USA > Pennsylvania > Encyclopedia of genealogy and biography of the state of Pennsylvania with a compendium of history. A record of the achievements of her people in the making of a commonwealth and the founding of a nation, Volume I > Part 29
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candidate for the office of auditor general of Pennsylvania in 1886. For fifteen years he was a member of the state central committee. Mr. Brennen has always stood as the stanch friend of the laboring man, and at the time the Wood tariff bill was being considered he was selected as the most competent speaker in behalf of the workingmen. He has been on the stump in every campaign since 1876, and in attendance at every Democratic state convention, except one, since 1874.
Mr. Brennen's interest in trades unionism is shown by the fact that he was president of the Machinists' and Blacksmiths' Union for five years before it was absorbed by the Knights of Labor, and he assisted in organizing the latter in Pittsburg. He has been the attorney for the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers for many years. also for the American Flint Green Bottle Glass Workers, of the United Coal Miners' Union, and of others. He has been engaged as counsel in many important cases. He represented the defense of the Homestead murder and treason cases at the time of the Homestead riot, and rep- resented Alexander Craig in his contest against Andrew Stewart for a seat in the fifty-second Congress, and succeeded in unseating Stewart. Mr. Brennen has the reputation of absolute reliability and utmost fidel- ity to trusts, and his habits of thorough consideration and mature judg- ment seldom cause him to err. He has thus gained an enviable reputa- tion among the lawyers of Pittsburg, and nowhere has his influence and his effort been more effective than in the cause of labor and all that is connected therewith. Mr. Brennen has never married, and his life has been so full of useful activity that, indeed, he has had little time for domestic cares.
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ELISHA P. DOUGLASS.
For a number of years Elisha Peairs Douglass has been a member of the legal profession and has been engaged in the general practice of law in the city of Pittsburg, Allegheny county, where he enjoys the respect of all who know him and have met him socially and profession- ally. He traces his paternal ancestors to the Scotch-Irish. His great- grandfather. Robert Douglass, located in Washington county, Penn- syivania, near Burgettstown, about the close of the war of the Revolu- tion, where he resided until his death, which occurred about the time of the Whisky Insurrection. His wife was Margaret Orr, of Westmoreland county, who with seven small children, all sons, survived him, and one of these children, James Douglass, was the grandfather of Elisha P. Doug- lass. His maternal grandfather was Major Elisha Peairs. an old resi- dent of Elizabeth township. Allegheny county. The parents of Elisha P. Douglass were Thomas D. and Lydia ( Peairs) Douglass. Their five children, with the exception of James D., who died in 1866, when quite young. are yet living, the other three being Mary E., Sarah J., the wife of J. B. Billick, and David P., all of Elizabeth township. Al- legheny county.
The ancestors were of the old Scotch-Irish Covenanters, and in this country identified themselves religiously with the Associate Reform and later the United Presbyterian church, of which latter Thomas D. Dong- lass was a life-long member. In political matters he was an old-time Democrat. and, although he had no particular desire for office, served several terms as a member of the school board of Elizabeth township and was for many years township treasurer. He was a man of indus- trious habits, good character and strict integrity, was always fond of companionship and was very popular and hospitable. He was possessed
ERDouglass
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of a great fund of native humor, and one of his greatest charms lay in his ability to see the humorous side of life. He died in 1896. in his seventy-fifth year, and is survived by his widow, who is now seventy- three years of age and is living near the old family homestead.
