USA > Wisconsin > The United States biographical dictionary and portrait gallery of eminent and self-made men, Wisconsin volume > Part 93
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Since he has been in Wisconsin Professor Reynolds has held a prominent position among its educators. He has been president of the State Teachers' Asso- ciation ; has been on the committees appointed at different times to visit the normal schools ; also on the committee to visit the State University; and in meetings of the State Teachers' Association and in other convocations of teachers he has been one of the leading men.
The Professor is preëminently a self-made man, and may truly be called the "architect of his own fortune." In his early years he had good teachers who gave him wholesome advice, which he has not failed to profit by. He has an exalted idea of the mission of a teacher, and strives to be a model in the pro- fession.
Professor Reynolds is a Master Mason. In his religious sentiments he is a Congregationalist.
He was reared in the Webster school of whigs, was strong in the faith, and voted with that party till its dissolution, since which time he has been identified with the republican party.
His wife was Mary Ann Morey, daughter of Mitchell C. Morey, a prominent citizen of Windsor,
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Vermont, and for twenty-one years deputy warden of the State prison. They have lost one child, and have two sons and two daughters living.
Since Professor Reynolds took charge of the La Crosse high school, he has sent to the universities at Madison and Chicago, and also to Beloit College, some of the best students who have entered these institutions.
Physically Professor Reynolds is about five feet seven inches in height, rather heavy set, and weighs one hundred and eighty-five pounds. He has gray eyes and a full, round face. He possesses most ex- cellent social qualities, being generous, genial, viva- cious. He is a man of thorough culture, and his influence over his pupils is in all respects healthful and refining.
GEORGE A. HOUSTON,
BELOIT.
G EORGE A. HOUSTON was born on the 24th of October, 1829, at Bedford, New Hampshire, and is the son of John P. and Eunice C. Houston. His father, a millwright by occupation, was con- stantly employed in mechanical pursuits, and enjoyed a fine reputation for his mechanical genius. In 1837 he removed to Wisconsin with his family and settled at Beloit. Here George received his education, studying first in the common schools, and later at- tending Beloit College. Impaired health, however, prevented him from graduating. He was especially fond of mathematics, and in school stood at the head of his class.
His early desire had been to become a mechan- ical engineer, and upon leaving college he engaged in building railroad bridges, and continued thus em- ployed with good success for six years. He next engaged in the lumber and milling business, and although he became greatly embarrassed in his finan- cial matters, managed to pay all his debts with ten per cent interest.
In 1868 Mr. Houston invented the celebrated " Turbine Water Wheel," to which was awarded the prize medal at the test of water-wheels held in Bos- ton in 1869. These wheels have become so popular
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that the demand for them is greater than he can supply. He has shipped them to all parts of the world, and realized a large fortune from the enter- prise. As a business man Mr. Houston is prompt, upright and energetic. He comes of a good family. His ancestors were among the early settlers of the United States. His great-grandfather was a Presby- terian clergyman. His grandfather was a slave- owner, and Mr. Houston has now in his possession bills of sale of slaves in Massachusetts, which he found among old papers belonging to his grandfather.
In politics he is a republican, and has served as an alderman in the city of Beloit for twelve years.
His religious training was under orthodox influ- ences, and he always attends the Congregational church, though he is not a member of any religious organization. He has always been a man of tem- perate habits, and in all his dealings has maintained the respect and high esteem of all with whom he has had to do.
His personal and social qualities are of a high order, and his generous, hospitable, open-hearted manner has won for him many warm friends. Mr. Houston was married in 1860 to Miss Elizabeth R. Keeler, and by her has one child.
GEORGE PERKINS,
FOND DU LAC.
G EORGE PERKINS, a native of Montrose, Y Pennsylvania, is a son of Francis and Rebec- ca C. Sherman Perkins, and was born May 8, 1820. He is descended from good, patriotic ancestry, his maternal grandfather having been a revolutionary soldier, and six members of the Perkins family
having died for their country on a single occasion, in the battle of Groton Heights.
