Feb. 19, 1875.] <^4 * [Sellers. 



AN OBITUARY NOTICE OF MR. JOSEPH HARRISON, JR. 

 By Coleman Sellers. 



{Read before the America7i Philosojyhical Society, February 19, 1875.) 



Whea we review the life of any prominent individual and att3mpt t^ 

 analyze tlie motives tliat seam to li ive actuated him, and which may hive 

 led to his success, we can sc ircely avoid noting a resemblance to other 

 lives ; we find the same results following the same general course of 

 action in all. This orderly sequence of events leads us to think we are 

 subject to some fixed law, with which law seemingly accidental causes 

 may interfere to give endless variety in detail, yet not materially to alter 

 the result. That the good and obadient son, the industrious apprentice, 

 the faithful w (rkman, should in time grow to be the much-respected and 

 influential citizen, seems so natural and orderly that life in such a case 

 appears as if " it was a sum duly cast up giving results in ijarticular 

 figures." 



In rendering tribute to the memory of our late associate, Joseph Harri- 

 son, Jr., by reviewing the prominent events of his life and recording the 

 results accomplished by him, the high position held by him in his latter 

 days demands a careful consideration of the orderly growth of a life 

 which had its beginning in the enforced economy and habits of industry/ 

 of the apprentice and in a few years of home training. 



So far as any chronological record of his life is needful, the task you 

 have honored me by imposing on me is rendered easy by his own fore- 

 thought in presenting to his children a well-written autobiography so 

 clear and precise in its narrative that it is difficult to avoid the use of his 

 own words in giving here the outline of his life. Previous to the War of 

 Independence Mr. Harrison's ancestors seem to have been well-to-do ; 

 but his grandfather, who was a large land-holder in New Jersey, entered 

 the army, and afterwards neglecting his personal affairs, died in 1787, 

 leaving but little for his family. His son, Joseph Harrison, was sent to 

 Philadelphia when fourteen years old, and was employed by Mr. Charles 

 French, grocer, whose daughter he married in 1803. He seems to have 

 been unfortunate in business, and the subject of this memoir was born, 

 as he says, in the dark hours of his family history. This was on Septem- 

 ber 20th, 1810, so that Joseph Harrison, Jr., was 63| years of age at the 

 time of his death, March 27th, 1874. 



In his youth he seems to have been fond of reading the few books 

 at his command, and very early he evinced a strong inclination 

 towards mechanical pursuits. Following this bent after what schoolino- 

 he could obtain before he was fifteen years old, he was at that age inden- 

 tured to Frederick D. Sanno, in the old district of Kensington, to learn the 

 art and mystery of steam engineering. In about two years the failure of 

 Mr. Sanno canceled his indentures. He considered the change that this 

 necessitated a good thing for himself, as he was then enabled with some 

 A. p. S. — VOL. XIV. 2s 



