USA > Pennsylvania > Lancaster County > Portrait and biographical record of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania : containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens together with biographies and portraits of all the presidents of the United States > Part 10
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About 1660 the Landis families were driven to the Palatinate Country in the neighborhood of Strasburg and Manheim, on the Rhine, and though their properties were generally eonliseated they beeame farmers for the German nobility and re- ceived fair usage from the Hollanders. For nearly two generations history is silent on the subject of the individuals of the Landis name, namely from 1643 to 1717, but members of the Mennonite belief early took advantage of William Penn's liberal
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poliey to settle in America, and members of this family in 1683, and later in 1709 and 1712, emi- grated to Chester County, Pa., including what is now the county of Lancaster. At the latter date three brothers, the Rev. Benjamin, Felix and John Landis, Swiss Mennonites, bought land from Penn and the Conestogoe Indians, preparing to make a home in the wilderness. They skillfully tilled the soil and improved the land, which has made this portion of the state known the world over as a garden spot, and here these pioneers worshiped their God in perfeet peace. One of the three, the Rev. Benjamin Landis, was accompanied by his only son, Benjamin, Jr., aged eighteen. They took up a traet of two hundred and forty acres, receiv- ing the patent for the same in 1718, having pur- chased it from the Indians. Ile was a Mennonite preacher and engaged actively in farming. Ilis son married and had four sons, their names in order of birth being as follows: Benjamin, Abra- ham, JJacob and Henry, from whom have sprung the numerous descendants who were afterward born in this state. The last-named Benjamin re- moved to Manheim Township in 1851, after buy- ing out the land of his wife's only brother, and thus becoming the owner of nearly one thousand aeres situated about three miles from Lancaster. Ile was married in 1749 to Anna, daughter of John Snavely, and they had three sons: John, born March 15, 1755; Benjamin, in 1756; and Henry, in 1760. The elder Benjamin's home was a refuge to many Swiss emigrants, who enjoyed his hospi- tality until they were enabled to secure homes for themselves.
John Landis, who was named "Sozusauga" from his frequent use of the words "So to say," resided in East Lampeter Township, and to him were born three sons, John, Benjamin and Henry, and his death occurred in May, 1837, at the advanced age of eighty-two years. Ilis eldest son, John, was born September 11, 1782, and married Anna Bach- man, by whom he had three children who reached maturity: John C., Michael B. and Elizabeth. He started keeping a store at Centerville, now known as Landisville, in the spring of 1829, and was the first Postmaster of that place, where he resided until his demise, April 16, 1863, aged over eighty
years. Ilis wife, who was born February 3, 1785, died May 23, 1846, when in her sixty-second year. The eldest son of this worthy couple was born in East Hempfield Township, August 31, 1807, and about 1823 he entered John Beck's famous acad- emy for boys in Lititz. where he obtained a thor- ough knowledge of mathematies, astronomy and surveying, being also well versed in both the Eng- lish and German languages. Subsequently, in com- pany with his father, he laid out the village of Landisville, about 1828, at which time he was a salesman in his father's store. His marriage was celebrated January 5, 1832, with Veronica (com- monty ealled Fanny) Shelly, and four children re- sulted from their union: Ann Eliza, born May 14, 1833; Israel Christian; Jacob, born April 23, 1841, and Albert Shelly, the two latter dying in early childhood. The father of these children was one of the originators of the Bethel Church at Landis- ville, and was a consistent member thereof. About 1833 he kept a store in his native village, where he resided until March 25. 1854, when his death resulted from an apoplectic stroke at the age of forty-six years. Ilis wife resided until her death, January 13, 1879, when she had reached the age of sixty-nine years, at a point west of where the Sycamore Ilotel is now located. The daughter, Ann Eliza, became the wife of Joseph G. Greider, a farmer of East Ilempfield Township, and their children are all living, their names being John, Joseph L. and Benjamin. Mrs. Greider died a few days previous to her mother, in 1879.
