Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1, Part 5

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 5
USA > Pennsylvania > Monroe County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1 > Part 5
USA > Pennsylvania > Susquehanna County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1 > Part 5
USA > Pennsylvania > Wayne County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1 > Part 5

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

-----

----...

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Rogers Searle claimed his conversion to that hour of awful suspense when he was striving for his life in the water under the branches of the willow tree. Lorenzo Dow refers to a Rogers Searle often in his writings, and it is known that he was always a visitor at his home when on his mission through this Circuit; the late Rev. Jonathan Peck believed the Rev. Rogers Searle alluded to as a local preach- er to be Rogers, the son of Constant; and Hon. Richard Wheeler, the historian of Stonington, Conn., confirms this, as he is recorded in Preston (Conn.) records as Rev. Rogers Searle. It is well-known that he was a devout Methodist, and often led in "class-meeeting," and the first Methodist class in Pittston was formed at his home in 1806. To these meetings "he always brought his mother, who was totally blind." That he was a public-spirited citi- zen is seen by the following: "Return of Field Offi- cers, elected in Luzerne Co., 1788. Pitts Town Company, Rogers Searle, Ensign. John Jenkins, Lieut .- Col." [See Penn. Archives, Vol. XI, Ist series, p. 385.] "Eighth Company, 2nd Reg., John Jenkins, Lt .- Col., Constant Searle, 2nd Major, Rog- ers Searle, Captain. Ishmael Bennett, Lieut. James Scott, Ensign." [See Historical Record, Vol. II, p. 62, printed by Dr. F. C. Johnson. ]

The homestead, retained and kept for the moth- er by the faithful efforts of her two older sons, John and Daniel, was the home for the itinerant preach- er, who ever found a welcome; and while, in the later years of her life, Mrs. Searle was known as a Baptist, she attended service with her husband during his lifetime. Mr. and Mrs. Searle rest, with his mother, Hannah ( Miner) Searle, in a quiet, shaded corner of the old burial place on the hill- side, above the city of Pittston, and a marble slab, erected by Rasselas Searle, marks the spot where these faithful and suffering pioneers "sleep their last sleep." Their children were as follows :

(I) Clarissa Searle, born February 13, 1793, married Joseph Dayton, of Binghamton, New York.

(2) John Searle was born February 15, 1795, and when a mere boy, about 1812-15, became one of the pioneer postriders, carrying the mail on horse- back through the sparsely settled country of what is now the several counties of northeastern Penn- sylvania. His route was one of about 320 miles, which he made in a fortnight. Later in life, as- sociated with his brother Daniel, he was engaged in running stage lines from Wilkes Barre. He married Mary, daughter of Henry Stark.

(3) Betsey Searle, born February 18, 1800, married Solomon Brown, of Pittston.

(4) Daniel Searle is referred to farther on. (5) Mehitabel Searle, born March 13, 1802, married Thomas Fell, of Pittston.

(6) Milton Searle, born October 10, 1804, never married. He remained on the home place with his mother.

(7) Leonard Searle was born November 7, 1807, and when a lad, like his older brothers, was em- ployed as a postboy, carrying the mails on horse-

back. He traveled the route that ran from Mont- rose to Silver Lake, thence by forest paths through old Lawsville to Great Bend. At fifteen he rode a regular weekly route. The reader should not for- get that in those early days the country was new, sparsely settled, and for a two-weeks' route, cover- ing several hundred miles, or one half that length, meant quite an undertaking for boys, as not infre- quently in their journey through the wilderness they met howling wolves, and encountered difficulties which tried their nerve, and brought into use their ingenuity. Later on the Searle brothers became engaged in the mail and stage business, and as a matter of convenience Leonard and Daniel located in 1827 at Montrose. Later Leonard was engaged for a decade or more as a merchant, and conducted a store with Martin Curtis in Carbondale, and also for many years in Montrose. Then he erected a hotel building on the old Post corner, and for a quarter of a century kept one of the best taverns of this section. After the death of his mother he purchased from the heirs, three-fourths of their interest in the homestead, which comprised some two hundred acres of coal land, upon which the Ravine shaft, in Pittston, now stands. He was one of the original incorporators and trustees of the Montrose Academy, a bank director, and interest- ed financially in every enterprise of a public nature connected with the town of Montrose. In politics he was a Whig, and Henry Clay was his political idol. He was a shrewd and sagacious business man, but lost much money through those whom he befriended. In 1866 he finally retired from the hotel business, and purchased the old Benjamin S. Bentley place, which he made his home during the remainder of his life. For several years, from about 1840, he ran stages from Montrose to various points.

