USA > Pennsylvania > Encyclopedia of Pennsylvania biography : illustrated, Volume I > Part 26
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ence he is a Republican ; in religious faith a Presbyterian.
Mr. Johnson married, April 30, 1883, Elizabeth T., daughter of Biddle Reeves; she died in 1908. In 1910 lie married Leah Goff.
This is a brief chronicle of the highest type of American manhood, of a man quick to see and seize opportunity, not living the life of a sordid business man, but recognizing the obligation of citizen- ship and the obligations of man to man- who has kept in touch with his fellow men through mental culture and personal contact with the world's workers in many fields.
BAER, George F., Lawyer, Railroad Executive.
There is no dissenting voice raised to the statement often made that, in his par- ticular realm of activity, Mr. Baer has no superior. Of national reputation as president of a great railroad corporation, he is not so widely known as a lawyer and public speaker as his merit deserves, yet it was his marked ability as counsel for the Philadelphia & Reading railroad that caused him to be singled out from among many able men for elevation to the presidency, at a time when a wise conservative constructive policy was necessary.
Mr. Baer descends from German ances- tors, and is of the fourth generation in the United States. His direct ancestor, Christopher Baer (Bar), came from Zwei- brucken, Germany, with two brothers, Milchoir and Johannes, in the ship "Phoe- nix," from Rotterdam, in 1743, arriving in Philadelphia, September 30 of that year. He settled in Northampton county with his wife, Katherine Wingert, and there purchased a large quantity of land, giving a farm to each of his six married children : Jacob, his youngest son, was born in what is now Whitehall township,
Lehigh county, in 1761, married, and in 1800 moved to a farm in Maryland, near Mount Savage Station, Allegheny county, where lie resided until death. Major Solomon Baer, his son by a second wife, Mary Elizabeth Hersch, was born in Le- high county (then Northampton), in 1794, and died in Somerset county, Penn- sylvania, in 1882. He married in 1820, and settled in Berlin, Somerset county. He died, in Somerset, January 12, 1882. He was constable for several years, also justice of the peace, and held every rank in the militia from captain to brigade inspector. He married, in 1820, Anna Maria, daughter of George Baker; she was born February 2, 1797, died October 5, 1888.
George Frederick Baer, eighth child of Solomon and Anna Maria (Baker) Baer, was born in Somerset county, Pennsyl- vania, September 26, 1842. When a lad, his parents moved from the farm to the county seat, Somerset borougli, where the lad attended Somerset Institute until he reached the age of thirteen years. He then entered the printing office of the "Somerset Democrat," working at type- setting for two years. He then pursued a course of study at Somerset Academy for one year, then for another year was chief clerk and bookkeeper at the Ashtola Mills, a large manufacturing plant lo- cated ten miles from Johnstown, Penn- sylvania. In the fall of 1860 he entered the sophomore class at Franklin and Mar- shall College, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, but his course there was interrupted by the Civil War. Then, in partnership with his brother Harry, he purchased the newspaper plant on which he had served his boyhood apprenticeship-The "Som- erset Democrat." In the following Sep- tember, his brother enlisted in the Union army, becoming an officer of company B, 54th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers. This left him in sole charge of the paper. To properly edit and attend to its publi-
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cation, taxed his strength and entailed al- most unceasing labor. He worked in the composing room by day, editing the pa- per by night, and on more than one oc- casion composed his editorials while standing before his case and setting it in type at the same time.
During this period of his career he kept up a course of study, intending to return to Franklin and Marshall College, which materially added to the already heavy burden. Trying as his work was, it was a fitting preparation for the greater burdens and responsibilities of later life. He continued the publication of the "Democrat" until August, 1862, when he raised a company of volunteers from Somerset and vicinity, and which was mustered into the United States service, with Mr. Baer, not yet twenty years of age, as captain. He served nine months, part of this time by detail as assistant adjutant general of the Second Brigade, Humphreys' Division. His regiment joined the Army of the Potomac at the second battle of Bull Run; fought at Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellors- ville and Fredericksburg, where it formed the advance line in the deadly charge upon Marye's Heights, December 13, 1862. Captain Baer was mustered out of service May 26, 1863, and returned to Somerset.
