Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1855-12-14
M0nument to George Taylor.


of the handsome monument to the memory
of GEORGE TAYLOR, one of the Signers of
the Declaration of Independence. BY it,
we learn that George was born in Ireland
in ZIG, and was the son Of poor and
respectable clergyman, who gave him the
rudiments of good education, designing
him for the medical profession. Whether
from choice or necessity we know not, but
for scme reason that design was abandoned,
and, before the year l74O, George had mi
grated 20 America as a "rcdcmptioner,"
binding himself out to labor for term of
years to pay his passage money. He first
engaged himself to Mr.. Savage, one of the
proprictors of Durham Furnace, and was
set at work wheeling coal and Limestone to
the Furnace, and filling it. Mr.. Savage,
soon discovering his education and talents,
and observing by the effects Of hard but
manly toll that he was unaccustomed to it,
gave him clerkship, which he filled with
entire satisfaction. Mr.. Savage dying, Mr..
Taylor subsequently married his widow,
and became lessee Of the Furnace. He
acquired fortune, by means of which he
was enabled, very opportunely, to furnish
Congress needed supply of cannon balls
at the commencement of the Revolutionary
War; but the owners Of the Furnace pro-
perty adhering to the cause Of the King,
it was finally confScated.
In 1868, George Taylor's name appears
as one of the agents for the erection of the
Court House in Easton borough and he
was subsequently one of the Justices of the
Court From l764 to l770, he represen-
ted Northampton county in the General
Assembly of the Colony, and was placed
on the most important committees, guard
ing well the peoples interests against the
encroachments of the Proprietary Govern
ment as well as of the mother country.
On the 18th June, l774, eight thousand
people assembled in Philadelphia to make
known their sympathy with Boston in her
sufferings and to cooperate with her in
efforts to preserve their common liberties
and three days afterwards, the 21st of the
same month, a similar demonstration was
made in Easton, over which George Taylor
presided. In l716, he was elected to the
Congress, and on the I'd August signed
the Declaration of Independence. In 17777
he retired to private life, his personal inte-
rests having suffered greatly during his
attention to public affairs. His children
we're all dead sorrows thickened around
him: and on the o5th February, 1871, he
closed his eyes in death. Twenty five years
ago, his particular grave could not be des-
ignated. The inventory of his personal
effects showed that he died but poorly
surrounded with comforts. His house is
still standing, rough stone building, on
the corner of Hamilton and Ferry streets
Although little is now known of George
Taylor personally, yet the old men used to
say, ale pas fine man, and furious
Wig" This, with the public records of
his career, is grand eulogy. "No man
kuoweth his sepulchre," but his name is
engraved on many thousands of hearts, land
this monument to his memory is claimed
to be the first one put up by public effort
in honor of the Signers. The Orator
alluded to the good influence monument
to each Of the Signers would exert-a
work which should be attended to soon, if
ever, as each succeeding year is bearing
away the materials for their history.
But what (Mr. Brown asked his youthful
hearers would have been the fate of George
Taylor, had he upon his arrival been igno-
rant and uncducated? His blistered hands
would at last have become hardened to
their work days Of labor and nights of
rest would have followed each other; he
would have died in obscurity; and no one
at this day would care to inquire how or
when or where he laid down his life
Little did that father anticipate that the
education he was by his own sacrifices
comforting upon his son, was to make that
son able to assist in moulding the des.inies
of mighty empire. Little did he think,
that when be and his flock were all sleep
ing, in their old kirk yard "a hundred years
thereafter, thousands of freemen would say
of him, as We do this day, Honor to the
memory of the good old man who awoke
the soul of his son to a sense of the divin-
ity that was within it who gave him cdu-
cation, tho he could not give him wealth!
and through whose training of heart and
mind that son rose to become one of the
bright galaxy of American worthless d!
Too little has been thought and said of
the influence of the educated men of '76
upon the destinies of our country. They
had very large and important place to
Gil, and we'll we're their duties performed.
The poor "redemptionist," George Taylor,
had part to act in the comparatively rude
population by whom he was surrounded