USA > Pennsylvania > The twentieth century bench and bar of Pennsylvania, volume II > Part 13
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Daniel Scudder, a native of New Jersey, read law with Samuel Hepburn and was ad- mitted to the bar at Sunbury in 1817. Served as deputy attorney general for the county in 1828 and died in 1829.
James Hepburn, brother of Samuel Hep- burn, was admitted to the bar August 19. 1819. Died in Philadelphia on Christmas day, 1855.
Charles W. Hegins was admitted at Sun- bury in 1833. Carried on a successful prae- tice until 1851, when he was elected presi- dent judge of Schuylkill county; was re- elected and served until his death. July 2, 1862.
William I. Greenough was admitted at Sunbury in 1842, and during his legal career has been one of the shining lights of the bar.
William L. Dewart was admitted January
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3, 1843. He was a prominent figure in po- litical affairs; was a member of Congress in 1856. Died April 19, 1888.
John B. Packer, who was, for many years, president of the First National bank of Sun- bury, was a lawyer of first standing in his county as well as throughout the state, from the time of his admission on August 6, 1844, after a legal training under Ebenezer Green- ough of two years. The following year after his admission he was appointed deputy at- torney general and served three years. In 1851 he helped to organize the Susquehanna Railroad Company and was for many years its counsel as well as counsel for the Phila- delphia & Eric and the Pennsylvania, Lacka- wanna & Bloomsburg Railroad companies. He was also concerned as counsel in the sale and reorganization of the Zerbe Valley, Sha- mokin Valley & Pottsville and other railroad companies.
Mr. Packer was elected to the legislature in 1849 and re-elected in 1850, at which time he was a tariff Democrat, but after 1856 his political affiliations were with the Republic- an party. In 1868 he was elected to Con- gress from the Fourteenth Pennsylvania dis- trict and served by re-election from 1869 to 1877.
In his connection with the First National bank, which, until 1857, was the Bank of Northumberland, of which he was also presi- dent, Mr. Packer sustained an important re- lation to local financial affairs, and it is upon his services in public life, his eminent legal attainments and marked success as a lawyer, that his reputation was principally founded.
He was born at Sunbury March 21, 1824, where most of his education was obtained. He was a brilliant speaker, and we may add that scarcely a case of any importance came to trial in the county that he was not profes- sionally connected with it, which fact the records of the courts will bear out.
He died on July 7, 1891.
David Taggart was admitted at Sunbury
November 7, 1843. In 1854 was elected to the state senate. He possessed rare gifts as a publie speaker. Died on June 30, 1888.
The first session of the Supreme Court for the Middle district was accordingly held at the court house on the public square in Sun- bury on the first Monday in July, 1808, Chief Justice Tilghman presiding.
The chief justices who presided over. the sessions of the Supreme Court at Sunbury were William Tilghman, John Bannister Gib- son, Jeremiah S. Black, Ellis Lewis and Wal- ter HI. Lowric. Many cases involving impor- tant legal principles were here tried and de- termined and distinguished lawyers from all parts of the state attended the sessions, which thus became occasions of far more than local interest and importance.
John J. Reimensnyder was admitted to practice law on March 14, 1876. He was elected prothonotary of the county in 1863 and re-elected in 1866, serving with satisfac- tion during two terms.
George B. Reimensnyder began studying law in 1875 under Leffert H. Kase, and was admitted to the bar on August 6, 1877.
George H. Neff was born June 26, 1857. He received his education at the common schools, finishing at the high school in Sun- bury, from which he was graduated in 1874. On the 7th of January, 1877, he entered the law office of S. P. Wolverton as a clerk, which position he occupied for four years, in the meantime studying law, and was admitted to the bar June 28, 1881. At this date he was made assistant to Mr. Wolverton and continued as such until September 1, 1889. when he opened an office for himself. He is a Democrat and has always taken an active part in state and county politics.
Lewis Dewart, a native of Northumberland county, Pa., was born in Sunbury, May 6, 1849, and died August 21, 1901. After a thorough academic preparation, he entered Yale college and was graduated therefrom in the class of 1872. He read law with the late
J. B. PACKER.
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Judge Gordan, and was admitted to the bar in 1874. In 1875 he was elected borough clerk, held the office one term, and in 1877 was elected district attorney. He is an active and energetic Democrat, has served on the central committee, and was delegate to the convention that nominated Pattison for gov- ernor. The degree of Master of Arts was conferred upon him by his alma mater.
