USA > Pennsylvania > Portraits of the heads of state departments and portraits and sketches of members of the legislature of Pennsylvania, 1893-1894 > Part 12
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126
House of Representatives.
JOHN CESSNA, of Bedford, is the son of a Bedford county farmer, and the eldest of a family of twelve. He was educated in the common schools, then in a military academy, and in 1842 he graduated from Marshall college at Mer- cersburg. In this institution, since united with Franklin college, at Lan- caster, he taught Latin a while and then studied law, being admitted to the bar in 1845. In 1847 Jeremiah S. Black, and his eight associates on the bench, appointed Mr. Cessna revenue commis- sioner for Somerset, Bedford, Blair and Franklin counties. In 1849 the Demo- crats of Bedford sent him to the Legisla- ture. He went at once to the front, was re-elected in 1850 and made Speaker before he had completed his thirtieth year. He soon attracted the attention of LEVYTYPE PO NINLA the Democratic leaders and in 1856, at the personal request of James Buchanan, he went to the National Democratic Con- vention from Buchanan's native district, was secretary of the Pennsylvania dele- gation and helped secure him the nomination that made him president. He made the motion organizing the Charleston Convention, to which he was a delegate, and was chairman of the committee on rules and organization. He introduced the anti-unit rule, got it through his committee and had it adopted by the convention, thereby giving to his political idol, Stephen A. Douglass, thirty-six votes. When the convention re-assembled at Baltimore he made the nomination substituting Governor Todd, of Ohio, as chairman in place of Caleb Cushing, of Massachusetts, who expressed his sympathy with the withdrawing or seceding members who sub- sequently nominated John C. Breckenridge for the presidency.
While an ardent and active Democrat, Mr. Cessna was not a pro-slavery man As early as 1849 he was a delegate to the State Democratic Convention at Pitts burg. He was a member of the committee on resolutions that framed and had the convention adopt a resolution against the extension of slavery, which caused the Pennsylvania Democracy to be read out of the party by nearly all the State Demo- cratic Conventions of the South. In 1861 he found himself at variance with the dominant element in his party and began making war speeches. He was elected to the legislature that year as a Union Democrat, re-elected in 1862 and was again Speaker in 1863. He voted for Curtin in 1863, for which he was practically read out of the ranks of the Democracy, and was soon an active Republican. He was chairman of the State Republican Committee in 1865. The same year he was chosen president of the board of trustees of Franklin and Marshall College to suc- ceed James Buchanan-has been unaminously re-elected at each meeting for twenty- eight years. In 1868 he was elected to Congress and re-elected in 1872. He helped nominate Grant at Chicago in 1868, Hayes at Cincinnati in 1876 and in 1880 was one of the "306." In that year he was chairman of the State Republican Com- mittee. In 1891 he was on the State Republican ticket as delegate-at-large to the proposed constitutional convention and received the highest vote cast, except for the two who were also on the Labor ticket. After a lapse of thirty years he re- entered the House and is one of the most active members of that body.
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127
House of Representatives.
W. C. SMITH was born in Bedford, Pennsylvania, June 2, 1845, the oldest of nine brothers, all of whom are Jiving but one, and all of whom are Re- publicans. He was educated in the common schools, mainly, and attended one term at the Millersville State Nor- mal in the year 1866. He taught school in Bedford county six terms and one term in Lancaster county in the fall and winter of 1866-7. His first vote was cast in Strasburg township, Lancaster county, in 1866, for Gen. Geary, for Governor, and Thaddeus Stevens, for Congress. He returned to Bedford county, and in 1870 was admitted to practice law in the courts of that county. He served two terms as justice of the peace in Bedford borough. In 1881, in LEVYTYPE CO MILA connection with John Lutz, Esq., of Bedford, he started the Bedford Re- publican, which, in 1884, was consolidated with the Bedford Inquirer. He remained as editor and proprietor of the Republican and Inquirer till the fall of 1886. In January, 1889, he purchased the Everett Press, a Republican paper at Everett, Bedford county, and a month later purchased the Everett Leader and consolidated them. The zeal and success with which the Press and Leader, under his man- agement, has been conducted has given it recognition throughout the county as the leading Republican paper in it.
