardman, and lives at Binghamton, New York.

Joseph Parsons Hamlin received his rudiment- ary education in the public schools in New York, and later attended for a time in Forest Lake town- ship, Susquehanna county. Under the careful tui- tion of his father he mastered the cooper's trade and followed it for many years. After his marriage he erected a house on a portion of his father's land, and cleared up a large portion of the present farm. He also erected a cooper shop, and worked at his trade at odd times, when his farm did not require. his entire attention.

In 1850 Joseph Parsons Hamlin was wedded to Miss Phoebe Gray, a daughter of Richard and Sarah (Knapp) Gray, old and prominent citizens of Bar- ker, Broome Co., N. Y., where they died leaving seven children, namely : Hiram ; Phoebe ( Mrs. Ham- lin) ; Ambrose; Lavina (Mrs. Avery Cole, of New York) ; Jessie; Harvey, and Rhoda ( Mrs. Henry Rumner ). Mrs. Phoebe (Gray) Hamlin was born in June, 1829, and grew to womanhood on her fa -. ther's farm, receiving the benefit of a district- school education. To Mr. and Mrs. Hamlin were born children as follows: (1) Ella, born in the old farm homestead in 1853, wedded Theodore Roberts, a farmer of Rush township, where they and their three children, Minnie, Glenn and Mabel, now live. (2) Ada V., born in 1856, married Samuel Mul- huish, and has three children, Leona, Le Verne, and Roy. (3) William A., born in 1858, married Katie Evans, of Forest Lake, and now lives on his farm adjoining the old home; they have two children, Lee and Merle. (4) Esther, born in 1861, married Ferris Bolles, a farmer of Jessup township, and has one son, Ray. (5) Seth, born in 1863, was killed by a falling tree in 1884, while working for Elder Tilden. He was a young man of great promise. (6) Charles, born in 1867, was manager of the home farm for a number of years before his father died. He received a district-school education, and on April 15, 1891, he wedded Josephine Moore, daugh- ter of William and Julia Moore, of Colchester, Dela- ware Co .. N. Y. Since their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Charles Hamlin have lived on the old home farm. They have one daughter, Vida C., born in 1892.

The father of this family, Joseph Parsons Ham- lin, was a man highly respected for his upright prin-

ciples. Of unquestioned integrity and absolute relia- bility, he was much sought after in the management of local affairs. In politics he was identified with the Republican party, and held a number of offices. For many years he was school director and super- visor, and ever ready to do his duty as a loyal citi- zen, even though it was sometimes necessary to sacrifice his personal comfort and welfare. In re- ligion he, as is also his widow, was a faithful and consistent member of the Baptist Church, at Birch- ardville, and gave liberally of his means in support of the Church, in which he served as deacon several years prior to his death. The family are all highly respected, and the widowed mother still lives at the old home, tenderly cared for by her children. She has won the love of all who come in contact with her, her kindly courtesy and her unselfish de- votion to her home bespeaking the "noble woman, nobly planned."

BEACH. For quite three-quarters of a cent- ury the Beach family have been residents of Sus- quehanna county, and allied with varied interests which have placed it in so important a position as a subdivision of the great State of Pennsylvania, Among its members have been men of rank in the professions, substantial and enterprising farmers, in- ventors and mechanics of skill, whose ingenuity and genius have contributed not a little to our nation's advancement in mechanism in the line of labor-sav- ing machinery, most useful to the world at large and creditable to the name. Such names as Julius Beach, Lorenzo Beach, Theron Beach, Dr. Judson Beach, Dr. George Beach, Henry L. Beach ( for years president of the First National Bank of Mont- rose), and Harry W. Beach (manager and proprie- tor of the large works at Montrose, where is manu- factured the sawing machinery under the Beach patents ), are representatives of four generations.

