USA > Pennsylvania > Encyclopedia of contemporary biography of Pennsylvania, Vol. I > Part 23
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tion. With his accustomed energy he took hold of
the road, and in one year he succeeded in extricat-
ing it from litigation, and, by introducing a sound
father, Mr. Singerly inherited a large number of to a profitable enterprise. Upon the death of his system of administration, converted it from a losing
As a result of his management he subsequently sold shares of the railway company, valucd at $750,000.
the large block of stock to a syndicate for $1,500,- 000. While managing street railways he diverted his mind by running a farm in Montgomery County. On June 1, 1877, Mr. Singerly secured control of The Philadelphia Record. At that time the circula- tion of the paper did not exceed 5,000 copies. It now circulates over 104,000 copies daily. From unpre- tentious surroundings and small beginnings the Record has grown to wonderful proportions. Visit-
ing journalists say it is the most complete news- paper establishment in the country. The handsome quarters, the electric lights, pneumatic tubes, eleva- tor and other features have been designed with re- gard solely to the comfort and convenience of the employes. The four Hoe perfecting-presses in the basement have a capacity for throwing out 100,000 copies an hour. The Record has always tricd to promote the best public interests. In 1884 the peo- ple of Philadelphia were paying nearly $4,000,000 a year in excessive charges to the companies that carried the city's supply of anthracite coal. A vig- orous attack was opened upon this abuse, and this warfare given a practical turn by taking orders for coal from small consumers and supplying them through a wholesale dealer. By this means the re- tail price of coal was reduced from $6.50 to $4.90 per ton inside of eighteen months, and $3,500,00) was saved to the people of Philadelphia in two years. All this was done without making a profit
for the Record, either directly or indirectly, out of the transactions. The fight that was inaugurated against coal discrimination soon extended to the broad field of corporate encroachment, and in the State of Pennsylvania the Record has been instru- mental in exacting from each political organization a pledge for the guarantee of equal rights to ship- pers upon railroads. It was largely duc to this in- fluence that the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad ob- tained an entrance into Philadelphia within sixty days after its application had been presented to Councils, the permission having been granted in the face of the fierce opposition of the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company. Mr. Singerly also shocked the
people in the traditional home of protection by preaching a doctrine of revenue reform which they had previously looked upon as the rankest of here-
sies. His success in that missionary work has been remarkable, and the Record has earned a National reputation by its ability and vigor in demanding a
reduction of the war taxes. Mr. Singerly exercises a sharp supervision over the Record, and writes a keen editorial paragraph. He is often found at the office until after midnight. The paper on which the Record is printed is made at Elkton, Md., where there are pulp and paper mills built by Mr. Singerly. To give an idea of the vast amount that is required, the double-sheet Record on Wednesdays and Satur- days would, if laid lengthwise like a carpet, extend 130 miles. Mr. Singerly has also a contract for much of the paper used by the Treasury Depart- ment and the Government Printing Office at Wash- ington. He makes fifteen tons of pulp per day and as much more of paper. Mr. Singerly is actively engaged in building operations, and has, since 1881, erected 700 fine dwellings, on modern plans, in the northwestern section of Philadelphia. Before he could begin this work he was forced to secure the opening of strects through two cemeteries. For five years he labored with persistency. To accomplish his purpose he sacrificed two of the thirteen blocks of ground which he held; he cxchanged land with the cemetery companies, squared their holdings and built new entrances for them, expending $100,000 and removing nearly 8,000 bodies from those sec- tions which were cut off, re-interring them within the cemetery lines as readjusted. By arranging for this work, and by securing a western outlet for his property at every 1,000 feet, Mr. Singerly brought a large area of territory into market. Persons who
are not familiar with the locality, as it was prior to the completion of these improvements, can have only a faint conception of the transformation that has been made. Very few men had the capital or cour- age to enter upon such a vast undertaking. Fewer
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CONTEMPORARY BIOGRAPHY OF PENNSYLVANIA.