In 1873 Mr. Smith was nominated by the Republicans for district attorney of Bedford county, and after a close and spirited contest was defeated by 290 of a majority for Humphrey D. Tate, the present private secretary to Governor Patti- son, the county being then Democratic.
In 1886 he received the instructions of the Republicans of Bedford county for the State Senate in the Thirty-sixth district, composed of Bedford, Somerset and Fulton counties. After several conferences he gave the nomination to W. S. Alexander, of Fulton county. In 1892 there were ten candidates contesting for the Republican nomination for House of Representatives and two to be nominated. Hon. John Cessna and Mr. Smith received the instructions over the other eight combined and were both nominated on the first ballot as instructed for by the dis- tricts. After one of the severest political battles ever fought in Bedford county, Mr. Smith was elected by nearly 300 majority over the highest opposition. He has been chairman of the Republican County Committee under both Chairmen Quay and Cooper, of the State Committee ; he has been secretary of County Com- mittee often ; was a member of the State Committee twenty years ago and has always been an active Republican, stumping the county every general election since and including 1868, and working in every line of political work assigned to him.
128
House of Representatives.
JOHN B. GOODHART, the son of a shoemaker, was born in Reading, Berks county, November, 1839, and is now representing his native city in the Legislature. He received his education in the common and high schools in Reading. After finishing his education he followed the occupation of boot and shoemaking, a trade taught him by his father, which he kept at for several years. In years gone by the shoe- maker's shop was the convenient resort of politicians, and while young Good- hart was yet an apprentice, he learned many things relating to statesmanship, so that when he became of age he was ready to take an active part in the councils of his party. He was several times elected as delegate by the Demo- LEVYTYPE CO PHILA crats of Berks county, to represent them in State Conventions, and besides was always on hand directing matters in County Conventions when his friends were interested. As a reward for his activity in politics, he was appointed Deputy Warden of the Berks County Prison, a position which he held for some time, when he was appointed by Register of Wills Fegley, as clerk of the orphan's court. In this position he made such a creditable record for himself that he was re-ap- pointed by Register Strunk, and held it until brought out by the citizens of the . city of Reading for and elected to represent them in the Legislature. He was also a member of City Councils and served on the School Board for four years. All of this time he was an active member of the standing committees of his party in both city and county. Mr. Goodhart has presented only one bill to the Legislature, outside of the Reading Hospital and Home for the Friendless appropriation bills, session of 1893, and that was for the study of vocal music in the public schools, by the method of sight reading. Mr. Goodhart has very little to say on legisla- tive matters, but is a deep thinker and conscientious and has the respect of his fellow members. He is serving on the following committees, Accounts, Munici -. pal Corporations and Representative Apportionment.
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129
House of Representatives.
JOHN R. LAUCKS, who in part rep- resents the city of Reading in the Berks county delegation, was born in Boyertown, Berks county, July 18, 1839. His father, who was a saddler by trade, sent him to the common schools of Read- ing. When the war broke out the young man enlisted and served for three years as corporal of company B, Eighty-eighth regiment of Pennylvania volunteers. After being discharged he enlisted in company D, One hundred and ninety- eighth regiment, Pennsylvania volun- teers, and served until the close of the war in 1865, then being promoted in rank for services on the field. He was engaged in nearly all the principal battles of the war, and though in many tight places during that time escaped without injury. At the close of the war he again located in Reading, and was appointed lumber inspector of Philadelphia and Reading Railroad Company, a position that he has held ever since. He was a member of common council in the city of Reading, Berks county, for one year. For eighteen years he has been secretary of the Junior Fire Company of that city, and also has held prominent positions in other organizations. Mr. Laucks is a person disposed to be very quiet, having nothing in particular to say on subjects before the Legislature, but watches carefully all measures, so that his vote at the proper time could be re- corded on the side which he in his best judgment considered right. He did not introduce any bills for the consideration of the Legislature, not being pressed in that direction by his constituency. He is very attentive to his duties and a good + worker in committee, and served on the following standing committees of the House : Public Buildings, Banks, Pensions and Gratuities, Counties and Town- ships and Bureau of Statistics.
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130
House of Representatives.
