USA > Pennsylvania > Luzerne County > Families of the Wyoming Valley: biographical, genealogical and historical. Sketches of the bench and bar of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, vol. III > Part 22
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CHARLES PIKE.
Charles Pike was admitted to the bar of Luzerne county, Pa., April 4, 1853. He was born in Northmoreland township, Lu- zerne (now Wyoming) county, Pa., February 1, 1830. He was a son of James Pike, a native of Brooklyn, Windham county, Connecticut, who emigrated to Pennsylvania in 1819. Charles Pike read law in the office of Harrison Wright, and soon after his admission took a prominent position in his profession, and a few years afterwards entered into partnership with Hendrick B.
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SAMUEL SHERRERD.
Wright, a business connection which continued through many years, bringing profit and distinction to each of its members. He was a natural lawyer, if such a thing can be. His mind was of that penetrating, analytical, and judicial order which comprehends all that is in a dispute, however manifold its ramifications, and goes to the heart of it without any indirectness, and decides as to its merits with promptitude and almost unerring clearness and fairness. Our ablest attorneys freely confessed him a foeman worthy of their best steel. It was seldom that he was worsted in a cause in which his sympathies were really enlisted. He had a thorough contempt for shams of every description, and many and amusing are the stories in which his keen criticisms under this head are recorded. Mr. Pike was a man of unswerving integrity in all his business transactions, and no one can be found to say aught against his integrity as a man and lawyer. He never held a political office of any kind, but might have filled many had his ambition led him in that direction. He died at his residence in this city September 12, 1882. Mr. Pike married, in 1868, Bridget O'Brien, daughter of the late Anthony O'Brien, of Pittston, who survives him. He left no children.
SAMUEL SHERRERD.
Samuel Sherrerd, who was admitted to the bar of Luzerne county, Pa., April 4, 1853, was a native of Philadelphia, Pa., where he was born April 25, 1819. He was a descendant of John Sherrerd, a merchant of London, England, who came to this country and settled near Washington, N. J., about 1750. Samuel Sherrerd was a son of John Sherrerd. On a tombstone in Green- wich churchyard, Warren county, N. J., is this inscription : "In memory of John Maxwell, second son of John and Anne Max- well. He was born in county Tyrone, Ireland, November 25, 1739, and at an early age emigrated with his father to New Jer- sey. He was a lieutenant in the first company raised in Sussex county, for the defense of his adopted country in the revolution- ary war, and soon after, in the darkest hour of her fortunes, joined the army of General Washington as a captain of a company of
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SAMUEL SHERRERD.
volunteers. He was engaged in the battles of Trenton, Prince- ton, Brandywine, Germantown, Monmouth, and Springfield, and ever distinguished himself as a brave and able officer. Having served his country in various civil and military offices, and faith- fully discharged his various duties as a soldier, citizen, and chris- tian, he closed a long and useful life at his residence at Fleming- ton, N. J., February 15, 1828, in the eighty-ninth year of his age." His daughter, Ann, married Samuel Sherrerd. William Maxwell, brother of John Maxwell, was a general in the revolu- tionary war. John Maxwell Sherrerd, son of Samuel Sherrerd and Ann Sherrerd, was born, September 6, 1794, at Pleasant Val- ley, N. J. He graduated from Nassau Hall, Princeton, N. J., in 1812. He commenced the study of law with his uncle, Hon. John Maxwell, and was admitted to the bar from the office of Chief Justice Charles Ewing (his uncle having died in the mean- time), in 1816, and practiced in New Jersey until his death, May 26, 1871. When Warren county was created he was appointed the first surrogate of that county. The wife of J. M. Sherrerd was Sarah Browne, of Philadelphia, whom he married May 19, 1818. She was a descendant of Nathaniel Browne, who was overseer of Wellodge shipyard, England, about 1725. His son Peter, a Quaker, was also a shipbuilder, coming to this country about 1730. His son Nathaniel was interested in shipbuilding and property in Philadelphia, also his son Peter after him. The latter was also a merchant and was the father of Mrs. Sherrerd. Samuel Sherrerd, son of John Maxwell Sherrerd, graduated from the college of New Jersey, at Princeton, in the class of 1836, and from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, at Troy, N. Y., in 1838. He read law with Henry D. Maxwell, of Easton, Pa., and was admitted to the Northampton county bar in 1842. He prac- ticed in Belvidere, N. J., until his removal to Scranton, in 1853. After practicing in Scranton a number of years, he returned to Belvidere in 1868. He was president judge of the court of Com- mon Pleas of Warren county, N. J., from 1872 to 1875. Mr. Sherrerd married, May 6, 1847, Frances M. Hamilton. She was the granddaughter of John Hamilton and Phoebe Ross (daugh- ter of John Ross, of Elizabeth, N. J.), who lived on a large estate at Princeton, N. J. One of their sons, Samuel Randolph
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THEODORE L. BYINGTON.
