USA > Pennsylvania > Prominent and progressive Pennsylvanians of the nineteenth century. Volume III > Part 20
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CHARLES MOHR was born in the city of Philadelphia on the 2d day of May, 1844. His parents were Carl and Katrina Mohr. His early education was acquired in the public and private schools of his native city, but his training in German and French was received from private tutors. He early manifested a liking for scientific studies, but, yielding to the desires of his father, he entered mercantile life, taking, in 1860, a place in the counting-house of Charles Vezin & Company, a large importing and manufacturing establishment, where he gave evidence of high business qualifications and soon won his way to a position of trust and responsibility. He remained with this firm until 1872, when he engaged in the importing and commission busi- ness under the firm name of Mohr & Company. But his desire
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for a professional career never left him, and his spare hours were largely devoted to the study of medical works. Finally he decided to devote his entire time to preparing himself for the medical profession, and, in 1872, placed himself under the preceptorship of Prof. E. A. Farrington. In 1873 he matriculated at the Hahne- mann Medical College, and entered the Philadelphia School of Anat- omy the following year, graduating from the former institution, March 10, 1875. Doctor Mohr soon attained prominence in his profession, and turning his thorough business training to good account, he speedily took a prominent place in the management of existing homo- pathic institutions and in the organization of new ones. To his efforts, while its Secretary, the Homoeopathic Medical Society of the County of Philadelphia is largely indebted for its success. His efficient work was also evident in the thorough organization of the Hahnemann College Dispensary, where he was Chief of Staff from 1877 until 1882. He became Secretary of the American Homoeopathic Publishing Society in 1878, and took an active part in the publication of "Hering's Guiding Symptoms of Our Materia Medica," a great work of ten volumes, which was not completed until 1891. Among other important positions which he has occupied, the following may be noted : From 1879 to 1881 he was Lecturer on Pharmacy in the Hahnemann College, Phila- delphia ; from 1880 to 1882, Physician of the Pennsylvania Homœo- pathic Hospital for Children; 1881 to 1882, Lecturer on Clinical Medicine and Physical Diagnosis in the Hahnemann Medical College, Philadelphia; 1882, Lecturer on Hygiene for the New Century Club, of Philadelphia ; 1882 to 1885, Professor of Clinical Medicine and Physical Diagnosis in the Hahnemann Medical College, Phila- delphia ; from 1882 to 1885, Physician to the Homoeopathic Hospital, Philadelphia ; 1884 to 1885, Vice-President of the Homoeopathic Medical Society of the State of Pennsylvania ; 1885 to 1886, Professor of Materia Medica and Clinical Medicine in the Hahnemann Medical College, Philadelphia ; 1894 to 1896, President of the Homoeopathic Medical Society of the County of Philadelphia. He is now, and has been since 1886, Professor of Materia Medica and Therapeutics of the Hahnemann Medical College, Philadelphia. He is a member of the American Institute of Homoeopathy, the Homoeopathic Society
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of the State of Pennsylvania, the Homoeopathic Society of the County of Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Clinical Society, the Medical Juris- prudence Society, the American Academy of Political and Social Science, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, and he is also an honorary member of the Institutio Homeopathico Mexicano.
Doctor Mohr has been very prominent in the literature of his profession. Besides his distinguished services on Doctor Hering's work, he is well known as the author of a number of treatises which are recog- nized as among the most thorough expositions of medical subjects extant. Among them are: "The Incompatible Remedies of the Homeopathic Materia Medica" (1879) ; "Sanitary Precautions in Measles" (1880) ; "Typhoid Fever" (several important papers pub- lished in 1880, 1885 and 1895) ; "Care of the Mouth and Teeth in Infancy and Childhood" (1880) ; "Carcinoma of the Breast versus Erysipelas and Arsenic" (1886) ; "Provings and their Relation to Cholera" (1892); "A Comparative Study of the Umbellifera" (1896), and a number of others. At present he is occupied in preparing for the press a text-book on Materia Medica and Therapeutics, a work on which he has been engaged for nearly fifteen years, which covers mainly his lectures to college classes of the Hahnemann Medical College, of Philadelphia.