S AMUEL B. KEPPEL, of Sinking Spring, Berks county, was born in Honeybrook township, Chester county, Pa., December 10, 1846. He was edu- cated in the common schools and Waynesburg Academy and Millersville Normal School and taught school in Lancaster and Berks counties for six years. He then engaged in telegraphing for the Philadelphia and Reading Rail- road Company for two years, and from 1872 to 1877 was a clerk and telegraph oper- ator (special line) for the Moselem Iron Company, Moselem, Berks county. He removed to Sinking Spring on April 1, 1877, and entered the coal, lumber and grain business. April 1, 1881, in con- nection with the Sinking Spring busi- ness, engaged in the same business at Robisonia, Pa., under the firm name of Keppel & Reber, continuing until April 1, 1886, when Mr. C. D. Reber retired, the business being conducted at that place by Mr. Keppel since that time. In April, 1892, he formed a stock company under name of Birdsboro Milling Com- pany (Limited), Birdsboro, Pa., and leased the mill of the Brooke Milling Com- pany, having a capacity of one hundred and fifty barrels of flour daily, and is serving as secretary and treasurer of the company. He was elected a member of the House of 1891, having received 11,115 votes, a majority of 7,034. Re-elected to the term of 1893 by 11,663 votes, a majority of 7,556. He served on the follow- ing committees : Banks, Insurance and Manufacturers. He represented the Demo- cratic party at different times as State delegate and as school director. He has been a director of the Citizen's Bank of Reading, Pa., since its organization in May, 1888, is a director in the Manatawny Mutual Fire and Storm Insurance Company, organized February, 1893, and has been agent since 1881 for Mutual and Stock Fire Insurance Companies. He has a large amount of fire insurance represented in his section of the State. Mr. Keppel has made a good legislator and his constituents made no mistake in electing him for a second term.
131
House of Representatives.
F LEONARD REBER is the son of a carpenter and was born near Shoe- makersville, Berks county, December 15, 1846. His ancestry were of the old German stock who settled in Berks county shortly after the ervolutionary war, and who since that time have been part of the sturdy yeomen who by their industry made it one of the richest counties in the commonwealth. Mr. Reber received his early education in the schools of Berks county and finished it in the Keystone State Normal School at Kutztown, in the same county. After graduating in the Normal School he commenced teaching, which he fol- lowed for twenty-four years, eleven of which he spent as teacher of No. 8 school in Perry township. He has always LEVY TYLE NO PHILA been an active Democrat, being a dele- gate to the county convention a num- ber of times, a member of the standing committee for twelve years, and for eight years was a school director in his township. Served much of this time as secre- tary of the board. He always took an active interest in Grange matters and was Master of Grange No. 29 for ten years and deputy sheriff of Berks county for four years. He is also a member of Perry Lodge 1055, I. O. O. F. Mr. Reber is serv- ing his second term in the Legislature, having been elected to the sessions of 1891 and 1893. His majority at the last election was 7,557 over his Republican oppo- nent, selected from the same portion of Berks county. He is a member of the fol- lowing standing committees of the House : Education, Agriculture, Printing and Retrenchment and Reform. He has presented to the Legislature the following measures : To prevent the spread and introduction of obnoxious weeds ; to repeal section seventeen of the Penal Laws of 1791 ; empowering grand juries to impose costs in misdemeanors on aldermen, justices of the peace, constables, detectives and other officers, and also for the location, construction and maintenance of public highways, etc. During the war of the rebellion Mr. Reber served in the Construc- tion corps under Captain Morris, of Delaware.
132
House of Representatives.
JACOB B. HERZOG, representing the Second district of Berks county, was born in Rockland township, Berks county, February 10, 1860. He was educated in the public schools of his native township and in the Oley Academy. . He worked on a farm, taught school for seventeen succes- sive terms in the townships of Rus- combmanor and Oley, served as or- ganist at various churches for nine years, and is by trade a painter. He served as chairman of Democratic club of Oley, was delegate to various county and State conventions, and was appointed secretary of the standing committee of Berks county by Chairman Herbst in the fall of 1890, and in that campaign did excellent service for the Democracy, the county giving a majority of 8,901 for Pattison, the largest in its history. He was nominated for the Legislature on
He has held this position for three years. the first ballot over eight competitors and elected by a majority of 7,554 votes. He served on the Committees on Public Buildings, Printing and Library, and per- formed his legislative duties with an eye single to the public welfare. The interests of the Democratic party, of which he is an ardent member, have always been safe in his hands in the House.
