USA > Pennsylvania > Historic homes and institutions and genealogical and personal memoirs of the Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania Vol. I > Part 78
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Mr. Shimer married Maria Reigle, daughter of John and Mary (Kauffman) Reigle, who were among the pioneer settlers of Northampton county, Pennsylvania, locating in that vicinity between the years 1742 and 1743. Two children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Shimer: I. Clayton L., who married Caroline L. Levis, a daughter of Aaron Levis, of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania, and the issue of this union was six children- Levis, Emily, Ruth, Conrad, Laura, and Henry Shimer. 2. Ella, wife of Milton Person, of Le- high county, Pennsylvania. Mr. Shimer is an upright, conscientious and public-spirited man, and has faithfully performed the duties of hus- band, father and citizen.
WILLIAM EARNEST BALL. Among the younger men of Hellertown, Pennsylvania, who are at the same time enterprising business men and energetic citizens, William Earnest Ball easily holds a foremost place. His grandfather, Aaron Ball, settled in Richland, Pennsylvania, and married a Miss Foulke, a direct descendant of William and Eleanor Foulke, who were among the early settlers of the Province of Penn, having about the year 1690 made their home at Gwynedd, Montgomery county.
Aaron and - (Foulke) Ball, were the parents of a son, William, who married Sarah Shaw, of Richland, Pennsylvania. Their son Ellwood received a liberal education and became a druggist, being fully equipped by a thorough course of training for that occupation. He estab- lished at Hellertown a business which, being
conducted on the sure basis of scientific knowl- edge, guided and controlled by forethought and prudence, is still in active operation. In politics Mr. Ball was a Republican. His church connec- tions were with the Moravians. He married, April 4, 1871, in Philadelphia, Sally, daughter of John and Eliza Todd, of Salem, New Jersey. The former was a native of Wales, whence he emigrated to the United States, making his home first in Philadelphia. Mr. and Mrs. Ball were the parents of a son, William Earnest, mentioned at length hereinafter. The death of Mr. Ball re- moved from the community in which he had so long resided a thoroughly useful and hon- orable man, admirable in all the relations of life.
William Earnest Ball, son of Ellwood and Sally (Todd) Ball, was born April 15, 1874, in Hellertown, and received his education in the public schools of his birthplace. Deciding, when the time came for him to make his choice of an occupation, to adopt as his life work, the busi- ness in which his father had been so successful, he entered the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, from which he graduated in 1895, and imme- diately thereafter engaged in the drug business in Philadelphia. His father, until his death, con- ducted the business which he had years before established in Hellertown, and which was con- sequently left at his decease without a proprietor. Mr. Ball thereupon returned to Hellertown and took charge of the business, which he has since conducted with the most gratifying results, pos- sessing, in addition to business ability, the scien- tific tastes necessary to insure success in his call- ing, and the mental discipline and discretion in- dispensable to one holding so responsible a posi- tion. While bestowing untiring attention on his duties as a druggist, Mr. Ball does not allow his sphere of thought and action to be bounded by the limitations of his profession, but takes an active interest in township affairs. Although he has never yet held any public office, the influence of his zeal and enterprise in all matters pertain- ing to the reform of abuses and the advance- ment of the cause of right is felt and acknowl- edged. His political affiliations are with the Re- publicans. In the social life of the community
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Mr. Ball is no less deeply interested, and is counted an important factor. Since 1898 he has been connected with the Masonic order, having in that year been initiated, passed and raised in Hellertown Lodge, No. 563, F. and A. M. He has held the offices of junior and senior warden, and is now master of the lodge. He also belongs to Zinzinborg Chapter, R. A. M., Allen Com- mandery, K. T., Rajah Temple, Mystic Shrine, and Saucana Lodge, I. O. O. F., Hellertown. In this last named organization he holds the of- fice of past noble grand. His religious connec- tions are with the Society of Friends, at the meet- ings of which he is an attendant. Mr. Ball is re- garded as a man who has already accomplished much, but of whom still greater achievements are expected in the future.
WEISS. The Weiss family, of German ori- gin, was founded in America probably some time before the middle of the eighteenth century. The original emigrant settled in Philadelphia, and was a prominent physician there in colonial days. He became an ardent supporter of the American cause in the war of the Revolution.