George Walker Ryon, lawyer, of Shamo- kin, is widely known as one of the most prominent and ambitious members of the Northumberland county bar. He was born at Elkland, Tioga county, April 30, 1839, the eldest son of George L. and Hannah (Ham- mond) Ryon, the latter a native of Connecti- eut, who early settled in this state. His great-grandfathers on both sides were sol- diers in the Continental army, and served throughout the Revolution-one attaining the rank of colonel and commissary of sub- sistence in the division commanded by Gen- eral Anthony Wayne. John Ryon, Jr., grandfather of our subject, and son of one of the continental warriors, resided in Wy- oming Valley until about eighteen years of age. He then settled in Elkland, where he quickly took a high place in public affairs. He represented the Tioga-Bradford district as state senator for eleven years, being elect- ed as a stanch Democrat. He was also for fifteen years associate judge in Tioga county, which position he filled with dignity and honor. While a member of the senate he in- troduced a resolution favoring the election of Andrew Jackson for President, which res- olution was passed by both houses of the leg- islature. Seventy-three years ago Mr. Ryon was superintendent of the Pennsylvania ca- nal, and carved in stone in the west end of the Shamokin dam opposite Sunbury his name as such appears under the date of 1829.
When our subject was ten years old .he re- moved from· Elkland to Lawrenceville, same connty, with his parents. George W. grew
to manhood on his father's farm, receiving his education in the Lawrenceville academy, the Genessee Wesleyan university, at Lima, N. Y. After graduating from the Rochester college he was employed for a year as a civil engineer on the Kenosha, Rockford & Rock Island Railroad, having his headquar- ters at Rockford, Ill. In 1859 Mr. Ryon went to Tamaqua, Selmylkill county, where he began the study of law in the office of his uncle, Judge James Ryon. Two years later he passed a very creditable examination and was admitted to the practice of his profes- sion at Pottsville, and soon afterwards took up his practice in Lawrenceville, subsequent- ly seeking wider opportunities for his talent, and in 1869 removing to Shamokin, where he rapidly built up a good practice, and where his greatest success as a lawyer developed. He was always among those most prominent in working to advance the prosperity and development of Shamokin. Mr. Ryon's ef- forts have been fully appreciated by his fel- low citizens, as evidenced by the many years which he held office. He was one of the prin- cipal organizers and incorporators of the Shamokin Banking company and its first president at the age of thirty-one years ; pro- moter of the Shamokin Manufacturing com- pany ; of the Shamokin Gas Light company, of which he was director and treasurer for more than twenty-five years; a stockholder in the Shamokin Water company ; a trustee of the Shamokin Silk mill, and is a stock- holder in the Shamokin Silk Throwing com- pany, which was incorporated in December, 1898. For several years he was a borough solicitor and his services were of inestimable value to the borough. In politics Mr. Ryon is an unswerving Democrat. In 1876 he was a delegate to the national convention at St. Louis, which nominated Tilden and Hen- dricks. He was also a delegate to the state conventions which placed in nomination for governor Heister, Clymer and Judge Persh- ing. In 1881 his party testified to its appre-
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ciation of Mr. Ryon's services in its councils, and in its behalf gave fitting recognition as a lawyer by nominating him as its candidate for president judge of Northumberland county. Twelve thousand votes were polled and he was defeated by only 219. In Octo- ber, 1891, Governor Pattison appointed Mr. Ryon a member of the Board of Commission- ers of Public Charities of Pennsylvania, and in November, 1896, he was reappointed by Governor Ilastings for another term of five years, and in November, 1901, he was re- appointed by Governor Stone, and is still serving as such. He served with energy and painstaking zeal, which won him the admir- ation of his fellow members on the Board.
For many years Mr. Ryon has served as one of the Board of Trustees of the First Presbyterian Church of Shamokin, the most of which time he has been the president of said board and is now serving as such.
Mr. Ryon was married April 29, 1869, to Phebe Huntzinger, the only daughter of William Huntzinger, of Schuylkill-Haven, Pa. Three children were born unto them: William H., Lewis H., and Bessie, all of whom are now living.
Harry S. Knight was born in Watsontown, March 6, 1868; educated in the public schools of Watsontown and in Wyoming Seminary, Kingston, Pa .; read law in Wil- liamsport with H. C. and S. T. McCormick, and was admitted to the bar in September, 1891, and in 1894 he removed to Sunbury and commenced the practice of the law, as- sociating himself at the first with Milton Loeb, under the firm name of Knight & Loeb, but since the removal of Mr. Loeb to McKees- port, he has carried on the practice in his own name.
