USA > Pennsylvania > Portraits of the heads of state departments and portraits and sketches of members of the legislature of Pennsylvania, 1893-1894 > Part 23
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KWAME
251
House of Representatives.
J JEROME B. NILES, of Tioga county, was born at Middlebury, Tioga county, September 25, 1834. His grand- father adopted for his home what now constitutes Tioga county in 1796, two years before it was organized. His son, Aaron, the father of Representative Niles, was then twelve years old. Je- rome B. worked on his father's farm until he was of age in 1855. He was accorded very limited opportunities to acquire an education, but having a stu- dent's inclination he devoted much of his time to reading and thus fortified himself with valuable information which did him great service in subse- quent years. When he reached man's estate he took a course at study in the Knoxville Academy and afterward tanght school in Wellsboro and his na- tive township. His father was a Demo- crat, but at the birth of the Republican party young Niles joined that organiza- tion and has been an active member of it without interruption. In 1861 he was admitted to the bar, in 1862 elected district attorney of the county and in 1865 re-elected. In 1868 and 1869 he was elected a member of the House, and in 1872 a member of the Constitutional Convention from his district. In that body he was prominently identified with the shaping of important legislation which be- came a part of the organic law of the state. In 1880 he was again elected a mem- ber of the House and the following year took a commanding position as a Legisla- tor. He developed great aptitude for leadership and took a conspicuous stand in the movement which culminated in the success of Mr. Mitchell, of Tioga county, as the Republican candidate for United States Senator. Mr. Niles was re-elected in 1882, and in view of the creditable reputation he had made during his several terms in the Legislature was made the Republican cauens nominee for Speaker of the House, but as the Democrats controlled the body he was defeated for election. In 1883 he was nominated by the Republicans for Auditor General and elected by a large majority. His term began on the first Monday in May of the succeeding year, and his three years' administration of the office was marked by no deviation from the excellent record he had made in the public positions he had previously filled. In 1887 he was chosen a member of the commission appointed to draft tax legislation to take the place of the revenue bill which was mysteriously lost at the session of the Legislature of that year. In 1890 he received nearly the entire vote of his county for the Republican congressional nomination in the Sixteenth district. Last fall Mr. Niles was re-elected to the House, and at the session of 1893 he introduced the bill to equalize taxation and was prominent in putting it in proper shape and advocating its passage. Mr. Niles was chairman of the Com- mittee on Manufactures and a member of the Ways and Means and Judiciary Gen- eral Committees.
252
House of Representatives.
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TALTER T. MERRICK, of Tioga
= county, than whom there is no more popular and intelligent member of the House of Representatives, is a na- tive of Charleston township, Tioga county, Pa. He was born June 12, 1859, and was educated in the Mans- field State Normal school and the Elmira free academy. He studied law with Hon. Charles H. Seymour, of Tioga, and with the successful firni of Merrick & Young, at Wellsboro. He was admitted to the bar of Tioga county in 1886 and immediately began the practice of his profession in Blossburg, the mining center of Tioga county, where he still resides.
Mr. Merrick takes a prominent part in politics and is one of the Republican leaders of Tioga county. He was elected to the Legislature for the first time in 1892, running ahead of the whole Republican ticket. He is especially popular , among the younger element of his party which accounts for his large majority. He is a member of the Committees on Corporations, of which he is secretary, Mines and Mining (in which he takes a special interest), Judiciary Local, Elections and Vice and Immorality. Besides taking an active part in debates on the floor of the House, he has been one of the foremost members of the committees of which he is a member. He is a earnest and logical talker, and is always listened with inter- est by his colleagues when engaged in a public discussion of legislation. He in- troduced a bill at the opening of the session providing for an appropriation of $20,000 to the Miner's Hospital, at Blossburg. The amount. was reduced to $16,000 by the appropriations. In view of the large reductions whichi have been made by the committee in the appropriations this amount is very reasonable and goes for to prove Mr. Merrick's influence with the committee and the needs of the institution.
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253
House of Representatives.