Mr. Searle married, in 1832, Lydia C., daugh- ter of Elder Davis Dimock [see sketch elsewhere], and their children were: Davis D. is a broker in New York; Katherine E. is the wife of Gen. William H. McCartney, a distinguished lawyer of Wilkes Barre, Penn .; Josephine married Benjamin S. Bentley, a lawyer in Williamsport, Penn .; and for several years prothonotary of the United States Court ; Hetty married William M. Miller, a grocer of Wilkes Barre, Penn .; Leonard, Jr., who died at the age of twenty-seven, left no children.

Leonard Searle died at his home in Montrose December 31, 1880, loved and esteemed by the com- munity. He was a man of tall, commanding pres- ence, and his manners were those of the "old-school gentleman," courteous and dignified. The hospital- ity of his home was unbounded, and his liberality unquestioned.

(8) Rasselas Searle was born February I, 1812. He was given better educational privileges than his older brothers, being sent to school at Cazenovia, N. Y. In about 1830, he came to Mont- rose, but for some years thereafter he was the stage agent at Milford, in Pike county. Subsequently,

DWEracle

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

while his elder brothers Daniel and Leonard were looking after the stage routes. Rasselas was en- gaged in mercantile pursuits at Montrose. He was for many years in a store on the west side of Public avenue, which was burned in the fire of 1851, and was regarded as one of the best judges of many articles of merchandise, as well as a su- perior accountant and bookkeeper. Although a Whig, he was postmaster during the administra- tion of John Tyler. After the fire, in which he sustained a heavy loss, with no insurance, he had a small store at the corner of Church and Chestnut streets for a few years, then disposed of his stock and retired from active business life. He married (first) Anna Cross, of Milford, Penn., and (sec- ond) Miss Nettie Tompkins, of Liberty. For years Mr. Searle had been identified with the In- dependent Order of Odd Fellows. He was kind- hearted and had a generous disposition. "Consci- entiousness was a prominent trait of his charac- ter, and few men better kept the 'Golden Rule of doing to others as he would they should do to him.' There was not a crooked hair in his head." He died April 25. 1888.

DANIEL SEARLE, late of West Pittston, Penn., was born May 27, 1797, at the old homestead in Pittston, Penn. At the age of twenty-two years he went to Tennessee, where with Miller Horton he engaged in driving stage on the National pike. He frequently carried distinguished passengers, in- cluding Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, and other po- litical magnates of his time. After six years of stage life in Tennessee Mr. Searle returned to Pittston, purchased a farm, and settled thereon. In 1826, with his brother John, he began running a line of stages between Wilkes Barre and Dundaff. The next year, leaving that business with his broth- er, he moved to Montrose and became agent for Stogden & Stokes, of Baltimore, and Reasides & Co., who operated the stage line between Jersey City and Owego. At the expiration of their con- tract Mr. Searle, through the assistance of his friend Judge Mallory, of Philadelphia, obtained the contract, and for about twenty years continued the management of the route. In connection with others he also ran a line of stages from Philadel- phia to Utica, crossing the Jersey City and Owego line at Montrose. Mr. Searle had the contract for keeping in repair forty miles of the one route, from Tunkhannock to Binghamton, and one hundred miles of the other, from Milford to Owego. He was one of the most extensive mail carriers in the State. The route was one of the three great thoroughfares of the West. It was divided into sections of about fifteen miles each, and one four- horse coach, which would comfortably seat ten passengers, but was often crowded with fifteen, would make the round trip daily. Mr. Searle re- ceived $22,000 annually for carrying the mails. He engaged also in other large enterprises. With others he completed large contracts in the con- struction of the Croton Water Works, and of the

aqueduct across Harlem river. He built many sec- tions of the North Branch canal and the outlet lock at Nanticoke, below Wilkes Barre. At the same time he conducted for many years a general mer- cantile business at Montrose, and later at Carbon- dale, in partnership with Martin Curtis and his brothers Leonard and Rasselas. He owned 1,000 acres of timber land in Lathrop township, Susque- hanna county, and conducted a large lumber busi- ness. He retained his interest in his father's estate at Pittston, and added other property which be- came valuable coal land. He was organizing di- rector of the Susquehanna County Bank in 1838, and assisted in organizing the Susquehanna Agri- cultural Society.