men had the ability to carry it to a successful issue -staking a large amount of money, reclaiming a large area, establishing a brickyard and a planing- mill, taking extraordinary risks, and entering upon a building operation that has already provided for over 700 houses, and which in the course of a few years will increase that number to 1,500. In the face of these facts it is no exaggeration to say that Mr. Singerly has managed the largest building improve- ment ever attempted in Philadelphia, and when the future historian shall describe the growth of Phila- delphia he will credit the projector of that under- taking with having done more for its development than any man who has yet figured in its affairs. Mr. Singerly's famous stock-farm in Montgomery County is an illustration of the energy and enter- prise of its owner. It is conducted upon the most liberal and complete system, and is considered the model stock-farm of Pennsylvania. His herd of Holsteins is famous, and the animals are constantly taking prizes at the fairs at which they are exhibited. His wonderful cow, Constance S., which recently died, beat the world as a milk-giver and butter- maker, and was valued at $5,000. She was a pro- duct of The Record farm. Mr. Singerly probably pays more attention to feeding cattle than any man in the United States, and it is as a cattle-feeder and colt-raiser that his greatest ambitions lie. He is trying to demonstrate to the farmers of the East and to butchers, that the choicest beef for the Eastern markets will ultimately be raised on farms adjacent to the large cities. He has a herd of 300 thorough- breds on his farm, and at a recent slaughter his two-year-olds dressed from 64 to 67 per cent. They averaged from 1,450 to 1,700 pounds, live weight, though the ordinary two-year-old averages only 800 to 900 pounds. Mr. Singerly is paying almost as much attention to the development of trotting horses in Kentucky as to cattle in Pennsylvania. Mr. Sing- erly was the owner of the Temple Theatre, on Chest- nut street, Philadelphia, which was burned about two years ago, causing a loss of nearly $200,000. The theatre, which was situated in the old Masonic Hall, was the most beautiful one in the city, and it was the purpose of Mr. Singerly to make it the fin- est, as regards interior decorations, in the world. He would have visited Europe with the object of obtaining ideas from the great amusement palaces of the Continent. Two men were killed by falling walls at the Temple Theatre fire, one of whom had a wife. Mr. Singerly at once granted her an annuity of $260, payable $5 weekly, and the principal ($5,200) will be paid to the children at the death of their mother. The Sunday concerts in Fairmount Park were inaugurated by Mr. Singerly, and have been
maintained for a number of years by the subscrip- tions of seven citizens, headed by The Record publisher. He also gave to the city a toboggan slide that is larger than any other in the country, measuring 2,200 feet from start to finish, and having a fall of 132 feet. He is exceedingly fond of sports. He has a fine stable of fast horses, and has built a fine steel yacht for his private use. Since 1856 Mr. Singerly has taken an active part in politics on the Democratic side. He has never held a political office, and could not be induced to accept one. Recently he was appointed one of the Commission- ers of Fairmount Park, which is a position of honor and trust, but not of profit. Socially, Mr. Singerly is companionable and entertaining.
JOHN C. BULLITT.
THE workings of the beneficent Charter under which the city of Philadelphia is now governed is a monument of which any man might well be proud. It is acknowledged to be endowed with the true principles of government, and the spirit of practical business sense that places it alongside of the most complete instruments of its kind possessed by any municipality in the world. John C. Bullitt, the author of this well appreciated reform, is as much associated with the welfare and progress of the city of Penn as any one within her gates, and this can be said without exaggeration, or without disparage- ment of any of the thousands of public-spirited citizens who have grown with her growth, pros- pered with her prosperity, and have shown by their works, their faith in that community of interest ex- isting in society. As a lawyer, as a statesman, as a man of affairs, Mr. Bullitt has no superior in the whole of the Keystone State, and his fellow-citizens delight to make this merited acknowledgment. John C. Bullitt comes of a sturdy stock, sturdy in its mental as well as its physical strength. The paternal ancestor of the family in America was Benjamin Bullitt, a French Huguenot, who, with others, fled from the historic province of Languedoc, after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, to es- cape the persecutions that followed during the troublous days when France was the bloodiest ground in all Europe. His father was William C. Bullitt, and his mother Mildred Ann Fry, the daugh- ter of Joshua Fry, who came to this country pre- vious to the Revolution, and was a prominent and honorable figure in the early Colonial history of the Old Dominion. The subject of this sketch was born in Jefferson County, Kentucky, on the 10th day of
JOHN P FULLINT.
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CONTEMPORARY BIOGRAPHY OF PENNSYLVANIA.