He at once began the study of law un- der the preceptorship of his brothers, William and Herman, both attorneys at the Somerset bar. After his admission to the bar in April, 1864, he began practice in Somerset, continuing four years, and gaining valuable experience, particularly in jury trials and pleading. On January 22, 1868, he was admitted to the bar of Berks county, establishing his office and residence at Reading. He grew rapidly in public favor as a capable, reliable lawyer, his practice growing steadily each year, and extended to all States and fed- eral courts of the district, and when at
the zenith of his legal career he was en- gaged in every important case tried in the Berks county courts. In 1870 he was ap- pointed counsel to the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad, and in that capacity was in charge of a great deal of impor- tant litigation. Later he was elected a director of the Philadelphia & Reading Company, but resigned when unable to agree with the policies of President Mc- Leod. About this time he became a trusted confidential legal adviser in Penn- sylvania of J. Pierrepont Morgan, and with him was prominent in the reorgani- zation of the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad Company in 1893. He contin- ued in highly remunerative and success- ful law practice in Reading for thirty years, the records of the prothonotary's office at Reading and the published rec- ords of cases taken to the Supreme Court, showing the great scope of his practice in the courts, both State and national.
In 1901 he was elected president of the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad Com- pany, and from that date forward has guided the much exploited Reading to a position of assured security and prosper- ity in all departments. His administra- tion has been marked with great con- structive achievement, and advance in the physical condition of the road as well as in its financial condition. The entire system has prospered under President Baer's wise conservative policies, and he will go down in history as one of the great railroad executives of his time.
Another great corporation that has benefited by his service as counsel, di- rector and president, is the Reading Iron Company, a company that he placed in the front rank in the iron trade, with es- tablished trade connections all over the world. He is also president of the Tem- ple Iron Company, and prominently identified with the Pennsylvania Steel and Cambria Steel companies. Other en- terprises with which he is identified are
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the Reading Paper Mills, established in 1886; the Penn National Bank (1883) ; Reading Hospital (1884) ; Reading Trust Company (1886) ; Penn Common (1887) ; Wyomissing Club (1890) ; Reading Free Library (1898) ; Berkshire Club (1899) -- his connection with all continuing active except with the Penn National Bank. His connections with Penn Common were particularly important in securing that property for the city of Reading from the county of Berks, and as presi- dent of the board of park commissioners. Reading also owes to Mr. Baer the erec- tion of its first modern office building, a seven story structure of eighty rooms.
To turn from this record of a busy suc- cessful business life will be to exhibit MIr. Baer in a purely intellectual light and in a sphere his talents have adorned. Dur- ing his entire public life he has been in demand as a lecturer and platform speaker. His printed addresses are num- erous and cover a wide range of learning. They display the forcible, precise char- acter of his rhetoric and the boldness of his convictions. His addresses, always extemporaneous, are clear in diction, and so faultless in logie, that delivered in a straightforward way, without dramatic flourish, they compel the closest atten- tion and win admiration, if not always approval. His books of cases prepared for presentation to higher courts show great care, thorough preparation and complete knowledge of the cases to be presented, and evidence also in a high de- gree superior literary culture and high legal attainment. His versatility is re- markable, as is shown by the following partial list of subjects of addresses deliv- ered: "Land Tenures," delivered before the law department of the University of Pennsylvania; "Relation of Tariff to Wages," before the Single Tax Society of Reading; Addresses of Welcome to the German Society, of which lie was the first president ; "Influence of the Reformed
Church on Civil Government," at the dedieation of a new theological seminary at Franklin and Marshall College; "The Germans in Pennsylvania," before a Teachers' Institute at Reading; "Bech- stein Germanic Library," at its opening at the University of Pennsylvania, the first of four addresses delivered on that occa- sion ; "Appeal to Democrats," issued against the candidacy of William J. Bryan for the presidency in 1896; "Ora- tion at the Unveiling of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument at Allentown," Octo- ber 19, 1899; "Work is Worship," deliv- ered before the Young Men's Christian Association of Reading in 1900, amplified and delivered before Franklin and Marsh- all College, 1902; Address delivered at the laying of the corner stone of a new sci- ence building at Franklin and Marshall, 1900; "Pennsylvania Theories of Govern- ment," before Pennsylvania Society of New York, 1902; Argument made before the Anthracite Coal Strike Commission, 1904; "Mining of Coal," the last lecture of a popular course of eighteen lectures delivered in Schuylkill Valley towns. 1905; Dedication of Boy's High School. Reading, 1906; "Railroad Legislation," an open letter to the Pennsylvania Legisla- ture, issued February 7, 1907. These have all been issued in pamphlet form, but by no means exhaust the list of his public addresses. Mr. Baer has always felt a deep affection for Franklin and Marshall, a college that may be consid- ered his alma mater (although not a graduate). He has served as trustee since 1872, and since 1894 as president of the board. He has labored unceasingly for the advancement of the college, and has been exceedingly liberal in his finan- cial support. In 1886 the college con- ferred upon him the honorary degree of LL.D., and in 1895, the Alumni Associa- tion eleeted liim vice-president.