Doctor Mohr was married on the Ist day of August, 1866, to Eliza Jane Hulfish. They have two daughters. His chief interest at present is in his private practice and his positions as Trustee and Physician of Hahnemann Hospital, Professor of Materia Medica of the Hahnemann Medical College, and Registrar of that institution.
R.O. Moon
REUBEN O. MOON.
A S a descendant of one of the first settlers of Pennsyl- vania, a pioneer who came to America with William Penn, Reuben O. Moon, the subject of this biography, enjoys a certain distinction ; and that he is numbered among the progressive men of the Commonwealth is due to his own indefatigability and his untiring and zealous efforts. Beginning life as a teacher and continuing his work as a Professor in a school of elocution and oratory, he subsequently developed into one of the brightest and most representative lawyers of the Philadelphia Bar. Few men in Pennsylvania can point to any brighter record during as few years of service in the legal profession, and it is a remarkable fact that Mr. Moon won his laurels in an entirely dif- ferent field before he entered the profession of law.
REUBEN O. MOON was born in Burlington County, New Jersey, July 22, 1847. His father was Aaron L. Moon, and his mother Maria B. Moon. For many generations back the Moon family had been closely identified with the affairs of State, and had numbered among its members some of the best known men of the times. The original member of this family in America came over with William Penn and settled in Penn Manor, Pennsylvania, being one of the oldest families in Pennsylvania. One of the Moons was a member of the earliest Council called by William Penn. From that period members of this family have from time to time occupied high offices in the affairs of their State. R. O. Moon, the subject of this biography, was educated in New Jersey, under the direction of his father, who was a distin- guished teacher, from whom he received a splendid training, being sent finally to a prominent Philadelphia college, from which he graduated in 1874. After leaving college he began his life as a
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wage-earner in the capacity of a teacher, and was afterwards for a short time engaged in mercantile pursuits. Having a strong predi- lection for public speech and similar branches of study, he afterwards accepted a professorship in the National School of Elocution and Oratory in Philadelphia. Upon the death of the President of that Institution, in 1880, he filled for some years the most important chair in the school.
Mr. Moon, whose talents are of a varied nature, and whose edu- cation was of a description calculated to best develop these qualities, about that time became known throughout the country as a lecturer and a teacher of expression. His powers of oratory were especially great, and for this he obtained wide recognition. In the meantime he decided to adopt the profession of law, and studied hard to this end. In 1884 he was admitted to the Bar and at once became prominent. He rose rapidly in the profession and obtained an extensive and profitable practice in a short time. It was in this profession that Mr. Moon's earliest education showed to the greatest advantage. His oratorical strength and his splendid understanding of the funda- mental principles of language placed him in a unique position at the Bar. Not only did he enjoy a technical knowledge of the law in all its details, but he brought into the service of his clients a winning personality and a convincing style of argument and pleading which in many notable cases won surprisingly favorable verdicts. While his practice increased largely and the law became his chief study, Mr. Moon yet found some time for the continuance of his early studies of oratory and elocution, while literary matters interest him to a large extent. He became very prominent as a lecturer and as a speaker on public occasions and at banquets. In club life he won great popu- larity ; but withal, the law was his chief occupation, and has continued such for several years. In both the civil and criminal courts Mr. Moon had a large following, and won brilliant successes. He is now attorney for several large corporations and has been identified with many prominent litigation cases. In criminal practice his success has been conspicuous, especially in homicide cases, and he is to-day recognized as one of the leading lawyers of Philadelphia, as well as a thoroughly representative Pennsylvanian.
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In 1876 Mr. Moon was married to Mary A. Predmore, of Bar- negat, New Jersey. They have had two children, one a son, Harold P. Moon, who is a student in the Law Department of the University of Pennsylvania, and a daughter, Mabel M. Moon. Mr. Moon, who is one of the leading members of the Lawyers' Club, is more promi- nently known, perhaps, in clubdom as President of that splendid up-town Philadelphia organization, the Columbia Club. In this office he exercises his great capacity for work, which, combined with his pleasing personality, makes him an ideal chief official for such a social institution. Mr. Moon is also a member of the Historical Society, and of the Penn Club of Philadelphia. His chief interest at present, of course, is in the practice of his profession. This is now largely confined to the civil courts, particularly as he represents large cor- porate interests. Few members of the Bar have made more rapid progress than Mr. Moon, who, in other fields as well, has demon- strated the worth and quality of his attainments. That he is to-day numbered among Pennsylvania's prominent citizens is due entirely to his own efforts.
