USA > Pennsylvania > Encyclopedia of contemporary biography of Pennsylvania, Vol. II > Part 13
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Sam Roße Rowden.
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it was quite impossible to have an angry word with John Welsh. His business ability and financial sagacity, together with his lofty integrity as a busi- ness man, were some (but only some) of the quali- ties that made him a tower of strength to the Centennial Board of Finance, for the great under- taking of that Board was not more indebted to those characteristics than to his earnestness of purpose, his untiring devotion, his never flagging cheerful- ness and encouraging spirit, and his confidence of success, which he made contagious. Without the Board of Finance the Centennial Exhibition, that shed such unfading lustre on our country as well as upon Philadelphia, in 1876, would have dropped helpless from the hands of the Centennial Commis- sion appointed by the Governors of the States; and without Mr. Welsh as President of that Board, it would have been shorn of its greatest strength. He desired to be relieved from that position when he was elected in the spring of 1873, pleading that he was then sixty-seven years old, but his fellow Direc- tors knew he could bring to them what could not be brought by any younger man or by any other man at any age. Mr. Welsh's way of doing good was always the quiet and retiring way. Thus, when the University was to be rehabilitated and the Episcopal Hospital was to be built up, but few persons outside of those to whom he made his personal appeals were aware of the hundreds and thousands and tens of thousands of dollars he was entering up for those institutions in his little pocket memorandum book through his individual influence. Those institutions are two of his material monuments; and, as to the hospital, we may cite this characteristic of his methods: On the eve of one of his tours of Europe and the Holy Land he made a visit to the hospital, and, casually looking over the books, noted to him- self the amount of the hospital's unliquidated debt. It was about eighteen thousand dollars; and two days afterwards, when he was on the sea, the hos- pital received his check for the full amount. He was then out of reach of praise for his thoughtful care of the institution. Altogether he contributed there forty-one thousand dollars. In kindred quiet fashion he procured the release of the American Fenian prisoner Condon and his comrades. Many efforts had been made to get them pardoncd and libcrated, and Congress had adopted resolutions to that effect without avail. But, without any diplo- matic demonstration in the matter, Mr. Welsh had them set free while he was Minister to London. Hc had been waiting a favorable opportunity when he found himself, on a social occasion, sitting near Richard Assheton Cross, who was then British Sec- retary of State for the Home Department. Hc said to Mr. Cross, in a chatty way, that a good thing would be done if Condon and his fellow-prisoners should be released; it would not be much of a strain for the British Government, and the act of clemency would be well received in the United States. That is about all there was of it; but it was done in Mr. Welsh's gentle, winning way, and the men were soon after set free. One further illustration of his manner in such matters: On one occasion in 1875- 76, when it was in the last degree important that the great buildings for the Centennial Exhibition should be pressed forward and the funds in hand were low, he asked the Chairman of the Building Committee about his needs. Upon being answered that about
three hundred thousand dollars were required at once, Mr. Welsh, without saying anything further, came into the city from the Centennial grounds, and, before the day was over, had secured that amount on his own personal assurance and responsi- bility. But gracious and winning as was the man- ner of Mr. Welsh, he had supreme tact also in his intercourse with men, and especially with men whose views were opposed to his own. This was well illustrated at the reception given him by the Chamber of Commerce, at Liverpool, when he reached that city on his way to London as American Minister. One of the speakers, in what was in- tended to be a welcoming address, was so incon- siderate as to introduce an appeal for free trade, to which Mr. Welsh replied off-hand in the most felici- tous manner, he being a protectionist and an Am- bassador to a free trade country. He said: 'England does what it considers beneficial to the English nation, and, in like manner, America looks to the interest of the American people. Both doubt- less have a good common object, but they differ in the mode of procedurc.' Nothing could have been happier than this response, which, while being in perfect good taste, brought total discomfiture to the over-zealous orator. Mr. Welsh's life has been most exemplary as to what is best in individual conduct, in the family relation, in the duty of the citizen to society at large, in the practical exercise of thé teachings of morals and religion. It has been one continuous and impressive example, and we all have been fortunate and have reason to be grateful that he has been one of us and so near to us. Profound- ly beloved by his family-brothers, sisters, chil- dren, all-strong in the affection, gratitude and reverence of his fellow citizens, his death was in accord with his peaceful, useful and honored life. Reviewing his career wc find fitting closc in the impressive words of Bishop Stevens' prayer at the University ceremony in 1877: 'We thank Thee for raising up such a man to be a tower of moral strength and a landmark of probity in our midst; one who finds his highest honor in advancing Thy honor and his best reward in promoting the welfare of his fellow men.' "
JAMES R. SNOWDEN.