George passed his boyhood on his father's farm, except when attending the Susquehanna Academy, and during one season, when twelve years of age, he did chores for a gentleman, to defray expenses
Eng? try John CMº Rac.NY
que Houston
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for board while attending this school. At the age of sixteen he entered a printing office, where much of his literary education was obtained, and where he remained most of the time until he attained his majority. He then commenced reading law with Benjamin T. Case, of Montrose, and having previ- ously engaged in teaching, continued the same while pursuing his legal studies. Being admitted to the bar about 1843, he practiced a short time at Mont- rose, and went thence to Dundaff, in the same county ; subsequently he removed to Carbondale, Luzerne county, and still later to Pittston.
In 1856 Mr. Perkins immigrated to Wisconsin, and settled at Ripon in the autumn of that year, and there resumed his legal practice. Early in 1864 he enlisted in the 41st Regiment Wisconsin Volunteers, one of the hundred-days regiments. While in the army he was elected district attorney of Fond du Lac county, and, upon returning from the war, moved to Fond du Lac, the county seat. He had
been elected to a similar office while residing in Carbondale, and there served two terms. Here he held the office three terms, making a very acceptable officer. Since he became a resident of Fond du Lac, he has also held the office of city comptroller one or two years. In April, 1877, he was elected county judge, for a term of four years, in which position he has proved himself faithful and efficient.
In politics he acted with the republicans several years. In 1872 he supported Horace Greeley for the Presidency, and now affiliates with the demo- cratic party.
Mr. Perkins has had two wives, the first being Miss Abby Perkins, of Gales Ferry, Connecticut, their union taking place about 1855. She died on the 19th of March, 1868. They had three children, of whom one is now living. His second wife was Emeline Larrabee, of Windhamn, Connecticut, to whom he was married in June, 1870, and by whom he has two children.
REV. JOHN P. HAIRE, A.M., JANESVILLE.
T THE subject of this sketch was born at Eliza- bethtown, Hamilton county, Ohio, April 25, 1831, and is the son of Jacob and Susan (Hunt) Haire,-the former a native of Jefferson county, Virginia, and the latter of Essex county, New Jersey. His paternal grandfather was a native Englishman. His father removed in early life to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he was for a number of years a successful shipping and commission merchant, largely engaged in the New Orleans trade. He was a man of great firmness and integrity of character, possessed of su- perior business talents, and occupied a first rank as a man of probity and honor. He died quite sud- denly, of cholera, while on business to New Orleans in 1852. His mother was a woman of a meek and virtuous spirit, a sincere Christian, whose every day walk and conversation illustrated the genuineness of her faith in Christ. Her influence upon her son was controlling, and to her he acknowledges his indebtedness not only for the early bias of his mind `toward education and the work of the Gospel min- istry, but for whatever of success in life he has achieved. This excellent lady died at the old home- stead in Ohio in 1873.
His maternal great-great-grandfather, Thos. Hunt,
was born in Wales, and came to America early in the eighteenth century, settling on Long Island; he subsequently removed to a village near what is now New Brunswick, New Jersey, where his great-grand- father, Edward Hunt, was born. He married Miss Mary Shual. They had eight children, three sons and five daughters. He removed to the western part of New Jersey, bought a farm on the east bank of the Delaware, at the mouth of the Musconet- kong creek, where both he and his wife died, and where his grandfather, Edward Hunt, junior, was born. He married Miss Charlotte Shank in 1784, whose parents were natives of one of the Rhine pro- vinces of Germany, and emigrating to this country had settled in Pennsylvania near the Delaware. In the autumn of 1805 Edward Hunt made a tour to the West on horseback in quest of a suitable loca- tion. He traveled through Pennsylvania and Ohio, as far as the great Miami river, and purchased a house and section of land in Whitewater township, to which in July following (1806) he brought his family -in wagons as far as Wheeling, Virginia, thence in flat boats down the Ohio to what is now Lawrenceburg- being a full month in making the journey. This was less than twenty years after t1- c
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first white settlement had been made northwest of the Ohio, and the primeval forests still stood invio- late by the woodman's axe.
