Genealogical and family history of the Wyoming and Lackawanna Valleys, Pennsylvania, Volume II, Part 66

Author: Hayden, Horace Edwin, 1837-1917; Hand, Alfred, 1835-; Jordan, John W. (John Woolf), 1840-1921; Lewis Publishing Company
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: New York, Chicago, The Lewis publishing company
Number of Pages: 1026


USA > Pennsylvania > Genealogical and family history of the Wyoming and Lackawanna Valleys, Pennsylvania, Volume II > Part 66
USA > Wyoming > Genealogical and family history of the Wyoming and Lackawanna Valleys, Pennsylvania, Volume II > Part 66


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


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The Dayton family, of which Calista E. (Dayton) Megargel, wife of Isaac Megargel, was a member, was of Puritan origin. Milo Dayton, great-grandfather of Isaac Megargel, served in a Massachusetts regiment during the Revolutionary war, carrying a rifle that weighed forty pounds. His son, Giles Dayton, was born


in the Bay State, thence brought his family to Wayne county, Pennsylvania, and built a saw mill at Sterling and a woolen mill at Salem. He subsequently returned to his native state, Mas- sachusetts, where his death occurred between the years 1855 and 1860. He was the inventor of a number of useful articles, and he also built the first factory for the manufacture of carding rolls for woolen mills. He was an earnest Christian and a local minister in the Methodist Episcopal Church. His wife was of Puritan stock and the daughter of a soldier of the Revolution, who was killed at Fort Griswold.


In 1858, when seventeen years of age, Isaac F. Megargel engaged in the lumber business near Elmhurst, Lackawanna county, Pennsylvania, was the proprietor of a store there and also a mill for the manufacture of lumber. In 1862 he returned to Sterling, where he became inter- ested in the mercantile business, but three years later disposed of this and located in Scranton, where he conducted a retail grocery business in Lackawanna avenue, near Franklin, but in the spring of 1868 removed to New York city, where he was similarly engaged in Grand street until the fall of 1869. On his return to Scran- ton he opened a retail establishment on the cor- ner of Washington and Lackawanna avenues, but the following year engaged in the wholesale bus- iness in Lackawanna above Franklin avenue, as a member of the firm of A. G. Gilmore & Com- pany, consisting of A. G. Gilmore, William Con- nell and himself. In 1877 Mr. Conneli and Mr. Megargel disposed of their interest to Mr. Gil- more, after which Mr. Megargel and James L. Connell went to Des Moines, Iowa, where they engaged in the wholesale grocery business. On their return to Scranton in 1878 they purchased the old business, and the firm of Megargel, Con- nell & Company was established, consisting of Mr. Megargel, James L. and Alexander Connell. The death of the latter named, in 1882, caused a change in the firm, which afterwards conducted the business under the style of Megargel & Con- nell, until the firm was dissolved. A Republi- can in politics, Mr. Megargel is identified with the Central Republican Club. He is a member of the board of trade and actively interested in financial matters in this city. In religious be- lief he is connected with the Elm Park Metho- dist Episcopal Church, and is one of the trustees of the same.


In Stamford, Connecticut, Mr. Megargel married Gertrude Jones, who was born near


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that city. They are the parents of three sons : Percy F., Roy C., mentioned hereinafter; and Ralph G.


Roy C. Megargel was born at Scranton, Pennsylvania, March 14, 1877. He was edu- cated at Wesleyan University, and graduated from the University of Michigan Law School in 1901. He was admitted to practice at the st- preme court of Michigan, and later at the su- preme court of Texas, having located for a short time at Dallas. For the past three years he has been a member of the firm of Megargel & Brooks, bankers, of which his father, Isaac F. Megargel, and John H. Brooks are also members. This firm has recently taken possession of their new banking house in Spruce street, Scranton, Penn- sylvania.


RICHARD J. HOLLAND, a successful and enterprising citizen of Glenlyon, Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, traces his ancestry back to Ire- land.


John Holland, grandfather of Richard J. Holland, was a native of Comer, county Kil- kenny, Ireland, where his ancestors had lived for many generations. Very little is known of the early ancestry of this family.


