USA > Pennsylvania > The Biographical encyclopedia of Pennsylvania of the nineteenth century. Pt. 2 > Part 3
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80
4
328
BIOGRAPIIICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA.
to compel him to immediately visit Europe, and to travel there for a period of nine months. Ile returned home, June 25th, 1872, with health somewhat recruited, but still requiring prolonged rest. For several years he was a Vice- President of the Agricultural Society of Pennsylvania. Ile is the author of numerous essays, speeches, reports, and lectures on literary, moral, philosophical, financial, legal, and political subjects, which have at various times appeared in newspapers, periodicals, and pamphlets, but have never as yet been collected and published in book form. In the year 1846, after careful examination and mature delibera- tion, he embraced the therapeutic views of Hahnemann, and acted as President of the Homeopathie Hospital of Philadelphia, during the years 1850 and 1851. In early manhood, viz., in 1829, from convictions of patriotic duty, he relinquished the political views of his family, and ardently embraced the constitutional doctrines in respeet to a strict construction of the limited, express, and delegated powers of the Federal Government, and "the reserved rights of the States of the Union," enuneiated by Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, John Taylor, of Caroline, and the other fathers of the Democratic Republican party of the United States. Ile consequently earnestly and vigorously sustained the measures of Andrew Jackson, during his Presidency, in removing the public deposits from the Bank of the United States, and in vetoing the proposed re- charter of that institution, by the Federal Government. Ilis numerous political speeches and essays evince a conscien- tiously close, strict, and unswerving adherence to his early embraced and long avowed Democratie principles, inclu- ding a stern opposition to political centralization, to an irredeemable paper eurrency, privileged class legislation, and tariff protection. IIe is a Counsellor of the Supreme Court of the United States, by admission in February, 1858, and continues his professional relations with the bar of Pennsylvania, of which he is a member, by admission to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, in April, 1831. He is a communicant of the Protestant Episcopal Church, and has been, from early youth, an earnest adherent to the cause of temperance reform by moral suasion. In 1830, he became a member of the Masonic Fraternity, and prior to the year 1843, had presided over several lodges of the order, in Philadelphia and Michigan, respectively. In the same year, 1830, he also became a member of the order of Odd Fellows, in which he has held dignified offices.
advantage, that all tendeney to a consumptive termination was completely eradicated. On his return to the United States, he attended school first in Philadelphia, next at Jamestown, New York, thence he passed to the Academy at Eagleswood, New Jersey, closing at the Polytechnic College, Philadelphia. When fifteen years old, fully im- bued with the spirit of the times, he joined the 2nd Key- stone Battery, in response to a call from the Governor for troops, but did not advance much beyond Harrisburg, seeing no actual serviee other than guarding prisoners. On his return from the army, his father-having determined that he should ultimately succeed him in his business of sugar refining, and with a view of having him thoroughly conversant with machinery-placed him in Merrick & Son's machine shop, as an apprentice. While there employed, he devised an improvement in sugar machinery, which he patented. Owing to the sickness of the superintendent of his father's refinery, he left Merrick's sooner than he intended, and took temporary charge of the refinery, which he retained until the superintendent recovered. Ile now remained at the refinery learning the business, beginning at the foot of the ladder, so that he might, step by step, gain an accurate and complete knowledge of the business in all its minute details. In the fall of 1866, having attained a considerable insight into the various processes, he deter- mined to carry out a favorite project, in a trip to Europe. Having by this time amassed quite a sum of money, accruing from the royalties paid on his patent, he started with a friend, and after making a hurried trip through the Conti- nent, meanwhile examining the process of making sugar from beets, he settled down in Paris; where he remained some four months, studying the analysis of sugars, and the chemistry pertaining to sugar refinery under Dubrunfaut and Emile Monier, two eminent French chemists. He returned to Philadelphia in the summer of 1867, and in the autumn of that year took the entire charge of the refinery, his father desiring to visit Europe. Ilaving been much interested in the manufacture of beat sugar, while abroad, he endeavored to create a like interest in that industry in this country. He wrote a number of articles on the subjeet, and translated others, which he published ; beside volun- tarily making a large number of analyses of beets from all parts of the country. On the return of his father, in 1868, he felt a desire to further perfect himself in the particular branch of chemistry which had already engaged his atten- tion, and for this purpose again repaired to Paris, where he remained about six weeks. On his return home, in the summer of 1868, he again assumed charge of the refinery and was given an interest in the business. When he returned from his first visit to Europe, he brought with him three " polarizers," which, although not the first in the country, were the first that were used to any extent. By their use, he worked a revolution in the manner of fixing the value of molasses, by cansing the polarization to be ac-
ARTOL, HENRY WELCHMAN, Sugar Refiner, was born in the city of New York, January 15th, 1847, and is a son of B. II. Bartol. During his infancy, his parents removed to Philadelphia, which has since been his home. When but six years of age, pulmonary symptons were developed; and in order to prevent their continuanec, he was sent to Cuba, where he remained eighteen months, and with such | cepted as its standard of value, the instrument giving the
·
Galıy Pas Co Thuladığınur
B Nobreary ay
329
BIOGRAPHIICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA.
