USA > Pennsylvania > Allegheny County > Allegheny in Allegheny County > Recollections of seventy years and historical gleanings of Allegheny, Pennsylvania > Part 21
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CHARLES AVERY.
own cost, a commodious college edifice, dedicated to the edu- cation of black people, and which now bears his name. The design of the institution was to afford the youth of this race an opportunity to obtain a thorough classical education ; and in order to fit students for the classical course, he established a preparatory school under the superintendence of a competent teacher. Mr. Avery died before the college went into actual operation, leaving a special bequest of twenty-five thousand dollars to aid in its maintenance.
In all his business transactions, Mr. Avery was eminently successful, and was ever ready to aid by his counsel and active assistance the poor and struggling classes. He was admired for the purity and excellence of his Christian character, and was never known, even in the most unguarded moments, to give › utterance to a word or sentiment that did not indicate true nobleness, or that cannot now be remembered with satisfaction. As a minister of Christ he was firm and true to his profession. His strong sense of personal allegiance to his Lord was charac- teristic of his life.
Mr. Avery's fortune at his death was estimated at eight hun- dred thousand dollars, a large portion of which was given to charitable objects. During his life a sum probably equal was expended by him in public and private benefactions. Having no children to inherit his large estate, after liberally providing for his widow, and his own and wife's relatives, he left the residue for the good of his fellow-men. His chosen executors, Thomas M. Howe, William M. Shinn, and Josiah King, in whose in- tegrity and business qualification he had the utmost confidence, he devised to dispose of his residuary estate, estimated by the testator at about one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, by devoting a portion to be used for the "dissemination of the gospel of Christ among the tribes of Africa ; " also another portion for a perpetual fund, the interest thereof to be applied "to the education and elevation of the colored people of the United States and Canada."
The faithful and efficient management of the trust confided to their care has been such, that they have accounted for an amount more than double the maximum estimate of the testator,
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and have partially or wholly endowed normal and other schools in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, North Carolina, Canada, etc., for black people.
Before closing this imperfect memoir, we will simply add, it requires not the pen of eulogy to herald forth the virtues of this humble and devoted Christian : those who knew him best gave him full credit for the goodness of his heart, and beauty of his character. He died in the city of Allegheny, Jan. 17, 1858. Over his grave in the beautiful ("God's Acre ") Allegheny Cemetery, his executors have caused to be erected a stately and costly mausoleum, worthy of the character it com- memorates. This monument is surmounted by a colossal marble statue of Mr. Avery, and has on one side the figure of Charity, and on the other the figure of Justice, and on the other opposite sides the following appropriate mottoes : "The tree is known by its fruit." - Matt. xii. 33. "He hath dispersed abroad ; he hath given to the poor : his righteousness remaineth forever." - 2 Cor. ix. 9. "Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive." - Acts xx. 35. "The memory of the just is blessed." - Prov. x. 7.
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HENRY BALDWIN EARLE.
HENRY BALDWIN EARLE.
HENRY BALDWIN EARLE, as his name indicates, was called for one of the brightest luminaries of the Allegheny bar, who was a warm personal friend of the family : he was born in the borough of Pittsburg, on the north of Market Street, between Fourth Avenue and the Diamond, June 16, 1803, and died March 28, 1883. He was educated at the Moravian College, Beth- lehem, Penn., and was married Aug. 22, 1830, to Miss Jane Douglass Kirkpatrick by the late Bishop John H. Hopkins, at the latter's residence on Western Avenue, Allegheny. They had ten children, seven of whom were boys, and three were girls : his wife and five children -four sons and one daughter - survived him.
The family originally came from England, settled in New Jersey, and subsequently in Pittsburg, and were among its first settlers ; his father, William Earle, being mentioned in Breck- enridge's " History of the Western Insurrection," as one of the committee of twenty-one appointed by the loyal citizens to manage the part which the citizens should act in order to avoid the threatening complications.
