USA > Pennsylvania > Encyclopedia of Pennsylvania biography : illustrated, Vol. X > Part 5
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Lewis Hutrical Pub Ce.
Proto by Breckar
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Bride
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
land, was eighty-seven at the time of his death.
William McBride, son of John and Elizabeth (Blakeley) McBride, was born October 28, 1874, in Troy, New York, and received his earliest education in the pub- lic schools of his native city. At the age of thirteen he entered the service of the General Electric Company of Schenec- tady, New York, being employed in and around their machine shops, and later with the Ludlow Valve Manufacturing Company, Troy, New York. Meanwhile, by diligent study and attendance at the Troy night school, he fitted himself to enter the Rensselaer Polytechnic Insti- tute, graduating in 1899 with the degree of Civil Engineer. Immediately thereafter Mr. McBride associated himself with the engineering department of the New York Central & Hudson River Railroad, but at the end of a year came to Pittsburgh, finding employment with the Aluminum Company of America. After remaining with this concern for one year he obtained a position with the Standard Under- ground Cable Company, maintaining the connection until 1906. In that year he became president of the Fort Pitt Spring & Manufacturing Company, an office which he still retains. In 1916 he suc- ceeded to the presidency of the Harmony Electric Company, and in 1917 to that of the Elwood and Koppel Bridge Com- pany. The same year he was elected president of the Pittsburgh, Mars & But- ler Railway Company. All these corpora- tions are of Pittsburgh and in each one of them Mr. McBride retains his office. He is a director of the Pittsburgh, Harmony, Butler & New Castle Railway Company.
In the sphere of politics, Mr. McBride has always been an adherent of the Re- publican party. He is a director of the Ohio Valley Hospital, McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania. Among the professional organizations in which he is enrolled are
the Rensselaer Society of Engineers, the American Iron and Steel Institute and the Railway Business Men's Association. He belongs to the Pennsylvania Society, and his clubs are the Duquesne, Edge- worth and Mountour Country. He is a member of the Sewickley Presbyterian Church.
From his record it may easily be inferred that Mr. McBride is a man of great tenacity of purpose, the persever- ance with which he overcame the num- erous obstacles which stood in the way of his acquiring an education being one strong proof of his possession of this trait of character. He declares that in fitting himself for his profession he found mathe- matics his most efficient helper, but that he has also derived much aid from the study of history and the perusal of the works of Shakespeare. He believes that by following the Golden Rule and prac- ticing what he calls, most significantly, "stick-to-it-iveness" realization of ideals and true success in life is oftenest achieved.
Mr. McBride married, April 12, 1905, Emma M. B., daughter of Russell H. and Marie C. (Buhl) Boggs, of Pittsburgh. Mr. and Mrs. McBride are the parents of one daughter, Marie Boggs McBride. Mrs. McBride is a woman of great intel- ligence, charming personality, and de- lightful domesticity, and the union be- tween husband and wife is one of perfect congeniality. Mr. McBride's favorite recreations are golf and swimming, but no form of relaxation rivals for him the attractions of his home.
William McBride may truly be styled the architect of his own fortune, but for a man of his type who has not yet com- pleted his forty-fourth year much accom- plishment is both possible and probable and the future doubtless holds for him the attainment of very many results.
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ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
PERRIN, Morgan L.,
Insurance Actuary, Financier.
Head of one of the oldest, active fire insurance agencies in the United States, now under the management of its founder, a retired bank president, and honored citizen of Pittston, Pennsyl- vania, Mr. Perrin reviews a life of unusual business activity and length, more than half a century having been spent in bus- iness in Pittston, and forty-six of those years in the insurance business which he founded, owns and yet controls.
He is a descendant of John Perrin, born in 1614, came from London, Eng- land, in the ship "Safety," in July, 1635, and settled first at Braintree, Massachu- setts, where he was among the organizers of the company that settled Rehoboth. There he died, September 13, 1674. His wife is believed to have been that Ann Godfrey, a widow, who died in Rehoboth, March II, 1688. He left two sons, John and Abraham. John (2) Perryn was in Rehoboth before 1645, and was buried at Roxbury, Massachusetts, May 6, 1694, while temporarily residing there with his son Noah. His wife was baptized Mary, and to them a large family was born, including a son John (3) Perrin, born October 12, 1668, the eldest child of his parents. He died in Rehoboth, Massa- chusetts, May 6, 1694. By his wife Sarah he had a son, John (4) Perrin, born March 8, 1692, died February 28, 1731. He mar- ried, in 1716, Rachel Ide, born in 1695, died December 4, 1780. This John (4) Perrin and his wife Rachel Ide were the parents of three sons, the youngest being Timothy, born October 1, 1724. He moved to Connecticut, and there died in 1816. He married, and was succeeded by a son Timothy (2) Perrin, who mar- ried Lydia Raymond, the line of descent being through their eldest son Calvin, the
founder of the family in the Wyoming Valley.
