History of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, Part 108

Author: Bell, Herbert C. (Herbert Charles), 1868- ed; John, J. J., 1829-
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Chicago, Brown, Runk
Number of Pages: 1424

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THOMAS J. HORAN, book-keeper, was born at Minersville, Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania, March 22, 1845, son of Michael and Maria (McDer- mott) Horan, natives of County Galway, Ireland. He was reared and received his education in his native county, and began life as clerk in the office of the superintendent of the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad Com- pany, which position he filled one year. On his father's election as sheriff he was appointed deputy, which office he held three years, and at the expira- tion of this time he read law one year with John W. Ryon, of Pottsville. In 1862 Mr. Horan enlisted in the first nine months' service, in Company K, One Hundred and Thirty-seventh Pennsylvania Volunteers. From 1871 to 1877 he acted as book-keeper for railroad contractors, engaged in the con- struction of railroads, after which he removed to Kansas, where he was engaged in the same business three years. He located at Mt. Carmel in 1881, since which time he has held his present position. February 5, 1880, he married Martha C., daughter of Frederick G. Walbridge, of Kansas City.

Respectfully Bours Dámil & Boleh,

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In politics Mr. Horan is a Democrat, and one of the respected citizens of Mt. Carmel.

CHARLES K. MAURER, deceased, was born in Schuylkill county, Pennsyl- vania, in 1835, son of John K. and Catharine Maurer. He was reared upon the homestead farm and early engaged in butchering; in 1869 he located at Mt. Carmel and established the first meat market in that place, which he conducted until 1887, when he retired from business on account of failing health and removed to Shamokin, where his death occurred in February, 1889. Mr. Maurer was married in 1860 to Elmira, daughter of John Wolf- gang, of Schuylkill county, who survives him and resides with her son, Dr. J. M. Maurer, of Shamokin. Mr. Maurer's family consisted of six children, three of whom are living: J. M .; May, and Valeria, all of whom reside at Shamokin.

WILLIAM KIEFER, JR., was born in Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania, No- vember 9, 1859, son of William and Ladora Kiefer, natives of Germany. His father came to America in 1850 and located at Pottsville, where he learned the butcher trade, which he followed several years. In 1885 he removed to Mt. Carmel, where he still resides. He is the father of seven children: Alice, wife of Dr. A. W. Samuels; William; Anna, wife of Oscar Scott; Thomas; Mary; Mark, and Emma. The subject of our sketch was educated in the public schools of Schuylkill county, and learned the butch- er's trade with his father. In 1878 he located at Mt. Carmel in the employ of C. K. Maurer. October 20, 1885, he embarked in business for himself. Mr. Kiefer has been a successful business man, and in 1889 he erected a large three-story brick dwelling, on the first floor of which he has his meat market. He married, December 15, 1887, May, daughter of Peter and Lydia (Wolley) Eddy, of Shamokin, by whom he has two children: Ray and Will- iam. The family attend services at the Lutheran church; politically he is a Democrat.

WILLIAM W. KLEES was born near Fountain Springs, Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania, July 15, 1855, a son of Isaac and Ann (Stevens) Klees. His paternal grandfather, a native of France, was a drummer boy under General Lafayette in the war of the Revolution, and settled in the Wyoming region of Pennsylvania. His maternal grandfather was of English descent, a pio- neer of Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania, and at one time was owner of a large part of Frackville. The father of our subject resided for many years in Schuylkill county, and died at Girardville, where he reared a family of seven sons and two daughters. The subject of this sketch was reared in his native county, began life picking slate in the breaker when seven years of age, and afterward engaged in mining ten years, when he served an apprenticeship of two years at the butcher trade. He came to Mt. Carmel in 1881, where for seven years he was employed in the meat market of C. K. Moyer; he then purchased the business, which he has since successfully conducted. Mr.