The early life of our subject was passed in one of the most beautiful valleys of southwest Ohio, a few miles west of Cincinnati. His elementary edu- cation was conducted at home, where not only the English branches were mastered, but also algebra, both elementary and advanced. He commenced the study of Latin at ten years of age, and was always an ardent and ambitious student. When he was seven years of age an elder brother (Thomas Haire) entered college, and his influence and assist- ance during vacations incited the aspirations of his younger brother to the pursuit of a course of liberal study, and his days and a large proportion of his nights were devoted to the pursuit of knowledge - partly self-directed. Even at this early period the conscious purpose of "going to college " was formed, though the attainment of his plan involved no little struggle on the part of the boy. The death of his eldest brother, above alluded to, (who had by ten years of continuous labor completed his academical, collegiate and professional studies, and had just been admitted to the Cincinnati bar, contracted a violent cold, resulting in consumption, from which, after two years of suffering, he died in 1846,) de- layed his hopes of entering college through the hesitancy of his father to consent to his pursuing a full course of study, fearing the effects upon his health. His studies were therefore graduated to his physical capacity, and were for some years con- fined to the autumn and winter months. This plan, however, was not altogether unmixed with evil, for during the seasons of study he was am- bitious to make up for the time lost by absence, by doing as much in the brief periods as was usually accomplished in the whole year. Quite an extensive course of reading was completed during the summers, the studies being often pushed far into the night. At last he reached the goal of his hopes and was fully entered at Miami College, and gave himself to the work of acquiring knowl- edge with an untiring enthusiasm; working to the utmost limit of his physical strength, neglecting to take exercise and disregarding all admonitions on the subject, so intense was his thirst for learning. About the middle of the second year, however, he was brought to a realization of his folly by the failure of his physical powers, and was reluctantly compelled to remit his studies for some months.
Wisely thinking that a change of climate would prove as beneficial as a cessation of labor, he left Miami College and removed to Williams College, Massachusetts; being drawn there partly by the fame of the president, Rev. Mark Hopkins, whose valuable course of instruction in mental and moral science afforded a greater attraction than the greater names of Harvard or Yale. Here he completed his college course and took his B.A. degree in 1855. In the autumn of the same year he commenced the study of theology, with a view of entering the min- istry of the Presbyterian church ; but turned aside for a year to teach Latin and Greek in the college at College Hill, Ohio. The three following years, however, were spent in the study of theology, -- one year at Lane Seminary, Cincinnati; a second at Andover, Massachusetts; and the third at Union Theological Seminary, New York. On graduating from the last named institution, he was called to the pastorate of the Presbyterian Church of his native town and was ordained to the ministry in 1861, and supplied the pulpits of Elizabethtown and Cleves (North Bend) for two years. He subse- quently supplied the Presbyterian Church of Aurora, Indiana, for a period of two years, during the ab- sence of the pastor in Europe and Asia. At this period his health again failed, and compelled a sus- pension of labor for several years; during which time, free from stated and expected tasks, much reading and study was accomplished with abundant exercise out-of-doors. Not yet confident of suffi- cient strength to resume the active duties of the ministry, he spent one year in teaching in Ohio; but not finding much gain in health he sought the benefit of a change of climate, and accordingly re- moved to Janesville, Wisconsin, where he resided one year (1869-70).
He next assumed the pastorate of the Congre- gational Church at Fox Lake, remaining there for three years, 1870 to 1873,-as pastor one year, to his pastoral duties superadding the principalship of the Wisconsin Female Seminary two years.
In August, 1873, he accepted the Latin chair in Ripon College, which he retained for two years; and, in September, 1875, established at Janesville the Janesville Classical Academy, over which he has since presided with much success. It is one of the most prosperous private institutions of learning in the West, and is doing a grand work in fostering the desire of literary culture, affording to the sons and daughters of the wealthy citizens of Janesville
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and southern Wisconsin the advantages of an aca- demical training that will fit them to enter the best eastern colleges.