amount of cane or crystallizable sugar which the molasses under examination may contain. This, however, was not effected immediately ; it was only after the lapse of years that he succeeded in overthrowing the old system of valua- tion. In the spring of 1869, his attention was called to the remarkable saccharine properties of North Carolina sweet potatoes, and he analysed some specimens and found them to contain a large percentage of sugar. Ile made a quantity of sugar from sweet potatoes, which he exhibited to the Franklin Institute, in connection with some starch extracted from the saine source, and red a paper on the subject be- fore that body. This being the first sugar extracted from sweet potatoes, he received favorable notices for the same from several learned societies in this country and Europe ; and also from various scientific journals. In January, 1871, he was elected a Manager of the Franklin Institute, and at the expiration of his term, in 1874, was re-elected. In January, 1871, his father retired from active business pur- suits, and the entire establishment devolved upon him. The business is generally known as the " Grocers' Sugar Re- finery," but it is, more strictly speaking, " molasses boiling," and the manufacture of sugar from molasses and syrup by the centrifugal process. The establishment; which was originally started, in 1859, by his father, was the first in the United States to manufacture sugar by this method, which is now universally adopted. It was also the first house to make washed or high-grade sugars from molasses, which sugar, under the brand of " Extra C. Yellow," has acquired a wide reputation in the United States. In January, 1872, he established, at No. 109 south Front street, an office for the purchase of the raw material and the sale of the pro- ducts of the Refinery, which previously had been attended to by a commission merehant, and which he still continues to maintain at the same locality. IIe was married, in 1869, to Kate Cheney.
cCREARY, JOIIN B., Coal Merchant, was born November 23d, 1819, in Adams county, Cana- waga Valley, Pennsylvania, where his family had been settled on the same farm for more than a eentury. Ilis parents were John McCreary, of Scotch descent, and Jane (Love) McCreary, of Scotch-Irish descent. When he was about two years of age his father died, and some few years afterwards his mother removed from Adams county to New Windsor, Carroll county, Maryland. Ile received his education, firstly, at the common school, and afterwards at a private academy. Ile remained at this establishment until 1837, removing with it, in 1836, to Uniontown. On leaving school he en- tered the store of William and John Roberts, of Union- town, where he stayed three years, at a salary of $50 and board for the first year; $100 for the second, and $150 for the third. In 1840, his employers gave him such assistanee as to enable him to start in business on his own account,
keeping a general store, in New Oxford, Pennsylvania. lle continued here three years, and then removed to Peters- burg, near York Springs, Adams county, Pennsylvania, where he carried on the same business. While here, he married, in 1846, Rachel, daughter of IIon. George Dear- dorff. Shortly after his marriage he removed again ; going to Tremont, Schuylkill county. Ilere, in addition to a general store, he commenced the coal business by taking a lease of a small colliery in the neighborhood, which in about twelve months was worked out and abandoned. The next year (1847) he continued the same business on a more ex- tended scale by leasing a tract of coal land on the Swatara, called the Swatara Colliery, from the Forest Improvement Company. The lease was made conditional; being de- pendent on his causing a railroad to be built to connect the colliery with some established road. Ile applied to the Minchill & Schuylkill Ilaven Railroad Company, who built the road (about five miles), and