Page:Historical and Biographical Annals of Columbia and Montour Counties, Pennsylvania, Containing a Concise History of the Two Counties and a Genealogical and Biographical Record of Representative Families.pdf/461

 COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES who tiiarried Eliza G. Simon(on; Sarah, who tiiarrtcd A aron N eviu s; E liz a; Catherine, who married Archibald Circentee; and Mar>*. who married Ilcn ry Miller, o f Lewisburg. A fte r a lifetime o f service fo r Christianity Rev. Peter Beaver p.assed aw ay in 1849. Thomas Beaver had few educational ad­ vantages in youth, being obliged to leave school in his thirteenth year, but he utilized every spare moment o f his time in later life to acquire knowledge. T his lack o f oppor­ tunity for an c<lucation in his childhood w'as the chief motive which caused him to provide the library for the use o f (he citizens o f Dan­ ville. forever free o f cost. In April, 1827, Thom as left home to work on a fatm for $2.50 a month and in the winter o f that year he en­ tered the store owned by his brother Samuel and ju dge Black, at M ilford. The business being removed to Perry county the following spring, he followed it and remained about a year at the new location. U e next sera-ed for a year in his father’s store at New Berlin, Union county, and then returned to Newport to take chaigc of the business o f Judge Black, who was (hen the sole owner of the store. The growing boy's close application to busi­ ness brought on a severe illness, so through the kindness of the superintendent of the F’cnnsylvania canal. General Mitchell, he obtaincil a place in the store o f Rev. Jasp er Bennett, at Williamsiiort. There he remained for two years, and his mercantile knowledge and ability were so well developed at (hat early age that he was sent by stagecoach to Philadelphia to make Large purchases of goods. In 18 33 he fornwd a partnership with Peter Nevius in general merchandising at lA'wishing, rcmaincil there until 1835. and then look chaigc o f his brother .Samuel's place at Millerstown. conducted under the firm name o f J. & T. Beaver. Feeling a strong desire to better hinusclf, .Mr. Beaver wrote lo three of the largest firms in I ’hiladclfdiia for a i>osi(ion. Reed & Son, one of the most substantial, answered with a letter dissuading him from his project, but B ray & Barcroft wrote that they would give h im 'a |K>silion and would be glad to make his stay pleasant. He .accordingly went to Phila­ delphia in March. 1837, and entered the em­ ploy of the firm, and .so well did he take advantage of the opportunities offered in the city that in 1840 he was made an equal partner. From that date until 1857 he was connected with the firm as jartn er. In the latter year he w as offered the posi­ tion o f tratstce for the creditors of the

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Danville Iron & Steel W orks, in company with 1. S. Waterman, William Neal and Washing­

ton Lee. H e succeeded in placing the works on a firm financial foundation, and in 1859 united with 1. S. Waterman to purchase the interests of the creditors, fo r some years suc­ cessfully operating the plant. In 1A76 he sold out his interests and retired. On Jan. 2 3, 1838, Mr. Beaver was married to Elizabeth, daughter o f Robert B. and C as­ sandra (B e rry h ill) W ilkins, o f Harrisburg, born .April 20. 18 17. They had seven chil­ dren, two o f whom died in infancy, the others being: Em ily, bom Oct. 4, 1 ^ 0. married William H. Chamberlin, o f Lewisburg. and had eight children, Jesse, William. Thomas. John. Elizabeth. M ary. Em ily ami L au ra; .Arthur, bom Sept. 17. 1842. married .Alice D iehl; .Alice, bom CJct. 12. 1844. married William II. Browne, o f Philadelphia, and had three children. Elizabeth, O iarles and T hom as; I-aura. bom Jan. 18, 184O. married Rev. John I>eWitt, professor o f church his­ tory in Lane Seminary, CitHrinnati; Elizabeth Stew art, bom Feb. 9, 1853, married l.emucl E. W ells, o f New Y o rk, and had three chil­ dren. Thomas. Christian and Ixm ucI S. M rs. Beaver passed aw ay Dec. 27. 1884. Mr. Beaver died M ay 19, 18 9 1, and they arc buried at Lewisburg. In 1886 Mr. Beaver gave $100,000 to the Danville Public 1-ibrary. as a ineinorial to him­ self and w ife, and in the fultowing year the buiUling w as complcte<l. It is a lasting and useful momumcnt to tw'o of the town's most eminent citizens. Besides this g ift. Mr. Beaver left an endowment o f $50,000 fo r the support of the library and Y. M. C. A. He also gave $30,000 to Dickinson C o l l i e, to assist poor Iwys in obtaining an education. P H I L I P E U G E N E M A U S. now living m retirement at the bca'itiful old Maus home­ stead in Valley township, ts a descendant of the celebrated fam ily whose histor)- is in­ separably associated with the opening up and advancement o f Montour county from its earliest d.ays o f civilized occupation. M aus­ dale, in Valiev township, a small village less than two miles from Danville, the county seat, perpetuates (he name in the section where the Mauses have been most numerous, and where the fam ily has been represented con­ tinuously for a period o f almost one hundred and fifty years. Frederick Maus. the emigrant ancestor, came from Zwcibrucken, Prussia, about thirty