In political faith, Mr. Baer has always been a Democrat, fearlessly advocating
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its principles when to do so meant to combat the attitude of those with whom he was most closely connected. He never accepted public office for himself, but while located in Reading was deeply in- terested in local politics. He supported the candidacy of Palmer and Buckner, "Gold" Democratic candidates for the presidency and vice-presidency in 1896, and his "Appeal to Democrats," previous- ly mentioned, aided materially in gaining votes for the "Gold" ticket and cansing the defeat of the "Silver" candidate, Wil- liam J. Bryan.
Mr. Baer married, in 1866, Emily, daughter of John O. Kimmel, of Somer- set, Pennsylvania. In the many years of their married life at Reading, Mrs. Baer took a very active part in the man- agement of the Widow's Home, the Woman's Club, the Book Club, and the Needle Work Guild, serving each of these as president. In social life she was an acknowledged leader, the receptions at the beautiful Baer mansion, "Haw- thorne" on Mineral Spring road, being the great social events of the season. At the Sesqui-Centennial held in Reading, in June, 1898, "Hawthorne" was thrown open, Mr. and Mrs. Baer displaying a re- markable spirit of liberality in welcoming and entertaining distinguished visitors and affording them unusual opportunities for seeing and knowing the social, indus- trial and municipal affairs of Reading, and of realizing its growth, wealth and importance.
After the election of Mr. Baer to the presidency of the Philadelphia & Read- ing Railway, the winter home of the fam- ily was moved to Philadelphia. The Baer children are: Marion, wife of William N. Appel; Helen, wife of William Gris- com Coxe; Mary, wife of Isaac Hiester ; Emily, widow of Frank L. Connard; Nellie, wife of Heber L. Smith.
Shortly after locating in Reading, Mr. and Mrs. Baer identified themselves with
the membership of the Second Reformed Church, the daughters also becoming de- voted members. A feature of their in- terest was the elaborate floral decoration of the church, from their own conserva- tories, on all special occasions. This nec- essarily brief resume of an active life covering a period from the age of thirteen to seventy years, brings prominently for- ward a trait of Mr. Baer's character- predominant industry. He is a tireless worker, and illustrates in his own life the spirit of one of his own published ad- dresses-"Work is Worship." He has at- tained distinction not through influence or favor, but through his own indomi- table will and strong belief in himself backed by an industry that could not be denied. He is yet the active head of great corporations, and on the "firing line" each day of his life, neither asking or giving quarter in his fight to maintain leadership.
ROBINSON, Vincent Gilpin,
Lawyer, Legislator.
Born in the neighboring State of Dela- ware, and a Pennsylvanian by adoption, yet the boyhood of Mr. Robinson was spent in localities far remote from those States. But from the age of fifteen years he has been a resident of Delaware coun- ty, Pennsylvania, and since 1900 a lead- ing member of the Philadelphia bar.
Mr. Robinson is a son of Jacob F. and a grandson of Joseph Robinson, of Eng- lish ancestry, both native born sons of the State of Delaware. Joseph Robinson was well known in Wilmington and Philadelphia, especially in shipping cir- cles, he having been owner and operator of a line of packets plying on the Dela- ware, between those cities, for many years. This line, known as Robinson's Packets, was an important and a favor- ite passenger and freight line of that day.
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He died in 1818, leaving a large family of formed a law partnership with Horace P. children.