in the same year work in the colliery. was begun. In 1848, a freshet occurred on the Schuylkill which temporarily destroyed the Schuylkill and Lehigh Canals, at that time the chief routes from the Pennsylvania collieries, and thus prevented great quantities of coal from reaching the market. In conse quence of the searcity so produced, the price of coal advanced consider- ably, and enabled those who could supply the market to realise large profits. Among those who reaped great ad. vantages from this circumstance was John B. McCreary, who was enabled by it to pay off the expenditures on the colliery very quickly. IIe continued to work this colliery until 1857, in which year he sold it. In the previous year (1856) lie had leased a tract of some 1200 acres of land in Carbon, Schuylkill, and Luzerne counties, from Lewis Audenried, Davies Pearson, and others, and opened three collieries in it, the connecting railroad being built by the Beaver Meadow Railroad Company, now owned by the Lehigh Valley Railroad. In the same year he took into partnership Jacob A. Myers and Abram L. Mumper, under the style of J. B. McCreary & Co. This undertaking proved a most remarkable success, and has developed into one of the most extensive coal mining establishments in the world. The coat. produced from this colliery, at that time, was about 200,000 tons annually, is of the best kind found in the country', and "has achieved a national reputation under the name of- Honeybrook Coal. During the Civil War the price of coal rose enormously, reaching its maximum in 1864, when it had increased some 300 per eent. In this year the firm of J. B. McCreary & Co. united with the owners of the land and formed themselves into an incorpo- rated company, J. B. McCreary being President, under the style of The Iloneybrook Coal Company, with a capital of $3,000,000, and, in 1868, purchased an additional tract of about 600 acres, working the two properties in conjunc- tion. In 1871, the Company, through its President, induced the Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company to extend one of their branch roads to the mines of the Company, and thus
42
330
BIOGRAPHICAL ENCYCLOPÆDIA.
obtained two routes to market, and so largely augmented the business. In the same year they purchased 6226 acres of land froin the Powell Tract Coal & Iron Company, and, in 1873, increased its stock by an additional $500,000, and bought the property of the German Pennsylvania Coal Company. During this year they leased all the lands, col- lieries, and fixtures of the Lehigh Coal & Navigation Com- pany in Carbon and Schuylkill counties, about 7000 acres, and bought all the lands of the same company in the Wyom- ing Valley, Luzerne county, of about 7000 acres more, and several other adjacent properties of the same kind, and fina ly merged with the Wilkesbarre Coal & Iron Com- pany, under the name of the Lehigh & Wilkesbarre Coal Company. The Company have now under their control about 32,000 acres of coal land, 25,000 of which is their own property. In 1872, John B. McCreary sold his interest in the Company, for the sum of about $800,000, to the New Jersey Central Railroad Company, which Company now hold about seven-eighths of the entire stock. He con-' tinued, however, his connection with the Company as Presi- dent until June, 1873, and as Director until February, 1874, when he finally resigned. Ile still retains an active con- nection with the trade whose interests he has so. greatly pro- moted, and of which he is a most prominent representative ; being a Director of the Nescopec Coal Company, and of the Upper Lehigh Coal Company. 'He is also on the Board of Direction of the Lochiel Rolling Mill Company, the Port Oram Iron Company, the Russell Farm Oll Company, the Third National Bank, and several other like corporations. Among the self-made men of the State he occupies a most worthy and honorable place. In politics he is a Republican.