133
House of Representatives.
B )ENJAMIN LIGHTNER HEWIT keeps a very close watch on legis- lation, and few men in this common- wealth have had a more stirring and eventful career than the ex-Speaker of the House. Mr. Hewit was born in Petersburg, Huntingdon county, Pa., June 4, 1833, of German and Scotch- Irish parentage. Nicholas Hewit, Sr., his great-grandfather, served in the Revolutionary war and lived to survive those perilous days until 1837. On the maternal side he is descended from Martin N. Grafius, a famous pioneer of the Juniata valley, born May 2, 1722. Mr. Hewit graduated from the public schools of Hollidaysburg, Pa., and after- wards prepared for college under the tutelage of Professor Wilson at Tusca- rora Academy and Professor Williams LEVYTYFE CO. PHILA of the Hollidaysburg Academy. He graduated at Princeton College in 1857. He then commenced the study of the law with the Hon. S. S. Blair, and was admitted to the bar of Blair county in October, 1856. The next year after his admission he was elected to the office of district attorney, and served in that office two terins, or six years. Then came the trying timesof war, and he enlisted as a private in company A. Twenty-third regi- ment Pennsylvania infantry. Later on he enlisted as a private in company A, in- dependent battalion, to resist the invasion of the Rebels into the State of Pennsyl- vania. During 1863, 1864 and 1865 he was field paymaster in the United States Army, with the rank of major, and was honorably discharged in September, 1865. When gentle peace resumed its sway he returned to the practice of his profession at Hollidaysburg, and in 1870 was elected to the Legislature. In 1871 he was reelected and was made Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee. In 1872 he was chairman of the Committee on the Revision of the Civil Code. He was a member of the House in 1878, 1879, 1880 and 1881, and in 1878 and 1879 was chairman of the Judiciary General Committee. He was elected Speaker during the session of 1880 and 1881. Again he was elected to the Legislature in 1892 for the session of 1893, and was placed on the Committees on Judiciary General, Ways and Means, Game and Fish and made chairman of Legislative Apportion- ment Committee. He introduced a bill at this session which he denominated in a speech upon it " by all odds the most important bill introduced during this session." It provided penalties for the adulteration of food or drink, which was passed unanimously-a very high coupliment ; also a bill to punish the giving of false fire alarms or the destruction of fire, telephone or telegraph wires. It will be seen that Mr. Hewit has ever taken an active part in politics. He is also some- thing of a farmer, owning considerable farming interests in Dakota and Blair county. He has two sons, O. H. Hewit, a prominent lawyer in Duluth, and H. D. Hewit, a farmer in Dakota. In 1873 he was appointed on the Fish Commission by Governor Hartranft and served until 1882. He selected and organized the hatcheries at Monetto, Corry and Allentown. He was chairman of the celebrated Evans war claims committee. In 1879, with his compeers, Wolfe and Mapes, he prevented the passage of the Riot bill, which proposed to take four millions from the treasury in payment of claims, which were subsequently settled for $1,600,000. In 1881 he received several votes for the United States Senate.
134
House of Representatives.