February, 1824, and spent his boyhood days in the vicinity of his birthplace. He was educated at Center College, Danville, Kentucky, and was grad- uated from that institution at the age of eighteeu, carrying off the honors of his class. A natural taste for the law led him to its study, and he took a three years' coursc at the University of Lexingtou. Immc- diately upon attaining his majority he was admitted to the bar in Louisville, Ky., and, in September of that year, removed to Clarksville, Tenucssee, where he began the practice of the profession in which he has proveu an ornament aud an ennobling influence from that day to this. The very first case of any importance that the young lawyer had, demonstra- ted that he possessed not ouly the courage of his convictions, but the pluck and the grit to maintain them. The incident is worth relating, as it has a bearing on the character of the man, and gives the key-note of his steady and continuous success in after life. A man named Johnson had settled iu Clarksville, opening a shoe store and stocking it with a lot of leather. He was a Methodist exhorter, aud his earnestness, and powerful though homely similes, soon made him a great favorite with the townspeople. Several months later a man named Moon settled in the town, and it appeared that he was a creditor of Johnson's, having sold him the stock of leather with which he started business. Several efforts were made by Moon to collect the debt, but without avail. At last Moon, who was a man of violent temper, threatened to kill Johnson if the money was not paid in twenty-four hours. It was not paid, and Moon shot Johnson dead, as he said he would. The excitement was intense. The people became exceedingly angry, aud wanted to lynch Moon on the spot. He was arrested and taken into court, guarded by a file of soldiers. The pris- oner was asked if he had any counsel, and he replied in the negative. Such was the popular feel- ing that not a lawyer in the county had offered his services, and when the Court asked the question, and looked about the court-room, every lawyer save one had disappeared. That one who remained watching the threatening populace, was John C. Bullitt. The Court immediately assigned him to defend the accused. The young lawyer accepted the trust without a moment's hesitation, and sought to have a private conference with his client, which was for a time resisted by a deputy-sheriff, who had to be commanded by the Court to leave lawyer and client together for an hour. The cause was a des- perate one. The people were clamorous, and there really appeared no line of defence for the young lawyer to take. For a few moments he meditated. Then he suddenly remembered that there was a
statute on the books, that whenever a resident of the State of Tennessee believed that he could not have a fair trial at the first term of Court, owing to public excitement and prejudice, he could make affidavit thercto, and be entitled to a continuance. This was acted upon immediately. The affidavit was drawu up, and the defence asked for a contin- uance uutil the next term. Wiley Johnson, the prosecuting attorney, while a kiudly, well-meaning man, had an imperious air, which long tenure of office had given him. He vehemently opposed the motion, and used such vigorous, fiery language, as to almost drive the people in the crowded court- room into a frenzy. When Mr. Bullitt arose to ad- dress the court, there were angry mutterings, but the young man never faltered for an instant. Clear- ly, succinctly, and with great deliberation, he read the law, and demanded in the name of right and justice, that the law should be obeyed. It so hap- pened that the Judge was a man of courage and decision of character. Nothing could swerve him from what he believed to be his duty. He listened patiently to the arguments for and against the de- fondant, and theu, greatly to the surprise of the prosecuting attorney, not only ruled in favor of Mr. Bullitt's motion, but upheld every point which the young attorney had advanced in making his plea. The continuance was granted, and when the lawyer left the court-room he was followed by a crowd, and some decidedly uncomplimentary remarks were made. Nothing daunted by these threatening looks, Mr. Bullitt turned, and siugling out a man who had been more noisy than the others, rebuked him so severely and with such effect, that the fellow apolo- gized and withdrew his offensive remarks. Before the next term of court came around, Mr. Bullitt discovered that Moon had once been insane, and asked for a second continuance, which was granted. When trial was at leugth reached, Mr. Bullitt had left Clarksville, but the lawyer who afterwards took charge of the case profited so well by his prede- cessor's work that the defendant escaped with a sentence of twenty years imprisonment. The courage and persistence of the young lawyer exci- ted the greatest admiratiou, and those who in the first place had been most vigorous in denouncing him, were the first to bid him Godspeed, when he left the town to returu to Louisville. Mr. Bullitt remained in that city until 1849, when he determined to seek a broader field in the city of Philadelphia, whose bar was then graced by famous lawyers whose names have passed into history as the giants of their profession. The lamented David Paul Brown was then at the zeuith of his reputation as au advocate. The Biuneys, the Biddles, the Prices.