Richard Holland, son of John Holland, was also a native of Comer, county Kilkenny, Ire- land, and emigrated to America, settling in the anthracite region of Pennsylvania. He at once engaged in mining work and resided for a time at Locustdale, Pennsylvania, and later at Ma- rion, Northumberland county, Pennsylvania. He was a member of the Roman Catholic Church, and politically held independent opinions. He married Margaret Monahan, and they were the parents of nine children, of whom the following ·six are living: Edward, a miner at Tremont, Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania ; Michael, a miner at St. Clair, Pennsylvania ; Ann, married Daniel Dougherty, of Frackville, Pennsylvania ; Richard J., see forward ; James, manager of a store at Enterprise, Pennsylvania ; Mary, mar- ried Jerry Splan, of Shamokin.


Richard J. Holland, son of Richard and Mar- garet (Monahan) Holland, was born in Co- nyngham township, Columbia county, Pennsyl- vania, April 11, 1865. His early years were spent at Locustdale, Columbia county, Pennsyl- vania, where he attended the public school. At the early age of nine years he commenced the serious work of life by picking slate at Potts colliery, Locustdale, Pennsylvania, and he re- mained at this work for about five years, when


he removed with his father to Marion, Northum- berland county, Pennsylvania, and became a helper in the mines. Later he worked in the same capacity in the same mine for his father. He continued at this work for three years and then went to Donaldson, Schuylkill county, where he was engaged in similar work for a period of two years. He then entered the em- ploy of the East Franklin colliery as a miner and remained in their employ from 1883 until 1885, when he accepted a position with the Enterprise colliery at Shamokin, Pennsylvania, where he re- mained from 1885 until 1888. He then returned to Donaldson, where he worked as a miner in the Good Spring colliery from 1888 until 1896, then at the Enterprise colliery again for two years as driver boss, and then entered the service of the Cameron colliery, Shamokin, Pennsylvania, as fire boss ; he held this position for three months and was then advanced to that of assistant mine foreman, which he held until March, 1903. On March 19, 1903, he entered the service of the Susquehanna Coal Company at Glenlyon, Penn- sylvania, as general inside foreman, a position which he has filled to the satisfaction of the com- pany. Mr. Holland has charge of about six hundred men and boys and two shafts, four hun- dred and seven hundred and thirty-five feet deep, respectively, the first being a two-cage way, and the second being a four-cage way. Mr. Holland is independent in his political opinions, and he and his family are members of the Roman Cath- olic Church at Glenlyon. He is a member of Nanticoke Lodge, Knights of Columbus, joining in 1903.


Mr. Holland married, September 30, 1886. Mary E. Lawler, daughter of Patrick Lawler, of Donaldson, Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania, and they have one daughter, Mary, born July 5. 1889.


GEORGE KRAMER. In a list of the en- gineers of Luzerne county no name would stand higher for ability and faithfulness than that of George Kramer. of Throop. Mr. Kramer is of German parentage, and it may be truly said that there is in the Keystone state no larger or more influential element than that which traces its ori- gin from the Fatherland.


John Kramer was born in Germany, and early in life emigrated to the United States and settled in Pennsylvania, where he followed agri- cultural pursuits. He took an active interest in township affairs, and held the offices of super- visor, constable, and school director. He mar- ried Julia A. Bickloff, also a native of Germany,


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and they were the parents of the following chil- dren : George, John. William, Eliza and Mary, living, and Louisa, deceased. The death of Mr. Kramer occurred in 1884. He was a worthy man, commanding the respect of all who knew him. His widow died aged seventy-seven years on the old homestead in Jefferson township, April, 1905.


George Kramer, son of John and Julia A. (Bickloff) Kramer, was born July 28, 1851, in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and received his educa- tion in the common schools of his native city. While he was still a youth his parents moved to Jefferson township, Lackawanna county, where they purchased a farm of one hundred and six acres. Mr. Kramer assisted his father in the labors of this farm until 1878, and in that year returned to Scranton, where he worked in a steel mill for three years. In 1882 he removed to Throop, where he was employed by the Price & Pancoast Company as a teamster. He was next promoted to the position of fireman, which he held for some years. After serving for eight years as fireman, and subsequently as the opera- tor of a pump in the mines, he was given his present position of engineer. In every place which he was called upon to occupy he was found able and trustworthy and the position which he now holds is one of great responsibility. Some years ago he built for himself a pleasant and comfortable house, which he has since made his home. He is a member of the Sons of Amer- ica. In politics he is a Republican. He and his family are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.