Elisha P. Douglass was born in Elizabeth township, Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, on the 22d of February, 1849, and attended the common schools of his locality a part of the time each year until he at- tained his majority, with the exception of one term which he spent in Elizabeth Academy. In September. 1870, he entered the California Normal School of that place, where he spent several months in prepara- tion for teaching. In the fall of 1871. after passing a successful ex- amination, he received certificates in Allegheny. Washington and West- moreland counties. Pennsylvania, and secured what is now known as the Lebanon or old Fells Church school in Rostraver township. West- moreland county. Here he began his first work as a teacher in October, 1871, receiving a salary of forty dollars a month for a five months' term, but his work was satisfactory, and the district gave him a three months' summer term at fifty-five dollars a month. At the end of that term he declined a re-election, having decided to enter college and prepare himself for professional work rather than follow teaching. In September, 1872, he became a student in the University of Wooster, Ohio, with the intention of remaining there about two years and then studying medicine. As he had had no preparation for college lie entered as a partial student, and at the end of his first term concluded to enter the freshman class regularly, carry his work along and make up all back work, which he did, and in the following year completed the studies in the sophomore year and left college, with the expectation of never returning. During the following year Mr. Douglass taught his home school in Elizabeth township. Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, and dur-
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ing this period decided to return to college, complete his course and study for the profession of law. This he did and graduated, receiving the Philosophical degree in 1877. In September of that year he passed his preliminary law examination, and in the following November was registered as a law student under Major Robert E. Stewart, of Pitts- burg. In February, 1880, he was admitted to the practice of law in the courts of Allegheny county, and has since followed the practice of his profession in Pittsburg.
Mr. Douglass has always been a firm believer in assisting and becoming identified with the new enterprises of his home city. Since the ist of October, 1880, he has resided in Mckeesport, and during this period has been identified largely with a number of the city's best enterprises. He was instrumental in incorporating the Mckeesport Title & Trust Company, and is at present solicitor. He was also in- terested in building and operating the first street railway in Mckees- port, covering a period of from eight to ten years: is a stockholder and vice president of the Mckeesport Tin Plate Company, a large concern which is now in operation ; and is also a stockhokler and direc- tor in the Pacific Steel Company, engaged in the manufacture of irou on the Pacific Coast. He was one of the originators of the Fifth Avenue and High Street Bridge Company, with which he is still closely identified. He has and is at present attorney for a number of the corporations about Mckeesport, and still follows the general practice of his profession. He is a member of the board of trustees of the Mc- Keesport Hospital and is president of the board of trustees of the Young Men's Christian Association.
Mr. Douglass was married on the 24th of August, 1880, to Miss Elvira P. Weddle, a daughter of Peter and Elizabeth Weddle, of Eliza- beth township, Allegheny county. They have two sons, Howard Weddle
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Douglass, now about twenty-two years of age and a member of the senior class of Cornell University, and Earl LeRoy Douglass, about ·fifteen years of age and attending the high school in Mckeesport. The family yet adhere to the United Presbyterian church, of which they are members. Formerly Mr. Douglass was a Democrat, but since 1896 has affiliated with the Republican party, leaving the Democracy on ac- count of the free silver tendencies of that party. He has never aspired to office, but has served on two occasions in the borough and city coun- cils of Mckeesport, covering a period of five years, and has always ad- vocated the idea that it was a mark of good citizenship for a man to take his turn in municipal office-holding. He is considered by those who know him as straightforward in his business affairs, a public- spirited citizen and as one who is ever ready to identify himself with and advocate that which will advance the best interests of the city and community in which he resides. He has the satisfaction of knowing that he has acquired his present standing by his own effort, for when he started out in life he had neither money nor influence behind him, and while he has acquired a competence he has never acquired a dollar other than that obtained from his profession or his investments.
FRANK GRAHAM HARRIS.
The life of a boy bereaved at an early age of father and mother and forced to go into the world's battles unguided by parental hand and without instruction at a mother's knee, is far from an enviable one, and he who can avoid the pitfalls and surmount the obstacles that be- strew the path of an orphan lad deserves double commendation. The inspiring encouragement of a father, the gentle counsel of a mother never aided Frank G. Harris in his upward struggle, but the manliness,
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the sturdy strength of mind and the ambition which he inherited from his parents have been his guiding stars. Beginning actual contact with the stern realities of life at an age when most lads are still at their . books, he made his mark in every undertaking in which he engaged. still keeping before him that hope of some day being able to enjoy the educational advantages which circumstances had denied to him. This thought never deserted him, but in his hours of labor the aspirations to higher things spurred him on. Finally his dreams were realized and the education for which he had longed was his. That he has used it and his talents to good advantage, the story of his life will prove.