Jacob F., eldest son of Joseph Robin- son, was born in Wilmington, Delaware, there was educated, married, and spent his earlier years of manhood. Later he moved to the State of Indiana, thence to Paris, Bourbon county, Kentucky, but on the outbreak of the Civil War returning east, settling in Philadelphia. Later he moved to Chester, Delaware county, Pennsylvania, where he died in 1867. His wife, Rebecca Ellen Little, was born in York, Pennsylvania.
Vincent Gilpin, eldest of the five chil- dren of Jacob F. Robinson, was born in Wilmington, Delaware, August 21, 1851. He accompanied the family in their trav- els through Indiana, Kentucky and Penn- sylvania, obtaining in various schools a good English education. At the age of sixteen years his father died and he be- came head of the family. His first posi- tion was as clerk in the office of O. F. Bullard, prothonotary of Delaware conn- ty, with offices in the court honse at Media. Here he attained his ambition to become a lawyer, and two years later he resigned his clerkship and began study under the preceptorship of Edward A. Price, a capable lawyer of the Delaware county bar. He passed the required ex- amination and on August 26, 1872, being then twenty-one years of age, was ad- mitted to the bar. He at once began practice in Media, continuing with Mr. Price for one year, then and until 1883, continuing in practice alone. He quickly took a leading position at the Media bar, and in 1875 was elected district attorney of Delaware county, and in 1878 was re- elected. In 1876 he applied for and was admitted to practice at the Philadelphia bar, and from that date has been in con- tinuous practice in the Philadelphia and Delaware county courts, as well as all States and Federal courts of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. In 1883 he ary local, military pensions and gratni- 181
Green, practicing until 1892 as Robinson & Green. After this partnership was dis- solved, Mr. Robinson continued to prac- tice law in Media until about 1894, when he became a memer of Rich, Robinson & Boyer, of Philadelphia, having offices at Sixth and Chestnut streets. This firm dissolved about 1895, and Mr. Robinson has since been alone in practice and is now located in the Stephen Girard Build- ing. He has had a very successful career as a lawyer, being especially strong in trial cases. He has been prominently connected with important will cases, and has been uniformly successful in his legal contentions. Perhaps his most not- able case was the Letitia Robinson will case, tried in Media by Mr. Robinson, associated with his former law partner, Mr. Green. This, one of the celebrated cases of Pennsylvania courts, was begun October 9, 1901, the verdict not being rendered until November 16th following. The case was bitterly contested, and the victory brought Mr. Robinson well de- served congratulation. He is learned in the law, carefully prepares for his legal battles, and is most skilful in the applica- tion of his knowledge.
A Republican from his youth, he was the youngest candidate ever presented for the office of district attorney in Delaware county. His re-election was a deserved recognition of the value of his services to the county as prosecutor, and but for his youth he would have followed his second term by being elected county judge. He took active part in Delaware county poli- tics during his residence in Media, serv- ing as secretary of the Republican county committee, and sitting as delegate in many conventions of his party. In November, 1910, he was elected Repre- sentative for the Second Delaware Coun- ty Legislative District, serving on the committees of judiciary general, judici-
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
nes, public health and sanitation, and railroads.
In 1879 he began his long connection with the Pennsylvania National Guard. He was commissioned in that year major and judge advocate, and served in various offices until July 1, 1895, when he re- signed as aide-de-camp with the rank of captain, on the staff of Brigadier General John W. Schall, commanding the First Brigade.
Mr. Robinson has not confined his ac- tivity entirely to his profession, but is interested officially with the Rittenhouse Trust Company of Philadelphia, of which he was vice-president and solicitor, and he is director, solicitor and one of the incorporators of the Media Title and Trust Company. He is a member of the Masonic order, belonging to George W. Bartram Lodge, No. 298, Free and Ac- cepted Masons; Media Chapter, No. 234, Royal Arch Masons, of which he is past high priest ; and is a thirty-second degree Mason, of Philadelphia Consistory, An- cient Accepted Scottish Rite. In reli- gious faith he is a member of the Protes- AMSPOKER, Samuel, tant Episcopal church, served Christ Church, Media, many years as vestryman, Lawyer. and has served in the same position after moving to Philadelphia with St. James Church, Twenty-second and Walnut Streets. He is a member of the National, State and County Bar Associations, and of many clubs and organizations, includ- ing the Union League, Lawyers, and Samuel Amspoker, his father, was born in Brooke county, Virginia (now West Virginia), and came in his young manhood into Washington county, Pennsylvania. He was a farmer, and had also learned the trade of millwright. He was killed by the falling of a load of lumber upon him. Samuel Amspoker, Jr., was at this time but nine months old. His mother, Eliza- beth (Ault) Amspoker, was afterward again married to Jacob Wright, and re- moved to Dennison, Ohio, where she Young Republican, of Philadelphia ; and the Historical Society of Penn- sylvania. He is fond of travel, and his days "off duty" each year are usually spent in touring the United States, Eu- rope, China, Japan, or some other coun- try whose history and people he wishes to become more familiar with. This gives one a fair idea of Mr. Robinson's char- acter ; he never does anything solely be- cause he will gain pleasure from the doing, but all his trips and vacations are died. Until her second marriage she
planned with the double motive of pleas- ure and benefit. He is genial, friendly and generous, delights in association with his fellows, sees the good there is in men, and is always willing to "lend a hand" in any good work. He is held in the highest esteem by his brethren of the bar and has many friends.