Israel Christian, born September 24, 1835, re- ceived a common-school education, after which he attended the academy kept by James P. Wick- ersham at Marietta, and on account of his father's sudden death was thrown upon his own resources. He was married by the Rev. Mr. Gerhard, Janu- ary 17, 1861, to Mary Musselman. Subsequently he engaged in keeping an oyster house in Landis- ville for five years, after which he removed to Centerville, in East Hempfield Township, where for two years his attention was occupied at farm- ing. Next he went to Rohrerstown, where he kept a confectionery store, and resided for three years. Ile built a house a mile and a-half west of that place, where he lived for one year, and then, hear-
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ing of a good opportunity to engage in business at Salunga, sold his home, and for three years fol- lowing did a thriving trade in general merehan- dising at that point, besides being Postmaster of the village. In the fall of 1874 he built a new store near the Bamford Bros,' zinc mines, and since then has been successfully engaged in business there. In politics he has always been a Republican, and in business is a careful and methodical manager.
David Bachman Landis is the only son of Israel ('., his birth having occurred in Landisville, Feb- ruary 12, 1862. Ilis sister, Florence Shelly, was born April 6, 1865, and these two comprise their parents' family. Our subject received a common- school education, and for some years was a clerk in his father's store. In March, 1877, during his school days, he started in as an amateur printer, running a small boys' paper named the Keystone Amateur, and in April of the following year, it was printed under the title of the Amateur Junior. Ere four months had passed the sheet was en- larged to a sixteen-page magazine, including cover, under the original name, but the ambitious effort was doomed to short existence, as its publication was discontinued in October.
The young man had received a taste of journal- ism which in time obtained a leading place in his thoughts, and October 7, 1878, he commeneed an apprenticeship in the office of the Inquirer, of Lan- caster, and after serving four years opened a job printing office at his birthplace, in April, 1883. May 1 he issued the initial number of the Village Vigil, a tri-monthly paper, which was printed weekly at the end of a year. In 1885 this jour- nal was enlarged to eight pages, being known thereafter as the Landisville Vigil, and the young editor has rapidly risen in his management of the same. Ile has been a frequent contributor to the Inquirer and the New Era, of Lancaster, and to the "Wheel," of New York. the magazine of eyelists. As the pioneer wheelman, he was thrice appointed Counsel of Landisville by the Pennsylvania divi- sion of the League of Amercian Wheelmen,
Mr. Landis was married, September 29, 1885, to Nora K., daughter of David Baker, deceased, for- merly of East Hempfield Township. To them was born a daughter, Katie Musselman, September 19,
1886, and her death occurred October 5, 1891. Iler little brother, Allen B., who was born May 29, 1889, died October 6, 1891, within twenty-four hours of his sister's demise. Irene Janet was born June 18, 1893, and is their only living child.
When the Vigil was discontinned Mr. Landis became connected with the Inquirer Publishing Company, of Lancaster, now the Wickersham Print- ing and Publishing Company, being in charge of the printing department until May, 1888, when he started in business alone at No. 320 East Ches- nut Street, with the name of the Pluck Art Print- ery. The business received its name from the fact that for the first three years the proprietor pub- lished a small paper called Pluck, which he dis- tributed free. Since then he gets out only one, known as Pluck's Annual, showing specimens of printing and being remarkable for neatness and general work. A few years later the office was re- moved to the corner of North Queen and Walnut Streets, and at present is situated at Nos. 38 and 383 East Chestnut Street. The office is fitted up in first-class shape, and Mr. Landis is doing a large and successful business. Electric power is used, and the study of the owner has been to use the most improved modern methods in every depart- ment of his work. Frequently he has contributed to the "American Art Printer," and is very much interested in his vocation. Religiously, he is a member of Grace Lutheran Church, and in politics he is a Republican.
I SAAC STIRK, who has been in the leaf to- bacco business since 1874, and is now one of the honored residents of Lancaster, will form the subject of this biography. Ile was born in Conestoga Valley, March 11, 1825, being the son of lletzel Stirk, a native of the same place. Grand- father Stirk, who was a wagon-maker by trade, came from Germany and located in East Earl Township. Our subject's father engaged in farm work in East Earl Township and there died aged seventy-one years. He belonged to the Evangel-
HON. A. HERR SMITH.
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ical Association. Ilis wife, the mother of our sub- ject, who before her marriage was Ann Overholser, was born in East Earl Township, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Martin Overholser, of German de- seent, who were members of the Mennonite Church and large land holders. Our subject's mother died at the advanced age of eighty-eight years.