COLONEL JAMES ROSS SNOWDEN, LL.D., a distinguished citizen of Philadelphia, who during his long and active public career filled successively the offices of Speaker of the House of Representa- tives of Pennsylvania, Treasurer of the State of Pennsylvania, Treasurer of the Mint and Assistant Treasurer of the United States at Philadelphia, Di- rector of the Mint of the United States, and Pro- thonotary of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, and who was widely known as a numismatician and the author of valuable works on medals, coins, coinage and currency, was born in Chester, Dela- ware County, Pennsylvania, in 1810, and died at his home, near Philadelphia, March 21, 1878. He was
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CONTEMPORARY BIOGRAPHY OF PENNSYLVANIA.
a member of one of the oldest families of Pennsyl- vania, whose founder, John Snowden,-his great- grandfather-was the owner of land within the present limits of that State as far back as 1678, about which time branches of the family were established in Maryland and Virginia. John Snow- den settled in Philadelphia as early as 1685. Devel- oping an interest in public affairs he was chosen to fill several important political offices, and in 1715 was elevated to the bench as one of the Judges of the Court of Common Pleas of Bucks County. In 1704 he was elected an elder of the old Market Street Presbyterian Church, the original of the present First Presbyterian Church on Washington Square, and it is the opinion of those who have in- vestigated the subject that he was the first person in the Colonies thus honored by the Presbyterian Church. His son, the Hon. Isaac Snowden, the grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was born in Philadelphia in 1732. He also attained to prom- inence in local affairs, sat in the City Councils, was a County Commissioner during the Revolutionary War, in which he warmly espoused the cause of the colonists and rendered valuable service as a commissary for supplying the Continental Army. His public duties after the war were no less con- spicuous, as he was Treasurer for many years of the City and County of Philadelphia and also a member of the Select Council. He was likewise a Trustee of the College of New Jersey ( " Princeton" ), an elder in the Second Presbyterian Church, a member of the Committec,-presided over by the Rev. Dr. Witherspoon-that prepared "The Form of Gov- ernment of the Presbyterian Church in the United States," and the incumbent of various other posi- tions in the church. His son, the Rev. Nathaniel Randolph Snowden, D.D., also a native of Phila- delphia, was born in 1770. At the age of seventeeu he was graduated at Princeton College and for many years was engaged in educational work, hav- ing charge of several collegiate and classical insti- tutes in Pennsylvania. He was the first Presby- terian minister at Harrisburg, to which place he removed when it was merely a hamlet. Under the careful supervision of this accomplished scholar and high-bred gentleman, James Ross Snowden, the subject of this sketch, who was his youngest son, received his early traiuing, part of the time being a student at Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania. This was while Dr. Snowden was at the head of that institution and before it passed into the hands of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Young Snowden made the best use of his excep- tional educational advantages, and while yet a student developed a marked interest iu and taste
for bothi science and literature. Deciding to adopt the profession of law he pursued the usual prelim- inary studies in the office of a leading, law firm in Philadelphia, and having passed the regular exami- nations was admitted to the bar, ex gratia, at the early age of nineteen. Soon afterwards he removed to Franklin, Venango County, Pennsylvania, where he practiced with so much skill that he attracted the attention of the Attorney-General of the State, who appointed him a Deputy Attorney-General. Shortly after receiving this honor he entered ac- tively into politics and was elected to the House of Representatives of Pennsylvania several terms in succession. In 1842 and again in 1844 he was chosen Speaker of the House and presided witlı such an honorable regard for the rights and privi- leges of all that no appeal was taken from any of his decisions. At the close of each session he re- ceived the unanimous thanks of the House and was specially complimented by the most distinguished of his colleagues for " his full and entire impar- tiality." In 1845 his name was presented in the State Legislature for the office of Senator of the United States. He belonged to the dominant party and was so well appreciated that, although under thirty- six years of age at the time, he came very near to receiving the nomination. As it was he had the highest vote cast on the first ballot, but fell a little short of