Col. Horace RESLEY Obituaries (1902), Washington Co., MD File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Tim Snyder http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.html ****************************************************************** Cumberland Evening Times, Monday, April 14, 1902 COL. HORACE RESLEY DEAD HE PASSED AWAY PEACEFULLY YESTERDAY MORNING He Descended From Revolutionary Stock and Lived a Long Life of Usefulness and Uprightness After an illness of several weeks Colonel Horace Resley, known to nearly every man, woman and child in the surrounding territory of three states, passed peacefully away at the Western Maryland hospital, shortly after 3 o'clock yesterday morning, aged 87 years. His illness dated from a fall he received on an icy pavement near his home on Harrison street, which dislocated one of his shoulders, producing paralysis. He had been unconscious most of the time since and was unable to recognize his most intimate friends. Col. Resley was clerk of the Circuit Court of this county for 22 years. He was first elected in the year 1851, when Allegany and Garrett counties were both one. His opponent at that time was A. S. McNamee. Col. Resley was an independent Whig candidate, and his opponent the regular Democratic nominee. The contest was a close one, Col. Resley having been elected by 13 majority. He was again elected 6 years later. At the end of his second term, a Constitutional amendment reduced the office to four years for a term. He was then elected three successive terms longer but was finally defeated in 1873 by the late Theodore Luman. Mr. Resley was also City Clerk of Cumberland for 15 years, retiring from that office in 1896. Since that time he lived in retirement. Col. Resley was born on a farm near Hancock, Washington county, Md., and until he was 32 years of age he made his home in that county. In the autumn of 1847 he came to Cumberland, where he lived until his death. For a few years he conducted a mercantile business on the corner of Baltimore and Centre streets in connection with Chesapeake and Ohio Canal contractors, the firm being known as Hunter, Harris & Resley. He was once a director of the Chesapeake & Ohio canal. As a railroad contractor he constructed the famous Twenty-first cut on the Baltimore and Ohio near Keyser, W. Va. He was once manager of the Grafton hotel for eight years. Col. Resley [omitted word in original] in many enterprises. He once had an option on what is now the famous Connellsville coal and coke region at a comparative small figure, but failed to liquidate it. Col. Resley was of stalwart build, standing "six feet, two," and in his prime was as straight as an arrow and as strong as a Titan. He came from a stalwart race, being of Swiss descent. His brother, Capt. James Resley, a Union soldier, who died near Hancock, several years ago, was of unusual strength physically and was strong minded. At one time Col. Resley was a power in politics in this and Garrett county. He was a Democrat but when the greenback movement was at its height Col. Resley became the standard bearer of that party as its candidate for Congress in the Sixth Congressional district, but was defeated. Col. Resley was a man of great physical endurance, and until his recent years his health was most vigorous. He was in every sense a man and one of the most prominent of his day. Upright and honorable, and with those qualifications he coupled generosity, and when in a position to do so no man ever appealed to Col. Resley in vain for aid. Always ready to help the poor, he lavished a fortune in that direction. He despised littleness and a mean act always met his severest censure. His mind was often occupied with mechanical problems and he was an inventor of some note. In 1840 he suggested the idea for a pilot to be used on the locomotive, which is the one still used by railroads, and later he took out patents for a projectile for a cannon, a car coupler, whereby the necessity of the brakeman to stand between the cars to couple them is avoided, a railroad snowplow and a device for rounding curves, giving greater speed and avoiding the wear and tear of machinery. Although these and other inventions by him have proved to be of great value, the inventor did not reap the financial benefits which should have accrued to him. Col. Resley come of Revolutionary stock. His father, John Resley, was born in Washington county, and owned extensive tracts of land and slaves to cultivate same. He served during the war of 1812, being a lieutenant in a company commanded by Capt. Stevens. After the war terminated he settled upon the old homestead, where he lived in quiet and comfort the rest of his days, his death taking place when in his 65th year. His wife, Mary Snively, as she was before their marriage, was a native of Pennsylvania and a descendant of Peter Markel, a former governor of that state. She died at the age of 74 years. Of her ten children but two survive, George and Cara Ann, who live near Mann, Fulton county, Pa. His great grandfather was a native of Switzerland, and came to America sometime before the Revolutionary war, in his young manhood, living thenceforth in Lebanon county, Pa. Grandfather Jacob Resley was born in Lebanon county and migrated to Maryland upon reaching maturity. He located in Washington county in the vicinity of Hagerstown, and carried on a large farm there with the aid of several slaves, which he owned. He fought in the Continental army and was with Washington at Valley Forge. In 1840 Colonel Resley married Sarah Mac Lanahan, daughter of John Lanahan, of Franklin county. She died in 1872. Mr. Jacob Brown, the venerable member of the Allegany county bar, was one of the pallbearers. He leaves two sons, John M. and William H. Resley. The latter is recovering from a severe illness of some weeks duration. The only daughter, Miss Isabelle Resley, died in February last. She was devoted to her aged father and to her brothers, and was well known for her acts of self-sacrifice and benevolence. Col. Resley was formerly an active member of the Masonic fraternity.