His son, Colonel Jacob Weiss, was born in Philadelphia in 1751, where he was educated for a surveyor. He entered the Continental army in the first command of Philadelphia volunteers, under Captain Cadwalader. He served with dis- tinction in the struggle for American independ- ence and, at the earnest solicitation of General Mifflin, then acting as quartermaster-general to whom he had served an apprenticeship in the mer- cantile line, and who knew him to be a trusty and efficient accountant, was appointed deputy quartermaster-general, serving first under Gen- eral Mifflin, and afterward under General Greene, in which position he remained until General Greene took command of the southern army. Throughout that perilous period he was almost constantly attached to and followed the various and unexpected movements of the main army, which proved a very harassing and arduous ser- vice. By the advice of General Greene, who held him in great affection, he accepted the appoint- ment of assistant deputy quartermaster-general
at Easton, for the county of Northampton, in the autumn of 1780, and continued to act in that ca- pacity until the close of the war. In 1785, fol- lowing the close of the war, he settled upon a tract of land which had been purchased from the Moravians, on the Lehigh river, north of the Blue mountains. He was a scientist and geolo- gist, and the utilization of anthracite coal as a fuel is due to him. In 1791 anthracite coal was discovered, and Colonel Jacob Weiss took the first specimens of that fuel to Philadelphia, sub- mitting it for inspection. The Lehigh river, with its unimproved condition and the mountainous character of the country between the coal beds and the distant market, seemed to present insur- mountable obstacles to any attempt to place the coal before the public. Hardly anything larger than a canoe could be made to float upon the river because of its rocky bed and swift current. Colonel Weiss, notwithstanding the inauspicious outlook, determined that the coal should at least be introduced to convince the public of its value, and ox-teams were therefore brought into requi- sition and several loads were hauled across the mountains to Mahoning, and thence to Fort Al- len. Colonel Weiss would fill his saddle bags with the despised substance, and ride out among the blacksmiths in the country and earnestly solicit them to give the coal a trial. A few ac- cepted the proffered gift and used it with par- tial success, while others threw it aside as soon as the Colonel was out of sight, with the remark that he must be crazy, but time proved the cor- rectness of his judgment as to the value of the discovery.
Colonel Weiss was a man of liberal education, strong mind and remarkable memory, and pos- sessed a most generous and kindly disposition. He had the misfortune to be deprived of his eye- sight about twenty years before his death, and he also became extremely deaf, but he bore his af- fliction with the quiet resignation which always marks the strong, self-reliant character. He died at Weissport, January 9, 1839, in the eighty- ninth year of his age, and was buried in the graveyard on the hill. He had married Eliza- beth Robinson, and their children numbered four :
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Francis, born in Philadelphia, March 7, 1773, died March 5, 1845 ; Rebecca, born April 9, 1774, was married to William Hartfield and died in Bethlehem, February 14, 1845; Jacob, born Au- gust 18, 1775 ; and Thomas, born in Philadelphia, August 29, 1776, and died in Weissport, April 23, 1847.
Thomas Weiss spent his early years in Naza- reth and Easton. After attending school at the former place for a number of years, he took charge of his father's farming and lumbering interests. He was an energetic and enterprising citizen, and was active in promoting a number of the important public enterprises of his day. He commended the public-school system to the farmers of his locality, putting forth every effort in his power in behalf of public education, but met with considerable opposition among the Ger- man residents of the locality, who did not favor that method of instructing the young. After the completion of the Lehigh canal, Mr. Weiss, in connection with his brother, Francis, laid out the town of Weissport.
Thomas Weiss married Maria Solt, and they had eight children. Rebecca, the eldest, married Dr. John D. Thompson, and her chil- dren were Louise, wife of Judge Dreyer, and Fanny.
Elizabeth (2) married Jacob Bowman, and their children were: Bishop Thomas Bowman, who married Diana Young ; Captain James Bow- man, who married Fanny Torborg; Wesley W. Bowman, who married Cenia Kuntz ; Ellen, wife of Perry Wanamacker ; and Sarah, wife of Hon. Levi Wirtz.