Frank G. Harris, of Clearfield, was born on the 6th of November. 1845, at Karthaus, Pennsylvania. His parents were John and Eleanor Graham Harris, the former of whom was reared in Glasgow, Scotland. coming to Pennsylvania when he had reached the age of thirty years. The mother was a Pennsylvanian by birth, and the daughter of Francis and Jane Graham. The difficulties which their son has successfully surmounted show him to have inherited all the rugged strength of his paternal ancestors, and a determination to succeed was received from his mother's family, which was among the earliest of those fearless pio- neers who have transformed a wilderness into one of the most pros- perous countries on the face of the globe.
His early schooling was extremely limited, as his parents died when he was a small boy, and he was unable to attend the public schools after he had reached the age of twelve years, while from that time until he was twenty-four he was employed in earning an honest livelihood. But in his short scholastic career he imbibed a love of learning which spurred him on in the years of his toil, and which he was able to gratify after he had attained man's estate. After the death of his parents he made his home with Colonel S. C. Patchin, who had married Hetty
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Graham, his mother's sister, and while still but a lad he began to work on his uncle's farm and as a laborer in the sawmills in the summer, while in the winter he went into the woods as a lumberman. At the age of fifteen on a raft of timber. he made his first trip down the Sus- quehanna, and when he was twenty he was considered one of the best pilots on the river. But such humble occupations, honorable though they were, did not satisfy his ambitions. for he realized that he possessed talents which would gain him a higher place in the world than that of a common laborer, and he gave his spare hours to study. With such assiduity did he apply himself to his books that without any further schooling he was able to enter Dickinson Seminary at Williamsport, Pennsylvania, from which institution he was graduated in June, 1873. after which he enrolled as a student in Lafayette College at Easton. this state, there graduating in June, 1876.
In the term following his graduation from Lafayette College he was placed in the principalship of the grammar school at Clearfield, Pennsylvania, in which place he has since resided, but the occupation of teaching not being particularly congenial to him and the bar offering special attractions, he determined to embrace the profession of law, and while still in charge of the school at Clearfield, with that energy which has ever been the keynote of his success, he applied himself to his books, being enrolled as a student of law with Murray & Gordon. The rapid- ity with which he mastered the intricacies of legal practice soon proved the wisdom of his choice, and he was admitted as a member of the Clearfield bar on January 14, 1879, and to the practice of the profession of law he has since devoted a large part of his time and attention. As a result he has won an enviable reputation and made a creditable record as an attorney. While teaching school and reading law he also found time to build up a business as a real estate and insurance agent, in
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which he has since continued, and now divides his time between this calling and his growing legal practice.
Politically Mr. Harris has always been a Republican, and in his district has taken an active part in the work of this organization. In the many campaigns of both the county and state he has been a promi- nent figure. having been one of the strongest speakers in every contest in his county for twenty years. In 1880 and 1881 he was chairman of the Republican county committee, and in 1883 was a delegate to the state convention which nominated James A. Beaver for governor. In 1880 he was elected to the town council of Clearfield, in which office he remained until 1887. being entrusted by that body with the duties of town clerk. In November. 1896, Mr. Harris was elected a member of the legislature from Clearfield county, to which position he was re- elected in 1898 and again in 1900, and while a member of that body served as chairman of the judiciary general committee and as chairman of the game and fish committee of the house, having taken an active part in all the business of that body and in debate won recognition as an orator of considerable ability. He subsequently resigned this office to accept the position of state treasurer, to which he was elected in November, 1901, and of which he is now the present incumbent.
On the 15th of April, 1879, Mr. Harris was married to Elizabeth F. Baird, of Clinton county, Pennsylvania, and they have had three children. two sons and one daughter, all of whom died during their childhood.
SAMUEL J. M. McCARRELL.