The subject of our sketch was at one time extensively en- gaged as a dry-goods merchant. In his early manhood he espoused the political doctrines of the old Whig party, and subsequently the principles of the Republicans ; was elected a member of councils from his native ward, and was ap- pointed treasurer of the fund raised for the relief of the suf- ferers at the great fire of April 10, 1845. He was also elected by the city councils to the position of wharf-master on the Al- legheny, and held it for quite a number of years. The duties of these several positions he discharged with the strictest honor and fidelity. The high estimation in which he was held politically and socially, is evidenced by the fact that during the year (1844) of the great Presidential contest between Henry Clay and James K. Polk, he received the unanimous Whig nom-
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ination for mayor of his native city : the result, however, of the election, proved the success of Alexander Hay the Independ- ent candidate.
He possessed in an eminent degree a mind well disciplined by a liberal education, endowed by nature with the strength of a Hercules, quick and agile in his movements ; and to these excel- lences were added those rare qualities of the heart that make many and warm friends. Kind and unassuming in his inter- course with all, possessed of a generous and happy disposition, modest and retiring in his habits, and being entirely trust- worthy, he won the friendship and esteem of all who had the good fortune to enjoy his acquaintance.
He was a self-made man. In all his business and social rela- tions he was firm and true to his professions ; and his success in life was the result of unswerving fidelity, virile energy, and diligent application.
Some years before his death, he became afflicted with acute rheumatism, which subsequently assumed the chronic form : from this he suffered intensely, and his hitherto robust and vigorous physique became emaciated and feeble. Although his last days were marred with suffering, he gave evidence of his faith in a merciful Providence and the immortality of the soul. His character, like his frame, was established in the ardor of youth ; and a determined ambition to lead an honest life was succeeded by the cool, matured resolution of manhood, - power- ful to will, prompt to execute, and patient to endure. He was proof against idle hopes and the temptations of the world no less than against groundless fears, and the common vexations of life took less hold of his mind than the toils and suffering of his body.
He was an enthusiastic lover and patron of the fine arts. In early youth he exhibited a talent for drawing and painting of no ordinary ability : these he studied under the teaching and auspices of his friend, the late Bishop John H. Hopkins. One of his sons inherited in an eminent degree the talent of the father, and is now a professional artist of considerable ability. He was also fond of piscatorial pursuits, and was an active member of the old Isaak Walton Club.
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CHARLES BREWER.
CHARLES BREWER.
CHARLES BREWER, late of the city of Allegheny, was born in Taunton, Mass., in 1784. He came to Pittsburg in 1814, and was engaged for a number of years as a successful dry-goods merchant on the property which he owned, situated on the cor- ner of Market Street and Fifth Avenue. In 1832 he removed to the city of Allegheny, and entered his new mansion, erected in 1830 on the south side of Western Avenue, between Al- legheny Avenue and Fulton Street. He died in 1860, in the seventy-sixth year of his age, leaving no issue.
The following information is derived from a manuscript vol- ume of over fifty pages super-royal duo. size, containing a copy of his will, and a synopsis of the account of his executors, - William Holmes and Franklin H. Eaton. This manuscript was compiled by Mr. Thomas Marshall of the First Ward of the city of Allegheny, from the records of the court of Allegheny County, filed in the register's office, and was prepared solely in the interest of philanthropy, in order to preserve and perpetuate in a convenient form the voluminous evidence relative to the settlement of the estate that encumber the records, and is vir- tually entombed in the archives of the court.
It is the first attempt that has been made to convey to the public mind a knowledge of the extraordinary benefits that were conferred, through Mr. Brewer's liberality, upon various be- nevolent institutions in this and other communities. It is more especially designed to give publicity to the origin of the noble charity which he founded, and which is known (only to a limited extent) as the " Brewer Fuel Fund." With this object in view, the author dedicated his book to his friend, the late John B. McFadden, one of the managers of the Western Pennsyl- vania Hospital ; and it was by him formally presented to William Holmes, one of the executors of Mr. Brewer's estate, who, in turn, donated it to the managers of the Western Pennsylvania
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Hospital, who were by Mr. Brewer's direction constituted trus- tees perpetually of the "Brewer Fuel Fund," and who are, by Mr. Holmes's mandate inscribed on the book, required to " pre- serve and keep it in close connection with the account-book of the Brewer Fuel Fund." It is thus that the managers of the Western Pennsylvania Hospital, and their successors for all time to come, will be in possession of the history of the dis- tribution of the "Brewer estate," and the origin and intention of the greatest of Allegheny County's individual charities. Strange as it may appear, there is no other memorial of the man, save the sepulchral structure erected to his memory in the Allegheny Cemetery, with the vague inscription, " Brewer," chiselled upon it.