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Klees married, December 12, 1883, Kate, daughter of John Tysher, of Mt. Carmel, and has two children: Anna and Della. He is a member of the K. of M. and P. O. S. of A., was elected to the borough council of Mt. Carmel in 1889, and, politically, is a Republican.

OSCAR J. ScorT, manufacturer and dealer in furniture, was born in Mt. Carmel township, Northumberland county, July 28, 1864, son of Thomas and Sarah A. (Gunsett) Scott, of this borough. He was reared in Mt. Carmel and received his education in the public schools. At the age of thirteen he began clerking in a general store, and followed that occupation five years. He afterwards served a three years' apprenticeship at the cabinet maker's trade. In the spring of 1885 he embarked in the furniture trade, and has built up a fair business. Mr. Scott was married, August 22, 1888, to Anna, daughter of William and Deborah (Zindel) Kiefer, of Mt. Carmel, who has borne him one son, Ralph. Mr. Scott is a member of the F. & A. M. and P. O. S. of A., and in politics he is a Republican.

REV. MARK A. O'NEILL, pastor of the Church of Our Lady, was born at King James Battery, County Roscommon, Ireland, in 1844, a son of John and Alice (Dunn) O'Neill. His father was a major in her Majesty's Royal Artillery. The subject of this sketch first studied for the army at the Royal College, Woolwich, England, and later studied three years at the Missionary College of All Hallows, Dublin. In 1866 he went to Rome to study for the priesthood, and remained four months at the Carmelite Convent. After spending two years at home he came to America, located at Windsor, On- tario, and taught in Sandwich College one year. He then came to German- town, Pennsylvania, joined the order of St. Lazarus, and was connected with Lazarus College nine months, after which he went to Philadelphia, where he was ordained to the priesthood, November 4, 1870, and was assigned as as- sistant of St. Joseph's church, Danville, Pennsylvania, serving in that capac- ity six months, after which he was pastor one year. In 1871 he was appointed pastor of St. Joseph's church, Milton, and St. Michael's church, Sunbury, which charges he filled four years, with residence at Milton. He was then assigned to charges at Lykens and Williamstown, Pennsylvania, and resided at Lykens thirteen years, where he built a parsonage, and also erected a church at Williamstown. In 1887 he took charge of the Church of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, and under his supervision the present fine church edifice was erected. This church has a membership of fifteen hundred, and under the pastorate of Father O'Neill, has grown rapidly.

REV. JEROME KLONOWSKI, pastor of St. Joseph's Catholic church, was born in West Prussia, February 28, 1862. He received a classical education in his native land, and came to America in 1879. He studied theology three years and a half at St. Vincent's College, Latrobe, Pennsylvania, and a year and a half at the Catholic Seminary on Sylvan Heights, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Shanahan,

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December 24, 1884, and was immediately appointed assistant of St. Stanislaus Catholic church at Shamokin, Pennsylvania. He remained in Shamokin until December 9, 1886, when he was appointed pastor of St. Joseph's church of Mt. Carmel, where he has since been located. Since coming to Mt. Carmel Father Klonowski has shown much energy, and made many improvements in the church property. He has fenced and painted the buildings, put in steam heating apparatus in both the residence and church, and has recently had the latter beautifully frescoed. He contemplates erecting a substantial brick school building, on the site of the present parochial school, in 1891, and is working hard for the spiritual and material interests of his congregation.