The state of Pennsylvania has produced a brilliant galaxy of men who have devoted special study to questions affecting the development
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of its resources and the steady promotion of its position in the sister- hood of states, and Dauphin county has furnished an honorable quota, S. J. M. McCarrell being accorded marked prominence. Twice ele- vated to the office of state senator and bearing an enviable reputation as one of the leading attorneys at the state capital, he has represented the different interests throughout the commonwealth wisely and faithfully. Progressive in mind and with a recognition of the importance of the affairs of his constituents as well as the great state of which he is a native, he has studiously brought to bear all the forces of his strong intellectual nature to help further everything that goes to make up a pros- perous and contented people. That he has succeeded to a marked degree is a matter of local history.
Samuel J. M. McCarrell was born in Buffalo township, Washington county, Pennsylvania, and his ancestors were of Scotch-Irish stock, a people celebrated for their industry, perseverance, courage and great force of character. His paternal ancestry is traced back to Ayrshire, Scotland, and his maternal lineage to the McLains of Duard Castle on the island of Mull. His ancestors found their way from Scotland to the north of Ireland, and thence came to the United States prior to the Revolutionary war, in which his grandfathers, Thomas McCarrell and William McClelland, took an active part, and the latter also served in the war of 1812. His father, Rev. Alexander McCarrell, D. D., was pastor of the Claysville Presbyterian church for about thirty-five years, and during his ministry he accomplished much good by his zeal in the cause of Christianity and the upholding of a high order of righteous- ness in the communities in which he labored. His son, therefore, was thoroughly disciplined in the tenets of this righteous faith, to which may be attributed his integrity and steadfast devotion to the principles of right and justice.
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Mr. McCarrell spent his early boyhood days on a farm, attending the common schools during the winter months and working on the farm during the summer. Later he clerked in his uncle's store in Claysville, meanwhile preparing himself for college under the instruction of his father. He entered Washington College in 1860, graduating four years later with the highest honors of his class, and in the fall of 1864 he accepted a position as assistant principal of the Linsley Institute at Wheeling. West Virginia. While thus engaged he began the study of law under the instruction of Mr. MeKennan, of the firm of Richardson & McKennan. In the summer of the following year. 1865. he went to Harrisburg, where he completed his law studies under the preceptorship of David Fleming, with whom he later became a partner. continuing as such until the death of Mr. Fleming, in January. 1890. Mr. Mc- Carrell was admitted to practice at the Dauphin county bar in Noven- ber. 1867, and served as district attorney of that county for two terms, from 1881 to 1887, with great credit to himself and much satisfaction to the people. He has also held the position of United States commis- sioner for the United States circuit and district courts of the eastern dis- trict of Pennsylvania. In the fall of 1892 he was elected to the state senate, and at the next session was re-elected, being chosen president pro tempore of that body. His record as a senator is of the highest standard. He gave special attention to the duties of the various com- mittees of which he was a member, and allowed nothing to interfere with his work as a representative in the highest body of the Keystone state. In a word, the public career of Mr. McCarrell has been unusually suc- cessful and honorable, and as an attorney he has taken a leading part in some of the most noted litigation in the supreme and lower courts. Being an effective advocate, his ability at the bar is widely acknowledged, and his eloquence in the senate and in other public assemblages has won
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him a prominence that is not confined by the boundaries of his native state. As a presiding officer in the senate he officiated with dignity, courtesy and fairness, making a record of which he may well be proud. In fact, it is a matter of history that not once during his occupancy of the chair was there any question of his decisions and not a single appeal was taken from his rulings. He was a member of the New Capital Building Commission, under the act of April 14, 1897. On the 29th of March, 1901, he was appointed by President Mckinley United States attorney for the middle district of Pennsylvania, which appointment was confirmed by the senate December 12, 1901, for the term of four years.