Hamilton, father of Mrs. Sherrerd, was born about 1790, grad- uated at Nassau Hall, Princeton, and studied law with Governor Williamson, at Elizabeth, N. J. He was a lineal descendant of Miles Standish. He was prosecutor of the pleas of Mercer county, N. J., and was quartermaster general for a number of years. He died at Trenton, N. J., in 1857. The wife of Samuel R. Hamilton was a descendant of Jonathan Robeson, a Quaker, who came from England about the time of William Penn and settled near .Philadelphia. In 1741 he built the first iron furnace, which he named Oxford, in compliment to his father, Andrew Robeson, who had been educated at the University of Oxford. Edsall's Centennial Address says: "Jonathan Robeson was one of the first judges of Sussex county, N. J. His father and grand- father both wore the ermine before him in Pennsylvania, while his son, grandson, and great-grandson, each in his turn, occupied seats on the judicial bench. William P. Robeson (father of ex- secretary of the navy, George M. Robeson,) of New Jersey, was the sixth judge in regular descent from his ancestor, Andrew Robeson, who came to America with William Penn, and was a member of Governor Markham's privy council." Morris Robe- son, son of Jonathan Robeson, married Anna Rockhill April 25, 1750. Their son, David Maurice Robeson, married Tacy Paul, of Philadelphia, about 1790. Their daughter, Elizabeth Robeson, married Samuel Randolph Hamilton. Their daughter, Frances M., married Samuel Sherrerd. Mr. Sherrerd died at Belvidere, N. J., June 21, 1884, leaving three sons to survive him -- Alex. H. Sherrerd and Morris H. Sherrerd, of Scranton, Pa., and John M. Sherrerd, of Troy, N. Y.
THEODORE L. BYINGTON.
Theodore L. Byington, who was admitted to the bar of Lu- zerne county, Pa., November 7, 1853, was a son of Roderick Byington, M. D., a native of Stockbridge, Mass., where he was born October 27, 1799, and died at Belvidere, N. J., August 18, 1872. He read medicine in Johnsonburg, N. J., and subsequently
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THEODORE L. BYINGTON.
graduated from the Jefferson medical college. He practiced in Johnsonburg from 1825 to 1841, and at Belvidere until his death. The wife of Dr. Byington was Caroline Linn, a daughter of John Lynn, a native of Hardwick township, Sussex (now Warren) county, N. J. In 1805 he was appointed judge of the Court of Common Pleas, and reappointed in 1810, 1815 and 1820. He represented the fourth district of New Jersey in the congress of the United States two terms, and while in congress in the winter . of 1823 he was taken ill and died of typhoid fever.