WILLIAM N. LEHMAN, superintendent of the Mt. Carmel public schools, was born in Tremont, Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania, December 1, 1853, son of John E. and Sarah H. (Cressman) Lehman. His paternal grandfather, Jacob Lehman, was a native of Schuylkill county, and of German descent. His maternal grandfather was born in Montgomery county, and for many years was a resident of Schuylkill. His father is a native of Schuylkill county and is now engaged in the boot and shoe business at Tremont, Pennsylvania. Professor Lehman obtained his early education at local common and select schools, and began teaching at the age of sixteen. From that time until the present he has been continuously engaged in educational work, with the exception of one year. For twelve consecutive terms he taught in his native town, rising from the lowest grade to the position of principal. He was elected to the superintendency at Mt. Carmel in 1882, and has per- formed the duties of this responsible position in a manner creditable to him- self and valuable to the community. On the 10th of July, 1871, he married Alice R., daughter of Amos and Lydia (Seltzer) Shirk, of Grantville, Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, and they are the parents of five children: Katie L .; John S .; Minnie G .; William C., and Emily. Mr. Lehman is a Republican in politics, and is connected with the P. O. S. of A. He is a member of the Lutheran church, in which he has served as superintendent of the Sunday school.

ELIJAH WHITE was born in England in 1832. His early days were spent in superintending machinery in the mines of Cornwall and Devonshire. He came to America in 1866, and worked as a miner and mine contractor and foreman of mines in the anthracite coal regions. He has filled several posi- tions of honor and trust in the borough of Mt. Carmel, and is a Republican in politics. Mr. White was married in his native land to Catharine New- combe, a native of England, who is the mother of six children. He is a Methodist in religious persuasion, and a member of the Order of Foresters, I. O. O. F., and K. of P.

ELIJAH E. WHITE, editor and school teacher, was born near the city of Plymouth, England, March 15, 1858, and is a son of Elijah and Catharine White, of Mt. Carmel. He came to America in 1869, and spent his early

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HISTORY OF NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY.

days in the coal mines near Mt. Carmel. He received his education in the common schools of that borough and at Elysburg Academy, also from private instructors. In 1874 he began newspaper work as correspondent for the Shamokin Herald and seven years later accepted the editorship of the Mt. Carmel News, which position he filled in an able and efficient manner until his retirement in 1891. In 1876 he was appointed a teacher in the Mt. Car- mel public schools, with which he has since been connected, and is now principal of the grammar school. In connection with his professional duties he is also engaged in the real estate business. He is a director of the Citizens' Building and Loan Association, clerk to the borough council, and notary public for the First National Bank. Mr. White was married in June, 1887, to Fannie, daughter of Tobias and Julia Bickel, of Mt. Carmel. One daugh- ter, Julia Catharine, has been born of this union. He is a Republican in politics, a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and is connected with the I. O. O. F. and Masonic fraternity.

GEORGE A. STECKER, postmaster, was born in Mt. Carmel, Pennsylvania, May 13, 1858, a son of A. F. and Mary A. (Beck) Stecker, natives of North- ampton and Schuylkill counties, Pennsylvania, respectively, who settled at Mt. Carmel in 1856, where the father was identified with the coal interests in different capacities, and for several years was postmaster. His family consisted of seven children: Charles Edward; William H .; George A .; Joseph O .; Mary E .; Ada, and Kate, Mrs. Frank Semmet. The subject of this sketch was reared and educated in his native town, began his business life in the collieries, and was engaged at mining engineering twelve years. In 1881 he married Alma E., daughter of Elijah and Catharine White, of Mt. Carmel, formerly of England, and has three children: Leon; Mabel, and Raymond. In politics Mr. Stecker is an active Republican; he was appointed postmaster of Mt. Carmel, August 17, 1889, and confirmed by the Senate, December 20, 1889.

JOSEPH DEPPEN, dealer in real estate, was born in Upper Mahanoy town- ship, Northumberland county, Pennsylvania, December 2, 1837, son of Abra- ham and Mary (Snyder) Deppen. His father is a farmer, and resides in Jackson township, this county. He is the father of six children, four of whom are living: Louisa, wife of Dr. Reuben Muth; George; Joseph, and Alexander. The subject of this sketch received a limited education in a school taught in a grist mill, situated in Dauphin county, close to the line of Northumberland; after attaining his majority he was engaged in the droving business three years, and afterwards in mercantile pursuits at Herndon nearly two years. In April, 1869, he removed to Mt. Carmel, where he was engaged in the hotel business fifteen years, being proprietor of the house now known as the Commercial. Mr. Deppen was one of the organizers of the Mt. Carmel Savings Bank, in which he is still a director. He was married, Sep- tember 7, 1867, to Lizzie, daughter of Jacob and Eve Elizabeth (Weiser)

