USA > Vermont > Men of Vermont : an illustrated biographical history of Vermonters and sons of Vermont > Part 120
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SHERMAN, SOCRATES N., was born in Vermont, and elected a representative from New York to the Thirty-seventh Congress, serving on the committee on expenditures in the Interior Department.
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SMITH, EMERSON HALL, of Fargo, North Dakota, son of Major Richard and Frances (Hall) Smith, was born in Tun- bridge, April 8, 1854. His grandfather, Eben Smith, Esq., was English, an extensive land holder and one of the early settlers in Cabot. His grandmother, Abigail (Steele) Smith, was a niece of Dr. Shurtleff who was for so many years connected with Dart- mouth College, and was aunt to the late Judge Benjamin H. Steele. She was of Scotch and English descent. Her ancestors located the present city of Hartford, Conn. His mother was a sister of the Hon. Emerson Hall of St. Johnsbury, whose parents were English and Scotch.
EMERSON HALL SMITH.
During Mr. Smith's boyhood he worked on his father's farm and attended the public schools. Later he attended the Randolph Normal School, St. Johnsbury Academy, and graduated from the Meriden (N. H.) Acad- emy. In 1882 he graduated from Dartmouth College.
He was principal of the Newmarket (N. H.) high school from 1882 to 1884; from 1884 to 1891 he was superintendent of the public schools of the city of Fargo, North Dakota. With characteristic energy and ability he raised these schools to a standard unsurpassed by the best New England schools. In 1890 he was offered the state superintendency of public instruction for North Dakota, but declined the appointment. In 1892 he was elected a trustee and a mem-
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ber of the executive committee of Fargo College. During the same year he was elected mayor of the city of Fargo, in which election he carried every ward in the city. This office he still holds. In politics he is a Republican.
Mr. Smith was married, August 16, 1882, to Ella, daughter of Aldice E. and Elizabeth (Drew) Knight of Irasburgh. Of this union there is one daughter : Helen Eliza.
SMITH, H. BOARDMAN, was born at Whitingham, August 18, 1826 ; graduated at Williams College in 1847 ; studied law, and practiced ; was appointed by the Governor of New York judge of the Chemung county courts, September, 1859, and in the following November was elected to the same office ; was elected a representative from New York in the Forty-second Congress as a Repub- lican ; was re-elected to the Forty-third Congress ; Liberal and Democrat.
SMITH, HEZEKIAH B., of Smithville, N. J., was born at Bridgewater July 26, 1816 ; received a common school education ; learned the trade of a cabinet maker ; for many years has been engaged in perfecting wood working machinery ; is the inventor of a number of wood-working machines ; since 1865 has been largely engaged in the manu- facture of wood machinery at Smithville, N. J. ; never has held any public position pre- vious to his election to the Forty-sixth Con- gress as a Democrat and Greenbacker.
SMITH, JOHN BUTLER, of Hillsborough, N. H., was born in Rockingham, April 12, 1838, and was the son of Ammi and Lydia (Butler) Smith. His paternal ancestor was Lieut. Thomas Smith, a sturdy representa- tive of the race known as Scotch-Irish.
His parents removing to Hillsborough, N. H., when he was nine years of age, he received his educational training at the pub- lic schools of that town, and subsequently entered Francestown Academy, where he graduated in 1854. He first obtained em- ployment at Henniker, then at Manchester, and later at New Boston. In 1863 he began his business career by the purchase of a drug store in Manchester, which he success- fully conducted for a year, when he estab- lished in the town of Washington a factory for the production of knit goods. A vear later he leased the Sawyer woolen mill at North Weare, and in 1866 he built at Hills- borough Bridge a small mill, which was the beginning of the extensive knit goods factory now owned and operated by the Contoocook Mills Co., of which he is the president and principal owner. For seventeen years, from 1863, Mr. Smith resided in Manchester, although his business was elsewhere, and he is now largely interested in the real estate
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of that city and otherwise identified with its people. Since 1886 he has been a resident of Hillsborough, and has also been engaged in the commission business (knit goods) in Boston and New York since 188.1.
Mr Smith was united in marriage, Nov. 1, 1883, to Emma 1 .. , daughter of Stephen Lavender, of Boston, Mass. Of this union were three children : Butler Lavender (deceased ), Archibald Lavender, and Nor- man.
JOHN BUTLER SMITH.
