My Genealogy Hound

HON. WEBSTER C. WEISS, a representative citizen of Bethlehem, is agent for Whitney & Kemmerer’s wholesale coal and iron business in Mauch Chunk. Besides being prominent in business circles, he is a leading Republican, and has a good reputation as a public speaker. In society and church work he is also active, and in the various walks of life numbers a host of warm and devoted friends.

Mr. Weiss was born in Weissport, Pa., September 23, 1853, being a son of Edward, and grandson of Thomas, Weiss, also natives of Weissport. His paternal great-grandfather was Jacob, and his uncle was Francis Weiss, well known in this locality as a wealthy capitalist. Our subject’s father was reared at his birthplace, and assisted his father in boat-building and merchandising. In time he became the leading merchant and largest boat-builder of the place; afterwards he embarked in the iron business and established a foundry in Mauch Chunk, which was one of the largest plants in the Lehigh Valley. During the panic of 1857 he lost his fortune.

In 1862 Edward Weiss became general purchasing agent for the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company. His death, the result of overwork, occurred in 1866, at the age of forty-two years. He was a strong Republican, and volunteered during the late war, but was rejected on account of poor eyesight. One of the most prominent men of Mauch Chunk, he was active in public works, and religiously was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. His wife, formerly Henrietta Steckel, was a native of Egypt, Lehigh County, and daughter of Abraham and Elizabeth Steckel, the latter of whom, though in her ninety-fifth year, is to-day hale and hearty, and still lives in Weissport.

Our subject’s mother, who is now sixty-eight years of age, is also making her home in Weissport. Of her children, the following are living: Ellen J., Mrs. Lefler, of Weissport; Edwin J., a merchant of Mauch Chunk; Webster C., of this sketch; John O., who is weighmaster for the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company at Mauch Chunk; Jennie, a resident of Washington, D. C., and the widow of James Williams; and Bardine, who is head molder in the Bethlehem Foundry and Manufacturing Company of South Bethlehem. Elizabeth died at the age of thirty-four and Harry at the age of six years.

Webster C. Weiss was reared and educated in Weissport, attending the school only during the winter months. At the early age of twelve years he was thrown upon his own resources, as he was deprived by death of his father’s care, and afterwards he and his brother were obliged to support the family. He commenced his business career by driving mules on the gravel bank for the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company; at that time he was so small that a man had to harness the mules for him. In 1864 he was mode errand boy in the company’s office at Mauch Chunk, and June 26, 1872, was promoted to the position of assistant weighmaster.

In 1876 Mr. Weiss was given the foremanship of the boatyards, and the following year was made boating agent of the company with which he had been connected since boyhood. He remained in that position until December, 1884, when he resigned. His resignation was held over by the company until the following March, when Mr. Weiss insisted on its acceptance. After this was accomplished, he entered the employment of Whitney & Kemmerer, of Philadelphia, and took charge of their wholesale coal office at Mauch Chunk, his territory being the Lehigh Valley. Up to the present time he has been in charge of this district, and in 1890 was also made sales agent for the Carbon Iron and Steel Company, whose furnaces are situated in Parry ville. He is very industrious, being on the road nearly every day, and has never had a reduction of salary or missed receiving the same a single pay day since 1872. In 1886 he came to Bethlehem, where he owns considerable real estate, as well as in Weissport and Allentown.

The marriage of our subject was celebrated in Weissport in 1874 with Miss Hattie E., daughter of the late John A. Schnaybergef, who was formerly a tailor. Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Weiss: Ilerda E., a graduate of the high school; Lilly L. and Claire G. The parents are members of the Evangelical Association, belonging to Bethany Church, and Mr. Weiss is Superintendent of the Sunday-school, which he organized four years ago. For twenty-one years he has served as Sunday-school Superintendent, and has been active in Christian work since joining the church when sixteen years of age. He is one of the Trustees and is Vice-President of the Keystone League of Christian Endeavor, a Director in the Evangelical Publishing Company of Harrisburg, and was Secretary of the first General Layman’s Convention of the church held in Philadelphia. Active in the Young Men’s Christian Association, he was Vice-President of the first organization here, and frequently delivers lectures before their members.

In 1891 Mr. Weiss was nominated for Chief Burgess, but having only two days for campaign work was defeated. In the spring of 1894 he was again nominated, the largest vote being cast in this locality that has ever been known, and notwithstanding the fact that the town is largely Democratic, he was defeated by only twenty-three votes. In Weissport he was Justice of the Peace for five years, Auditor for three years and School Director for a like period, being also Secretary in charge of nine schools. During his term there was considerable discussion concerning text-books, and he voted for and secured a uniform system, paying for books out of the public money; for this he was arrested and indicted by the Grand Jury for misappropriating public funds. Judge Dreher decided in his favor, and since then the state has provided that books shall be so purchased.

November 6, 1894, Mr. Weiss was elected as Representative of the Lower House at Harrisburg for the state of Pennsylvania, being the only successful candidate on the Republican ticket in Northampton County. This is an honor of which he may well be proud, as at the last Presidental election the county gave a Democratic majority of thirty-five hundred. The esteem in which he is held in the community is plainly shown in his nomination for Chief Burgess in 1891 and 1894. On the former occasion he was defeated in the contest by two hundred and fifty- eight votes, and at the latter time lost the victory by twenty-three only; while upon his election to the House he was three hundred and five votes ahead of his opponent. Mr. Weiss has been President of the Harrison and Reid Club, and is a member of the County Republican Commitee from the Third Ward. He has passed all the local chairs in the Royal Arcanum, was Grand Chaplain of Pennsylvania for two years, and is now a representative of Lehigh Council No. 356 to the Grand Council, also holding a commission as the State Deputy-at-Large. He is Deputy Grand Regent of District No. 14, taking in Allentown, Bangor, South Bethlehem and Stroudsburg. A member of the Patriotic Order Sons of America, he is Past President of Washington Camp No. 39 of Bethlehem, and also Past District President of Northampton County.