Mr. Kramer married in 1875, Elizabeth, daughter of George and Rachel Burleigh, of South Canaan, and they are the parents of three children : Julia A., Rachel D. and Katherine J.


LESTER HARRIS, a well known and highly esteemed citizen of Dorranceton, was born at Dallas. Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, May 21. 1869, and traces his ancestry to Elijah Harris, who removed from Orange county, New York, about 1769, locating at Forty Fort, Penn- sylvania, where he owned a vast tract of what was then considered worthless land. He was a native of Connecticut, one of the first pioneers in the valley, and took an active part in the encoun- ters with the Indians.


Charles Harris, son of Elijah Harris, was born in Orange county, New York, 1768, and was one year old when his father removed to Luzerne county. He was a stonemason by occu-


pation, and also devoted considerable attention: to farming, carrying on his operations on Harris. Hill, where about 1800 he purchased two hun- dred acres of land in its natural state, seventy acres of which he cleared during his lifetime. He married Martha Pierce, a native of Kingston township, and they reared a family of nine chil- dren. Charles Harris died in 1864, aged ninety- six years.


Hiram Harris; son of Charles and Martha (Pierce) Harris, was born September 8, 1807, reared and educated in Kingston township, on Harris Hill. He always resided on the old. homestead, which comprised one hundred and twenty-five acres of fertile land, and he confined his attention exclusively to farming. He was an active and leading member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which body he held the offices of trustee and class-leader. He was a Republican in politics. In 1832 he married Mary Heft, daughter of Daniel and Lizzie Heft, and three children were born to them, two of whom were Elias and Lyman. In 1852 he married for his second wife Mary Atherholt, daughter of Christian and Kate Atherholt, issue, two chil- dren : Lyman and Milton.


Lyman Harris, son of Hiram and Mary ( Heft) Harris, was born in Kingston township, September 22, 1837. He was educated in Lu- zerne county, and followed farming until Sep- tember 9. 1862, when he enlisted in Company G, One Hundred and Forty-third Pennsylvania Volunteers, First Corps, Third Division, which was under the command of Colonel Reynolds. He was severely wounded and later taken a pris- oner at the battle of the Wilderness, and subse- quently his limb was amputated on the battle field. After being kept a prisoner for about four months he was paroled, and he remained at An- napolis, Maryland, until January 24, 1865, when. he received his discharge. For eight years fol- lowing his return home he engaged in the har- ness business at Dallas, and then removed to Luzerne, where he conducted a general harness store. He is a stanch Republican in politics, and a member of the Grand Army of the Republic and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He- married, July 4, 1868, Catherine Hoover, daugh- ter of Jacob and Jane (De Long) Hoover, the former a native of New Jersey, the latter of Pennsylvania. Two children were born of this union : Lester, mentioned hereinafter: and Walter.


.


Lester Harris received a practical education in the public schools of Wilkes-Barre, and this


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enabled him to enter intelligently upon an active business career. He first entered the employ of Thomas Waddell & Co. as clerk and served four years ; the following three and a half years he was connected with S. H. Kress & Co .; for a similar period of time he was employed by A. O. Lemeris & Co., shippers of grain, and from then to the present time ( 1906) has been con- nected with the firm of John B. Yeager & Co., shippers of grain. Mr. Harris is a man of intel- ligence and thought, and enjoys the full confi- dence of his fellow citizens.