In politics Mr. Smith is a Republican, earnest, uncompromising, ready and willing. He was one of the Republican electors of the state in 1884 ; a member of Governor Sawyer's council in 1887-'89 ; and chair- man of the Republican state committee in the early part of the campaign of 1890. September 6, 1892, he was nominated by acclamation in full convention the candidate of his party for the gubernatorial seat of the state of New Hampshire, and was elect- ed in the following November by a majority of the votes of the people, without recourse to the Legislature, as had been the case for ten years past. Governor Smith has now held the exalted position for over a year and has served to popular acceptance, con- ducting the affairs of state in a manner in which all Vermonters may take a just pride.
A member of the Congregational church, Governor Smith takes a deep interest in matters religious and gives liberally of his means for the upholding and upbuilding of
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mankind. He is affiliated with the Masonic body of his town.
Of a bright and genial personality, Gov- ernor Smith not only commands the respect, but wins the love of all who come in con- tact with him.
SMITH, JOHN SABINE, of New York, son of John S. and Caroline (Sabine) Smith, was born April 24, 1843, at Randolph. His father was a practicing physician in that town for over fifty years.
Ilis carly education was received at the Orange county school and he was graduated at Trinity College in 1863, at the head of his class.
After graduation he taught school at Troy, N. Y., and studied law with Hon. George Gould, ex-judge of the Supreme Court, and was admitted to the bar at Poughkeepsie in 1868. He located in the practice of law in
JOHN SABINE SMITH.
New York City in 1869, at first as associate with Hon. William E. Curtis, who afterward became chief justice of the Superior Court. He has since been engaged in general im- portant cases and representing large financial interests.
Mr. Smith has always been a Republican. He had charge as chairman of the Repub- lican League of the state of New York in the campaign of 1888. He was chairman of the campaign committee of the Republican Club of the city of New York in 1892 and was a candidate for the office of surrogate of
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the city and county of New York the same year, receiving the highest vote of any can- didate, national, state or local, on the ticket. He is now ( 1893) president of the Repub- lican Club of the city of New York and of the Republican county committee of the city and county of New York. In the Repub- lican state convention of 1893, he received the almost unanimous vote of the great dele- gation of New York county for candidate for judge of the Court of Appeals of the state of New York.
Mr. Smith is a member of the University Club, the Lawyers' Club, the Church Club and several other social institutions. He is president of the Association of the Alumni of Trinity College and a member of the Phi Betta Kappa Alumni Society of New York City. He is also president of the Society of Medical Jurisprudence.
SOMERS, HARVEY C., of San Fran- cisco, Cal., son of James and Elizabeth (Hall) Somers, was born in Danville, Jan. 24, 1841.
He was educated in the district schools and at Phillips Academy. In 1858, when but seventeen years old, he went to Califor- nia, and was engaged in the water business for two years, and was in the employ of the United States for one year. Subsequently he went to Arizona on a mining expedition. He returned to San Francisco, and in March, 1864, established the hay and grain business under the firm name of Rider, Somers & Co., which firm continued for twenty-two years. He is now engaged in the same business under the firm name of Somers & Co. The firm are members of the San Francisco Pro- duce Exchange Board and do an extensive business in their line, having large ware- houses at 534 and 536 Sixth street and Pier 22, Stewart street.
Mr. Somers was married to Miss Eliza F. Waterman, of Thomaston, Me., in 1866, and they have three children-a daughter and two sons.
SOMERS, WILLIAM JAMES, of San Francisco, Cal., son of James and Elizabeth (Hall) Somers, was born Dec. 21, 1830, at Danville.
He received his education in his native town, and on the day he attained his majority started for California by way of Panama. On arriving in San Francisco he immediately made arrangements to go to the mines in Sonora county, where he spent one season in mining, and then returned to San Fancisco. Here he acquired an interest in the water business, the supply at that time being con- fined to a few wells, from which consumers were supplied by carts.
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Subsequently he received the appointment of assistant melter and refiner in the United States Mint, which position he held for about fifteen years, through various changes of ad- ministration. His health compelled him to retire, however, and he spent nearly two years in the company of his family, traveling in various parts of the United States. Upon his return to San Francisco he was solicited to assume his old position for the purpose of
WILLIAM JAMES SOMERS.
organizing the melting and refining depart- ment in the new mint. He accepted the position, stipulating that he might employ his old associates. When the department was thoroughly organized he retired from that position, and has since devoted himself to real estate interests.