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Hoffman, of Jordan township, Northumberland county. They are the parents of four children: Lizzie; Mary Ada, wife of Dr. F. D. Raker, of Shamokin; Joseph, and Gertrude. Mrs. Deppen has been a member of the Evangelical Lutheran church all her life, and November 2, 1890, her hus- band and four children united with that church. In politics Mr. Deppen is a Democrat, but has never taken a very active interest in political affairs.

WALTON H. MONTELIUS, dealer in real estate, was born in Curwensville, Pennsylvania, July 13, 1856, son of Alfred M. Montelius. He was reared and educated in Mt. Carmel, and subsequently took a course at Pierce's Commercial College of Philadelphia. He then became a partner of the firm of A. M. Montelius & Sons, merchants, in which he was interested three years, when the firm became Montelius, Righter & Company, in which our subject retained the position of manager. In November, 1887, he went to Slater, West Virginia, as secretary and vice-president of the Slater Creek Coal and Coke Company, with which he was connected until June, 1888. Returning to Mt. Carmel he afterwards entered the real estate business with headquarters at Charleston, West Virginia, in which he has since been engaged. Mr. Montelius was married, September 17, 1879, to Alice M., daughter of Abraham Gates, of Curwensville, Pennsylvania. Two children, Ella and Jennie, are the fruits of this union. Politically he is an independ- ent Republican, a member of the F. & A. M., Lodge No. 378, and Griscom Chapter, No. 219, also Prince of Peace Commandery, the last two of Ashland, Pennsylvania.

WILLIAM B. FAUST, attorney at law, was born in Reading, Pennsylvania, a son of Samuel and Margaretta (Miller) Faust, August 5, 1853. His father was a hatter by trade, and removed to Sunbury, this county, in 1863, where he died, January 1, 1888. The early education of the subject of this sketch was received in public and private schools. In 1869 he entered Mercersburg College, Franklin county, Pennsylvania, for a preparatory course, remaining there until 1873. The same year he entered Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where he remained one year. In 1875 he began the study of law with A. N. Brice, of Sunbury, Pennsylvania, and was admit- ted to the bar, June 8, 1877, remaining with Mr. Brice until September, 1878, when he located at Mt. Carmel, where he has built up a successful practice. Mr. Faust is a prominent member of the F. & A. M. and I. O. O. F., and, politically, he is a Republican.

VORIS AUTEN, attorney at law, was born in Chillisquaque township, North- umberland county, Pennsylvania, July 8, 1856, son of William Maxwell and Sarah (Allison) Auten. His paternal grandfather was a native of this county, and a miller by occupation; his maternal grandfather was a pioneer of this county. His father was born in this county, was a millwright by trade, and resided in Chillisquaque township until his death in January, 1891. He and his wife were both married twice, and reared a family of thirteen children. The

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HISTORY OF NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY.

subject of this sketch was reared in his native township, and educated in the common schools, the Lewisburg Academy, and the University at Lewisburg, receiving at the latter institution a partial scientific course. He taught school several terms in his native township and six years in the public schools of Sunbury. He began the study of law with Frank Marr of Sun- bury, in April, 1879, and was admitted to the bar in September, 1881. In 1883 he located at Mt. Carmel, where he has since been in active practice. He married, June 9, 1887, Jennie, daughter of Dr. George M. Renn, of Sun- bury. Mr. Auten was elected district attorney for this county in the fall of 1889. He is a member of the I. O. O. F. and F. & A. M., and in politics is a Democrat.