Mr. McCarrell was married on the 21st of December, 1871, to Rebecca A., daughter of Robert Wallace, of Clearfield. Pennsylvania. Two children were born of this union: Wallace Alexander, who died at the age of four years, and Samuel J. M .. Jr., who died on the 29th of January, 1901, aged nineteen years. Mr. McCarrell is known through- out central Pennsylvania as a generous and consistent church worker, and his benevolence has always been shown whenever and wherever it was needed. He has proved a true friend of the laboring classes, work- ing early and late for their advancement, and he has legions of admirers, high and low. He enjoys a very large and lucrative law practice, his spacious offices at Harrisburg being the Mecca of clients from all over the state. He saw military service during 1863 with his college com- pany.
ANDREW J. LAWRENCE.
Andrew J. Lawrence was born in Allegheny city, Pennsylvania, on the Ist of March, 1849. His father, John Lawrence, was a native of
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Scotland and was possessed of the sturdy and admirable characteristics which almost uniformly designate the true type of the Scotsman. As a young man he emigrated to America and located in Allegheny city, where he passed the rest of his life, giving his attention to the work of his trade and becoming one of the successful carpenters and builders of that city, where his death occurred in 1864. at the age of sixty-seven years. His wife, whose maiden name was Christine Johnstone, was born in Scotland, and in that country their marriage was solemnized. Mrs. Lawrence died in 1882. They became the parents of eight children. of whom six are living at the present time, the subject of this biography being the youngest. John Lawrence was a Republican in his political proclivities, and his religious faith was that of the United Presbyterian church,, of which his wife likewise was a devoted member. They were people of unassuming character and sterling worth, and were held in high regard by all who knew them.
Andrew J. Lawrence secured his preliminary educational discipline in the public schools of his native city, and the same has been effectively supplemented by personal application and by the association with the practical affairs of life. He gave inception to his business career at the age of fifteen years, when, in 1864, he became a messenger boy. Two years later he secured employment in the Sligo Iron Mills, in Pittsburg, owned by the firm of Lyon, Shorb & Company, and with this concern he continued for a period of nine years, winning advancement through his faithful and efficient service. He was then tendered the position of general bookkeeper in the Tradesman's National Bank, in Pittsburg, where he so thoroughly proved his value in executive capacity that he was eventually promoted to the position of assistant cashier, continuing in the employ of this well known financial institution until 1887, when
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he engaged in the stock brokerage business, in which he has since con- tinued.
In politics Mr. Lawrence gives his allegiance to the Republican party, but he has never had political ambition in a personal way and has never been incumbent of public office. He is prominently identified with the time-honored fraternity of Freemasons, in which he has ad- vanced to the thirty-second degree of the Scottish Rite, and in whose affairs he maintains an abiding interest. His affiliations are with St. John's Lodge No. 219, F. & A. M .; Shiloh Chapter No. 257, R. A. M. : Pittsburg Commandery No. 1, K. T., all of Pittsburg, while in the Scot- tish Rite he is a member of Pennsylvania Consistory, A. A. S. R., at Pittsburg. He is also identified with the more peculiarly social adjunct of the order, being a member of Sylvia Temple of the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. He is one of the trustees of the North Presbyterian church, of Allegheny city, where he still main- tains his home, and his wife holds membership in the same.
On the IIth of April. 1872, Mr. Lawrence was united in marriage to Miss Fannie McKune, a daughter of Robert McKune, who at one time carried on an extensive saddlery business in Allegheny city, where Mrs. Lawrence was born. Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence have one son, Charles A. Lawrence, who is assistant secretary and treasurer of the Equitable Trust Company. of Pittsburg.
An estimate of the character of Mr. Lawrence is given by Mr. H. M. Landis, the cashier of the Tradesman's National Bank: "My ac- quaintance with him dates back twenty-two years, and I have occasion to feel especially grateful to him for the help he has given me. I canie to the bank as a messenger and rose to my present position largely through the instrumentality of Mr. Lawrence, who was always willing
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to lend a helping hand and ever ready with a kind word. He is a gen- crous man and always has a kind word for his friends and acquaint- ances."
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