Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1907-09-12
BYRON D. HAMLIN
PASSED AWAY
LAST WEDNESDAY.
He Was One of Mexican County's
Most Prominent Citizens.
HAD BEEN ILL OVER TWO YEARS.
However His Death Will be a Sur
prise to Many Friends-Sketch
of His Long and Useful Car
eer-Funeral Arrange
mentS.
.Smethport Miner, Sept. 5, 1907.

Hon. Bryon Delano Hamlin died at
his home on Main street in this borough
at 1870 o'clock, Wednesday, Septem-
ber 4, 1907, aged S3 years and four
months, the cause of his death being
heart trouble and a general wearing
out of the body. On February "a 1905,
he was compelled to take to his bed,
where he remained until the final call
came.
From the History of Mexican, Elk,
Cameron and Potter counties we copy
the following in regard to his early life:
"BYRoN d. HAAILIN-When the aver
age young man of the present day is
disposed to grumble at the fate that
compels him to earn his living, and to
complain of his luck, it may be profit
able to him to study the lives of the
older men who are enjoying wealth
and honorable position. He will dis
cover almost without exception their
earlier days were fraught with struggl-
ing toll, and that their success is the
result of earnest and perseVering appli-
cation of the hand and brain, and the
prompt improvement of every oppor-
tunity offered The gentleman whose
name heads this sketch holds a most
anviable position socially and finan-
cially. In the declining years of his
life, he is surrounded with all the COM
forts of competence and the assur-
ance of the respect and honor of his
fellows, and the love of a large circle
of friends and family connections,
This is not the result of chance, but the
reward of toll and persevering en-
deavor. Equal success is in the power
of any young man. Hon. Bryon d.
Hamlin, the senior resident member of
the Mexican county bar, was born on
May 6, 1924, at Shehquin, Bradford
county, Pa, the youngest of seven
children. His father, DIR. Asa Hamlin,
was of English descent, while his
mother, whose maiden name was
Delano, cane of French ancestry. His
parents and ancestors had resided
for many generations in Litchfeld
county, Conn, his father removing to
Pennsylvania in 1916. DIR. Asa Ham
lin, who was one of family Of twenty
one children, was bred on a farm, and
brought under the old puritanical
regime as practiced by the New Eng
land Presbyterians. Amusements were
rare, and Sunday was a day to be
dreaded. He had scanty opportunities
for education or culture in his youth,
yet he improved them SO we'll that he
secured profession in which he held
respectable rank. In those DAYS,
however, DOCTORS fees were small and
hard to get. In June, 1888, he remov-
ed to Smethport with his wife and two
younger children-the subject of this
sketch and his sister, Jeanette-and
did in 1885, leaving his family without
financial means for their support. In
this condition of things young Byron,
then but slight lad OF eleven years,
set about to find some self-supporting
employment The first that offered
was an opportunity to peel and gather
bark from old hemlock trees that had
fallen. This he sold for fuel at 81 per
cord, payable in store trade. In this
occupation he succeeded in maintain
ing and clothing himself for some time,
and even had sufficient surplus to pur-
chase handsome cream pitcher as
present to his mother. 1t cost shill-
ings and pence, and is still preserved
and highly priced as a relic of the
struggles of his youth. After time
he was offered position of mail carrier
between Smethport and Olean, N. Y,
then the principal communication with
the outside world, and he accepted it
gratefully. He had to make two
round trips week, going to Olean and
returning Sunday, making a ride of
fifty-six miles, and going Wednesday
and returning on Thursday The sal
ary was IS cents trip, or 81. so a week.