Mr. Harris married, September 23, 1891, Es- tella May Knarr, daughter of William and Mar- garet (Diehl) Knarr, of Luzerne borough, whose family consisted of four children, as follows : Abraham, born January 21, 1867, a mechanic at Luzerne; he married Susie McGuire, who bore him one child, Maud, born January 15, 1902. Estella May, born December 25, 1869, mentioned above as the wife of Mr. Harris. Elizabeth, born August 31, 1873, died December 17, 1891. George, born September 24, 1877, married Edith Alleger, who bore him two chilldren: Sterling, born September 2, 1903. died March 4, 1904, and Willard, born February 4, 1905. William Knarr, father of these children, was born in Luzerne county, was a farmer by occupation, and served all through the Civil war in Company A, One Hundred and Forty-third Regiment ; he was taken prisoner and confined for twenty-two months in Andersonville prison, during which long period he suffered all the tortures and cruel- ties inflicted upon its inmates. The family of Mr. and Mrs. Harris consisted of six children : Percival Raymond, born July 23, 1892; Eliza- beth, born May 15. 1894; Harold, born Septem- ber 2, 1896, died January 13, 1899 ; Russell, born August 12, 1898, died January 31, 1899; How- ard, born September 23, 1901; Carlos, born April 3, 1904, died May 22, 1904.


RUFUS J. FOSTER, vice-president of the International Textbook Company, and proprie- tor of the International Correspondence Schools, has been actively connected with that institution from its founding, and to him is due a large share of honor for its successful establishment.


Mr. Foster was born in Minersville, Schuyl- kill county, Pennsylvania, October 10, 1856, a son of Clement S. and Rebecca (McCamant) Foster, and comes of colonial and Revolutionary stock on both sides. He is a lineal descendant of Reginald Foster, who emigrated from Kent, England, and settled at Ipswich, Massachusetts,


in 1638, and of Thomas and Daniel Foster, both of whom fought as officers in the American army during the Revolution, the former being one of the Ipswich Minute Men at the Battle of Lex- ington. On the maternal side. Mlr. Foster is of Scotch-Irish stock and a direct descendant of Alexander McCamant, who came to this country in 1725 and settled in Lancaster county, Penn- sylvania, in 1730, and of his grandson. James McCamant, who served as a captain in General Wayne's division of the Pennsylvania line during the Revolution. His maternal grandfather. Dr. John McCamant, was surgeon in charge of the- York hospital during the war of 1812. He also served as a member of the Pennsylvania legisla- ture and was one of the strongest supporters of the original public school law of Pennsylvania. He was the Democratic opponent of James Buch- anan when the latter was the Whig candidate for congress in the Lancaster-York district, but was defeated by the narrow margin of twenty-seven votes.


Rufus J. Foster was educated in the public and private schools of Ashland, Pennsylvania, and at the age of eighteen years was graduated from the high school of that town. He entered the engineering department of the Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company in 1874. and continued with that company until the fall of 1887, when he resigned to associate him -. self with his cousin, Mr. Thomas J. Foster,. in the publication of the Colliery Engineer, now known as Mines and Minerals, which publica- tion was moved to Scranton in 1888. Under the direction of Mr. Foster, Mines and Min- erals was developed into the most widely cir -. culated mining periodical in the world. In 1890, in conjunction with Mr. Thomas J. Foster, he assisted in the formation of the first department of the International Correspondence Schools, and has since been continuously connected with the International Textbook Company, in which he holds the position of vice-president, having previously filled the position of president. Mr. Foster has been an active member of the Scran- ton Board of Trade for the past sixteen years. He is a member of the American Institute of Mining Engineers ; of the Engineers' Club of Scranton ; of the Franklin Institute of Philadelphia ; an as- sociate member of the American Society of Me- chanical Engineers ; and an honorary member of the Mining Institute of Western Pennsylvania. Mr. Foster is also a member of the various branches of the Masonic fraternity, of the Scran- ton Club, of the New England Society of North-


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THE WYOMING AND LACKAWANNA VALLEYS.


eastern Pennsylvania, and of the Pennsylvania Society Sons of the Revolution, in which he is a member of the committee on landmarks of the Revolution, monuments and memorials.


In 1884 Mr. Foster married Jennie Bennett Taylor, youngest daughter of the late Joseph F. Taylor, of Minersville, Pennsylvania, one of the pioneer coal operators of the Schuylkill region, and of this marriage was born a son: Joseph Taylor Foster, who is now ( 1905) a sophomore in Yale University.


