Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-08-12
B. F. MEYERS DIES;
LEADER In POLITICS
CONTINUED From First Pagc)

/ taught IN the county schools at New
| Centerville and Somerset. At the
boys school in Somerset where he
| taught in 1853 he had as his pupils.
George F. Baer. president of the
Reading railroad; Rear Admiral Pick
] ing, and Major John r. Edie. He
read law in the Office of General will
| liam II. Koontz. and was admitted
| to the Somerset county bar at the
| November term, 1855. He formed a
partnership with Daniel weyand and
| business was conducted under the
firm name of Weyand and Meyers.
Journalist I'm West
/ Before his admission to the bar
| and while yet a minor, Mr.. Meyers
| spent a year in Illinois where he en-
gagged in journalism meeting such
| eminent men as Lincoln and Doug
las. In August. 1857. he moved to
Bedford. Pa. where he became editor
of the Bedford Gazette. He was also
admitted to the Bedford county bar
and continued his practice. In 1868
he became editor of the Daily and
Weekly Patriot at Harrisburg. which
during the time of his editorial di-
rection, was the leading Democratic
organ of the state. He edited the
two publications until 1873 when he
sold the Gazette and moved to Har-
risburg, devoting his entire time to
the publication of the Patriot.
Founded the Evening Star
In 1881 he sold the Patriot, and
purchased the Independent. and
formed a consolidation of the two
later newspapers, the Star and the
Independent. under the name of Star
Independent. In 1912 he formed a
company to take over this publication
and retired from active direction.
T. e Star-Independent continued under
this management until 1917 when it
was purchased by the Telegraph and
was consolidated with this news
paper.
Prominent in Public Life
In politics Mr.. Meyers was DEM
ocrat and has been honored with
many important Offices. He was elect
ed al a member of the General As
sembly from Bedford county in 1868.
In 1870 he was elected to a seat in
Congress from the Sixteenth district.
which comprised Adams. Bedford.
Franklin. Fulton and Somerset coun-
ties. In 1895 he was candidate for
the Office of state treasurer.
Appointed by President Grover
Cleveland he held the office of post
| master of Harrisburg in 1887, remain
, in Office five years. Three years
of this term were under President
Harrison. He was state printer from
1874 to 1877. In 1864 he was dele
gate to. the National convention that
nominated General Mcclellan: he was
district delegate to the convention
that nominated General Hancock in
1880; and delegate-at-large to the
| convention that nominated Grover
Cleveland in 1884. In 1895 he was
i 80 nrnft Ton
that nominated William ]. Bryan and
| in 1904 delegate to the national con-
vention that nominated Alton B. Par
I .-er. He was treasurer of the Demo-
| cratic state committee for three
| terms.
His Business Interests
As a businessman, in addition to
his newspaper and law interests, he
was identified with these other busi-
ness interests:
| Wilkes Barre Electric Street Rail-
| way system, of which he was the
founder; Citizen Passenger Railway
Company of Harrisburg, of which he
was president; Central Pennsylvania
Traction Company of Harrisburg, OF
which he was vice-president; Colum-
! bia and Montour Electric Railway
I Company, of which he was presi-
dent; Carlisle and Mt. Holly Electric
Railway Company, of which he was
president; Brelsford Packing and
Storage Company of Harrisburg. OF
which he was president, and the
United Telephone Company, of which
he was director.
He was a warden and member OF
ST. Stephens Episcopal Church.
was for years a member of the Board
of Missions of the Diocese of Cen
trail Pennsylvania and a member OF
the standing committee of the Dio-
| cese of Harrisburg. He was a thirty
second degree Mason.
| Mr.. Myers tastes were decidedly
| literary. He wrote much for news
papers and periodicals, mostly under
non de plume and was the author OF
"A Drama of Ambition" and other
| pieces of verse.
He married April 4, 1854, Susan
| c. Koontz, daughter of jacob
Koontz and sister of General William
| H. KoontZ.
Mr.. Myers is survived by the fol-
lowing children and grandchildren:
Mrs. B. F. Africa, a daughter, re-
William K. Meyers, a con, residing
in this city. and Harry, another son
living in Philadelphia. The grand
children are: j. Simpson Africa
now at the U. S. Marine Corps o. T
c. at Quantico, Va; b. Meyers
Africa; Mary Elizabeth Meyers, Win
fired Meyers, William K. Meyers
Jr.. Benjamin Meyers Mumma., OF
New York City; Meredith Meyers, oi
Lewistown; Benjamin F. Meyers, Jr.
/ Mt. Vernon, n. Y, and Mrs. Suzanne
Simpson, Mt. Vernon, o.
Jacob Meyers, great grandfather
of Benjamin +. Meyers, was native
| of Lancaster, now Lebanon county
and in about 1885 purchased g
tract of wild and unsettled land in
the region of what is now the Dor.
ough of Meyersdale, Somerset coun.
ty. He did not settle here but sem
his sons, Christian. Jacob, Henry and
| John, to look after the property. AL
| these sons settled on farms cleared
from this purchase.
| John Meyers. the deceased mans
grandfather, was farmer and miller
following these occupations through.
out the active years of his life. He
married a Miss Dickey, whose father
came from the North of Ireland and
they reared large family.
| Michael D. Meyers, father of the
late Mr.. Meyers, was born in 1903
in Somerset county, and died in 1857
| He was educated in the township
schools and followed the occupation
of farmer from which he derived a
comfortable livelihood. He was
prominent in politics. He married in
1882. Sarah Schaff, a descendant OF
Jacob Schaff, large landowner in
Somerset county.
Further details of Mr.. Meyers ac-
| tfvities and life work will be found
on the editorial page of this issue