Lewis (3) married Mary Wentz, and after- ward Matilda Brotherline. By his first marriage he has six children. Charles, married El- len Moyer, and had two children-George, who married Miss Tureff, and Mary, de- ceased. Anna, second child of Lewis Weiss, married Charles Sweeny, and their children were Robert, who married Alice Crater; Harry, who married Anna Patterson; and Sa- rah, deceased. Harriet, third child of Lewis Weiss, married William Romig, of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and their children are: Albert,
who married Carrie Dorney; Minnie, wife of Harry Lynn, by whom she has three children, William, Harry and Donald; and Mary, wife of John Angeny, by whom she has three children, John, Harriet and Mary. Sarah, fourth child of Lewis Weiss, became the wife of Hon. Andrew Raudenbush, and their children are Horace, who married Grace Doran, and has three children, Esther, Earl and Helen; Charles; and Ralph, who married Edith Dilly, of Wilkes-Barre, Penn- sylvania. Milton, fifth child of Lewis Weiss, married Edna Hegeman, and their children are Ellen, who is the wife of James Runyon, and the mother of one child, Margaret Runyon; and Catherine, wife of Theodore Cramp Webster, of the United States Army. Emily, the sixth child, died in. infancy. By his second wife Lewis Weiss had two children, Clarence and Carrie.
Charles Weiss (4) died in Michigan, No- vember 30, 1839.
Julia, (5) died in Weissport, Pennsylvania, January 2, 1818.
Francis (6), married Elizabeth Koons. They have had eleven children : Mary and Helen, both deceased; Mrs. Rebecca Schmaltz ; Thomas, who was born at Summit Hill, Carbon county, Pennsylvania, April 17, 1847; Caroline, wife of George Myers; Francis, who married, but his wife is now de- ceased ; John, deceased; William H., who mar- ried Marie, daughter of Amos Lentz, and has one child, William Lentz, born December 4, 1879; Catherine; Louis, deceased; and Harry E.
Edward (7) married Polly Kleppinger, and had one child, Priscilla. His second wife was Henrietta Steckel, and he died August 6, 1866. He had eight children by his second marriage. I. Ellen J., who became the wife of Nathan Laffler, now deceased, and their children are: Edward F., and William, deceased. 2. Edward J., who married Jennie Hammond. 3. Webster C., further mentioned in following pages. 4. Elizabeth C., deceased, who was the wife of A. T. Koch, by whom she had a daughter, Bessie Koch. 5. John O., who married Emma Reber, and their children are: Julius and Merrill. 6. Jennie A., who became the wife of John Williams,
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now deceased, and their children were: Norman, and Nona ; by her second husband, Milton Head- man, she has one child, Paul Headman. 7. Bar- dine. 8. Harry G., deceased.
Alexander Weiss (8) married Elizabeth Greene, of Easton, Pennsylvania. They had five children, Charles, Camillas, Thomas, Frederick and Robert. Mrs. Weiss is now deceased. Alex- ander Weiss was the youngest of the children of Thomas and Maria (Solt) Weiss.
THOMAS WEISS, a son of Francis and Elizabeth (Koons) Weiss, was born at Summit Hill, Carbon county, Pennsylvania, April 17, 1847. When he was ten years of age his par- ents removed to Eckley, where he resided until attaining years of maturity.
His early studies were pursued in Saunders' private school, and afterward he entered the mili- tary school at West Philadelphia, there remain- ing for five years. He graduated from the acad- emy with honor, after which he assisted his fa- ther in the management of the mines. For a period of two years he was employed by George Rickert in repairing the pumps under ground, and later took charge of the breakers. Leaving this, he formed a company of state militia, the Luzerne Zouaves, of which he was made captain, and during the reign of the "Molly McGuires" and other troubles of that period the company rendered excellent service. In 1870, almost thir- ty-five years ago, Mr. Weiss located in Bethle- hem, and in the southern part of the city estab- lished a manufactory for shovels, scoops and spades, which under his excellent management grew to extensive proportions, the trade increas- ing in volume and importance during each suc- ceeding year. Subsequently he disposed of this enterprise and turned his attention almost wholly to the breeding of fine horses, being an authority on this subject, and he is now one of the very few men of the United States who are so fa- miliar with the best specimens of horses and their history that they can tabulate their genealogy from memory. On his East End Farm, which he has since sold, he reared a number of noted horses, among which were "Sable King," "Silver
Bell," "Condensation," "Alchemy," "Charming Bell," and "Electioneer," all of which were of the finest breeds, being of the Wilkes strain. Mr. Weiss was the originator and first president of the Bethlehem Fair and Driving Park Associa- tion, but declined the honor of re-election to the presidency. In 1893 he organized the Gentle- men's Driving Club and was appointed its presi- dent, in which capacity he is still serving. The club has from two to three races a year, and num- bers among its members many of the prominent citizens and business men. He was a corres- pondent for eastern Pennsylvania for John H. Wallace, the originator of the "Horse Register," serving for several years. He exerts his influ- ence in behalf of the Republican party, the prin- ciples of which he has always believed to be for the best form of government, and in every re- spect he has proved himself a public-spirited citi- zen, upholding the best interests of his fellow- townsmen. Mr. Weiss is connected with the Masonic order, affiliated with the Royal Arch and the Council, and with Hugh DePayens Com- mandery, Knights Templar, of Easton.