He organized the Sunbury Board of Trade, and through its instrumentality was a leader in bringing the Susquehanna Silk Works to Sunbury, and has since been counsel of that. organization. He has made a specialty of commercial and bankruptcy law, and is solic-
itor for the Sunbury National bank, and is also solicitor for the sheriff, and is one of the trustees of the Northumberland County Law Library.
Solomon B. Boyer was born at Little Ma- hanoy township, Northumberland county, January 4, 1829. After a common school education in the country, he read law with HI. J. Wolverton, and was admitted to the bar in August, 1858. Commenced practice and readily gained a reputation as a lawyer of high standing in the criminal and civil courts. He was formerly a Republican and held the office of deputy revenue collector under President Lincoln's administration, but afterwards became an ardent Democrat. He is a Mason and Odd Fellow and a Knight of Pythias, with good standing in each of these lodges. He was married in 1850 to Miss Esther Haupt.
John Nevin Hill was born at Selinsgrove, September 3, 1855; studied law under his father and was admitted to the bar in March, 1878. He practiced at Hazleton in Luzerne county for about four years, and in 1882 associated himself with his father in Sun- bury. This partnership lasted two years, after which time Mr. Hill was alone in prac- tice. He was admitted to practice before the State Supreme court in April, 1883, and in 1889 he was commissioned by the governor as one of seven to revise and codify the laws relating to the poor. He died September 3, 1891.
Charles B. Witmer was born April 18, 1862, in Lower Mahanoy township. Northumber- land county. After obtaining a classical education, he commenced reading law in 1884, in the office of C. G. Voris, then of Sun- bury; three years later was admitted to the bar and immediately commenced a success- ful practice. He was appointed solicitor for the county in 1889, and nominated for dis- trict attorney on the Republican ticket the same year, but was defeated; one year later he was elected to the constitutional conven-
EgyFGKen.NY
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NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY
tion. In 1894 he was appointed county so- licitor and served six years. In 1901 he was nominated for president judge of Northum- berland county and was defeated by but 67 votes. Soon after he received the appoint- ment of special counsel before the Spanish- American War Claims Commission, which position he resigned, after serving a year, to accept the office of chief counsel of the State Dairy and Food Commission.
Charles M. Clement of Sunbury was born October 28, 1855, son of John Kay Clement (which see). He was educated in the Sun- bury and Klinesgrove academies and at Bur- lington, N. J. After reading law with his father, he was admitted to practice Mareh 11, 1878.
Mr. Clement served one term as assistant burgess of Sunbury ; was five years a mem- ber of the borough council, several years borough solicitor and solieitor for the school board and twenty years solieitor for the poor district.
October 1, 1887, he was appointed corpor- ation clerk of the state department, and on November 29, 1890, was appointed by Gover- nor Beaver deputy secretary of the common- wealth, serving as such until February 3, 1891, when he was succeeded by a Democrat. From 1879 to 1888 he was connected with the Republican County Committee as seere- tary and chairman. He was a delegate to the Republican National Convention at Philadel- phia in 1900, which nominated MeKinley and Roosevelt.
He was one of the organizers of the Sun- bury Guards, Company E, Twelfth Regiment N. G. P., entering the service as a private, was promoted through the various grades to captain of his company and major of the regiment, and in April, 1898, was elected lieutenant colonel, volunteered with the regi- ment April 27, 1898, as the Twelfth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers in the war witlı Spain. Mustered out of the service October 29, 1898. On August 22, 1899, he was elected
colonel of the regiment. He is a member of the Sons of Revolution, Society of the War of 1812, Order of Foreign Wars, Naval and Military Order of the Spanish-American War, Sons of Veterans. He is secretary of the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania of the Protestant Episcopal Church, and was a deputy from that diocese to the General Con- ventions of 1898 and 1901.
After leaving the State Department, he entered the office of Hon. S. P. Wolverton, and remained with him until the breaking out of the Spanish-American war, assisting in the trial of causes and in the care of his elaborate law practice. After the muster out of the Regiment he resumed the practice by himself and has sinee associated with him Matthew II. Taggart III. He is at present solieitor for a large number of corporations, and has had an extensive experience in all forms of corporation and general practice.
George W. Zeigler was born at Gettysburg, Pa., May 24, 1829. He was edueated at Gettysburg and learned the printing business on the old Gettysburg compiler. When yet a young man, he joined his brother at Butler in the printing business, and then began the study of law. He was admitted to the bar in 1841, when twenty-two years of age, prac- ticed two years in Butler, from there went to Jefferson county, where he enjoyed an extensive practice for fifteen years. After practicing two years at Selinsgrove, he lo- eated in Sunbury in the fall of 1864. Here his ability as a lawyer was readily recog- nized, and for many years oceupied a high position in the profession. He died in 1899.