JEREMIAH SNYDER was born in Penn township, Snyder county, Pennsyl- vania, June 18, 1832, a son of George A. and Catharine (Schoch) Snyder. He was reared in his native county, and was nearly twenty years of age be- fore he could read or write. The first twenty years of his life were passed on the farm and in the saw and grist mill of his father. He then began to attend a common school during the summer months, and worked in the mill during the winter. He had now arrived at an age when he felt most keenly the need of an education, and therefore applied himself with great diligence, both in and out of school. In a short time he became qualified to impart instruction to others in the common English branches, and taught school for a few winters in the vicinity of his home, and also for a short time in New Berlin. While thus engaged in teaching he began the study of law by himself, bending all his energies in that direction, and improving all the spare time therein. During this time he received occasional instructions from Isaac Henker. When about twenty-five years of age he entered the law office of Charles Hower, at Selinsgrove, where he finished the preparation for his profession, and in March, 1861, was admitted to the bar at Middle- burg, Snyder county, Pennsylvania. The summer previous he had served as a delegate of the Democratic party to the Charleston convention. In April, 1861, when the call was issued by President Lincoln for seventy-five thou- sand volunteers to aid in quelling the Rebellion, Mr. Snyder was the first man to enlist from Snyder county. He was elected corporal of Company G, Fourth Pennsylvania Volunteers, and after three months' service was honora- bly discharged and returned to his home in Middleburg. In June, 1862, he recruited Company F, One Hundred and Thirty-first Pennsylvania Volun- teers, and, although the unanimous choice of the company for captain, yet, owing to political influences, he yielded the honor to George W. Ryon, of Snyder county, who obtained the position. Mr. Snyder was then elected lieutenant of the company; unfriendly political influences, however, were brought to bear against him, and he resigned his position at Hagerstown, Maryland, and returned home. During the winter of 1863 he removed to Shamokin, where he entered upon the practice of his profession. The follow-

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ing April he located in Sunbury, and in 1865 he was elected district attorney, and re-elected in 1868, and served six years. In August, 1866, he was a delegate from the Fourteenth congressional district of Pennsylvania to the Union convention at Philadelphia. In 1873 he was elected justice of the peace, and resigned his position to enter the lower house of the Pennsyl- vania legislature, to which he had been elected by the Democratic party of Northumberland county in the fall of 1876. In 1884 he purchased the Com- mercial Hotel at Mt. Carmel, which he still owns, remodeled it into a first- class hotel, and conducted it two years. He then removed to Sunbury and remodeled the Fairmount Hotel, which he had purchased in 1879, conducted it one year, and sold it in 1889. He returned to Mt. Carmel in the spring of 1889, where he now resides. Mr. Snyder was first married, April 24, 1862, to Harriet, daughter of Henry A. Smith, of Middleburg, Snyder county, Pennsylvania, and May 1, 1879, to Emma, daughter of Jonathan and Cath- arine (Byerly) Rupp, of Mt. Carmel.

WILLIAM T. WILLIAMS, physician and surgeon, was born in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, April 27, 1854, a son of Thomas T. and Margaret (Hughes) Williams. They immigrated to America in April, 1855, and located at Scranton, Pennsylvania, where the father, who was a stone mason by trade, followed his vocation several years. In 1864 he removed to Northumber- land county and engaged in mining and contracting; he is now living in Mt. Carmel, where he has resided since 1865. He reared a family of four children: William T .; John R., for several years a merchant of Mt. Carmel, where he died in August, 1886; Maggie, a teacher in the public schools, and Mary, who is clerking in E. C. Tier's dry goods store. Our subject was educated in the public schools of Mt. Carmel. In 1872 he began the study of medicine under Dr. H. Gulick, with whom he studied two years, after which he read with Dr. D. V. Boynton, of Knoxville, Tennessee. He then attended two courses of lectures at the Louisville Medical College, and in September, 1874, entered the Medical University of the City of New York, from which he graduated, March 14, 1875. The same spring he began the practice of his profession at Plains, Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, where he remained one year. In January, 1876, he removed to Mt. Carmel, where he has built up a large and successful practice. He has also been engaged in the drug business with Dr. R. W. Montelius since November, 1886. He married, April 13, 1880, Jennie, daughter of Howell and Sarah Jeffries, of Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania, and has had two children: Thomas Lamar, and Harold, deceased. Doctor Williams is a member of the Congregational church, the F. & A. M., K. T., and I. O. O. F. He is a member of the Schuyl- kill County Medical Society, is ex-president of that society, member of the exec- utive committee on medical State law, the Pennsylvania State Medical Society, and the American Medical Association, and was a member of the International Medical Congress of 1887. Politically he is a Republican, and one of the enterprising citizens of the county.