obtaining the majority, which was cast subsequently for another candidate. A little later in 1845, his name was brought forward for tlic office of State Treasurer and was placed in nomination by a large majority on the first ballot. At the polls the uomiuatiou was heartily endorsed and he was elected. Colonel Snowden entered upon the duties of this office at a period when it was perhaps the most important in the State. The spirit of repudia- tion was rife among thie leading men of the State, many of whom had yielded to the false and dishonorable idea that to repudiate the public debt was to benefit the people and advance their own political fortunes. Several of the most populous aud intelligent counties of the State had been car- ried by the " Anti-Tax Party," so-called, " which would have been better named 'Repudiation Party.'" Colouel Snowdeu's ability in high public position had already been tested, and all recognized his incorruptible integrity. His conduct immedi- ately upon assuming the Treasurership satisfied the most scrupulous observers that he was the proper man for the place and won the confidence of all parties. His wise, temperate, but firm policy ar- rested the tide of repudiation, aud under his admin- - istratiou many of the counties which had been car- ried by the " Anti-Tax Party " consented to pay
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their tax into the State Treasury. The effect was an immediate improvement in the credit of the State, which previously had been very low, and State bonds, which brought only thirty-six cents on the dollar at the time of his election, rapidly ad- vanced in price and have never since declined. "The credit of the Commonwealth, before that time tarnished by non-payment of the interest on the public debt, was restored and maintained." This splendid achievement was justly lauded at the time by the leading newspapers of the State. which paid the highest compliments to Colonel Snowden's executive and financial skill and praised in no ordi- nary term, his energy and integrity as a public officer. At the close of his first term as State Treasurer he was re-elected and served a second term. His fine talent in finance had given him a National reputation, and when his term as State Treasurer expired President Polk voluntarily ten- dered him the dual position of Treasurer of tlie United States Mint and Assistant Treasurer of the United States at Philadelphia. Colonel Snowden accepted it and entered upon his new duties in 1847. He held both offices until the close of Polk's ad- ministration. He then resumed the practice of law and soon afterwards was appointed Solicitor of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. In 1853 he re- signed this lucrative position to accept from Presi- dent Pierce the appointment as Director of the Mint of the United States, succeeding Judge Pettit, who had died after a brief incumbency of the office. In this position, the duties of which demanded exceptional abilities and attainments of a special character and high order, Colonel Snowden re- mained for seven years, with great satisfaction to the Government and the people, and then resigncd it to accept the office of Prothonotary of the Su- preme Court of Pennsylvania, to which he had been elected by the unanimous vote of the Judges of the Court named, and in which he succeeded Robert Tyler, son of ex-President Tyler, who left Phila- delphia to unite his fortunes with the Southern Con- federacy. By successive re-appointments Colonel Snowden was continued as Prothonotary until Sep- tember, 1873, when he again resumed the practice of law in Philadelphia, and continued in it until shortly before his deatlı. Notwithstanding the en- grossing and often laborious character of his nu- merous important public duties, Colonel Snowden never neglected the gratification of his scientific and literary tastes, and his achievements in these directions alone would suffice to give him a perma- nent and distinguished place among the leading men of the State and Nation. Besides taking a decp interest in historical research and aiding in
the work of the leading State societies for the cultivation of this and kindred subjects, he pre- pared and published a number of works which evince peculiar learning and research. One of the first of these to appear was published in 1860, and was entitled " A Description of Ancient and Modern Coins," and covered the fine cabinet collection of the United States Mint. A second edition of this valuable work, with plates, was issued in 1869. In 1863 he gave to the public a most valuable work entitled " A Description of the Medals of Washing- ton ; of National and Miscellaneous Medals, and of other Objects of Interest in the Museum of the Mint," which was illustrated with fac-simile en- gravings and biographical notices of the Directors of the Mint from its origin in 1792 to 1861. This was followed, in 1864, by a work of