By direction of a clause in his will, the receptacle which con- tains all that was mortal of him has recently been permanently closed, "never again to be opened." It is thus that he has willed that his charity shall continue, and that the recipients of his bounty shall not know whence it came.
The following clippings from Pittsburg papers of March 27, 1882, are of interest in this connection : -
"A SEALED SEPULCHRE, THE KEY OF WHICH IS TO BE THROWN INTO THE ALLEGHENY RIVER.
Singular Request of the Late Charles Brewer to be complied with To-day,
To-day a very singular request in the will of the late Charles Brewer will be complied with at the Allegheny Cemetery in Lawrenceville. All old residenters in Pittsburg remember Mr. Brewer ; and his name is also quite familiar to our younger people, owing to the many charitable bequests he left behind him. Among these there are still in existence the Brewer Alcove in the Mercantile Library, and the Brewer Coal Fund, which has perpetuated his memory among the poor people of Pittsburg. At the time of his death he was very wealthy.
THE BREWER VAULT.
The particular feature of the will, to which we refer, will re- quire some words of explanation to be properly understood. The details are full of interest. The private Brewer burial- vault in the Allegheny Cemetery is familiar to many who have
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CHARLES BREWER.
visited the place. It is situated just off the main road leading from the Butler-street entrance, and a short distance from the gate. It is one of the oldest sepulchres in the beautiful city of the dead, having been constructed shortly after the cemetery was established. When the vault was completed, the first bodies deposited within its walls were those of the father and mother of Mr. Brewer's wife, Mr. and Mrs. William Cecil, a venerable couple well known in the early days of Pittsburg, after whom Cecil Alley in the First Ward was named. Then other members of the Cecil family, and Mr. and Mrs. Brewer, and descendants of both families, were buried there, and the marble shelves in the vault rapidly filled up.
MR. BREWER'S STRANGE REQUEST.
When Mr. Brewer made his will, he inserted a clause in re- lation to this vault, which was regarded as very singular. It was to the effect, that when the death of his niece, Miss Mary C. Hern of Allegheny, occurred, and her body was placed in his vault, it should be the last corpse deposited therein, and that, no matter how many vacant coffin-shelves remained, the lock on the door of the vault should then be hermetically sealed, and the key be thrown into the Allegheny River. It is said the words requiring the key " to be thrown into the Allegheny River," really occur in the will ; but whether they do, or not, his executors say he certainly meant that the key should be destroyed or lost. It is, of course, a matter of curiosity to know what motives led Mr. Brewer to make this requirement. Our informant, a reliable gentleman who was a close friend of Mr. Brewer, and who knows the history of his affairs and family, told the reporter of the POST last night, that it was probably a whimsical freak of Mr. Brewer, who had become somewhat childish as his death approached. He did not desire to have too many of the Herns buried in the vault, and perhaps con- cluded to prevent any further interments after Miss Mary's death.
THE VAULT TO BE SEALED TO-DAY.
Miss Mary C. Hern, the lady mentioned in the will, died in Allegheny on the 15th of September, 1877, and was buried in
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the Brewer vault three days later. Mr. F. H. Eaton, an exec- utor of Mr. Brewer, took the responsibility of not complying with the request of the deceased about closing the vault forever. There are twelve shelves in the vault; and as only eleven were occupied, Mr. Eaton concluded to hold it open until the twelfth shelf should be taken. That shelf will be filled to-day.
The corpse of Mrs. Frances Hern Burnside, who died in Al- legheny on Sunday, will be deposited there. She was also a niece of Charles Brewer, sister of Mary Hern. The cemetery officials have been notified to have a supply of cement at the vault ; and before the carriages leave the spot, the queer request of the founder of the vault will be carried out, -the lock will be securely sealed, and Mr. Eaton, who has always had the key (a large brass one) in his possession, will throw it into the Al- legheny River, or dispose of it in some equally effectual manner.
The funeral services over Mrs. Burnside's remains will be held at Trinity Church on Sixth Avenue, this afternoon, at 2.30 o'clock, after which the funeral will proceed to the cemetery. The pall-bearers will be Messrs. H. J. Lynch, John Porterfield, Andrew Peebles, and Kinder Blair.
