BIO: George H. Russell, Cumberland County, PA

Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Judy Bookwalter

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http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/cumberland/
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History of Cumberland and Adams Counties, Pennsylvania.
Containing History of the Counties, Their Townships, Towns, Villages, 
Schools, Churches, Industries, Etc.; Portraits of Early Settlers and 
Prominent Men; Biographies; History of Pennsylvania; Statistical and 
Miscellaneous Matter, Etc., Etc.  Illustrated.  Chicago: Warner, Beers 
& Co., 1886.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/cumberland/beers/beers.htm
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                                PART II.

             HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY. PENNSYLVANIA.

                             CHAPTER XLVIII.

               HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP AND BOROUGH OF NEWBURG.

491  HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP.

  GEORGE H. RUSSELL, editor, merchant, farmer, inventor and author, 
Newburg, Penn.  Was born April 27, 1835, at Laughlinstown, Westmoreland 
Co., Penn.  His father, Dr. Alexander H. Russell, was a distinguished 
physician of Westmoreland and Cumberland Counties.  On his father's 
side his ancestry was Irish, and on his mother's it was German.  Our 
subject's education was not higher than that obtained at an academy.  
While going to a select school in Newville, taught by John Kilbourn; 
the scholars played a trick on their teacher with his (Russell's) dog.  
The teacher took the school to an account about it; and they all denied 
it except "the boy," G. H. Russell, and instead of a whipping he got a 
Washington monument; printed in acrostic form of letters, to 
commemorate him as a second Washington for truthfulness.  The acrostic 
was copyrighted.  In 1857, 1858 and 1859 Mr. Russell engaged in the ice 
trade in Baltimore.  While in this business he was the first man in the 
United States to introduce the "new idea" of delivering ice on Saturday 
evening for use over Sunday.  The idea became popular, and was adopted 
in other cities and towns.  In the year 1860 he removed to Cumberland 
County, and engaged at country store-keeping at Huntsdale, and 
subsequently in farming at North Newton.  While engaged in farming in 
the year of 1871, he called several meetings of the farmers at 
Oakville, and lectured upon the necessity of farmers organizing against 
the encroachments of monopolies and middlemen.  These advanced ideas 
were printed in The Enterprise, published at Oakville, and reprinted in 
other papers.  It is alleged by some that these ideas took shape and 
action in the organization of the Grange, or Patrons of Husbandry.  In 
1875 Mr. Russell engaged in tanning leather at Newburg.  In 1882 he 
called the attention of the craft, through their trade organ, the S. 
and L. Reporter, to a new method in leaching and steaming bark; 
upsetting old theories and producing great savings.  These ideas were 
hooted at, but subsequent tests proved Mr. Russell to be correct; and 
some of the leading factories adopted his plans; which will no doubt 
become universal.  Mr. Russell's political views were reformatory and 
independent, and of the common sense kind.  Not a communist - he took 
sides for labor, and was identified with the Greenback Labor party from 
its first inception, and was always a member of its State Committee.  
In 1859 he invented a patented a fire-place heater, among the first of 
its class.  He subsequently obtained patents for a fruit can, a washer; 
and stove drum.  In 1884 he became the editor and proprietor of the 
Newburg Telephone, and became noted as a writer of force and wit.  In 
1883 he wrote his new discoveries in physiology on the "Ductless Organs 
and Their Functions."  In these works he claims to have discovered the 
functions of these organs, which had previously been unknown.  He 
claims, as his discovery; that the functions of these organs are to 
regulate the circulation of the blood; and that they are the cause of 
suspended animation of life; and that they act as a positive and 
negative for the purpose of electrifying the blood, producing human 
electricity; besides many other ideas that are new in physiology.  
Colleges, physicians and schools of medicine have received these ideas 
and theories in astonishment; and while none have yet been able to 
controvert them, some have admitted to him that pathological tests and 
observation proves his theory to be true; and that they must stand 
until proven false.  He says he desires to be the "chosen vessel," to 
make these discoveries for the use of mankind, and esteems them to be 
"the crown," the glory and the honor of his life!  In a later work on 
physiology he explains the cause of fever heat, which had previously 
been unknown.  He takes a deep interest in common and Sunday-schools.  
In religion he holds that those Christians who settle disputes by 
fighting are frauds, and that baptism, as taught by most churches, is 
idolatrous.