TOWN OF CORNING. 



273 



ganizatioa of the Kepublican party, since which time he 

 has been a pronounced Republican. He has been prom- 

 inently identified with the best interests of his town and 

 county, and often has been chosen as a delegate to represent 

 his constituents in district, county, and State conventions. 

 He has held various official positions in Corning, and for 

 four years was chairman of the Republican committee of 

 Steuben County. He was a delegate to the National Re- 

 publican convention at Philadelphia, in 1872, which nom- 

 inated General Grant for President, and Hon. Henry Wilson, 

 of Massachusetts, for Vice-President. He took a very ac- 

 tive part in that campaign. 



In 1876 he was elected to the Forty-fifth Congress, to 

 represent the Twenty-ninth District of New York, com- 

 prising the counties of Allegany, Chemung, and Steuben, 

 receiving 21,087 votes, against 17,973 votes for E. D. 

 Loveridge, Democrat. In Congress he served on the Com- 

 mittee on Education and Labor. 



In June, 1859, he was married, at the residence of the late 

 Duncan S. Magee, in Corning, to Miss Mary W., daughter 

 of the late Dr. Ten Eyck Gansevoort, of Bath, Steuben 

 Co., N. Y., and formerly of Albany, N. Y. His wife died 

 in the month of October, 1871. 



Mr. Hungerford is an active member of the Presbyterian 

 Church at Corning, and has been a trustee of the same for 

 more than twenty years. He has also been for several 

 years a trustee of Hamilton College, and of Elmira Female 

 College. 



Mr. Hungerford is a man of deep and earnest convic- 

 tions, which lead him to be firm in upholding what he be- 

 lieves to be right, — a man of integrity and uprightness in 

 all his relations and dealings in life, charitable in his 

 opinions of others, as well as in his deeds, and of a social 

 nature that attaches to him many warm friends. 



HON. CHARLES C. B. WALKER 



was born at Drewsville, a small village in Cheshire Co., 

 N. H., in 1824. The battle of life commenced early, and 

 he had but limited opportunities for acquiring an education. 

 When barely six years of age, his father, through business 

 embarrassments, was placed within jail limits, under the old 

 law of imprisonment for debt, at Keene, N. H. He was a 

 soldier of the war of 1812, and died at the age of forty- 

 seven, in 1842. His mother, whose maiden name was 

 liarriet Blake, resides with her son in Corning, and now 

 in her eighty-third year, is just beginning to receive the 

 widow's pension. 



Thus early in life the future merchant commenced a 

 career remarkable for its industry, perseverance, and suc- 

 cess. His opportunities were few, his means meagre, but 

 nothing that helped him to turn an honest penny was de- 

 spised. Before he reached the age of seventeen he accu- 

 mulated the snug sum of $800, which he loaned to his 

 father. This little capital was not only the foundation of 

 his future prosperity, but enabled his parent to lease the 

 Eagle Hotel at Charleston, and afterward the Cheshire 

 House, at Keene, N. H. The elder Walker was famous 

 as a landlord throughout New IDngland in his (Jay, and was 

 35 



the original recipient of the now common title " The Prince 

 of Landlords." In his seventeenth year, young Walker 

 entered the hardware-store of W. H. Bowman, at Palmyra, 

 N. Y., with a frugal salary ; but mindful of the early les- 

 sons, and in deference to the wishes of his mother, who was 

 afraid of the hotel influence, he remained seven years with 

 Mr. Bowman, rapidly acquiring a thorough knowledge of 

 the business, but his aspirations craving a wider field, he 

 set out for Albany in 1848 with undefined plans, yet strong 

 in determination to engage in the trade for himself. 



He boldly presented himself to the late Hon. Erastus 

 Corning, and asked for credit, stating his desire to engage 

 in business for himself, adding that he had saved $1500 

 (part of which he had earned while a lad and loaned to his 

 father). Mr. Corning suggested that $1500 was a small 

 sum to commence hardware business on. Walker replied 

 if Mr. Corning did not give him credit, somebody must. 

 This spirited answer of the young man favorably impressed 

 the mind of that able and successful financier, and he im- 

 mediately gave orders to his confidential clerk to give Mr. 

 Walker all the credit he wanted. Thenceforth the most 

 cordial relations subsisted between him and Mr. Corning, 

 and young Walker was treated more like a son than other- 

 wise, retaining the confidence of that gentleman ever after- 

 wards. 



Soon after the above incidents, Mr. Walker, in 1848, 

 commenced business in the village of Corning, with the 

 firm-name of Cumpston & Walker, establishing the largest 

 hardware business in the Chemung Valley, and placed it 

 upon an enduring basis. In addition to this he engaged 

 extensively in the lumber trade, which he carried on with 

 characteristic industry. 



His business enterprises have been among the most intri- 

 cate, as well as of the most varied character. Canals, rail- 

 roads, and public buildings also engaged his attention, and 

 the many contracts he has taken have always been per- 

 formed to the fullest satisfaction of the authorities ; nor has 

 he in a single instance ever failed to complete his work, — a 

 distinction enjoyed by but few public contractors. His 

 business operations have given employment to a large num- 

 ber of men. In the fire of 1850, with nearly all of the 

 business buildings of Corning, his was destroyed, and 

 during the same year he built the store that he occupies at 

 the present time. In 1851 he took in a partner, Horace 

 Turner, who purchased Mr. Cumpston's interest. The new 

 firm continued until 1857, when Mr. Walker became the 

 sole owner of the business, which he carried on until 1862, 

 and associated with him in business Austin Lathrop, Jr., 

 who is now a member of the firm. 



In the spring of 1856 he was appointed by President 

 Pierce postmaster of Corning — he was entirely ignorant of 

 the fact that a change was meditated until he received the 

 appointment — and re-appointed by President Buchanan, in 

 May, 1860. He was a delegate to the National Democratic 

 Convention of the latter year, and warmly supported Ste- 

 phen A. Douglas for the Presidency. During the interim 

 between the adjournment at Charleston and the reassem- 

 bling at Baltimore, an agent of the administration told Mr. 

 Walker " he saw the President yesterday ; that the Presi- 

 dent was npt at ^11 satisQed with his course at Charleston ; 