Calvin Perrin, born September 17, 1793, came from Connecticut to Pennsyl- vania early in life, and settled at Kings- ton in 1819. He first took a farm upon the flats along the river, but a year later moved back to the higher ground in Northmoreland township, Luzerne county, there purchasing a farm. Later the farm he abandoned on the flats proved to be unusually rich in anthracite coal deposits. He served in the War of 1812, from Connecticut, his homes being in that State at Ashford and Thompson. After his location on the farm in North- moreland, he settled down to the steady life of a farmer and there resided until his death. He married, May 22, 1816, Polly Lawton, who died in Wyoming county, Pennsylvania, October 5, 1842. He married (second) Lucretia Shippey, who died July 24, 1896, at the great age of one hundred and two years. Calvin Perrin and his first wife, Polly Lawton, were the parents of four sons and two daughters: George, who became a farmer of Wyoming county, Pennsylvania, mar- ried Charlotte Ferguson ; Pamelia, mar- ried William White; Daniel, born De- cember 23, 1822; Betsey, married John Long; Gurden, of further mention; and Ezra.
Gurden Perrin of the Eighth American generation, was born in Northmoreland township, Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, August 18, 1828, died December 24, 1866, his life of usefulness cut short even before reaching its prime. He spent his youth at the homestead farm, obtaining a good education in the public school. He re- mained at home his father's assistant until his marriage, then taught school for a time, afterwards cultivating a rental farm until 1857, when he opened a gro- cery store near Pittston, in Jenkins town-
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ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
ship. He was quite successful there, remaining five years before moving to Yatesville, Pennsylvania, where he estab- lished a general store which he conducted until his death. He was a good business man, a member of the official board of the Methodist Episcopal church, and a Re- publican in politics, his first vote being cast for the first presidential candidate of that party, General John C. Frèmont. He was a man thoroughly respected by all who knew him, integrity and uprightness distinguishing his private and business life. Gurden Perrin married, December 16, 1847, Fanny Jane Lewis, born at Or- ange, Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, August 8, 1829, daughter of Rev. Oliver and Cynthia (Smith) Lewis, of Orange county, New York. Mr. and Mrs. Per- rin were the parents of children: Mor- gan L., of further mention; Arminda, born September 24, 1848, died December 26, 1864; Mattie J., married Eugene Bon- stein ; Emily A., now a resident of West Pittston.
Morgan Lewis Perrin, of the ninth American and third Pennsylvania genera- tion, only son of Gurden and Fanny Jane (Lewis) Perrin, was born at Mt. Zion, Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, May 5, 1850. From the age of seven he has been a resident of Pittston, Pennsylvania, there being educated in the public schools and Wyoming Seminary. He was his father's assistant in the store until the later's death, December 24, 1866, then spent six years in the employ of the Butler Coal Company of Pittston, beginning as clerk, and acting as weightmaster, bookkeeper and superintendent of the Pittston plant. He resigned his position in the spring of 1872, and at once entered the insurance business, a field of activity which he has never abandoned during the forty-six years which have since intervened. He established his agency in Pittston in
April, 1872, having secured the agency for the Niagara Insurance Company, and the Great American Insurance Company of New York, then known as the German- American Insurance Company, his com- missions authorizing him to act as agent for these companies being the oldest now outstanding with either company. His agent's authority from the Liverpool and London and Globe Insurance Company is dated in 1876, and all three are yet in force, the Pittston agency one of the strongest centres of business, and the Pittston agent always a welcome and hon- ored guest at the company's headquar- ters.