SOUTHWORTH, HILAND, of Abilene, Kan., son of Seymour W. and Rachael (Sher- man) Southworth, was born Sept. 26, 1849, at Clarendon.
Mr. Southworth's parents removed to Mid- dletown when he was quite young, and in the district schools of the town and the Fort Ed- ward (N. Y.) Collegiate Institute, he prepared to enter Middlebury College, and graduated from the latter institution with the class of 1875.
Shortly after graduation he removed to Rosendale, Wis., and taught school, and in 1876 he went to Kansas. Taking up the law, he successfully pursued its study and was ad- mitted to practice in the spring of 1878, and continued in active business until 1885. He
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then became financial correspondent io East- em capitalists and is now engaged in that business.
Mr. Southworth is prominent in social or ganizations and a member of the Presby- terian church.
HILAND SOUTHWORTH.
He was married to Ella E. Walker, the eldest daughter of Noah S. and Sarah A. Walk- er, of Chippenhook, Vt., June 14, 1882.
SPARROW, BRADFORD P., of Hart- wood, son of Abner Doty and Almira M. (Shepard) Sparrow, was born April 8, 1843, at Calais.
Mr. Sparrow received his education in the common schools until twenty years of age. At twenty-three he continued study at the Washington county grammar school, under Prof. D. D. Gorham, at the same time teach- ing in the vicinity and acting as messenger at the state library during two sessions of the Legislature, to obtain the means. Hav- ing been drafted from the town of Elmore, July 17, 1863, military service postponed a continuance of his studies during the inter- vening period. At Middlebury College he obtained a scholarship and graduated with the class of 1874. In the same year he en- tered Columbian Law School, graduating in 1876.
Mr. Sparrow's experience in the army and southern prisons greatly injured his health and interfered with his life's plan. Joining Co. K, 4th Vt. Vols., at the age of twenty
years, he passed two years in the field and was discharged from Me Dongall Hospital in New York harbor June 17, 1865, as unfit for service. He participated in all the engage- ments of his regiment while a member of it, including the battles of the Wilderness ; and ou the 23d of June, 1864, with 2,000 of his comrades was captured near Petersburg, Va., and hurried through Richmond and Belle Isle to Andersonville prison in Georgia. Here he remained until April 18, 1865, when he was exchanged and delivered to Union officers near Jacksonville, Fla., so emaciated and weak as to be unable to march, barely escaping with his life after a captivity of over ten months.
In July, 1876, he became the assistant clerk of the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia, performing the duties of clerk for the criminal department of the court until 1880, when considerations of health made it advisable to exchange city for country life. In 1882 he purchased a tract of land in Caroline county, Virginia, and engaged in lumbering and farming operations. He is now an enthusiastic Vir- ginian, in love with its climate and re- sources.
SPALDING, BURLEIGH F., of Fargo, North Dakota, was born to Rev. Benjamin P. and Ann (Folsom) Spalding, in Crafts- bury, Dec. 3, 1853. His ancestors, both paternal and maternal, came to America from England about the year 1630, settling in the Massachusetts colony. His mother died when he was but eight years of age, but so tender, yet potential, had been her home training during those brief years that the early sorrow served but to intensify in the mind of the lad the earnest longing to sometime accomplish the fulfillment of the lofty ideal of which her life had been to him the living example.
Ambitious of acquiring something more than a common school education-all that the family circumstances afforded-he reso- lutely set himself to the task of procuring, by his own efforts, not only the means but the preparatory fitting to enable him to enter upon a collegiate course, and he grad- uated from Norwich University in 1877. In the same year he became principal of Albany Academy, resigning his position in 1878 to enter the law office of Gleason & Field, Montpelier.
Admitted to the Washington county bar in 1880, and much impressed with the rapid development of the far West, he at once removed to Fargo, a small but growing town on the Red River of the North, in the then territory of Dakota.
In November, 1880, he was united in marriage to Alida Baker, daughter of David
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and Emily (Cutler) Baker, of Glover. Of this union are four children : Deane Baker, Frances Folsom, Roscoe Conkling and Bur- leigh Mason.
In 1881 he formed a law partnership with Charles F. Templeton, a young Vermonter, and this relationship continued until the latter's appointment to the Supreme Bench of the territory by President Cleveland. Then followed a partnership with George H. Phelps, also from Vermont, and later on association with Hon. Seth Newman in the present legal firm of Newman, Spalding & Phelps, recognized as one of the leading law firms in the Northwest.