It was mentioned yesterday that Isabella Martis of Lake, Brook County, Ill., wrote to Mayor Lyon asking for informa- tion concerning Mrs. Burnside, who is her aunt. It is said she wanted to get hold of some property Mrs. Burnside leaves ; but it is not very valuable, and she will not get it."
After making liberal provision in legacies and annuities to individuals, he bequeathed large sums of money to various benevolent institutions as follows : -
"To the Protestant Orphan Asylum of Pittsburg and Allegheny, in five annual payments of $500 each, To the Protestant Orphan Asylum of Pittsburg and Allegheny, on their failure to realize a legacy made by the late Dr. Hartford 5,000 00
To the Protestant Orphan Asylum of Pittsburg and Allegheny, for a new location and buildings for asylum .
10,000 00
To the Western Pennsylvania Hospital 1,000 00
To the Western Pennsylvania Hospital, for the depart- ment of the insane
1,000 00
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CHARLES BREWER.
To the Western Pennsylvania Hospital, in trust for the Brewer Fuel Fund . . To the Church \Home Association of Pittsburg, for a permanent asylum for the aged, infirm, and help-
$10,000 00
2,500 00
less members of the Protestant Episcopal Church, To the Protestant Deaconesses' Institute (Passavants Hospital)
5,000 00 5,000 00
To the Orphan Farm School, Zelienople (Passavants), To the Pennsylvania Colonization Society, to send colored people to Africa
5,000 00
To the Pennsylvania Colonization Society, to acclimate colored people in Africa
2,500 00
To the Seamen's Aid Society, to advance the moral condition of the seamen of the port of Phila- · delphia .
5,000 00
To the Young Men's Bible Society of Pittsburg and Allegheny · .
1,000 00
To Associate Missions among the Indians of Minne- sota
2,500 00
$58,000 00
The executors were invested by the terms of the will with unlimited powers and discretion in the management of the estate, extending over a period of eighteen years ; viz., from April 7, 1860, to March 4, 1878. During that period they filed in court sworn statements of their accounts at intervals of from two to four years, all of which were confirmed by order of the court. The seventh and final account was confirmed by the court on the date above stated, March 4, 1878.
By extraordinarily good management, the executors were enabled to realize $492,046.75 from the estate, being more than three and three-fourths times its appraised value.
A clause in the will provides, that, after the payment of the legacies and bequests enumerated in it, the remainder of the estate in the hands of the executors shall be distributed pro rata among the institutions that were en- titled to the original bequests. This intention was carried out by the execu- tors, and, as will be seen by the reader, has resulted in an extraordinary benefaction to each of the institutions in question.
*The Pittsburg and Allegheny Orphan Asylum has received . $112,917 40
*The Western Pennsylvania Hospital has received 12,904 78
*The Brewer Fuel Fund has received . 64,524 12
*The Church Home Association has received ·
16,131 10
*Passavants Hospital has received 32,262 13 · The Orphan Farm School has received · 32,262 13
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The Pennsylvania Colonization Society has received . $48,393 60 The Seamen's Aid Society has received 32,262 13
*The Young Men's Bible Society has received 6,452 45 The Indian Missions of Minnesota have received . 16,131 10
Total
. $374,240 94 .
Each institution has been paid 6.454 times, or nearly six and one-hal times, as much as was bequeathed to it.
The amount bequeathed to institutions of Allegheny County (*) is $38,000 The aggregate amount which they received is $245,191.98 (two hundred and forty-five thousand one hundred and ninety-one dollars ninety-eight cents).
Respectfully submitted.
THOS. MARSHELL.' " 243 REBECCA STREET, ALLEGHENY."
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JAMES C. BUTLER.
JAMES C. BUTLER.
IN early days the "Commons " of Allegheny were quite cele- brated for the military parades held there on those memorable days, so dear to the hearts of every American citizen, when hoary-headed men and unsophisticated youth mingled in the joyous throng, gazing with amazement on the "pomp and cir- cumstance of war."
