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James Denny Daugherty
JAMES DENNY DAUGHERTY was born in Kittanning, Pa., Oct. 17, 1855, his
father being one of the descendants of the pioneers of the town, born in
Kittanning. His mother was Anne Riley, a native of Ireland. Mr. Daugherty�s
early education was acquired in the public schools, but was delayed by the
necessity of obtaining a livelihood. He worked in a brickyard during the
daylight hours and recited at night to the late Robert W. Smith, the
historian, from whom he obtained a basic knowledge of Latin and mathematics
which has served him well in the later years of his success. Finally, through
severe economy, he was enabled to attend the Eldersridge Academy, and Mount
Union College, Ohio, from which latter institution he graduated.From boyhood he had been a lover of books and had a keen interest in
mechanics and new discoveries. When the Graham system of shorthand writing
came into popular use, he was one of the first to avail himself of the
opportunity to acquire a rapid method of transcribing speech, and soon became
noted as a fast and accurate reporter. So great was his repute that he was
made official court reporter. During this time he was reading law in the
office of Hon. John Gilpin and G. S. Crosby, and he was admitted to the bar in
September, 1887.Having realized the great economic value of the typewriter, upon its
introduction to the world, he at once purchased one, became remarkably expert
upon that comparatively clumsy pioneer machine, and began at once to improve
upon it. The culminating event of his career was the invention of the first
visible typewriter, which he soon developed into a practical instrument and
later put upon the market, being at the head of a company he organized for its
manufacture. This machine was the progenitor of all the modern visible
machines of the world. Mr. Daugherty is now engaged, in his leisure moments,
in devising an adding typewriter for one of the largest of the great
manufacturing firms of that giant industry. He has taken out nearly a hundred
patents on typewriters and computing machines and is frequently consulted as a
constructive expert.During the time he was developing the typewriter Mr. Daugherty had found
spare moments to perfect himself in legal lore, and in 1898 he was appointed
referee in bankruptcy by Hon. Joseph Buffington, a position which he still
holds. He has a law office in Kittanning, and is often retained as a pleader
in important cases, where his native eloquence can be made available before
the jury. He is now county solicitor and held that position for six years once
before.Nature was lavish in her bestowal of talents upon “Denny,” as his
friends call him, for not only is he gifted as a mechanic, and learned in the
law, but his inborn eloquence and poetic temperament are traits which have
endeared him to his friends, and made him a terror to his adversaries. Not
only have these talents gained recognition in the section where his life has
been spent, but in many political campaigns his clear and penetrating voice
has resounded from the rostrum in defense of the principles of his party. He
was one of the few speakers selected for service in the campaign of the
lamented William McKinley, for whom Mr. Daugherty had a strong personal
friendship. When that martyred president�s memorial services were held, Mr.
Daugherty was selected to deliver the address, and the poem written and
recited by him on that occasion has still power to bring tears to the eyes of
the reader. He was also selected in 2905 to present the largest flag in the
world to the city of Pittsburgh.Mr. Daugherty was married Jan. 1, 1878, to Eliza L. Field, a native of
Canada, whom he met at college, and has three children: Mary E., a graduate of
Margaret Morrison branch of Carnegie Technical Institute, Pittsburgh, in
domestic science; Nancy L., portrait painter, now in Paris, France, and J. D.,
Jr., engaged in the automobile business.Mr. Daugherty has had a standing offer to go upon the lyceum platform as a
lecturer and entertainer, and several times has been mentioned as available
material for Congress, but so far neither of these has appealed to himSource: Page(s) PAGES 346-347, Armstrong County, Pa., Her People, Past
and Present, J.H. Beers & Co., 1914
Transcribed July 1998 by Patti Godesky for the Armstrong County Beers Project
Contributed for use by the Armstrong County Genealogy Project (http://www.pa-roots.com/armstrong/)Armstrong County Genealogy Project Notice:
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