In religion, Mr. McDuffee was brought up under good old Parson Joseph
Haven, and has remained a liberal supporter of the Congregational
society. In politics, he was an earnest Whig. His first vote was for the
electors who chose John Quincy Adams president, and his postmastership
was ended by Andrew Jackson. He has always been a decided Republican.
Mr. McDuffee's great amount of labor has been possible only by the
vigorous constitution which he inherited. The boy, who, before he left
home, "carried the forward swath" in the hay-field, made the man who now
accomplishes an amount of work which would surprise many younger men.
Monday is always given to the Strafford Bank, at Dover; Tuesday, he
presides at the Rochester Bank meeting; Wednesday, at the Savings Bank;
and no day is idle.
Of Mr. McDuffee's happy domestic relations nothing need be said. Of his
eight children,--naming them in the order of birth,--(1) Joseph, who
followed the sea, died (single) on the ocean at the age of thirty-five.
(2) Franklin, who graduated at Dartmouth College in 1853, died, after a
successful financial career, November 11, 1880, greatly lamented; he
married Mary Fannie, daughter of John Hayes, of Farmington, and left two
sons, John Edgar (now in the Chandler Scientific Department of Dartmouth
College), and Willis. (3) John Randolph, graduated at the Chandler
Scientific Department in 1857; was a civil engineer in Rochester, and
died single, aged twenty-five. (4) Anna M., is the wife of Frank S.
Brown, of Hartford, Conn., of the firm of Brown, Thompson & Co. She has
one son and two daughters. (5) Mary Abbie, is the wife of Charles K.
Chase, a merchant in Rochester, and has two daughters. (6) Sarah died
single. (7) George, the only surviving son, is engaged in extensive
grain, mill, and lumber business in Rochester; he married, first, Lizzie
Hanson, who died leaving a son; afterwards he married, second, Nellie,
daughter of Dr. James Farrington, of Rochester, her father being nephew
of Dr. James Farrington, M. C. (8) Oliver, died in infancy.
Judged by the success of his work as the banker, as developing by a
liberal and wise help every worthy manufacturing enterprise, and as
foremost in the building of the various railways centering in Rochester,
it is clear that Mr. McDuffee nobly comes into the list of those spoken
of in our first paragraph, whose record is in the prosperity of his
native town, where ability, sagacity, integrity, and kindliness have
united to make that record, as well as his own personal success.
[Illustration: Very truly yours--
John C. French]
JOHN C. FRENCH.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account