Bridgeton pioneer., 1893-12-21

n
Samuel Ward Seeley, was the SON of
Ebenezer and Mary Clark Seeley, and
is the asst of family of twelve child.
rem. He was born Feb. 2lst, 1901, in
the old stone house that formerly
stood at the corner of Laurel street
and Irving avenue. He remained at
home until about nineteen years old,
when he went to Beesley's Point, Cape
May county, viii Jarvis Barrister
and worked in hotel there with him;
from there he went to Mays Landing
where he worked In a store for a time,
after which he returned to Bridgeton.
In 1898 he bought of Robt. Hood the
Cape May stage line, and drove over
the route tw ice a week for three years;
then he sold the route to Eph. Riley,
and went into The cigar and tobacco
business with John Miller, of Philadel-
phia; the store WAS the old wooden
building standing close to the Com.
merce st. bridge; they employed eight
hands and supplied the town and
country stores.
After selling out this business he
opened the first livery stables ever
kept in Bridgeton. They were located
ON the wharf now owned by d P. FL.
mer. and where the present one now
Is. After three or four years he sold
out and opened hardware store with
Robt. y. Brewster, in the brick build
ing on Commerce rect, lately occu-
pied by Loper & Moore, taiIors.
While in business here he married
Henrietta Potter Seeley. daughter of
Mason g. Seeley, and granddaughter
of Col. David Potter. They began
housekeeping In the house afterward
owned by Samuel Reeves, (now Get
slnger's) At that time there was but
one other house on Pearl street, above
Commerce, the one in which Mr.. See
ley died. He afterward pur chased this
of the heirs of DIR. Azsl Pierson. The
house was first cooper shop and was
built by Reuben Pierson, brother of
DR. AzeI; the kitchen part of the pres
ent house is part of the old cooper
shop. Mr.. Seeley has improved the
property from time to time and 1t has
been his home ever since, except for
few years, when 1t was rented to Rev.
8. Beach Jones, D D., as a parsonage.
After selling bis hardware business
Mr.. Seeley bought a tract of land
north of the town and farmed it for a
long line of years.
During his long life he has always
enjoyed remarkable health; during his
later years his eyesight failed until he
became entirely blind, and has been
uoaole to see anything for the past
three years.
He was probably the Oldest voter in
Bridgeton, having cast his first vote
In 1922 The first President he voted
for Was John Q lincy Adams in 1924
Ii 1928 and 1889 be voted for Andrew
jackson; his last Presidential vote was
for Be. min Harrison. He has had
tnree children; one Samuel Ward, died
Ia childhood.
Mr. Seeley was the brother of Elias
P Seeley who served a term as Gov
srnor of New Jersey; his brother Enos
,eeley was for long time Surrogate
If Cumberland county.
Mr.. Seeley never held any promin-
mt political position; his inclination
It'd not run to political life. He al.
ways told his sons that 1t was his lot
be the hard worker of the family.
de was a member of the first commit
tee to name the streets nf Bridgeton,
and named Pearl street, the street on
which he hved.
He once went to Baltimore to assist
10 opening the Barnum hotel, and
while there he met John Quincy Ad-
ams, of whom he often spoke. He
was member and officer In the mill
tary company here In the times when
there were regular training days, and
IL Is said his was the finest and most
soldierly form In the company.
Mr.. Seeley's life has been heightened
out far beyond the common span, yet
for all that, he lived a quiet unostenta.
tious life. He has seen the town grow
from hamlet to a thriving city; he
has seen the land over which he for
years followed the plow be covered
with handsome dwellings, and he has