FRANCIS ASBURY WHITEMAN, M. D., a practicing physician of Wilkes-Barre, was born in Lehman Center, Luzerne county, Pennsylva- nia, January 24, 1872. He is a descendant in the fourth generation of John Whiteman, who appears to have been the American ancestor of the family, so far as present records indicate.


Jolın Whiteman, afore-mentioned, of English ancestry, was born August 18, 1772. He moved from Reading, Pennsylvania, to Fishing Creek township, Northumberland county, where in 1803 he owned a farm, situated between Fishing Creek and West Creek. In 1810 he moved to Lehman, Pennsylvania, where he engaged in farming. July 9, 1813, the family removed to Luzerne county. He married Nancy Jackson, who bore him the following children: Mary, born December 27, 1795, died May 28, 1880. She was the wife of Jonah Rogers, issue: Jack- son, Stephen, John, Nancy, Catherine and Emily. Daniel Jackson, mentioned hereinafter. Hannah, born November 8, 1799, died July 12, 1850. She was the wife of David Wetherby. (See Wether- by Family.) Jemimalı, born February 21, 1803, died May 28, 1880. She was the wife of Benja- min Wolf, issue: Susan, who married Cyrus Ide. Jane, born September 25, 1805, died June 26, 1873. She was the wife of Joseph Headen, issue : Frances ; Nelson, who served in the Civil war; Arthur, who also served in the Civil war : and Adelaide. Harriet, born March 21, 1810, died April 17, 1826. Elizabeth, born July 17, 1822, married Benjamin Ide, moved to Mis- souri. John Whiteman, father of these children, died May 8, 1827.


Daniel Jackson Whiteman, only son of John and . Nancy ( Jackson) Whiteman, was born in Fishing Creek township, November 12, 1797, died January 22, 1886. He was about sixteen years old when his parents removed from Nor- thumberland county to Luzerne county. He was by trade a carpenter and joiner and a farmer by chief occupation. He received a good education


for those days, and was a man of sound judg- ment. He belonged to the Order of Odd Fel- lows. He married (first) Rebecca De Remer, from Washington, New Jersey. born June 24, 1801, died May 8, 1827. He married ( second) March 24, 1836, Eleanor Cole De Remer, a cousin of Rebecca De Remer, born August 25, 1812, died June 8, 1885. Eleanor Cole De Remer Whiteman was a daughter of Richard De Reamer, who was born near Asbury, New Jer- sey, February 23, 1786, and who served as cap- tain in the American army during the war of 1812-15. His father was Abraham De Reamer, of French birth and parentage, who came to this country at an early day. Abraham De Reamer's wife was Maria Vanderbeck, said to be a de- scendant of Aneke Jans, for whom the claim is made that he was once the owner of a consider- able portion of the lower part of the city of New York, including the property so many years owned by the wealthy corporation of Trinity Church. Abraham De Reamer was a cabinet maker and also built spinning wheels. His shop near Asbury was destroyed by the enemy's sol- diers during the Revolutionary war. Eleanor Cole De Remer's maternal grandfather was Ben- jamin Cole, owner of an early grist mill near Newark, New Jersey. Richard De Reamer mar- ried Anna Cole, about 1805, and their children were: Elizabeth, born August 7, 1806; Mary, born May 28, 1807; Peter. born October 27. 1808, died November 1, 1808; Benjamin, born January 7, 1810, died September 19, 1819; Elea- nor Cole, afore-mentioned as the second wife of Daniel Jackson Whiteman.


One child was the issue of the marriage of Daniel Jackson and Rebecca (De Remer) White- man, namely: Milo, born October 7, 1826, mar- . ried Ann Samons, who bore him several children. He moved out west. The following children were born to Daniel Jackson and Eleanor Cole (De Remer) Whiteman: I. Henry (Harry) P., born in Lehman, September 30, 1831, died March 7, 1883. He served through the Civil war, was blacksmith of Company D, Eleventh Pennsylvania Cavalry. He married Ada Brit- tain, of Columbia, Pennsylvania, October II. 1855, issue: William D., born May 12, 1865; Elbert Llewellyn, born February 12, 1862, mar- ried Lulu Crawford, April, 1886. He is a mem- ber of the firm of Walter Hance &. Co., of Wilkes-Barre. Elnora F., born June 7, 1871 ; and Flora, born October 8, 1873. 2. Nancy, born March 15, 1833, died August 7, 1852. 3. Richard Alonzo. born October 8, 1840, died No-


