190 



HISTORY OF STEUBEN COUNTY, NEW YORK. 



posed to the vestry to start a subscription for a new church 

 edifice, which had long been greatly needed, with the sum 

 of twenty thousand dollars, which he soon after increased 

 to thirty thousand, on condition that half as much more 

 should be raised by the parish. The proposition was 

 gratefully received and warmly seconded, and the result is 

 now seen in one of the most commodious and beautiful 

 church edifices in the diocese. 



Bishop Coxe, in his address to the Convention of the 

 Diocese of Western New York in 1871, says: 



" It was a good day for the diocese when, in Easter 

 week, I consecrated the church at Bath. It is one of the 

 most beautiful fabrics in Western New York, and it adorns 

 one of its most charming villages. The munificence of a 

 single parishioner, Mr. Constant Cook, gave it this scale of 

 spaciousness and splendor, but the parishioners generally 

 had liberally contributed to the work. The large attendance 

 of our clergy and laity at the consecration, the spirit and 

 animation of the services, and the crowded missionary 

 meeting that completed the solemnities of the festive day, 

 bore witness to the depth of interest which the good work 

 had awakened throughout the diocese." 



The death of Judge Cook, after a long-protracted illness, 

 occurred on the 24th day of February, 1874, at the age of 

 seventy-six years, three months, and thirteen days. The 

 Courier of March 4 adds : " The funeral of the late Judge 

 Cook was attended from his residence in this village on 

 Thursday afternoon last, a very large number of citizens 

 and friends from abroad being present The solemn and 

 impressive services were conducted by the rector, Rev. Dr. 

 Howard. Delegations of mourning friends from Elmira, 

 Corning, and other places were present, and a long proces- 

 sion followed his remains to their final resting-place, in 

 Grove Cemetery." 



Of eight children, three only survive him, — Henry 11. 

 Cook, Esq., now of New York City, and Mrs. L. D. Hodg- 

 man and Edwin C. Cook, both of Bath. He also left six 

 sisters, — Mrs. Hiser, Mrs. WoodruiF, Mrs. Chedell, and 

 Miss Celente Cook, of Auburn ; Mrs. Orton, of Brooklyn ; 

 and Mrs. Brown, of Bath. 



As before intimated, it will be readily seen that the suc- 

 cess of Judge Cook was greatly owing to early-formed 

 habits of persevering diligence and strict economy. Never 

 idle himself, he had little sympathy with the drones in the 

 great hive of human industry. We have met with no more 

 apt disciple of the school that teaches ^' whatsoever thy 

 hand findeth to do, do it with thy might." 



And then, as was natural to such a man, he was socially, 

 and practically at heart, one of the most democratic of men, 

 sympathizing deeply with all sorts and conditions of men, 

 so long as they respected their own manhood, and sought 

 to act well their part in that state of life to which it had 

 pleased God to call them. 



Naturally, too, his was a wise and discriminating liberality. 

 The truly needy and deserving always found in him one 

 who was ready to listen to their appeals, and to take their 

 cases into consideration. And there was hardly any public 

 improvement, or any religious, educational, or benevolent 



enterprise, to which he was not a generous contributor. 

 Churches and ministers of all denominations could testify to 

 this enlarged spirit of liberality. 



Judge Cook will also long be remembered, by those 

 associated with him in various enterprises, as one who 

 habitually sought to promote harmony and peace. In the 

 vestry, of which he was a member some ten years, and 

 especially in the new church enterprise^ it was natural that 

 he should have his own views and preferences upon some 

 points, and feel, too, that he was entitled to press them. 

 But he never did. If the majority differed from him, no 

 one could yield his opinion more readily or gracefully. 



We may add that he will be remembered by those who 

 knew him familiarly for the shrewd and pithy sayings which 

 daily fell from his lips, as, for instance, his reply to the 

 aspiring youth who '' wanted to know how to get rich." 

 " Hire out to some farmer," said the judge, " at ten dollars 

 a month, and save half of it." We shall have studied his 

 life and character to little purpose if we fail to discover 

 that taking care of money is quite as important an element 

 in all prosperity as earning or making money. 



JOHN A. BOWLBY. 



John A. Bowlby was born in the town of Dryden, 

 Tompkins Co., N. Y., Feb. 6, 1829. He is the son of 

 James and Catherine Bowlby, both natives of New Jersey, 

 where they were married. Mr. Bowlby, Sr., was bound 

 out when a boy to learn the tanner and currier's trade, and 

 served until he reached his majority. He settled in Tomp- 

 kins County soon after his marriage, and, being naturally 

 of an ingenious turn of mind, gave his attention to the 

 carpenter and joiner trade, in which lie became an expert. 

 After several years he turned his attention to farming, and 

 in 1838 came to Steuben County and settled in the town of 

 Bath, where his son now resides, on one hundred and 

 twenty acres of land. He was a man of much resolution 

 and activity, and a peculiar characteristic of him was his 

 fondness for hunting, — being a remarkably good marksman. 

 He died September 14, 1862, at the age of eighty-four. 

 His wife died Sept. 14, 1869, at the same age. 



John A. Bowlby is the youngest in a family of nine chil- 

 dren, and received a fair education from books, which he 

 has improved by reading and contact with business. He 

 was married Sept. 30, 1854, to Lydia R., daughter of 

 Peter and Lucinda Hunter, of Bath, but formerly of Orange 

 County, settling here about 1823. Their children are 

 Frank H., John H., Helen C, and Carrie L. 



Mr. Bowlby is known as a representative agriculturist in 

 the town, and resides on the farm occupied by his father, 

 to which he has made an addition of seventy acres, besides 

 valuable tracts in other localities. A view of his residence 

 and surroundings may be seen on another page of this work. 



Mr. Bowlby has been a Republican since the organiza- 

 tion of the party, has served the town officially, and is now 

 one of the assessors. 



