Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-07-01
DEPUTY
COLLECTOR IS 90
YEARS IN SERVICE
William j. Martin Has Held Of
flee Half Century With
Excellent Record.

Fifty years ago today President Lin
coin appointed Peter Williamson Mar
tin customs collector of the port of
Newark. and his on. William ]. Mar
in, deputy collector, and it is because
the latter is still robust and active,
after his half century of service, that
today is a holiday in the local GUS
toms office. Floral and other tributes
buried the desk at which Mr.. Martin
conducts his end of government af-
fairs. This afternoon, Collector Dal-
rymple gives a dinner at the Union
Club to the office force of the customs
department. with Mr.. Martin as the
guest of honor.
During his fifty years of government
service Mr.. Martin, who Is 80 years old,
has not had a leave of absence. caused
by sickness or a vacation, which ex-
tended over three days. 1t is estimated
that he has not been absent from his
desk more than a total of 100 days
since his appointment.
Men acquainted with customs affairs
say there is no person in the country
more conversant with the shipping de-
tails connected with the customs de-
partnent than he. He can unwind
some of the knotty questions which
have bothered customs officials for
days. The yearly financial reports
nave always been left to Mr.. Martin,
and not once has the secretary of the
treasury expressed anything but pleas
ure at the efficiency shown in them.
Following is a brief biography of
Mr.. Martins life:
William J.. Martin was born eighty
years g in New York. He is the last
survivor of a family of eight, six
brothers and two sisters, who are well
known to old Newarkers. Mr.. Mar
tins father moved to Newark and lived
in Centre street, afterwards buying a
homestead in High street. now the site
of ST. Barnabas Hospital.
Mr.. W. ]. Martin was in early life
active in social affairs, and with a
number of friends organized one of the
first social clubs In Newark. the Junior
Bachelor Club, in 1857. He was elected
president OF the club. Among its MEM
bers at that time were Oba Woodruff,
hoollidCl ot1iOCht D.. f1CDIJ Iluilliti6 tOlA,
George Grant. Nelson Todd, jr., Sam
uel S. Sergeant, c. Wheeler and w. 3.
w. Whitehead and many others. Many
of these members upon the disbanding
OF the organization became members of
the Essex Club.
Mr.. Martin in his early buseness
career was a lumber dealer, with a
wharf on the Passaic river, but aban-
doned this business to assist his father.
He was associated with his father in
running the first, freight and passenger
boat plying between Newark and New
York, and later his father bought and
for some years ran the "Taminend" in
the same service. The venture did not
prove profitable. His father was APP
pointed by Abraham Lincoln in July,
1861, collector of the port of Newark,
and made his son., william deputy col
lector. The latter has retained this Of
flee since.
During the war Mr.. Martin was made
treasurer of the Sanitary Commission
fair for the relief of the soldiers, at
that time a large undertaking for
Newark, and at the termination of the
fair received a note from the war gov
ernor, Marcus l.. Ward. thanking him.
Most of Mr.. Martins life has been
passed In the southern section of New
ark, the old Ninth ward having been
his residence for twenty-five years or
more. He was a communicate in st.
Stephens Episcopal Church, and for a
number of years its representative to
the diocesan convention. and later was
elected to that Office from Trinity
Church, Newark. to which he had
transferred his letter of membership,
and which he still attends, although
having moved to Summit nine years
ago.
There has never been a death in Mr..
Martins family. His wife. Mrs. Mar
tin. Is still living. He has a married
daughter, Mrs. John Hitler Hart, who,
with her husband, reside at home, to-
setlfer with a daughter. Miss Emma
w. Martin, and a son, A. F. r. Martin,
OF Newark. who is cashier of the Essex
County National Bank. Mr.. Martin has
always enjoyed excellent health and
walks several miles a day. He is a
Republican.
Those especially invited dinner guests
are Collector Alfred y. Dalrymple,
toastmas tsr; Chief Deputy Collector
Frederick $. Freed. Deputy Collector
Frederick Harr. Henry Lemassena,
Theodore G. Burgher and Francis y.
Mowbray.