ALEXANDER G. MORRIS.
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ANY of the most prominent descendants of the Scotch race are distinguished by a courageous spirit of enterprise, a progressive temperament and sturdy mental and physical health. In the making of the history of the Keystone State, this vigorous stock has figured as a very important factor, and the long list of representative men on the honor roll of the State numbers many who have sprung from such worthy ancestry. An immediate point in illustration is furnished in the parentage of the subject of this sketch, Alexander G. Morris, whose inborn spirit of progress, combined with natural ability, has won for him the laurels of distinguished citizenship and deserved prominence. His parents were born in the Land of the Thistle, and they both emigrated to this country while still in their youth, settling in the great and growing Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
ALEXANDER GILCHRIST MORRIS was born at Freeport, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, on November 5, 1834. His father was Robert Morris, a native of Glasgow, Scotland. His mother's maiden name was Isabella Gilchrist, and she was born in Whithorn, Scotland. In their teens both looked to the Land of Liberty as their future home. They came separately to this country and settled in Pittsburg, in which city they duly met and became united in the bonds of matrimony. Both were devout members of the United Presbyterian Church and were highly respected by their neighbors and acquaintances. The elder Morris joined the Masonic Order and became a very important and valuable member of the local and State lodges. He carried on the business of contracting and building, and, through his steady adherence to his vocation, he amassed a comfortable competence. When his son had reached the proper age he entered the public
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schools at Freeport, and, after passing through all the elementary grades, he was sent to the academy at that place to complete his education. At the end of his scholastic career, young Morris obtained a thorough and practical knowledge of the trade of carpentering. In 1852, when he had reached his eighteenth year, he began the active struggle of life for himself as a contractor and builder, following closely along the prudential and prosperous lines laid down by his father. This business increasing beyond ordinary boundaries, he branched out into the oil, coal and limestone trade. In fact, he was one of the pioneers in that line in Venango County. He bored the tenth oil-well in that section and made considerable money out of the venture. His interest in coal has extended over a territory com- prising the best mining regions of West Virginia. He is largely concerned in several mines in the latter State, but at present his immediate attention is given to his limestone interests. He is the proprietor of a large iron foundry and machine shops at Tyrone, Penn- sylvania, where he is looked upon as one of its most prominent and progressive citizens. Besides his many business affairs, he is also engaged in banking, being the President of the Blair County Banking Company. He has been a Director and stockholder in that institution for about two years, and, through his acknowledged business acumen and general administrative ability, he has added greatly to the success and solidity of the banking circles of his section. He was a member of the Council of the city of Tyrone for several terms, and, on May 15, 1896, he was appointed Manager of the Pennsylvania Industrial Reformatory at Huntingdon. He is interested in the Gas and Water Company of his residential city, and is in every way a thoroughly representative citizen.
Mr. Morris was married on November 29, 1864, to Mary E. Swartz, the ceremony taking place at Pittsburg. Seven children have been the result of this union, five of whom are living. Their names are Lida E., Thomas K., Charles A., Robert, Alexander, Jr., Harry P. and Mary Bell Morris, the latter two being deceased. Mr. Morris has just passed his sixty-third year and enjoys vigorous health. He is a man of kindly disposition and is very philanthropical. He is deeply inter- ested in charitable work, and, during his connection with the Industrial
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Reformatory, achieved a great deal for the benefit of its inmates. His public career has been very honorable and his services as a Councilman of the city proved of considerable value. Zealous, public-spirited and with an ever-watchful eye to the best interests of his municipality, he has always been a faithful, generous and earnest worker for the betterment and advancement of Tyrone. As a bank president he has the confidence of a wide and ever-increasing circle of friends. He is conscientious, honest and clear-headed in his banking methods, just the same as he is in his private business affairs. He is one of the largest lime and limestone dealers in the State. His foundry and machine shops afford him a steady revenue and comprise one of the most complete plants of the kind in the country.