The founding, upbuilding and manage- ment of his large and important agency has been his principal life work, but he has been a participant in a great deal of Pittston's business activity. He was an incorporator and a member of the first board of directors of the People's Savings Bank, served for a time, then retired until March 29, 1909, when he was elected a director of the People's Union Savings Bank, a merger of the People's Savings Bank, and the Union Savings and Trust Company. He served as director of the merged corporations until April 24, 1913, when he was elected president to succeed William Drury, who died April 14, 1913. Under President Perrin the bank con- tinued unusually prosperous, but the demands of the office so seriously inter- fered with his private business that on January 18, 1917, he resigned as presi- dent, but yet retains his place upon the board of directors. He is also a director of the Hitchner Biscuit Company, of West Pittston; treasurer and director of the Commonwealth Telephone Company; president-treasurer of the Forty-Fort Silk Company. Along with this business activity of over half a century, Mr. Per- rin has carried a love for the farm and
Pa-10-3
3.3
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
farm life, particularly for fine horses, he having owned some of the fine blooded stock of the county, many of these hav- ing been bred upon his own farm. He is a Republican in politics, an attendant of the Methodist Episcopal church.
Mr. Perrin married, May 1, 1870, Anna L. Searle, born October 13, 1851, died October 7, 1910, daughter of James and Elizabeth (Furman) Searle, of Pitts- ton. Mr. and Mrs. Perrin are the par- ents of: Jessie Angela, born February 5, 1871, died July 16, 1912, wife of H. M. Daman; Ralph Ernest, died aged four years; Ella Searle, born August 10, 1880, a graduate of Wyoming Seminary, class of 1898, married Jasper C. Acker- man, of Poughkeepsie, New York; now living in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania ; Mary Nadine, born April 12, 1886, a grad- uate of Wyoming Seminary, class of 1905, Syracuse University, 1909, married George Perkins Lunt, of Boston, now residing in New York City.
BROWN, Percy Arthur,
Progressive Business Man.
Percy A. Brown, head of the firm of Percy A. Brown & Company, for a num- ber of years regarded as one of the most enterprising, progressive and successful business firms of Wilkes-Barre, is a descendant of a German ancestry, and he inherits in marked degree the attributes of the people of that nation,-namely, thrift, energy and progressive ideas.
The earliest known ancestor of the branch of the family herein followed was Abraham Brown, a resident of Würtem- berg, Germany, where he spent his active career. He married Catherine Holdt, and among their children was a son, Charles Christian, of whom further.
and died at Nescopeck, Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, April 9, 1896. He obtained a practical education in his native land, and in 1845, at the age of fourteen, he accompanied his brother-in-law, Michael Bacher, to the United States, landing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from whence they went by canal to Berwick, thence to Dorrance township, where he devoted his attention to agricultural pursuits. In 1852 he purchased a tract of land of about forty acres, which he cleared and put under cultivation, and at the expiration of twelve years he disposed of his farm and moved to the city of Wilkes- Barre, where for nine years he engaged in mercantile pursuits and for two years engaged in a dairy business. He then removed to Wapwallopen, Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, where he con- ducted a dairy business for one year, and during the following six years he con- ducted the J. C. Nicely farm at Moca- naqua, same county. In 1886 he pur- chased a farm in Nescopeck and there spent the remainder of his days. He mar- ried Catherine Ehman Amarin, of Wür- temberg, Germany, and they were the parents of seven children: Franklin J., of whom further; Alvin; Alice, who became the wife of Theodore Lawalt; Agnes; Frances, who became the wife of Ira Boyd; Hannah; Maggie.
Franklin J. Brown was born in Dor- rance township, Luzerne county, Penn- sylvania, March 2, 1855. He attended the district school, during the winter months, and during the remainder of the year assisted with the work of the home farm, remaining with his parents until he attained the age of twenty-four. He then worked a farm on shares located in Butler township, Luzerne county, and in the year 1884 took up his residence in Wilkes-Barre, where he has since fol-
Charles Christian Brown was born in Würtemberg, Germany, May 10, 1831, lowed different pursuits, achieving a cer-
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1607140
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
tain degree of success in all his undertak- ings. He married, December 13, 1877, Mary T. Wenner, daughter of Peter and Elizabeth (Heimbach) Wenner. Mr. and Mrs. Brown are the parents of two chil- dren: Edwin C., and Percy Arthur, of whom further.