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CONTEMPORARY BIOGRAPHY OF PENNSYLVANIA.
the Cad waladers, and all the famous old families who had each contributed an intellectual flower to tlie profession, were there. It was entering an arena with mighty men-the legal gladiators of the day, but young Bullitt threw down his gauntlet with a confidence and a determination that could leave no doubt of his intention to do battle with the best of them. He was alone, a stranger, without influence, and entirely reliant upon his own efforts. This prominent characteristic of the Bullitt family was never more strongly developed than in this particular member of it. Although in no sense an egotist, the young man had a wonder- ful amount of self reliance, and without any misgivings, entered upon the struggle. Не was then twenty-five years of age, and his first important case was in taking charge of the assets of the Schuylkill Bank, an institution which had been decreed to the Bank of Kentucky to make good the losses of the latter, by reason of the over- issue of their stock by the cashier of the former bank. Virgil McKnight, the President of the Bank of Kentucky, had implicit confidence in the ability and integrity of Mr. Bullitt, and felt sure that, while quite a young man to entrust with such a responsi- bility, his judgment was ripe beyond his years. And so it proved. The property consisted of bonds, stocks, real estate in Philadelphia and coal lands in Schuylkill County. The young lawyer conducted the sale of these assets with rare skill. Everything was left to his judgment, and he proved his busi- ness ability and lawyer-like tact to his clients by securing or paying to them the sum of $900,000. This gave him a deserved reputation, and business men and bankers who had litigation to look after eagerly sought his services. It was just about this time that Mr. Bullitt began to take an active inter- est in matters political. He had been educated as a Whig, and was a strong admirer and ardent sup- porter of the doctrines of Henry Clay. In the early part of 1850 there was a good deal of excitement over the proposed legislation in Congress concern- ing the encouragement of slavery in the newly ac- quired Territory of New Mexico. The South claimed that they should be protected by law in their effort to introduce slavery into New Mexico and California. The anti-slavery people in the North opposed this sentiment vigorously, and were united against any further extension of the traffic. Excitement was high. President Taylor attempted to smooth over the difficulty, but the Southern slaveholders would not listen to him. The situa- tion was getting critical when Henry Clay stepped into the breach with his "Compromise Resolu- tions," which were reccived with respectful consid-
eration by the more conservative men of the South, and with great enthusiasm in the North. Philadel- phia, always loyal, was the stronghold of the anti- .
slavery sentiment. Her merchants were influential, and her commercial welfare was of the greatest importance. It was resolved to hold a monster meeting irrespective of party, to indorse the wise and conservative plan offered by the Kentucky Senator. Mr. Bullitt was at that time living at the old United States Hotel. John Price Wetherill, one of Philadelphia's most respected merchants, was in the same house, and, finding in Mr. Bullitt an en- thusiastic supporter of Whig doctrines, he prevailed upon him to become one of a committee appointed to secure speakers for the occasion. It was ar- ranged that Mr. Wetherill should preside, and speeches should be made by ex-Mayor John Swift, Charles Gibbons, Isaac Hazlehurst, James Page and Mr. Bullitt. The meeting, which was largely at- tended, was held in the Chinese Museum building on Ninth street below Chestnut, and the young Ken- tuckian distinguished himself in an effective ad- dress which the audience received with applause and cheers. This was Mr. Bullitt's first public ap- pearance as a speaker. When the Whig party was dissolved, Mr. Bullitt became a Democrat, and was as courageous in the maintenance of his political views as he had previously been with every ques- tion with which he had to deal. The change he made did not meet with popular approval, but he was thoroughly sincere and nothing could swerve him after he had once taken a stand. While he op- posed secession, he was not in favor of the extreme views taken by the Republican party, and expressed the opinion that the War of the Rebellion was pre- cipitated more by the blind enthusiasm of contending factions than by any other cause. His argumenta- tive powers were frequently displayed on the burn- ing topics of the hour, and never to better advan- tage than in 1862, when he wrote his opinion on the habeas corpus controversy, answering the argument advanced by the late Horace Binney. This was en- titled "A Review of Mr. Binney's pamphlet of the Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus under the Constitution," and was acknowledged by lawyers in general, and Mr. Binney in particular, as a mas- terpiece of controversial logic. Mr. Bullitt's prac- tice grew steadily. While he found time to take part in all movements of public importance, he in nowise neglected his legal business. His ability to untangle tangled legal skeins, and to advise in cases, where advice was more valuable than litiga- tion, became well known, and he was constantly be- ing called upon to exercise these functions. His peculiar fitness for such work was exemplified in
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CONTEMPORARY BIOGRAPHY OF PENNSYLVANIA.