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EDWIN F. MORSE.
E DWIN F. MORSE, of Philadelphia, was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on the 5th day of March, 1852. His father was Stephen A. Morse, one of the best known inventors in the New England and Middle States, where machinery of his contrivance was in general use. Among his inventions were a number of pieces of machinery for a wide variety of purposes. He is, perhaps, how- ever, best known as the inventor of the Morse Twist Drill, which completely revolutionized modern shop practice. His wife was Adeline Plaisted, a member of one of Boston's oldest and most distinguished families, with ancestry of Revolutionary fame. Her mother was a Prescott, and a connection of the gallant Colonel Prescott, who led the forces of the colonists in the historic battle of Bunker Hill.
When the subject of this review had reached the age of two years, his parents removed from Boston to East Bridgewater, Massa- chusetts, and thence to New Bedford, Massachusetts, where his boy- hood was spent. Here, in the common schools, he received his early education, passing through successive grades until he had completed the course from the primary school to the high school, from which latter he graduated in May, 1869, having made a record as a student that foreshadowed his success in the wider field of commercial life. Upon the completion of his educational course he went to Boston and entered the hardware business with the firm of Homer, Bishop & Company, at that time one of the leading houses of the Massachusetts metropolis. He began his services with this firm in an humble capacity, but, during the ten years in which he remained connected with them, he won his way steadily upward until he reached
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a high and commanding position, meanwhile acquiring a thorough and complete knowledge of all the details of the business. An advanta- geous place being offered him with the Dana Hardware Company, which was then, as now, the largest concern of its kind in New England, he accepted the post and remained with them for two years. In 1881, his ambition having led him to seek a field which not only afforded him opportunity for work, but one that would give him a chance to enter business on his own account, he came to Philadelphia and, with his father, began the manufacturing of elevators. Their first quarters were at 413 Cherry Street, but these soon became too small for their needs, and, in 1884, they bought the old Landenberger mill property, at Frankford Avenue and Wildey Street, where, in larger quarters, they were better enabled to take care of their rapidly growing business. In 1886, however, a considerable addition was required for their works, and they moved their offices to Frankford Avenue and Wildey Street, where, for a number of years past, they have been engaged in building the finest class of elevators, and equipping some of the most complete buildings in the country, such as the St. James Building in New York, the Henry Phipps Building in Pittsburg, the Fidelity Building, the Franklin Building, the Witherspoon Building in Philadelphia, and many other well-known "sky-scrapers." At the time he joined the company they had only a small plant, and were engaged principally in the building and erection of hand and belt-power freight elevators; but when he became associated in its management and attended to the soliciting of its contracts, business began to increase and they began to look for larger fields, which resulted in their entering upon the manufacture of electric and hydraulic passenger elevators on a larger scale. In 1895 the increase of the business, under Mr. Morse's management, was such as to demand more room, and still another large addition was made to the factory. In 1893, the father having retired from the concern two years previous, the company was incorporated, and now stands in the front rank of elevator-building concerns in the United States.
On the 12th day of March, 1890, Mr. Morse was married to Cornelia S. F. Smith, of Philadelphia, daughter of Alfred Smith, of
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the Union Traction Company. They had one child, now deceased. Mrs. Morse, while out bicycling on the 8th day of April, 1896, was killed by an accident on Girard Avenue. Mr. Morse is a member of the Union League, the Manufacturers' Club, and a number of other widely known organizations. He takes an active interest in political affairs and is a staunch Republican.
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III .- 18
THOMAS J. MORTON.
