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/503

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COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES

assisted it most elTectualty. for he U Sunday school sujK'rintcndcnt, trustee and member of the official board. A nxan of strong convic­ tions, he is n e w r backward in living up to or expressing his scntinicnts, and his inrtucnce for good cannot be easily overestimated. J A M E S S C A R L E T, a prominent attorney o f Montour county, w as burn in Elizabeth, N. Dec. 3 1. and is a son o f George and Mar)' Scarlet, the mother o f Scotch-Irish ancestry. H is father w as a sea captain and of l^ g lis h birth. Jam es was the eldest o f three sons, and w as taken under the care o f V. W. Pineo at the age o f twelve. M r. Pineo hrought him to Danville, where the boy worked on the Pineo farm for three years, f i e then was apprenticed to the blacksmith's trade, at which he b^'am e expert and earned a comfortable living in the town. It was while he w as thus engaged, working at the trade, tiuit Miss M ary G ricr, daughter o f M. C . iiric r, who was alw ays interested in ca]Kible and ambitious young men, took a deep interest in young Scarlet and drew out many of the latent talents tliat he dcvcIo(>ed in later life. T he results o f his b b o r with his hands were insufficient to g ra tify the ambition of the young man, whose active brain sought a more extensive field fo r (he ability o f which even at tltat early day he had given evidence. Together with Ju d ge II. M. Hinckley, o f Dan­ v ille; Ju d gc C . R. .Savidge, o f Su n b u ry; and Rev. John D. Cook, o f Keiiovo, then youths in the town o f IXinvillc, M r. Scarlet took up an exteUsSive course o f study, with a view to entering college. With steadfast attention and perseverance they studied by night, a fte r the toil of the day had ended, reciting their les­ sons licforc J . M. Kelso, then professor of the Danville Institute. Together they passed the necessary examinations atnl entered Princeton U niversity in the fall o f 1S70. ernduating from that institution in the class o f 1874. Jan ies Scarlet at once hcgan to read law in the office o f Thom as J . (iaibraith. Esc|., ,aitd in 1877 w as admitted to practice l>cforc the bar o f Montour cotmtv. H e w as admitted to the Supreme court o f Peuiisytvaiiiu in 1885, and lo the Su|)reme court of the United States at a Liter date. l i e pnicticetl in Danville for the most ])cirt. taking his chances with the companions o f his class in the legal p ro fes­ sion. often pitted against them, and linally his evident m erits forccil him to the front in the profession. His rcnurkahlc g ift o f orator)’ caused him to lie often called u]>on for a much of the legtil business of the county. In 1882 M r. Scarlet w as elected district at­ torney lo r Montour county, serving until the end of the tenn. In 1H85 he w as nominated on the Republican ticket ^or the State Legis­ lature, but defeated, the county being strongl) ]>cnKK:ratic. H e was also a candidate on the ^ame ticket for judge of the T w enty-sixth dis­ trict, against Hubert R . Little, but w as de­ feated by a small n u jo rity. H e w as selected a s attorney for the committee which investi­ gated the Capitol g ra ft case in i g i o - i i, and later w as ai){x>inted attorney for the prosecu­ tion of the grafters. H e was also given charge, at different periods, o f cases in which the dif­ ferent trusts were prosecuted by the United States government. In all of these cases he gained honor and renown. M r. Scarlet w as elected a s delegate from this district to the Republican National con­ vention o f lijoS, W'hich nominated WiUiam 11. T a ft to the presidency, and there he sec­ onded tltc nomination o f I’hilandcr C. Knox for that high position, though without avail. In 1883 Jam es Scarlet w as united in mar­ riage to Lizzie (i. I.yon, the daughter of Moyer Lyon, o f Danville, and they have one son. Jam ex, J r ., residing at home. Not only is M r. Scarlet a keen law yer, an able politician and a successful business man. b u t’ he is a fine conversationalist, well read, and keeping up a keen interest in all ques­ tions o f local and national character. He has a fine library in his home, which is one of the oldest houses in Danville, being the first cst in Danville, and the genial glow of the lights from this home are bright spots in the eyes o f passers along the main fnisiness street of the town. M r. Scarlet takes delight in outdoor life ami is a keen fisherman and hunter. He sel­ dom goes u|K)n an ext>cdition without return­ ing laden with trophies, and to l>c his pirtner in a hunting trip is a favo r much sought by his many friends. Jam es Scarlet is a man o f brilliant intellect, with a warm. syiii|Kithctic heart, ready to di­ vide Ilis List dollar with suffering humanity; an opixmcnt who .always commands respect at the Kar, but one a h ja y s ready, when the w'ontcst is over, lo forget the blows given and