Mr. Weiss was united in marriage in New York city, in 1874, to Miss Amelia A. Meyer, a native of that city, and five children were born to them, namely : Thomas, Jr., J. Bernard, Wil- helmina, Esther, and Alexander, who died in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Weiss are members of the Episcopal church, and are liberal contribu- tors to the work connected therewith. The fam- ily reside in a commodious and pleasant home at the corner of Linden and Market streets, Bethlehem.
WILLIAM H. WEISS, who is now leading a retired life at his home in Bethlehem, sur- rounded with peace and plenty and realizing to the full that there is no reward so satisfactory as the consciousness of a life well spent, was born at Eckley, Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, September 17, 1856, a son of Francis and Eliza- beth (Koons) Weiss.
He attended the schools in the vicinity of his · home, and the knowledge thus obtained was sup- plemented by attendance at the Moravian day
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school in Bethlehem, whither he removed in 1870; by a two years' course at Rondthaler School, and by a four years' course in the acad- emy at Lawrenceville, New Jersey, from which institution he was graduated in 1876. Upon his return home he continued his studies for two years longer under the preceptorship of George Perkins, thus becoming thoroughly qualified to face and overcome the many obstacles that beset a man in a successful business career. At first he engaged in general merchandising at Bingen, Northampton county, but the following year disposed of the same and conducted a general store on Broad street, which he also conducted for a similar period of time before disposing of it. He then accepted a position as bookkeeper for the Lehigh Manufacturing Company, contin- uing with that firm until the business was closed up at the decease of his father. In 1889 Mr. Weiss retired from active business, his income from his investments and from his share of his father's estate, being adequate to supply his every need and requirements. He devotes consider- able time and attention to the breeding of thor- oughbred dogs, having been the owner of several very fine specimens, among them being "Sir Tat- ton," an English setter. Mr. Weiss is deeply interested in the welfare of his community, and has always been a potent factor in all movements which would enhance its material, educational and moral prosperity. He casts his vote with the Republican party, and holds membership in the Order of Red Men and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.
In 1879 Mr. Weiss was united in marriage in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, to Miss Mary Louisa Lentz, who was born in Mauch Chunk, Pennsyl- vania, daughter of Amos Lentz, a railroad con- tractor. They are the parents of one son, Wil- liam L. Their home, which is noted for the ut- most hospitality, is situated at No. 328 Broad street, Bethlehem. The family hold membership in Trinity Episcopal church.
MAJOR WEBSTER CLAY WEISS, son of Edward and Henrietta (Steckel) Weiss, was born September 23, 1853, in Weissport, Carbon
county, Pennsylvania, and was there reared and educated. He attended school during the winter · months only. At twelve years of age he was thrown on his own resources, as he was deprived by death of his father's care, and afterwards he and his brother were obliged to support the fam- ily. He commenced his business career by driv- ing mules on the gravel bank for the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company. He worked his way from this lowly position to that of boating agent for the company with which he had been con- nected since boyhood. In 1885 he resigned his position to accept that of sales-agent for the wholesale coal firm of Whitney & Kemmerer, taking charge of their Mauch Chunk office, which position he resigned in 1899.