BURLEIGH F. SPALDING.
In 1890 he organized the Merchants State Bank of Fargo and became its president and attorney.
In politics Mr. Spalding has always been a Republican and is among the leaders of that party in the Northwest. He has never sought office, but has been elected to several of importance. He was superintendent of public instruction of Cass county in 1882- '83 ; a member of the commission to re- locate the capital of the territory and con- struct capitol buildings in 1883, to which office he was elected by the Legislature with- out his knowledge ; a member of the Con- stitutional Convention in 1889, where he was commended for his opposition to many of the extreme measures proposed, and was one of the originators of the movement to locate the public institutions by constitution, doing
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much to secure the adoption of this measure ; served as a member and chairman of many important committees, the judicial depart- ment, school and public lands and the joint commission provided by Congress to divide the archives and property of the Territory between the new states. He is now chair- man of the Republican state central com- mittee and is credited with being one of the most skillful organizers in the state. Mr. Spalding is a clear, concise and convincing speaker, both at the bar and in debate, and is a man of strong individuality exerting a marked influence in all proceedings, in which he participates. He is a genuine Yankee and has never been ashamed of the place of his nativity.
SPRING, LEVERETT WILSON, of Will- iamstown, Mass., son of Edward and Martha (Atwood) Spring, was born in Grafton, Jan. 5, 1840.
Doctor Spring received his theological education at Hartford Theological Seminary. His early education was received at Burr & Burton Seminary at Manchester, where he fitted for Williams College, receiving his de- gree at the latter institution with the class of 1863. Hewas a graduate student at Andover Theological Seminary during most of the year 1866-'67, at the same time supplying for a period the pulpit of the Congregational church in Castleton. In the winter of 1868 he sup- plied the church in Middlebury when a call was accepted to a projected church in Fitch- burg, Mass. A church was soon organized and a fine house of worship erected and a large congregation gathered under the name of the Rollstone Church.
Dr. Spring, in consequence of ill-health, resigned in 1875, and in the summer of 1876 removed to Lawrence, Kan., and became pastor of Plymouth Church, the oldest, and for many years the largest church in the state. He resigned this pastorate in 1881 to accept the chair of English literature in the University of Kansas. In 1885 he pub- lished a history of Kansas, a book in which the writer endeavored to set down the truth, although aware that it might not be accept- able to various excitable factions of the pop- ulation. On resigning, in 1886, to accept the chair of English literature in Williams College, he received from the University the degree of D. 1).
Dr. Spring's literary work is quite exten- sive. In 1888 he published a monograph entitled "Mark Hopkins' Teacher," and has contributed various magazine articles.
September 25, 1867, Dr. Spring married Elizabeth, the eldest daughter of Prof. Will- iam Thompson of Hartford Theological Seminary.
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SQUIRE, IOIN PETER, Jate of Boston, Mass,, was the son of Peter and Esther Squire and was born in the town of Weath- eishield, May 8, 1819.
The years of his boyhood were spent at his home, attending the public schools and working on the farm. May 1, 1835, he went to work for Mr. Orvis, who kept the village store at West Windsor. He left this posi- tion in the fall of 1837 and attended the academy at ( nity, N. 11. He taught school at Cavendish during a part of the winter of 1837-'38.
JOHN PETER SQUIRE.
March 19, 1838, he went to Boston and entered the employment of Nathan Robbins in Faneuil Hall market. He left Mr. Rob- bins April 30, 1842, and formed a copart- nership with Francis Russell and carried on the provision business under the style of Russell & Squire until 1847, when the firm was dissolved, and Mr. Squire continued alone at the same place until the year 1855, when he formed a copartnership with Hiland Lockwood and Edward D. Kimball under the name of John P. Squire & Co. At this time Mr. Squire bought a tract of land situated on Miller's river in East Cambridge, and built a slaughter house where the hogs were slaughtered for the firm of John P. Squire & Co. Additional pieces of land were bought from time to time adjoining this first parcel and situated in Somerville on the other side of Miller's river, which are now included in the tract of land covered by
the large refrigerator, packing house and other buildings used in connection with the business of John P. Squire & Co. Several men were associated with Mr. Squire in the pork packing business as his partners up to the 30th of April, 1892, when the business was transferred to John P. Squire & Co. Corporation ; the other members of the cor- poration at the time of his death were two of Mr. Squire's sons, Frank O. and Fred F. Squire.
