of the Soldiers' Home at Bath. In the year 1894 Mr. O'Grady was elected for a third time, receiving 6,814 votes; M. J. O'Brien, Democrat, 4,813, and J. H. Hodgkinson, Prohibitionist, 533 votes. James M. E. O'Grady. litical parties, and a bill providing James M. E. O'Grady, Republican, for the election of women trustees member from the Second Assembly district of Monroe county, was born in Rochester in 1863. He was educated in the Rochester Free Academy and graduated from the University of Rochester in 1885. He pursued the study of law while yet in college, and was admitted to the bar the same year he graduated. Since then he has practiced in Rochester. He is unmarried and a manager of the State Industrial School at Rochester, N. Y. He has been a School Commissioner in his native city since 1887 and President of the Board of Education since 1891. He has always been a Republican, and was elected to the Assembly in 1892 by 754 plurality over E. M. Redmond, Democrat, and minor candidates. Mr. O'Grady introduced a large number of bills in the course of the session of 1893: Amending the Code of Civil Procedure; a bill increasing the fees of the penitentiary of Monroe county for caring for State convicts, and making an appropriation for the State Industrial School. Mr. O'Grady, in 1894, was Chairman of the Committee on Public Education and a member of the Committee on Cities and of the Committee on Ways and Means. Mr. O'Grady, in 1894, presented a large number of bills amending the charter of Rochester. He also presented a bill appropriating $25,000 for the construction of a State dam across the Genesee river for canal purposes; a bill authorizing boards of supervisors to buy for towns the Myers' automatic voting machine; a bill relating to the fees of notary's clerks; a bill providing for an equal division of the election inspectors of the State between the great po Mr. O'Grady, in 1895, was appointed Chairman of the Committee on Cities, and a member of the Committee on Ways and Means. In 1896 he became the Republican leader in the Assembly. In the fall of 1895, Mr. O'Grady, as candidate for a fourth term, received 6,180 votes to 3,614 for William S. Woodruff, Democrat; 123 for Esrom Morse, Prohibitionist, and 114 for Jesse Freeman, Populist. In the Assembly of 1896 Mr. O'Grady was Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, and also a member of the Cities and Rules Committees. Mr. O'Grady, in 1896, introduced the following bills of interest: Relative to the payment of back taxes to the amount of $1,200,000 by New York city for the support of the State's insane; relative to the transfer of county hospitals for the insane to the care of the State; creating a Commissioner of Jurors in counties above 300,000 inhabitants; giving additional power to guaranty company; making an appropriation to pay newspapers for certain advertisements by the State; providing representation for New York State at the Mexican National Exhibition; relative to the sale of the State's building at the Atlanta Exposition; regarding the Legislature's contingent expenses; making an appropriation for repairs to the Capitol; providing for a survey of the Genesee river; changing the salaries of the Fish, Game and Forestry Commission; creating the in Cobleskill. He is a member of the Cobleskill Lodge F. and A. M., of which organization he has served as master; is secretary of the fire department, and a member of the Board of Education of Cobleskill. He was not a candidate for the office of Deputy Commissioner of continued to practice his profession Public Works; making an appropriation for extraordinary repairs to the canals; making an appropriation to carry out the Election Law; amending the Railroad Law relative to electrical experts; providing for the construction of bicycle paths in Monroe county; the annual Appro- nomination of Assemblyman and Mr. Palmer was a member of the district of Kings county in the following Assembly committees of Assembly, is the oldest son of Lith1897: Revision, Codes, and Public gow T. Perkins, the well-known Health. priation Act; the annual Supply Bill; the Supplemental Supply Bill; providing for the celebration of the one hundredth anniversary of the establishment of the Capitol at Albany; the annual Tax Bill. At the election of 1896 Mr. O'Grady was again a candidate for re-election to the Assembly. He was elected by receiving 6,938 votes to 4,326 for Benjamin Hoag, Democrat; 131 for M. Berman, Socialist Labor, and 128 for E. Morse, Prohibition. At the organization of the Assembly of 1897 Mr. O'Grady was elected Speaker of the Assembly, and as such is Chairman of the Committee on Rules. George M. Palmer. George M. Palmer, Democrat, who represents the county of Schoharie in the Assembly, is one of the most able and active professional men in Schoharie county. He is thirty-nine years of age and occupies a leading place among the successful lawyers in that section of the State. There is probably no attorney within many miles of Cobleskill who has a larger practice, or who has been more generally successful. He was born in Richmondville, Schoharie county, and was educated in the public schools, and the Normal College at Albany, from which latter institution he graduated in 1877. One year later he entered the law office of Judge Charles Holmes, and