Page:One of a thousand.djvu/636

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622 WALKER. WALKER also on the maternal side a descendant of Elder William Brewster of Plymouth. His early education was received in the district school. He afterwards attended private institutions in Weymouth and Low- ell, Pinkerton Academy, Derry, X. H.,and the Lowell high school. Having gradu- ated from the last-named school, he matric- ulated at the law school of Cincinnati, Ohio, but in consequence of the death of his father in 1840, he abandoned his legal studies, and returned to Lowell. His business career began in Philadel- phia, as a member of the book-publishing house of Walker & Gillis. In 1847 he be- came a teacher in the public schools of Lowell, anil in 1850 was made paymaster of the Hamilton Print Works in that city. After twelve years' service he resigned the position and entered the employ of Dr. J. BENJAMIN WALKER. C. Ayer & Co., as a correspondence clerk. He remained with that firm until the organ- ization of the J. C. Ayer Company, in October, 1877, with which company he still remains, in charge of an extensive depart- ment of their business. Mr. Walker entered political life as a member of the Whig party, with which and its successors he has constantly acted. In i860 and '61 he was a member of the school board ; a member of the common council 1865, '66, and '71 ; alderman 1872, '74, and '75, serving on the committee which drafted and reported the present city charter ; has been a justice of the peace since 1861, and a commissioner for Michigan since 1879 ; was chairman of the Republican city committee for 1871, '72, '73, and '74 ; has been a director, clerk, and treasurer of the Lowell & Andover Railroad since 1876 ; vice-president of the Central Savings Bank ; and a director in the Lowell Mutual Fire Insurance Com- pany. In local organizations, outside of business or politics, Mr. Walker has been a useful and prominent citizen : president of the Middlesex Mechanics' Association, and for several years chairman of its lecture com- mittee ; ten years president of the Choral Society, and member of the executive com- mittee of the Old Residents' Association since its formation in [868. He has been conspicuous and influential in musical cir- cles, and has been thirty-seven years a church organist — twenty-six of these with St. Anne's Episcopal church — the oldest church in the city. Mr. Walker has also been a constant writer and critic for the local press. He was married in 1842 to Catharine Kimball, daughter of Josiahand Mary (Stark) Gillis, of Wilmington. Mrs. Walker died in 1874, leaving one daughter : Mary Catharine. His second marriage occurred in 1876, with Mrs. Mary E. Rix, daughter of William and Mary (('line) Bryant, of Stoneham. Of this union were no children. WALKER, ELIJAH, son of Amos and Judith (Bailey) Walker, was born in Union, Lincoln county, Maine, July 2, r8i8. The district schools furnished what edu- cation he received until fourteen years of age. Then, until his twentieth year, he was either at work on a farm, or en- gaged in learning the trade of carpenter and builder. About this time he availed himself of the opportunity presented for a few months' schooling of a higher grade. At twenty-live lie began business for him- self as carpenter and builder, continuing in the same until 1857, when he connected himself with the late Gen. Hiram G. Berry, Rockland, Maine, in the handling of lum- ber, doors, windows, and the general wood and coal business. At the breaking out of the rebellion he entered the service with General Berry, colonel at that time of the 4th Maine volunteers. April 24, 1861, under the order of Major-General William H. Titcomb of Rockland, Maine, he enlisted a company for that regiment,