Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1896-08-06

Nh IL
IN 1852 ne graduated with high hon
ors and Immediately thereafter entered
the Harvard law school, where he com
pleted the full three years course and
received the degree Of LII B. In
March, 1887, be became consul general
at Apia, Samoa. In that position he
came into national prominence. The
affairs i'll Samoa at that time We're very
complicated. Germany wanted TO exer-
else a protectorate over the islands,
which would have resulted i'll her an
nexing the best Of them. England and
the United States wanted a native gov
eminent.
Harold Sewall soon attracted atten-
tion by his official course. He was finally
summoned to Washington by Secretary
Bayard and frequently appeared before
the senate committee ON foreign rela-
tions He testified so freely and fully
before that committee that Secretary
Bayard requested his resignation on the
ground that his openly expressed views
on Samoan affairs did not agree with
those Of the state department. His res
ignation was rendered and accepted.
The wife Of the vice presidential nom
inee is a woman Of rare mental attain
ments. She is possessed of an artistic
temperament and great ability as a
painter, TO which large collection of
water colors and landscape photographs
made by her on two continents bears
witness.
Mrs. Sewall was educated at q then
famous fitting school in Ipswich and
afterward travelled in England, remain
ing abroad for considerable time.
Gifted with the power Of observation
and with the ability to recognize the
interesting, her "reminiscences of Eu-
ropean life are charming whenever they
are called up in the cOmpanionship Of
her intimate friends.
Though her health has not been good
for several years, she is in no sense an
invalid.
Mrs. Sewall has been a student and a
wide reader and is proficient in French,
which has always been a favorite Ian
guage with her. She is thoroughly ac-
auainted with this country, having Wis
tied every part Of it. She has crossed to
the Pacific on every transcontinental
line, and her camera has caught for her
bits of scenery in almost every corner Of
the land. She is an expert amateur pho
tographer and has received diplomas for
her work i'll Paris, New York and Bos-
ton.
When the news of her husband $
nomination for the vice presidency was
brought to her by her son, Harold M.
Sewall, il was surprise that was not
altogether pleasing, for since the retire
ment of Mr.. Sewall from the presidency
of the Maine Central railroad she had
indulged the hope that be would retire
from the activities which had crowded
his busy and successful life and enjoy
the comfort of his beautiful Washington
street home III the society Of their chill
dren, who reside close by.
The wife of Mrs Sewall's son, Har
old NJ, was Miss Camilla Loyal Ashe
of San Francisco, daughter of Richard
Ashe, who won honors in the Mexican
war. She is the niece Of Admiral Far
ragut, for whom the grandchild Of Ar
thur Sewall was named.
The other daughter-in-law is Mrs.
William d. Sewall, who was Miss Mary
Sumner Of Worcester Mass.
The part of his whole life III which
Mr.. Sewall takes the greatest interest is
his career as a shipbuilder and ship
owner. His belief i'll the future Of
American shipping has never tagged.
Indeed, he is about the only man in the
country who has persisted in building
ships in the face OF what other builders
have considered disaster. During the
first administration of Cleveland grass
grew i'll every wooden shipbuilding
yard Oh both coasts. But during the last
few years of the eighties Mr.. Sewall,
believing that turn for the better had
or soon would come, resumed building,
and with greater earnesrness than ever
before
There followed in quick succession
four monsters, each representing a sum
beyond 1925, 900. These Were the Rap
pahannock, Shenandoah, Susquehanna
and Roanoke, all wooden vessels, aver
aging about 3, 900 tons net each, capable
| Of carrying easily tonnage III cargo OF
half as much more. OF these vessels the
Rappahannock was destroyed by fire
| from spontaneous combustion in the
South Pacific ocean some years ago.
The other three are still afloat, max
ing the long voyages, and one or an
other is frequently seen in the East
river. The Roanoke is the largest. This
ship, built in 1892, and with New York
as her hailing port, measures 3, 400 tons.
/ The Shenandoah measures 3,25S and
| the Susquehanna 2, 629. All are mag
| nifcent vessels, and as fleet are classec
superior to any other similar fleet under
one control i'll the world. The last ship
constructed by Mr. Sewall is the Dirigo.
This vessel was launched two years ego
and measures 1856 tons. She isi bull
of steel and is the first steel sailing
ship built III America TO show III whai
proportion the business of the Scwal
family has grown in comparison will
the growth Of other large businesses ol
the country, it may be stated that the
tonnage Of the Indiana, launched il
1876, is 1,4SS. while that cf the Roam
oke, launched IG years later, is 3,400
nearly ~ times as great.
In addition to his large fleet of square
rugged deep water ships. Mr. Sewal
he's constructed and manages larg'