was admitted to the bar in 1882, since which time he has was nominated without his knowledge or consent. He was induced to accept the nomination after much urging, knowing a bitter fight was on hand. He succeeded in the election after a hard-fought battle. Mr. Palmer is a self-made man, and a self-reliant, independent, aggressive and convincing advocate and lawyer, always trying his own cases and usually successful His practice extends to all the courts, and he is often called as counsel in important cases in his own and adjoining counties. His ambition has always been to succeed in his chosen profession, and he has placed that object above all others. He is an indefatigable worker, and always loyal to the cause he champions. He is a clear, forcible and eloquent speaker, usually carrying conviction with a jury. He has been on the stump for his party during the last five Presi dential campaigns, and has delivered Fourth of July and Decoration Day orations at various places on each of such holidays for the last eighteen years. Mr. Palmer is a fair representative type of the self-made American citizen. At the election of 1896 Mr. Palmer proved himself a strong candidate. He was elected to the Assembly of 1897, by receiving 4,135 votes to 3,965 for W. E. Bassler, Republican, and 107 votes for the Prohibition candidate. George H. Parshall. Dr. George H. Parshall, Republican, who represents the Seventh Assembly district of Kings county, is a practicing physician in the Eighth ward of Brooklyn, and lives at No 173 Fifty-third street. He is fifty-three years of age, was born in Jamaica, L. I., and was educated at the Union Hall Academy of that village and graduated in medicine and surgery at the Long Island College Hospital of Brooklyn. He has lived in the city of Brooklyn for over thirty years, has made his own way in life, and has been prominently identified in the progress of the section of the city in which he resides, and played an important part in its development. He is the builder and owner of the Parshall Building, and of considerable other Eighth ward property. Dr. Parshall is a member of a number of fraternal societies, and of the Empire State Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. He is a descendant of Old HollandDutch stock, dating back to 1210. His ancestry in this country dates back to 1653. Dr. Parshall was elected to the Assembly of 1897 by receiving 5,599 votes to 4,910 for Thomas J. Casey, Silver Democrat; 272 for F. H. Cooke, National Democrat, and 86 for W. H. Wherry, Socialist Labor. In the Assembly of 1897 Dr. Parshall was a member of the Committees on Public Health and Trade and Manufactures. druggist, many years secretary of the Kings County Board of Pharmacy. On his father's side Mr. Perkins is of New England stock. His maternal ancestry is of old England. He was born in Poughkeepsie in 1865, and in the same year his parents came to Brooklyn. In 1870 they moved into the Twentieth ward, where, with the exception of two or three years in the Eleventh ward, they have ever since lived. Mr. Perkins received his elementary education in Public School No. 11, on Washington avenue. From it he was graduated in 1881. Two years were then spent in preparation for college, under the instruction of Professor Julius H. Cone. In 1883 Mr. Perkins entered the freshman class of Columbia College. Four years later he was graduated. The following year he was graduated from the Law School of Columbia College, having also been a student in the School of Political Science. He was admitted to the bar in May, 1888, and began the practice of his profession in the office of Frederick M. Littlefield, a well-known New York lawyer. Some little time afterward Mr. Perkins entered the office of Hirsh & Rasquin and was with them until the latter part of 1892. Mr. Perkins then formed, with Frank A. Butler, the partnership of Perkins & Butler. Their offices are at 115 and 117 Nassau street, New York city. By industry and close attention to business they have won the confidence of business men, and have laid the foundation of a substantial practice. Among their clients are several well-known firms and business corporations. Mr. Perkins began active work in poli William L. Perkins. William L. Perkins, Republican, who represents the Tenth Assemblytics on the reorganization of the Re publican party in this city three Frederick R. Peterson. years ago, when he was elected Frederick R. Peterson, Republican, president of the Sixteenth District who represents the First Assembly Association in the Twentieth ward. district of Chautauqua county in the He has been re-elected president each year. Mr. Perkins is a member of the Alumni Association of Columbia College, the Long Island Historical Society, and other organizations, and for the past six years has been a trustee and treasurer of the First Baptist Church. As a candidate for Assembly in the fall of 1895 Mr. Perkins received 4,564 votes to 2,955 for William E. Townsend, Democrat, and 577 for Newton D. Alling, Democrat Reform. In 1896 Mr. Perkins was a member of the following commit Claims. Assembly, was born on a farm in the town of Ellicott, Chautauqua county, N. Y., January 21, 1857. He attended the district school; worked on the farm, and taught school until twenty-one years of age. He then attended and