Mr. Squire was always a man abreast of the times and from a small and modest begin- ning built up a pork-packing business, which now ranks the third in the United States. If it is any credit to have brought things to pass, surely to have developed the business from its small beginning to its present pro- portion reflects lasting credit on Mr. Squire, the founder and late senior member. The same energy and ability which Mr. Squire showed in his business would have been likely to bring him success in nearly any other walk in life, but Mr. Squire seemed to have been born for a business life, for, when he returned to his native state early in life to resume his studies, the allurements of a busi- ness life, of which he had had a slight taste in his sojourn at Boston, seriously interfered with his ability to apply his mind to his studies again and resulted finally in calling him away therefrom to the metropolis of New England again to take up that occupa- tion, which finally resulted in placing him in the position which he occupied in financial and commercial circles at the time of his death.
He was always a firm believer in real es- tate and had large interests in Revere, Som- erville, Cambridge, Boston, Arlington and Belmont. He was a man of strong will and great tenacity of purpose and of very modest and unassuming demeanor. He joined the Mercantile Library Association when he first went to Boston and spent a good deal of his spare time in reading, of which he was always very fond.
In 1843 he married Kate Green Orvis, the daughter of his old employer. Eleven children were born of this marriage, nine of whom are living : George W., Jennie C., Frank O., Minnie E., John A., Kate I., Fred F., and Bessie E. Charles G. died in in- fancy and Nellie G. died Oct. 13, 1891.
Mr. Squire in 1848 moved to West Cam- bridge (now called Arlington), and built one of the most beautiful homes in the town, where he lived surrounded by his charming family up to the time of his death which occurred Jan. 7, 1893.
A man of great intellect, unassuming, modest and courteous to all, he won the re- spect and friendship of all with whom he came in contact.
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STANDISH.
STANDISH, JOHN VAN NESS, of Galesburg, Ill., son of John W. and Caroline W. (Myrick) Standish, was born at Wood- stock, Feb. 26, 1825.
Mr. Standish attended the Liberal Insti- tute of Lebanon, N. H., and was for several years under the instruction of Prof. J. C. C. Hoskins, and graduated from Norwich Uni- versity, then under the management of Gen. T. B. Ransom, in July, 1847. During his college course, he obtained the means there- for by teaching in the winter months.
JOHN VAN NESS STANDISH.
The profession of a teacher Mr. Standish has followed with success and enthusiasm for more than half a century. In 1854 he commenced his work at Lombard as pro- fessor of mathematics and astronomy, a po- sition he filled with credit and usefulness for nearly forty years. Since 1892 he has been president of Lombard University.
President Standish has thrice visited Eu- rope, in 1879, 1883, and 1892, and during his second visit he traveled over forty thous- and miles, visiting interesting and historic points in nearly every European country, Northern Africa, Egypt and Palestine.
President Standish is a Republican. He has a very fine and extensive library and has given much thought to political subjects, but has never sought or accepted office, devot- ing all his energies to a comprehensive prep- aration for the duties of his profession which he has made a life work. In June, 1883, the degree of Ph. D. was conferred upon him by Knox College, and in June,
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1893, the degree of LL. D. by St. Lawrence University.
President Standish was married March 24, 1859, to Harriet Augusta, daughter of Francis and Rebecca (Stowe) Kendall.
STETSON, EMRIE BENJAMIN, of Charlestown, Mass., son of Ezra and Clarissa (Adams) Stetson, was born Jan. 2, 1825, at Wilmington.
Mr. Stetson's career is in many ways typi- cal ; possessed of the training of the common schools of his home, a long career, character- ized by integrity and energy has brought him to the honored consideration of his fellows. Remaining on the farm until of age, he sought for advancement in Boston. His first employment was in driving a bread-cart for Orin Gilmore, of Charlestown. He passed two years at this occupation and then worked a few months in various capacities at the Perkins Institution for the Blind and at the
EMRIE BENJAMIN STETSON.
hotels of Boston, finally returning home, to the town of Dover, and engaged in black- smithing. After four years he sold out and returned to Boston and became a partner with his first employer in the baking business. Success attended him in this and after ten years he went into business upon his own ac- count and has carried it on for thirty years, acquiring fortune and the esteem of his asso- ciates. For many years he has been a director and one of the committee of in- vestment of the Charlestown Five Cent Say-
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