In the parental family there were two sons and two daughters, our subject being the eldest. Ile was reared upon the farm and attended the district schools, obtaining what knowledge he could in that way. At the age of nineteen years he en- gaged as clerk in a general mercantile store of Reading, remaining two years, and in 1847 started in business for himself at Belleville with his uncle, Daniel Overholser, the style of the firm being Over- holser & Stirk. This partnership continued for four years, then our subject sold and removed to Philadelphia, where he engaged in the crockery business.
In 1851 Mr. Stirk located at No. 256 North Third Street in the crockery business, and in 1856 removed to No. 45 North Third Street, the style of the firm then being Stirk, Field & Co. In 1864 he severed his connection with Stirk, Field & Co. and engaged extensively in importing crockery with a special partner from Boston. After the close of the Civil War he and a Mr. Iloar engaged in the wholesale and jobbing of crockery in Phil- adelphia. In 1869 he sold out and located in Lancaster, where he embarked in the lumber busi- ness, and operated a sawmill about one year. We next find him engaged in the retail crockery busi- ness at Nos. 8 and 10 East King Street, but in 1874 he embarked in the leaf tobacco business, in which he is still operating. Ilis present location is No. 212 North Queen Street, the style of this firm being Isaac Stirk & Co. They do an exten- sive business both in the east and west, and have a capacity of twenty-five hundred cases. They make a specialty of the finest goods, and no man is a better judge of leaf tobacco and the manufac- tured goods than Mr. Stirk.
Our subject was married in Lancaster County, July 23, 1853, to Miss Sallie C. Shirk, a native of the same county and the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Shirk. By this marriage six children were
born, four of whom are living, as follows: Anna, Mrs. T. R. Martin, of Wilkes Barre; William, who is associated with our subject; Edwin, residing at Wilkes Barre, engaged in the clothing business, and Isaac, Jr., a hardware merchant of Wilkes Barre. Virginia died in Philadelphia in Decem- ber, 1866, and Emilie also died in the same month and year. Mr. Stirk is a member of the Method- ist Episcopal Church and is a member of the Board of Stewards. Politically he is a Republican.
H ON. A. HERR SMITH was born in Manor Township. Lancaster County, near Mill- ersville, Pa., March 7, 1815. He was the only son of Jacob and Elizabeth (Herr) Smith, and had the misfortune very early in life to lose both his parents, his father when he was under three, and his mother when he was twelve years of age. Ilis father died in February, 1818, and his mother in June, 1827. His ancestors came from Germany, and settled in Lancaster County, about the year 1723, those on the paternal in Pequea, and those on the maternal line in Manor Town- ship. Both sides soon after their arrival purchased large tracts of land, and in addition to cultivating the same, the father and paternal grandfather of Mr. Smith followed the millwright and milling business, and the scientific drafts and plans made by the former of mills erected by him are still among the family relies.
The land on the mother's side came through John Penn, and remained for three generations in the Herr family. The maternal grandmother, Bar- bara (Eshleman) IFerr, died September 16, 1839, in her eighty-second year, in the old family man- sion, where Mr. Smith was born, and his maternal grandfather, Abraham Herr, died November 26, 1823, at the age of seventy-two. The old stone building erected in 1764 by Mr. Smith's maternal great-grandparents, David and Barbara Herr, is still occupied, and while the wood work has been
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replaced, the fort-like walls and arched and co- mented cellars are as good as new. and seem fully capable of resisting the ravages of time for gener- ations to come.
In Prof. John Beck's Academy, at Lititz. and the Franklin Institute. Philadelphia, Mr. Smith obtained his preparatory education. He studied engineering and surveying with Joshua Scott. Esq., civil engineer in Lancaster, and assisted to survey the Pennsylvania Railroad through Lancas- ter, from the Big to the Little Conestoga River. He spent two years in Henry P. Carson's store in Lancaster, and then went to Haddington College, near Philadelphia, and afterward to Dickinson Col- lege, Carlisle, where he was graduated in 1840. Among his classmates were D. G. Eshleman. a prom- inent member of the Lancaster Bar: Congressman Charles O'Neil. of Philadelphia; Spencer Baird. now deceased. of the Smithsoman Institute: and George R. Crooks, D. D .. LL. D., of Drew Theologi- cal seminary. Hli- vacations, when not traveling. were spent with his unele. Abraham Smith, of Strasburg, whose kindly interest in bis welfare he has never forgotten.