In politics Daniel Searle was an Old-line Whig, and he was prominent in the councils of his party. Twice he led the forlorn hope of his party on the Legislative ticket, in the face of an adverse Democratic majority of 1,500, once re- ducing the majority against him to sixty, and again to two hundred. He was one of the organizers of the Republican party in 1855-56, and was one of its strong supporters. Mr. Searle was public- spirited, and a liberal contributor to all enterprises of a worthy nature. Though not a member of any Church, he contributed liberally to the support of several. In social life his genial nature animated any circle in which he moved, and the infirmities of life never took from his eye the merry twinkle, nor from his face the cheery smile. His life work left its impression upon all with whom he labored and associated, and his memory was endeared to those who knew him best. During the last fifteen years of his life he made his home at West Pittston.

Mr. Searle's helpmeet through life was Jo- hanna Stark, daughter of Henry Stark, of Plains, Penn. They were married in 1825, and lived to- gether for fifty-two years, celebrating their Golden Wedding with their children and many friends. Their ten children were as follows: Rogers S., born in 1826, is referred to farther on; Henry, born April 25, 1828, died September 26, 1829; Henry S., born in 1829, died August 4, 1894; Ellen, born in 1831, was a teacher, and a prominent sanitary and charitable worker at Montrose, and died at Pittston, Penn., in 1867; Johanna, born in 1834, married Charles D. Lathrop, and died December 6, 1897; Daniel W. born in 1836, is referred to farth- er on: Dotha, born in 1838, died in 1844: Mary Jane, is the wife of Supreme Judge J. B. McCollum, of Montrose ; Hetty D., born in 1845, died in 1847; Clara Maria lives in Brooklyn, N. Y. The mother died October 22, 1877, and the father survived her two years, dying October 13, 1879.

JUDGE DANIEL W. SEARLE, of Montrose, a son of the late Daniel and Johanna (Stark) Searle, was born January 7, 1836, at Montrose, Penn. He attended Montrose Academy, where he was fitted for college by Prof. Crampton. Entering Yale in the class of '58, illness soon compelled him to re- linquish his plans for a collegiate education, and

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

returning to Montrose he became a student of law in the office of Hon. William Jessup and William H. Jessup. He was admitted to the Bar in Novem- ber, 1859, and commenced the practice of law in partnership with his brother-in-law, Hon. J. B. Mc- Collum. This partnership continued until 1862, when it was broken by the enlistment of young Searle in Company H, 14Ist Regiment, P. V. I. The enrollment of Company H was largely the work of young Searle and Casper W. Tyler. They called the meeting at the court house, July 21, 1862, and enlistments rapidly followed. The company was organized August 16, with Mr. Tyler as cap- tain and Mr. Searle as first lieutenant. At the organization of the regiment Lieut. Searle was promoted to adjutant. The regiment reached Washington on the day of the second battle of Bull Run. It was at Fredericksburg December II, and of its 417 men at Chancellorsville 234 were lost. At Gettysburg the regiment took 200 men and nine officers into battle, and lost 145 men and six officers. Of the losses one third were killed or died of wounds. Among the wounded was Adjt. Searle, who on account of his wound was honor- ably discharged June 2, 1864. A writer of the his- tory of the regiment contained in the "History of Susquehanna County" thus refers to Mr. Searle: "Lieut. Searle was, upon its organization, pro- moted to adjutant, the responsible duties of which position he filled with such marked efficiency as to elicit the commendation of his superior officers. The duties of his position brought him in constant contact with the officers and men of the regiment, and although, as its executive officer, those duties were sometimes unpleasant, both to them and him- self, yet no officer was more popular, and his long form will ever remain in their remembrance.' After the war Mr. Searle was commissioned lieu- tenant-colonel of militia on the staff of Gen. Jessup.

Returning home, Mr. Searle resumed the practice of law. He was elected district attorney in 1865, and again in 1868. He has been an active Republican, serving repeatedly as chairman of the county committee, and was, in 1874, 1880 and 1882, the choice of the Republicans of Susquehanna county for Congress; but the claims of Susque- hanna county were not recognized by the delegates of the convention from other counties. In 1883 he entered into a partnership with A. H. Mc- Collum and A. B. Smith, under the firm name of McCollum, Searle & Smith. In 1888 he was nom- inated, by the Republican party, to succeed Judge J. B. McCollum as President Judge of the district including Susquehanna county. Because of the withholding of a nomination at the Democratic con- vention the only opponent of Mr. Searle was George P. Little, the Prohibition candidate, over whom he was elected by nearly 5,000 majority. At a ban- quet given at Montrose, in December, 1888, by the members of the Bar, in honor of Judges J. Brew- ster McCollum and Daniel W. Searle, judges-elect

to the Supreme Court and District Court, respect- ively, the former thus spoke of Judge Searle :