William A. Sober, a native of Shamokin township, Northumberland county, Pa., was born September 3, 1840, died in 1893. While attending Diekinson Seminary, at Williams- port, he decided to enter the army, and in August, 1861, enlisted in Company D, Fifty- second Pennsylvania Volunteers, and served sixteen months. During that time he con- tracted the typhoid fever, and was dis-
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charged. In 1864 he was appointed ehief clerk of the Provost Marshal's office for the Western district of Pennsylvania, and re- signed in 1865. He next read law under John B. Paeker, and in August, 1867, was admitted to the bar. In 1871 he was ap- pointed county solieitor and held the office. three years. In 1872 he was appointed United States commissioner; from 1882 to 1886 he was in the Borough Couneil, and in the latter year he was elected assistant bur- gess. Always a Republican, he took an active part in the couneils of his party.
William W. Ryon is a son of George L. and Hannah (Hammond) Ryon. He was born in Lawrenceville, Tioga county, Pa., in 1857. Hle received his early education at the eom- mon schools, and later at the Mansfield State Normal school, from which he graduated in 1874. He then entered the law office of his brother, George W. Ryon, of Shamokin, and was admitted to the bar of Northumberland eounty in 1878, and is now one of the leading attorneys at that bar.
Mr. Ryon rapidly rose to prominenee in his profession, and had practiced but a short time when he was appointed deputy sheriff for three years, after which he resumed his law praetiec and has sinee enjoyed a sueeess- ful and lucrative business, being attorney for the First National Bank of Shamokin, and is connected with a large number of manufac- turing interests there.
Mr. Ryon was married in 1882 to Miss Sue, daughter of Isaac May, Sr. One son was born of this union, Charles A. Ryon, and a daughter, Mary May Ryon. Mr. Ryon is an ardent and influential Demoerat and a lead- ing member of St. Edwards Catholic Church. Mrs. Ryon died in 1899, and in 1901 Mr. Ryon married again to Miss Geer, of Phila- delphia.
Charles J. Bruner was born in Sunbury, November 17, 1820, and died Mareh 15, 1885. He was educated in Laneaster, studied law under Judge Alexander Jordan and was ad-
mitted to the bar in 1843. For a time after coming to the bar, he was associated with the late Major Dewart. At Lincoln's call for troops in 1861, Captain Bruner responded as leader of Company F, Eleventh Pennsylvania Volunteers, and served about six months. IIe was afterwards in the Emergency service for a short time. President Grant appointed him clerk of Internal Revenue for the Fourteenth Pennsylvania district, a position he held sueeessfully under both Hayes and Arthur.
Gen. John Kay Clement was born at Phila- delphia, January 1, 1820, son of Evan and Hannah (Kay) Clement. He was educated at the Friends sehool in his native eity, read law under Richard Howell, at Camden, N. J., and was admitted to the bar at Trenton in 1841. Shortly afterwards he located in Schuylkill county, Pa., residing at Miners- ville and Pottsville, and removed to Sunbury in 1854. He possessed great ability as a law- yer, and was an orator of exceptional elo- quence and power. While a resident of Schuylkill county, he was appointed briga- dier-general of the State Militia ; was elected distriet attorney for Northumberland county in 1859 and 1871, and appointed in 1877 for the same offiee. He filled the office of Provost marshal of the Fourteenth Pennsylvania dis- triet from 1862 to 1864, and was a private in Company D Fourth Pennsylvania Volunteers war of 1861-65. In 1854 he married Mary S., eldest daughter of Isaac and Mary (Eyer) Zeigler, of Sunbury, and Col. C. M. Clement is their only surviving son. Gen. Clement died at Sunbury on October 15, 1882.
James H. McDevitt was born in Philadel- phia, December 7, 1843. He was graduated from St. Francis college in 1861; came to Sunbury in 1870, as clerk in the office of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, and while there began the study of law. He was ad- mitted to the bar in 1873, and has since been in active practice of his profession.
Walter Shipman. - Among the active and influential members of the bar of
H. W. Byon
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Northumberland county, the subject of this sketch is justly classed with those who have achieved marked sucecss. He was born in Lower Augusta township, North- umberland county, Pa., on August 3, 1856, to Abraham and Elizabeth (Yoxtheimer) Shipman, both natives of the Keystone state. His father occupied the position of associate judge, but by profession he was a civil engi- neer and considered an expert in his line.
