Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1907-09-12

and IL p. M, i'll all kinds of weather,
and at all seasons of the year. Young
Byron began this occupation
when thirteen years old, and continued
it two years, during which time the
mail rarely failed to be on time. His
mode of conveyance was on the back
of a mule, and Mr.. Hamlin enjoys
nothing better than to relate the COM
ical, though often unpleasant, exper-
FENCES of those days. BY the improve
of odd hours with his books at the fire.
side, and an occasional few weeks at
school, he gained sufficient education
to undertake teaching school at the age
of sixteen on Marvin creek, about four
miles from home, at $40 month and
board around. The term lasted three
months and from the proceeds he was
able to purchase suit of clothes and
few books.
''His sister, Jeanette, having married
Rev. Moses Grow, professor in Allie
gheny College, at Meadvilie, Pa, he
accepted an invitation to make his
home with them, and enter the college.
After about year and a half, his
brother-in-law's health failing, so that
he was obliged to resign his professor
ship, young Byron, having no means to
pay his expenses and continue his stud
les, returned to Smethport. He then
accepted an offer of partnership in a
little store owned by his brother, Orie
]. Hamlin, the whole stock of which
would not inventory over $500. After
about year thus engaged, his brother
in-law, who had in the meantime unit
ed with the conference of the Method
ist Episcopal church, and then station
ed at Geneva, n. Y, again invited him
to live with him, and attend the col
tege at that beautiful town. The long
hoped for opportunity to complete
college course seemed to have arrived,
and he hastily closed his interest in the
store and prepared to accept the offer.
His profit in the years business COM
prised a respectable wardrobe, and
about 500 in bills receivable. He had
i'll preparation for his trip wooden
trunk made by carpenter and Joiner
(which is still preserved in the attic of
his residence), in which all of his
worldly wealth was slowed, when few
days before starting he received letter
stating that both Mr.. and Mrs. Crow
were lying at the point of death, from
typhoid fever. He went there at once,
on horseback, but found that his sister
was dead and buried, and his brother
in-law almost at the point OF. death, so
he was obliged to return to Smethport
with his hopes disappointed, and his
spirits crushed. By the advice of his
brother, Orie Jr., who was then pract-
ing law in Smethport, he gave up the
idea of completing a collegiate educa-
ton, and entered his Office as a student
and clerk. This was in 1S43, and in
1845 he was admitted to the bar of Nc
Kean county. His brother had the
care of a number of landed estates, for
various owners, and the attention to
the details of this part of the business
falling largely upon the young student
he early acquired a taste for it, and
having given the subject his principal
attention during his long professional
career, he is an accepted authority up
on legal as well as practical business
questions relating to lands of Keating
and Co., then comprising nearly two
hundred thousand acres of the two
hundred and ninety-seven hundred
they had purchased from William
Bingham, in the year 1896, in Mexican.
Potter, Cameron, Clinton and Clear
field counties. He had their care and
management to the year 1854, when he
became the purchaser of what remain
ed of this estate, and interested some
OF his family relatives with himself in
its ownership-the business being con-
Quoted in the names of Byron d. Ham
lin, Henry Hamlin and John Forrest
''In politics Mr.. Hamlin is a Demo-
crat. When young man he was ac-
tive and prominent as a local leader,
and his party, then largely in
the majority in the country
and district, recognized his abilities
and usefulness. In 1916, at the age of
twentyfour, he was recommended by
his county as candidate for the legis-
lature, but declined at the district con
vention in favor of w. G.. Scofield, of
Warren county, who was elected; in
1850 he was elected treasurer of Nc
Kean county; in 1862 he was sent to
the State senate, in which body, al
though one of the youngest members,
he took leading and prominent posi-
tion, and was elected as its presiding
officer at the close of the session Of
1854. He was renominated by the con-
ventlon of his district at the close of
his term, in 1856, but was defeated by
Henry Souther of Elk county, the can.
didate of the American and Free-Soil
parties. Having good clientage and
extensive land estates under his care,
he considered it his duty to those in
terests, and to his family, to withdraw
fiom active political life to more con-
genial and profitable pursuits. He was
tendered the nomination (which, in
that district, was equivalent to an cleo
tom for president judge of the coun-
ties of Clearfield, Clinton and Centre,
in 1868, but defined it. Since that time
he has been urged by the people of his
own district, without regard to party,
to stand as candidate for judicial
honors in it, but adhered to his often
expressed determination to spend his
life in domestic pursuits, without the
slavery of public office. In 1882
he was induced after repeated solicita-
tions, to allow his name to be present
ed as the candidate of his party to the
legislature. Although the county was
Republican by a considerable majority,
and he was opposed by the strongest
candidate who could at that time have
haan n0miua ted auainst him ho xroo