ORTON, JOHN S., Lawyer, and President of the West Philadelphia Passenger Railway Company, was born August 6th, 1835, at Springfield town- ship (now called Morton), Delaware county, Pennsylvania. He is the son of Sketchley Mor- ton, and Elizabeth A. (Newlin) Morton. His father is a very prominent citizen of Delaware county, where he has been engaged in extensive business operations for many years ; he has also served for five years as 'Asso- ciate Judge of Delaware county, and has been a member of the State Leg slature. John S. Morton is a great-grand- son of John Morton, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, whose name is conspicuous, even among those famous names, as the one who, by giving the casting vote of his delegation in the Congress of 1776 in favor of the Declaration, secured the absolute and complete unan- imity of all the thirteen States in the vote for that im- mortal instrument. He was a member of the Stamp Act Congress ; Judge from this Colony ; a Delegate to the First Congress, in 1774; Speaker of the House of Assembly ; and was re-elected to the Congress of 1776. His name is dear
to the whole American people, but especially to Pennsyl- vanians, inasmuch as it was his act which " crowned Pennsylvania the Keystone of the Arch of Liberty." It fell to the lot of Pennsylvania, through her representatives, to give the final vote at that momentous time. And though the actual passing of the Declaration was already more than secured, a single adverse vote would have destroyed the unanimous character, and so weakened the force and significance of the Declaration, and would almost certainly have produced most disastrous consequences. It was then that John Morton gave his celebrated vote, by which he welded, as it were, the voice of the people into one har- monious whole, and " built himself an everlasting name." It is but once or twice in centuries that it is given to one man to. hold in his hands the fate of a Nation ; but this may truthfully be said to have been the case with this illustrious patriot. . He acted faithfully and wisely, and not without self-sacrifice. He died in the following year, 1777. And it may well be supposed that the anxiety of that trying time hastened his death. John S. Morton was educated at the common school of West Chester, and afterwards at a private academy, finishing his school course in 1853. In 1854, he commenced the study of law and conveyancing, in Phila- delphia, under the auspices of well-known legal practitioners of that city, and continued it until 1857, in which year he established himself in practice as a conveyancer. He fol- lowed his profession steadily, and very successfully, gather- ing around him a large clientèle, until 1866, when he re- signed his more active professional duties and devoted him- self altogether to the management of the West Philadelphia Passenger Railway, more commonly known as the Market Street Railway, of which he was elected President, in 1863, and which position he still holds (1874), having been un- animously re-elected yearly. In this position he has won the good opinions not only of those connected with the rail- way but of the community generally. Especially has he done so in the matter of the recent (1873) dispute as to the railway tracks on Market street, Philadelphia, between his own Company and the Union Passenger Railway Com- pany, which greatly agitated the merchants and property owners of the city, and at one time threatened to develop into a serious controversy. He succeeded, by firmness and ju licious concession at the right time, in bringing the whole matter to a happy termination, and received the formal thanks of the merchants and property owners of that part of the city of Philadelphia for his successful management of the case. He designed the depot of the Company at West Philadelphia, which building includes a hall, called Morton Hall, wherein has been crected an ap- propriate mural tablet in honor of the President's illustrious ancestor. Though taking an intelligent interest in all poli- tical questions, he has always declined any public office, considering that his professional duties claimed his entire time and energy. Ile has for several years been earnestly engaged in experiments upon a pneumatic vacuum engine
Sont morion.
331
BIOGRAPHICAL ENCYCLOPÆDIA.
and a direct-acting steam and water propeller, both of which he has developed sufficiently far to justify him in antici- pating their complete success.
EIM, GENERAL GEORGE MAY, Lawyer and Iron Manufacturer, was born in Reading, Penn- sylvania, March 23d, 1805, and was the second son of General George de B. Kcim. He received his academical education at Bentley Hall, in Chester county, and completed his studies at Princeton College, New Jersey. He subsequently read law in the office of the late Charles Chauncey, of Philadelphia, and began to practise his profession in June, 1826. Re- turning to Reading, he was chosen cashier of the Farmers' Bank, of which his uncle, Benneville Keim, was president. In 1829, he became a commissioner, and afterwards a manager, of the Mill Creek and Mine Hill Navigation and Railroad Company. In 1835, he was a member of the firm of Keim, Whitaker & Co., and aided in the erection of a large rolling mill and nail factory, in Reading-the pioneer establishment of all those great works which have since made that place a noted manufacturing city. He was also a partner in the firm of Jones, Keim & Co., proprietors of Windsor Furnace. At an early age he was a manager of the Reading Library Company, and took much interest in its prosperity. Ile was a prominent military man, being, in 1830, chosen to succeed his uncle as Captain of the " Reading Artillerists; " shortly