BENJAMIN K. FOCHT, editor of the Lewisburg Saturday News and mem- ber from Union, was born in Perry county, March 12, 1863. On his father's side he is descended from a long line of Lutheran ministers, his great-grand- father coming from Germany in the last century. His father was the Rev. D. H. Focht, a theologian and orator of note, who died when the subject of this sketch was but one year old. His mother was the daughter of John Brown, an original settler and exten- sive land owner in the borough of Lewis- burg, and after his father's death his mother and family removed to the latter place, where Benjamin K. Focht has since resided. During his early youth he attended the Bucknell Academy, at Lewisburg, State College and the Insti- tute at Selinsgrove, and entered a print- ing office as apprentice at fourteen. In 1881, at the age of eighteen years, he wrote the salutatory for the first issue of the Lewisburg Local News, of which he was part owner for one year, when he assumed sole proprietorship and changed the name of the paper to the Lewisburg Saturday News. From then until now he has continued in the same capacity, surmounting in his early struggle for business life the most embarrassing obstacles, until now he owns one of the best equipped and most complete newspaper plants in Central Pennsylvania, and ranks among the strongest editorial writers. In 1887 he was married to the daughter of H. G. Wolf, a prominent merchant and president of the Farmers' Bank, Mifflinburg. Has one child, a daughter, one year old. Before he was of age Mr. Focht entered politics, taking side, in his paper in the memorable battle that attended the Inde- pendent revolt, standing for the Stalwart ticket. In 1889 he was elected delegate to the State Convention. In 1892 he was chosen and served as Congressional con- feree ; was three times elected delegate to the Republican League State Cenven- tion ; was a candidate for the Republican nomination for assembly in 1890, but was defeated in a three-cornered contest. He was again a candidate in 1892, and won at the primary and general election, although bitterly opposed on account of his leadership in the battle the year previous, when Judge Bucher, Democrat, was defeated in the Union-Snyder-Mifflin district. This victory was won by Mr. Focht's brother-in-law, H. M. McClure, Republican, who at the time resided in Northumberland county, and over a man who was reputed to be the most saga- cious politician in Central Pennsylvania and who had as his supporters nearly the entire bar of the district, all the old politicians, all the Democratic papers of the district and five Republican papers, and in addition had the prestige of having carried the district in 1871 over an able lawyer by more than 2,000 majority. This victory at once gave Mr. Focht a place among the best organizers and resourceful leaders in the state. As a member of the House he stands among the most active and hard-working legislators, having secured the passage through the House of a majority of the most important bills he introduced.
254
House of Representatives.
HENRY F. JAMES, one of the Rep- resentatives from Venango county, son of Edwin and Sarah G. (Sandsbury) James, was born in Nantucket, Mass., on December 3, 1841. He learned the trade of a cooper and afterwards engaged in the whaling business, acquiring a good knowledge of navigation and hav- ing for years the perils of the deep. In 1861 he came to Venango county, Pa., attracted by the petroleum develop- ments which proved so inviting to young and ambitious spirits. Early in 1864 he superintended important oil in- terests at l'ithole, the phenomenal town that blazed like a meteor for a season and then went out forever. In 1871 he removed to Sugar Creek township to take charge of the Franklin pipe-line. Soon he leased a large part of the old McCalmot farm and began operating on his own account, meeting with much success. His practical skill did him good service and he drilled scores of profitable wells in the lubricatory districts, many of which are producing to-day. With characteristic energy he entered into every project calculated to benefit the community. For many years he has been a prominent school director, always taking a leading share in furthering the cause of education. The public schools of Sugar Creek has no warmer, wiser friend, and to his efforts their high standard of excellence is largely attributable. He was also one of the organizers and, during its entire existence, an active director of the Venango Agricultural Society, which has held a foremost place among such in- stitutions in this commonwealth. In 1866 he married Miss Susan Hunter, of Nantucket, who bore him two children, Bertha and Frank. The happy family occupy a handsome home near Franklin on the farm which Mr. James cultivates and where most of his oil wells are located. He pays close attention to the best methods of improving the soil, has done splendid work in the direction of better roads and keeps abreast of the times in stock-raising and kindred pursuits.