The Beach family is one of the oldest in New England. The Connecticut branch, coming from England, settled at Stratford in the early history of the Colony of Connecticut. Julius Beach, son of Laben and Sally (Kilbourn) Beach, residents of Litchfield county, Conn., was born May 15, 1787, and on January 10, 1811, was married to Fanny At- well, who was born September 14, 1787. Their chil- dren were: Lorenzo and Louisa (twins), born January 6, 1812, Louisa dying September 10, 1886, unmarried : Theron, born February 17, 1814, mar- ried, in 1848. Charlotte Root, and died March 13, 1854; Emeline (now deceased), born March 19, 1816, married J. N. Young ; David died when young ; Jeannette, born July 26, 1822, is at the old home- stead ; Olive died when young ; Harriet, born Febru- ary 20, 1826, married Rufus Saunders, and died Feb- ruary 13, 1900 ; and Miranda, born June 21, 1829, who lived at the old homestead, died March 26, 1900. Ju- lius Beach and family came from Litchfield county, Conn., and settled in Dimock township, Susque- hanna county, in 1829. Mr. Beach was an excellent citizen and a kind neighbor. He was an enterpris-

H. L. Beach

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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

ing farmer, and for several years was very much in- terested in silk culture. In 1836 the Register says of him : "Julius Beach is an enterprising farmer, who has done much for the introduction of the mulberry into the county. He presents to the cabinet of the Montrose Lyceum a skein of beautiful white silk, the first silk manufactured in the county." The morus multicaulis fever was at its height in Susquehanna county in 1839. Julius Beach died October 28, 1861, and his wife passed away April 9, 1845, and their remains, with those of Theron and Louisa Beach, repose in the cemetery at Dimock.

Lorenzo Beach, son of Julius Beach, was born in Litchfield county, Conn., where he received the rudiments of an education in the public schools. He came to Susquehanna county with his parents in 1829, when seventeen years of age, and learned the trade of cabinet making with James N. Eldridge, at Montrose, completing it, however, in New York City. He returned to Montrose, and there and in that vicinity followed the cabinet making business as his chief occupation throughout life. He was a skill- ful mechanic and a fine workman. Of an inventive turn of mind, he designed and had patented a wheel horse hay-rake. He, associated with the late Will- iam H. Boyd, was the first to introduce planing and sawing matching machinery into use in Montrose. Mr. Beach was an upright, straightforward man and citizen, a member of the Baptist Church. Polit- ically he was first a Whig and then a Republican. He married first, while in New York, Emily Palmer, and second Sarah Quick. His children born to the first union were: Louise married William Hudson, and is now a resident of Mt. Vernon, N. Y. ; George W., a graduate of the Medical Department of Yale College, and now a practicing physician in Apolacon. married Lizzie Knapp; Henry L. is mentioned far- ther on ; and Judson, a graduate of the Medical De- partment of the University of Michigan, at Ann Arbor, married Susie Sherwood, and for years has been a prominent physician at Etna, N. Y. The children born to the second marriage of Lorenzo Beach were: Ella H. married H. G. Lathrop, and died in 1889, and Jennie married Freeman Lewis, and resides in Susquehanna county. Lorenzo Beach died April 4, 1880.

HENRY L. BEACH, son of the late Lorenzo Beach, of Montrose, for thirty or more years a man- ufacturer of machinery of his own invention, and for ten years past president of the First National Bank at Montrose, was born October 10, 1841, in Sus- quehanna county, Penn. He attended the neighbor- hood schools of his birthplace, and those of Spring- ville and Montrose, whither the family moved during his boyhood. At the age of seventeen young Beach went to New York City, and was for one vear em- ployed in the wholesale dry-goods house of Lewis Haviland & Co., receiving for his services fifty dol- lars. He was offered five hundred dollars to remain with his employers another year, but more to his liking and taste he decided to learn the machinist's trade, and with that view he entered the Burton Ma-

chine Works, in Brooklyn, N. Y. In the meantime his father had had his hay-rake patented and needed the son's services, so the boy returned to Montrose. In the fall of 1861 he furthered his studies at Elm Grove Seminary, near Smyrna, Del., then for a period was engaged in teaching. Early in the year 1862 young Beach, then but twenty-one years of age, fired by the exciting events of the war, could no longer content himself with remaining at home, and himself and brother, leaving the school-room, raised a company of one hundred men, at Smyrna, of which they were to have been second and first lieutenants, respectively, but owing to a change in the pro- gramme of officers the Beach boys withdrew. Henry L. later was tendered a first lieutenancy in a battalion of Delaware Cavalry, but declined for the reason that Bella J. Cruser, of Montrose, and he had resolved to enter the service together and stick by each other through the term of their enlistment un- less separated by death, a resolution they carried out. On March 12, 1864, young Beach enlisted, along with his chum, at Washington City, becoming a pri- vate in the United States Signal Corps. For a · short time only he was stationed at Georgetown, D. C. Then, in compliance with his request to go to the front, he was sent to Cumberland, Md., for duty with that part of the army operating in Maryland and Virginia, and shared its fortunes up and down the Shenandoah Valley during that eventful period in the history of the Civil war. He served under Sigel, Hunter and Hancock, and also under the great Sheridan, whom it was his privilege and honor to be with, and he was an eye-witness to the thrilling scenes as that general rode-after his "twenty-mile ride"-along the lines rallying and inspiring his men at the battle of Cedar Creek. Young Beach heard many of the commands and words of inspiration as they fell from the lips of the great commander. It was also his privilege to see in consultation during that campaign those two matchless soldiers, Gens. Grant and Sheridan. Young Beach was honorably discharged, after a term of faithful service, at Win- chester, Va., on August 12, 1865.