The political career of Mr. Weiss has been marked. When only twenty-one years of age he was placed on the Republican ticket for auditor and was elected by a handsome majority. Three years later when only twenty-four years of age, he was nominated for justice of the peace and after a severe contest was elected by a flattering majority. A few years later he was nominated for school director and was again elected, became the secretary of the board and in this capacity advised the board to adopt a uniform system of text-books and pay for the same out of the dis- trict treasury. This was done and his arrest fol- lowed for misappropriation of public funds. He was indicted by the grand jury on this charge, but the late Judge Dreher decided in his favor and since then the state has provided for free text-books. Mr. Weiss was the first Republi- can State Representative of the House ever elected from Northampton county on a straight ticket and was the only successful candidate on the ticket in 1894, the year of his election. He was re-nominated in the fall of 1896, and re-elected by a largely increased majority, notwithstanding the fact that the county gave a Democratic ma- jority for the Presidential electors.
Major Weiss served on several very import- ant committees, prominent among them being the Educational and the Appropriation. Among the important bills introduced by Mr. Weiss was, one calling for an appropriation of $40,000 for St.
U.S. V.
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Luke's Hospital. He secured $25,000, which was an increase of $17,000 over what had been voted the hospital prior to Mr. Weiss's election. Another bill was that calling for an appropria- tion of $200,000 for Lehigh University. The University was in financial straits and would have suffered very materially had not the State come to the rescue. $150,000 was appropriated, and Mr. Weiss is held in grateful remembrance for his untiring energy in pushing this measure.
Major Weiss served with distinction in the volunteer service during the Spanish-American war, having been appointed a paymaster with the rank of Major, by President Mckinley, June 13, 1898. This appointment was promptly con- firmed by the United States Senate. He served until the close of the volunteer campaign and was honorably discharged June 13, 1899. Dur- ing his service he was stationed as the resident paymaster in several of the large camps. His work was severe and responsible, disbursing $1,812,000.00 and accounting for every dollar, no charges for errors nor loss of funds standing against him in the Paymaster's Departments. So efficient were his services that General Stanton, Paymaster-general of the U. S. Army, wrote to United States Senator M. S. Quay as follows : "Major Weiss has proven himself to be a very valuable officer and well worthy of your recom- mendation, and it gives me pleasure to say that in making Major Weiss paymaster of volunteers, you exercised good, sound judgment, and he has proven himself worthy of your confidence. He is made of the right kind of material, and I hope we may retain him."
Major Weiss did not wish an appointment in the regular army, but returned home at the close of the volunteer movement, and resumed his po- sition with Whitney & Kemmerer, having been transferred to the Carbon Iron & Steel Co. as sales agent, of which company Mr. Kemmerer was president.
Major Weiss resigned this position in the fall of 1899 and devoted all of his time to the Penn- sylvania State Jurisdiction of the Royal Ar- canum, having been elected to the office of grand regent at Pittsburg in May, 1899. He was so
successful in building up the order in the state, and in increasing its membership that he was pre- vailed upon to accept the office of state secretary at the biennial session of the Grand Council held at Gettysburg in 1901.' He was unanimously re- elected at Wilkes-Barre in 1903, and is devoting all his time to the interest of the fraternity. He has beautifully furnished offices at Bethlehem where with able assistants he keeps in close touch with the 300 councils, divided into 75 districts, representing 5,000 officers, and a membership of 40,000, with $75,000,000.00 of insurance pro- tection in force in the state. He founded the Keystone Arcanian, the official organ of the State Jurisdiction and has continued its editor to this day. He is held in high esteem in his home and by the order which he represents. As an orator and after-dinner speaker he has few equals in fraternal circles, and few men are more widely known in the state than he, having within the past five years traveled more than 50,000 miles through the state, delivering upwards of five hundred addresses and participating in more than one hundred and fifty banquets. The press of the state has paid him high tributes as instance that voiced by the Braddock Daily News in the following notice of his visit to that city: "Mr. Weiss is an eloquent orator ; a man of splendid attainments, and is most at home on the plat- form, when presenting the great principles of the Royal Arcanum. The work which he is doing can not be measured by human mind and must be fruitful of great results, not only to the Royal Arcanum Brotherhood, but to other kindred or- ganizations as well, and the name of Webster C. Weiss will ever shine among the galaxy of men who have labored for the good of 'Brother man.'"
The marriage of Webster C. Weiss was cele- brated in Weissport in 1874 with Miss Hattie E., daughter of the late John Adam and Mary A. Schnayberger. Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Weiss: Ilerda E., further men- tioned hereinafter; Lilly L. and Claire G., de- ceased.
Miss Ilerda Ethelda Weiss, daughter of Major Webster C. Weiss, died December 14, 1903, and the distressing event evoked from the
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