Mr. James is in the very prime of vigorous manhood, and an earnest Republican, above the average height and weight, his appearance inspires respect. He is now serving his second term in the Legislature, having been re-elected by an immense majority. His sturdy defense of the rights of his constituents, when adverse legislation threatened grave disaster to the producers of Venango and adjacent counties, won him the confidence of all classes, irrespective of party. They recog- nized his loyalty to principle, his discriminating zeal for the public good and his thorough trustworthiness. He is a ready speaker, a man of unquestioned integrity, personally hospitable, a profound hater of shams, influential with his fellow-men- bers, and in every way admirably qualified to represent an intelligent, progressive constituency.
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255
House of Representatives.
JOHN L. MATTOX, one of the Ve- nango county members, was born near Sandy Lake, Mercer county, July 15, 1859, and enjoys the distinction of hav- ing been born in the same year with Representatives Mates, of Butler, and Merrick, of Tioga, all three of whose names appear in consecutive order on the roll call. Mr. Mattox was the son of a soldier who died in the Union army and was buried at Arlington Heights, Virginia. He began his educational training in the soldiers' orphan school at Mercer, in which institution he re- mained five years and subsequently en- tered Westminster College at New Wilmington, Pa. He feels much in- debted to Mr. R. R. Wright, of Mercer, who advanced him the necessary funds to complete his collegiate education. Mr. Mattox graduated from the college in 1883, afterward taught school near Oil City and for five years was principal of the schools of Pleasantville, Venango county, where he was married to the daughter of D. W. Henderson. He read law with ex-Senator Lee and ex-Repre- sentative Hays (who is now his law partner), and was admitted to the bar in 1889. His school teaching days gave him a wide acquaintance and did him good service when he ran for the legislative nomination in 1892 and for his election the same year. He was loyally supported by his own party (the Republicans), received many Democratic votes and obtained an unusually large majority. At the session of 1893 he was a member of the Judiciary General, Elections, Municipal Corpora- tions, Federal Relations, Military and Pensions and Gratuities Committees. He was also on the sub-committee which inquired into the contested election cases instituted to unseat Representatives Baker, of Montgomery, and Quinnan, of Lackawanna, respectively.
256
House of Representatives.
CALEB C. THOMPSON, of Warren county, Speaker of the House of Representatives, was born May 28, 1846, in Pine Grove township. Warren county, Pa. He was educated in the common schools, at the Edinboro State Normal School, the Jamestown (New York) Union school and collegiate institute. He worked on a farm and taught school until 1869, when he began the study of the law at Warren with Brown & Stone. He was admitted to the bar in 1871 and successfully practiced his profession at Tidioute, Pa., until 1881, when he re- moved to Warren where he has since been in active practice. In February, 1878, he was elected burgess of Tidioute and in November, 1878, district attor- ney of Warren county. He was burgess of Warren borough in 1885 and at vari- ous times a member of the school board of Tidioute and Warren boroughs. Mr. Thompson was elected a member of the Legislature from Warren county in 1888 and at once took a leading part in debate and consideration of important measures on the floor of the House and in commit- tee. So well did he represent his constituents that they returned him in 1890 and again in 1892. He was elected Speaker of the House January 6, 1891, after a bit- ter struggle, defeating Hon. William H. Brooks, of Philadelphia, now collector of internal revenue for the First district, who was endorsed by the Philadelphia dele- gation; also a number of other prominent candidates. At the organization of the present session Mr. Thompson was the unanimous choice of the Republican caucus for the position he so creditably fills. He is dignified and impartial when in the Speaker's chair and has the respect of every member of the House. His rulings have always been fair and impartial and have met with the approval of both par- ties. Mr. Thompson is a ready debater, an eloquent and forcible talker and an able parliamentarian. He is an enthusiastic Republican and will likely be the nominee of his party for State Treasurer in the fall of 1893.
257
House of Representatives.
