My Genealogy Hound

STANLEY GARDNER, mill secretary National Tube-works company, McKeesport, was born in Llewellyn Park, Orange, Essex county, N. J., February 6, 1859, a son of Edward and Miriam (Bloomfield) Gardner. His paternal grandfather was Edward Gardner, a member of the firm of Gardner Brothers, the famous ship-builders of England, who settled in New York in the present century. The first of our subject’s maternal ancestors to come to America was one of the early Dutch settlers, and the first governor of the colonies now constituting the state of New Jersey. Edward Gardner, father of Stanley, is an eastern journalist of prominence, having founded and owned the Orange Journal, which he conducted over eighteen years; also the Brooklyn Daily News; owned the Washington County (N. Y.) Post, Bayonne Times, and others, and was for a long time on the editorial staff of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. He served many times as president of both the New York and New Jersey state editorial associations, and has now been in the newspaper business fifty-two years.

Stanley Gardner, at an early age, graduated from the Ashton High-school at Orange, N. J., and in addition took first prize at the competitive declamation exercises; also graduated from Thompson’s Business College at New York city. He learned the trade of a printer in his father’s offices, and then took a position as reporter on the Jersey City Argus, Jersey City Journal and New York Times, respectively. In the meantime he mastered the art of shorthand writing, so necessary for city newspaper work, and, after working as special reporter in New York, received the appointment of United States court reporter in New York city. The close application of a court stenographer prompted him to adopt mercantile business, and he accepted a position with the Valentine Varnish company, and later, when but nineteen years old, purchased the Cornwall Mirror, at Cornwall-on-Hudson, N. Y., which he edited for a time, and afterward sold to advantage. He then became teller for the Corbin Banking company, of New York city, and later was private secretary to Austin Corbin, Esq., the railroad magnate. January 26, 1880, he entered the employ of the National Tube-works company, McKeesport, as stenographer and correspondent, in which position he has become expert in all matters pertaining to the business, and now holds a responsible position at their McKeesport works. He has been secretary of the Wrought-Iron Pipe association of the United States, and treasurer of the Giant Hydraulic Jack company (limited), of which he owned the majority of stock, and sold the patents and business some time ago. In his capacity of newspaper correspondent he witnessed the execution of Charles J. Guiteau at Washington, D. C., January 30, 1882, and signed his death-warrant, as one of the death-warrant jury, and has interesting relics of the execution. Mr. Gardner is a shrewd pipe salesman and able correspondent. He takes great interest in local politics, and is a quiet but effective worker, regardless of party difference; otherwise is a straight protective-tariff republican. He married, October 15, 1884, Virginia V., daughter of Capt. William and Mary (Adams) Dunshee, of McKeesport, and has one daughter, Miriam B.