Theodore I. Byington was born in Johnsonburg March 15, 1831. He was graduated from the college of New Jersey, at Princeton, in the class of 1849. He then came to this city and read law in the office of A. T. McClintock. After practicing a short time in Scranton the whole course of his life was changed. After studying theology at the Union Theological seminary he entered the ministry of the Presbyterian church. He married, May 30, 1858, Margaret Esther Hallock, a native of Smyrna, in Turkey, Asia. Her parents were Rev. Homan Hallock, born in Plainfield, Mass., and his wife, Elizabeth Flett, born in Lon- don, England. Rev. Homan Hallock was a son of Rev. Moses Hallock, of Plainfield, Mass. Soon after his marriage Rev. T. L. Byington was sent as a missionary to Bulgaria, Turkey, by the American board, and was one of their pioneers. His wife accom- panied him to Turkey and took part in the missionary work. He returned to this country in 1868, and from 1869 to 1874 he was pastor of the Presbyterian church at Newton, N. J. The Amer- ican board, however, prevailed on him to return to the mission field in 1874, and he became the editor of a weekly paper at Con- stantinople, published in the Bulgarian language, under the aus- pices of the board. His health became broken and he was obliged to return home in May, 1885. After an illness of three and a half years he died at Philadelphia June 16, 1888. He re- ceived the degree of doctor of divinity from Princeton college in 1878. He left a widow and two sons-Rev. Edwin H. Byington, pastor of the Eastern avenue church, Springfield, Mass., Roder- ick Byington, counsellor at law, Newark, N. J .- and three daugh- ters, the eldest of which, Caroline Margaret, is the wife of Rev. Orville Reed, of Springfield.
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LYMAN RICHARDSON NICHOLSON.
JAMES SUTTON BEDFORD.
James Sutton Bedford was born at Waverly, Pa., October 16, 1839. He was educated at Madison academy, Waverly, and at Amherst college. He read law with G. Byron Nicholson, and was admitted to the bar of Luzerne county January 10, 1854, and practiced in this city and Brownsville, Nebraska. He died in the latter place December 2, 1865. He was an unmarried man and a brother of George R. Bedford, whose biography will be found on page 208.
GEORGE SCOTT.
George Scott, who was admitted to the bar of Luzerne county, Pa., January 10, 1854, was a son of Judge David Scott. (See page 392.) Mr. Scott was born in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., June 30, 1829. He was educated in the schools of his native city, and during the years 1840, 1841 and 1842 attended the Moravian school at Nazareth, Pa. He then learned the trade of a printer in the office of Strange Palmer, in Pottsville, Pa., and subse- quently read law in the office of his brother-in-law, Luther Kid- der, in this city. In 1860 he was register of wills of Luzerne county. Mr. Scott was an unmarried man. He died in Wilkes- Barre September 26, 1861.
LYMAN RICHARDSON NICHOLSON.
Lyman Richardson Nicholson was admitted to the bar of Lu- zerne county, Pa., April 6, 1855. He was a native of Salem, Wayne county, Pa., where he was born April 12, 1832. He was the son of Zenas Nicholson and Nancy Goodrich, his wife. (See page 123.) He died July 13, 1863, of wounds received in the
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SAMUEL PRICE LONGSTREET.
battle of Gettysburg, July 1, 1863. He was lieutenant in Com)- pany G, One Hundred and Forty-third Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers. Mr. Nicholson was an unmarried man. His remains were brought home and he was buried in the Salem cemetery.
SAMUEL PRICE LONGSTREET.
Samuel Price Longstreet was admitted to the bar of Luzerne county, Pa., August 6, 1855. He was born at Milford, Pike county, Pa., February 1, 1829, and was a descendant of Colonel Christopher Longstreet, of Sussex county, N. J., who represented Sussex county in the legislature of that state in 1785, 1786, 1787 and 1788. Colonel Longstreet removed from New Jersey to New Milford township, Susquehanna county, Pa., as early as 1803. The grave of his wife, who died in 1813, with its gray, moss-covered tombstone, is still to be seen in an old cemetery upon the hillside, a mile or two from New Milford village. He afterwards removed to Great Bend, and when the first bridge across the Susquehanna river was erected in 1844, Mr. Long- street was appointed toll-gatherer and gate-keeper. He subse- quently removed to Hamburg, Sussex county, N. J., where he spent the remainder of his days. William R. Longstreet, a native of New Jersey, was the son of Colonel Christopher Longstreet. His wife was Keturah Sayre. Lewis Longstreet, a native of Morris county, N. J., was the son of W. R. Longstreet. His wife was Elizabeth Roy Goble, of Sussex county, N. J. She was the daughter of Nathan and Azubah Price Goble, and granddaughter of Francis Price, of Frankford township, Sussex county, N. J. He was a man of much influence in his day. He was for years a justice of the peace, and solemnized most of the marriages of that early period. He maintained business relations, more or less extended, with most of the residents of the county, and established a reputation for integrity and kindness to those less abundantly supplied with worldly goods. On November 20, 1789, he was appointed one of the lay judges of Sussex county, and on No- vember 26, 1794, he was re-appointed. (See page 952.)