I congratulate you upon having secured as my successor in the office of President Judge of this District a sound, con- servative and honest lawyer, for whom you have a high regard, and in whom you have entire confidence. He goes upon your Bench with the general approval of the Bar and the people. The conditions are favorable to a successful and satisfactory administration of the office. I know that he has for you naught but kind feelings and good wishes. There is, therefore, no perceptible reason, now, why you should not constitute for the next ten years a pleasant and happy family. I believe that you will, and in this belief, and the satisfaction it affords, with the assurance that while life and health are spared me I shall gladly return, when oppor- tunity affords, to my home and all the dear and cherished associations of my youth and manhood, I take my leave of you.

If Mr. Searle had ever doubted the estimation in which he was held by his legal brethren it must have been dispelled by the cordiality of the greet- ing given him as he stood before them at that ban- quet. His speech was characteristic of the man, plain, unaffected and earnest, and was received with every manifestation of pleasure. In November, 1898, Judge Searle was re-elected to the Bench without opposition, a fitting testimonial of the high character of his judicial labors, and of the esteem and regard of all people. Both as a lawyer and as a judge he has displayed great ability. He was ever a safe and able counselor, prudent and careful in the preparation and management of a case, and during a trial always fair to his opponent. His arguments were candid and logical. He had a keen perception of the principles of law involved in a case, and used good judgment in their appli- cation. He has always been kindly disposed to- ward the younger members of the Bar. Fair and profound as a lawyer, he has exhibited the same essential traits as a judge. In a State which is justly noted for the high character and ability of its judiciary, there is none more honored, more widely popular, or more universally respected, than Judge Daniel W. Searle.

In February, 1883, Judge Searle was married to Miss Irene Mason, daughter of Col. G. F. and Mary Mason, of Towanda, and a native of Mon- roeton, Bradford Co., Penn. Judge Searle is a Free Mason, a member of the Loyal Legion, and of the G. A. R.

Rogers S. Searle, of Montrose, son of the late Daniel and Johanna ( Stark) Searle, was born Sep- tember 24, 1826, at the Searle homestead in Pitts- ton, Penn. A years later he was brought by his parents to Montrose, in which vicinity, with little exception, his life has been passed. He received quite a liberal education, attending the Moravian school at Nazareth, Penn., John Mann's Academy, and also the Montrose Academy. From fourteen years of age until twenty-one, when not in school, he clerked in the store of his father and uncle, Rasselas Searle, at Montrose. His father at this time was the owner of 1,000 acres of timber land in Lathrop township, Susquehanna county, and in

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

connection with hisother line of business was largely engaged in manufacturing and shipping lumber. To this business the son, on becoming of age, in 1847, succeeded his father, and was busily engaged in manufacturing and marketing lumber until the breaking out of the Civil war in 1861. He filled large contracts in his line, furnishing lumber for the Smithsonian Institute, Washington, D. C .; sup- plied for a period the D. L. & W. railroad with wood for fuel ; and shipped lumber largely to Bal- timore and Richmond. He also had charge of the stage line from Montrose to Scranton, and a sec- tion of the route from Great Bend to New York.

Fired by patriotism, he left his business, and gathering together a squad of men proceeded to Harrisburg, where most of them enlisted, Mr. Searle entering the army as a sergeant-major under Cols. Seiler and Biddle. Later, in May, 1861, he enlisted in Campany B, and was transferred to Company H, 4th Regiment, Pennsylvania Reserves. He arrived with his regiment at Baltimore on the «lay of the first battle of Bull Run, July 21. At Baltimore Mr. Searle was detailed, and served for a time in the Medical Department, under Dr. l'age. Later, rejoining his regiment, he served for a time, by appointment, as hospital steward, and still later he was made sergeant-major of his regi- ment. The last of December, 1861, he returned home under orders from Gov. Curtin, recruited a company of men for the 12th Penn. Reserves, and reported with them at Harrisburg. Following this, his health being impaired from rheumatism inci- cent to his service, he went as a volunteer, under Dr. Horn, in hospital service, to the Peninsula, and as such served in the seven-days' fight. Later he served, by appointment of the governor of Pennsyl- vania, as drill-master at Camp Curtin, and there during the year drilled eight companies, four each of cavalry and infantry. Later, and at the forma- tion of the Wyoming regiment, Mr. Searle was of- fered the office of major of that command, but ow- ing to ill-health was compelled to decline it. On his return to Susquehanna county, in the spring of 1863, he assisted his father in looking after some of his business interests, and afterward located on a farm just out of Montrose, on Jones' Lake, there making his home until the last few years, when he came to the home he now occupies at Montrose.

