The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1886-08-18

I
me, inaSmuch as have told you that / am not a
Holcombe and am outside Of the charmed circle
LheY say the liolcombes of New Jersey have all
the money and the Holcombes of Pennsylvania
nave all the brains. This balances matters so
evenly you scarcely which side of the river
you are on belong TO that great host who
nave neither money nor brains. The Hol-
combes, as far as | know Them are not what
the world estimates as great men. They are not
the stun OF which Presidents statesmen and heroes
are made they are better stuff. They are mainly
race of agriculturists, honest industrious frugal
loyal TO their own household-none more so-iust
~ their transactions with their fellow men. Who
shall say that their virtues will not win for them
crown az the final reckoning better than that in
store for those who are perched on Alps | would
not exchange the place of these Holcombes in
mat day for those, was going to say scoundres"
70 whom the world seems to pay homage. l have
been looking around for your Jersey women Why
Is TINS platform destitute of women2 Why am /
crying alone in this wilderness? am glad / am
permitted to wear the badge and pass for one of
the Hocombes for such as | am. | am glad I
am one and wish could have been more.
Mr.. VIM. A. Holcombe, of Ravenna,
Ohio, elghty-two years old, was intro
duced and spoke few words. DIR. Hol-
combe, of New York, said he was speci-
mea of Yankee Holcombe, "born in
Massachusetts,, raised in Connecticut and
now resident of Ohio"
Judson Ho!combe, Esq, of Towanda,
Pa, on being introduced, spoke in sub
stance as follows
He said he belonged to the Yankee Holeombe
stock which settled at Ulster, Bradford county ON
the New York line, in 1885. The ancestors of his
line came with their children to Pennsylvania
SIX sons and two daughters all of whom settled In
bradlord with the exception of one boy, who set
tied in Herkimer county, New York His grand
son, Alfred, was here to-day. There were now re-
siding IN Bradford county besides those who had
ehigfated TO different sections of the country,
some 700 Holcombes and their connections. In
bradford they are scattered over fifteen townships.
The family was scattered over the Western STATES
and territories. Mr. Holcombe said he had one
sister residing at Puget Sound She crossed, on
her outward trip, the Rocky mountains with her
husband and three children in one of the West
ern emigrant trains, the first which crossed the
Cascade route They seven months In going
there. Two years ago she came back to her home
in six days, from which she had departed forty
years before. So far as the Bradford Holcombes
were concerned they belonged to an earlier emil
grafton than the New Jersey Holcombes The
former descended, as the speaker understood from
Thomas Holcombe, who originally came from De-
vonshire, England The Jersey Holcombes were
Devons of a later emigration. Thomas came about
1854 The speakers father Hugh Hocombe was
son of Eli, who came to Ulster in about 1885 at
the age of Is. He lett his father, to cut his way
through dense wilderness. lie and his brother
took up about 900 acres of land under what was
known as the Connecticut Title, for 81 so an acre
Finally there came Pennsylvania claimants and
they hal to pay. for the land second time, so
that ultimately their land cost them about 81 ner
acre So far as Mr.. Holcombe knew, il wus
true of the Bradford Hocombes as he was told
1t was true of the New Jersey Holcombes, they
were all men of good habits. lie knew of no scala
ways among them, no drinking men. He was al
WAYS happy to say this, because he consid cred 1t a
creditaoe thing 10 say off any race Of people. He
was glad to make the acquaintance of the Jersey
H0lcombes. He extended TO them an invitation
to visit Bradford. On the occasion of Holcombe
reunion of the family held in Bradford six years
AlRNa nsiAF aud LII. H.
them, both now deceased There was no doubt
about the common English origin of all the Hoi-
combe branches in this country, and they ought
to get acquainted with each other.
He introduced Alfred Holcombe, of his
county, aged S4-the Oldest Holcombe in
his section.
Capt. Irving Iolcombe, of front Brook,
Delaware Co, N. Y, was introduced.
He is man of splendid physique, and he
made an excellent address-witty, lively,
and eloquent. He said
He had listened with much interest, he said, to
what he baof JQApapd Jacob, Holeambe ae4 guJa
plan to petition Congress to pass some such law
that enacted against the Chinese. He thought the
descendants of John and Jacob should be restrain
ed from spreading all over the country and taking
up all the good land. They seemed 10 have picked
up all the good land in New Jersey, which he had
o oue" ,o' pe0n.xyania which was The nex bes
State. lie thought the Holeombes should be con-
fined hereafter to Pennsy lyania and New Jersey.
lie had understood that his branch of the H0l-
comhes yyos nr,ginallv Walsh , thev taIked Wnlsb
six days in the week and listened to Welsh SER
mon on Sunday. lie was glad the family didn't
wss clad MS ancestors came over thev had NOT
these Holco mbes would have been on the English
side in the revolution, on the side of the rebels
vrasti1ng with home ruIe IN ireland II was a
matfer ~ congratniatian that these descend"nts
nara inhapiisnts or His comntry 10 said he
ronIa carr, Rome win him a yerv good innres
sion of he Uolcnmbes Of Jersey and Pennsviyania
He had had a GOOD lime and thev had aimost LiIIed
hi, g i,i ''u on itvin, anrin,, his eniourn
IN. Wv" 80 r"e
Prof. VIM. l.. liolcombe, OF SwarlhmOre
r,uu. D. ,.,os ;,,.od,oo1 o,a .,oi.
Coilebe, Ia, WAS lhtIouuceu auu spoke
no follows.
He said ne was gild 10 be present, ne had come
over The Delaware IN the morning Win a great
deal of curiosity to see what sort OF tribe he be-
ongod to, and he was satisfied with his inspection
In pennsylvania the Holcom0es were scarce
small potatoes ana lew IN tne NIL III would be
desirable IL New Jersey could spare some of her
Holeombes TO buy iands on the sucks county side
and help spread the name on the west side OF the
river.
Mr. Olivar Holcomhe of Newtown Pa
-
father of Prof. VIM. L. Holcombe, was
,
the next speaker'
He said when he left home he felt that he was
going TO have a good time If he had not felt so
he would have STAYED at home He was farmer
and had plenty of work awaiting him but he con.
cnded If this was to be the last day 1t didn't mat
ter whether the work was done or uot, and If it
didn't happen to be the last day there would be
another day after to day to do the work The BIZ
ographer oil the occasion had told where the family
came from IN England !, ne naa mot heard any
tory meeting. The PENNSYLVANIA Holcombes were
the the descendants of Hoicombe mothers and bore
onI . Under o inese
to-day In PENNSYLVANIA they had dropped the
practical people They didn't believe n using
But he did not think there should be any feeling
ho Of he family came from Devon
did not know WI whether that had an anything to do
Holcombes have brought the Devon breed oil cattle
former occasions and taken aSay the premiums
from the Bucks county folks. They had I'd carried
syIv.nia people are not very much for sheep,
SPEAKER said he was enough Of a Hocombe to be
anmpfhinp of n believer In sheep and kent the