the case of the Philadelphia and Reading Company, which he dragged out of the slough of its legal com- plications. A syndicate of capitalists undertook to re-organize the Company, and called in Mr. Bullitt to assist and advise them. Under his careful and pru- dent advice they succeeded beyond tlie most san- guine hopes of the stockholders, and placed tlie Philadelphia and Reading Company in a more secure position than it had occupied for years, ac- complishing a result, unequaled in the history of commercial litigation, of negotiating amicably, and without a judicial sale or aid of a bankrupt court, the re-organization of an insolvent corpora- tion owing millions of dollars represented by vari- ous classes of securities. After the Chicago and Boston fires there began a shrinkage in values, due to the sudden putting upon the market of first-class securities by the insurance companies to realize the money needed to pay their losses, and the result was most disastrous to enterprises which were de- pendent upon the sale of their securities. Pre- vious to these fires, the country had been so pros- perous, and the demand for investment securities had been so great, that an immense impetus had been given to the building of railroads. Enter- prises were being projected in all parts of the coun- try, and especially in the Northwest. The Northern Pacific Road was one of the most prominent. Its original projectors had become frightened, and Jay Cooke and Company undertook the completion of the work. This banking firm, it will be remembered, had been the agents of the Government in disposing of loans, and had unusual facilities for so doing. Up to 1871, it looked as though the country had en- tered upon a great era of prosperity. Gold was still selling at a premium, values were inflated, and there existed a fictitious prosperity that deceived the unthinking into the belief that we were on the top wave of commercial success. In the summer of 1873, the cloud began to show signs of bursting, and on the 18th day of September it did burst and deluged the country. Jay Cooke was an enterpris- ing man, full of vim and spirit, and he had the greatest confidence in the Northern Pacific. The firm had a number of other large enterprises on hand at the same time, and their business expanded to such proportions as to be almost beyond their control. When the money market began to tigliten, they became embarrassed and made every effort to relieve themselves, but without avail, and, on that warm September morning, the great banking-liouse of Jay Cooke & Co. was forced to announce that it had suspended payment. This was like toppling over a row of bricks. One bank after another closed its doors. The streets were filled with ex-
cited depositors clamoring for their money. Half a dozen old financial rocks managed to withstand the storm, but no one to this day knows how close they were to destruction. At the time of Jay Cooke's failure, Mr. Bullitt was engaged with the Constitutional Convention, of which he was a mem- ber. It was holding its session on Spruce street, below Sixtlı, perfecting the instrument which be- came the Constitution of Pennsylvania in 1874. Word was brought of the crash, and knowing the excitement that would ensue on Third street, Mr. Bullitt excused himself and left for his office. On liis way he began revolving in his mind the persecu- tions to which Robert Morris, the first governmental financier, and Nicholas Biddle, the second, had been subjected, and he at once resolved to do all in his power to protect Mr. Cooke and his associates from the annoyances that liad followed their illus- trious predecessors when misfortune overtook them. Mr. Bullitt was sent for by the embarrassed bankers, and, arriving at their offices, found the situation gloomy indeed. He at once set about getting down to the bottom facts, and astonished Mr. Cooke and his partners by the pertinence of his inquiries and the quickness of his decisions. He seemed to grasp the condition of affairs instantly, and to know just how, when and where the remedy should be ap- plied. After several days' study he was ready to make a proposition to the creditors, which was to allow Mr. Cooke to manage the estate and pay seventy-five per cent. of the indebtedness. This, however, was found to be impossible and the firm was forced into bankruptcy. Then came a brilliant stroke. Through the indefatigable exertions of Mr. Bullitt, the creditors were induced to have a trustee appointed for the purpose of winding up the estate. This was particularly difficult of accomplishment, but was successful at last, despite the fact that even Judge Cadwalader, who passed upon the adjudica- tion, was strongly opposed to it. Edwin M. Lewis was made trustee, and the wisdom of Mr. Bullitt's method of settlement was shown in the gradual but eventual payment of all the creditors. Of the many causes which have engaged the attention of eminent counsel in the Philadelphia courts, the " Whitaker Will Case" is one of the most celebrated. It was a conspiracy on the part of several persons-two of them unscrupulous lawyers-to secure by the for- gery of a will, the estate of onc Robert Whitaker, valued at upwards of a million dollars. The care and cunning with which the crime was committed, the astuteness with which the conspirators covered their tracks, and the extraordinary efforts required to defeat the rascally plot, made the case almost as famous in America as the Ticliborne case was in
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