The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1877-09-05
Iron the Cumberland pn,Iv sr,s.


SOME "REMINISCENCES or A NOTED
FAMLY.-The widow OF the late Charles
Ogle died a iew days ago at Mey ersiaie,
Somerset county, Penns} ~lvania, at an adj
vanced age. She had remained u widow
for thirty six years and more-iived and
died universally respected for her own
many virtues, as We'll because she was the
relict of "A iayorite son OF that county.
The Ogle family is a remarkable one,
and some Renaissance oi il may not be
uninteresting malter 10 your r,a iers. IS
pecialiy the older portion OF them. TIE
family is Of Mary hand root, bul lis branch
es have spread lar and Willie; Dui here
nave they thrived as IN somerset county.
Our own executive chair has repeateuIy
been filled by the early ugies. Under The
old Proprietary Government in li33, 1i3J
ald l749 Samuel Oaie was appointed Guy-
ernor; and again in l7yS BerJtInine Olie
was elected under Inc constitution Of lao.
since then the Iamv has nel iisuicd much
in high pubic positions, but In their Ia
tive county Frederick there are quite II
number oil them, us well as n sprinkle in
Allegheny.
| do not know much abnut the Abra
ham OF The Somerset branch, but in his
day he Was a man of some prominence
there. He lett two sons. Charles and
Alexander. who became very noted in
their time. Charley, as he was famil
iarly called, was a lawyer by profession,
and a leading one ut his bar, with a taste
for polilicS-uf the Wing school; elected 10
CongIess in 1881 and 1889. taking u prom
lnent place among the patty debates OF
those eyentiul years. His celebrated
spoon speech was a marvel vi its kind,
and was scattered broadcast over the land.
In the memorable campaign o. 1910 Penn
sylvanla broke away from its. old moor
ings by the lean majority of about 300,
anu no one ever doubted his Efforts gave
the old Keystone 10 Gen. Harrison. This
speech arraigned the Van Buren, admins
~tration for its extravaganza and royal ten
dcncits that its chitf used golden p . Ms %
take his soup; aud thai the White House
was the scene OF Oriental ~splendur. This
was TOO much Tor the honest yeomanry OF
Ivy OF rs; Tor Harrison, The Wing clndi-
date. Oar excellent Register OF Wills sat
in the gallery OF the old House OF Repre-
sentatives and heard this unique speech,
and has 6iten told the writer OF its effect.
and the laughable thrust made at +. Z.
Blair, then the editor OF the Globe news
paper. l read ii in the middle ofniy teens,
but must confess that it engendcred preju-
dices against III then President tina re-
qulred many after years To eradicate.
Charles Og took sick a. his post in
Washington; came home and died in 1871,
in the noon OF life, about AZ years Of age,
Many of the good old people of his county
still believe he died OF 'Locofoco poison.
No doubt this is prejudice, or superstition;
but il was and still Is the belief. lie was
q remarkable man; such an one as is given
to q community rarely.
The other brother, Alexander, was a
man OF magnificent physlqne. and made II
splendid bIigadicr- general; but he did not
attain the success or prominence of
Charles.
The next la order was Andrew Jackson
Ogle, always known and called Jack
Ogle." lie was a son OF Alexander. At
tanning his majority in 1871 he suddenly
bounded into envlable nutoriety in that
grand political campaign. HIS brilliant
and witty speeches, droil anecdotes and
amusing songs are well remembered. lie
~as really the lavOrite and pet OF every
audience. In his short career he was lit
orally %bouqueted with Offices ard iavJrs-
from county clerk to seat in Congress, in
Guiding IA mission TO u foreign court. He
was essentially IA man ofthe people. Par
W ties were never strong enough 10 keep
him out of the fold of his political adverse
ries. Enemies lac neither had nor deserv-
ed. What u bright star Ia a lovely say.
but how suddenly, Unexpectedly, ard
even prematUrely II fell. In the heat oi
the Soott-PIercc campaign of 1852. near
the close, with no admOnnions of SUCH ap
event, lie died, with oIly thirty joyous
summers spent. say summers, BECAUSE
there weIe..nu w.nt Is ol Giscontent i'll his
brief HE. Offices and hUnufs came ID the
Ogies without hint or stint, - from local,
Stale and rational sources. 1 here We're
two GRADUATES vi tic sane family AT " est
Point from The same lU~n. One died with
II ms ior commission IN the late war, and
the Uther, quite 1t young man l SON vi
Jack. Is nov in the army al the tnIted
st tlcs. The an!aDly wttOw Was post
N stress al SJilCrscI i'udl loil, cJnInts-
stoned 10y LincDlp, "Itd Il tenure darIng
her pleasure, rudIng This year.
MEMORIAL,