The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-02-15
7. ]. HAM DEAD
CONTINUED from Page One.)

ship of the class-day colloquy.
In the fall of 1856, the resigna-
tion OF Michael Brown as Associate
Judge created a vacancy which was
filed by the appointment of Mr..
Ham Oct. |, to serve until the fol-
lowing January. The next election
for this office was held in 1889, and
Mr.. Ham was then elected for the
full term.
Natural Bent For journalism.
After leaving school Mr.. Ham from
the force of his environment, enter
ed commercial life as manager of the
mercantile business of his father. He
remained in that position for three
years, but his thoughts ran to jour-
nalism, and at intervals he made
contributions to various newspapers
and periodicals, among others the
WAYNE COUNTY HERALD In
1859 Hon. H. B. Beardslee, editor
and publisher of the HERALD, Of
fered him a position on his paper.
Here was an opportunity to enter
the chosen field He accepted an
engagement as assistant editor at
the same time having charge of the
Honesdale postofiice. In the spring
of 1861, following the Inauguration
of President Lincoln, and subse-
quent official changes, the young man
visited Prince Edward Island, with a
view of engaging there in his new
profession. But the prospects were
not bright, and returning to Homes
dale in the fall of the same year he
purchased, with Charles Menner,-
for many years foreman in the Of
fice-as partner, the WAYNE COUN-
TY HERALD, from its old publisher,
Hon. H. B. Beardslee. He was now
settled in his life pursuit in a man
ner that was to his liking. Four
years later he purchased the inter
est of his partner, and became sole
owner. He repeatedly enlarged the
paper, and under his able editorial
supervision it enjoyed a wide reputa-
tion as an influential journal.
A Successful Editor.
In all the departments of news
paper work, in both business and
editorial branches, Mr.. Ham was
highly successful. AS an editorial
writer he won wide recognition for
forceful and logical statement. An
extended European trip in 1873 gave
him splendid material for a series of
travel sketches. He was also a
pioneer in the field of county histori-
cal research. For twenty-five con-
secutive years Mr.. Ham was secre-
tary of the Wayne County Agricul-
tural Society and for nine years its
treasurer.
A Democrat In Politics.
Politically Mr.. Ham was a Demo-
crat. He served almost continuously
as a member of the Democratic
County Executive Committee, and
frequently represented Wayne in
District and State Conventions. He
was nominated IL 1874 for the
State Legislature in the Wayne and
Pike district, but dissensions between
the two counties about that time led
to an open rupture. A Democrat
was subsequently nominated in Pike
county, and the divided ticket gave
the Office to the Republican candi-
date, Thomas Y. Boyd. Living in
Senatorial and Congressional dis
tricts largely adverse to him in poll
tical faith, Mr.. Ham failed to reach
those higher positions for which he
has received the endorsement of his
party. Besides his Legislative can
didacy he has been the Democratic
standard bearer for Senator, and
twice for Congress. For three sue
cessive terms he filled the position
of bank assessor for the Wayne-Pike-
Monroe district. In 1886 he was
appointed associate judge by Cover
nor Robert f.. Pattison and in 1889
was elected to the same office for a
full term of five years, his majority
being the largest ever given a candi-
date for that position in the district
Mr.. Ham was married March 5,
1868, to Miss Laura E., daughter of
Zachariah Paddock, d. D., of Bing-
hamton, n. Y. OF their five chill
dren two survive, Eugene p, and
William w.