NJGenWeb ~ Morris County, New Jersey
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NJGenWeb ~ Morris County, New Jersey
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Biographical and Genealogical History of Morris County New Jersey. Illustrated. Vol. II., Lewis Publishing Company, New York and Chicago, 1899.
The efficient deputy county clerk of Morris county, and an able attorney at law of Morristown, Mr. VOORHEES has attained a high place in the public regard, owing to his ability and fidelity in official service and his enterprise and reliability in the affairs of private life. He was born in Somerset county, New Jersey, on the 15th of August, 1852, and is a son of Daniel S. and Mary L. (DOTY) VOORHEES. His father was born in Somerville, New Jersey, in 1808, followed the occupation of farming as a life work, and died in 1878. His wife passed away in 1894. Their children were
Mr. VOORHEES, of this sketch, spent the days of his boyhood and youth in Elizabeth and acquired his education in the Morrow street school. He has also learned many valuable lessons in the school of experience and through reading and observation, and is today a well informed man on all matters of general interest. He entered upon his business career at the early age of fourteen years as a salesman in a hardware store of Elizabeth, being thus engaged for two and a half years. He then removed to Morristown, in the year 1870, and the following year accepted a clerical position in the office of Richard Speer, then county clerk. He was appointed to the position of deputy clerk in 1876 by William McCarty, and was reappointed by his successor, M. S. Condit, in 1878, and again by the same clerk in 1883. Five years later he was again chosen for the position of deputy by E. B. Mott, and was by him reappointed in 1893, so that he is the present incumbent. Thus for twenty-one consecutive years he has filled the office, discharging his duties with marked aptitude and faithfulness. He has the unqualified confidence of the public and fully merits the esteem in which he is uniformly held. During the years of his public service Mr. VOORHEES, by a systematic course of reading, has so familiarized himself with the statutes of the state that upon application and examination he was admitted to the bar on the 24th of February, 1896, and in April, of the same year, was appointed master in chancery. Mr. VOORHEES is one of the leaders of Republican thought and action in Morris county and has been a member of the executive committee of the county for many years. He is now secretary of the third-ward committee. He was very active in his championship of Hon. Mahlon Pitney for congress and was influential in a large degree in securing him the splendid pluralities which he received in 1894 and 1896. In 1898 he was elected county clerk of Morris county by a majority of one thousand and twenty-eight, running over two hundred ahead of his ticket and defeating James C. Porter, the Democratic nominee. He is an excellent organizer, who marshals the political forces with the precision of a general and at the same time with the persuasive force of a diplomat. He is certainly well fitted for leadership in the realms of politics and is accounted a most valued factor in Republican circles. For five years he acceptably served as clerk of his township. He does all in his power for the welfare and advancement of the community, and during his two terms as chief of the fire department of Morristown greatly improved the service by purchasing a new La France engine and a fire-patrol wagon and introducing the new Gamewell fire-alarm system. He has been a member of the board of fire wardens for nineteen years. In his social connections Mr. VOORHEES is an Odd Fellow and is also a member of the Order of Red Men. On the 18th of January, 1874, he was united in marriage to Miss Frances L. WHITE, a daughter of William WHITE. They have a wide acquaintance in Morristown and the circle of their friends is constantly widening. This biography was scanned and contributed by Catherine Smith DeMayo. |
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