He has been a member of the board of trustees of the Wisconsin Female Seminary at Fox Lake for several years. During the period of his comparative inactivity at Cincinnati, owing to impaired health, he busied himself somewhat in gathering facts of pioneer history, by personal interviews with old settlers of that vicinity, and has material for a large volume already in manuscript, which may one day be given to the public; and was instrumental in or- ganizing the Whitewater and Miami Valley Pioneer Association (which still exists), and which, since its organization, has met annually and gathered much material for future use. His life so far has been diligent and studious, and chiefly devoted to literary pursuits. He is a man characterized by sincere devotion to the highest forms of culture, looking rather at the spirit and essence than at the forms and plausible exterior of things. His pulpit efforts show a marked predominance of clear, sharp, logical thinking, over the more showy and taking embroid- eries of rhetoric. He seldom fails to manifest, in his discourses, a very positive contempt for all "namby-pamby" surfaceness in either religion or morality.
He is a zealous maintainer, at all times, of the intrinsic importance of linguistic studies and the subtle theories of metaphysics, besides having a ready sympathy for all the genuine works of high imagination, and very rightly considers thought, spirit and purpose to be the roots and hidden sources of all artistic works. He shows an earnest desire to have his children and his pupils, his friends and all who come within the range of his influence, seek the purest and highest culture, and never al- lows an opportunity to slip for giving impulses to their thoughts toward high theories. He reads the Latin and Greek classics with ready fluency, is well versed in Hebrew, possesses a fair knowledge of the German, and a considerable insight into the science of comparative philology. But his mind is charac- terized by logical acuteness, a keen scent for falla- cies, so that chains of argument have need to be firmly welded to endure the strain which he brings to bear upon them. Possessing a large library, ranging over a great variety of subjects, he has hit upon an ingenious method of indexing the whole, and making a chart of all the subjects embraced in their pages. His plan is to place an author's name
at the head of the page, and underneath it to indi- cate the treatise, miscellaneous articles, and even paragraphs, in which he is alluded to, arranged in convenient form'- the book, the page and the line being denoted. By this means a glance reveals the whole contents of his library upon any given topic. Another peculiar and very interesting feature of this index is an appendix, in which passages of poetry descriptive of external nature, etc., are denoted un- der various topics, as "morning,""evening,""night," "sky,""clouds," "mountains,""gardens,""flowers," " ocean," "animals," and the like.
He recently established as an adjunct of his school, which he aims to make a fountain of the purest cul- ture, a literary club, under the name of the " Round Table," which has drawn into its ranks a large num- ber of the most intellectual people of the city, em- bracing all the ministers, some of the lawyers and doctors, the newspaper-men, teachers, and a large number of students of both sexes, who have been in constant attendance upon the fortnightly meetings of this very valuable and decidedly unique source of entertainment. During the first six months these studies wandered at will over the field of recent literature, but latterly a series of consecutive topics have been strictly followed out without break or change,- beginning with the Elizabethian era, and following down the current of English history to the present period. The programme embraces some sixteen varieties of studies, and though each takes in a large scope, the members have worked with such zeal, and the papers presented have shown so much research, that a very adequate notion of each subject has been presented within the allotted two hours.
In manners, our subject is quiet and unassuming, but he never speaks without effect. His mind, though far from having any show of bigoted nar- rowness, is clearly and thoroughly Christian, and his actions, words and bearing are all in perfect har- mony with his ideal principle.
On the 21st of July, 1859, he was married to Miss Ellen Cilley Bartlett, daughter of Israel Bart- lett, Esq., a distinguished lawyer, of Nottingham, New Hampshire, and granddaughter of the distin- guished Thomas Bartlett, and also of General Joseph Cilley - both distinguished for their services during the revolutionary war. The latter was with Wash- ington at the surrender of Cornwallis, and figures in the celebrated group of "Washington and his Gen- erals," painted by Trumbull, now the property of
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Yale College. Her father held a commission from John Adams in the army organized when war was threatened with France in 1799, and was intimately acquainted with Alexander Hamilton, the highest officer in the field. He also was the friend, and often the opponent, of Daniel Webster, while the latter was practicing law at Portsmouth, New Hamp- shire. Mrs. Haire is a lady of more than average strength of mind, high culture and refinement, a good Latin and French scholar, an earnest stil- dent, and the principal assistant of her husband in his academy. She is characterized by great practical energy, and always aims to infuse a high tone of moral and religious earnestness into the principles and lives of those over whom her in- fluence extends. While possessing a catholic taste for all the highest and purest in letters, she has a very decided bias toward mathematical studies, and no small skill in unraveling Algebraic per- plexities. She has always been a zealous worker for the moral elevation of the community in which she has lived, especially in the direction of temper-
ance. Socially she is a very attractive, winning and affable lady, and the strong positiveness of her con- victions, sentiments and actions at once places her among the leaders in whatever cause she may espouse.