Percy Arthur Brown was born in But- ler township, Luzerne county, Pennsyl- vania, October 24, 1884. During his early life his parents removed to Wilkes-Barre, and in the schools of that city he acquired a practical education. He then entered upon his business career and was em- ployed successively with the Boston Store, L. M. Utz, Herman Knappman and Fred L. LaFrance, and upon the death of the last named employer in 1905, he assumed the management of the busi- ness, his father and he forming a partner- ship, but at the expiration of two years the father retired and the business was conducted by the son alone until 1910, when he admitted to partnership B. F. Williams, of Wilkes-Barre, and Robert C. Smith, formerly of Smith & Frantz, and thereafter the business was con- ducted under the name of Percy A. Brown & Company. From a purely meat shop, the firm has developed until at the present time (1917) it is one of the larg- est firms in Northeastern Pennsylvania, thoroughly established and up-to-date in every detail in a business that takes in meats, delicatessen, cream, buttermilk, fruit, vegetables and fish. They have recently remodeled and enlarged their store rooms, located at Nos. 24-26-28 East Northampton street, and there is found ideal arrangement and complete mastery of details.
In the main store room, on the right, is a meat counter, thirty feet in length, with glass casings. This case is electrically lighted and thoroughly refrigerated at an even temperature. The meats are cut fresh in the refrigerators and shipped to
the sales counters by well arranged car- riers. Back of the glass cases is the counter, and back of each counter is a sanitary wash basin for the use of the salesmen. In the rear of the ice counter are the main ice boxes, which are arti- ficially cooled, but so arranged that vari- ous degrees of temperature can be main- tained. In the rear of the main ice box is another large one in which there is a slightly lighter temperature. In the rear of the main sales room is the counter for the sale of cream buttermilk, a thoroughly pasteurized and wholesome liquid pre- pared in the large establishment of the firm. This has a glass counter and answers the same purpose as a soda foun- tain. To the left of the main room is the delicatessen counter, running the length of the store. It is cooled to any degree by refrigerator pipes. In front of the main room, on the left, is the butter and egg counter, all glass encased and refriger- ated. In the new addition is the fish and vegetable market, which is connected with the main sales room by a large entrance, is one of the most wonderful arrangements from a sanitary standpoint in the entire country. The front has folding doors, which can be thrown open to produce a market effect, and in warm weather screens and electrical fans are added. A large fish display bin is one of the features. This is a tile bin, insulated with cork and refrigerated. Glass doors, encased in German silver, are lifted by weights. Proper drainage is provided. There is also another large bin for stor- age of fish. This is constructed in the same manner, only that cracked ice is used for cooling purposes. In this case are hot and cold water faucets for cleans- ing purposes. The oyster and clam tanks are encased in tile with cork insulation and German silver lids and tops. To the left of this store room are the vegetable counters and display shelves. These are
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ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
neatly arranged and designed so as to show the products to the best advantage. In the rear of this room, reached by a small flight of stairs, is the office and telephone exchange. A number of young women are employed here. Six telephone trunk lines enter the office, four of the Bell and two of the Consolidated. An exchange girl is kept constantly employed and all orders are received in the office and sent by tubes to the sales forces, where wrappings are made and the goods sent by carrier to the rear of the build- ing where the shipping department is conveniently and splendidly arranged. In the cellar is the large ice machine, driven by a motor. At one end is the pump which pumps the water from the ground, two wells having been located in the cellar and immediately set in use. This water is used only for cooling purposes. In the cellar are the cloak rooms and spac- ious lofts for storage purposes. Every door and window is screened, and at each entrance to the rooms is an electrical fan on the outside of the building for sani- tary purposes. At each counter is a cash desk, so that change is readily made and the customer not kept waiting. In the rear of the plot, detached from the main building, are delicatessen shops, the meat grinding shops, and the fine new cream buttermilk room, wherein is one of the greatest displays of machinery in this entire section. Here are cream separating machines, the large churns, the cold cool- ing tanks, the ice grinders, bottle wash- ing apparatus, everything of the most modern type.
Mr. Brown, with his progressive ideas and keen judgment, realized that in the near future Wilkes-Barre would develop along metropolitan lines and that there would be a great demand for larger and better business establishments, and ac- cordingly he set to work, with the aid of his partners, to cope with this responsi-
bility, and the result is most gratifying to the members of the firm and to their many patrons. He has witnessed the growth of his business venture from three em- ployees to thirty-six, and it is still grow- ing. At the end of the year 1914 the faithful employees of the firm were noti- fied by check that they were interested in the firm's development, and the dis- tribution of a proportion of the net earn- ings of this firm has been continued since that time.