D R. ANDREW S. STAYER, of Roar- ing Springs, Blair county, was born in South Woodberry township, Bedford county, Pa., May 21, 1848. On his father's side he comes of French an- cestry. His great-grandfather was born in France, and when but a lad accom- panied Gen. Lafayette to this country. He served through the revolutionary war, and afterward settled in Bedford county, where he died. Dr. Stayer's maternal ancestors were Swiss. His great-grandfather, Snowberger, having emigrated from Switzerland to Bedford county, Pa. Young Andrew was reared on the old Stayer homestead, in Bedford county, and after receiving a common school education became himself a teach- er at the age of seventeen and during the ensuing three years divided his time between teaching school in the winter and attending the Bedford Normal school in the summer. He attended the Mil- lersville Normal school in the summer of 1869. When twenty-one years old lie began the study of medicine with Dr. Charles Long, of South Woodbury, Pa. In the winter of 1870 he attended a course of medical lectures at the Michigan State University, (Ann Arbor), and thereafter for two years studied with Dr. Long. After a course of lectures at Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, he graduated at that institution March 12, 1873. He located in Roaring Springs, Blair county, as a practicing physician. Despite the fact that a number of physicians who had tried the village and abandoned it as an unprofitable field, Dr. Stayer made up his mind that honest, industrious vitality must win him a permanency, and the re- sult of his labors has shown that he was right and his name is known and honored among the people of his part of the State. On June 30, 1870, he married Rosa K. Brumbaugh, of Middle Woodberry township, Bedford county, a descendant of the Brumbaughs who have been for many generations identified with the history of Western Pennsylvania ; three children have blessed the union-Edgar Virgil Sinon, born 1874; Morrison Andrew Clay, born 1882; Clara Mabel, born 1884. Dr. Stayer has always been conspicuous as a participator in matters affecting public progressive interests and especially in educational affairs. In 1880 he was a Sena- torial delegate from Blair and Cambria counties to the Republican State Conven- tion. In Sunday school interests he has ever been an earnest worker and as a leading spirit in local associations he has long been a prominent figure. In Feb- ruary, 1880, Dr. Stayer was commissioned by Governor Hoyt assistant surgeon Fifth regiment National Guard of Pennsylvania, and was subsequently promoted to surgeon, holding the position for twelve years. He is now interested in the Roaring Spring Planing Mill Company and president of the Park Hotel Company at Roaring Springs. In 1884 Dr. Stayer was a candidate for the Republican nomi- nation for Senator. He was defeated by only one vote. In 1890 he aspired to · memberships in the House and easily secured an election. So well did he perform his duties that he was re-elected in 1892 by a larger majority than the two years previous by 800. He is a member of the Committee on Appropriations, Elections, Military, Public Health and Sanitation, and Retrenchment and Reform, of which he is chairman. He has introduced at the present session bills making an appro- priation to the Altoona Hospital, governing foreign building and loan associations in this State, and to establish a training school for feeble-minded children in the western part of the State.
135
House of Representatives.
A LBERT SCOTT NEWMAN was born in Easton township, Wyoming county, on February 16, 1842. In 1847 he moved with his parents to Canton, Bradford county, where his father en- gaged in the mercantile business, and where he received his education in the the public and private schools. At the first call of President Lincoln for troops he enlisted in the service and served three months. Again in 1864, at the time of Lee's invasion, he, enlisted and was in the Twenty-sixth regiment, com- manded by Colonel Jennings. In the centennial year Mr. Newman, with others, formed the Enterprise Manufac- turing Company at Troy, Pa., for the manufacture of agricultural implements and powers, and which is yet in a flourishing condition. He was elected TYPE CƯ M burgess of Troy borough and delegate to the State Convention which nominated Robert Mackey for State Treasurer. In 1880 he moved to Smithfield, Bradford county, where he is now engaged in the mercantile business and farming, and for twelve years was in the school board of that borough. At the last election he was returned as one of the three members from Bradford county by a majority of nearly three thousand. He was placed by Speaker Thompson on the Committees of Manufactures, Military, Library, Public Buildings and Bureau of Statistics. Among the bills introduced by him is one compelling assessors to deduct the liens against a man's realty from the as- sessed valuation, and also a bill prohibiting physicians attending poor patients and after getting out an order of relief and collecting his fees from the county. He is a member of the agricultural delegation. During the session of 1893 he was called to Herrick, Bradford county, to attend the funeral of his grandfather, who died at the green old age of 101 years. Mr. Newman attends faithfully to his du- ties in committee as well as in the House, and is a useful, conscientious member.
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136
House of Representatives.
FRANK NATHANIEL MOORE was born in Windham township, Brad- ford county, April 11, 1858. He went through the common schools of his na- tive county and afterwards took a two year's course at the Wyoming Seminary, Kingston, Pa. He comes of revolution- ary ancestry, his grandfather having been a veteran of the war of 1812. From the green hills of Vermont the family came down through the Empire state in Conestogas, stopped awhile near Owego, N. Y., and at last settled in Bradford county. Like his father before him, Frank is an extensive dealer in stock and farms it on a large scale. In 1883 he went to Kansas and started a cattle ranch. For five years he played cowboy and became an expert horseman. The lessons in horsemanship learned on the plains he has not forgotten, and there are few if any better [horseback riders in the State to-day than he. In 1885 he came back to his native hills more than ever convinced that there is no soil like that of old Pennsylvania. In 1891 he was elected a justice of the peace, the only township office he has ever held.
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