The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1892-08-24
SENATOR oUAYs FARM.
He Turns to the Home Of His
Ancestors in Chester Coun-
tv. Pa.-A Recent PURCHASED

vile.
twas. no doubt, his Chester county
associations which set Senator Quay
number Of years ago to thinking Of buy
ing q Chester county farm, and he had
this purpose in mind last summer, when
he visited Judge Pennypacker on the
western slopes Of the Valley Hills
The Matthew Stanley farm, which ne
has now acquired by purchase, belonged
to Matthew Stanley, an able Chester
county lawyer, who was the guardian
and a relative Of Senator Quay's mother.
It was in this house that the Senator's
mother spent her girihood and lived IN
III her marriage to Rev. Anderson Beat
on Quay. a young Presbyterian minister.
On both sides Of the house Senator Quay
Is associated with Chester county, and
many ofhis relatives are still hFing IN
Chester and Montgomery counties.
The first Quay in Pennsylvania-Al-
exander-bought I5l acres Of land IN
Horsham township, Montgomery county
in 1923. His son Alexander was q sol
der in Captain Deemer's company in the
French and indian war. Another son
was Seth Quay, Judge Of the Fnlaaei-
phia Court Of Common Pleas.
After the Revolutionary war the Sluays
crossed the schuylkin into Chester eoun-
ty. The Senator's grandfather, Joseph
married the daughter Of Major Patrick
Anderson, who had also been a soldier
in the French and Indian War, and who
subsequently was the senior Captain OF
the Pennsylvania Line in the Revolu-
ton.
The Andersons were the frst white
settlers in Schuylkin township, and
some ofthe family are still living on the
tract Of land on the Pickering creek
which James Anderson bought in l1l3.
When James Anderson's wife went over
into the great Chester Valley to visit her
father, Thomas Jarmon, she left her babe
which was in due course Of time the
great grandfather of Senator Quay-at
home, to be nursed and sucked by an
Indian woman. The Senator's grandla-
ther, Joseph Quay, is buried in the An
derson family hurying-ground. Here al
so is buried Major Patrick Anderson and
the Senator's great-unele, Isaac Ander-
son, who, as member Of Congress in
1905. headed the listof ayes in favor Of
liberating the blacks in the District of
Columbia and prohibiting the importa-
ton of slaves.
An interesting political letter, written
by Hon. Isaac Anderson from Harrisburg
to Major Z. Howell, under date Of March
6, 1902, is preserved. 1t is partly as fol-
lows:
81 am happy to inform you that there
is q considerable portion of the Legisla-
ture pious Christians of different denOmi-
nations. Soon after arrived a Presbyte-
rian Elder from Fayette county invited
me 10 take lodgings with him, as he has
since told me, purely on account Of relig-
ion. Iaecordingly moved, and abide
with him in much friendship, together
with another gentleman Of said church.
! 1t has been remarked that there has been
as little immortality in the House Of As
sembly as has ever been known. Not
withstanding you may be sure that Chris
tianity admits room for the best 20 amend
and there is a daily necessity for the ex-
ercise fall the grace We have gotten"
The Senator's father, Rev. Anderson
Beaton Quav, and his mother, Catbarine
Mccain, were both born in Chester coun-
ty. Catharine Mccain Quay and Thom-
as Mexican, the signer Of the Declaration
of Independence, probably sprang from
the same Chester county family. Thorn
es McKean's father, William, spelled the
name @AlrKean," but the viii dated De-
cember 2S, 1870, of the mother Of the lat
ter, who lived in New London township,
Chester county, is signed "Susannah Nc
Cain" Senator Quay's father-Ander-
son Beaton Quay-the Presbyterian min
ister, is still well remembered for his use
ful labors IN the Cumberland Valley, as
appears from history Of the Presbyteri-
an church in that valley, and at Beaver,
as will be seen by reference TO the histo-
ry Of Beaver county.
Within year or 50 the Beaver county
newspapers have spoken Of Senator
Quay's very liberal contributions toward
the restoration Of the church Of which
his father was pastor until the time Of
his death. These associations will readi-
ly explain why Presbyterians turned TO
him with their protests against opening
the Worlds Fair on Sunday and account
for his having recently secured the pass
age by the United States Senate Of an
amendment to the World's-Fair appro-
priation bill requiring the fair TO be clos
ed on that day. They explain, too, the
readiness with which his influence was
used 10 secure the passage Of the High
License law of Pennsylvania, and subse-
quently the submission to the people Of
the proposed prohibition amendmet to
the State Constitution.
The purchase Of a Chester county farm
by Senator Quay is the nature ola long
contemplated homecoming, return 70
scenes with which his father and mother
and their people had been familiar for
nearly two centuries. When boy his
father talked to him ofthese scenes and
took him TO visit them. They have al
ways been the background to his life
There could be no fairer one, for the
Brandywine
Winds through meadows green.
Fringed with tall grass and graceful bending
fern.
However far afield the Chester coun-
tyian or the man Of Chester county stock
may wander -aad one such-Bayard
Taylor, was equally at home in Germa-
ny, in Egypt, on the Syrian coast, or in
Persia-he IS apt to look back through
al bis wanderings to the hills, streams
and wales of Chester and 10 return 10
them, as Taylor did, with increased af-
fection and appreciation Of their beauty
Chester county life and Chester county
scenery have been described in the poet
~ Of Taylor and Buchanan Reed and in
Tsylors novels.