great value to students of Biblical history, entitled "The Coins of the Bible, and its Money Terms; " and, in 1868, by the articles on the Coins of the United States pub- lished in Bouvier's Law Dictionary. His other contributions to numismatics include a number of published addresses, pamphlets on currency, coin- age and other subjects; seven annual reports of the Mint, and numerous papers contributed to peri- odical literature. These works were all in a de- partment with which few are familiar and which fewer still could undertake. "Apart from their value to the numismatist, they are beautiful speci- mens of the printers' and engravers' art, and are universally acknowledged to be valuable additions to the scientific literature of America, and, indeed, the civilized world." One pamphlet from Colonel Snowden's pen, entitled "A Measure to secure to the People a Safe Treasury and a Sound Currency " (published by Benjamin F. Mifflin, Philadelphia, 1857,) possesses a peculiar interest from the nature of its suggestions, one of which, that providing for the issuing of coin certificates, was adopted by the Government of the United States in 1864. Colonel Snowden's original proposition was to issue certifi- cates on the deposit of gold bullion as well as coin. Quite early in his experience as a mint official he became deeply interested in the subject of inter- national coinage and some years prior to his death carried on a very remarkable correspondence with Lord Monteagle, ex-Chancellor of the Exchequer (Great Britain and Ireland) and Lord Overstone, in reference to the decimalization of the British coin- age, in the course of which he proposed a plan for assimilating British and American coinage. This plan, as simple as it was effectual, subsequently occupied the attention of the British International Commission. It was one of the best and most elaborate defences of the decimal system ever writ-
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ten and was very favorably commented upon at the time by the British press. One of Colonel Snow- den's latest publications is a work which proves the truth of Scripture testimony by the coins and money terms of the Bible and by other ancient coins, and part of which originally appeared as a series of articles in the New York Observer. Among his various historical productions should be specially named "The Corn-Planter's Memorial, an Historical sketch of Gy-ant-wa-chia, the Corn- planter, and of the Six Nations of Indians, with the Report of Samuel P. Johnson, on the erection of the monument at Jennesdaga, to the Memory of the Corn-planter," of which an edition of one thousand copies was published by order of the Legislature of Pennsylvania. Colonel Snowden was a writer of rare perspicuity and vigor, and his high scientific and literary attainments bave been fittingly honored by several leading educational institutions, among others, Jefferson College, which, in 1845, conferred upon him the degree of Master of Arts, and in 1872, that of Doctor of Laws, the latter degree being re- ceived also in the same year from Washington Col- lege. Colonel Snowden's military title was hon- estly won by actnal service as the Commandaut of a regiment. Led by natural inclination he con- nected himself early in life with the State Militia, organizing in Venango County an efficient com- pany, of which he was elected and commissioned Captain. Upon the formation of a regiment he was elected its Colonel ; and in 1845, while holding this rank and command, he presided at the State Military Convention held at Harrisburg. During the Rebellion he was in command of the First Reg- iment of the Pennsylvania Home Guard, which was prompt to offer its services to the National Goveru- ment in times of emergency. Throughout his whole life he was a consistent member of the Pres- byterian Church and as an elder in it took an active part in its councils and work. In all the various responsible positions which he filled he displayed the noblest qualities, and at all times enjoyed the respect and confidence of the public. It has beeu said of him that " he never filled a public trust but to the public advantage." Naturally modest aud unobtrusive, he was always more useful thau con- spicuous. His life was of rare valne as an illustra- tion of virtuous success and as fnruishing a splendid example for emulation, particularly in the adminis- tration of public trusts. Colonel Snowden was married in early life to Miss Susan E. Patterson, (daughter of the late General Robert Patterson of Philadelphia) who, together with six children, the issue of this marriage, survives her distinguished husband. Three of these children are sons, viz :
Robert P. Snowden, now Chief Engineer of the Amboy division of the Pennsylvania Railroad ; Frauk P. Snowden, of B. K. Jamison & Co., bank- ers, Philadelphia ; and L. Randolph Snowden, Assistant Assayer at the United States Mint in Philadelphia.