Immediately after his graduation, Mr. Smith commenced the study of law in the office of Jobn R. Montgomery, a distinguished member of the Lancaster Bar. October 20. 1812, he was admit- ted to practice in the various courts of Lancaster County. Ile brought to the practice of his pro- fession a mind well stored with general knowl- edge, as well as legal lore, strong common sense, a well balanced judgment. a ready pen and a rhet- oric precise, clean and forcible. With these ac- complishments, added to attractive manners and address, he soon rose to the highest rank in his profession. From early life he gave much atten- tion to polities. The Whig party was organized while he was a boy, and its principles and men had for him a magnetic attraction, and he espoused its cause in his youth with his pen, and in his riper years both as a writer and an orator. While he was yet too young even to be a member of his party, he was far in advance of it; for he was an Abolitionist before the abolition of slavery became a political tenet. During his collegiate course at Haddington, he wrote an address for an exhibi-
tion exercise, so strongly anti-slavery in its views that the faculty refused to permit its delivery. On the breaking up of the Whig party in 1856, he therefore very naturally became an ardent sup- porter of the Republican party.
From boyhood Mr. Smith was a close student and a great reader. and even in his youth became distinguished both as an essayist and as a ready. Huent and forcible speaker. Many of his school essays found their way into the newspapers of that day, and attracted much attention on account of their originality of thought and strength and ele- gance of diction. Being regarded as a young man of probity and ability. he was induced to enter the political arena, and in 1813 he was elected a mem- ber of the Legislature of Pennsylvania, and re- elected the following year. In 1845 he was elected to the State Senate for one term, three years, dur- 1 1 ing the latter part of which he was the candidate of his party in caucus for Speaker of the Senate, and failed only because he refused to vote for himself. His career in the Legislature was one of marked ability and usefulness, very gratifying to his constituents, and valuable to them and the state at large. He was the author of the law im- posing a tax for the payment of the interest on the state debt. a measure by no means popular at the time, and bitterly opposed, but necessary to save the state from repudiation. Prior to that time the interest on the state debt had been paid in scrip, and the state bonds were sold at about one-third of their par value. Immediately after the passage of the bill the interest was promptly paid in money and the bonds rose to par. Ile ad- vocated the sale of the Public Works, which were a great expense to the state. Ile abolished the Mayor's Court of the city of Lancaster, which had been a useless and expensive piece of judicial ma- chinery, but having existed for many years, had a fixed abode in the customs of the people. He also refused to sanction the renewal of the District Court of Lancaster County, when it expired by limitation. He was an earnest advocate of the Married Women's Aet, which became a law in 1818. He also advocated and voted for the pas- sage of the law which made the common school system obligatory upon the districts of the state,
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thus doing away with the triennial election, which permitted the voters of every district to accept or reject the system. This necessary change perfected the school system in Pennsylvania. He was ever strongly devoted to rigid economy and Govern- mental reforms, and watchful of the details of legislation.
Returning to the practice of his profession, Mr. Smith uninterruptedly followed it until the fall of 1872, when he was elected on the Republican ticket to the Forty-third Congress, and by re-elec- tion served in the Forty-fourth, Forty-fifth, Forty- sixth, Forty-seventh and Forty-eighth Congresses. a high compliment, and one never before paid to a Congressional Representative from Lancaster County. In this District, the unwritten rule has limited the period of the Representative in Con- gress to two terms. To this rule there have been the following exceptions: John W. Kittera, 1791 to 1801, five terms, ten years; James Buchanan, 1821 to 1831, five terms, ten years; Thaddeus Stevens, 1859 to 1868, four and one-half terms, nine years; and Mr. Smith from 1873 to 1885, six terms, twelve years. Mr. Smith did efficient serv- iee on the Committee on War Claims for six years. and served on the Committees on Appropriations, Agriculture, Pensions and other important com- mittees. As a member of the Committee on War Claims, a committee first raised in 1873 on the suggestion of President Grant, he rendered valu- able services in the rejection of fraudulent claims, running up to many millions of dollars. The re- ports made by him are referred to constantly by the present Committee, and greatly aid to settle definitely the law and the facts whenever the claims are renewed.
