many different places in the church, urging upon him the principalship or professorship of Female Seminaries; but all such overtures he has steadily chosen to decline.

In 1885 Newberry College, South Carolina, duly conferred upon him the degree of Doctor of Divinity, a recognition which two prominent colleges nearer home were at the same time, as it happened, taking steps to accord. S. A. Allibone, LL. D., of Philadelphia, gave him a place in his great "Dictionary of Authors"; J. G. Morris, D. D., LL. D., of Baltimore, presented a list of his publications in the "Bibliotheca Lutherana," 1876; a more extended article is found in the "Pennsylvania College Book," Gettysburg, prepared by Prof. E. S. Breidenbaugh, and issued at the Jubilee of the institution, 1882; and Rev. Dr. J. C. Stockbridge has honored him with a notice in that unique book, "The Annotated Catalogue of the Harris Collection of American Poetry," published at Providence, R. I., 1886. Rev. E. M. Long, in his "History of Hymns," gives him credit for aid in that work, and like acknowledgments are recorded by Rev. Dr. Morris, Rev. S. Stall, and Rev. P. C. Croll, in books produced by them.

The subject of this sketch has been connected with the Historical Society of Montgomery county from its first year, and is the Vice President of the Lutheran Historical Society of America. As a matter of interest to the bibliophile especially, it may be proper to add that in 1885 Dr. S. yielded to a long continued importunity from the Lutheran Historical Society (whose treasures are kept in the Theological Seminary edifice at Gettysburg) to dispose of and transfer to it a valuable collection of publications produced in years past by ministers and laymen within the Lutheran Church in America. This collection was the result of much effort and expense through more than thirty years, and was thought much more complete than any other of its kind in the country. It consisted of nearly five hundred volumes; almost a thousand bound pamphlets, such as sermons, addresses, catalogues of the church schools, etc.; and approaching two thousand more unbound, being sermons, catalogues, almanacs, minutes of Synods, &c. Besides these, there were church papers and periodicals, bound

and unbound, many complete, the gathered series running through seventy years, bearing sixty-five titles, in six different languages. Thus temporary and personal conveniences were wisely and generously sacrificed to public interests, and the tastes and treasures of the individual subordinated to the advantage of the historian in coming generations.

WILLIAM G. SMITH.

The above is one of the self-made men of our county, a person who has risen to some prominence as a capable contractor, builder and general manager of private and public improvements. He is the son of Joseph and Catharine Grow Smith, of Lower Merion, where he was born Dec. 14, 1823. His paternal grandfather was of Welsh nationality, and his mother's ancestors German, both settling here at the commencement of last century.

In youth our subject had but a limited common school education; but possessing a ready turn of mind, and genial, kindly disposition, his fellow citizens placed him successively in nearly all the township offices in their gift.

In his twenty-fourth year, 1847, he married Miss Catharine, daughter of Thomas Vaughan, of that township, and they have had borne to them six daughters and two sons, named as follows: Harry C., intermarried with Emma Yost; Mary E., with Harry L. Fretz; Kate Anne, with Jesse Shoemaker; Thomas V., with Annie Wilson; Clara V., Emma A., Joseph W., and Sallie.

In 1865 Mr. Smith sold out in Merion and removed a little north of Norristown, purchasing the property known as “Zieber's Mill," where he still resides.

To enumerate his public service, it may be ştated briefly that he was School Director of Lower Merion twenty-one years; one term as County Commissioner, being one of the committee to locate the new Alms House; was Deputy County Treasurer several years, and while serving on the County Board was the leading member to take oversight of the erection of county bridges. He recalls the fact of having received twenty-three certificates of election by the people to subordinate offices. In this extended public service he acquired such a thorough knowledge of building work of all kinds that he has become a qualified contractor for the supervision of mechanics and laborers on all descriptions of public and private works.

Mr. S. has been for sometime overseeing the improvements at the State Hospital for the Insane, at Norristown.

Mr. Smith is regarded as a man of industry, probity, and judgment on all building and improvement matters. In politics he has always been a Democrat.

ROBERT R. CORSON.

Robert R. Corson has earned his reputation by acts of benevolence and self denial that in former times would have. placed his name high up on the list of those canonized for works of charity and mercy. He comes within the scope of our book of biography by reason of having resided, and obtained most of his liberal education, in our county, as also being an assistant some years in a mercantile house in Norristown. He is a native of New Hope, Bucks county, Pennsylvania, where he was born May 3, 1831. His father, Dr. Richard D. Corson, a prominent physician of that place having a large practice, was a cousin to Doctors Hiram and William Corson, of Montgomery county. His mother was Helen S., daughter of Thomas P. Johnson, of New Jersey, a distinguished lawyer, and well known throughout that state. Our subject had three brothers, David R., Richard and Thos. J., all graduated at the University of Pennsylvania, and practicing medicine until their death. His parents had also four daughters, Caroline, Harriet M., Helen and Eliza P. Harriet married Dr. Charles Foulke, and is living at New Hope; Eliza also is still living. Both the others are deceased.

Before leaving the paternal homestead for boarding school, the celebrated Rev. Thomas P. Hunt, on one of his tours, visited Dr. Corson at New Hope, and young Robert R. heard the "great apostle of temperance" dilate upon the benefits of total abstinence. He at once heartily embraced the principle of temperance, and has adhered to it by example and precept ever since, advocating, in a quiet way, the cause on all suitable occasions.

In 1847, when a well grown youth, Robert R. left New Hope and was sent to live with his cousin, George Corson, at Plymouth Meeting, Montgomery county, and while there entered as a pupil Treemount Seminary, at Norristown, enjoying for three years an academic training under the celebrated Rev.

Samuel Aaron, A. M., of that famous school.

George Corson, with whom he then lived, was an earnest abolitionist, and his house was a prominent station on the "Underground Railroad," where many fugitive slaves on their way to freedom, guided by the "North Star," would stop for food and shelter. It was here that young Robert R. Corson's sympathies were deeply enlisted in behalf of suffering slaves. These poor people frequently came late in the night and asked to be taken in, where they might escape capture and return to slavery. Sometimes they were strong, ablebodied men, but often a mother with a child in her arms. None were ever turned away. After keeping them long enough for refreshment and rest, sometimes requiring several days' stay, a close carriage would be ready, and in the darkness of night they would be driven to a friend's house in Bucks county, a distance of about twenty miles, where they would be cared for in like manner, and the following night taken on their way to some other friendly station, till perhaps Canada was reached. These facts are detailed here to indicate the young man's early lessons in "showing mercy" to helpless and despised bondmen.

At the conclusion of his school term, and on leaving the seminary, his health being delicate, he went to live in Schuylkill county, near Pottsville, remaining several years, when, in 1856, he removed to Philadelphia to enter into the business of shipping coal to eastern markets, in which he continued until the breaking out of the war of rebellion, at one time occupying three wharves on the Schuylkill, and leasing a mine near Pottsville to supply coal.

Soon after locating there in 1857, he married Rebecca J., daughter of Edward Foulke, of Gwynedd, whose paternal ancestor was one of the leading settlers of that name to pilot Welsh emigrant Friends to Montgomery, then Philadelphia, county in 1698.

During 1859-60 the country remained in an unsettled condition pending Mr. Lincoln's election and inauguration, the South breathing treason and conspiracy against the Union, when the storm of war at last broke over the land in the spring of 1861. Mr. Corson had taken a deep interest and active part