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CHARLES TREADWAY BARNUM.
S. P. Longstreet, son of Lewis Longstreet, read law with W. WV. Ketcham, in this city, after completing his education at Wyo- ming Seminary. He practiced his profession in Wilkes-Barre until 1864, when he removed to Erie, Pa. He was interested in the coal business in Schuylkill county, Pa., and at Erie. He married, March 9, 1851, Laura Babcock, of Montrose, Pa., a daughter of Ezekiel Babcock and his wife, Lydia Gardner. They had no children, and she still survives him. Mr. Longstreet, at one time, was estimated to be worth two or three hundred thou- sand dollars, which he made in the coal business, but misfortune came and he became so involved that he was compelled to make an assignment. In early life he connected himself with the Meth- odist Episcopal church, and became a local preacher in that de- nomination. In February, 1876, after his failure at Erie, he went to Salt Lake City, where he was in charge of the Methodist Episcopal church for a period of eight months. He again entered upon the practice of his profession in that city, but in September, 1880, he was appointed pastor of the Broadway Methodist Epis- copal church at Helena, Montana Territory. He died while occu- pying that position, April 5, 1881. It was the first death of a min- ister of the gospel that ever occurred in Helena. The late Francis Price Longstreet, of the Carbon county bar, was a brother of S. P. Longstreet.
LAZARUS DENISON REYNOLDS.
Lazarus Denison Reynolds was admitted to the bar of Lu- zerne county, Pa., August 4, 1856. He was a son of Chauncey A. Reynolds, a brother of Hon. William C. Reynolds. His mother was Mary, sister of Hon. Charles Denison. Lazarus D. Reynolds died, unmarried, July 25, 1858.
CHARLES TREADWAY BARNUM.
Charles Treadway Barnum was commissioned an associate judge of Luzerne county, Pa., November 12, 1856. He was the grandson of Lazarus Barnum, and the son of James Weed Bar-
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WILLIAM MERRIFIELD.
num, who was born at Danbury, Connecticut, April 13, 1789. The wife of James W. Barnum, who was married at Kingston, Pa., January 5, 1812, the mother of C. T. Barnum, was Julia Treadway, who was born at Bridgeport, Connecticut, April 15, 1787. She was the daughter of John Treadway, whose name is in the assessment list of Hanover township in 1799, as the owner of fifty acres of land, one horse, two oxen, and three cows. He ,was drowned with two others in April, 1800, while fishing in the Nanticoke pool. Charles T. Barnum was born at Kingston Jan- uary 7, 1813. He was a practical printer. He commenced to learn his trade in the office of the Northern Pennsylvanian, at Dundaff, Pa., and finished his apprenticeship in this city. He subsequently worked at his trade in this city, at Jersey Shore, Mauch Chunk, and at other places. After a few years he went to Lennox, Massachusetts; and in company with George Wal- dron published the Lennox Eagle. After a few years he sold out his interest in the paper and returned to the Wyoming valley. From IS55 to 1863 he was clerk of the commissioners of Lu- zerne county. For some years prior to his death he resided on his farm at Harvey's Lake. Judge Barnum married, in Septem- ber, 1842, Sarah A. Seybert, daughter of Bernard Seybert, of Salem township. She died November 1I, IS82. C. T. Barnum died January 11, 1887. Three children survived Judge Barnum -B. F. Barnum, of this city; James B. Barnum, of Harvey's Lake; and Harriet B., wife of F. L. Faries, of Bellwood, Pa.
WILLIAM MERRIFIELD.