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HISTORY OF NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY.

RALPH W. MONTELIUS, physician, was born in Curwensville, Clearfield county, Pennsylvania, February 5, 1854, son of Alfred L. and Eliza J. (Hartshorn) Montelius. After reaching the age of nine years his parents removed to Mt. Carmel, where he was reared and received a common school education. He also attended the academies at Mifflinburg and Elys- burg, and the State Normal School at Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. He began the study of medicine under Dr. W. J. Haas, of Mt. Carmel, in 1871, and graduated from Jefferson Medical College at Philadelphia, March 11, 1876, at the head of his class. In the autumn of the same year he entered upon the practice of his profession at Mt. Carmel, where he has since successfully prosecuted its active duties. October 17, 1876, he married Carrie E., daughter of O. H. Sillyman, and they are the parents of two children: Car- rie E. and Katharine. Doctor Montelius is a member of the F. & A. M. and R. A., the Schuylkill County Medical Society, the State Medical Society, and the American Medical Association. He is a Republican in politics, and one of the best known and most progressive citizens of his adopted home.

EDMUND W. SAMUEL, physician and druggist, was born at Blanavon, Eng- land, November 27, 1857, son of Edmund and Mary (Bower) Samuel, who came to America in 1860 and located at Scranton, Pennsylvania. In 1861 they removed to Schuylkill county and in 1863 settled in Ashland, where they resided until 1872; after changing about to different parts of the county they finally returned to Ashland in 1886, where they now reside. The Doctor's father occupied the position of superintendent of the Phila- delphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company fifteen years, and in 1889 was a member of the State board of mining examiners. He was the father of seven children, three sons and four daughters: Dr. Edmund W .; Lizzie, wife of Samuel McConnell; Thomas P .; William C .; Mellie; Emma, and Gertrude. The subject of this sketch received his early education at the public schools, and was under private instructors four years. In 1874 he entered the drug store of J. H. Pritchard & Company, Ashland, Pennsylva- nia, and while engaged in the drug business he also pursued his medical studies with Dr. William R. Owens of the same place. He entered Jeffer- son Medical College, Philadelphia, in October, 1878, and graduated from that institution, March 13, 1880. He commenced practice in Ashland in April of the same year, and the following November located in Mt. Carmel, where he has since been engaged in the active duties of his profession. In 1887 Doctor Samuel became a member of the firm of Dr. E. S. Heiser & Company, druggists, which partnership existed until July 25, 1889, when he purchased Doctor Heiser's interest and has since conducted the business alone. Doctor Samuel was married, April 28, 1886, to Alice, daughter of William and Deborah Kiefer, of Mt. Carmel, who has borne him two sons: Frank and Roger. The Doctor is a member of the Schuylkill County Medical So- ciety and the State Medical Society. Politically he is a Republican, and is

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History of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, Part 108

Author: Bell, Herbert C. (Herbert Charles), 1868- ed; John, J. J., 1829- Publication date: 1891 Publisher: Chicago, Brown, Runk Number of Pages: 1424

Author: Bell, Herbert C. (Herbert Charles), 1868- ed; John, J. J., 1829-
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Chicago, Brown, Runk
Number of Pages: 1424