Mr. Shipman traces his ancestry back to the colonial period, William Shipman having served as a private from the state of New Jersey in the Revolutionary war.
In early life Mr. Shipman attended the Freeburg academy and Millersville State normal school. For about fifteen years he was engaged in the profession of teaching, and during the latter part of this time read law in the office of George B. Reimensnyder, Esq., at Sunbury, and was admitted to the bar in 1885. Hle at once engaged in the prac- tice of his chosen profession, and has built up a splendid general practice. He has been retained in the trial of many important cases which has taken him into both the Supreme Court and the United States Courts. In the Orphans' Court of his own county he has a large practice.
In politics he is a Democrat. He served two years as city solicitor of Sunbury, and in 1893 was elected to the office of justice of the peace by a majority of 283, overcoming a Republican majority of 250. In 1898 he was re-elected to the same position for a term of five years, and in February, 1903, he was again re-elected to the same position by a majority of nearly 1,100 votes. He has sat in judgment in many criminal and civil cases.
In 1901, Mr. Shipman was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for president judge of his native county, and although he was defeated for the nomination, yet the endorsement received from the people was such that he may feel justly proud of it. In this eontest, he carried every ward of his
own city, and was handsomely endorsed where he was best known.
In 1902 he represented Lodge No. 267 B. P. O. E. at the Salt Lake City convention. Ile is also a member of other secret organi- zations and has always taken an active part in work of this kind.
On April 30, 1878, Mr. Shipman was mar- ried to Miss Josephine Coldren, and they have issue three children, viz., Lida Maud, Carrie Glendora, and James Fay.
Frederick B. Moser was born at Locust Dale, Pa., on the line of Columbia and Schuyl- kill counties, April 19, 1872. Ilis father, George H. Moser, came to the United States from Germany in 1841, settling at Pottsville, Pa., where he engaged in merchandising. In 1858 he removed to Locust Dale, where he was engaged in mercantile pursuits for forty years. His mother, Catherine (Davis) Moser, was a descendant of Revolutionary stock.
Mr. Moser attended the public schools of Columbia county until fourteen years of age; worked at the Potts breaker picking slate during vacations, and April 1, 1886, was em- ployed as ticket agent by the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad Company at Locust Dale, which position he held until November 1, 1886, when he entered the high school at Ashland, Pa., where he graduated June 8, 1888, at the head of his class. The next six months were spent as clerk in a drug store. On January 1, 1889, he returned to Locust Dale and clerked in his father's store until July 1, when he accepted a position as chain- man on the P. & R. C. & I. Co.'s engineer corps at Ashland. After being advanced to transitman he was, September 12, 1892, trans- ferred to the Shamokin office of the same company, where he remained until October 1, 1896, when he resigned and entered the law department of Dickinson college at Car- lisle, for which he had prepared by reading law evenings. He graduated in 1898 with a full three years' course to his credit. Mr. Moser was admitted to the Northumberland
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county bar June 20, 1898, forming a partner- ship with Charles C. Lark, August 1, of the same year under the style of Lark & Moser, which still continues.
Mr. Moser is a member of the Odd Fellows, Elks, and the Red Men, and a past master of Shamokin Lodge No. 255, F. & A. M. He is also a director in the Enterprise Fire Insur- ance Company.
In July, 1901, he was united in marriage with Miss Mary R. Van Buren, of Ashland, Schuylkill county, Pa.
Charles C. Lark was born March 12, 1874, in Mifflin township, Dauphin county, Pa., a son of Emanuel S. and Emaline Lark, his father being a native of Pennsylvania, born and rearcd in Dauphin county, and his mother a native of Mahanoy township, Northumberland county. His maternal great-grandfather served with distinction in the Revolutionary war. The parents of our subject were descendants of early settlers in Pennsylvania, emigrating from Germany.
Charles C. Lark acquired his early educa- tion in the public schools at Shamokin, and was graduated from Shamokin high school in 1893 with honors. After graduating he taught school for five years, and having de- cided upon the profession of law as his life work, he became a student in the law office of John Quincy Adams, of Shamokin, Pa., and was admitted to practice in Sunbury, Pa., June 27, 1898, and later to the Superior and Supreme Courts of the state, as well as to the District Court of the United States for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Shortly after his admission to the bar, he became associated in partnership with Fred B. Moser, Esq., their offices being located at Shamokin, Pa., which partnership still exists, and they . enjoy a large and lucrative practice, having carried to a successful issue a large number of important cases.
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