GEORGE V. LAWRENCE, of Wash- ington, chairman of the Congres- sional Apportionment committee and the oldest member of the House, was born in Washington county, Pa., No- vember 13, 1819. He was liberally edu- cated and endowed with strong mental powers, but he never showed taste for any of the professions, devoting himself exclusively to agriculture and politics, in which he had always been regarded as an expert. In legislation he ranked with the ablest men of his own and rival parties, and was recognized as capa- able to discharge any duty in connec- tion with the work of committees to which he was assigned in Congress and in both branches of the Legislature, where he served. Mr. Lawrence was LIVITYDECO PHILA first elected to the Legislature in 1843. He was re-elected in 1847, 1858 and 1859. He was chosen a member of the State Senate in 1848, '49, '50, '51 and '60, serving with marked ability and great credit as Speaker of that body during the last session in 1861. He was elected a member of Congress in 1864, '66 and '82. In 1873 he was one of the delegates-at-large to the constitutional convention, which framed the present constitution. After remaining in private life for a number of years Mr. Lawrence again appeared as a member of the Legislature of the lower branch, in which he now takes a very active part. He comes from a family of statesmen, his father having served in the State Legislature and Congress and two of his un- cles and two brothers having displayed marked ability as members of the State Legislature. His father, Joseph Lawrence, served four terms in the House of Representatives and was Speaker of that body in 1822 and '24. His father's two brothers, John and Samuel Lawrence, were elected to the House from Beaver county about 1820. William, a brother of the subject of this sketch, was elected to the House from Dauphin county in 1858 and '60. He served as Speaker during his last term. Samuel, another brother, was Warren county's representative in the lower branch in 1860. Mr. Lawrence is chairman of the House Congressional Ap- portionment committee and a member of other important committees, including the special committee to investigate the Philadelphia electric light trust. The characteristic of Mr. Lawrence in public life has been his tenacity in devotion to the Republican party, never swerving from his zeal in supporting its measures and men. Whatever he undertook to do he always did with ability and courage, act- ing fairly to his opponents, but losing no opportunity to advance the interests of his party. He is a plain and convincing speaker, a ready debater and one of the most valuable members of the present Legislature. Wherever he is known he is regarded with great respeet in business and social life.
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258
House of Representatives.
D AVID MILLER ANDERSON, of Washington, was born in Beaver county, Pa., November 30, 1837. He was educated in the public schools and at the academy at Hookstown and Beaver. In 1854, with his father and brother, he went to Chile, South Amer- ica, where he lived until November, 1861. On his return to the United States he read medicine for a short time and served with credit as acting medical cadet at Camp Curtin, Harris- burg. After one course of lectures at Ann Arbor, he received a commission as assistant surgeon, Twelfth United States colored troops, in April, 1864, and served until the close of the war. In 1866 he was graduated from Bellevue Hospital Medical College. He practiced medi- LAVVITHE LD PHILA cine with success for a number of years in Washington county, but was finally compelled to relinguish his practice to devote all his attention to his coal interests.
Mr. Anderson is a firm believer in the principles and doctrine of the Republican party and takes an active interest in its welfare in the county which he has the honor to represent in the Legislature. He is a member of the Committees on Railroads, Mines and Mining, Iron and Coal and Banks. In 1865 he was married to Miss Charity S. Wright, of Washington county. They have two children-a son and daughter. Mr. Anderson is serving his first term in the House of Repre- sentatives. He has introduced a number of important measures.
259
House of Representatives.
THOMAS MCCLELLAND PATTER- SON, of Washington, is a son of John and Jane (McClelland) Patterson. He was born in Hopewell township, Washington county, Pa., April, 1853, and was educated in the public schools of that region. January 3, 1878, Mr. Patterson was married to Lizzie, daugh- ter of William and Catharine Proudfit, of the same county. He pursued the vocation of farming and stock raising until 1866 when he removed to Bur- gettstown, where he has since resided. He is a firm believer in the principles of the Republican party and was elected to the Legislature for the first time in 1891. He took an active part in the proceed- ings of that session and served on the Committees of Agriculture, Labor and Industry, Iron and Coal, Constitutional Reform and Geological Survey.
Recognizing his faithfulness to his trust and his fitness to represent them in the halls of the Legislature Mr. Patter- son was returned to the House in 1892 by the electors of his district. He is a member of the Committees on Appropriations, Corporations, Elections, Public Printing and Compare Bills, being chairman of the last-named committee. He is a forcible and logical talker, but is rarely heard on the floor of the House except when the interests of his constituents are at stake. In committees he is a tireless worker, always on the side of the people. He is a quiet and unassuming gentle- man with hosts of friends who admire him for his straight forward, manly course.
