The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-01-25
JUSTICE MARTEN DEAD.
His Life was Long and Full of Strange
Incidents.

His Life was Long and Full OF strange
Incidents.
The venerable and widely-known JUS
tice of the Peace, Adolphus w. Marten,
who was removed from his Oakland ave-
nue. home last summer to Christ Hos
pital, died at that institution yesterday
afternoon. His long residence in the
Hudson City district; his active life and
advanced aga, together with his we'll
known probity of character, all COM
bined to make him a notable parsonage.
A pioneer of the section, he outlived by
many years his old associates, retaining
until his last sickness remarkable mental
and physical vigor and almost phenomenal
power Of memory.
He was born at Dantzic, Prussia, Oc-
tober IS, 1901. His early childhood was
passed amid scenes of carnage and suffer
ing attending The capture OF Dantzic by
Napoleon and uhe subsequent siege and
~recapture of the city by the Allies. He
saw the Emperor Napoleon on several oc-
caSions.
He had a natural love for the sea, and
at an early age he ran away from home
and commenced, as a cabin boy, a sailors
career, which lasted for twenty years.
He visited almost every part of the
world and had become a master of navi-
CATION. He was admitted to the Kings
Navigation School in 1925, and soo Sc
cured q depioma of the first class and was
placed in command of a Prussian Govern
ment school ship. In 1882 he made his
last voyage to Quebec, and during that
summer he became q peddler of notions.
He married his first wife in Montreal, the
next year, and in 1884 he came to New
YORK, where he obtained employment as
a rigger and stevedore. In 1888 he be-
gan to peddle books and subsequently he
Eanf O hooEctapG on Wall atrpot near
the Custom House.
In 1899 O L 1910 he wrote and published
apamphlet entitled sThe Cause of Hard
Times, and the Remedy" Daniel Webster
quoted from it IN a speech delivered in
the United States Senate, and the work
was widely circulated. He moved to
North Bergen, as it was then known, in
lS49, and occupied a small house near the
Five Corners for five years. In 1852, he
bought a lot ON Church Lane, now Oak
land avenue, and two years later he built
the little cottage which he occupied until
his death.
He was associated politically with the
I. Carpenter and other leading Demo-
Gratis.
He was interpreter for the Gran Jury
and County courts for several years, and
an attorney in Justices courts. He was
elected q Commissioner of Highways in
1850; q Justice OF the Peace IN 1887, and
in the spring of 1860 Recorder of Hudson
City. His salary for the latter office was
only $500 per year and he had difficulty in
supporting his wife and four children.
During the war, being the only active
magistrate on the Hill, his duties were
very arduous. He had to administer
the cath to members of two regiments
and our companies OF volunteers, and re-
fused from conscientious motives to re-
ceiye any fee therefor. He ceased to take
an active part in politics prior to the
annexation Of Hudson City to Jersey
City, but ut the expiration of each term
as Justice of the Peace, he wasre-eiected,
| and the Office was held by him continue
| ously for q period OF tfirty-three years.
! In a note to the writer of this article,
tyso years ago, he said:-"Here / ami in my
eighty-seventh year. having laid up nc
stores, still trying to gain my living
while sliding down the hill of life
Justice Marten was twice married. His
second wife and two married children
survive him. The funeral will occur a.
two O'clock tomorrow afternoon from his
late residence, and his body will be in
tered III the New York Bay Cemetery.