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William Merrifield was commissioned an associate judge of Lu- zerne county, Pa., November 12, 1856. He was a son of Robert. Merrifield, and was born at Pine Plains, Dutchess county, N. Y., April 22, 1806. (See page 853.) The wife of William Merrifield was Almira Swetland, daughter of Belding Swetland, and grand- *daughter of Luke Swetland. In the report of Major James Nor- ris, of the Third New Hampshire Regiment, which accompanied
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EZRA BARTHOLOMEW CHASE.
General Sullivan in his march against the Indians, we have the following, under date of September 5, 1779: "The Army March'd at 10 o'clock, preceeded 5 miles to and Indian town Call'd Candaia or Appletown [On the east side of Seneca Lake-about a half mile from the lake, on both sides of a small stream, on lot sev- enty-nine Romulus.] wheir is an old orchard of 60 trees and many other fruits. The town consists of 20 Houses Very Beau- tifully situated near the lake, in the town are three Sepulchres which are very Indian fine where I suppose that some of their Chiefs are Deposited at this town we found a man by the Name of Luke Sweatland who was taken by the Savages at Wyoming last Summer and was adopted into an Indian family in this town- Where has lived or Rather stayd 12 months, he appeared quite overjoyed at Meeting some of his Acquaintance from Wyoming who are in our Army, he says that the Savages were very much stratened for food from April till the corn was fitt to Rost, that his being kept so short on't for Provisions Prevented his attempt- ing to Desert altho' he had frequent opportunityes by being sent 20 miles to the salt Spring to make salt which spring he says afforded Salt for all of the Savages in this part of the Country, he says that the Indians were very much allarm'd and Dejected at being beat at Newtown they told him they had a Great many wounded which they sent of by Water we Destroyed Great quan- tities of Corn here."
EZRA BARTHOLOMEW CHASE.
Ezra Bartholomew Chase, who was admitted to the bar of Lu- zerne county, Pa., April 7, 1857, was a descendant of Daniel Chase, a Free Will Baptist preacher, a native of New Hampshire, where he was born November 7, 1770. In 1816 he removed to Jackson, Susquehanna county, Pa. His wife was Catharine Fill- brook. John Chase, son of Rev. Daniel Chase, was also a Bap- tist minister. He removed with his father to Pennsylvania. He was born October 19, 1794, and died at Windsor, N. Y., in 1840.
E. B. Chase, son of Rev. John Chase, was born December 25, 1827, at West Windsor, N. Y. He was educated at Harford
12SS
GEORGE SANDERSON.
academy, afterwards Harford university, Harford, Pa. He read law with F. B. Streeter, at Montrose, and was admitted to the Susquehanna county bar August 19, 1850. He was elected a member of the legislature in 1852, and reelected in 1853, and in 1854 was speaker of the house. He was probably the youngest man ever elected to that position. About 1851 he, in connection with his cousin, Hon. S. B. Chase, purchased the Montrose Dem- ocrat, and it continued under the charge of one or both of these editors until 1856, when they sold the establishment. The latter year he purchased the Lackawanna Herald, at Scranton, which had been a Know-Nothing organ, and changed the political char- `acter of the paper by making it a Democratic paper. The name was changed to Herald of the Union. Declining health induced Mr. Chase to sell out after a short time. In 1857 Mr. Chase re- moved to Wilkes-Barre, where he practiced his profession until the time of his death, February 15, 1864. At that time he was district attorney of the county. He was the author of a work of four hundred and ninety-five pages, entitled "Teachings of Pa- triots and Statesmen, or the Founders of the Republic on Sla- very." Philadelphia, 1860. J. W. Bradley, publisher. Mr. Chase married, October 20, 1852, Amelia C. Shafer. She was the daughter of Embley Shafer, born in Sussex county, N. J., in 1803, died in 1884. His wife was Urania Turrell, who was born in Connecticut in 1808. William Turrell, her father, was born in Connecticut in 1781; removed to Montrose in 1816, where he died in 1853. His wife, whom he married in 1807, in Connecticut, was Polly Sylvia Benedict, who died in Montrose in 1873. Three children survived Mr. Chase- Elizabeth S., wife of E. Nancura Hunt, Wyalusing, Pa .; Amelia C., wife of William P. Stalford, Wyalusing ; and Embley Shafer Chase, who married Mina B. Meylert, of LaPorte, Pa.