WILLIAM S. STOKLEY.
HON. WILLIAM STRUMBORG STOKLEY, Director of the Department of Public Safety of the city of Philadelphia, and thrice Mayor of that great municipality, was born April 25, 1823, in Philadelphia,-bis parents then residing on Spruce Street, above Tenth, which was in one of the most respectable quarters of the city. At a compara- tively early age he lost his father, Thomas Stokley, a merchant of excellent repute, whose death was probably hastened if not directly caused by finan- cial difficulties which grew out of over-confidence in the integrity of persons with whom he had bnsi- ness dealings. Through this bereavement the sup- port of his mother and a younger brother and sister fell almost wholly upon his shoulders, and although the task was no light one it was most cheerfully borne, and without doubt brought its own reward in the remarkable business success which resulted from the persistent application and earnest labors of those early days. Beyond the discharge of his dnty as a voter at the polls, and the moral influence which every citizen of respectability and integrity exerts upon those about him,-his relatives, friends, associates and neighbors,-Mr. Stokley took no leading part in politics until 1860, when, having yielded to the urgent appeals of the citizens and taxpayers of the Ninth Ward, among whom he was well known and highly respected, he ran for the of- fice of member of the Common Council of Phila- delphia. " His influence for good was immediately felt, and he continued to gain the increased confi- dence of his constituents and the respect of his col- leagues ; the former being demonstrated by his successive re-elections; the latter, by his being chosen President of the Common Council in 1865." In 1867 he was elected a member of the Select branch of the City Government, and in the follow- ing year became its President. It was while hold- ing this office that he first gave the people of Phila- delphia an exhibition of his remarkable executive ability. It occurred in connection with the re-or- ganization of the Fire Department of the city-a task of great magnitude and moment, which could uot have been accomplished by a less resolute pub- lic officer. The Volunteer Fire Department of
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Philadelphia, like that of other American cities, was the outcome of a strong sense of duty on the part of all able-bodied honest citizens, and from its in- ception down to about the year 1860 was a credit to the municipality and a glory to the manhood of its residents. After that year it began to suffer by an influx of undesirable material, and its brave and honest members, who were wedded to the first principles of the organization, were soon outnum- bered by a class of associates " whose only interest in the organization was to make use of it as a cloak to cover their own evil doings." Mr. Stokley had joined the Fire Department in his youth and still re- mained connected with it. He was fully aware of the causes actively at work in lowering its moral tone, diminishing its usefulness, and making it a menace to law, order and good government, for he had held official positions in it which gave him more than an ordinary acquaintance with its short- comings, he having been Treasurer at one time of Harmony Fire Engine Company, and the repre- sentative of its members in the Fire Association of Philadelphia. The complaints regarding the dete- rioration of the Fire Department came from almost every quarter, and from the press and even the pulpit came earnest demands for its radical reforma- tion. To effect this change, of course, political ac- tion was necessary, and just here lay the difficulty, since the organization was so firmly entrenched through its political power that there seemed to be no one possessing the moral courage to bid defiance to it. No mere politician dared to raise his voice against it, since such action on his part would be eertain political death. Young, aspiring men, who might have made political capital with the better classes of the people by assailing this foe of hon- esty and pure government, were deterred by fears that their efforts would prove futile, and that through antagonizing this bullying element they would destroy forever their chances of success in public life. Any attempt to effect reform was in- stantly met by threats of vengeance and violence, and aware of the villainous nature of "the ruffians and criminals who fattened as parasites on the old organization," even its most honest and ablest mem- bers seemed to have become demoralized and to be powerless to purge the department of its vile accre- tion. Upon his elevation to the Presidency of the Select Council Mr. Stokley determined that he would make the effort. No one better than he knew the extent of the evil he sought to abolish, or realized the importance for immediate action. He knew that he could count on no one to take the initiative, and he courageously resolved to take it and to confound and confuse the oppouents of the
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