Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1899-10-12


Harry Crist, the Democratic candidate
for the Assembly, was born Feb 10, 1866
in the little town of Brooklyn, NJ j.,
about three miles from Williamstown
near The Camden county line. The little
house is still standing, though most Of
thUse that were standing there, have since
disappeared, as the town has gone down,
there being no business conducted there
At the time of Mr. Crisis birth, there was
a glass factory operated there by Clayton
B. Tise who is still living at WIlliamstown
and is the Assessor of Monroe township.
Mr.. Joseph Ayres was also a member OF
this firm, be also is living in Williamstown.
Mr.. Crist has, and is following the vocation
of his father, that of glassblOwer.
On his fathers side he is of German
extraction. on his mothers side, of Welsh
Irish anct siry. His fathers family were
originally Phiiadelphians, belonging in
Kensington. One of his ancestors, Michael
Crist, was an officer in the Revolutionary
army, and was killed on his farm in what
was then the outskirts of Philadelphia
being that of the British soldiers
The mother of Mr. Crist was Hannah
Davis of Elk township, daughter of VIM.
Davis, who was blacksmith, and who
died when comparatively a young man,
leaving family of four children, namely ::
| Hamilton, who is a blacksmith on Broad
way, Camden; Paul, painter, who resides
in Wo0dstown, Salem county Sarah, who
married John Suran, OF Barnsboro; Han
nah, the mother of the candidate. Several
relatives are scattered throughout the Co.
Among them in addition TO the Eaileys
and Davis are the Abbotts and Isza ds
and others, too numerous to mention.
Mr.. Crisis father died when he was but
three years of age, leaving widow of five
children, the present candidate being the
youngest of the family, and the only boy.
After the death of the father, the family
moved to MillVille where after a hard
struggle for subsistence of about three
years, the mother died The children were
then separated. Harry, being then six
years old, was placed With uncle
Michael Crist, at Williamstown, who is still
living, nearly eighty years old. Michael
hasn't voted for several years, but says he
is going to vote this year. Although he
has been lifelong Republican, he says he
is going to vote for the Democrats this
Fall.
= Harry, after going to live with his uncle,
was at the early age of ten years
placed in the factory, thus at time when
most children have hardly commenced to
realize what an education meant, he was
taken from school About the time be
was put to work "a night school was started,
so instead of running the streets or loa6ng
in the stores, he was found at school every
night. About this time a free reading
room was started in the town, when the
night school was about breaking up, the
Rev. Mr.. Janeway a Presby minister,
then stationed at WILLIAMSBURG, got the
boys to promise him that they would
spend portion of their evenings at this
free library. Some of them tried it for
awhile. bat soon got tiredebut the present
candidate kept going on and on, until the
passion for reading grew upon him. That
passion has never yet subsidized, and if he
owes his progress to any particular thing
it is to keeping his promise to the Rev.
JaneWay.
He has never been known to play ball
or any other game or amusement, but has
been for the last twenty years reading and
studying, when other boys have been
enjoying themselves. While living in
Camden, few years ago, he took a course
In DooK keeping at ADrahans0n's business
college, and has since been secretary and
salesman for the Monroe Glass Company, a
small Company of which he was stock
holder. Therefore it is believed by those
vino know him, that aside from being a
student of political affairs, he has sufi-
Gent knowledge of business matters to
make useful Assemblyman.
He has held several offices in his trade
Organization, secretary for the local branch
es, ETC., and is at present member of the
local committee, also treasurer of the
branch he has also represented his brother
workmen on different occasions 10 their
National Conventions and mostly without
asking for the hopors. Mr. Crist sincerely
believes he will be elected, SO do his
friends. He deserves the support of the
working class as be is one of them and
knows their wants