afterwards he became Colonel of the 53d Regiment; and, in 1835, was elected Major-General of the Sixth Division, as the successor of his father, and commanded the same when summoned to Harrisburg at the call of Governor Ritner, during the memorable times of the " Buckshot war." He was also prominent in the Masonic order, and was Worshipful Master of Lodge No. 62; in 1830, he was constituted District Deputy Grand Master. In his political faith, he was a Democrat of the Jefferson and Jackson school. In 1837, he was elected a delegate to the Convention to revise the Constitution of the State; and during the same year, was chosen member of Congress to fill an unexpired term. Ilis constituents were so pleased with his able course in the national legislature, that he was twice re-elected, and in 1842, declined a fourth nomination. His friends had pre- sented his name-contrary to his wishes-as candidate for the Speakership of the Twenty-Sixth Congress, and he received a complimentary vote. After his retirement, he was offered, by President Tyler, the choice of three positions ; and he accepted that of Marshal of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, to which he was, in 1844, re- appointed by President Polk. In 1852, he was elected by the City Councils, Mayor of Reading; and in 1860, was voted for as one of the two Electors-at-Large on the Demo- cratie ticket for President. He had previously been urged to accept the nomination for Governor, but declined. IIe
was a lover of literature, and a fine writer; besides, having an extraordinary gift of poetry, he was a true improvisatore. It was while he was in Congress, that the late Charles Dickens first visited this country, and at the Congressional dinner given the latter, in March, 1842, General Keim presided; it was then many of the most distinguished men of the day greeted the author of " Pickwick." While in Washington, he took an active interest in the organization of the National Institution for the promotion of Science ; and continued to indulge his taste in art, as well as science. While on the Committee on Public Buildings he first brought to notice the sculptor Pettrich, a pupil of Thor- waldsen, whose decorations on the national buildings still attract much notice. IIe was also at this time one of the managers of the Art Union of Philadelphia; and a member of the Academy of Natural Sciences, and the Pennsylvania Ilistorical Society. When the rebellion broke out, lie raised a large and efficient company of volunteers for home defence; and while drilling them, in the armory, was stricken by paralysis. He died, June 10th, 1861. IIe was married, May Ist, 1827, to Julia C., youngest daughter of the late Christopher Mayer, of Lancaster; six children survived him, among whom are George de Benneville Keim, now Vice President of the Reading Coal and Iron Company, and Henry May Keim, a talented and prosperous citizen of Reading, who has recently been elected Auditor of that city.
OBERTS, HOWARD, Sculptor, is a son of Edward Roberts, a prominent merchant of Philadelphia. IIe was born in that city, April 9th, 1843. Ile commenced the study of art at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, and for several years he attended the schools of that institution. In 1866, lie went to Europe for the purpose of perfecting himself under the direction of competent professors, and for about three years modelled in the " Ecole des Beaux Arts " at Paris, and in the ateliers of several prominent French sculptors. On his return to Philadelphia, he established himself in a commodious atelier, and shortly after produced an ideal bust which he entitled " Elcanore." This attracted con- siderable attention, and was purchased by a prominent con- noisseur. A head of a little girl, crowned with ivy, several portraits, and an ideal bust which the artist entitled Lady Clara Vere de Vere, rapidly extended his reputation as an artist of superior refinement, grace and poetical feeling. Hawthorne's romanee of The Scarlet Letter furnished the subject for the artist's next work. This is a full length, about forty inches in height, and represents " IIester Prynne" with her infant in her arms, standing in the pillory, as she is described in the opening chapter of the story. The remarkable beauty of this work elicited the most enthusiastic commendations, his artistic brethren being especially hearty in their praises of the conception as well as of the execution of the statuette. Encouraged by
332
BIOGRAPHICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA.
the success of the " Ilester Prynne," he determined to | his interest in these iron works, and continued their sole attempt a life-size statue. For this he selected as his subject Ilypatia, as she is described in the last chapters of Kingsley's novel, standing at bay before the angry monks who are determined upon hier destruction. While engaged upon this statue, however, he completed an ideal bust, with the arms attached. This was a representation of the artist's idea of Lucile, the heroine of Owen Meredith's metrical romance. The Ilypatia was completed in plaster, in the spring of 1873, and he determined to take it to Europe to have it cut in marble. Ile accordingly went to Paris, in the summer of IS73, with the intention of remaining in that city for a number of years. IIe is a very careful workman, and never gives a statue or bust to the world until satisfied that he has done his best with it. The prominent characteristics of his style are refinement, and a certain poetical fecling, which on occasion, as in the case of his Ilypatia, is capable of developing into tragic intensity and force.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.