Mr. Searle has been an active business man, and an agriculturist of method and system. He was president of the County Agricultural Society in 1884, and for several years following January, 1885, he served by election as a representative to the State Board of Agriculture. He was instru- mental in obtaining from that board an appropria- tion for establishing a Farmers' Institute at Mont- rose. This was organized in 1886, and Mr. Searle was made its president. He has ever been active and influential in the Grange movement in Pennsyl- vania, was a prime mover in organizing Susque- hanna Grange, the first in the county, of which he

was the first master, and has organized many Granges throughout Susquehanna county. He has served as State deputy, and in 1885 was a member of the executive committee of the State Grange. Mr. Searle is a strong advocate of Temperance, and in his political views is a Jeffersonian Demo- crat. A man of commanding presence, he will at- tract attention anywhere. He is possessed of the characteristics which have ever made those bearing the name popular. Genial and affable, his friends are many.

In 1858 Mr. Searle was married to Ellen Spaulding, born November 17, 1836, daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth ( Barry Croad) Spaulding, the father a native of Vermont, the mother of Eng- land. To the marriage were born : Anna C., Barry, Ellen, Rasselas and Daniel.

Barry Searle, of Montrose, son of Rogers S. Searle, is a native of Wyoming county, Penn., born January 21, 1861, at Nicholson. He was reared at Montrose, and there prepared for college in the public schools of the village, graduating from the high school in the class of '79. That fall he entered Lehigh University, with the intention of later adopt- ing the law as a profession, and pursued a scien- tific course of study for two years. Changing his mind, and with it his course of study, he paid par- ticular attention to chemistry and special studies, and, completing a six-years' course in five years, he was graduatedin theclass of '84. After this event he entered the employ of the Pennsylvania Steel Co., at Harrisburg, as chemist in their laboratory. Remaining with that company until the last of the year 1885, he went to Hurley, Wis., and opened there a laboratory and engineering office. He did laboratory and engineering work for some two years, for many of the large iron corporations over the Gogebic Range, for a distance of thirty or more miles. This work brought him large returns, and with his investments made him a fortune, which was lost, however, in the panics which followed. Following this experience he located at Knoxville, Tenn., and there pursued his profession in engin- eering and laboratory work until late in the year 1889. when, having received a flattering offer to go to South America, he entered the employ of the El Callao Gold Mining Co., who were operating in the republic of Venezuela. He had charge of what was known as their La Union property, in the vicinity of El Callao. He remained in the employ of this company, having charge of the engineer- ing and chemical work for all their properties after 1892, until the climate was so undermining his health that he was forced to leave the country, which he did in the fall of 1895, much as he re- gretted giving up so promising a field of fortune. During his term of service with the El Callao Co., he explored and prospected up and down the sev- eral gold-bearing rivers of Venezuela for a thous- and or more miles, meeting with rare and danger- ous experiences. He was lost for days, experienced hunger and passed through an attack of yellow

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

fever. He possesses gold properties there which in time undoubtedly will recompense him for his sacrifices.

On severing his connections with the El Cal- lao Co., and returning to the United States Mr. Searle, in the winter of 1895, returned to British Guiana to report on the mining properties for the London (England) Exploring Co., and passed three months in the work. In July, 1896, he went to Johannesburg, South Africa, to assume charge of the Crown Deep Gold Mine, which is one of the Rand properties, the Rand Co. being the larg- est mining company in the world, a company backed by the Rothchilds. There was expended in the equipment of the Crown Deep Mine, and develop- ing it to a paying investment, nearly four million dollars. While young Searle was in charge 3,000 Kaffirs and 508 white men were employed in its operation. Two shafts were sunk, one aggregat- ing two thousand feet, and the other one thousand. After an expenditure of millions upon it the mine was brought to yield up fifteen thousand ounces of gold monthly. It soon began to make a profit of from one hundred thousand to one hundred and fifty thousand dollars monthly to the English in- vestors.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1, Part 5

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