The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1897-07-14
The Late Edwin E. Clapp.

that splendid gentleman, whom every
body respected for his sterling honesty,
Edwin e. Clapp, died at his home in
President, Pa. For days his large circle
of friends hoped against hope that his
trouble might take a turn for the better,
and his useful life be spared yet a num-
Der Of years. The following brief sketch
of Mr.. Clapp is taken from the Oil City
Derrick, and reflects the sentiments Of all
who knew the man intimately;
Edwin Emmett Clapp, one of the most
prominent and best known residents of
Venango county, and one whose death is
positive and deep-felt loss to the COM
muuitv, died at his home in President |
shortly before l o'clock on Friday morn |
ing of cancer, after an illness of less than |
a month. The deceased had, with the |
exception of about three years spent at
Dubuque, Iowa, been a resident of Penn
sylvania since 1882. He was born at
Watertown, n. Y, October Is, 1924, and
was the oldest son of Rev. Ralph and
Sally Clapp, formerly of Middlefeld,
Mass, and who removed to Franklin in
1882 They afterwards resided at Mercer
and Meadville, where Edwin with his
brother Charles, who died in 1913, at
tended the preparatory schools and en-
tered Allegheny college. On leaving this
institution of learning in 1912, he went
into the store of his father and uncle at
Clinton Furnace, Clarion county. In the
| spring OF 1916, with his father and family,
he removed to President Furnace, where,
/ - o,,J
four years noted above, he has since re-
sided.
! All the years of his young manhood
and middle age were given principally to
the development and improvement of
| President township, with which, up to
the decline of his health, his name was
inseparably connected.
In 1865 he bought the Henderson and
Baker farms and part of the Alcorn farm,
noar Tidioute, which he subsequently de-
veloped. The farms proved to be Won
dcrfully prolific of oil and repaid him
| handsomely for the investment 1t is
said that the Henderson farm production
amounted to between four and five hum
dred barrels of oil per day at a time when
oil was selling at from S4 to s5 per barrel.
In 1870 he purchased the old President
furnace property from New York parties,
who had become its owners. Subse-
quently he bought the adjoining r. P.
Elliott, j. S. Elliott, Harper Griffen and
John McCrea farms, and has devoted his
entire time and care to improving and
developing this property. Roughly esti-
mated, Mr. Clapp is the owner of be-
tween $4,000 and 5000 acres of land in
President and adjoining townships, much
of it valuable oil, gas and timber land.
Mr.. Clapp possessed many qualities of
mind and heart that made him one of the
most notable men of this portion of the
State. He was generous and kind, but
believed in helping man to help HIM
self rather than in out of hand charity.
Many stories have been told of his integ-
rity and kindness of heart, and while
many could not understand the principle
that led him to give work, winter and
summer, to the small colony of laborers
he had gathered about him at President
during the past p years, the recipients OF
his bounty did and do appreciate it, and
his death is, to President, dire calamity
| For miles in every direction leading
, through his property are roads such as
o can scarcely be duplicated by State work
anywhere, every foot made at his owr
expense, and he had apparently only be-
, gun this branch of his enterprise. Will
" his death, there is every reason for the
apprehension that the work of roaC
? building, which has been conducted OF
: such an elaborate scale, and which fur
= nished work TO so many men and teams
will cease. Wealth was, apparently, t.
him only a trust and none ever better
- filled the duties o t its custodian. He wa,
J. a simple man, pure in heart, honest a
~ the day is long, and his word once giver
: was as binding upon him as the stronges
legal contract Ii has been said of hin
that he had but one infrmity, and tina
" was the satisfaction of seeing men a
= = work, well fed and well paid, the luxury
- of liberal mind From one end of the
township to the other are to be founC
monuments to this trait of his character
Although noted for his acts of charity
these were extended with shyness anC
secrecy that was one of the leading trait
of the benevolent side of his nature
r There is scarcely township school, bu
: he has assisted in the same quiet and of
r fective manner, and to the churches ant
e charitable institutions of the county, h,
$ was a liberal giver, but unostentatiou
5 beneiactor. While Mr.. Clapp was un
u doubtedly one of the wealthiest men il
T. this vicinity, he was also one of the mos
o companionable and easily approached
D. He was an inveterate but harmless joker
/ with fund of hunor and anecdotes tina
made his company treat and his pres
Il ence welcome at any gathering, social
10 religious or political. In politics he wa
$ an ardent Republican, as energetic an
10 earnest in working for the good of hi
T. party as any mau in the county, but al
II ways resolutely refused to accept An
+ other than the purely local offices in hi
ID own township.
Il Mr.. Clapp is survived by one brother
IL Capt. J. NJ. Clapp, and two sisters, Mr.
W Caroline McAllister of Ann Arbor, Mich
L. and Mrs. Ellen G.. McLain of New Yorl
II Funeral services, attended by nearly
oi thousand people, were held at Presider
y on Sunday, July 4th, Reys, F.. d. Suite
of President, and A. G. Ellis of Oil City
n, officiating. The uterment took place