He married, November 17, 1874, Sallie M. Baker (died 1883), daughter of J. Mitchell Baker, of Chester county, and sister of Captain Jesse M. Baker, a law student under his brother-in-law, V. Gil- pin Robinson, district attorney of Dela- ware county, and a major in the United States service. On December 5, 1894, Mr. Robinson married A. May, daughter of Dr. John Whartenby, a well known Philadelphia physician ; she died Febru- ary 8, 1902. On July 16, 1908, he mar- ried Mary A. Kent, daughter of Thomas Kent, a manufacturer of Clifton Heights, Delaware county, Pennsylvania. The family home is at Clifton Heights, Dela- ware county, Pennsylvania.
Samuel Amspoker, a prominent at- torney, citizen, and religious worker of Washington, Pennsylvania, is of German descent through each of his parents. He was born in Hanover township, Wash- ington county, March 8, 1857.
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lived on the home farm, and her son re- ington County Bar Association, October mained there with her until he was four- 31, 1892, and was its first secretary. In teen years old, attending the country dis- this position he continued for several years, and he is to the present day active in its affairs. trict school. When he was sixteen he be- gan teaching school during the winters, still working on the farm in vacation times. Thus he saved the money where- by he was enabled to obtain a college ed- ucation. For this he was also fitting him- self mentally by private study.
He entered the Ohio Wesleyan Uni- versity, at Delaware, Ohio. The diffi- culties in the way of his attaining the de- sired education were not yet all passed through, however, for, after only one year's study, he was compelled to leave college on account of sickness. There was, however, no change of purpose nor abandonment of his intention. Three years elapsed before he was able to re- sume, but in the spring of 1880, Mr. Am- spoker entered Washington and Jeffer- son College, and graduated in 1883 with the degree of Bachelor of Science, cer- tainly representing in his case persever- ing effort and genuine intellectual en- deavor. Supporting himself with the aid of what he could earn by teaching dis- trict school, he registered with James P. Sayer as a law student, and did the double work of studying law and teach- ing. In 1885, December 16th, he was ad- mitted to the bar in Washington county, and immediately began practice at Wash- ington. Here he has continued success- fully, engaged in general practice. He has been admitted to practice in all the State and Federal courts. He has, how- ever, specialized in the settlement of es- tates, and is recognized as well qualified for this kind of legal work. More large estates have been settled by him, prob- ably, than by any other attorney in Washington county. In his earlier prac- tice he was prominent as a criminal lawyer, but he has given up that branch of the profession. Mr. Amspoker was one of the charter members of the Wash-
Mr. Amspoker is a very active Demo- crat, but does not seek office for himself ; on the contrary, he has repeatedly de- clined nominations for high office. He has been a member of the Democratic County Committee, and, on many oc- casions, a delegate to a district or State convention of the party. Democratic nominations for the State House of Rep- resentatives and the State Senate and for Congress have been refused by him. For a time he was a member of the borough council; and for three terms (fifteen years) he served as justice of the peace. In all civic matters making for public betterment he is greatly interested. At the present time he is a member of the City Shade Tree Commission. He has not lost his earlier interest in educational matters; from 1885 to 1888 he was an as- sistant examiner, working in conjunction with the County Superintendent of Schools, and he is interested in all mat- ters of this sort.
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