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vember 5, 1897. He was a merchant at Lehman Center, and was there postmaster from 1868 to 1899. He was the treasurer of Luzerne county from January, 1885, to 1888. He belonged to the orders of Odd Fellows, Masons and Knights Templar. He married Sarah Hunter, of Dallas, October 26, 1865, issue: Ella May, born Octo- ber 23, 1866, and Georgia Maud, born October 15, 1874. 4. Jemimah, born April 4, 1842, died January 27, 1854. 5. Annis Brown, born Jan- uary 15, 1844, married Samuel Roberts Ferrel, a descendant of Jabez Roberts, one of the original settlers of Wyoming Valley (one of the forty Connecticut families). Issue: Lewis Dora, born December 1, 1863, married Eva Jackson, Octo- ber 14, 1889, issue: Anna, born September 9, 1890; Fred, born May 31, 1892, deceased ; and Henry, born October 31, 1902. Ida Irene, born October 21, 1866, married William Herbert, Oc- tober II, 1892, issue: Donald Guthrie Herbert, born August 11, 1893. 6. Margaret Ann, born March 28, 1847, married George J. Major, of Lehman, issue: Eva Blanche, born October 2, 1869, died March 29, 1890; married Walter Ide, February, 1889, now deceased, issue: Floyd, born March 28, 1890; Claribel, born January II, 1872, married Bert Rice, 1890, issue : Alfred, born September 22, 1890; George, born July 13, 1894; Ruth, born June 28, 1901 ; and John, born April 5, 1903. Robert D., born October 29, 1872, married Sadie Johnson, issue: Cora, born 1897; Leslie, born 1900, deceased; Russel, born 1898, deceased ; and Myrtle, born 1903. George, born April 15, 1882, married Margaret Lamer- aux, issue : Dorothy, born August 5, 1891, and Nellie Grace, born October 22, 1880. 7. Stephen Jackson, born March 8, 1849.


Stephen Jackson Whiteman, youngest son and child of Daniel Jackson and Eleanor Cole (De Remer) Whiteman, was born in Lehman, Pennsylvania, March 8, 1849. He was brought up on a farm at Lehman, was a wheelwright at Lehman for a few years, and moved to Wilkes- Barre, in 1873, where he engaged in the retail grocery business. In 1876 he entered into part- nership with Ira M. Kirkendall and William Penn Kirkendall and they conducted a retail gro- cery business for a number of years under the name of Kirkendall & Whiteman. Later it be- came the firm of Whiteman & Patterson, and in 1888 they went into the wholesale grocery busi- ness. They built up a lucrative business, but in 1904 the partnership was dissolved. Mr. White- man then went into business with his eldest son


in the wholesale stationery firm of H. A. White- man & Co. He married, January 28, 1869, Lydia_ Ann Major, born May 21, 1848. George J. Ma- jor, who married Margaret Ann Whiteman, and Lydia Ann Major, above-mentioned, are de- scendants of one of Lehman township's oldest. and best known families, having lived in that lo- cality for eighty years. The progenitors of this family were from Yorkshire, England, and came: to America in 1821. They were Thomas Major and his wife Mary Brinton. They first rented a farm in Wyoming, but at the end of about a year purchased three hundred acres of land at Lehman Center, and removed there with their- family of seven sons and four daughters. The sons were : Thomas, John, William, Robert, Frank, David and George. The daughters were: Mary, Rebecca, Ellen and Elizabeth. These chil- dren grew to maturity, married, and raised comparatively large families. The first and sec- ond generations of the sons were . farmers and lumbermen ; the second, third and fourth gener- ations have included farmers, mechanics, lum- bermen, merchants and railroad men, but in all generations the family has been noted for thrift and industry, and several substantial fortunes. are now possessed by its representatives.




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