Mr. Brown is an active member of the Chamber of Commerce of Wilkes-Barre, served in the capacity of trustee for four years, in 1916 was elected president, and reëlected trustee. On June 8, 1915, he was appointed a member of the Wilkes- Barre school board, to succeed the late Dr. Guthrie, and in the following year was elected a member, this fact attesting to his popularity and efficiency. He holds membership in the Order of Free and Accepted Masons, Benevolent and Pro- tective Order of Elks, Franklin Club, and St. John's Lutheran Church. He is a Republican in politics.
Mr. Brown married, October 24, 1906, Leah Brink, daughter of Peter and Mary (Gay) Brink, of Laceyville, Pennsyl- vania. Mr. and Mrs. Brown are the par- ents of one daughter, Orceil, born July 22, 1908.
DIEHL, Ambrose Nevin,
Expert in Chemistry.
Ambrose Nevin Diehl was born in York, York county, Pennsylvania, Octo- ber 20, 1876, son of Andrew K. and Sarah L. (Gring) Diehl. Mr. Diehl is descended from old York county stock, his ancestors having lived in that sec- tion for over two hundred years.
Mr. Diehl received his early education in the public and private schools of York, after which he entered York Collegiate
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a. M. Diehl.
James Ch. Lanahan
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
Institute, graduating in 1894. Immedi- ately thereafter he entered the class of 1898 of the Pennsylvania State College, became a member of the Sigma Chi fra- ternity, and after a four-year course left that institution with the degree of B. S., having specialized in chemistry. In 1898 Mr. Diehl obtained the position of assist- ant chemist in the Pennsylvania State Experimental Station, and remained one year. In 1899 he came with the Du- quesne Steel Works and Blast Furnaces of the Carnegie Steel Company as a chemist, and was transferred to the Blast Furnace Department in March, 1900. He was appointed assistant superintendent of Blast Furnaces in October, 1900, and given charge of the department in Octo- ber, 1901. This position he held until No- vember, 1915, when he was made assistant general superintendent of the Duquesne Steel Works, which position he held until April 1, 1917, when he was made assistant to the vice-president of the Carnegie Steel Company, with headquarters in Pitts- burgh. This office he now holds.
Mr. Diehl is a director of the Duquesne Trust Company, and a trustee of the Pennsylvania State College, In politics he is a Republican. He is also a member of the American Institute of Mining En- gineers, the Engineers' Society of West- ern Pennsylvania and the American Iron and Steel Institute. He is also a member and director of the University Club of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Country Club, Oakmont Country Club, Pittsburgh Ath- letic Club, Press Club and various others of a social and fraternal nature.
LANAHAN, James K., Public-spirited Citizen.
Many of Pittsburgh's most valued citizens have been men of Irish birth and parentage, and in none has the versatile
ability of the race been better and more strikingly illustrated than in the late James K. Lanahan, for nearly a quarter of a century proprietor of the celebrated St. James Hotel, and prominently identi- fied with a number of the leading finan- cial concerns of the Iron City.
James K. Lanahan was born March 17, 1831, in the North of Ireland, and was a son of James and Susan (Krickart) Lana- han. The boy received his early educa- tion-a very meagre one-in his native land, and before reaching manhood emi- grated to the United States, making the voyage alone and paying his way to Pitts- burgh by driving cattle over the moun- tains. He apprenticed himself at the Bradley Foundry and, after learning his trade, saved his wages in order to defray the expense of a more liberal education than he had yet enjoyed. He pursued a course of study at St. Francis' School, in Loretto, and in his appreciation of the fact that thorough educational equipment was necessary for success in life showed a degree of foresight and a soundness of judgment rarely met with in a youth of his limited opportunities and slight knowl- edge of the world.
On returning to Pittsburgh, Mr. Lana- han established a hotel on Penn avenue, near the old canal locks, the venture being attended by a gratifying measure of suc- cess. In 1868 he moved to Liberty ave- nue and there opened the St. James Hotel, an establishment which became famous in the annals of hostelry. For twenty years it was conducted by Mr. Lanahan, gaining under his able proprietorship a wide reputation for the excellence of its management and the completeness of its equipment. To his associates Mr. Lana- han showed a genial, kindly, humorous side of his nature which made their rela- tions most enjoyable, and by a systematic course of industry and integrity he
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