Against the seductive free pass system. Mr. Smith, by word and example, entered the stern protest, promptly returning to the liberal donors their paste-board annuals. When asked the rea- 1
son for his conduct by a Director, he answered: "You do not give the pass to the mendicant ? Why give it to the salaried Judge and Legislator ? They pay their toll on the turnpike, their discount in the bank, and ought also pay their fare on railroads." This colloquy occurred in 1873, at Mr. Smith's first Congressional Session, and put a stop to free
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tickets on the street railroads in Washington. Ile took a bold stand against the constructive mileage allowed members of Congress, showing its abuses, and which, through his exposure, were to some ex- tent corrected. He favored the payment of pen- sions directly by the Treasurer of the United States instead of Pension Agents, thereby saving money to the pensioner and protecting the Gov- ernment against loss. He ably opposed, on legal grounds, the creation of the Electoral Commission, holding that the Vice-President, under the Con- stitution, was the custodian of the returns, who must present the same to the two Houses when they meet in convention, and have them opened in their presence and counted, neither house hav- ing any right to control the result, their presence only being necessary as witnesses of the result.
Mr. Smith favored the resumption of specie payments by the Government, and the coming of silver for fractional currency only, and opposed the coinage of the needless silver dollars. Hle ad- voeated and voted for the bill to restrict Chinese emigration. Ile also supported and voted for the civil service bill; and in the distribution of Con- gressional patronage favored promotion, and other things being equal, gave the soldier a preference. lle has always been an earnest advocate of a pro- tective tariff, as best adapted to raise revenue, to protect labor and make the nation independent in peace and war. His speeches made in Congress were able and exhaustive, indicating great research and thorough knowledge of the subject discussed. These, with his letters and articles on the political issues of the day, were highly commended by the press and reading public. As a Legislator, either in state or National affairs, he was conscientiously honest, and never suffered a political caucus to dictate his legislative action. After full and care- ful investigation he followed his convictions, whether in harmony with his party or not. The Fitz John Porter case is in point. It had sub- stantially assumed a party aspeet-the Democrats being for, the Republicans against, the bill. Mr. Smith, having with great care read the evidence on both sides, reached the conclusion that the Gen- eral had been wronged, and therefore, with nine- teen other Republicans, voted for the hill, although
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assured in advance that the vote would be used against him in an approaching Congressional con- test. During his seventeen years of public service at Harrisburg and Washington, he never dodged a vote: and the writer of this sketch has heard him say that upon a careful review of his votes, for and against legislative measures, he would not, if he could, in a single instance reverse hi- judgment.
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Mr. Sunth died at Ins home in Lancaster on the 16th of February, 1894, after a brief illness. Al- though not laboriously engaged in the duties of his profession after his retirement from Congress, he had enjoyed excellent health, and could be found almost daily at his office, surrounded by his books and friends, among whom were many life- long clients, who still sought his professional or friendly advice. His loss was sincerely and deeply mourned by hus many friends, especially by his co- workers in professional and political life. The lo- eal press paid high tribute to this worthy man, who died as he had lived, a noble Christian gen- tleman.
Soon after his graduation, Mr. Smith was elected a Trustee of Dickinson College, Carlisle, and later of Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster. Hle was a Director and the solicitor of the First Na- tional Bank of Lancaster, and occupied that two- fold position from the organization of the institu- tion in 1864 until his death. He was one of the original investors in the first cotton mill erected in Lancaster, and although attended with loss, he never regretted the experiment, as it became the nucleus of the present mills, which yield the more fortunate investors a handsome income, and give their employes, men, women and children. con- stant work and liberal pay. He was a warm and substantial friend of all worthy industrial enter- prises and charitable and literary institutions.
Mr. Smith never married, and he and his only sis- ter, Eliza E. Smith, also unmarried, lived in their unpretentious home on North Lime Street, where she still resides, dispensing hospitality and charity withont ostentation. Plain and unostentatious in all things, Mr. Smith was especially so in charity and benevolence. Possessing large wealth, recog- mizing his obligations to God, clothed with hmmil- ity in a manner and to a degree seldom witnessed,
he sought out those who were in need, or seconded the offices of his devoted sister in this direction, and in such a way that the words addressed to Cornelius might be appropriately addressed to him, "Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God." The churches of Lan- caster County, especially the Methodist Episcopal Churches, have reason to remember him, for al- most all of them had received his benefactions. The First Church, Lancaster, which he attended with great regularity, contains a magnificent win- dow erected by him and his sister, jointly, as a memorial to their sainted parents, and nearly one- tenth of the entire cost of over 883,000, was given by him.
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