N a great city like Philadelphia the ward lines divide -X- communities into little colonies of citizens who com- bine their interests, as a rule, for the general good. In this line of public action the Twentieth Ward is conspicuous as a part of the community, with a pecu- liar power in itself and an absolute authority over its own people. Its residents have won distinction in professional, social, commer- cial and artistic life, and have helped to form the glorious history of their city and their State. The subject of this sketch, Dr. Thomas J. Morton, comes from a good old family, which served the people of the Twentieth Ward well and faithfully for more than half a century. He took up the duty of honest citizenship where his father left off, and has never since relaxed his efforts to promote the welfare of the city of his nativity. He has not only won and maintained the confidence, respect and esteem of all who know him, but, as a professional practitioner, he has earned laurels which stamp him as a man of marked prominence and pro- gressiveness. As the Coroner's Physician, too, he has indicated his entire fitness for public office.
THOMAS J. MORTON was born in Philadelphia, June 30, 1861, in what was then known as Crescentville, now the Twenty-second Ward of Philadelphia. This is one of the oldest sections of the city. It is quite historic, owing to the fact that, out of a total of about two hundred inhabitants, seventy-nine of them responded to the call of their country at the time of the breaking out of the Rebellion. In commemoration of this fact, a monument is about to be erected in the locality from which the brave soldiers enlisted. Doctor Morton comes from old English stock, his ancestors having
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Thank. Morton
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all figured prominently in the medical field. His great-grandfather practiced medicine in England, and his grandfather, Thomas Morton, practiced in the city of Philadelphia as early as 1829. His father was Thomas Morton, also a physician, and both his grandfather and father practiced within a block of Doctor Morton's present resi- dence, their patients being the ancestors of the very people whom Doctor Morton serves to-day so successfully and faithfully in his professional capacity. His mother's name was Ann Morton. He received his early education in the Philadelphia public schools, after which he entered the Jefferson Medical College, where he graduated, in 1885, with high honors, receiving medals and degrees which showed not only unusual proficiency in his studies, but his general excellence as an all-around student. He immediately com- menced the practice of his profession, spending some time in the Jefferson Medical College Hospital and the Philadelphia Hospital of Skin Diseases. He was appointed Police Surgeon of the Twelfth District in 1885, and attended faithfully to the performance of his duties. In 1892 he was elected Medical Director of the Common- wealth Mutual Life Insurance Company, which position he continues to occupy with great credit to himself and thorough satisfaction to the patrons and officers of that corporation. He was elected to the Common Council from the Twentieth Ward in 1895, and so well did he serve his constituency that he was re-elected in 1897. He was appointed Coroner's Physician in May, 1896, by Coroner Ashbridge, and still holds that post with marked efficiency. His chief interests at present are centered in the practice of medicine, and in his positions as Coroner's Physician and as Common Coun- cilman he spends much time on behalf of his municipality. He is a member of the Lafayette Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons. He has been honored with the Presidency of the Union Repub- lican Club of the Twentieth Ward, and is a member of the Fidelity Club and the Philadelphia Medical Legal Society. He is unmarried.
In every phase of his personal life, as well as of his pro- fessional career, he has exhibited the same studiousness to duty, the same honesty of purpose, and the same sturdy and loyal friendship which has served to mark him as one of Philadelphia's most
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earnest and enterprising citizens. It has never been questioned that the interests of any community, or of any particular body of citizens, are best served by the man who, during his entire career, has been most closely allied with the people and the principles he is called upon to represent; and it is on this account that Doctor Morton has so long and so often been brought forth to represent a prosperous section of the community of which he is such a sterling representative.
Bemy Ginayer
I he Rembrandt; T71 5? 2'1.
HENRY G. MOYER.
P ENNSYLVANIA'S political development during the past decade has been marked by many rapid changes on the face of economic affairs, and has been char- acterized by the rise into prominence, from time to time, of men fitted to lead in any walk of life, but who have been given the opportunity to particularly distinguish them- selves in the arena of public affairs, through the exigencies of political progress. Henry G. Moyer, the subject of this biography, as a mem- ber of the State Senate from the Tenth District, holds a prominent position in the legislative affairs of Pennsylvania, and throughout his community is recognized as one of the most active spirits in promul- gating the varied interests connected with Pennsylvania's advance- ment. In Perkasie Mr. Moyer is a prominent figure, having made that the center of his business operations for a number of years.
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