Returning to Montrose Mr. Beach immediately purchased of his father, whose mechanical skill and inventive genius he seems to have inherited, his patent hay-rake, took it to New York City, and had it on exhibition at the American Institute Fair. In that city, in the spring of 1866, he formed a com- pany which was capitalized at $200,000, and to it sold the rake. Mr. Beach in thirty days' time had a factory prepared and equipped at Rahway, N. J., for the manufacture of the rake, and for several years was superintendent of the plant. In the mean- time he designed and took out his first patent on an improved horse hay-rake. Along in the latter part of the sixties, with little or no capital, Mr. Beach be- gan the manufacture, by contract with the Susque- hanna County Manufacturing Works, at Montrose, of scroll-sawing machinery of his own invention. He manufactured under such contract for two or three years, and then fitted out for the purpose a

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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

small building on Snake creek, just north of Mont- rose. Inspired by a laudable ambition and honest aspiration, he worked with great energy and pre- severance to place his inventions before the people and get a start in life. For several years he traveled the country from Maine to California, scarcely covering his expenses in the sale of the machine. His net proceeds for the first thirty-three months of manufacturing at Montrose amounted to only twelve dollars. However, undaunted, he did not allow discouragement and disappointments to break his spirit, but was instead stimulated thereby to greater and more earnest effort. The reward gradually came in the growth of the business, until finally there was built up a great industry at Mont- rose, and the products from the factory in the way of sawing machinery were going to all parts of the world, and with them the inventor's and manufac- turer's name and fame.

The demand for machinery was so great that about 1880 it became necessary to seek larger quarters, and Mr. Beach removed his plant to the village of Montrose, where he occupied the upper floor of the building used by the Agricultural Works, renting power of those in charge. In 1887 Mr. Beach purchased the Agricultural Works. This same year, 1887, he associated with him in the busi- ness F. J. Brown and W. S. Benjamin, a partnership which lasted some four years. at the end of which time Mr. Beach again became the sole proprietor. Up to 1885 scroll-sawing machinery only was manu- factured, but since that period and at this time there are made at the plant some twenty different kinds and styles of sawing machinery, suited to the pur- pose of all manufacturers of woodwork, all of Mr. Beach's own invention. These are sold in every State in the Union and exported to foreign countries, notably England, Australia, New Zealand, South America and to Mexico and Canada. For six con- secutive years Mr. Beach received the first prize at the American Institute Fair, held in New York City, for scroll-sawing machinerv. At the Centennial Ex- hibition of 1876, held at Phildelphia, he received the highest award for scroll-sawing machinery, and in the report of the eleven judges, men who were selected from all parts of the world, it was stated that, for simplicity, speed and efficiency, his tools were unequalled. No class of machinery in this line has a greater reputation in the United States than those of the Beach design and manufacture, and none are more widely known. Mr. Beach also re- ceived on his machinery on exhibition at the World's Fair in Chicago, in 1893, one of the highest diplomas and medals given. There are also turned out at the Beach works all kinds of castings and machine work in general. In January, 1899, Mr. Beach re- tired from the active business of manufacturing. However, he is by no means inactive, as he is con- nected with several large outside enterprises.

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Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1, Part 45

Author: Publication date: 1900 Publisher: Chicago : J.H. Beers & Co. Number of Pages: 2390

Author:
Publication date: 1900
Publisher: Chicago : J.H. Beers & Co.
Number of Pages: 2390