On one of these occasions the writer was present when the following affecting incident occurred, resulting in the death of a gallant officer : -
Col. James C. Butler, the subject of this brief sketch, was born in the State of Connecticut in 1789. During his minor- ity he became inspired with the glowing tales told of the country made memorable by the struggles for supremacy be- tween the legions of France and the battalions of England, where the gorgeous Fleur-de-lis and the royal banner of St. George waved successively over the battlements of old Fort Duquesne.
To this region, hallowed by the military services of the good and faithful Washington, his youthful ambition was directed : and having completed his arrangements, he left his Eastern home, launching his bark on the sea of uncertainty, freighted with the blessing of his parents, and kindness of friends ; he arrived in Pittsburg in 1810. .
After a careful examination of the locality, he resolved to settle here, and make it his future home. He was then in the full vigor of youth, endowed with a liberal education ; he gave evidence of abilities of no ordinary degree ; generous to a fault, possessed of a genial and happy disposition, he soon made for himself friends, and rose rapidly in the estimation of all who had the good fortune to become acquainted with his merits.
Shortly after his advent in Pittsburg, and in accordance
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with the scriptural declaration, "it is not good for man to be alone," he wooed and won the affections of one of Pitts- burg's fair daughters, Miss Jerusha Mckinney, to whom he was united in wedlock on the twenty-eighth day of April, 1813.
Extensive as the pursuits of civil life are, it failed to afford a sufficient field for his enlarged views and laudable ambition. His genius soared aloft into the empyrean of military tactics ; and having thoroughly mastered the science, he felt himself competent to serve his country in war whenever she might require his services.
It was with the citizen soldiery that he chose to exercise his genius, and from the ranks he rapidly rose to the command of a regiment. The bright example of the heroes of the Revo- lution fired his youthful ardor, and impelled to follow in their brilliant footsteps. But alas ! he fell a victim to that science in which he so much gloried.
In response to the pressing invitation of a volunteer com- pany about springing into existence, he consented to act as their commander ; and on that fatal tenth day of September, 1821, whilst instructing his command in military evolutions, and firing by platoons, he met with his sad fate.
Full of ardor, he stood in his proper position, on the right, giving the order to fire, etc. After the first fire, and sub- sequent order to prepare for the second round, an unfortunate member of the first platoon, in loading up, discovered, to his dismay, that his former load had failed to explode ; and fearing the recoil of his musket, it was inadvertently swerved from the right direction, and in a line with the brave but unfortu- nate commander ; the unexploded cartridge taking fatal effect, shattering his left temple, and killing him almost instantly. Thus perished the gallant Butler in the thirty-second year of his age.
In all his intercourse with his fellow-men, he zealously maintained a character for strict integrity, faithfully dischar- ging every duty : wise in counsel, strong in his friendship, as citizen and soldier he left behind him an untarnished reputation and an honored name.
His remains were followed to the place of interment -the
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First Presbyterian Church burying-ground, Pittsburg -by his weeping relatives and sorrowing friends, preceded by the military and Masonic order. The solemn ceremonies on the occasion were conducted by the latter in the beautiful and im- pressive ritual of the fraternity ; and amid the deep and impos- ing silence of the scene, arose clear and distinct the voice of the grand master in the touching and solemn declaration of the Scripture, " And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from hence- forth : Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours ; and their works do follow them."
His three daughters, Mrs. Minot Holmes, Mrs. J. M. Burch- field, and Mrs. Capt. William Dean, survived him.
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HENRY CAMPBELL.
CAMPBELL - Oct. 6, 1881, HENRY CAMPBELL, in the 78th year of his age.
Funeral services at his late residence, No. 370 Ridge Avenue, Allegheny, Saturday, Oct. 8, at 2 o'clock P.M. Interment private at a later hour.
HENRY CAMPBELL was elected mayor in 1847 and 1848. He was born in the borough of Pittsburg, Oct. 17, 1803, on the west side of Fifth Street (now Fifth Avenue), between Market and Wood Streets. The building in which he was born is still standing, and is one of the few remaining landmarks of the olden time. It was at one time occupied as a hotel by John McClintock, and rendered famous for the good cheer and hos- pitalities dispensed by its worthy host. Its sign-a ship under full sail, with the significant motto of "Don't give up the ship"- will doubtless be remembered by many of our older citizens.
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