graduated from the Jamestown Union School and Collegiate Institute in June, 1880. He then took up the study of law in the office of Sheldon, Green, Stevens & Benedict, attorneys-at-law, Jamestown, N. Y., and was admitted to the bar at Rochester, N. Y., October, 1884. He was City Clerk of the city of tees: Codes, General Laws, and Jamestown, from 1883 to 1888, inclusive, and then formed a law partnership with C. R. Lockwood, of Jamestown, N. Y., under the firm name of Lockwood & Peterson, the partnership existing from 1888 to 1892, when it was dissolved. Mr. Peterson was Supervisor of the city of Jamestown during the years 1892 and 1893. Mr. Perkins introduced, in 1896, the following bills of interest: Relative to the consolidation of churches; authorizing the appointment of assessors of property in Brooklyn; making an appropriation for the Twentythird Regiment Armory; stating the papers on which appeals must be heard in law courts; concerning electrical conductors in Brooklyn; amendments to the Common School Law; relative to the indemnity of sheriffs; for the improvement of the In 1896 Mr. Peterson was elected parkways and driveways of Brook- to the Legislature of the State of lyn; for the payment of counsel employed in revising the taxation laws. In 1892 he formed a law partnership with Frank W. Stevens, of Jamestown, N. Y., under the firm name of Stevens & Peterson, which partnership still exists. New York from the First Assembly district of Chautauqua county, by a plurality of 5,800. Mr. Peterson was elected to the Assembly of 1897 by receiving 8,880 votes to 3,518 for J. Babcock, Silver Democrat. At the election of 1896 Mr. Perkins was again a candidate for the Assembly, and was re-elected by receiving 5,247 votes to 3,556 for James J. Tierney, Democrat; 310 for Charles R. Halsey, National Demo- In 1897 Mr. Peterson was a memcrat, and 37 for J. J. O'Dea, Social ist Labor. In the Assembly of 1897 Mr. Perkins was a member of the Committees on Judiciary and Claims. ber of the Committees on Judiciary, Revision, and Soldiers' Home. George E. Philo. George E. Philo, Republican, who represents the First Assembly disIn the Assembly of 1897 Mr. Philo was a member of the Committees on Revision, Cities, and Soldiers' Home. James H. Pierce. trict of Oneida county in the As- has been known as a Democratic sembly, was born in Utica in 1858, | district. and is one of nine children - six boys and three girls - still living. When he was quite young his parents moved to Frankfort, and when he was only seven years old his father died. In various ways he helped his mother maintain the family home, and when only eleven years old he became a driver on the Erie canal. During the intervals of navigation he prosecuted his studies, and later entered Cazenovia Semi- Early in life he engaged in mercannary, where he took a four years' tile business at Keeseville, N. Y., course. In 1887 he entered the law again at Fredericksburg, Va., and office of Henry F., and James again at Milwaukie, Wis., and at Coupe, and after a four years' study of law was admitted to the bar. He returned to the place of his Since then he has combined the birth in 1850. In 1851 he assisted in practice of his profession with real estate transactions, and has been uniformly successful in both. Several years ago Mr. Philo married Miss Celia Ledwell, of Kirkland, and is the father of two children. Mr. Philo is a member of the Masonic Order and a Knight Templar. He is a member of Samuel Reed Lodge, Knights of Pythias, and of Utica Lodge, Knights of Honor. He is also a member of the Royal Arcanum. For two years Mr. Philo served as the committeeman of the Seventh ward of Utica. In the contest for the Assembly in 1896, the First Oneida district had five candidates: The vote which resulted in Mr. Philo's election was as follows: George E. Philo, Republican, 5,221; Walter Embly, Democrat, 4,130; John Williams, Independent Republican, 2,029; Jefferson Hatch, Prohibition, 50, and Frank D. Gesser, Socialist Labor, 46. Mr. Philo's plurality over his Democratic opponent, Walter Embly, was 1,091, a significant plurality in what James H. Pierce, Republican, who represented Essex county in the Assembly of 1897, was born at New Sweden, Clinton county, N. Y., August 27, 1826. He was educated in the common and select schools. Nunah, Wis. the management of the extensive lumbering business of Peter Comstock at Franklin Falls, N. Y. In May, 1852, in company with James B. Dickinson he purchased the property upon which the village of Bloomingdale is now located, and erected a large sawmill, gristmill, store, shops and hotel, and later a starch factory. He was connected with most of these branches of business until 1862, when he laid business aside and enlisted a company of 100 men, and delivered them at Plattsburg, N. Y., without expense to the government, and joined the One Hundred and Eighteenth Regiment, New York State Volunteers. He was commissioned captain of Company C, of this regiment, and remained with the regiment during all its trials until May 16, 1864, when he was taken prisoner at the battle of Drury's Bluff. He was in prison at Libby Prison in Richmond, Macon, Savannah and Charleston, S. C. He was a prisoner seven months, the last two and onehalf months in hospital at Charleston, from which he was exchanged |