They have four children living, named, in the order of their birth : Mary Stella, Anna Roberta, Nellie Bartlett and Emma Florence, all of whom show remarkable mental powers,-all being pro- ficients in the academic studies far beyond their years. They have severally developed very con- siderable talent for the art of music. The second, though barely thirteen years old, and rather fra- gile of her age, has shown an almost dangerous precocity in language and mathematics, having read several of the standard Greek authors, and daily employing herself on such works as Livy and Horace in Latin, and sailing with bird-like velocity in and out among the tangled thickets of algebra and geometry. She is an indefatigable reader, and already has acquired quite an extensive and accu- rate knowledge of history and literature.
DAVID W. CARHART,
BERLIN.
M EN are known by their works,-the poet by his, and the artist and the manufacturer by theirs. The same is true of David W. Carhart. The "Golden Sheaf," the name of his mill and of the common brand of his flower, has made his name a household world among the flour dealers of the New England and Middle States. He is a native of New York city, the son of John W. and Mar- garet Ann (Reynold) Carhart, and was born June 22, 1828. He attended the graded school of New York city until fifteen years of age, at which time he went into a wholesale dry-goods house and sold goods three years. Removing to Chicago with his father in 1846, he continued merchandizing two years, and removed to Waupun and sold goods un- til 1851, when he settled in Berlin. There he built a saw-mill with his brother-in-law, Nathan H. Strong, and operated it with him until Mr. Strong died, in 1853. He afterward continued the manufacture of lumber with other parties until 1859, and then bought an interest with Mr. E. Reed in a general variety store. After two years he suffered a loss of his business by fire, and next built a flouring mill |
on the site of the old saw-mill, and is still doing business on the same spot, though in a larger and finer mill, rebuilt with brick a few years ago. This mill has all the latest improvements for renovating and purifying, and makes a brand of flour second in quality to none manufactured in the State. Mr. Carhart is a perfect master of the art of making flour, the result of years of study and careful ex- perimenting. The firm name of the parties owning the "Golden Sheaf" Mills, is Carhart, Wright and Co., Mr. Carhart having a two-thirds interest. His partner is Stillman Wright. They manufacture about forty thousand barrels annually, a large part of which is sold by telegraphic orders. Their cor- respondence is simply enormous, and it is safe to say that no flour manufacturers in the West are better known or have a better reputation than this firm. Mr. Carhart is strictly a business man ; he has dealt somewhat in real estate, but is best and everywhere known as a manufacturer.
In politics he is a republican, though in 1872 he supported Horace Greeley for the Presidency. He is not, however, a politician, and gives little atten-
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tion to politics, more than to perform his duties as a citizen. He has been a very efficient member of the school board for several years, but avoids taking office when he can, consistently with duty to the public. As a business man he has no superior in Berlin.
Mr. Carhart is a member of the Congregational church, and casts his influence all on the side of good morals.
His wife was Miss Harriet Wright, of Berlin, their marriage dating September 6, 1853. They have lost one child, and have two daughters living who are members of the Berlin High School.
Mr. Carhart has erected a number of buildings in Berlin, and is thoroughly enterprising and public- spirited; and probably the services of no man in building up the city are more heartily appreciated than are his.
MARTIN N. BARBER, M.D.,
WATERTOWN.
T HE subject of this biography, a native of Mon- roe county, New York, was born on the 11th of March, 1821, the son of Ira and Hannah Bar- ber. His father was a blacksmith by occupation, and both he and his wife were highly respected in their community for their upright, industrious lives.
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