GEORGE SANDERSON.
George Sanderson, who was admitted to the bar of Luzerne county, Pa., September 14, 1857, was a native of Boston, where he was born February 25, 1810. His father was one of the solid
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GEORGE SANDERSON.
men of Boston, engaged largely in trade with the West Indies Mr. Sanderson, when a young man, studied and graduated in the Boston Latin School, but he could not be content to stay in New England. As to so many of her sons, so to him came that intense longing for other scenes and faces. The new life of the further west attracted him, and he traveled in New York state as a Universalist minister, editing a religious paper of that denomi- nation at either Geneva or Rochester. He settled in Towanda, Pa., in 1835, and was admitted to the Bradford county bar in 1840, while residing there. He was deputy attorney general of Brad- ford county for some years, and during the years 1851, 1852, and 1853 represented Bradford, Susquehanna, and Wyoming counties in the state senate. In the latter year Mr. Sanderson became acquainted with George W. Scranton, and a warm friendship sprang up between the two men. Mr. Sanderson was able to be of considerable assistance to Colonel Scranton in securing the passage of bills which placed the mining and manufacturing industries of Scranton, then in their infancy but which have since grown to such gigantic proportions, upon a firm and stable basis. Colonel Scranton urged him to come to Scranton, describing in glowing terms the future of the young settlement. Mr. Sander- son came first in 1854 and again in 1855. Apparently he too saw clearly what a busy place the valley was destined to become, for in April of that year he purchased the Hitchcock farm of two hundred and twenty acres for sixty-five thousand dollars, a large sum in those days, yet within a few weeks he sold an undivided half of it for as much as he gave for the whole. Then he opened what is now Washington avenue, cutting the road out through the woods and building a corduroy road across the swamp, and amid the pine stumps he built for himself in 1856 the handsome residence now occupied by Mr. James Blair, which has remained practically unchanged from that day to this. He laid out San- derson Hill in lots, opened up streets, adopted a liberal and pub- lic spirited policy toward settlers upon his lots, donated ground for school and church purposes, and served the young borough in 1857 and again in 1864 as burgess. He practiced law, too, in those days; and in company with his brother-in-law, Burton Kingsbury, in 1855, he went into the banking business under the
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GEORGE SANDERSON.
name of George Sanderson & Company. The firm continued in successful operation until 1873, when it became merged into the Lackawanna Valley bank. About 1864, desirous of retiring in some degree from business, and also desirous of securing for his children greater educational advantages than the young settle- ment afforded, he removed to Philadelphia and purchased a hand- some residence at Germantown, still retaining his interests at Scranton, which place he frequently visited ; but it was impossi- ble for so busy a man to long remain content with circean dreams of idleness. He accordingly organized the Tremont Coal Company, whose lands lay in Schuylkill county. His acquaint- ance with prominent capitalists and business men in Philadelphia was very extensive, and they deferred largely on his sound judg- ment on financial matters in this part of the state. He remained in Germantown some three years and then returned to Scranton. It was about this time that he ran for mayor against the late William M. Monies, who won the race, however. He purchased, about 1869 or 1870, the Whaling property at Green Ridge, and with the same liberal policy that had marked his course in regard to the lots on Sanderson Hill, he built a street car railroad to afford easy access from these lots to the city. He opened up streets, laid out lots, and by every means in his power has labored indefatigably to build up Green Ridge, until, owing to his exer- tions, it has become a neighborhood of delightful homes, a suburb of which any city may well be proud. He secured, almost single-handed, and in the face of great opposition, the act of 1873 for the opening of Washington avenue, now the finest driveway in Scranton. He was from the first a warm advocate of the new county project, to further which he contributed liberally always of his time and money. His life was a singularly clean and pure one-upright and conscientious in all its various phases. He was a member of the city council in 1876; he would accept no remun- eration for his services as banker, and in the controversy which followed the funding of the city debt his character came out un- tarnished. While he was a man of apparently austere manners and somewhat brusque exterior, these were but the rough husks that held the sweet kernel within ; for he was a man of great ten- derness of heart, to whom pain and suffering of all kinds brought
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