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260
House of Representatives.
W TILLIAM N. CURTIS, who, as a Republican, enjoys the distinction of representing a Democratic county (Wayne), was born in Scranton, April 15, 1857. He is the second son of Moses Curtis, and when he was seven years old his father moved on a farm in Ca- naan, Wayne county. In summer he assisted his father on the farm and in winter attended the public schools until he attained his majority. At the age of twenty-two years he went to Ripon, Wisconsin, where he entered the ser- vice of a prosperous farmer, serving as his foreman for two years. In January, 1882, he married Miss Lena A. Morey, of Ripon, the daughter of an extensive farmer. Mr. Curtis' brother and brother- in-law are all engaged in agricultural LEVYTYRE CO PHILA pursuits, and he is a prominent mem- ber of his local grange, in whose organ- ization he was active. In April, 1892, he purchased his father's farm, containing one hundred and thirty-three acres, which was part of the original grant made by the commonwealth to his great-grandfather, Henry Curtis. Representative Curtis has followed farming since he was a boy. In conjunction with it he did a profi- table business as a shipper of horses for six years, from 1885. His nomination for member of the House was a surprise to him, as he did not enter the field for the place. He was not present at the convention which selected him, and no delegate to it was solicited for his vote by him. His selection was simply a recognition of his worth, and the people of Wayne county ratified the action of his party by se- lecting him as one of the two representatives of the House to which the county is entitled. Mr. Curtis is an industrious legislator and has exhibited a particular interest in bills intended to advance the prosperity of the farmers of the state.
261
House of Representatives.
JOHN KUHBACH, the Democratic Representative from Wayne county, was born in Texas township, Wayne county, Pa., September 12, 1865. He received his education in the public schools, graduating from the Honesdale High school in 1883 with the highest honors. Was employed as. teacher in the public schools of Texas township several terms. Was deputy postmaster of Honesdale in 1885-86 and for the past five years has held the trusted position of head bookkeeper of the firm of Dur- land, Thompson & Co., manufacturers of boots and shoes.
Since attaining his majority he has taken a deep interest in politics and a prominent part in the political affairs of his township and county. He has been a member of the Texas Township School Board for the past five years and is now serving his second year as secretary of the board. He was secretary of the Democratic County Committee of Wayne county in 1880, and in 1890 and 1891 he was its chairman, which position he filled with credit and satisfaction to the De- mocracy of Wayne county. He has been a delegate to several State conventions and was unanimously nominated for the office of Representative of Wayne county by the Democratic County convention of 1892, and at the election received the highest number of votes cast for that office.
He was a member of the committees on Judiciary, Local, Agriculture and Li- brary, and introduced a bill for the taxation of dogs and protection of sheep, and a bill making an appropriation for the construction and maintenance of a hospital at Honesdale, Pa., for the counties of Wayne and Pike.
262
House of Representatives.
W ILLIAM DALE, the only Demo- cratic member from Westmore- land county, was born in Clarion county, May 28, 1851. When he was eighteen months oid his family moved to Blair county, near Tyrone, where he remained until he was about twenty years of age. He attended the schools of Blair county, and soon after he had finished his edu- cation he made his home in the lumber regions of Clearfield county, in which he worked. In 1877 he transferred his base of operations to Blairsville, Indiana county, and entered the mercantile business. Two years afterward he took up his residence at Latrobe, in which town he has resided since, and contin- ued that business. The delegation from Westmoreland county originally con- sisted of three Democrats and one Re- publican, but the House reversed the political order of things by ousting two of the Democrats and admitting their Repub- lican contestants. The majorities of these Democrats were very small, but Mr. Dale had a margin of nearly two hundred votes, secured on his great popularity at his home, which he carried by about the majority by which he was elected. Latrobe is generally Republican by a small majority. Mr. Dale has always been a staunch Democrat and stands exceedingly well with his party in Westmoreland county. In 1885 he attended the Democratic state convention as a delegate. When elected to the Legislature lie was president of Latrobe council, which position he resigned, because, in his opinion, the two places were incompatible. Mr. Dale served on the Committees on Centennial Affairs, Vice and Immorality, Legislative Apportion- ment and Library.
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